There were only two women in the world who could make Alhaitham lower his perfect façade and reveal his vulnerable side without fear.
The first was his mother.
Although he had been reincarnated by the system, the woman who gave birth to him in this world was undeniably connected to him by blood. In Alhaitham's eyes, she was the kindest and most beautiful woman in existence. Despite her fragile health and humble origins, she always greeted him with a warm, gentle smile that radiated maternal love.
For Alhaitham—who had lived through three lifetimes—it was this woman who taught him the warmth of a mother's embrace.
"…Let's visit the grave in a few days," he muttered softly to himself.
His mother had long since passed away.
There was no Qingming Festival in this world, but every year, Alhaitham would return to her grave on that day. He would bring her favorite flowers and snacks—not only to honor her memory, but to pay tribute to his past life as well.
As for the second woman capable of seeing his true self… she had yet to appear.
"Only a princess is worthy of seeing the king's vulnerable side," Alhaitham mused with a sigh. "Unfortunately, my princess has yet to be chosen… Father was a bit too serious with the selection."
His tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.
In the royal family, engagements were arranged early. While the heirs didn't have the right to refuse, they could at least choose—unless they renounced their claim to the throne.
Back then, Alhaitham had spent the entire day flipping through a thick album—the Illustrated Book of Noble Daughters from Across the Kingdom. From noon until night, he browsed through portraits of noble girls from every region. All he needed to do was tick a box. Once he did, the selected girl would become his future queen… or concubine.
And yet, after hours of flipping pages, he hadn't chosen a single one.
His Majesty the King—already frustrated by the antics of his eldest daughter, the First Princess Ayato, who had delayed her own engagement due to disinterest in the opposite sex—lost his temper and confronted Alhaitham directly.
"Why won't you choose? At least one! Alhaitham, don't tell me you're going to be like your sister and say you're not interested in women and avoid marriage altogether! That's absolutely unacceptable! I don't care what you say—choose one today!"
Alhaitham rolled his eyes.
"Father, how am I supposed to choose? They're all just little girls who haven't even finished growing. Isn't that too risky? It's like opening a blind box. What if they don't grow up the way we expect? Wouldn't I suffer a massive loss?"
"…Blind box? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Anyway, you can't rush into hot tofu," Alhaitham replied cryptically. "Sometimes, the leeks just need more time in the field."
In the end, Alhaitham closed the album and decided to wait a few more years. He wanted to see how these noble girls would mature before making a decision.
His standards were extremely high.
First and foremost, his future partner had to be beautiful.
Alhaitham was a handsome man himself—strikingly so. Naturally, his future queen should be the most beautiful woman in the world. Nothing less would do.
Second, she had to be capable.
He had no interest in a decorative flower. If someone was only beautiful, they might at best be fit for a concubine—but never a queen. His future partner, the one who would stand beside the king of the world, needed the ability to keep up with him.
Third, character mattered.
He wasn't too strict on this one. As long as she was kind, loyal, and trustworthy, other traits were negotiable.
And finally, there was birth…
To Alhaitham, background didn't really matter.
As long as she had the looks, talent, and a good heart, he didn't care if she was a commoner. Even if she had no magic power, he wouldn't mind.
In fact, he was rather looking forward to it.
Wasn't it far more exciting to see a woman rise from the bottom—step by step—than to pick someone born into luxury and privilege?
"After all, she's the one who will accompany me for the rest of my life. I'd prefer if she had a bit more spark."
With those thoughts swirling in his mind, Alhaitham's breathing gradually calmed, and he drifted off to sleep.
That night, he dreamed of a woman.
She had long hair that flowed past her waist and a beauty that defied reason. Wherever she went, she stirred chaos. Men fought over her. Women envied her. She was a witch—flawless, seductive, and impossible to ignore.
…
The next morning.
In the training field behind the castle—
"Haa~~"
Alhaitham let out a long yawn as he casually deflected the coordinated attacks of two women with a single hand. Alpha and Beta were doing their best to break through his defense, but in the end, they only exhausted themselves.
"Well, this skill is really too convenient," he murmured.
After the spar, Alhaitham nonchalantly tossed his training sword into a scabbard resting dozens of meters away—landing it perfectly.
"Almighty Genius," he whispered to himself.
It was an incredible skill.
He could instantly master techniques that would take ordinary people years to learn. In fact, the existence of this talent made hard work feel like a joke. At first, his swordsmanship was passable—nothing more than an above-average amateur. But now? He was approaching the realm of a true master.
This skill was the perfect match for him.
After all, Alhaitham had amassed a massive amount of theoretical knowledge from his past life—over 13,800 books' worth of knowledge, to be exact. Previously, that knowledge was just that—static information. But now, it was beginning to take physical form as skill and ability.
Take music, for instance.
Alhaitham knew the scores of countless classical compositions from his previous world. But he had never played an instrument in any of his lives. Even if he knew the melodies, it would take years of practice to achieve real mastery.
But now?
Thanks to Almighty Genius, in just ten minutes, he could flawlessly perform any piece—on any instrument—with the grace and finesse of a seasoned maestro.
"Oh, right," he muttered. "There's another skill I haven't tested yet."
He turned his gaze to Alpha, who was catching her breath at the edge of the field.
His lavender eyes flickered as he activated the Eye of Bole.
This was a low-tier skill that allowed him to see through another person's talents. It had one restriction—it could only be used once per day. But for Alhaitham, even that limitation was acceptable.
"…Oh?"
His eyes widened in delight.
"No way… Or maybe I should say, as expected?"
Alpha's natural talent was astonishing. Alhaitham couldn't help but chuckle. He had truly found a gem—no, a treasure.
He stared at the golden-haired elf with newfound appreciation, as if he were appraising a rare artifact from a lost age.
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