Is there really a prince who likes you?

At nine the next morning, Rowan was still sprawled like a pig across his big, soft bed, fast asleep.

Rowan had completely forgotten last night's enthusiasm. All he wanted now was to stay in bed. Don't ask. If anyone asked, the bed had started it.

But a familiar voice rang out in the garden, making Rowan restless.

Who else could that gentle, soothing voice belong to but Jaina?

Jaina had risen early that day. She had suspected the night before that Rowan might have regained his senses, so first thing that morning, she made a special visit to the Norwington Family's mansion in Alliance Square to see Uncle Aldrius.

Sure enough, Rowan really had regained his senses. After a brief conversation with Lord Aldrius and Lady Elena, she hurried to the garden.

Seeing how much their future daughter-in-law cared about Rowan, Aldrius and Elena exchanged knowing smiles and nodded in satisfaction.

Jenny was washing Rowan's clothes in the garden. Her young master was going to Hatherford, so she had started preparing his everyday necessities that very day.

"Jenny? It's been so long. You've gotten so pretty." Jaina wore a pale blue dress that day, her expression gentle and her face radiant with the sunny smile of the girl next door.

Jenny was hanging up the laundry. She turned to look at the stunning girl in the garden and froze. "Your Highness Jaina?" she murmured. "You're the most beautiful lady in Kul Tiras. Oh, what brings you here?"

Jaina smiled sweetly, her gaze wandering around as she answered casually, "Just looking around. I used to come here to play all the time when I was little. You know that."

"You're here to see Young Master Rowan, aren't you?" Jenny wiped the water from her hands, feeling a little disappointed.

"Why would I be looking for him?" Jaina deflected with a stiff smile.

Jenny was straightforward enough to smile immediately. "That's good, then."

"What's good?" Jaina looked at Jenny in confusion.

Jenny hastily corrected herself. "Nothing. I meant I'll go get Young Master Rowan."

"It's almost ten. Why is he still sleeping? Is Rowan a pig?" Abandoning her ladylike manner, Jaina scolded irritably.

Jenny waved her hands. "No, no. The young master was busy until very late last night, so he couldn't get it up this morning."

"Couldn't get it up? Hmm?" That sounded strange to Jaina, but she was too embarrassed to ask any further.

"I heard you couldn't get it up this morning," Jaina said, fighting back a smile as she walked beside Rowan in the garden.

Rowan's lips twitched in utter despair as he corrected her. "I couldn't get myself out of bed."

"That's what I meant. Why are you explaining?" Jaina countered.

"Never mind, then." Rowan smiled awkwardly. Fortunately, he was handsome. Otherwise, that smile would have been uglier than a Tortollan's.

"I heard from Uncle that you don't want to go to the Military Academy?" Jaina asked.

Rowan did not dodge the question. He had already settled on his path forward in Azeroth. As it turned out, saving Azeroth did not necessarily require force alone. His current plan had saving Azeroth and marrying Jaina as its fundamental goal, with building up his own forces and improving his personal abilities as his two-pronged approach. In short: one goal, two preparations.

"That's right. I don't want to be a soldier, and I don't want to train."

"Slacker!" Jaina rolled her eyes at Rowan irritably.

Emotion points from Jaina: -300.

What's going on? I haven't even used my emotion points yet. How did I lose 300?

But why is Jaina so against me joining the army? Whether I go to the Military Academy is none of your business, Jaina. Talk about sticking your nose where it doesn't belong.

"Why do you care so much whether I go to the Military Academy?" Rowan felt aggrieved. The emotion points he'd earned had vanished before he'd even had a chance to enjoy them.

"Who cares about you? Just keep sleeping until nine every day and spend your whole life as a slacker." Jaina scolded Rowan, looking exasperated by his lack of ambition.

Rowan was baffled. We're just chatting. Why get angry?

"Enough about me. How are your magic studies in Dalaran going?" Rowan wanted to become a mage. He figured that having Jaina as his powerful backer would be a tremendous help in the future.

Jaina gave a little huff and confidently thrust out her ample chest. "Nothing special. Just top of the entire School of Magic's Transmutation department, that sort of thing."

"That's impressive. So, is anyone courting you? Especially anyone who's a prince?" Rowan looked wary, a distinctly sour note creeping into his voice.

Pleasure points from Jaina: +300.

"Why are you asking? What does it have to do with you?" Jaina kept a stern face, pretending she was still angry with Rowan.

What's going on? Where did those pleasure points come from? Did I earn them by praising Jaina's abilities? That must be it!

"Of course it matters. Having so many people courting you proves how outstanding you are."

"Is that all you meant?"

"Of course."

Pleasure points from Jaina: -400.

What the hell? What's going on?

A woman's thoughts really are impossible to fathom.

"Do you think I could become a mage?" Rowan forcibly steered the conversation back, looking at her hopefully.

Jaina snorted and rejected the idea without hesitation. "No."

"Why not? I think I'm pretty talented."

"Your intellect is too low to become a mage," Jaina added.

We're just talking. Why start insulting me all of a sudden? Unwilling to give up, Rowan asked, "Why?"

"The intellect I'm talking about isn't what you think it is. Your intelligence is quite high, but this kind of intellect depends on your receptivity to magic. In other words, your ability to sense it. Can you feel any magical energy flowing around you right now?" Seeing how serious Rowan looked, Jaina patiently explained the material from Fundamentals of Magic.

Rowan waved his hands through the air and asked in confusion, "Is there really energy here? Why can't I feel any of it?"

"See? I told you that you had no talent. I could already use flows of magical energy to steal your cake when I was six."

"So you were the cake thief? And to think I saved the half that hadn't been stolen for you to eat. Jaina, you're downright devious."

"Haha, idiot."

Happiness points from Jaina: +600.

"I'm glad you still remember things from when we were little, but I'm really angry that these are the only things you remember." Jaina's smile faded as she gazed into Rowan's eyes.

The corners of Rowan's mouth lifted, and he deliberately put on a mysterious air. "Of course that's not all. I'm not going to the Military Academy because I have my own things to do. Tomorrow or the day after, I'll be going to the Shipyard in Morris Town."

"What things?" Jaina asked curiously.

"Building ships."

The Kul Tiras Fleet was undoubtedly the naval overlord of the entire Alliance. But Rowan was no professional shipbuilder, so what would he be doing at the shipyard?

"Don't Uncle Aldrius and Aunt Ashvane already have a complete shipbuilding process? You don't know anything about it. Wouldn't you just get in the way?" It was rare for Jaina to see Rowan this serious. He reminded her of the Rowan of their childhood, who could finish anything quickly and well.

"I'm going to make some different kinds of ships, of course," Rowan said mysteriously. "And I might ask you for help."

Jaina nodded. "As long as you're not fooling around, I'll definitely help. This is a Magic Messenger Pigeon. If you need my help, I'll come to you right away."

Rowan took the paper pigeon from Jaina and murmured, "Is it really that amazing?"

They chatted for quite some time, and Jaina only left after having lunch at Lord Aldrius's mansion.

Just before leaving, Jaina whispered to Rowan, "There really is a prince who likes me. You guessed right."

Damn it, I'm the son-in-law of the sea! If you try to steal the Daughter of the Sea from me, I curse one of you to have your kingdom destroyed by the Scourge, and the other to die twice!