"My Prince, are you listening to me?"
"My Prince?"
"Yes, yes... Sir Los."
"Good. Now focus on this..."
God, just kill me already. When will this hell end?
An entire month has passed since that embarrassing conversation with Mom. Despite all this time, I still want to die every time I remember it.
After I told her Jet's name and described her, sleep overcame me, and I quickly returned to the calm and comfortable embrace of slumber.
I woke up again in my room within the Raven's Heart.
After finishing the daily routine... or to be more precise, after the maids finished my routine for me while I stood there awkwardly, thinking of every possible way to end my life out of shame, I was brought to the study room in the Great Castle.
The library was magnificent in every sense of the word.
It was a vast hall with towering ceilings decorated with engravings telling forgotten legends. Ancient wooden shelves stretched to touch the ceiling, laden with various books that smelled of old paper and magical ink.
The corners were adorned with artifacts brought from the farthest reaches of the Dream Realm, glowing under the light of floating candles.
For a while, I felt a spark of excitement... an excitement that vanished the moment the lessons began.
Honestly, I don't know how protagonists in novels suddenly become geniuses the moment they transmigrate, reading hundreds of books a day. Unfortunately, that didn't happen to me.
It seems that studying in both worlds is a nagging, unbearable hell.
At first, when the teacher decided to start teaching me the language, I thought about feigning ignorance and letting him do as he pleased. Half an hour of reading the alphabet was enough to change my mind.
I told him straight out that I could read and write. As expected, he didn't believe me—at least not until he tested me himself and confirmed the truth of my claim.
Which leads us to this moment.
A full month of studying has made my beautiful golden hair start to turn dry and dull, sparking panic among the maids tasked with caring for me. Despite this, they didn't reduce my study schedule, though they did add some interesting lessons.
Studying ancient languages and the history of the Dream Realm were lessons I looked forward to. As for cooking and wilderness survival, they were fun activities that felt more like a break than actual lessons.
However, there were two lessons I truly anticipated and couldn't wait for.
The first was, of course, swordsmanship. Holding a sword like a knight was incredibly cool and fun. According to the instructor, I'm supposedly considered a "genius" in this field.
The second lesson was Mom's lesson.
Yes. Every week, I go down to the massive icy halls where my mother's Pilgrims dwell and where her throne sits.
She would sit me in her lap and start talking. There was no specific topic; for an hour or two, she would talk about whatever came to her mind that might help me in the future.
I remember in our last meeting, how her voice was calm as she combed my hair, before suddenly asking:
"Orion, how do you kill a man who loves you?"
I froze in place. She wasn't asking about the physical method; she was asking about "Sovereignty."
I answered honestly, "I don't know... Mom."
She tilted her head, her gaze fixed on the empty throne.
"The man who hates you will warn you with his sword, and the enemy who fears you will hide in the shadows—these are easy to deal with. But the man who loves you, who trusts you... he is the most dangerous."
"Because his loyalty makes you responsible for him. And if his loyalty becomes a burden on the survival of the lineage, it must end. Killing is not always the product of hate, my little one; sometimes, killing is the highest act of mercy a ruler offers their subjects."
Her features were delicate, but her words dripped with cold blood.
"Manipulation doesn't always mean lying. It means making others choose the path you have drawn for them while they think it is their own choice. To lead, you must understand what people run after: fear, greed, or hope. Give them one of these three, and they will possess the world for you, while you possess their necks."
Then she smiled that smile that made her look like an ordinary mother.
"But with you, it's different... you won't need to manipulate them to love you, will you?"
"My Prince, are you listening to me?"
The teacher's voice woke me once again from the depths of my memory. My mother was giving me the essence of her priceless expertise as a Sovereign, which made Sir Los's lessons seem like trivial children's games.
Thwack!
The sound of a book hitting the desk shattered my train of thought. I focused my eyes on my teacher, who was turning red with rage.
"Yes?" I answered innocently.
Heh heh heh. In the end, annoying others seems to be a trait inherited within the Beast God lineage!
"Our lesson is over, My Prince. You may leave."
I stood up quickly and ran for the exit, hearing his voice behind me: "Don't forget, our next lesson is in three days!"
I didn't answer and kept running.
As I ran, I couldn't help but notice the two maids Mom had assigned to protect me from the shadows. They were supposed to be hidden, but since I woke up a month ago, I've been able to feel them clearly. In fact, all my senses have improved significantly.
I passed through halls, corridors, and rooms, venturing deeper into the palace until the sound of clashing swords reached my ears.
The training hall was a vast space built of cold gray stone. Its floor was covered with a layer of fine sand, and various weapons were hung on its walls. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and iron.
I entered as quietly as possible and sat down on the nearest seat.
It was a duel between Laura, with her dignity and her sword raised in one hand, and another girl who was panting for breath, failing to take a proper combat stance.
As Laura delivered her calculated strikes, her gaze shifted toward me for a moment. She had noticed my presence despite my attempt to hide, giving a slight, almost invisible nod before returning her focus to the girl.
The girl with hair as black as night and pale blue eyes.
"Chest up, balance your breathing, and don't drop your guard. The enemy won't wait for you while you're getting ready."
"Yes!" my sister replied, parrying Laura's incoming sword.
Heh heh heh... yes, she's my new sister. The newest of the Song princesses.
Princess Song Jet.