Her Graceful War Song

As the newly appointed Deputy Royal Tutor, Rafael spent the days leading up to the Verdant Hunt instructing the three princes in archery.

Connor should have started learning long ago, but under Kylie's care, he had been coddled like a precious jewel. She couldn't bear to let him do anything too strenuous.

Even after moving to Serenity Palace, where his education was properly arranged, he remained sluggish and unmotivated. Keeping up with his academic studies was already a struggle-catching up in both areas was out of the question. He lacked talent, and worse, he had no desire to work hard.

More often than not, he found creative ways to slack off.

His biggest improvement so far was that he no longer threw tantrums when sent to the study. At the very least, he now had a passable attitude toward learning.

With Connor's laziness, it was Ryan who benefited most from the martial arts lessons. He picked up some basic skills but never pushed himself too hard— Sebastian had warned him to pace himself. A rushed recovery could lead to another leg injury, which would do more harm than good.

So when Rafael began teaching them archery, Ryan already had some foundation. Within a few days, he was making solid progress.

On the other hand, Connor struggled just to pull the bowstring. After a short while, he was complaining of pain in every joint and muscle, wanting to give up. The only reason he didn't run off was Rafael's stern presence, though his practice was half- hearted at best.

Caden spent two days working on his draw before moving on to actual shooting. Though his arrows didn't hit the target, he had the strength and took the training seriously-never once did he complain.

Rafael observed him for a few days before offering praise. However, a seasoned warrior could never be fooled-Caden had clearly trained before. His strength had been developed long ago, and a simple squeeze of his arm confirmed it.

Then there was little Cecil, barely three years old, who was only there for fun. He couldn't even draw a bow, so he simply took arrows and tossed them one by one. They didn't go far, but he found it amusing each time he threw one, he giggled happily.

Naturally, Rafael didn't force him to train. After letting Cecil play for a while, Rafael switched him to simple strength exercises. At this age, Cecil was full of energy- whatever his uncle told him to do, he did it happily. Of course, he never lasted long.

If a task was fun, he would do it a little longer. If not, he would go back to tossing arrows again.

Though it was said they would be training for days, in truth, the sessions lasted little more than two hours each day, with academics remaining their primary focus.

The goal wasn't to turn them into skilled hunters-only to ensure they could at least draw a bow properly in front of the court officials.

Salvador watched from a distance every day, observing their progress. As expected, Connor never failed to disappoint him.

Kylie also came daily, bringing the children sweets, pastries, and juice.

Each time, she would call Connor over first. Then, she would wipe his sweat and remind him to listen to his uncle.

But these reminders took up a great deal of time. Kylie fussed over Connor for so long that by the time he actually got back to practice, nearly 15 to 30 minutes had gone by. Even during the session, she would call him over to drinkwater and eat pastries.

By the end of the lesson, Connor's actual training time barely amounted to an hour.

Kylie wasn't entirely biased, though she also prepared refreshments for Caden and Cecil. But every time, Caden would take only a sip of water before returning to his practice.

On the other hand, Cecil was far more cooperative. With his chubby little hands, he eagerly grabbed whatever treats were in front of him, stuffing them into his mouth with delight. His words were just as sweet-every bite was accompanied by an affectionate "Mother, you're the best."

Of course, Cecil wasn't a threat to Kylie. So, she would take time to play with him, teasing him as he tossed arrows. Sometimes, when an arrow barely left his feet, she would laugh along with him, the picture of a doting mother with her children.

Grace and Sylvia never came in person, only sending attendants to watch from afar. Once training ended, their people would escort the children back to the palace.

However, Kylie remained.

Connor still lived in Serenity Palace, and she had few chances to see him. Naturally, she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible to strengthen their bond.

She feared that if she stayed away for too long, Connor would forget her—or that someone might turn him against her.

Connor was her only hope.noveldrama

She couldn't afford to let anyone drive a wedge between them.

Salvador saw all of this, but he didn't interfere.

There was no point in forbidding Kylie from visiting. The real issue wasn't her presence-it was

Connor'sing attitude. The

child had no real commitment to his training. The only reason he

complied at all was out of fear of his uncle's authority.

After watching for a few days, Salvador sighed and said to Derek, "Perhaps some

birds will never learn to fly, and they never want to even try."

And so, he began to wonder-was there any meaning in forcing Connor?

Some people were born without ambition, arriving in this world with broken wings.

He had to admit it.

His eldest son was dull, lazy, and hopelessly unmotivated.

And so, his gaze began to shift-slowly but surely toward Caden.