Help! I Became A Guy In A BL Novel!-Chapter 190: History

"I apologise." Leon finally said.

Riven, on the other hand, calmly picked up the bowl of pickled roots and took a bite, giving a satisfied hum.

"See?" he said. "Not everything is about you, your highness."

Leon turned his face away from the table of food, and Riven, not wanting to see either.

He had been humiliated. But somewhere deep down, buried under the frustration... He knew Riven was right.

Leon sat stiffly in his chair, staring at the bowl of food that had started the whole scene. The servant girl was long gone, and Riven had gobbled up more than half. He was a hungry one. Leon rolled his eyes.

He let out a slow, quiet breath. He knew, deep down, that Riven was right. The pickles incident wasn’t offensive enough to warrant the way he’d snapped. The girl had only brought what was served in this palace.

It was something Leon didn’t care for, yes, but that didn’t justify the sharpness in his tone or the look of fear he’d seen in her eyes.

It was Riven.

Everything about Riven set him on edge. He was such... Such a pain in the ass. He was irritable because of that wolf, otherwise, he wouldn’t have snapped like that.

Still, that didn’t excuse what he’d done. He could admit that much. At least to himself.

But he would never say it out loud. Not to Riven. Not to anyone.

He clenched his jaw and looked away from the bowl. Fine. He’d been wrong. But Riven didn’t need to know he was right. Let him think Leon was just obeying to fulfil the condition, to regain his title.

Riven wandered through the wide marble halls of the palace, curious and in search of something—anything—to occupy his restless mind. He was bored! Very bored. He missed the internet, he missed his phone, what about all the BLs that were being released but he could not read them! THE HORROR!

Having Leon follow him, he explored the palace. And finally stumbled upon an interesting room.

A library.

Rows and rows of towering shelves lined with leather-bound books and scrolls bathed in golden sunlight from the dome-shaped skylight above. It smelled like a library, alright. Smelled like old books.

"Why here?" Leon asked with a frown. Did this wolf want to learn about their secrets?

"Hmm? I just want to learn about this place." Riven shrugged and strided inside.

Leon followed him inside, his golden hair catching the light like threads of sunlight. He pulled a book off one of the shelves and blew off the dust.

"If you’re looking to understand our kingdom, you’ll need more than one book. But..." he glanced at Riven with a rare softness, "I can explain it."

"Please," Riven gestured to a long velvet couch. "Educate me, your Highness."

Leon rolled his eyes but sat down. "Our kingdom was not founded by war or inheritance, but by wisdom. Our ancestor, Maia, was not of noble blood. Back then, there were no nobles—only tribes. Nomads, scattered across the Savannah, it was much more deserted back then."

"Clearly..." Riven added. He imagined they built a few settlements in the barren place, paving the way for this kingdom.

"Lady Maia was a strategist, she was strong too, but there were enough strong people. She was clever, resourceful and... A genius."

"Did she suggest that having a united kingdom would be ideal for their survival?" Riven asked with curiosity. His ears twitched with excitement. A girlboss! I approve!

Leon did not like the interruption, but he continued without commenting on it, "She united three warring clans by saving their chieftains from a deadly plague and then negotiating peace through logic and fairness."

Riven nodded. Those chieftains were men and had the primal idea of masculinity and ruggedness, neither of which included hygiene as a main idea. She encouraged cleanliness and put protocols in place that stopped the spread.

Riven listened with great interest, none of this was mentioned in the story. Why would it? It was a simple romance story, not much world building was required than the basics. All he knew was that it was a Matriarchal society and Leon was a spoiled prince.

"She didn’t rule with fear, but with reason. And she protected the weak. When bandits attacked a rival clan, she rode in with only a dozen warriors and drove them back. She became a legend."

Riven’s tail swayed, and Leon was pleased with that. Finally, someone who understands their greatness. If it was any other wolf they would start explaining their own history in an effort to prove that they were better. Riven just listened.

"Was she married?" Riven asked, leaning his chin on his hand.

"She had three husbands," Leon said without hesitation. "Each chosen for their intelligence, loyalty, and strength in different fields. One was a scribe, the second a warrior, and the third a trader. But none held more authority than her. That’s how it’s always been. The Queen is the monarch, and her consort assists her."

Riven whistled. This lady Maia was amazing, she got herself three husbands! He only had two! He needed to quickly conquer Leon and Eli! Riven was suddenly filled with motivation.

Looking at Riven’s suspicious expression, Leon quickly added, "Only she had three husbands from the three clans for the sake of unity! She abolished polygamy and polyandry. A lion can have only one partner, loyalty above everything else!" He scowled while looking at Riven’s greedy expression, which turned into dismay.

"So you’re a placeholder," Riven said, tone teasing. Moving on from the topic, Leon, for now, was a temporary powerhead until he married.

Leon narrowed his eyes, "A placeholder who manages the military, treasury, and all court matters."

"Yes, yes, very powerful placeholder." Riven smiled. He wanted to

Leon huffed, ignoring him. "Queen Eratha the Just came two generations later. She banned blood feuds between families and established our first law courts. Then came Queen Savira, the Builder—she expanded our borders and turned our nomadic society into one of architecture and agriculture. It was the golden age, when beautiful monuments were constructed. Art flourished."