The palace rested beneath a silent winter sky.
Clouds drifted slowly above the Mauryan capital while pale moonlight stretched across rooftops, stone pathways, and distant palace walls. The snowfall had almost completely stopped now, leaving behind only cold air and quiet nights.
Inside his chambers, the brazier burned steadily beside the wall.
Warm orange light flickered softly across the room.
Rudura sat alone beside the low table once again.
Échecs Humains rested open before him.
The black-covered book no longer felt merely strange.
With every chapter, it seemed less like a collection of lessons and more like an examination of human nature itself.
Tonight, another title rested before his eyes.
People Rarely See Reality Without Desire Distorting It
Rudura stared at the words silently.
Then slowly lowered his gaze toward the first lines beneath them.
Men believe themselves rational creatures while emotion quietly guides judgment beneath the surface.
The brazier crackled softly nearby.
Rudura continued reading.
Truth rarely enters the human mind untouched by desire, fear, pride, or expectation.
That sentence lingered immediately.
Because almost at once, memories surfaced from his previous life.
School corridors.
Rumors.
Friend groups.
Arguments.
Rudura leaned slightly back while staring thoughtfully into the firelight.
He remembered how quickly students believed rumors about classmates they already disliked.
Even weak accusations spread easily when people wanted them to feel true.
Meanwhile, rumors involving popular students often faced skepticism immediately.
At the time, Rudura thought it was simple favoritism.
Now the pattern felt clearer.
People accepted information more easily when it matched existing emotions.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Rudura lowered his gaze toward Échecs Humains again.
Humans do not merely observe reality. They interpret it through themselves.
That line connected sharply with countless memories.
Another surfaced immediately afterward.
A disagreement between two students during class.
One was widely liked.
The other considered arrogant.
Even though both were partially at fault, most classmates supported the popular student almost instantly.
Not because they carefully examined truth.
Because emotion shaped interpretation before reason fully entered.
Interesting.
Humans rarely approached situations neutrally.
The realization settled heavily.
Outside, cold wind brushed softly against the palace windows.
Inside the room, the brazier flickered steadily.
Another memory surfaced.
Social media from his previous life.
People defending public figures they admired despite obvious mistakes.
Others attacking individuals they already disliked regardless of evidence.
At the time, Rudura found online arguments exhausting.
Now he understood another layer beneath them.
People often protected emotional attachment more than truth itself.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Rudura rested one arm lightly against his knee while continuing to read.
The mind welcomes comforting ideas more easily than painful truths.
That sentence lingered deeply.
Because it felt painfully realistic.
Another memory surfaced from school life.
Examination results.
Students blamed:
unfair questions
strict teachers
bad luck
more quickly than personal mistakes.
Not always dishonestly.
Sometimes people genuinely struggled to accept uncomfortable explanations.
Interesting.
Perhaps self-deception often protected pride unconsciously.
The realization softened the chapter slightly.
It no longer felt purely critical.
More human.
Another memory followed.
A student constantly praised for intelligence.
Whenever teachers criticized him, many classmates immediately dismissed the criticism unfairly because it conflicted with their established image of him.
Interesting.
Humans resisted information threatening emotional narratives.
The brazier cracked softly nearby.
Rudura slowly turned another page.
Expectation shapes perception long before evidence completes its work.
That line connected naturally with palace life too.
Nobles likely interpreted events according to personal interest constantly.
An ambitious official viewed opportunities differently from a cautious one.
Rival factions probably heard identical information yet reached completely different conclusions.
Interesting.
Truth itself rarely traveled alone.
Emotion accompanied it everywhere.
Rudura thought briefly about political gatherings he had observed.
Some officials clearly preferred hearing optimistic reports over unpleasant realities.
Not because they were foolish.
Because humans naturally avoided discomfort.
The realization felt important.
Another memory surfaced from his previous life.
Teachers asking students whether they understood lessons.
Many students answered "yes" automatically despite confusion because admitting ignorance felt uncomfortable publicly.
Interesting.
Pride distorted honesty subtly.
The mind protected identity instinctively.
Outside, clouds drifted slowly across the moonlit capital.
Inside the chamber, firelight flickered softly against the pages of Échecs Humains.
Rudura leaned back slightly while thinking.
Then another memory surfaced unexpectedly.
Friendships.
Students often ignored obvious flaws in close friends while criticizing the same behavior harshly in others.
At the time, Rudura considered it hypocrisy.
Now he wondered if emotional attachment naturally altered judgment.
Interesting.
Affection itself distorted perception.
The realization made human relationships feel simultaneously warmer and more fragile.
Rudura lowered his gaze toward the next passage.
Men frequently seek confirmation before truth.
That sentence lingered heavily.
Because it explained so much.
People searched for:
agreement
validation
reassurance
more naturally than contradiction.
Another memory surfaced.
Online discussions.
People gathered in spaces where most individuals already shared similar opinions.
Conflicting ideas often created anger immediately.
At the time, Rudura assumed people simply disliked arguments.
Now he saw another layer.
Agreement created emotional comfort.
Disagreement threatened identity.
Interesting.
Humans preferred environments reinforcing existing beliefs.
The realization connected sharply with palace politics too.
A ruler surrounded only by flattering voices could slowly lose touch with reality itself.
Not because truth disappeared.
Because people selectively presented comfortable information.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The brazier burned lower beside the wall.
Rudura slowly exhaled.
Then continued reading.
Pride blinds men to truths that wound the image they hold of themselves.
That line struck him deeply.
Because he remembered moments from his own previous life too.
Times when criticism felt unreasonable initially…
only to seem accurate later after emotion faded.
Interesting.
Even self-awareness did not fully protect humans from bias.
The realization felt strangely humbling.
Another memory surfaced.
A classmate receiving lower marks than expected.
Despite obvious mistakes visible in the paper, the student spent days insisting evaluation errors caused the result.
At the time, Rudura viewed it as stubbornness.
Now it seemed more complicated.
Perhaps the mind resisted realities damaging self-image.
Interesting.
Humans defended identity instinctively.
Outside, cold wind moved softly through distant palace corridors.
Inside the room, silence settled warmly around the firelight.
Rudura turned another page slowly.
Fear distorts judgment as powerfully as desire.
That sentence expanded the chapter further.
Because humans did not only believe comforting things.
They also believed frightening possibilities easily.
Another memory surfaced from his previous life.
Rumors spreading before examinations.
Students immediately believing exaggerated stories about impossible questions or strict grading.
Fear amplified uncertainty naturally.
Interesting.
Emotion strengthened belief regardless of accuracy.
The realization lingered heavily.
Rudura thought about kingdoms again.
Fearful rulers might see threats everywhere.
Proud rulers might ignore genuine dangers.
Ambitious nobles might interpret coincidence as opportunity.
Human psychology shaped political reality constantly.
The thought made leadership feel far more complicated than simple intelligence alone.
Another line from Échecs Humains caught his attention.
The most dangerous lies are often the ones men secretly wish were true.
That sentence remained in his mind immediately.
Because it explained manipulation itself.
People rarely accepted lies randomly.
Successful lies usually aligned with:
hope
fear
pride
resentment
Interesting.
Deception often succeeded because it cooperated with emotion.
The realization unsettled him slightly.
Another memory surfaced from school life.
Students eagerly believing rumors about upcoming holidays or reduced examinations despite weak evidence.
Why?
Because they wanted it to be true.
Simple.
Human.
Rudura slowly closed his eyes briefly.
Then another realization surfaced quietly.
Perhaps complete objectivity was impossible.
Humans were emotional creatures before rational ones.
Even intelligence merely reduced distortion.
It did not erase it completely.
The thought felt strangely important.
The brazier flickered softly nearby while moonlight stretched across the palace courtyards outside.
Rudura lowered his gaze toward the final lines of the chapter.
Men often reject truths that threaten comfort while embracing lies that protect desire.
Silence filled the room afterward.
Because the sentence felt undeniably realistic.
Humans searched for meaning through emotion constantly.
Not because they were weak.
Because emotion shaped perception naturally.
Outside, pale moonlight covered the sleeping capital while cold wind drifted softly through distant archways.
Rudura finally closed Échecs Humains gently.
Thump.
The chamber remained warm and still.
Rudura rested his gaze upon the black-covered book before quietly murmuring into the silence:
"…Perhaps the most convincing lies are not the ones spoken best… but the ones people already wish to believe before hearing them."
(Continued in Chapter 83)