It's been almost three weeks since we returned from Homonhon Palace, where we historians were dragged into copying ancient writings. Why couldn’t we have done that after the war? If this was just another whim of the prince, I’d love to punch him for it!

As soon as we got back, the others started painstakingly translating the scrolls, their suspicion about the order growing with every symbol they transcribed. But they’re doing their best, cross-referencing each line, trying to make sense of the ancient writing. The problem is, they don’t have the advantage I do. No one could’ve predicted that my knowledge of Jejemon text from my world would help here, even me. In fact I learned that the scrolls share that same bizarre complexity, almost like Egyptian hieroglyphics. Some read from top to bottom, but sometimes you start on the left side and sometimes on the right, adding more difficulty to it.

Where they struggle, I decode with ease. My background makes these symbols familiar, and that gives me a massive advantage—one I intend to keep hidden. Jejemon might have been mocked back home, but here, it could unlock the words beyond imagination.

I glance around at my fellow historians, all intensely focused. The final scroll is now in our hands, and all eleven are arranged in order of retrieval, awaiting full translation so they can grasp the power they hold. All of this, without anyone knowing, is something I am about to finish, including the true arrangement of the scrolls and their proper order—before we even returned to the empire of Marceau. But the frustrating thing is, I don't have the power to do anything about it. I have the knowledge, but I don’t have the power to act.

Where on earth will I find the princess again? All I can do is wait to eavesdrop on the prince's warriors' information. So I guess being selfishly appointed as an advisor is a good thing? Well, as if I have a choice. I can watch and learn what the prince already knows and use it for my own purposes. It’s a good opportunity, but being near that man is nerve-wracking! I want to avoid him as much as possible. I can still picture his face while killing a few of the knights back during the war. That cold indifference…

A shiver runs down my spine.

Prince Richard successfully faked his own death as we planned, but he pulled his own method different from what I had in mind. Well, as long as it worked, it’s fine. I don't want to involve myself in any politics; my life is already complicated as it is. My greatest fear didn’t come to pass—he didn’t sense any power from the Homonhon prince, confirming my theory: he can only detect the power tied to the scroll and its rightful owner. How he does it, I still don’t know. If he had sensed “the key” from the princess, he wouldn’t have let her escape from the beginning. Now, with the prince of Marceau convinced that love is the missing piece, it’ll be even harder for them to escape this misguided notion.

“Pfft! To think these men are so clueless about love. It makes things easier for me,” I grin to myself, recalling past conversations. "I should thank the past ruler who banned the word ‘love’ in this world. That king must have been hurt enough to ban it and create a stupid law about it. Tsk, money and power can really do anything, huh."

"Hey, everyone, what will happen to us once we’ve finished decoding these scrolls?” I ask absentmindedly, my chin propped on my hand as my quill scratches erratically across the paper. A cloud of uncertainty seems to hover over us. I press on, “Are we going to be... disposed of? I mean, once we’re no longer needed.”

The atmosphere shifts, tension creeping in as Leon and the others exchange uneasy glances. It’s Leon who finally speaks, his brow creased as he meets my gaze. “Do you really think the prince is like that?” he asks, disbelief coloring his voice.

'Yes, Well, he did say something like that to me not too long ago. And he scratched at the grape stem, remember?' I think sarcastically but keep it to myself.

Leon continues, his voice steady. “I don’t know what impression you have of the prince, but we all know what he’s really like when it comes to his people.” I notice nods of agreement from the others. 'Masochists,' I think, slightly exasperated.

“He may seem cold and harsh as a leader, but in times of uncertainty, people do not seek kindness or softness—they seek stability, someone who can make the difficult decisions, who commands respect both within and beyond the empire, and we see that in His Highness.”

"But the prince considers betrayal utterly intolerable. Those who betrayed His Highness in the past all wished that they would die instead," Rowell interjects, sending a chill down my spine. "They may still be alive till now."

"W...what do you mean? Where are they now?" I ask, trying to mask the fear gnawing at me.

"Somewhere in the shadows? The prince doesn't want them to die easily. He'd rather see the full extent of their failure, stripped of everything they hoped for, including dying. So I’m sure they are barely alive somewhere—but not from here."

The blood drains from my face. If the prince found out about my recent actions at Homonhon Palace... I can't let him know what I did.

I absolutely can’t!

Marco, always thinking practically, said, "It's normal to be angry when you find out someone betrayed you. I trust His Highness, even though he's powerful, because he's strong." He crossed his arms proudly.

"People trust strong leaders who know what they're doing. His people might not always like him, but they know the empire does well under his rule. That's why the warriors respect him. You must've seen it yourself, spending time around them."

His words made me remember things—warriors telling stories about the prince's bravery, their faces shining with admiration. I also thought about my first day here, seeing the general joking with the prince while the emperor gave him an award. It clearly showed how much respect the prince had earned.

"That's right! I can't speak for the others, but once our work is done, I want to become a court official," Leon said quietly but firmly. Even though his words were serious, he looked relaxed, taking notes as he spoke. Curious, I leaned in. "Why?" I asked.

He stopped writing for a moment. "So I can keep supporting His Highness," he finally said, his voice soft but sure.

My eyes widened in surprise. 'Wow, he's really loyal! Even though he almost died from a grape stem not too long ago,' I thought to myself.

"How about you, Rowell?" I asked, wanting to change the subject.

Rowell tilted his head, thinking. "Hmm... I'm not sure yet, but I want to teach people. I want them to feel the pain and excitement I feel."

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"I didn't know you wanted to be a teacher," Marco said, looking amused. Rowell just smirked. "Teach you guys anything? Come on. Everyone here is too smart for me to teach you anything new," he said with a big sigh.

As I thought about their friendly talk, my heart raced, and I found it hard to breathe. Leon, Marco, Rowell... They're good men, in their own way. Am I really okay with lying to people who are starting to feel like more than just allies? Every joke we shared, every moment we got along—it all felt heavier now, mixed up with my own lies. I looked at Leon, who was concentrating hard on his work. If he knew the truth, what would he think of me? Would he just see me as a traitor?

I shook my head, trying to forget that thought. No. I can't let these things distract me.

"What about you, Marco?" I asked, wanting to think about something else.

"Well, I'm a noble, so of course, I'm going to take care of things and become the lord of my house," he said, leaning back with a grin. "And you?"

I stopped, thinking about my dreams for a moment 'I hope I'll find the key and get back to my world soon. When that happens, I want to travel more, while doing my work as a user interface designer. Maybe even start my own freelance company... but that's going to take time.'

"I think I need to stay by His Highness's side as his advisor until he learns about the heart," I finally said, trying to make it sound like an easy goal. But deep down, it felt more like a heavy weight than I wanted to admit.

"Hmm... now that you mention it, those really are complicated," Marco said, thinking. "No wonder it's hard to find the power we're looking for, but you seem to know a lot, Tuk."

"Well, it's not easy to use the power of love," I said, trying hard not to show how uncomfortable I felt. "But thanks to some people I knew, I learned a few things before they, uh, died." The truth behind that statement hit me harder than I expected, and I forced a smile to hide how I really felt.

'Ugh! I feel so cringy making up these stories!'

Even though I loved romance dramas and novels, love always seemed to avoid me. I used to wonder why it never made me feel the same way it did other people. Some online friends suggested I might see the world differently, that maybe I wasn't interested in romantic love at all. The truth is, I don't feel it. I love people, but never in the way they seem to expect.

I looked at the others, who seemed to believe my vague explanation for now, and in my mind, I sighed with relief. I'd play along with this role as long as I had to. I was enjoying watching this whole idea of love happen around me. But at the end of the day, it wasn't something I really understood. The funny thing was, I was the love advisor with no personal experience of romantic love.

"Now that I think about it, Sir Leon, why did the prince believe the power came from the heart of the scroll's owner?" I asked, resting my chin in my hand as my quill moved lazily across the paper.

Leon stopped writing, frowning slightly as he thought. "Hmm... now that you mention it, I don't think you were here when we talked about those ideas." He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "The more we figure out the scroll, the more we see the word 'heart.' There are old stories from Elthor that say the hearts of certain people were connected to the dragon's power. These people were thought to have the dragon's power inside them, a gift that made them special. So far, every person who's had this scroll has shown some kind of unique ability."

He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Some smart people even suggested looking at the hearts of the scroll's owners—thinking one of them might have a piece of the dragon's heart. But as you can guess, no proof... yet."

"But wouldn't a dragon's heart be too big for a person to have? I mean, how big is this dragon supposed to be?"

Leon blinked at me, surprised by the question, as if I'd said something strange. "Wait... you don't know? The dragon isn't just some huge beast. It's more like a force that creates things, a power that gives life to the world. When people talk about a dragon's heart, they don't mean a real heart. They're talking about the dragon's magic energy, its life force, which is believed to connect to certain people."

I hesitated for a second; I didn't think what I just asked was a stupid question to them. "Well, I don't really talk about it, but I grew up without parents. In my hometown, I barely learned to read and write, thanks to a merchant I worked for. There wasn't much time for stories."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know people like you back in my village," Rowell said, looking at me with kind eyes. I shyly scratched my neck, feeling bad about the sudden lie.

But Leon just looked at me, his face not showing what he was thinking. "I see. You must've worked for a very knowledgeable merchant." He paused, then added, "Anyway, the dragon we're talking about isn't just any dragon—it's the one that created the world. Everything we have today is said to come from its magic energy, passed down through our ancestors."

I blinked, trying to understand this new information. So, the dragon wasn't a fire-breathing monster—it was more like a god? That was a lot to take in, but in this world, I shouldn't have been surprised.

"Are there more dragons out there?" I asked, trying to sound casual. "I mean, if it's the heart His Highness is looking for, wouldn't there be more than one?"

Leon chuckled, shaking his head. "There's only one. They say its power was spread throughout the world after the Great Fall. People believe that whoever has a piece of that power can change the world."

Before I could react, the door suddenly opened, and in walked Lord Nixon, the prince's private secretary. He looked around, as if searching for someone. Our eyes met, and I froze.

"Historian Tuk," he said coldly. "His Highness the Prince is looking for you."

Me? Why?

Tuk couldn't shake the feeling of worry as she followed Lord Nixon down the hallway.

Just kill me now, she thought, staring at the door ahead, which felt more like a door to her doom than an entrance to the prince's office. She remembered her last visit, when she was pulled into a world of history and tricks without knowing it.

"Please be busy... Please be busy..." she silently hoped, but the prince's voice broke her hopes.

"Come in."

Lord Nixon opened the door, but Tuk's feet felt stuck to the floor. Damn it!

The angry look from Nixon jolted her back. "What are you waiting for? Come in, historian," he said sharply.

With a grunt, she pinched her legs, forcing them to move forward.

"G...Greetings to the little sun of the empire. Historian Tuk is here as you asked, Your Highness," The words came out of her mouth, shaky and nervous.

The prince waved Nixon away as if he was just a bother. Tuk wanted to grab onto him, desperate for anyone to be between her and the prince, but no amount of humor or tricks could save her now. Alone in the room with him, her fears made her chest feel tight.

"Sit," the prince ordered, pointing to the guest table. She hesitated before sitting near the edge of the sofa, trying to keep as far away from him as possible. The prince only raised an eyebrow at her obvious reluctance, but thank the gods, he didn't say anything about it.

"As we agreed, you're going to be my love advisor. Tell me, how can I master the heart?"

Tch, she thought. I didn't agree to this! The words burned in her throat, but she swallowed her frustration.

"T...That's right. Thank you for this great opportunity, Your Highness," she managed to say through gritted teeth.

"As you should." He sipped his tea, clearly enjoying her discomfort. If only I could punch him...

Not ready for the sudden request, Tuk's mind raced. I didn't expect him to call me so soon. I don't have anything prepared. What do I even say? Should I just be honest and hope he changes his mind about this crazy idea of me advising him?

The prince's voice cut through her thoughts. "Are you going to sit there and keep me waiting?"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I was thinking about how to teach you about love." She took a breath, trying to buy more time to think.

"The truth is, I can't teach you how to love directly. Love isn't something you can master like a weapon or an art. What I can do is guide you—help you understand it better, learn about emotions, and create the right situation for it to grow."

A feeling of dread washed over her as she understood the prince's words. "I... I will do my best, Your Highness," she replied with a steady voice, masking the turmoil roiling within her.

How can I search the depths of Google to convince the prince that he needs love over power, to soften him and keep him preoccupied, when I myself believe that money holds more value than love?

The prince nodded, that infuriating smile still lingering on his face. "Good. Now, let's start with something simple. Tell me about someone you love. What makes them worthy of your love?"

Tuk's heart pounded at the abrupt shift in topic. This isn’t fair! She had to tread carefully; revealing too much could expose her vulnerabilities. "Your Highness, I—"

"Spare me the formality, I want honesty. You’re a historian; you know the importance of stories and what makes them compelling." His tone was almost encouraging, yet there was a subtle menace that made her skin prickle.

He's playing with me.

Something about how intense the prince was made her nervous. What's happening? Had he studied more about this than he let on? Either way, she was in over her head. The more this conversation goes on, the more I realize... I'm no longer fully in control of the situation. Just when I thought I could finally relax, the prince surprised me again. A cold shiver runs down my spine as I realize. I thought I had time—time to plan, to figure out what to do next—but now I'm not so sure.

I realize I'm not the only one telling lies.

I thought we were following the usual story here. Aren't I supposed to teach him how to love? I was ready to play matchmaker, but... Shit. Whatever happens next, I have a feeling that everything is about to change—and I'm no longer the one in control.