A few days later, Harvey, the village chief of Eodan, sent a positive reply. Gilrod’s research team, led by Ash, left for Eodan Village to succeed in cultivating Yuralis. Queen Isabella also promised to support Diana with the supplies needed for the south.

Everything was going so smoothly.

So why was it another sleepless night?

On the night before the expedition, Diana tossed and turned in bed. Unable to fall asleep, she eventually got up and went to her desk, opening the drawer to take out a letter she had already read several times.

It was a letter from the Pope, sent a few days ago.

Strangely, ever since the Pope left, Diana could no longer feel the presence or emotions she used to sense from her mother’s spirit.

Diana read through the letter.

It told her not to be too impatient, that everything would be under the will and blessing of Elena. The information she wanted was nowhere to be found. It only contained formal words, hoping that not too many people would suffer from the epidemic and that he would pray for the Kingdom of Erden.

The only part that really caught Diana’s attention was a single sentence written as a postscript.

P.S. The image of Your Highness in the interview reminds me of your childhood.

Diana looked up the interview the Pope had mentioned.

There were several photos of her with Ian in the interview. She didn’t remember exactly what prank he had played at the time, but she did remember how she had laughed at his ridiculous antics without even realizing it.

Now, seeing herself smiling in those photos, Diana wondered when exactly the childhood the Pope referred to had been.

Had she ever smiled like that as a child in this life? Had there ever been anything to smile about?

In her previous life, except for the times she spent with Ian, who had been her friend, she couldn’t recall ever laughing.

Diana looked back at Ian in the photo.

“It still… just doesn’t seem real.”

That all this was a lie.

“Even this face, smiling as if I’m happy, all the words of comfort you gave me…”

Diana smiled bitterly.

Meanwhile, at that very moment—

Someone else was looking at the interview photos.

Ian was looking at his own photo.

“…It came out well.”

He turned and looked at the wall that separated his room from Diana’s next door.

It was just an empty, bare wall, but every night, Ian would unconsciously turn his head toward it as he tried to sleep.

“It’s almost too good, that’s the problem.”

Ian muttered, looking at the photo again. He sighed and placed the newspaper over his face.

Lacing his hands behind his head like a pillow, he kept shifting around, trying to get comfortable. Unable to sleep, he tossed and turned for a long while before finally lying still.

The newspaper slid off his sleeping face.

***

Thud.

Next to the newspaper’s name on the floor, instead of the usual emblem found on Kingdom papers, there was an unfamiliar symbol.

That newspaper was a continental paper, published not only in the Kingdom of Erden but across the entire continent.

“The Lovers of the Beautiful Kingdom, Journeying for the Reform of the Noble Law…”

A young man was reading the newspaper article written in the language of the Kargen Empire.

“Ha! The princess’s man? What a joke.”

The man sneered at Ian’s photo in the interview, then crumpled the newspaper and tossed it at the feet of the middle-aged man sitting across from him.

“Your son seems to be defying me. What do you think, Duke Promes?”

“…It looks like he’s acting to earn the princess’s trust, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Forget it. Enough playing house.”

The man, venting his temper at the duke, was William, Crown Prince of Kargen.

“Ian, that b*stard, he’s got guts, you know? How dare he ignore my messages?”

William hadn’t changed since childhood. Cruel and rotten to the core, his vicious personality was written all over his face.

Duke Promes quietly watched William before speaking.

“I’ll handle it myself.”

“How? Are you saying he at least responds to you?”

“No. He hasn’t contacted me in quite some time either. He’s essentially acting on his own. I suspect Duke Leheits is pulling the strings.”

Then the duke gestured to a servant, giving an order.

“Ha! That Leheits fellow seems to be up to something interesting these days. Maybe I’ll add some spice to his fun.”

William propped his chin on his hand and sneered.

“Ian’s a funny one. Just because his master is busy and left him at another house for a while, he’s trying to become that house’s dog?”

“Whatever Leheits is plotting, Ian cannot ignore my orders.”

As soon as the duke finished speaking, a woman was dragged into the salon by a servant.

“Oh. Right. I almost forgot. That b*stard’s only weakness… Hah. This is interesting, Duke.”

“Lea. Don’t show our guest such an ugly scene. Sit quietly beside me.”

But Lea struggled to break free from the servant’s grip.

“Give me back my son!”

“Wow, that line. Haven’t heard it in a while, but it’s still tiresome.”

William laughed maliciously.

“Give him back? He came to me on his own. You’re still deluded—your son went to Erden because of you. You’re the one holding him back. If you weren’t around, he would’ve run away from me ages ago.”

“Shut up!”

Lea, furious, spat at William’s feet.

“Mother and son are both insolent, I see.”

William looked coldly at the spit on his shoe. But the duke acted first.

Smack!

The duke slapped Lea’s cheek and gestured to a servant again.

“Lock her up in solitary again. No water until tomorrow.”

His tone was cold and businesslike.

The servants at the duke’s estate seemed used to Lea’s mistreatment, watching her being dragged away with indifference.

“He’ll recognize Lea’s handwriting immediately. He can’t ignore a letter from his own mother. Once she calms down, I’ll have her send a letter to Erden.”

“Good. Tell him to come back to me by next month. There’s something I want him to do before the year ends.”

William, as if entertained by the thought, started laughing.

“…Understood.”

And as the duke watched the crown prince, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

***

Just before Diana’s expedition left the capital, the soldiers became restless at someone’s sudden appearance.

“The royal uniform suits you well now.”

“…Your Majesty.”

Queen Isabella had come to see the princess off.

“Take care.”

Isabella knew this expedition was dangerous. The princess she had always seen as young and frail had grown up, now risking her life.

Perhaps it was Isabella herself who refused to see Diana as anything but a child, unwilling to look her in the eye.

“You can’t keep your child in your arms forever, Edgar… Seeing your daughter, I understand now.”

Isabella murmured as she brushed Diana’s hair.

“If the princess returns safely from this expedition, if she overcomes this crisis, she will become someone the opposition can no longer ignore.”

“Your Majesty…”

“So come back safely. Never forget that your well-being is more important than anything.”

Isabella said.

“Come back safely. Then you…”

‘A hero. Yes, you might just become the hero of this country.’

Diana silently held Isabella’s hand.

“…”

When did she become so thin?

“I’ll always keep Your Majesty’s words in mind.”

As soon as Diana boarded the train, it let out a blast of hot steam and departed. Diana couldn’t take her eyes off her aunt until she was just a tiny dot in the distance.

“You two are closer than I thought.”

Ian, sitting beside her, remarked.

“…We’re family.”

He neither agreed nor disagreed.

This time, Diana asked,

“Lord Ian. Why did you push me forward this time? When I said I’d go to the Karsan Mountains, you were dead set against it. You even insisted on coming with me for the most absurd reasons.”

“You say I pushed you?”

“You told me to solve it in my own way.”

Their eyes met, and Ian’s gaze turned playful.

“Well, I’m by your side now. Wherever you go.”

“….”

At that, Diana turned her head sharply to look out the train window.

“You’re always spoiling the mood.”

“But you’ll do it anyway, won’t you? Once you’ve made up your mind.”

Diana glared at Ian, who was smiling.

Soon, the train sped into the southern region. The south was made up of many large and small islands.

Diana and Ian got off the train and headed straight for the harbor.

At the port in Kte Village at the southern tip of the mainland, Navy Colonel Medenta was waiting for them.

“It is an honor to serve Your Highness!”

She saluted Diana with crisp formality.

A natural charisma radiated from within. She was recognized as the elite leader destined to lead the next generation of the Erden Navy.

The eldest daughter of the Bliven family, said to resemble the Navy Admiral in every way.

Medenta Bliven, Navy Colonel.

And, unexpectedly…

“Oh, please, feel free to call me Medi. It’s my favorite nickname. Isn’t ‘Medi’ such a cute sound? Hahaha!”

…she was a bit of a character.

“Even though it’s almost winter, it’s still warm in the south. I think being with you, Colonel, has helped me relax. I look forward to working with you, Lady Medi.”

Diana smiled and offered her hand.

“I should be the one saying that, Your Highness. I’ve heard of your achievements even in Oron. I’ve exchanged letters with my siblings there.”

“You really are a close-knit family, just as I’ve heard.”

“Yes, I’d say so. If only Dale would stop causing trouble, I’d have no complaints, hahaha!”

Medenta laughed cheerfully.

“No matter what, it seems you can’t help but worry about your younger siblings. Prince Louis was also very concerned about Your Highness.”

“Louis seems to be doing well. If anything, he writes to me too often.”

Diana shook her head.

“Hahaha! Unfortunately for you, Your Highness, I think you’ll be hearing from him even more often. Until you’re sick of it.”

“I heard you succeeded in your mission.”

Diana smiled at Medenta, who replied with proud confidence.

“Yes! I, Medenta Bliven, report to Princess Diana that I have successfully completed the mission to establish radio communications between our kingdom and the Republic of Oron, under the orders of Crown Prince Louis!”

At the colonel’s rallying cry, the navy officers behind her all saluted in unison.

“Now, even in Oron, Prince Louis is delighted that he can hear news of Princess Diana by radio! With a bit more technical improvement, we’ll soon be able to have direct telephone communications with the capital!”

The morale of those who had returned successful from their mission was sky-high.

Diana could feel it, even without words. She could tell how much they had come to respect Louis through their last mission.

“That’s Louis for you… The things he always dreamed of have finally become reality.”

Diana murmured.

Ian, of course, didn’t miss the bittersweet smile on her face.

“Hm.”

Ian looked over the highly motivated soldiers.

“…The Crown Prince’s army.”