The single guest room in their house had been renovated into Scarlet’s training room. Of course, it anyone asked, it would simply be referred to as a gym.

  Scarlet began with stamina building - running, push-ups, pnking, and all sorts of leaps and jumps, almost as if she was training for acrobatics. This sparked in Uncle , who thought Kyle might have been overzealous in his parenting approach, leaning too muto “the Asian way”.

  “I re Scarlet’s bright enough as it is. She doesn’t o worry about her future career, does she?” Uncle ventured cautiously. “She’s doing well academically, and she’s a well-known children’s author with her sed book on the way. I don’t think you o push her into ara-curricur activities. Perhaps ballet would be better than acrobatics - less risk of injury?”

  Scarlet recalled videos from her previous life, showing the injuries ballet dancers suffered ohey took off their pretty shoes. She replied, “Ballet isly easy either, and I’d much rather be leaping than dang.”

  Uncle uzzled by her response, and Kyle chuckled, “U’s not what you’re thinking. I’m not pushing Scarlet into anything. She wants to learn a bit of self-defence, and she’s particurly keen on leaping and jumping rather than pung.”

  Of course, it was because she po use a spear – more thrusting than pung, really. Kyle didn’t mention that part, but Uncle seemed relieved by the expnation.

  “Self-defehat’s excellent, really. It’s always good to know how to protect yourself...Oh, has she learned how to swim yet? That’s another useful skill, if you ask me,” Uncle suggested, and Kyle nodded in agreement.

  Kyle pondered for a moment, “Not just swimming - gun-shooting, horse riding, archery, and when she’s old enough, motorcycle and car driving are a must. It wouldn’t hurt to learn how to steer a boat if we get the ce...”

  “Hold on, hold on - you’re not pnning to raise her like some a gentlemen, are you?”

  In a ese, a gentleman's education followed the teags of fucius, who instructed his disciples in the six arts: ritual (manners), musid ritual dances h aor), archery (hunting), chari (horse riding and carriage driving), read (schorly studies) and mathematics.

  Kyle paused for a moment, “Well, I hadn’t thought of it that way, but it does sound like a rather good idea.”

  Uncle had been worried about Kyle’s future before this young man adopted a girl, but now his shifted as Kyle seemed obsessed with raising the perfect child. Who, in this day and age, raises their child acc to a wisdom?

  Kyle g Scarlet, seeking her opinion. She wasirely sure what to think, as she wasn't familiar with the Asian culture of this world.

  Her nation in her previous life did here. It was a blend of ese, Japanese and Southeast Asian cultures. She had oried to read an Asian book, but while the characters seemed familiar, parts of it were pletely different. She realized she’d need pruage education. That was the only tut she had these days - a tutor who could teach her Japanese and ese - while Kyle took charge of her martial arts training.

  After hearing Kyle’s expnation, she looked at Uncle , who still appeared ed, and said, “Well, I’m keen on archery and horse riding, but I’m not particur ied in learning music. Don’t wreat Uncle , you know I’m smart - I manage my own schedule.”

  Uncle could only shrug and tio keep a close eye on things, just in case. His old friend had asked him to look out for his only son, so how could he not pay more attention to this young man, and the girl he adopted...was her hair red?

  Days passed peacefully. Kyle had bee a renowned piano teacher in the unity, with many parents eager to book his sessioe the high fees. Scarlet, perhaps due to her bond with the Queen, seemed naturally gifted in martial art. Not only did she excel in horse riding and archery (she even became the model for their promotional poster, earning some extra ine), but her close bat skills were impressive as well - acc to Kyle who had once been trained by numerous bodyguards ihal teiques...In the underworld of the Mafia, there’s no toleranercy when it es to aartial arts that don’t aim to kill have no pce there, and that’s exactly what Scarlet o learn.

  She had also discovered the existenystical beasts and other anomalies in this world ever since she gained power from the Queen. If she ever o fight, she had to be fully prepared.

  Finally, it was time for her to train with her spear. But there roblem - their training room was too small for her to swing it properly, even the shorter wooden replica Kyle had found for her. She needed a wider space, but finding such a pearby, especially one where no one would peek or meddle, was challenging.

  At st, Kyle found a suitable location: a deserted farm oskirt, rown with wild bushes where rabbits and foxes occasionally appeared.

  “I re you’ll o practice hunting as well, if you’re to meet your Queen’s standards,” Kyle remarked. “This farm belongs to no one, so we e here once a week to train until someone cims it. The neighbours are miles away, so no one will notice even if y out your real spear. I’ll ask around to see if we need as or if there are rules for hunting rabbits or hares. For now, just enjoy.”

  Scarlet hugged Kyle before leaping into wild grasses, gearing up in her battle attire with a smile on her face.

  The spear she held was a gift from the Queen of the Shadowy nd, a replica of the famous Gáe Bolg once wielded by Cú n. Every inch of it mirrored the legendary on, though it was scaled down in power since she wasn’t the legendary hero capable of mastering such might. This lica fed to suit her - a mortal with no divine lineage - and only she could fully harness its power.

  Thus, her spear was named Gáe Scáil, the shadow of Gáe Bolg...No, she wasn’t clever enough to e up with such a grand name herself; it was bestowed upon her by the Queen when she handed over the spear.

  Heavy, yet dependable, Gáe Scáil initially moved sluggishly in her hands. She had practised with the wooden spear Kyle had given her before, but it felt different, even though Kyle had crafted it from hard wood...just too different. There was something in Gáe Scáil that no other on could offer her – a sensation as if it was unig with her, guiding her...

  Kyle observed Scarlet from a distance. She seemed clumsy at first, probably not aced to the weight of the magical spear, but soon her swings and thrusts became smoother. Though far from skilled, her progress was endable for a beginner.

  He didn’t just sit there and watch; he opehe neer he had brought and studied the stock market and imeions iail. Beside him were a few magazines reted to test teology and stific papers. He never imagined he’d be reading these again, but raising a disciplined, hard-w girl who set high standards for herself was financially challenging. To support her, he o secure the right resources, starting with finding her a suitable training space - a bigger house, of course.

  However, their life soon came to a halt when a couple arrived at their doorstep.

  It was a Wednesday m, a day Kyle had set aside for a day off and for the father-daughter time. They would go shopping, watch a film, sometimes just stroll around the neighbourhood, or simply rex and enjoy each other’s pany. Scarlet might occasionally pull out her notebook to jot down some inspirations.

  “Well, I ’t just keep writing the Akahime’s Diary series. I o e up with ories set in different worlds, perhaps a cyb world with nothing to do with magid intations,” Scarlet said as she scribbled with her favourite fountain pen.

  However, on that particur Wednesday, just as they were deg what to do for the day, the doorbell rang. Kyle expected to find a neighbour when he opehe door, but was taken aback when he saas standing there.

  “Dad, who’s at the door?” Scarlet called out, having heard no versation or the sound of the door shutting. She peeked her head out from the kit to see what was going on and found her dad standing stiffly at the entrance. She approached and saw a couple standing there, their surprise evident as their eyes nded on her.

  “This is eous!” the man, eared to be in his fifties or sixties, excimed in tonese - a nguage Scarlet had roughly mastered through daily versations with Kyle. “How could you keep her a secret from us! Do you still sider us your parents?!”

  “Well...I expin.” Kyle said, struggling, as he stepped aside to wele the ining couple.

  Scarlet remained silent, heading to the kit to prepare some tea while everybody settled down in the living room.

  Lady Sato, eared to be of a simir age to the man, accepted her tea with an endearing smile.

  “Now, expin,” the man, Mr. Hong said, his anger evident but not directed at Scarlet.

  Kyle petted Scarlet on the head as she sat beside him. “I nning to inform you wheuation there became more stable. They’re still peting for the throne, aren’t they?”

  Mr. Hong and Lady Sato did not respond, firming Kyle’s statement.

  “Imagine, if they knew I had a child here, wouldn’t they think you’re raisio i the throne instead of passing on your power to them?” Kyle said, looking directly at his father. “I want a stable life, and so does Scarlet. I’ve retreated far away from Asia and have been doihese past few years...”

  “Naive.” Lady Sato said calmly in Japanese, her temper much cooler than her husband’s. “You were born into an underworld family, you bear its mark, and you will never be rid of it until you die. You ot escape it.”

  “I bet I ,” Kyle said firmly.

  Mr. Hong tiernly, “We’ve received word that some old-timers sider you the most suitable didate for the throne. Your petitors have started to take an i in you, digging up information.”

  Kyle’s eyes widened.

  “If not, why do you think we’ve e all the way here?” Mr. Hong said, “We’ve sealed your information and provided misleadiails, making them think you’re travelling the world and not staying here...raising a child.”

  Kyle let out a long breath he had been holding, “Well, Scarlet is adopted. She should be fine since we’re not blood-reted.”

  “How dare you say that in front of her!” Lady Sato shouted in Japanese, rushing to hug Scarlet and speaking slowly in English, “There, there, you are of course your father’s dearest daughter. Don’t listen to his nonsense.”

  She then s Kyle, in Japanese, “How could you say such things? She’s your own daughter; how you deny your blood retion with her?”

  “...What?” Kyle was dumbfounded, “No, we’re not blood-reted, I adopted her st year...”

  “Shush!” Lady Sato still looking furious, “I know you dislike her mother, but you ’t treat her like this.”

  Kyle remained silent for a moment, “Just, what exactly did you hear about me and Scarlet?”

  “That a gold-digger cimed she regnant with your child, and threateo marry you to secure a wealthy marriage because she kneould never allow a child of yours to be born out of wedlock.” Mr. Hong expined, “Then she discovered you’d been kicked out from the family business, so she dumped you, and now you’re single and poor with a daughter.”

  Kyle buried his fato his hands, while Scarlet let out a snigger.

  “Scarlet, don’t jot this down in your notebook.”

  Oh, but I will. What a great plot for a story! Scarlet mused with joy.

  Annouhe gold-digger plot is a very famous genre (is this how it should be refer?) in ese web novel. (Just like the transmigrated into viliness plot)

  Basically the plot goes like this.

  The girl (heroine/protagonist) for some reason (to pay debt her family owe the mafia or terribly ill in hospital), need a lot of money. And somehow, there's a rich boy who in urgent need firl to be his girlfriend/wife (to deal with his parents urging him for a wife, business reasoc), so they bond through a tract stating that the rich boy will pay a certain money for them to fake a marriage, the rich boy got a "wife", the girl got the money, perfect.

  And because they forced to live under a roof, iions occurs, they eventually fell in love with each other and finally the fake marriage bee a true marriage, and happily ever after.

  With the above basic package bear in mind, now the author could be creative about it.

  Such as, the rich boy was in fa agent 007; the girl was magical girl; the rich boy had a evil ex-fiaried to kill the girl and ended up push the rich boy towards the kind and i girl; the girl had a secret mafia boss admire so he fight with the rich boy to gain the girl's love; the girl is a spy sent by rival pany/family, the rich boy is a gay; the girl in fact a boy that faked himself as a girl and both protagonist ended up with finding out each other actually was gay, and so happily bee a gay couple...etc. Very creative actually. XD