Noah stepped out of the sitting room and followed the head maid down the corridor. It was a wide, clean hallway lined with white columns. It had been a long time since she had walked through such a pristine and decorated place. Since becoming a pilgrim of silence, she had always moved between old and shabby monasteries.

As she followed the head maid, she eventually arrived at the library, which finally seemed to complement her worn monk’s robe. The library was vast, and the deeper sections were filled with shelves packed with dusty books.

“Whew.”

Noah let out a sigh as she surveyed the library. While the collection was impressive, it paled in comparison to the holy land of Vicanthus. Of course, she hadn’t seen all the books in Vicanthus either.

As the maid waited behind her, Noah scanned the titles on the spines of the books, organizing her thoughts.

‘Dana Rowen wants information about divine beasts.’

She didn’t even know how these books were organized—whether by chronological order, content, or title. First, she needed to confirm that with the librarian, and then sift through to find anything related to divine beasts…

‘Divine beasts.’

Noah crossed her arms and looked up at the bookshelves, deep in thought.

She was aware that Dana Rowen, the princess, had not been able to form a contract with a divine beast. The princess she had just met was the only member of the Rowen royal family in history who had not contracted with a divine beast.

‘There must be a reason.’

The divine does not provide answers to individuals, but priests claim that the will of the divine is revealed through human affairs. Humans may not understand it, but there is some divine intent hidden beyond their comprehension. That was the teaching of the Vican priests. However…

‘The first king of Rowen, Daischultz, visited the world of the divine beasts, and since then, all his descendants have contracted with divine beasts.’

Divine beasts, created by the breath of Yurhemia, were magnificent beings, and the legion of divine beasts was a symbol of this kingdom. If a king succeeded in contracting with a higher divine beast, it granted unparalleled privileges and power, unmatched by other kingdoms.

Myths often contain uncertain elements, with incomprehensible aspects wrapped in divine will or the greatness of heroes. So what about Daischultz’s contract?

‘Why did the divine beasts contract with Daischultz? Why have they contracted with the Rowen royal family? And why not this time?’

Is it truly the will of the divine, or is there some undiscovered truth?

Noah pondered the unusual princess and her words.

‘We’re human, so we just can’t hear even if the divine speaks.’

Then why are priests and ordinary believers distinguished? They are the same in that they cannot hear the great words.

‘Priests claim they hear the voice of the divine.’

But is that really true?

The monk walking the path of asceticism turned away from the library, leaving behind all the unanswered questions. She then spoke to the waiting head maid.

“I will stay at Eluan Castle. Please inform the princess.”

* * *

After the monk Noah left, Dana sat facing Countess Vicar and Hilda, engaging in conversation. Countess Vicar spoke about the influential families in the northern social circle that were worth noting. Compared to the bustling southern social scene of the Rowen Kingdom, the northern part had fewer families, perhaps because each lord’s domain was relatively large.

Dana, while looking at the list of families provided by Countess Vicar, asked, “Are there any young ladies or women from families we could invite to Eluan Castle in the near future?”

“I can make some recommendations. Are you considering bringing any young ladies in as maids?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary, but I’ll meet them first and decide.”

Dana handed the list of northern noble families to Hilda. Hilda called for the head maid to bring a box to store the documents. Watching Hilda, Countess Vicar commented, “You’ll have plenty of conversations with the young ladies. Everyone is curious about the princess from the capital and Miss Haiman.”

“Oh dear, I worry about disappointing them. I’m actually more curious about the north.”

At Hilda’s words, Countess Vicar, as if revealing a question she had held back, asked, “If it’s not too forward, does Miss Haiman have any marriage prospects…?”

Dana, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, looked at Countess Vicar with a surprised expression.

“Surely not Bitern?”

Countess Vicar had a grown son, which was why Dana asked her question. At Dana’s inquiry, Countess Vicar appeared flustered and responded,

“Is our Bitern not suitable as a husband?”

“No, of course not. It’s just that I’ve never thought about it, so I was surprised.”

Dana quickly replied. Even as she spoke, she struggled to envision it. Bitern, who was as solid as a rock, and the gentle Hilda…? Dana found it impossible to connect her stubborn cousin with her kind maid.

‘He might be strong and reliable…’

However, Bitern was the complete opposite of the man Hilda had married in her past life. Because of this, Dana couldn’t determine if Bitern would appeal to Hilda.

Fortunately, Countess Vicar quickly regained her composure and said,

“I asked because everyone is curious. Since you are a maid closely serving the princess, with beauty, grace, and dignity, many would naturally be interested in your marriage prospects. If my question made you uncomfortable, please don’t worry about it.”

Hilda provided the most appropriate response for the potentially awkward situation.

“Thank you for thinking so kindly of me. I don’t have any marriage prospects yet. And surely, the princess’s marriage should come first.”

“I’m only seventeen now.”

Dana shook her head as she spoke, and Hilda turned to Countess Vicar.

“It seems the princess has someone in mind.”

“No.”

Dana waved her hands in Hilda’s direction, flustered. Countess Vicar looked at Dana with surprise.

“Which prince is it? Surely, he must be someone who can come to Rowen?”

“No, it’s a misunderstanding. I’m not.”

Not?

Hilda and Countess Vicar both turned their gazes to Dana simultaneously. Avoiding their eyes with a troubled expression, Dana felt she needed to clarify at least this much.

“I’m not going to marry a prince.”

Just the thought of marrying any prince made her feel queasy. At Dana’s unexpectedly firm words, Hilda and Countess Vicar exchanged glances. They each spoke.

“That’s fine too. You can receive a fief from His Majesty and inherit a title.”

“Indeed. If it’s someone who can come to Khalid.”

Dana shook her head vigorously at their fussing.

“Stop. It’s not the time to think about such things yet. There’s still so much to do.”

“Yet? Do you really have someone in mind?”

Hilda asked with a surprised look, and Countess Vicar also widened her eyes at Dana. Dana sighed and said,

“Maybe I should just become a monk and shave my head. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with these questions.”

“Oh my, absolutely not!”

With Hilda’s exclamation of denial, laughter erupted. A startled Countess Vicar raised her hand to cover her mouth, and Dana, who had also been smiling, quickly adopted a serious expression and said,

“It’s disrespectful to Noah, Hilda. And to you, Countess.”

“Please keep it a secret from her.”

As the spring breeze flowed through the open window, the three of them continued their light-hearted chatter. The soft voices of the women echoed within the high walls of the castle. In this comfortable atmosphere, Dana suddenly turned her gaze outside the window.

Beyond the castle’s vast garden, she saw fields and trees with newly sprouted green grass swaying gently. In the clear, bright sky, the breath of the goddess of spring flowed, and the plants, awakened by that breath, were thriving.

As time passed, this scenery would transform into the hot summer, bountiful autumn, and chilly winter in her memory. Her recollections would now be filled with these vibrant colors, rather than the monotonous royal palace of the capital or the dreadful end of the war.

There was much to do and many aspirations she wanted to pursue in the future. Though the future was uncertain and nothing was clear, she was steadily moving forward, unlike before.

She intended to create a better future.

Looking down at the fief of Khalid, where she would live from now on, Dana smiled gently.

It was indeed spring—a time when everything began with the breath of Yurhemia.