First Princess

The next day.

"Mother?"

"Davis!" Claire expressed her astonishment as her face changed into one of affection. She initially thought that she wouldn't be able to see him for a while since the earlier event felt rather forced.

Davis obtained permission from his father to meet his mother. Although things were fine now, the matters of the heart are difficult to comprehend. It remained difficult for his father to accept the status quo immediately.

As for when he will accept Davis wholeheartedly, only time will tell.

"Mother! How are you?" 

Seeing that Claire was genuinely happy seeing him, he knew it was fine for him to act like a child again. 

Although there was no need for pretense, he felt that he should be like this and not act out of character. The image of a three-year-old child acting as if he knew it all would rather embarrass him even more and would be so out of place in reality.

"Davis, you don't know how I missed you! Come here, let me give you a kiss..." Claire beckoned.

Davis approached closer to Claire, and he got a peck on his forehead. He further realized that the previous event didn't cause any estrangement between the two of them. Perhaps, she was doing this exactly to not let any difference come between them.

Looking at her treating him the same way she treated him before knowing that he 'gained' his previous memories, Davis inwardly became heartened.

After that, Davis talked to his mother about what happened with his father.

"It's good that you two talked it through, Davis. Mother will only be accompanying you for a few months. Let me give you an amulet."

"What's this?" The amulet was bright purple, glistening like a gem.

"It's an accessory that is capable of hiding your Soul Forging Cultivation, have it worn on you always..." Claire said with a serious expression on her face.

Davis became extremely touched, but a moment later, he realized that he was duped by his mother yesterday. He discerned that he could've used this amulet to hide his Soul Forging Cultivation from his father.

He decided to play a little joke on her to get back at her.

"Hehe, mother, am I getting a little monster?"

"Little monster? Eh?" Claire became momentarily confused before realizing it.

"You! You dare to say that your little sibling is a monster?" Claire made a face full of fake anger while smiling.

Davis instantly rose to the air and floated, "Whoa! What? Mother?!" 

He struggled in the air.

"Now that I remember that I haven't given you any punishments since you always seem to complete assignments way before time, hehe, this is a good opportunity for me to teach you a lesson..." Claire said teasingly.

Davis realized that Claire was using this opportunity to be perhaps closer to him. His lips upturned, and a cute yet pitiful expression emerged on his face, which immediately made Claire reluctant to give any punishment.

She made Davis come closer as she opened her arms to hug him. Davis immediately thought that his act worked. When he came closer, Claire made him bend around.

"Eh? Mom?"

*Slap!~*

"Ah!" Davis cried out in pain and shock.

"You think you can get out of this just by playing innocent?" Claire scoffed as a grin emerged on her face.

*Slap!~* *Slap!~* *Slap!~*

Davis got his small butt slapped so hard that it turned red behind the small robes he wore.

"Arghhh!" 

Those slaps were truly painful but tolerable.

'Damn, I stepped on a land mine!' Davis thought, now he knew how much she truly loved her kids. Playing a bad joke on her had instead backfired on him.

It had been a miscalculation on his part! 

Davis, who had only seen Claire's affectionate side, failed to see her scary side! She is still the Empress for heaven's sake!

"Mother! I'm sorry!" Davis cried out with a fake apology.

"Good, you should have said this earlier." Claire smiled with a smug expression on her face before giggling.

"Looks like I have to teach you manners as well, you naughty child." 

"I hear and obey, your majesty!" Davis said while making an adorable face.

"You only know how to joke..." Claire tried to spank Davis again.

Davis immediately struggled away from her grasp and ran away from her.

"Haha! You can't catch me!" 

"Come back!"

Claire saw his small stature disappear from her view before a smile unknowingly lit up her face.

=======

Three months passed.

Every day was filled with joy for Claire and Davis. Not only did she teach him more about this world, but she also played together as well as studied together with him for three whole months.

Then various tutors were assigned to Davis, who then all diligently taught him. 

There were not many eligible Imperial Tutors since most of them were killed along with the Imperial Family, or executed for taking the side of the rebels. Hence, most of them were new tutors who concentrated on topics like history, geography, and other subjects relevant to the cultivation world.

Claire was officially ordered by the Emperor to rest for the remaining six months. Of course, whenever Davis had time, he went to visit his mother almost every day.

Davis needed to act like a child in front of everyone except his mother and father. His father and mother permitted him to do that. In fact, they even laughed behind him.

They had to admit that his acting skills were quite excellent.

======

Six months passed.

Logan was walking to and fro with a stiff expression on his face. Although nothing would happen to Claire, he was no longer sure after a monster like Davis was born. He inadvertently started thinking about all possible worst-case scenarios.

"Father!" 

Davis, who was beside him, shouted.

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen to mother." 

Davis was quite composed compared to his father. After being in this body for months, he had become used to it and brought his nerves and unchecked emotions under his control. At least, he felt that he managed to keep it under his control.

"Mhm..." Logan nodded his head, but he still couldn't get his nervousness out of his head.

A scream of agony and heavy breathing could be heard suddenly, followed by a cacophony of a crying baby.

"Claire!" Logan hurriedly went inside the Empress's room. Davis also followed him inside. There were also other people beside them, but no one dared to follow after them.

Inside the room, Claire was holding a newborn baby while beaming resplendently. She looked like an angel, and her smile lit the whole room with brightness. Logan remained stunned at the scene while Davis had his attention on the newcomer.

Logan went beside her and shifted his attention to the baby.

"It's a girl..." Claire said with a smiled on her face.

Claire knew that she would get a girl baby, but she kept it a secret from everyone.

She looked at Davis and said, "Davis, you're a big brother now..."

"My…my sister?" Davis was dumbfounded at the prospect of his sister's birth even though he knew this would happen eventually because of the general birth rate.

This world wasn't like the modern world, and people rarely stopped with a single baby, mostly because the chances that an heir would die is exceptionally high due to various reasons, mostly stemming from violent conflict.

Logan took hold of the baby from Claire. He stared at her small expressionless yet cute face with a gaze full of love.

"Claire, she looks just like you, an angel."

"Didn't we decide if the baby were a girl, I'd get to name her..." 

Claire asked as she giggled.

"Yes, even though I wanted to..." 

Logan had a face full of dissatisfaction as he muttered, "Damn..."

"Our little princess will be named Clara Loret."

"Clara Loret, a good name..." 

Logan became a little happy with this name as it sounded similar to Claire, while Davis kept mumbling the name in his mind.

======

A year passed.

Davis started to learn about cultivation during this time. He was waiting for another year to pass so that he could start cultivating. Children in this world seemed to start cultivating when they were five years old, but it differs depending on the child's physique.

Some children start cultivating at five, and some at eight or even ten.

"Davis!" Claire called out to him.

"Hmm? Mother!?" Davis was in the Castle Library reading books about cultivation.

"Davis, I don't have to say it myself, but you, a capable genius, should know that no one has no way to cultivate Soul Forging Cultivation before they reach the Revolving Core Stage."

"At least to my knowledge, I have never heard of such characters..."

"Yes, you mentioned it to me before, mother." Davis instantly responded.

Claire nodded her head and then revealed an ecstatic smile, "You are quite lucky because we are the only Empire in this continent who specializes in Soul Forging Cultivation."

"Really?" Davis asked in excitement.

"Other sects, clans, various families also have Soul Forging Cultivation Manuals, but they don't compare to ours!"

"That's great!" Davis had an elated expression on his face.

"Then, that means that I can advance in Soul Forging Cultivation faster and earlier than anyone else my age in this world."

"Don't celebrate too soon," Claire looked as if she was going to pour cold water over his face, "Out of the three Cultivation Systems, Soul Forging Cultivation is the hardest to cultivate. This fact does not even need to be debated."

"You have achieved Nascent Soul Stage before reaching Revolving Core Stage. The Soul Forging Cultivation Manuals in our continent can only be cultivated after reaching Revolving Core Stage. At that stage, you can sense the changes in the heaven and earth required for Soul Forging Cultivation."

"If you can't cultivate your soul after a year with our Soul Forging Cultivation Manual, then you will have to reach Revolving Core Stage before training in it again, which makes your cultivation speed the same as any Royal Family children." 

Claire decided to put down his ego first; hence, she explained.

'What the fuck?' Davis looked speechless, 'There goes my genius chronicle down the drain...'

His Nascent Soul Stage Cultivation turned out to be useless unless he could cultivate and reach the Revolving Core Stage to make his senses stronger?