chapter 17

“Therefore, under the imperial law, in this case….”

Leonhardt yawned out of boredom behind his teacher’s back, who was writing hard on the blackboard. Everything he was learning was what he had already known.

It was obvious. Because it was exactly what he had learned a few decades ago at this exact same place.

Leonhardt might have the body of an only small child, but the mind of an emperor, if he put some thought into it, he could have asked a question that would make his teacher regret being here in the first place.

However, instead of making fun of the innocent teacher, Leonhardt began to devote himself to drawing graffiti on the corners of his books, pretending to be quietly concentrating on his class.

“Therefore, on this matter… my lord, my lord? His Highness, Crown Prince Leonhardt Tristan von Espedor!”

“Huh? Ugh, what’s going on?”

“Did you hear what I’ve just said? How did historians say they would rate this issue?”

Leonhardt drew a line over the graffiti and only blinked.

He gulped down a sip of milk with a sullen look, then grinned.

“…I can’t help it. Let me explain again. Eh… so….”

He knew it. As he remembered, the old teacher in front of him was a person weak to his smile.

Leonhardt continued his scribbling, pretending to concentrate on the class again, picking up his teacher’s words moderately.

Elizabeth’s face was painted at the end of every page.

The reason why he didn’t bother to reveal his adult learning was simple.

He was not a genius.

If a ten-year-old kid was suddenly able to recite things that even adults find difficult, reflect on the theory of monarchism, and was wise enough to be involved in the management of state affairs, it would have been a major disaster.

The depth of his learning had already been determined, except for the wizards of the clock tower, who study himself like his father, would immediately start doubting him, or the priests  would probably come with holy water and say that he might have contracted with the devil.

If he happened to meet a real genius or the bottom of the problem was revealed, things would get complicated.

That was the specification.

Leonhardt drank up the rest of his milk and started studying with a light mind of reviewing what he had learned.

Instead of becoming a genius academically, Leonhardt chose to practice martial arts.

He had been on the verge of becoming a Sword Master in his past life, so he had the desire to start all over again with the young body he had gained….

“Why do you want to learn swordsmanship, Your Highness?”

“I want to protect something.”

In the training ground where the best knights of the Empire gathered, Leonhardt answered the knight’s question with an open heart.

“What do you want to protect?”

The knight commander narrowed his eyes and asked again.

The knights who had completed their training were gathering one by one on the news that the Crown Prince had visited.

“I want to protect the future Empress with my own hands!”

Oh, how he wanted to say these words!

Last night, Leonhardt rolled over the wide bed as he thought to himself, and he was delighted with this strange thought.

If only he had been a little bit stronger, if he had reached a point that no one else could surpass. He wouldn’t have been threatened by an assassination only using sommething such as poison, and the Empress wouldn’t have died in vain either.

He wanted to protect Elizabeth. He wanted to see that small body grow up safely and stay happy for a long time. In order to do so, he had to be stronger.

“The future… empress…you say?”

A subtle expression appeared on the face of the knight commander.

“…Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s nothing. Then, let’s test whether your highness’ pledge is sincere. Oh, this is something that anyone who learns swordsmanship has to do from day one, so you don’t have to make that face.”

Gulp. Leonhardt swallowed his saliva and made a firm commitment.

He came here on his own even though he knew what the knight commander would do from now on.

It’s two years earlier!

It’s not that he didn’t worry about whether it would be possible to go around that wide training ground 20 times with this small body. But he had to do it anyway.

That way, at least he’d get permission from the Knights Commander to hold the wooden sword.

“Hah… Ugh… Hahh… .”

“…I really didn’t think you’d make it. That’s great.”

“Don’t, make me talk, Hahh…Ugh.”

Leonhardt coughed with his about-to-burst-heart and eventually slumped to his seat. His whole body was soaked with sweat and it was unpleasant.

The commander of the Knights personally handed him a wet towel, but LeonHardt shook his head. The commander’s facial expression turned surprised.

Leonhardt himself was most surprised when he succeeded in running 20 laps.

He was afraid that his stamina at his current age in running and playing wouldn’t be enough for him to last, but he didn’t expect it to be this much….He almost regretted not starting training a little earlier as a child.

“You can come here by 7 a.m from tomorrow. What a delightful surprise. His Majesty will be very pleased to know.”

Leonhardt nodded his head hard.

“Seven in the morning? Then I’ll come at 6 o’clock and warm up first.”

“Tomorrow we will find out if it’s a childish gimmick or not.”

After the drenched Crown Prince returned to his residence saying he had to change his clothes, the knight commander shrugged his shoulders and asked for opinions from the knights around him.

“Do you think your Highness has any talents?”

“I do not know. If you give him a sword, I may have a better look, but at least in terms of physical strength and motivation, he’s quite outstanding.”

“If I think that a sword master may be born in the Empire after all this time, am I expecting too much?” The commander muttered.

***

“Oh, no wonder you go to bed early today.”

“Give me another glass of milk. Please wake me up at 5:30 tomorrow morning.”

“Huh? So early?”

“I’m going to start practicing swordsmanship. I’ll protect Lizzie with my own hands this time.”

“This time…?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just that the young lady was surprised by the sudden appearance of a frog on her last visit….”

“Oh, are you saying you’re going to protect her ladyship from the frogs? That’s a great idea. But right now, rather than practicing swordsmanship, isn’t it better to sleep well and grow up healthily? Please lie down. I’ll bring you milk in a minute.”

The nanny left his bedroom after covering Leonhardt with a blanket with a happy look.

Rumors were already spreading throughout the palace. His Highness the Crown Prince fell in love with his fiancee at first glance and began to turn into someone else.

Of course, the rumor was not exaggerated to some extent as it was delivered through the word-of-mouth of the maids….

At least, in the eyes of the nanny, his words to protect his fiancee seemed sincere.

The nanny, returning to his bedroom with milk mixed with honey on her tray with the thought of offering a cookie as a reward to someone who knows how to value his fiancee, laughed briefly upon seeing his state.

“Oh my, your Highness the Crown Prince. You should brush your teeth before sleeping.”

“Uh… No, I just dozed off for a second… Milk, milk first… .”

The nanny wondered what to do with Leonhardt, whose eyelid was heavy from the drowsiness, but decided that he still had to brush his teeth.

After flapping the blanket once, Leonhardt got up with annoyance on his face.

“I want to become an adult soon.”

“… You’re just a little slower than the other kids, but you’ll eventually grow up soon. Did you say you will start swordsmanship training? If you eat nutritious food, exercise hard, and get a good night’s sleep, you might grow taller than that tree over there in the garden.”

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That tree, he vaguely remembered cutting it down for some reason before he became an adult.

Leonhardt nodded his sleepyhead with his tired eyes closed.

The milk was exceptionally warm and savory, and it was sweet thanks to the honey secretly mixed by the nanny.

***