Cassian Lightwood, renowned from a young age for his intelligence and quick grasp of knowledge, effortlessly created smooth, melodious tunes. He glanced over at Harrison Ryder, who was fumbling with the strings of his instrument. Harrison's clumsy fingers produced disjointed, offbeat sounds, clearly struggling with the basic technique.
Cassian turned to Harrison, his tone slightly mocking: "General Ryder, rhythm and emotion in music require finesse. With hands accustomed to wielding swords and slaying on the battlefield, you might need much more practice."
Harrison clearly felt the mockery in Cassian's words, his eyes coldly responding with sharpness: "Minister Lightwood, you are indeed perceptive. But remember, everything can be learned and honed. It's only human character that is hardest to change."
Cassian narrowed his eyes at Harrison, not expecting such a young general to retort so sharply. The atmosphere between them instantly became tense, a silent challenge hanging in the air. Meanwhile, Ethan Caelan was still focused on compiling his documents, unaware of the underlying confrontation beside him, which stemmed from him.
Hearing Harrison's off-tune notes, Ethan stopped his work and approached Harrison's side. He gently took Harrison's hand, placing it correctly on the strings. Feeling Ethan's soft, warm hand enveloping his, Harrison involuntarily smiled. His eyes turned gentle as he attentively listened to Ethan's guidance, his earlier frustration melting away.
Cassian glanced over, feeling his intelligence was useless at this moment. Not wanting to be outdone, he spoke in a slightly pitiful tone: "Your Highness, I still don't understand this part, could you help me further?"
Ethan smiled and looked over. Cassian pretended to struggle, clumsily plucking the strings, acting as if he didn't know where to place his fingers. Ethan approached, gently took Cassian's hand, separated his fingers, and placed them correctly on the strings. Cassian's eyes melted as he gazed at Ethan without blinking, his heart racing.
Seeing Ethan focus on Cassian, Harrison couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy and discomfort. He deliberately played offbeat, then spoke with an embarrassed tone: "I seem to have forgotten the note positions again, Your Highness."
Ethan looked over, his breath momentarily stopping as he saw Harrison still struggling. He returned to Harrison's side, continuing to patiently instruct him. Each touch and correction from Ethan seemed to calm Harrison's earlier irritation, turning it into a determined effort to improve.
While Ethan was busy teaching both, Cassian and Harrison kept glancing at each other, their eyes filled with hidden rivalry. Both tried to capture Ethan's attention, neither willing to yield. Ethan, unaware of this competition, only felt himself suddenly becoming busier with the two eager "students" in front of him.
That afternoon, Ethan went to teach a class. Accompanying him, besides his two trusted guards, were Harrison and Cassian, who followed closely. Just as Harrison had said, though the classroom was arranged in the largest hall, it was still packed. Besides the scholars, several grand academics attended, all eagerly awaiting Ethan's lecture.
The seating arrangement clearly showed the priority order. The top scholars were seated in front to ensure they fully absorbed the knowledge. They were tasked with recording the entire lesson for future reference. This fierce competition for ranking led to intense study among the scholars at the Imperial Academy. They worked day and night to improve their ranking for a chance to attend Ethan's classes.
When Ethan entered the room, the atmosphere immediately quieted. All eyes were on him. Harrison and Cassian sat properly in the front row, listening intently, their earlier rivalry momentarily set aside in their eagerness to learn.
In the great hall of the Helios palace, the court session had just ended. Valerius Evander glanced around, looking for Cassian Lightwood to discuss state affairs, but did not see him. He turned to General Elias Dawnfire and asked: "Elias, do you know where Cassian is?"
Elias respectfully replied: "Your Majesty, Minister Lightwood has recently been frequenting the Imperial Academy to study music."
Valerius frowned, a bit surprised: "Really? I didn't know he had an interest in music."
"Your Majesty," Elias said, "recently, the Imperial Academy has been developing a new music technique, attracting many scholars to learn."
"What kind of new technique?" Valerius asked, his voice showing some curiosity.
Elias explained, "This technique was compiled by the Fourth Prince of Aria, and it has become very popular recently, highly praised by scholars. People even call him the god of music descended to the mortal world."
Hearing this, Valerius was very intrigued: "Is it really that amazing? Later, you will accompany me to the Imperial Academy."
That afternoon, Valerius and Elias disguised themselves as scholars and quietly went to the Imperial Academy. Valerius felt a mix of excitement and curiosity as they approached the grand building.
When they arrived, the scholars were in their afternoon class, making the atmosphere very peaceful and quiet. Upon hearing that the emperor had arrived, Chief Dean Theo Howard immediately came out to greet them. Valerius subtly signaled not to be formal.
"Dean, how is the Imperial Academy doing recently?" Valerius asked, showing concern for the academic situation.
Chief Dean Theo respectfully replied: "Your Majesty, thanks to the Fourth Prince of Aria, the music department has made significant progress recently."
Valerius nodded, his eyes showing satisfaction: "That's wonderful to hear. Where is Ethan now?"
Chief Dean Theo replied: "He is giving a lecture today and is in the classroom."
"Lead me there," Valerius ordered firmly, his curiosity growing.
"Yes, Your Majesty, please follow me," Chief Dean Theo said, respectfully leading the way.
Chief Dean Theo led Valerius and Elias to the classroom door. From a distance, Ethan's graceful figure beside the ancient instrument stood out. He gently plucked each note, creating mesmerizing melodies that filled the room. The scholars listened intently, their eyes filled with admiration and fascination.
Valerius stood still, watching Ethan, his heart melting at the sight. He couldn't help but smile, his eyes full of affection and pride. Each of Valerius's expressions did not escape Elias's keen eyes. With just a glance, Elias had already recognized that the emperor's feelings for Ethan were not like those for an ordinary man.