It wasn’t hard to guess why Lady Elwin had come all the way here.

The reason was obvious: Hans must have been extremely worried and asked her to visit the Duke’s estate.

However, Claude had no intention of humouring her.

“Leave.”

His tone was calm, but his dismissal was cold.

Even so, Brianna Elwin didn’t seem fazed in the slightest.

In fact, her resolve only seemed to harden as she stepped closer to the sofa where he sat.

“There’s something I believe I must tell you, Your Grace.”

“…”

“It concerns Princess Diana.”

Hearing that name brought a sudden glint to Claude’s dull eyes.

His head tilted and his attention snapped into focus.

“What did you just say?”

He hadn’t given her permission to sit down, but Brianna ignored this and took the seat opposite him.

With a determined expression, she began.

“I’ll get straight to the point. There’s a chance that Princess Diana might still be alive.”

Claude’s face went blank, as if he wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly.

“I was inside Princess Diana’s body for some time. I remember hearing that there might be a way to save both Her Highness and Prince Louis while I was there.”

He blinked slowly, then opened his eyes again.

Had he misheard her?

“Save them both? Who said such a thing?”

At his question, Brianna hesitated for a moment and bit her lip.

“Your Grace, before I go any further, I need one promise from you.”

“Speak.”

“No matter what I say, please promise to keep me safe. Protect me so that no one can harm me.”

Claude frowned. The request was strange. What on earth was she planning to say?

He didn’t know, but he nodded nonetheless.

“On the name of House Cassel, I promise.”

Only then did Brianna seem to relax a little and begin her story.

“Princess Verche… And someone — I believe he was a mage — named Ankister. The two of them were working together to find a way to save Princess Diana and Prince Louis.”

“……”

“They were using something called Orksectum.”

“…..!”

Claude’s gaze sharpened at the familiar name.

She was talking about the necklace he had once put around Diana’s neck.

He also realised at that moment why the young lady had insisted on ensuring her own safety first.

Princess Verche must have been investigating his father’s crimes. This girl, who had once housed Diana’s soul, must have overheard something about them.

“So… they said there was a way?”

He asked, not bothering to hide his scepticism.

What method could possibly be found using that stone?

“Yes. From what I heard, they were confident a way had been discovered.”

“How?”

“They said something about using the value of the necklace. I don’t really understand the details myself.”

“The value, huh?”

The necklace, imbued with the last traces of divine power from the Amalis family, certainly held significant worth.

But Claude had no idea what using that value meant.

As he fell into silent contemplation, Brianna quietly rose from her seat.

“That’s all I can remember, I only came because it seemed like Your Grace was suffering after losing someone precious.”

“…”

She offered a courteous parting gesture, and with no lingering hesitation, turned and left the room.

The story she had just shared was so shocking that Claude could only stare blankly after her as she walked away.

***

Aiden Lowell was surprisingly knowledgeable about plants.

He’d mentioned in passing that his parents were involved in a trade business related to plant species, and it showed.

They had returned home with more than just Tabid flower seeds.

I thought the garden wasn’t that big, but Aiden scoffed, saying it was bigger than it looked.

He showed me how to dig small furrows and plant the seeds by hand, patiently explaining the process as we went along.

He still insisted on calling me ‘Miss Robe’.

I didn’t mind though — it felt more comfortable than being called Diana.

In any case, I had planted the seeds.

I waited for new life to emerge, but as the days passed, not a single sprout appeared in the garden.

Aiden had once told me that growing plants was the very definition of patience, but I was too impatient.

Before I had even had breakfast, my new morning routine had become stepping outside the moment I opened my eyes to check for signs of green growth.

“Still nothing today.”

I said in disappointment, staring at the silent soil.

The earth, still dark from the morning’s watering, lay perfectly flat.

‘Did I overwater it? Or did I plant the seeds too deep?’

Worries began to pile up in my head.

Then I heard Aiden’s voice calling out from beyond the low garden wall.

“Miss Robe! Can I come in?”

Startled, I instinctively pulled my hood up again.

“Yes, come in.”

He chuckled quietly at the familiar motion, then opened the gate and walked in.

He soon joined me, eyeing the patch of soil that I had been scrutinising.

“Still staring at it, huh? I told you — it takes time. You won’t see any sprouts for a while yet.”

“I was just looking.”

My words came out awkwardly, half-mumbled in embarrassment.

Without saying anything, Aiden took his bag off his shoulder, took something out of it, and put it firmly in my hands. It was surprisingly heavy.

Books.

Thick, solid books, stacked on top of each other.

[Basic Awenzian Textbook]
[How to Speak Like a Millain Local: Beginner Edition]
[100 Essential Patterns of Awenzian]
[Survival Awenzian for Absolute Beginners]

I blinked, speechless as I read the titles.

With his hands on his hips, Aiden addressed them in a playful yet stern tone.

“They were just lying around at home.”

Although he said they were old books from his house, they all looked brand new.

He cleared his throat. The books were still in my hands.

“We’re starting intensive training so Diana can fit in and live more comfortably here.”

A surge of gratitude swelled inside me.

I’d been studying the language every day on my own, but it had seemed like an insurmountable task. His help meant more than he realised.

Perhaps he sensed the warmth in my gaze, even under my hood. His strict ‘teacher’ expression softened.

“Thank you. I’ll be sure to pay you back for the books.”

“I told you — they were just lying around at home.”

Aiden said, waving away the idea.

“Before we crack them open, let me ask you something. Why do you keep your face covered all the time? It’ll be inconvenient if you plan to stay.”

“…”

“You’re not… self-conscious about your looks, are you?”

“N-no, it’s not that.”

Since Sir Solis’s departure, I had spent a few uneventful days in this kingdom, during which time my guard had slowly come down. Millain was worlds away from the Azenta continent, and I finally understood why Princess Verche had urged me to relax.

Perhaps I could finally take off the robe.

After all, constant hiding only stirs suspicion, and I didn’t want to cause Aiden any trouble. He had been nothing but kind.

“So why keep wearing it?”

His words echoed my own recent thoughts, and a small flicker of courage rose within me.

In the Azenta Empire, my face had never been publicly known, so there was no real reason to keep it hidden now. Besides, the robe was stifling in this warm land.

I tipped forward, setting the stack of books on the ground. Aiden was still talking.

“Well, I suppose it’s your choice, but under this warm sun it must be incredibly uncomfortable—”

Before he could finish, I took a deep breath and shrugged off the robe.

Light spilled over my silver hair, bright and invigorating. The cool air on my neck felt wonderfully refreshing, so I swept my hair back with one hand.

Our eyes met.

Aiden looked genuinely stunned.

To be fair, I’d rarely seen more than a sliver of his face thanks to the hood, so this was the first time I’d studied him up close. He was handsome, and his gentle green eyes mirrored his warm nature.

But he was staring — for much longer than necessary.

“Uh… Aiden?”