The past was built upon collecting unique characteristics.

Today's breakfast was quite substantial, with perfectly toasted white bread, some eggs and ham, and warm milk, all neatly arranged on top of the food cart.

As Morian ate, he sorted out his thoughts. He was going to meet the retired knight that afternoon, and before that, he wanted to see Prince Eric one more time.

Thinking back to yesterday's conversation with Diana, and the conspiracy I overheard last night, connecting these things together raised many new questions.

He wanted to know what the seemingly gentle prince was really planning deep down, and whether he was aware of the abnormality in his body.

Most importantly, you should confirm the other party's attitude in person.

After quickly finishing breakfast, Morian changed into a neat light gray suit and tidied himself up in front of the mirror.

Even after fierce fighting, the human skin mask maintained its disguised appearance and was very durable.

After gathering his essential personal belongings, he pushed open the door and went out.

The White Rose Palace was already awake in the early morning, with servants and guards moving about in the corridors.

In fact, most members of the royal family who hold important positions begin their preparations by 7:00 a.m. at the latest. Those who wake up at 8:00 a.m. are probably only important guests.

Based on his memories from the past few days, Morian followed the familiar path to the area leading to the prince's study.

He approached the two guards outside the study and requested in a calm tone:

"I wish to request an audience with His Highness the Fourth Prince."

"I need to report to His Highness on Lady Laurent's current recovery progress."

Upon hearing this, the two guards quickly exchanged a glance, and one of them nodded slightly and said:

"Wait a moment, I need to ask first."

After speaking, the guard went into the study and returned a moment later without stopping him.

"Sir, His Highness invites you in."

Morian nodded his thanks, checked his appearance, and then pushed open the door to enter.

Morning light streamed into the study through the spacious French windows, illuminating the room with a bright and warm glow, and the fresh scent of sandalwood instantly filled the nostrils.

Eric, with his off-white hair and azure eyes, sat upright on the sofa, but today he wasn't holding a novel; instead, he was holding an open document.

When they met again, Morian was noticeably more relaxed and casual than when they first met.

"Please have a seat, Mr. Thias." Eric looked up, a gentle smile on his face. "I hope you are satisfied with the breakfast. If anything is not to your liking, you can ask Paul for a change."

Morian bowed slightly, then sat down on the sofa to the side.

"Thank you, Your Highness. Breakfast is very plentiful; no further changes are needed."

"That's good. I was worried you wouldn't be used to the place," Eric said with a clear laugh.

Then, the two exchanged a few pleasantries about trivial matters such as accommodation and the weather, which added a rare touch of relaxation to the quiet study.

After a moment, Morian steered the conversation back on track, revealing the key information about his visit.

"Your Highness, I visited Lady Laurent yesterday afternoon," he said with a smile. "She was cleaning her residence at the time, and her complexion and spirits had improved considerably."

"Really? I'm so happy for her." Eric smiled, a genuine joy.

"Yes, she also talked to me about many things, including some of your past experiences," Morian said seriously.

"Our past?" Eric asked, quite curiously.

"Mr. Tias, what did Diana say to you?"

After a moment's thought, Morian selectively answered:

"She said you would also be saddened by the death of your pets, and would suddenly have the idea to take her to see shooting stars on a winter night."

"Pfft...she also said all that..."

Upon hearing this, Eric couldn't help but chuckle, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Please excuse my ignorance, sir. Diana always remembers strange things."

"No, I think these are wonderful memories," Morian said with a smile, shaking his head in denial.

The study was quiet for a moment, but the other person's slight nod indicated that he did not deny the statement.

"Actually," Eric suddenly spoke, his gaze falling on the scenery outside the window as if recalling the past, "Diana... was three years older than me."

Morian raised an eyebrow slightly; this was somewhat unexpected.

Because Diana looked young and spirited, while Eric possessed a maturity beyond his years, people subconsciously assumed the prince was older.

The result is more like the age difference between an older sister and a younger brother.

Out of curiosity, he interjected and asked:

"May I ask how old Your Highness is?"

Eric smiled and said:

"She's exactly twenty years old. In another month she'll be twenty-one. Diana's birthday is a little earlier, so she's twenty-four now."

Younger than me… Morian thought to himself, amazed that this prince, at such a young age, had to handle so many royal duties.

"Excuse my bluntness, but you are really young," Morian couldn't help but remark.

"Nevertheless, as a prince, I must fulfill my duties." Eric smiled bitterly.

"I remember eight years ago, when she first came to the White Rose Palace as my guardian knight, she was only sixteen years old," he continued, his voice softening. "And I was just a twelve-year-old prince at the time."

"I don't know if Diana told you, but she was selected from a remote village in the north of the kingdom. Although she showed amazing talent in swordsmanship, she knew almost nothing else."

"Yes, Miss Laurent mentioned it," Morian replied briefly.

"That's why she knew nothing about court etiquette, and she was even bad at using the knife and fork at the table. When she attended a formal dinner for the first time, she was so nervous that she didn't know what to do."

Eric gave a helpless smile, a smile that contained both pity and bitterness:

"You probably can't imagine what she was like back then. Diana was full of chivalry, but she was still not a qualified knight. Being a female knight was naturally even more difficult."

"Everyone looked at her with strange eyes. Some said she was unworthy of the name of knight, some said she had tarnished the dignity of the royal family."

"And then what happened?" Morian asked.

"Then I told her..." Eric stretched his arms, thought for a moment, and said, "Forget about all that chivalry, all that damn etiquette, and all that critical eye. She just needs to be Diana Laurent, and be my guardian knight."

His tone was calm, yet carried a hint of wistful reminiscence.

"Then I began to personally teach her, guiding her as a friend, to help her break free from those traditional and stubborn ideas."

"Of course, teaching is a two-way street, and she taught me a lot throughout the process."