“Let me give you a piece of advice.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

In a way, it might be a persistent and annoying method, but it would be the most convenient way to deal with the nobles who antagonized Karlael.

“Keep in mind, the boy I’ve marked as a future Merfolk. If he goes astray, it’ll be a loss for me. I made an effort to ensure he doesn’t become a wasted talent.”
“You should start by learning to protect yourself. That means mastering the sword.”

Knowing that he was a smart lad, I expected the conversation to proceed smoothly with just a few words from me.

“Ask the Marquis to find you a teacher for swordsmanship. Since she cares for you like a mother, she’ll gladly grant your request.”

I added one more thing as I touched my chin.

“And be prepared to strive towards reaching the pinnacle of the sword, even if it means risking your life.”

“The pinnacle of the sword…”
Kallail, muttering the core of my advice, had become serious without me realizing it, and I felt pleased that he was listening to what I had to say.

“Studying will provide you with abundant knowledge, but that alone won’t be enough. No matter how much you know, you need the strength to protect yourself.”

In essence, it meant that in the aristocratic society, one needed to possess a well-rounded set of skills to survive.

“You can’t rely on excelling in just one thing.”
This was something I knew from my past life as a conquering emperor, and it was certain.

“Of course, reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship isn’t the only goal. While keeping all the things I mentioned in mind, there’s something else important.”

“What is it?”

Your attentiveness to those above you is excellent. I continued with satisfaction.

“It’s about building followers. In human society, having more followers is an advantage.”
I shrugged my shoulders, thinking that you probably understood it well enough. I finished speaking, trying to explain things as simply as possible to the little one, as I couldn’t suddenly discuss politics with a child.

“Thank you so much, Princess!”

At that moment, Kalail’s face was filled with gratitude, as if he had received a treasure that would never come again.

“I will never forget the advice I received today!”

He couldn’t hide his joy as he vowed to engrave today’s advice deep in his heart.

“Sure, go ahead.”
It’s getting quite chilly after being outside for so long.

“Kalail, let’s head inside now.”

“Yes, Princess!”

Suddenly, I heard the voices of Ronowe and Veris, who were searching for me, so I hurried. I didn’t want to cause any misunderstandings or complications by disappearing without them.

And as time passed, it was that evening.

“You’re going to see the prototype of the cooling device?”

“Yes.”
Indecisively, after spending a chaotic afternoon with Kalail, I took a nap and woke up to find Jeff and Ashian had come to visit.

The purpose was to visit the cooling device that we had inquired about during a tea time with Hecate in the past.

“Dad, you see~.”

He insisted on walking there instead of taking any transportation, and when I reluctantly agreed, Jeff suddenly made a disgusted face, saying he felt uncomfortable walking with me.
“The happiest moment of my life is being able to see the cutest and most lovely Dazling!”

Without looking, without hearing, I buried my face in my hands. I turned my gaze away, doing my best to avoid any contact. If our eyes met, I felt like I couldn’t bear it and would shout for escape.

“I need to ensure the safety of my cheeks in advance!”

Then, Jeff was about to kiss me, so I quickly extended one hand and firmly pushed the approaching face with all my strength.

“Is it just the three of us going, Ashian and Set?”
To divert Jeff’s attention, I changed the topic. Luckily, Hekate, who would never miss a gathering like this, wasn’t in sight.

“So they say. Mom’s having a very busy day today.”

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

There’s a saying that two are better than one, but I preferred having just one like Jeff, so I was relieved.

“It’s a shame that Mom is missing, but still, it’s been a while since we spent quality time with Dazling.”

“That’s true.”
Thinking about Hekate getting jealous, envious, or crying later already gives me a headache.

“Wait, this is the way to the underground, right?”

If the purpose of the cooling device was to increase the efficiency of grain storage, I should be heading to the storage warehouse, but I took a different route and got confused.

“The palace has many curious doors and passages.”
I know that too. I wanted to say, “Even though I’m like this, I was your Empress Sunhwang who took you in during my past life, so how could I not know?” But I couldn’t reveal that, so I had to keep quiet.

Drrrk [A dash].

Before long, Jeff lightly touched a book on one of the shelves, and with that, one of the secret spaces I often used in my past life appeared.

“No spiderwebs, and it’s clean. It’s well-maintained.”