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Noel Estellia.

The only princess of the Empire that dominates the continent.

Although her name is known to everyone within the Empire due to her elevated position, aside from that fact, anyone who has read <The Princess is Loved> cannot possibly be unfamiliar with this name.

<The Princess is Loved>

Without a doubt, the main character in this story is Elena Edelweiss, but the one who sparked that narrative was none other than Noel herself.

The real beginning of the novel kicked off with Elena and Damian’s engagement being called off, but the reason for that broken engagement was rooted in the encounter between Elena and Noel.

As the clouds parted, the girl with hair like molten gold shone brilliantly in the sunlight. Along with her unique, vibrant aura, it felt as if the sun itself had descended to the earth.

Yes, the sun.

She was indeed a girl who embodied the essence of the sun, both outwardly and inwardly.

The sun illuminates its surroundings simply by existing.

People can be the same. Occasionally, there are those whose very presence transforms the atmosphere around them, much like the sun. Noel belonged to that category of people.

Thus, one could say that the meeting of Noel and Elena was nothing short of fate.

As the sun nurtures the flowers, Noel became the light for Elena, who was shrouded in the darkness of Damian.

Noel provided the once passive Elena with the courage to stand on her own. And it was this courage bestowed by Noel that became a decisive factor in Elena’s decision to call off her engagement with Damian.

In truth, it marked the beginning of everything, so if we don’t call their meeting fate, what shall we?

Given that, even though it’s Damian for now, as a reader of <The Princess is Loved>, I should rejoice at Noel’s appearance.

It would make no sense for me to feel reluctant about the emergence of a good character just because they serve as the cause for Damian’s broken engagement. I hadn’t done anything to warrant a guilty conscience like the original Damian. If I had, I wouldn’t even be standing in front of Joachim right now.

While it’s clear that the story begins with the meeting of Elena and Noel, that’s only within the context of <The Princess is Loved>.

I have become Damian, and Elena, like in the novel, was no longer a flower trapped in darkness. Now that everything I knew has flipped upside down, no one knows what impact the meeting of Noel and Elena will have.

Perhaps through this encounter, Elena and Noel could merely be fleeting acquaintances, or they could develop an even closer relationship than in the original work. But at least I was confident that their meeting would never take a negative turn. Given their personalities, anything would likely be a plus rather than a minus.

Even though I knew that nothing bad would come of it, my expression did not look good. I was still gazing blankly at her, letting out an airy sound.

Everything is fine. All is good, but…

Why does it have to be today?

Sure, I had said that I didn’t know what things might happen within a year, but it hadn’t been more than a few minutes since I decided to take a break. At this point, it wouldn’t be strange to suspect that someone with ill intentions is deliberately creating this situation.

It was just my own thought, but looking at Noel in front of me, I felt the sense of deprivation as if she had stolen my time.

But what wrong could she have done? I had no choice but to greet her with an awkward smile as she looked down at me with her innocent face.

*

The hallway leading to the Isilia Pavilion.

Perhaps due to the nearby garden, the aroma of flowers wafted in through the open window, subtly filling the corridor. Alongside Elena, Hailey walking beside her soon gazed outside with a beaming expression.

Outside the window, fully bloomed flowers of all colors decorated the world.

A warm scent of spring, distant from Merohim.

Having never experienced it before, Hailey, who had previously stayed in Sarham, seemed completely entranced by the long-awaited spring aroma.

“Miss, I think I understand a bit why Lord Damian was so joyful.”

She was in such a good mood that she even voiced that thought. I too couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at what Hailey had said.

As soon as we arrived in Sarham, it was as if he jumped out of the carriage like a dog returning home after a long time away. He didn’t have a tail, but his face clearly expressed how much he had been waiting to come back.

“Me too.”

I echoed Hailey’s sentiment, letting myself get lost in the intoxicating spring fragrance wafting everywhere.

I didn’t dislike the winter of Merohim, but if asked to choose between the two, I would surely pick this place. The scent of spring surrounding the Count Kraus’s Lord Castle resonated with his essence. Here, it felt like I could sense him no matter where I was.

So lost in that fragrance, we had almost forgotten our original purpose and stood there gazing at the blooming flowers outside the window.

“Oh, miss! A bluebird!”

Hailey pointed, and I saw a bluebird flap its wings and soar towards the sky. Its feathers shone a vibrant blue, making it stand out in the colorful world.

Hailey gazed at the bird flying around us with wonder, but I, knowing what it was, simply smiled.

Perhaps due to the sudden change of scenery, it was adorable how the bird circled around the castle as if trying to figure out where it was.

I thought that surely this scene must have caught my mentor’s eye as well.

I figured they wouldn’t have anticipated my departure from Merohim, so I expected to receive contact shortly. Since I was in Sarham, they wouldn’t be able to visit directly, but maybe they would send a letter or a video?

I would need to think of some responses in advance, regardless of the method.

Continuing to watch outside, without even having arrived at our room, we had already started to feel lethargic as if we had entered our chamber. Observing the bluebird had fallen to the background, while a gentle spring breeze teased my eyes.

Fortunately, before Hailey’s eyelids completely closed, the bird flew out of sight, allowing us to return to reality.

I turned to Hailey, who was still half-lidded and said, “It seems like when we get back to our room, the first thing we ought to do is sleep?”

“Hehe… strangely, ever since coming here, I’ve been feeling sleepy.”

The tranquil atmosphere of the castle was undoubtedly a factor in creating this situation. Today, it seemed the frequency of servants wandering around was low. Since entering the castle, I had only encountered Paul, whom I first met when I entered.

Considering that his time with Alphonse wouldn’t last just an hour or two, perhaps spending the day lounging in bed, soaking up the warm sunlight of Sarham, wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Just as I thought that, footsteps could be heard from a distance.

Clop, clop.

The sound of shoes echoed through the hallway.

Hailey, appearing to have shaken off her sleepiness, opened her eyes wide, while the weariness that had enveloped me began to fade as the footsteps approached.

But this was not a reaction I consciously made, realizing someone was coming along with Hailey.

My body reacted to the presence of divine energy approaching.

This meant that someone with divine power was coming this way. As far as I knew, none of the residents of Count Kraus’s Lord Castle possessed divine power… Then suddenly, I remembered what Paul had said to Damian just before entering the castle.

No more shoe sounds could be heard.

Yet even so, my consciousness was sharper than ever.

I slowly turned away from the window and looked down the corridor.

Familiar golden hair caught my eye.

Even though I had already guessed who it was from the sound of shoes, for some reason, the moment I saw her face, I couldn’t help but grimace.

 

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