“It’s been a while, Royan. Happy birthday!”

She was smiling right in front of him. With a bright expression, as if she was truly happy.

……Was this a dream?

Royan clenched his fist and pressed his nails firmly into his palm. He felt pain.

Was the princess really standing before him?

“Your Highness, how did you……”

When Royan asked with an expression of continued disbelief, Erina giggled. Her face was full of excitement.

“Reibella contacted Dona. She asked if I could come just once for your birthday. So, I came to see you.”

“It must be far from the capital……”

“With the warp gate, it’s quick. I came without Dad knowing.”

Since the warp gate responds to imperial blood, Erina could use it freely.

“I did well, right?”

The girl smiling innocently and asking for praise was unmistakably the Erina that Royan knew. She was radiant enough to dazzle the eyes, a lovable person.

As Royan stared blankly, Erina, who had been chattering, asked with a dejected expression.

“Aren’t you happy that I came?”

“I am happy. I’m truly happy, as if I’ve received a gift I never expected.”

He meant it sincerely. He was grateful that Erina had come all this way, and he was happy that she had come and that he could meet her.

But on the other hand, his heart ached.

Reibella. He knew that this gift prepared by his adorable little sister must not have been easy for her.

‘She said she was in mortal danger because of Her Highness.’

He had heard that story back when he and Reibella weren’t on good terms. That while working as the princess’s food taster, she had eaten Erina’s poison and became a loyal subject.

Reibella had said ‘It’s natural since I’m a food taster’ as if it were nothing, and at the time, Royan had also thought it fortunate that she had taken the hit instead of the princess.

But now, he wondered if it was really ‘fortunate.’

From what his father had hinted, Reibella survived because she had obtained an herb that could detoxify everything. He said it appeared like fate and saved her.

What if she hadn’t had that? The event of Reibella becoming his sister would never have happened.

Thinking about it made his chest cold. He wanted to beat his past self to death for thinking it was ‘fortunate.’

Not only that. Reibella had also consumed poison given by the Emperor.

The human called Emperor of this vast Empire had fed a deadly poison to a child who wasn’t even a handful and tried to use her like a marionette.

It sounded horrific even to him; how much must Reibella have trembled as the person directly involved?

Surely, she must hate the imperial family.

Yet she contacted Erina for his sake.

‘To make me happy……’

Knowing that such a small child had been so considerate of him, he couldn’t meet Erina with pure joy.

But fearing that Reibella would be disappointed if he just left, Royan smiled as if nothing was wrong.

And he held the hand she extended and strolled through the garden.

Erina was still as wonderful as ever, but unlike before when his heart was filled only with excitement, now there was a single drop of stain on that feeling.

It was guilt.

* * *

“Royan looks very happy.”

As Reibella, who was secretly watching from the terrace, murmured, Charlotte, who was beside her, answered sharply.

“I think he looks happier when he’s with you, Miss.”

“Come on, that’s nonsense. She’s his lover, not family.”

In the novel, Royan constantly risked his life and overcame numerous crises for the princess. He was a madly devoted man who would coldly cut even his own blood relative’s throat for her sake.

For such a person to value family over lover was truly unthinkable.

“I’m glad I contacted her.”

She had considered various gifts, but she thought nothing could be better for Royan than this.

So after much deliberation, she sent a letter asking the princess for help. Thinking that the letter might not reach the princess if she sent it to the imperial palace, she contacted her through her close friend Dona.

Fortunately, the letter reached the princess, and the answer was, of course, acceptance. The princess said she would come for Royan’s birthday. She would come secretly, without the Emperor knowing.

As soon as she received that letter, Reibella sent a gift to the Emperor. Based on her experience at the imperial palace, there was no aspect of the princess’s private life that the Emperor didn’t know. He just pretended not to know while knowing.

So she threw him a mana stone and asked for his generosity. She asked him to let them meet briefly since they liked each other so much.

Though there had been some troublesome procedures, seeing the two holding hands and walking through the garden filled her with a sense of accomplishment.

‘A protagonist is a protagonist.’

The sight of the two beautiful people looking at each other and smiling, bringing their heads close and whispering, was truly a feast for the eyes.

‘Though I hate the Emperor.’

It would be a lie to say that her hatred for this world had disappeared. But still, she wanted the two of them to have a happy ending. For Royan’s sake, too.

‘I’ll have to work hard.’

After all, healing stories must end happily.

* * *

“The fair desserts are selling quickly!”

The next day, as Reibella was out participating in the festival for “Bard’s Day,” good news reached her. The dessert fair was progressing well.

“How are the reactions?”

When Reibella asked, Millia answered with an excited face.

“They’re good. The noble ladies preferred simple and clean desserts, while the young ladies liked sweet desserts. Everyone was delighted to try desserts they hadn’t tasted recently.”

“That’s a relief.”

It was enough if people went there to taste various desserts and felt nostalgia for traditional food. The purpose of the fair was to make them aware that there were many choices other than just ‘the princess’s shop.’

Of course, more measures would be needed in the long term.

“Miss. They said the egg is hidden behind the largest Poruru tree. You can see it over there, see?”

Reibella peeked her head out toward the place Charlotte was pointing. At the end of her finger was a huge tree, twice as large as the others.

“It’s called the Blessing Tree. I really wanted to show it to you, Miss. The people of this region love it very much.”

“Now that you mention it, I’ve heard of it. Guests at the imperial palace said it was a place you must visit when you come to Louvindisi. So that’s it. The tree is really big.”

“Right?”

Millia said proudly as she continued.

“It’s a place that has shared Louvindisi’s history! You’ll like it too, Miss.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

As Reibella looked at the tree with an excited expression, Charlotte continued her explanation.

“Since you’re starting first, Miss, you just need to go carefully and pick up the egg. The path has been well prepared to avoid collisions, so you must follow that path. Otherwise, you might become an ugly cotton candy.”

“……I’m not cotton candy.”

When she grumbled quietly, Charlotte tilted her head. Her eyes seemed to ask if she really thought she wasn’t.

Reibella looked at Charlotte as if she couldn’t help it and changed the subject.

“Millia said earlier that I have to find it alone. Is it okay to tell me?”

“Because you’re already happy without such things, Miss.”

There was a superstition that a child who finds a demonic beast’s egg will have a year full of happy events. When Charlotte spoke firmly about this, a small laugh escaped Reibella’s lips.

“And it’s also for your safety, Miss. If you find it late, you’ll get mixed up with the children who start after you. You might meet strange people, so it’s better to get out quickly.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Reibella was well aware that she was not yet welcomed in the territory.

Recently, the princess had shown considerable interest in the Vicheravali territory, and consequently, people who followed the princess had become more active.

While many disliked the Emperor because they were frequently called to the battlefield, everyone was favorable toward the princess. There were even people in Vicheravali Castle who followed the princess. Though less than in the capital, this place was still under the princess’s influence.

Such people would not like Felicity. Moreover, with the issue of the mana stone mine ownership erupting, public opinion had become the worst. Rumors were spreading ominously that the rolling stone was trying to take away their precious young master.

‘I should return quickly.’

So that no one worries.