A swordsman's thoughts were written all over his face. Luo Wei glanced at him and could roughly guess what he was thinking.

  When she'd recruited Troy, she'd painted him a nice picture: if he could help her tear off a piece of land from the Western Continent, she'd make him a citizen of the Mist Nation.

  Back then she hadn't destroyed the Heart of Life yet, hadn't offended the Sun and Moon Gods or the Goddess of Love. Of course she couldn't have predicted that her enemies would be the Sun and Moon Gods!

  But Troy, who believed her lies, probably just thought she'd deceived him—made him fall from a shallow pit into a deep one, dragged him into a war between gods, turned him into a sacrifice in divine conflict.

  "What, having regrets?" Luo Wei looked at Troy. "Want to take back your faith and loyalty?"

  Troy's head snapped up, his forest-green eyes staring at her in disbelief. "I didn't!"

  His expression was both innocent and indignant. He hadn't said a word, yet she was accusing him again!

  Luo Wei stared into his eyes for three seconds. Cough. Okay, fine—she'd been judging him unfairly.

  "It's getting late," she changed the subject. "Head out quickly and bring Count Wesley back from Golu City."

  "Yes, Your Highness." Troy put on his mask and stood up gloomily.

  Luo Wei walked toward the study door. "When you come back, ask Rosie and Roman if they want to return. If they do, bring them along. Oh, how have they been performing there?"

  Troy gave an honest assessment: "Weak arms, messy swordwork."

  Luo Wei opened the door. "But the raven said they were amazing and even killed several enemy soldiers?"

  Troy followed a step behind her out the door. "If hacking at an enemy seven times to barely cut through half their leg, causing them to bleed out and die, counts as killing an enemy—then yes, they're amazing."

  Luo Wei wasn't pleased. "Kids who dare fight on the battlefield are already doing great. Seven strikes still killed the enemy, didn't it? Can't you praise them a little?"

  If Troy hadn't kept saying they were progressing too slowly and going on about how real combat makes people break through, would those two sweet, adorable little knights have insisted on going to Golu City?

  "Kids?" But Troy caught the wrong keyword, his eyes confused. "What kids?"

  Luo Wei looked at him expressionlessly. "I'm talking about Roman and Rosie. I want you to encourage them more in the future."

  "Roman and Rosie aren't kids. They're adults," Troy said, puzzled. "And their swordwork is so terrible—I still have to encourage them?"

  Luo Wei sneered. "Roman is only seven, Rosie is only nine. You call them adults?"

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Troy said seriously, "Anyone over seven is an adult."

  Luo Wei shot back, "If being over seven makes you an adult, then did you fight in battles when you were seven?"

  Troy shook head. "No. When I was seven, my father sent me to a knight's manor to be a page."

  Luo Wei was about to mock him when she heard him continue: "That knight's manor bordered a forest. Packs of gray wolves constantly broke in to kill livestock. In winter, bandits came to steal food and furs."

  "I had to fight them at night with a sword. At dawn I had to serve my master. Mornings I studied etiquette with the lady. Afternoons I worked for the manor. I only slept five hours a day—not like Roman and Rosie who sleep a full eight hours every day."

  The words Luo Wei had been about to say got stuck in her throat. She frowned. "Weren't you born a noble? Why did you have it so hard?"

  "Hard?" Troy didn't think so. "My family was just a declining minor noble house, but still much better off than commoners."

  "Before I turned seven, I barely did any work. Commoner children start washing dishes and feeding livestock at three, working the fields at five. By seven they have to support their families, working over ten hours a day just to earn a loaf or two of bread."

  "Actually, surviving to seven is already quite difficult. Many children don't make it. If three out of five children survive, that family's doing pretty well..."

  Ancient societies had no concept of childhood—Luo Wei had learned this in school.

  In medieval Europe, children over seven were viewed as "miniature adults," living lives even harder than grown-ups. She'd read about this in books too.

  But actually living in this era, hearing people around her speak of such things as natural and normal—it still felt surreal.

  She'd thought only non-human intelligent races like Hol and Gladys had such miserable childhoods. She hadn't realized ordinary people's lives weren't much better.

  Maybe she really had been overprotecting Roman and Rosie.

  In an era like this, if they progressed too slowly, their chances of survival would be stolen by others.

  As they talked, the two had descended the stairs, crossed the living room, and reached the garden steps.

  "Your Highness, I'm leaving now."

  Troy leaped onto the griffin's back and saluted Luo Wei.

  "Go on. Safe travels."

  Luo Wei nodded lightly, watching him and the griffin fly into the sky and gradually disappear.

  Bella walked over. "Master, the carriage is ready. Are you still going to the mulberry orchard?"

  "Not anymore. We have a guest visiting tonight," Luo Wei thought for a moment, then instructed, "I'm going back to the academy. Have the kitchen prepare an evening banquet."

  "Yes, Master."

  It was still early before dark. Luo Wei took the carriage back to the academy, went to Vina's bedroom on the first floor of Rose Castle, and knocked on her door.

  After several knocks with no response, Luo Wei thought for two seconds, then decisively returned to the academy gates, got in the carriage, and had Yves drive to Escore Dessert Shop.

  The shop wasn't far from the academy gates—just a few minutes away.

  Luo Wei got out and walked into the shop, heading straight upstairs. Sure enough, she found Vina eating little cakes in the second-floor dining area.

  Four in the afternoon was the perfect time for afternoon tea. Quite a few noble students from the academy were here enjoying desserts and the warm sunlight of the setting sun.

  Luo Wei walked to Vina's table and asked gently, "Is it good, dear Classmate Vina?"

  Vina jumped in fright. She looked up, saw her, and a mouthful of cream got stuck in her throat. "Cough—cough cough..."

  "Have some water." Luo Wei pushed the juice on the table toward her.

  Vina didn't dare drink it. She covered her mouth and swallowed with her own saliva, then shrank her neck and asked timidly, "L-Lady Luo Wei, what can I do for you?"

  "Why are you suddenly so polite?" Luo Wei asked in surprise.

  Vina was on the verge of tears. Did she dare be anything but polite?

  The first time Luo Wei called her "Classmate Vina," she'd said Vina wasn't a lady and humiliated her thoroughly. Vina had gone back and cried face-down on her bed all night.

  The second time she'd called her that, it was even worse—she'd grabbed Vina by the throat and nearly strangled her to death!

  Unable to bear this psychological torture any longer, Vina closed her eyes, steeled herself, and said stiffly, "Just tell me what you want directly. As long as you're not asking me to die, I'll help you even if it kills me!"