His sudden remark brought silence even to the hallway. He slowly walked out of the hospital room.

“Why are you coming along?”

Grinelda spoke with fire in her eyes.

“His Highness saved my dearest friend, so I should also express my gratitude. Just like you.”

Ian’s answer sounded somewhat forced, but Grinelda couldn’t easily refute his words. After all, her reasoning for inviting Diana was the same.

“B-but…!”

“Let’s do that!”

Just as Grinelda was racking her brain, trying to find a way to shake Ian off, Diana suddenly exclaimed,

“Lord Ian should come with us too!”

“W-what? Your Highness, but…!”

Grinelda looked on the verge of tears, but Diana had no confidence she could handle both Grinelda and Dale alone. Diana spoke firmly.

“I’m going, and Lord Ian is coming. Let’s leave it at that.”

* * *

A few days later, word arrived that Dale had been discharged, and Diana headed to the Rovice Hotel, just as she had promised.

She had often taken the royal carriage beyond the castle grounds, but rarely had she crossed south of the Elten River.

What’s more, she had never done so for an official vacation, so perhaps it was only natural that she felt this unfamiliar sense of anticipation.

The main Rovice Hotel, located at the far edge of the capital, sat atop a high mountain facing the royal castle, offering one of the most beautiful views anywhere.

The hotel’s exclusive panoramic view, a pride of the Rovice family, was famously said to give the feeling of looking down upon the kingdom from the royal palace itself.

The hotel’s reputation had drawn tourists from every corner of the country, contributing significantly to the economy south of the capital.

The closer they drew to the hotel, the farther the castle receded.

Seeing the castle grow distant gave Diana an odd feeling.

She could still vividly remember her past life, when she had been dragged off to the Empire, looking back at the castle with bitter sorrow. Now, she was willingly moving away from it.

Yet, somewhere deep in her heart, she felt as if a refreshing breeze was blowing. It was like breaking down one of the walls she had built around herself.

“…I wonder if Louis felt like this too.”

She thought of her brother Louis, who had always tried to slip outside the palace whenever he had the chance.

Though Louis could be cold—sometimes brutally so—Diana could guess why he had turned out that way.

He was a man born with a free spirit, like a hawk soaring leisurely through the sky.

But he had given up the sky for everyone else. He was no longer a free hawk but the crown prince of them all.

“Louis must be…”

‘I miss him a little.’ 

Diana was about to say this to Jerome but trailed off. He had probably been thinking the same thing for a long time already.

At that moment, Jerome, sitting beside her and reading a newspaper, suddenly unfolded the page he was reading and held it up in front of her.

“Your Highness, look at this. The Kilton Press is really behind the times.”

The article he showed her covered Diana’s feats during the polo match.

“All the other papers already ran front-page stories about your achievements a week ago. But still, this article is good. You can feel the sincerity.”

But Diana found herself paying more attention to Jerome’s fashion than to the article.

“Jerome, be honest. You suggested going to this hotel because you wanted a vacation, right? You’re dressed like we’re heading to Bamoon Island in the south, not the edge of the capital!”

“The outfit’s nice, isn’t it?”

Jerome proudly showed off his shirt with its bold, flashy patterns, then returned his gaze to the newspaper without further comment. A long pause later, he casually added,

“Your Highness doesn’t have any friends your own age, especially male friends.”

“….”

Diana glared at him, then quickly turned her head toward the window.

“…Royalty don’t have friends, anyway.”

In the window’s reflection, she could see Jerome glancing at her and smirking. Sometimes, Jerome’s resemblance to Louis irritated her.

* * *

Passing through the entrance to the Rovice Hotel, its immense scale became even more striking.

“The grounds must be second only to the royal palace…”

Diana and Jerome admired the unique plants and distinctive architectural style as they passed through the hotel’s beautifully maintained gardens.

“It’s exactly what you’d expect from the kingdom’s largest hotel chain. Did you know? All the Rovice Hotels across the country are so popular that reservations are already full through next year.”

“…I guess Lady Grinelda must have been really thankful.”

“That’s true, but Rovice is also catching two rabbits at once. If they advertise that Your Highness stayed here, their popularity will triple.”

“Triple? Come on. I’m not Louis. It’s not like I have that kind of influence.”

“I’m telling you, it will. Anyway, thanks to Your Highness, I finally get to see this famous Rovice Hotel myself.”

“With your salary, I’d think you could afford to come here on your own.”

“Salary isn’t the problem—I don’t have the time…”

As they exchanged this brief conversation, their carriage finally stopped at the main entrance of the hotel building.

Grinelda was waiting there to greet them. Beside her stood Dale, but for some reason, Ian was nowhere to be seen.

“Welcome, Your Highness.”

Dale greeted her, opening the door.

“Lord Dale, I’m so glad to see you looking well.”

Diana stepped out of the carriage, returning the greeting warmly with Dale’s escort.

Grinelda then hurried over to them.

“Your Highness! I’m so happy you came!”

Diana no longer minded them casually holding hands.

“Your Highness, the Princess. It is an immense honor that you have accepted our invitation.”

“Count Rovice. It has been a while.”

There was no doubt that Grinelda’s striking red hair was inherited from Count Rovice. He bowed his red head gracefully, showing respect to the princess.

Diana remembered the times, back when she was young, when she had met the count with Louis.

At that time, following the queen’s orders, Louis often met with the count to discuss various projects aimed at rebuilding and revitalizing the southern regions of the Elten River that had been struck hardest by the war.

This hotel must also be one of the results of those projects.

“To grow your family business so prosperous in less than a decade is remarkable, Count Rovice.”

“Haha, calling it a family business makes me feel embarrassed, considering how short our history is.”

Gentle wrinkles formed at the corners of the count’s eyes. He was well-known for instantly winning over business partners with his trustworthy and likable appearance.

Originally, the Rovice family had been running a small construction business. They were never one of the long-established, wealthy noble families.

However, during the tenure of the previous Count Rovice, the family rose as new rich by taking on the reconstruction of buildings that had collapsed after the war.

Later, the current count built upon the hotel business his predecessor had started, successfully expanding it. Under Queen Isabella’s reign, the Rovice family solidified their status as a financial powerhouse not to be overlooked.

“Father, let me personally escort Her Highness to her room.”

“Go ahead, then.”

Even in that brief moment, the count and his daughter exchanged warm and affectionate glances. Diana couldn’t help but feel a little envious of that sight.

Grinelda led Diana’s party into the hotel lobby. The luxurious chandelier and the grand central staircase, modeled after the golden spiral staircase of the royal palace, left a strong impression.

“This staircase definitely brings the palace to mind.”

“Doesn’t it? That’s why so many guests take commemorative photos here.”

“Do people really feel that curious about the palace? There’s nothing inside, really. No people, no laughter. They’d all be disappointed if they knew.”

Diana followed Grinelda toward the elevator as she continued to guide them kindly.

Grinelda greeted the elevator operator warmly. Not just the operator, but she also greeted every guest passing by and every staff member she came across with the same friendliness.

Diana suddenly wondered why someone so kind and approachable was particularly hostile only toward Ian.

“Your Highness, this is the finest room in our hotel. It also has the best view. The entire floor you’re on is reserved for your use.”

Diana couldn’t hide her amazement at the view unfolding before her.

“This is incredible. The scale, and this view—it’s truly stunning.”

She gazed at the capital stretching out endlessly below the large windows.

“So the Elten River flows that far…”

She touched the window with her fingertips, tracing the long river like she was drawing a picture.

The scenery from here didn’t quite feel like looking down at the capital from the royal palace, as the rumors claimed, but for Diana, that made it even more moving.

The hotel, perched on the mountain, stood almost at the same height as the royal castle, facing it directly. Had she ever viewed the royal castle—and Erden, which cradled it—from such a distance before?

Before the royal palace stood as the center of the kingdom, this beautiful land was the one embracing the palace.

The royal family often forgets this truth.

And so do the nobles who uphold the royal house.

‘It is the people of Erden who are truly embracing us.’

“Thank you so much for inviting me, Lady Grinelda.”

Diana spoke with genuine sincerity.

“Not at all, Your Highness. The honor is ours.”

“Ah, and what room will Jerome be using?”

“Sir Jerome will stay on the floor below. Lord Dale will be in the adjoining room. I believe Lord Dale is showing him the way as we speak.”

“I was curious—what kind of relationship do you have with Lord Dale? He explained the hotel to Jerome so thoroughly that I could almost believe Lord Dale belongs to the Rovice family.”

At that, Grinelda’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit as she stared at Diana.

“Oh, I just meant that you two seem that close.”

Diana, flustered by her reaction, quickly added the clarification.

Grinelda’s face slowly turned red.