Chapter 3

After years of intense training, I was in incredible shape. So, when I returned to the Powell Residence feeling utterly exhausted, it was naturally attributed to overwork. My uniform had dried in the wind, but my inner garments, not exposed to the breeze, still clung to my body. My eyelids were so heavy, and all I wanted was to crawl under the covers and sleep. I decided to sleep in my clothes.

In a hazy state, I seemed to dream of the past, of Justine and Jeremy. It was probably a pleasant dream. Back then, I was the only child Jeremy personally brought back to Green Mountain and even gave a name to, so my treatment was entirely different. The other children were grouped together and taught martial arts and the skills to win favor with high-ranking officials. In essence, they were pawns for Jeremy to win over influential ministers.

I initially thought I was one of them. But I wasn't. Jeremy personally instructed me. He taught me how to exploit others' weaknesses to achieve my goals, how to deliver a fatal blow to an enemy, and how to kill without leaving a trace. He even taught me how to understand the emperor's mind. However, he never taught me how to please others, let alone how to sell my body.

Indeed, Jeremy was an excellent teacher. He was gentle and patient, never punishing me for mistakes. Instead, he would softly tell me how to do better next time. When I did well, he would bring me some delicious pastries from the city. In those three short years, that was my only treat.

In the fourth year, Jeremy took me away. Before that, I had thought he was just a rich kid or the child of some official, which was why I was so eager to climb up and stand out. But I was wrong. It was then that I realized his identity was far more complex than I had imagined. He was a prince, but not a favored one.