They began whispering among each other, and it made Julian feel like, once again, there was a plot brewing that he could not control.

What was this about a new tutor?

What kind of nonsensical plot was at play, where he was present at the same time the children of the Emperor needed a new tutor?

He looked above their heads.

> [Target: Prince Cassian Aurelius]

Affection Level: 0%

Status: [Wary / Entitled]

There was even a tiny note next to their information.

Note: The First Prince. He has inherited his father’s possessive spirit and does not like ’trespassers’.

> [Target: Princess Liora Aurelia]

Affection Level: 0%

Status: [Curious / Fascinated]

Note: The Second Princess. She is highly observant and is currently wondering if your black hair is a wig.

That was quite the peculiar thought, but it only meant they were both harmless, right?

For some reason, Julian remembered Princess Seraphina. The very one who had a coming-of-age ceremony and a scandal outbreak on the same day.

She was a princess, but not the daughter of the current Emperor. She was the child of the previous emperor and a commoner. She was illegitimate, but enjoyed the rights of a princess. Flaunted it even.

But after the scandal, she refused to show her face in public and had been in her room, probably rotting away.

Julian waved the thought away. He had nothing to do with that princess.

Instead, he should be worried about this new tutor title he was getting.

Before the misunderstanding festered and before he got dragged into one more bizarre situation, he decided to clear it up.

"No, your highness," he said, and they turned to look at him again. "I’m not your new tutor. I’m currently one of the Duke of the North’s people, so your new tutor is someone else."

"Oh," Liora exclaimed, sounding almost disappointed.

Cassian looked at Julian, his face holding a frown as if Julian had displeased him. But Julian preferred this outright show of dislike, rather than the haunting smile of their father.

It still made him shiver just thinking about it.

"If you’re a guest, what are you doing here then?" Cassian asked. "Guests usually stay elsewhere. This is our territory."

"Your territory? Did you mark this place?" Julian asked, folding his legs on the grass.

"Yes. And so you need permission to be here." Cassian boldly said, thinking that with this he had made Julian nervous, but Julian simply laughed and said,

"In that case, I would love to request permission from the Lord of this territory to allow me to stay here for a while." He said, his hand over his chest, and Cassian blushed.

He didn’t think Julian would comply that easily. He didn’t want to show that he was pleased, so he threw his face away, closing his eyes.

"Ahem, approved." He said.

He was so simple.

Julian liked their attitudes. Though Cassian was a bit rude and lacked manners, he didn’t have bad thoughts.

He just wanted to be respected in his territory, like his father.

But... his smile fell as he discovered something that shouldn’t be present in the Emperor’s children.

Why did these children lack proper etiquette? Even Lucius, who had only just started learning proper etiquette a few weeks back, was better at etiquette than these children, who would be the future of this empire.

,

Then, he remembered they were expecting a new tutor, so he guessed something had happened.

Julian pursed his lips. He didn’t want to interfere but his teacher spirit did not want these children to fall victim to the scrutiny of other nobles.

He told himself repeatedly not to mind it, but his teacher spirit won.

"Your Highness," Julian began, his voice dropping into a soft, conspiratorial tone that felt more like a shared secret than the lesson he had carefully wrapped it in. "Since the Lord of this territory has been so gracious as to let me stay here, why don’t I give you a gift in return?"

"A gift?" Cassian’s ears practically perked up, his interest piqued as he lowered the skeletal stick just an inch.

Even Liora leaned in, her golden eyes wide with a sudden, shimmering curiosity. In a palace full of gold and jewels, the idea of a different kind of gift—one given by a stranger in a field—was far more exciting.

Julian didn’t reach for a bag or a coin. Instead, he stayed sitting on the grass, his posture relaxed and inviting. He reached out a hand toward Liora, not to command her, but as an invitation.

"It’s a secret way to stand," Julian whispered playfully. "So that no one—not even the biggest, loudest Duke—can ever make you feel small. Will you give me the privilege of holding your hand, your highness?" He asked, and Liora quickly nodded.

She didn’t know what it was, but she definitely loved secrets.

He gently took Liora’s small hand, showing her how to let it rest as light as a feather on a man’s hand.

"Princess, when someone approaches you, you don’t need to reach for them or look nervous. You are the center of the world. You hold your hand just so, keep your chin level with the clouds, and you let them come to you. It makes them feel like they’re walking into the sun."

Liora giggled, immediately lifting her chin and trying to look ’sunny.’ The stiffness and caution she’d shown before vanished, replaced by a sense of play.

"Like this?" She asked, and Julian nodded.

"That’s very well done, your highness. How does it feel?"

"Hm, it just feels like I’m an ostrich." She said and giggled.

Julian was glad she was having fun with the lesson wrapped as a secret play.

Then, he turned his gaze to Cassian.

"And for the First Prince... you have the trickiest gift of all. You don’t bow first to anyone, except the Emperor. That’s because you carry the weight of the Crown on your shoulders. But!" Julian raised a finger, his eyes twinkling. "If you just stand there like a grumpy stone statue when someone greets you, do you know what they’ll think?"

"That I’m the boss?"