Dana Rowen toured Eluan Castle with Countess Vicar, accompanied by Hilda and the maids. The maids who had traveled with her from the royal castle planned to rest briefly before returning to the capital, leaving only Hilda and the maids of Eluan Castle behind.

There was no cause for concern, as Countess Vicar, who regularly inspected Eluan Castle, along with the head maid and steward who assisted her, were present. In fact, it would be more comfortable once the maids from the royal castle departed.

While in Khalid, Dana checked the hobby room, dressing room, and bedroom she would use before heading to the music room, where various instruments were kept. In the innermost part of the music room, she noticed a keyboard instrument with its lid closed. It was the same instrument she had played alongside her mother when her mother played the lyre.

As Dana approached the instrument, Countess Vicar, sensing her intention, opened the lid. Dana observed the illustrations of divine beasts painted on the lid, the strings beneath, and the black keys arranged in tiers.

When Countess Vicar suggested she try playing it, Dana shook her head. Too much time had passed; the instrument likely wouldn’t sound the same, and she herself couldn’t play as she once had, especially without the person she used to play with by her side.

Next, Dana visited the castle’s library. The library at Eluan Castle housed a vast collection of original documents dating from the time of the first king, Daischultz, until the capital’s relocation. The collection was so extensive that they had given up on moving it, leaving the originals intact while only organized and condensed books were kept in the capital.

During her stay in Khalid, Dana intended to diligently review these original documents at Eluan Castle.

“The oldest documents are in the innermost section,” the librarian explained as Dana followed her inside.

Although she had formed a contract with Yentamien, Yentamien was a divine beast about which little was known. Dana wanted to discover why it had chosen to contract with her and how it had turned back time.

‘I’m not expecting to be able to contract with the divine beast again just by knowing something, but…’

Still, she thought it was essential to learn as much as possible, just in case.

As Dana craned her neck to look up at the towering bookshelves, the librarian accompanied her, providing explanations.

“The old documents require interpretation. They’re written in the ancient language of the Celsus Kingdom and are recorded in rather complex terms.”

Being a royal, Dana had learned the Celsus language as part of her education, but she wasn’t proficient enough to read the difficult books written in the ancient language.

“Is there anyone here who can interpret the contents?”

Countess Vicar, standing beside Dana, replied, “There might be someone among the priests who can. Shall I inquire?”

“Please do.”

With that, Dana left the library.

Since it had been so long since her last visit, she hadn’t even finished touring the castle, yet the day had already passed. Taking a break from exploring, Dana met Count Vicar and Lord Vicar, who had come to visit.

They arrived as the evening prayer bells echoed across the estate. Anticipating an uncomfortable meeting, Dana gave Hilda and the maids some leisure time to relax on their own.

A lavish meal was laid out on the long table in the spacious dining room. Knowing the princess was visiting, the chefs had prepared the meal with particular care, using special ingredients.

A refreshing aperitif was served first, followed by a soup made with milk and clams, accompanied by soft, white bread and cheese. Since Rowen was a landlocked country, seafood dishes were not easy to come by. It was clear how much effort had gone into preparing for the princess’s return after such a long absence.

Dana exchanged greetings with Count Vicar, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time. After a pre-meal prayer, they began the main course.

As the soup was praised and the appetizers were mostly finished, the servants brought out a whole roasted piglet with crispy skin, a stew made with beef and vegetables, and a tangy plum pickle to cleanse the palate. While the servants skillfully carved the roast piglet and served it on plates, Dana spoke to Lord Vicar.

“My father said he could always count on you to have his back. He knows how hard you’ve been working.”

“I’m just doing my duty.”

Like Countess Vicar, Count Vicar had black hair streaked with gray, and although he had aged, he remained a robust knight. With only a son as his child, he naturally had no connection with girls Dana’s age. To the count, who had always stood at the center of harsh battles and been surrounded by rough knights, Dana was bound to be a challenging presence. She was, after all, a princess and appeared small and frail. Even after all these years, she still resembled the delicate sugar doll she had seemed to be when he last saw her as a child.

Count Vicar would lower his gaze and break into a sweat, continuously drinking wine whenever Dana looked at him. It was only when the countess, sitting across from him, began to speak that Dana’s attention shifted, allowing him to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“We’re just trying to live up to the high expectations. My husband, and of course, Bitern, are willing to lay down their lives for Rowen.”

Beside the bear-like figure of the count sat the equally imposing Vicar heir. Dana’s cousin, Bitern Vicar, was a knight who closely resembled his father’s temperament. He was a man of few words and found it challenging to interact with Dana.

However, thanks to his mother’s influence, he had a more polished appearance than the count and was capable of holding a conversation with Dana. Still, he lacked the social grace needed to ensure the princess felt comfortable during their discussions.

“If the princess had returned after contracting with a divine beast, it would have been more beneficial for the north.”

“Ugh.”

Bitern’s tactless comment was quickly swallowed back down his throat, thanks to the countess’s sharp glare. Dana regarded Bitern with a sense of familiar resignation.

She remembered her cousin, who had seemed blunt and rude to the young princess raised in the south. She recalled that his straightforward remarks were not made out of malice; he simply believed them and didn’t bother to hide it.

“Has news of me already spread throughout the north? Is everyone greatly disappointed in me?”

“There’s no… way.”

An awkward silence ensued. The straightforward Vicar family lacked the social skills to reassure the princess that they were not disappointed at all. They were fundamentally different from the southern nobles, who wore serene expressions while harboring daggers in their hearts and speaking honeyed words.

The Vicar family, openly showing their unease, simultaneously averted their gazes and drank their wine. Dana addressed them directly.

“Feel free to speak honestly. My brother’s divine beast is at a disappointing level, isn’t it? I know many people secretly hoped for more from me.”

Yes, they probably did.

The knights who risked their lives to protect the kingdom likely hoped that even if the king’s divine beast was of a lower rank, the princess would contract with a higher-ranked divine beast to aid in Rowen’s defense. Especially since Dana had contracted with Yentamien, the highest-ranked divine beast, in her past life, they must have thought so even more.

‘How must I have appeared to them?’

A princess who, despite having contracted with a remarkable divine beast, had no intention of defending the kingdom and squandered that power. How must she have appeared to those who fought and risked their lives for the kingdom?

Only now, when she could no longer contract with a divine beast, did she understand their expectations and disappointment.

“However, given the current situation, I have come to Khalid. Rowen can no longer rely heavily on the divine beast legion. We must now find ways to protect ourselves. It is our knights, not the divine beast legion, who must defend this kingdom. Naturally, the center of that defense will be the north.”

The Heinz Kingdom had no such thing as a divine beast legion. Yet, it was a powerful nation. This was because they had found ways to protect themselves without divine favor. Rowen, too, needed to properly equip itself with the strength to defend itself, even if divine power was insufficient.

Dana had failed to contract with a divine beast. It would be wonderful if the prince, born to King Taras and Queen Bridget, could contract with a powerful divine beast, but they couldn’t just sit idly by and wait for that to happen.

‘We can’t just rely on the divine beast legion. We must protect this kingdom with the strength of our soldiers alone.’

They couldn’t allow the southern nobles to seize and destabilize Rowen. They couldn’t leave it vulnerable to foreign invasions and attacks, risking it to be shaken and toppled at any moment.

Count and Countess Vicar looked at Dana with serious expressions. They realized that the young princess hadn’t come to Khalid merely for convalescence.

“I want to understand the situation in the north properly. While I may not be able to accomplish anything significant without a divine beast contract…”

Countess Vicar shook her head at Dana’s words.

“No, Princess. Just the fact that you have come here and shown interest is a great strength to us.”

Dana looked at Countess Vicar. The countess met Dana’s gaze with warm brown eyes and continued.

“Knowing that we’re not abandoned, that you and this kingdom are aware of what we’re doing, frees us from the futility of wielding our swords in vain. Please, let us know if there’s anything you need. We are always ready to follow your command.”

Dana observed Countess Vicar, who spoke calmly. As royalty, it was not proper for Dana to express gratitude to a vassal who was simply fulfilling their duty.

Thus, she didn’t know how to convey her feelings toward those who were waiting there as if it were only natural. She wished she could bestow something upon them, but astonishingly, she had nothing to give.

Would she ever be able to reward them appropriately for their hard work? Even that was uncertain.

In the end, all she could offer were words.

“Pirite will remember your efforts.”

Pirite was a divine beast known for recording history in the world of divine beasts, Elugard. Thus, being remembered by Pirite meant that one’s name would be honorably recorded in the world of divine beasts.

Countess Vicar smiled, and for the first time, the count showed something resembling a smile. Seeing this, Dana felt reassured that coming here had been the right decision.