"It seems like I am training a king myself, your highness," Pier mumbled and Asher bowed his head in embarrassment.

He had already taken lessons with his father and other scholars in the kingdom but whenever he sees the young master, the words Pier had said to him back at his study and earlier at the clearing come into his mind and make him insecure about his skills.

So Asher took the initiative to seek help from the young master himself.

Pier sighed as he saw the Crown Prince bow his head in shame.

"I am not his highness's tutor but I will try," He said and turned to look at the people who were busy getting rations and distributing them to others.

"What do you feel when you see these people, your highness?" Pier asked and Asher turned his head to look at the crowd of people from the boundary where Pier was staring as well.

"What do you mean?" However, the Crown Prince could not fathom what was the young master talking about.

"Take a look at them"

Asher heard Pier's suggestion and turned to look at them again. He saw varieties of people that were mingling with each other.

There were children who were running around as if they do not have care in the world.

There were also mothers tending to their infants and kids who were not yet old enough to play with the older children around.

There were fathers, males, and even women who were helping distribute the rations to each of the people who came to have their portion.

Asher watched them with observant eyes.

"Now, tell me, your highness. What does it feel watching the people you are about to rule in the future look like this?" Pier asked. He simply wanted to give Asher some advice because based on how the prince had acted in the previous days and weeks, he was being so irrational that he tends to put his emotions first before his rationality.

'I feel like I am a king's maker or something' Pier thought as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the Crown Prince.

"I... somehow I feel... unsatisfied?" Asher asked as he turned to look at the dark-haired young master. Pier's pale skin was glowing as the white background caused by the snow covering everything highlighted Pier's hair, eyes, and skin.

Asher watched as Pier spoke without looking at him. The young master's cheeks were slightly reddish because of the cold but that added more to the alluring vibe Pier was giving off.

"That's natural, your highness" Pier said and he turned to look at the Crown Prince who was looking at him too.

"It is natural to feel unsatisfied knowing your people are afraid of what's about to come even though they don't show it, your highness" Pier smiled lightly. That of a smile a parent could give to their child who is still growing and learning.

However, Asher was captured by the light smile Pier had on his face.

"It is important to have that connection with your people, your highness" Asher nodded his head at the young master's words.

'Amazing...' Asher was astounded by Pier's words and ways of thinking.

He was still a seventeen-year-old prince who still had a lot to learn. However, it felt as if he was talking with someone who had years of experience in becoming a ruler.

"Another question, your highness," Pier asked again. Asher nodded his head eagerly at his childhood friend's statement.

"Why does his highness think he feels unsatisfied?" He stopped for a moment before he diverted his gaze back again at the people.

Why?

Why does Asher feel unsatisfied when he looks at the people who were getting rations of food from his men?

"I'm not so sure myself" He admitted and hesitantly turned to look at Pier.

Pier was silent for a moment after Asher's statement as he was pondering what to say next.

"Let us skip that question first, your highness, and proceed to the third question." Asher did not retaliate as Piet took the lead in asking him questions.

"Place yourself in the scenario where you are the father of a child, your highness" Asher was stunned for a moment by Pier's words.

Him?

A father?

"Yes?" He asked, unsure of how to respond.

"You see your child eating food from the table but he only eats bread and a simple soup even though there is meat in-store. Do you think you're satisfied with how your child eats, your highness?" Pier said as he laughed inwardly at his thoughts.

'Now I'm talking about how to be a parent. I should charge this scum of a prince with lesson fees'

"Of course not! the child should also eat the meat!" Asher protested and Pier laughed at the Crown Prince's reaction.

"That's correct, now think about it, your highness. You are not just the ruler of a kingdom soon. You may have talent in the different academic fields and even in battles. But that does not make a good king" Asher listened to Pier's every word. He was intaking all the things he said seriously and was learning from them.

"Then what does it take to be one?" He asked. Pier turned to look at the people again.

"A good king is like a doting father with his child, your highness. You constantly worry about their safety and you feel unsatisfied because they do not get the best from what you know you can do" Asher stopped as he took Pier's words in his mind and body.

"However, just because you know you can do better does it mean you need to pour everything in a single motion" Pier added and pointed his fingers at the people of the boundary.

"A doting father does not give everything for their child but instead gives the best. Giving everything is not equal to giving the best. Remember that, your highness." Asher was only nodding his head as he listened to Pier's lectures.

'This feels better than learning with the scholars of the palace' He thought. Just from the simple analogies and comparisons, he was able to learn and realize things more from Pier.

"You can give them plenty of rations but that does not ensure their safety during the drought. Give them enough to thrive and provide them with other things that satisfy and assure them"

"Your highness, always remember that instead of providing only a single thing in an excessive manner, it is better to provide them with that thing in a smaller amount but there are other things added unto it that will help them not just in a single aspect but in general" Pier said as he brought his hand down and closed his eyes.

'I want to sleep, it's cold,' He thought as the cold was lulling him to sleep.

Eliam liked the cold weather and he would always want to stay indoors and watch as snow would fall from his window.

"I see..." Asher contemplated his thoughts and what he heard. All he planned was how he was going to help his people by giving out rations to help them satisfy their hunger during the drought.

But he realized he was wrong, thanks to Pier.

'It is better to provide them with that thing in a smaller amount but there are other things added unto it that will help them not just in a single aspect but in general' He repeated the thought in his mind.

"Then what do I need to provide them aside from rations?..." Asher trailed off his question. He wanted to think by himself but he constantly wanted Pier's words for him to learn too.

Pier turned his head and directly stared at the red-haired Crown Prince.

"Think about it, your highness" Asher nodded his head. Of course, he cannot rely on Pier's words all the time.

"Then I shall take my leave now, your highness," Pier said as he bowed respectfully before he started to walk back down the steps of the elevated platform where Asher and Elena were.

"Wait, young master!" Asher said and Pier stopped in his tracks to look back at him.

The young master had a questioning gaze on his face as if he was telling Asher to hurry up and tell him.

"A-Ah... thank you," Asher said and Pier only nodded his head before he fully walked down the platform and back into his designated building. His figure became unobservable once he entered the building.

"A doting father, huh" Asher whispered as he looked back at the building Pier had entered.

But the lady beside Asher seethed in anger as she was completely ignored while the two talked.

She could not say anything, it was hard for her to comprehend Pier's words and analogies and she was unable to speak because she was intimidated and afraid she would look and sound like a mess in front of the Crown Prince and Pier.

---

"Everything's so tiring! Why do I have to give that Crown Prince lessons in becoming a good king?!" Pier rambled as he lay on the soft sheets of his bed. The coldness was evident in the pillows that made him snuggle warmer into the sheets.

He was about to drift in his sleep once more when suddenly, clunking sounds could be heard at the window where his veranda was also located.

"AAAAH! COULD EVERYONE JUST LET ME SLEEP!" Pier screamed while covering his face with the pillow.

"Whatever, I will not entertain that," He said and he fully decided to go to sleep instead of checking out what was outside his window room.

There, a black crow stood outside the railings of the veranda with a letter tied on its feet.

---

"Prince of the Forbidden Snow?" The man asked and the other individuals present in the room nodded their heads.

"Rumors about the noble from the kingdom who the townspeople said resembled the Prince of the Forbidden Snow is going around the town square right now, my liege" The man laughed at his subordinate's words.

"That's nice. I want to see him in person," he said and his companions kneeled before him. They bowed their heads and their black cloaks were a sight to behold in the dark area.

"Send him the crow," He commanded and one of the dark-cloaked individuals immediately stood up before going out to send the crow to Pier.

"I wanted to see the Crown Prince himself but the Prince of the Forbidden snow piqued my interests too," the man said as he unsheathed the dagger in his side and revealed the reflection from the dagger revealed the face of the man himself.

"It will be fun to castrate some good faces, you know" he then proceeded to laugh. His laughter echoed around the area they were currently residing in.

---

Ugh

Pier groaned as he rolled around his bed. The cold winter nights of the Yuko Boundary were so good for him that he wanted to sleep more and more.

Grumble~

But his stomach said otherwise.

"I'm hungwy~," He said as his muffled voice that was buried by the pillow sounded as if he were a child talking.

He laid on the bed for a few more minutes before he decided to get up and stretch. Pier was having a good time in the boundary for their first day and he was hoping it would be too on the second and third days of their stay.

Clunk!

He heard a clunking sound from the window again.

"What is it? It has been there since four hours ago" He asked himself as he proceeded to open the curtains of the window and peek through the veranda to see what was making the clunking noises.

Swoosh!

Pier opened the window curtains and saw that the entire boundary was covered in more snow than what he had seen when he went to sleep.

'It's pretty,' He thought.

Clunk!

He heard the sound again. He roamed his eyes around the veranda until he spotted a black figure that was perched on top of the railings.

"A... bird?" He opened the windows and stepped outside. The cold air biting into his skin and making him shiver.

He went to check the bird and saw that the bird was covered in snow as well.

"Have you been here since the time I slept?!" He asked in a surprised manner. The bird must have been standing there for hours considering that its head was covered in snow and it was almost completely frozen.

He immediately helped the almost frozen crow get off the railings before it would finally freeze to death. He wrapped the crow in his warm and comfortable bedclothes and went back inside the bedroom.

As he carried the bird, snow was melting off the bird and was making his clothes partly wet.

It was until Pier noticed the piece of paper tied to the bird's feet.

"What's this?" He asked the crow as he grabbed a fur cloth from his drawer and wrapped it around the bird. The fur cloth immediately warmed the bird.

He then proceeded to untangle the piece of paper that was on the crow's feet.

It was folded into a scroll-like manner so it was easy to remove. When Pier opened the letter, he was surprised to read the words written on it.

[The town mayor will die when the sun fully goes down. Do not come]

Baffled by the contents of the letter, Pier's hands froze.

"W-What...? Is this a joke?" He said as his hand shook slightly from reading the message.

"Someone's got to be playing some pranks on me right?" He assured himself but as soon as he said that, the crow started to make alarming sounds and even though it was still cold from being partially frozen outside, it flew back to the window while making the sounds.

Kraa! Kraa!

Pier followed the seemingly distressed crow out in the window. Lights from each of the houses in the town square were on and it was completely dark outside.

But his enhanced vision was able to let him see something.

Multiple black hooded figures were standing at the alleyway he had seen the black hooded figure earlier.

A shiver ran down Pier's back as he saw that they were also staring at him. Surprised by what he saw, he immediately backed off the window.

But he was able to see what the black-hooded figures did. They started walking towards the town mayor's office.

'What in the fucking hell was that?!' He cursed.