I Tamed the Monstrous Prince - Chapter 68
Chapter 68
“Look. If you combine these words….” I quickly arranged the word cards—cat, elk, sail, and apple—to form a new word. “Like this, it makes Cesar’s name.”
He remained indifferent, still staring at the floor, scattering the cards with a flick of his hand. “Is this boring?” Undeterred, I gathered the cards again. This time, I combined ink, lemon, nest, and egg. “This is Irenea. My name.”
Glancing at Cesar, I noticed he was more focused now. He hadn’t reacted to his own name, yet mine caught his attention. Then, something even more surprising happened. Cesar picked out a few cards with his index finger. “Ren.” With just three cards, he’d formed my nickname. Astonishment washed over me. “H-How did you know?” Surprise quickly melted into delight, my heart fluttering. “That’s amazing! What else can you do?”
He combined several more words right there: girl, pretty, wedding, cake. He even formed a sentence with them, and I had to admit, I had underestimated Cesar. “I see now. It was too easy, wasn’t it? You were bored.”
But the path of education was like climbing a steep mountain. Knowing a few words didn’t mean one could immediately apply them. “Let’s move on, then.”
This time, we tried writing. I needed to show him an example, so I glided the quill across the paper, carefully forming each letter. Then, I placed a stylus and wax tablet in Cesar’s hand. It was what children used when first learning to write; the stylus etched letters into the wax-filled tin plate. It could be reused countless times, making it perfect for beginners.
After watching me, he sighed and copied the letters. He fumbled a few times at first, but his movements gradually became more fluid. “Wow.” Again, I could only express my amazement. The whole process seemed remarkably proficient for a beginner.
“Do you want to try writing on paper?” I offered him my pen. “Hold it like this, the nib at an angle so the ink doesn’t splatter….” I placed my hand over his right hand. His touch was warm. Our hands moved together, hovering above the paper, then landing to dance across its surface, forming letters. “You’re doing so well….” He wrote swiftly, his script elegant and dignified, as if he’d been writing all his life. Watching him, a bittersweet ache bloomed in my chest. Such graceful penmanship. A heavy feeling settled in my heart.
It was a glimpse into his education. Of course, as a prince, Cesar would have received royal tutoring. Not just that, but a comprehensive education from a very young age. Even though the curse had clouded his mind, the traces of his lifelong learning remained, etched deep within him. It felt like I was seeing a hidden side of him, a Cesar vastly different from the one I knew, and this realization created a strange distance between us, a chill settling in my heart. It struck me that there was so much more to him, so much hidden beneath the dragon’s curse.
