He must have just regressed, so he probably doesn’t remember how far the lessons progressed.

I’m in a similar situation, but I still feel pleased to see that damned disciple flustered.

To hide my smile, I bit my lip and put on a serious face. I hope he becomes even more troubled.

But the disciple soon asked with a calm smile.

“I apologize, Master. Where were we? I had a terrible headache during the last lesson. I can’t remember clearly. I’m sorry for not concentrating.”

Clever bastard.

“You were ill? Oh dear. I didn’t know.”

Still not wanting to let it go, I lightly caught his words. The disciple acted a bit disappointed and said.

“You don’t care about me, Master.”

Sly fox.

But he’s right. The me from the previous lesson probably didn’t care about the disciple.

Instead of pursuing it further, I put on a kind-looking smile and flipped through my book.

Let’s see… Neither of us knows the progress, so I can just pick any random part to teach, right?

Where should I start? As I flip through the book, I see a suitable subtitle.

“Master? Why are you silent?”

“Chapter 2, Section 4. Let’s look at ‘The Unity of Ruler and Subject’, Your Highness.”

* * *

Throughout the lesson, I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles.

It couldn’t be helped. My disciple has regressed multiple times. His head must be filled with all sorts of knowledge.

In his past life, the disciple was perfect in both literary and martial arts.

Here I am, a mere 21-year-old teacher, pretending to be a great scholar in front of such a disciple.

The disciple acts docile, not knowing that I’ve regressed, but I know this fact and it made me nervous. It was uncomfortable.

Knowing that beneath that docile expression, he was hiding revenge and killing intent towards me made it even worse.

Every time he smiled, unpleasant thoughts kept coming to mind.

What might he be thinking now? About deceiving me? About making me the State Preceptor with his own hands and then killing me?

“Master. You don’t look well today.”

“I’ve caught a cold.”

Now that the disciple has also regressed, I can’t take revenge on him.

What revenge? I’m too busy trying to find a way to survive.

What I need to do is not take revenge, but treat that unfilial disciple very well. Hoping he won’t kill me again.

I absolutely can’t let him find out that I’ve regressed too. If he does, he’ll know I’m not being genuinely kind and try to kill me again, right?

“Your Highness.”

“Yes, Master.”

“You have a very nice voice.”

“…Pardon?”

Hmm. Maybe sudden compliments are a bit off.

Well. It would be suspicious if a person suddenly changed too much. I should act somewhat like my previous life, but subtly treat him better.

‘Then when I get the chance, I’ll pretend to be close to him more openly.’

But just as I made that resolution, the disciple said something chilling.

“You seem different today, Master.”

It was an ordinary statement, but to me, it felt like a punch to the heart.

I looked up from turning the pages of the book.

The disciple was resting his chin on the desk, staring at me intently.

My mind started racing. What does he mean I’m different?

The sudden compliment earlier? But it was just once? Then? Then what’s different?

How did I teach in my past life? I think… I taught normally. I didn’t like him, but I didn’t have the guts to openly treat him coldly.

Then what exactly is different?

I feel like my liver is being squeezed. The sensation of him bringing poison to my lips flashes through my mind, and my fingertips start trembling again.

I lowered my hands under the desk and stared blankly at the disciple.

He was still looking at me closely.

After a few breaths like this, feeling this wouldn’t do, I deliberately frowned and spoke in an unpleasant tone.

“I understand that you’re dissatisfied with my inadequacy, Your Highness. But nevertheless, I am your teacher, and you are my disciple. During lessons, I ask that you concentrate on the lesson.”

After scolding him coldly, I maintained a serious expression and scrutinized the disciple’s face.

Will he be displeased? Is he thinking inside, ‘Ah, I’ll have to kill this teacher again later’?

With a pounding heart, I met his gaze for another few breaths. From outside came the sound of the wooden board announcing the end of class.

As if that sound was a signal, the disciple stopped staring at me, smiled brightly, and closed his book.

“The lesson is over.”

My heart, which had been tightly clenched, unfurled like a water-soaked seaweed.

I also hid my expression and closed the book.

“I hope we don’t waste the next lesson time like this.”

Just in case, I added words that my past self might have said.

‘Let’s go home quickly. It’s scarier to face him than I thought.’

Instead of waiting for his response, I hurriedly packed my things and stood up.

But why is this disciple doing this? Is he crazy? Unexpectedly, the disciple also stood up.

“Let’s go out together, Master. I’d like to take a short walk too, so I’ll escort you to the gate.”

I almost reflexively shouted ‘No!’ I stood holding my bundle, staring blankly at the disciple.

Why are you escorting me to the gate? My mind started racing again.

Did the disciple ever escort me to the gate in my previous life?

Ah. Right. I think it happened a few times. Not many, but still.

In my past life, whenever the disciple did this, I thought he was seeking affection from me.

That kind of trust-filled affection that other normal teachers and disciples exchange.

But now I’m not sure. The disciple I taught back then was already a cunning snake who had regressed multiple times.

Why did he occasionally escort me? Me, who according to him, had already killed him several times?

Come to think of it, it’s really strange. If the disciple regressed multiple times, why did he die by my hand every time?

Couldn’t he have been wary of me and avoided staying close if he had regressed even once? Did he keep me close for revenge but got counterattacked every time?

“Let’s go.”

After confusing me, the disciple calmly urged.

I had no reason to refuse. I reluctantly nodded and went outside with the disciple.

The weather is nice, completely different from people’s hearts.

But as we were walking side by side across the courtyard, just as we were about to exit through the main gate, the court lady Gi Yang approached and called out to me.

“Um… Official Yo.”

Wondering what it was about, I turned around, and she held out something wrapped in yellow paper and said.

“I’d like to give you this.”

“What is it?”

But being conscious of the 13th Prince, I couldn’t accept it and asked, to which Gi Yang, blushing to her ears, replied.

“You helped me last time, didn’t you? I’m so grateful, but I had no other way to repay you. It’s not much, but I made some chestnut confections myself.”

I helped Gi Yang? Was there such an incident? I don’t remember at all.

But it would seem strange if I refused. In my past life, I acted like a playboy, and thanks to that, I often received gifts from women.

There were few women who wanted to develop a serious relationship with me, but many who wanted to be comfortable friends.

“Thank you, Miss.”

I accepted the bundle of confections while watching the 13th Prince’s reaction.

As I was about to turn away, this seemed too polite.

In my previous life, I would have said some nonsense at this point to maintain my reputation as a womanizer.

Then in this life too, I should say some nonsense. If I act too differently from my previous self, the disciple will notice that I’ve regressed.

“Miss Gi is really so considerate. Every time Miss Gi is this charming, I fall for her so much that my heart aches. You know?”

Half-jokingly, Gi Yang burst into laughter.

Thinking this should be enough, I still spouted a few more nonsensical remarks.

But just as Gi Yang was about to respond with a laugh, it happened.

A sound of laughter erupted from beside us.

That sound of laughter suddenly bursting out with a ‘pfft’.

Wondering what the sound was, I looked to the side to see the disciple staring at me intently, as if amused.

“What’s the matter?”

Finding his reaction a bit strange and feeling somewhat annoyed, even though I thought I should make a good impression on him, I ended up asking in a slightly sullen voice.

Gi Yang also stopped trying to respond to my words and looked at the 13th Prince.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

The disciple shook his head with a slight smile. Then he added, looking down at me with a strange gaze.

“Master is good in every way, but too fond of women, I was thinking. You speak quite frivolously.”

* * *

What did he mean?

Before regressing, I deliberately acted flippant and frivolous like a playboy to hide my male disguise.

Thanks to that, my male disguise wasn’t discovered, but my reputation regarding women’s matters wasn’t good.

But no matter what others said about me, the disciple never picked on my personal reputation. Not even once.

So why did he openly criticize me this time, saying “You speak quite frivolously”?

It’s not because I was friendly to his court lady… That can’t be it. I was always sweet-talking to his court ladies before.

Then is it just because he’s annoyed with me? Does he hate me so much that just seeing me smile makes his blood boil?

That’s very likely. Even I feel my blood boil just seeing that bastard smile. He must be boiling even more.

Damn it. I’ve finally finished the lesson and I’m going home. Why can’t I get that damned disciple out of my mind even when I’m alone?

In my past life, I prioritized family matters and thought about the disciple only to the bare minimum.

Now that I’ve come to fear him, ironically, my mind is full of thoughts about him. It doesn’t make sense.

Was my disciple the same? Did he live constantly thinking about how I killed him?

Is that why, while dealing with all those political enemies, he left me until the end? To kill me joyfully at the last moment?

Suddenly, I thought about trying to change this life according to my will, like the disciple did.

But I soon shook my head. Thanks to that damned disciple, I had already risen to the highest position in my past life.

If the disciple hadn’t killed me, I would have smoothly ascended to the position of Grand Preceptor after gaining more experience.

No matter how much I try to change the past, it’s impossible to go higher than that without committing treason. Unlike the disciple who is royalty, I didn’t have the power to rebel.

And I’m not the only one who knows the future.

No. Even if I know the future, what use is it? To hide that I’ve regressed, I shouldn’t even avoid the bad things scheduled for the future.

If I change the future to my advantage, the disciple will realize that I’ve regressed. Then he’ll try to kill me earlier this time.

I’ve regressed, but sadly, all I can do in this life is treat the disciple well to suppress his grudge.

Of course, even if I do that, there’s a high chance that the disciple’s grudge won’t completely disappear, so I should also prepare to flee.

I’ll treat him well while keeping an eye on him, and if it looks like he’s about to ascend to the emperor’s throne, I’ll resign at the right moment and flee into hiding.

‘Right. I should secure about ten hideouts in advance.’

There were a few friends from the academy who had plenty of information in that area. I should get their help.