Still half-asleep, Lucas shuffled toward the door, drawn by the quiet, muffled sound of someone crying just outside.
As he got closer, recognition struck him like a bolt of lightning.
It was a voice he had heard all day yesterday.
Aislyra.
She was crying outside his bedroom door.
Lucas's first instinct was to rush out, ask her what was wrong, and try to console her.
His hand hovered over the improvised door handle.
But then—
He hesitated.
'No.'
His fingers curled into a loose fist, pulling away from the door.
He already knew why Aislyra was crying.
The reason was painfully obvious.
Today wasn't just his first full day in this world—
It was also the day Aislyra lost her sister.
For an entire year, she had known this moment would come. She had time to prepare herself, to accept it—
But no amount of time could make this any less painful.
And yet—throughout the entire day, she had held herself together, never once letting her emotions slip.
Now, in the quiet of the night, she was finally allowing herself to grieve.
Lucas's chest tightened.
If he walked out now, if he tried to comfort her with this face, it would feel like an insult to her strength—to the effort she had put into keeping her composure all day.
Some wounds needed to be processed alone.
So instead of opening the door, Lucas silently stepped away, returning to his bed.
He closed his eyes, listening to the soft sound of Aislyra's quiet sobs—
And let her release her grief in peace.
The Next Morning
A soft, gentle voice woke him.
"Your Majesty, it's time to wake up."
Lucas's eyelids fluttered open, still groggy.
For a split second, he thought maybe everything had been a dream—
But the sight of Katerina's calm, composed face standing beside his bed quickly dispelled the illusion.
This was real.
This was his life now.
Stretching with a yawn, he greeted her. "Good morning, Katerina."
"Good morning, Mr. Lucas."
Katerina bowed slightly, then continued, "I apologize for waking you early, but today is your last full day dedicated entirely to training.
"Please get up so I can dress you. Lady Sequoria is expecting you for your first lesson."
Lucas rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he sat up, his gaze drifting downward.
And there, right where they always were, sat the two enormous "friends" attached to his chest.
'So this is my reality now, huh…'
With a deep sigh, he resigned himself to the fact that he'd have to carry these things around for the rest of his life.
In an instant, Katerina changed him into the sacred dress.
Then, with her usual composure, she asked—
"Mr. Lucas, would you mind if I fixed your hair before we go see the lady Sequoria?"
Lucas's mind immediately flashed back to how effortlessly Katerina had washed and brushed his hair yesterday.
The memory alone was enough to make him agree instantly.
"Yes, of course!"
Katerina smiled faintly.
She then guided him to a chair, picked up a brush and comb, and began working on his hair.
As expected, her skill was impeccable.
Lucas had rarely had his hair combed by someone else before, but even he could tell—she was really good.
"It's finished, Your Majesty. What do you think?"
Lucas blinked at his reflection.
He had never been overly concerned with how his hair looked. Normally, he just got it cut when it got too long or let his friend Marco fix it for special occasions.
But now—Alberia's already beautiful hair looked even more stunning.
It was softer, smoother, and perfectly styled.
"It's amazing! You're really skilled, Katerina."
He gently ran his fingers through it, marveling at how silky it felt.
Katerina bowed slightly, her expression as serene as ever. "Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty."
Then, she straightened. "But we should go. Lady Sequoria is waiting."
With that, the two of them left the bedroom.
The moment they stepped out, a cheerful voice greeted them.
"Good morning, Your Majesty! Did you sleep well?
"And… you didn't do anything inappropriate with my sister's body, did you?"
Lucas barely reacted.
"Yes, the bed was really comfortable," he replied flatly, completely ignoring Aislyra's second question.
Initially, he had wanted to respond with more force.
Her constant threats and accusations were starting to get exhausting.
He understood why she was being so protective—he really did.
But if he didn't start getting used to this body soon, the risk of being discovered would only increase.
Still…
He couldn't bring himself to snap at her today.
Because despite Aislyra's usual energy, he noticed something.
The faint, dark circles beneath her eyes.
And Lucas was certain that it wasn't just from standing guard.
Aislyra, realizing he had completely ignored her question, prepared to ask again—
But before she could, Katerina stepped in.
"Excuse me, Lady Aislyra," she said smoothly, "but the queen must see Lady Sequoria immediately.
"In the meantime, perhaps you could check in with the Rangers to see if they've uncovered anything about the assassin from yesterday?
"And while you're at it—"
Her voice darkened slightly, though her expression remained perfectly calm.
"You could also retrieve the new door from the artisan.
"Knowing her, it should be ready by now…
"To replace the one that SOMEONE DESTROYED."
Aislyra immediately broke into a cold sweat.
"Y-Yes! You're absolutely right, Katerina!
"I trust you to protect the queen in my absence, so I'll be off now!"
And just like that, she bolted away at a speed Lucas had never seen before.
A small chuckle escaped his lips.
In no time at all, Lucas and Katerina arrived at Sequoria's door.
After knocking, they heard her elegant voice from inside.
"Come in."
Katerina then turned to Lucas.
"Your Majesty, I will wait outside. I don't want to distract you during your lesson with Lady Sequoria.
"Once you're finished, we'll move straight to magic and etiquette training."
Lucas nodded in understanding, then stepped inside the room.
Sequoria was waiting for him on the same sofa where they had spoken the day before.
But this time—
The table in front of her was stacked with books.
She greeted him with a warm smile.
"Welcome back, Lucas. Take a seat, and we'll begin."
Lucas obediently sat down, but the moment he did, he noticed something.
The kindness in Sequoria's expression remained—
But her eyes were far more serious than they had been yesterday.
Once Lucas was settled, Sequoria got straight to business.
"We'll start by discussing the ministers who will assist you in ruling this kingdom.
"I'll introduce who they are, what they do, and what kind of people they are."
And just like that—
The lesson began.
It lasted for hours.
And during that time—
Lucas quickly discovered something about Sequoria.
She was stricter than he had expected.
There was no room for distraction.
She expected his full attention—and she got it.
However—
Her explanations were clear, concise, and easy to follow.
And her voice was surprisingly pleasant to listen to, making even the driest political details bearable.
The first topic was the ministers who kept the kingdom running.
There were six of them, each overseeing a critical aspect of the government:
Defense.
Finance.
Education.
Health.
Agriculture.
Alchemy and Technology.
Each minister had been handpicked by either Alberia or Sequoria herself.
And according to Sequoria—
Every single one of them was both highly skilled and deeply loyal.
They were the true backbone of Yggdora's stability.
This was because, in this kingdom, the queen's main duties were limited to four key roles:
1.Decision-making and legislative power
2.Serving as the religious leader
3.Managing diplomacy with other nations
4.Leading the military in times of war
Everything else?
Handled by the ministers.
Of course, since the queen held the final authority, she still had to approve all major decisions.
But thankfully, Sequoria had no intention of leaving him to handle it alone.
Since her abdication, she had acted as Alberia's chief advisor.
And now—
She would do the same for him.
The second topic was about Yggdora's relationship with other nations.
The kingdom had two major allies:
Leore – A human kingdom, Yggdora's strongest and longest-standing ally. Sequoria and Alberia have been on good terms with their respective kings for many generations.
Oscuora – A kingdom of dark elves. Once an ally under Sequoria's rule, but ever since a new king took power, relations had steadily deteriorated.
And now—
With Yggdora weakened after the battle with Artema, the threat of war with Oscuora was growing stronger each year.
Lucas didn't like the sound of that at all.
The final part of the lesson was a bit more hands-on.
Even though the goddess had gifted Lucas the ability to understand and read every language in this world, writing was a different story.
He could recognize the words instantly—
But his hands didn't yet know how to form them.
So, for the next portion of the lesson, Sequoria had him practice writing official documents, guiding him until he could replicate Alberia's handwriting perfectly.
And thanks to the muscle memory of his new body—
He learned far faster than he expected.
Lucas had no doubt that this skill would be useful starting tomorrow.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity—
Sequoria closed the book in her hands.
"I think that's enough for today."
Lucas exhaled sharply, feeling the tension drain from his body.
'Good thing Alberia's body has such a strong memory…' he thought, rubbing his temple. 'There's no way I could have learned so many names and details this fast in my old body.'
Sequoria smiled, satisfied.
"Well done, Lucas. You've been a fantastic student."
Lucas sat up a little straighter, feeling a small sense of pride.
"Thank you, Seq—"
But the moment the word left his mouth—
Sequoria's expression darkened.
Lucas froze mid-sentence.
"…m-mother."
Seeing this, a warm, maternal smile spread across Sequoria's face.
She reached out, placing a gentle hand on Lucas's head, and began to slowly stroke his hair.
"You're such a good boy."
The embarrassment Lucas felt in that moment was unlike the overwhelming flustered reactions he had experienced yesterday.
This one was different—softer, almost pleasant.
It reminded him of when he was younger, back when his own mother used to do the same thing.
A deep, bittersweet thought crossed his mind.
'I hope my parents aren't too sad about what happened to me…'
But he already knew the answer.
They were.
Just as he was certain he had loved them deeply, he knew they had loved him just as much.
If he could—he would reassure them.
Tell them that he was safe, that he had found a new life in another world.
But even if a way to return home existed—
He wouldn't take it.
That wasn't his place anymore.
And more than anything—
He wouldn't let Alberia's sacrifice be in vain.
Sequoria, noticing the flicker of sadness in his eyes, stopped stroking his head.
Instead, she leaned forward, wrapping him in a brief but firm hug.
Then, pulling back, she gave him a gentle push toward the door.
"Come on, it's time to go. Katerina is waiting for you."
Lucas hesitated, slightly confused by her sudden actions.
Still, he stood up and turned toward the exit—
But before he could step through the door, Sequoria spoke again.
"Lucas," she said softly.
He turned back to her, and when he did—
She smiled brightly.
"I'm sure that even if your parents don't immediately accept your death…
"They will, eventually.
"After all—
"They raised a wonderful son.
"A son who, in the final moments of his first life, managed to save someone precious to him.
"And knowing that?
"They'll be proud."
She closed her eyes, her voice lighthearted and playful again.
"I mean, I did it. And since your parents raised someone as amazing as you…
"They must be at least as fantastic as me."
She finished with a wink.
Lucas stared at her, wide-eyed.
"How did you—"
He barely got the words out before Sequoria interrupted him.
"It's obvious, isn't it? A mother's instinct."
She winked again.
"Now go. Katerina is waiting."
Lucas stood there for a moment, taking in her words.
Then, finally—
He smiled.
A genuine, bright smile.
"…Thank you, Mother."
And with that—
He turned and left the room.
The moment Lucas stepped out, Katerina greeted him with her usual composed expression.
"Welcome back, Your Majesty. How did your first lesson with Lady Sequoria go?"
Lucas sighed, stretching his shoulders slightly.
"Well… thanks to all that information, my chances of getting found out tomorrow have definitely dropped."
"That's excellent news."
Katerina nodded in approval.
"Would you like to begin training right away, or would you prefer to take a short break first?"
Lucas shook his head.
"No, let's start immediately. I don't want to waste any time."
"Very well. Today, we'll conduct both your magic and etiquette lessons in your room."
The magic portion of the lesson was straightforward.
As promised, Katerina taught him various General Magic spells, including:
The spell Alberia used to shrink the letter.
The magic that allowed the letter to attach to the mirror.
And basic spells for everyday convenience, such as magically locking doors without needing keys.
Lucas picked up each spell fairly quickly.
But when the etiquette lesson began—
That's when things got frustrating.
Learning which cutlery to use for different types of dishes?
Mind-numbingly boring.
Learning how to walk with elegance?
Utterly infuriating.
Katerina made him walk around his room with a book balanced on his head—
For two full hours.
He had to avoid dropping it, take steps that were neither too long nor too short, keep his toes pointed straight ahead, and maintain perfect posture without being too stiff.
It was endless torture.
Finally—
After what felt like an eternity, Katerina stepped back, satisfied.
"That will be enough for today, Your Majesty."
Lucas immediately collapsed onto his bed, arms sprawled out.
He had never appreciated lying down this much before.
Meanwhile, Katerina left the room to prepare lunch.
Lucas closed his eyes, enjoying the brief moment of rest.
But—
That peace didn't last long.
Because suddenly—
The door to his room swung open.
Lucas shot up in surprise.
Standing in the doorway was Aislyra.
And on her face was a grin of pure excitement.
"Your Majesty!" she announced, practically vibrating with energy.
"Today, you're going on your first Over Beast hunt!"