Why did I collapse before him? Reason whispered that breaking down was forbidden. He was an ill-fated tie from her past life. A man entangled with her in an inescapable wheel of karma. Yet Dianna felt relieved the moment she saw him. She had crumbled before the man who intruded upon her destiny and stirred everything into turmoil. Was it because he held a stake in her misfortune? Collapsing after suppressing everything for so long brought a strange sense of relief. It was jus

Upon awakening, Guiscard summoned Revius. Though utterly astounded to find the King awake, Revius offered a cheerful grin before explaining the current situation. Smirking, he began teasing him. [Revius] "Why aren't you searching for her?" [Guiscard] "What are you talking about?" [Revius] "Her Majesty the Queen." [Guiscard] "Why should I search for someone who left me?" [Revius] "Good grief, what absurdity... Her Majesty returned to follow you." Come to think of it, he recall

Preposterous. He couldn't possibly be awake. The season had not even changed. Yet why was he standing here with open eyes? Dianna stared at Guiscard's face. She wished to speak, yet words failed her. How long had it been since she last beheld those eyes? She wondered if the man gazing at her was merely an illusion. Yet the moment she witnessed overwhelming rapture in his gaze, seeing his eyes redden and glisten with tears, all doubts vanished. [Guiscard] "I saved you." [Diann

In a cave devoid of light, only the subtle glow of the luminous night pearl shone. At any rate, this means air is entering from somewhere. Discovering air was present, Dianna explored the cave. It was shallow, and fortunate enough that water dripped down in rhythmic drops. When she inquired if anyone possessed food, several individuals produced snacks, stale bread, cookies, and biscuits. That comprised their entire food supply. The situation was dire. Dianna reassured the oth

The departing procession bustled from dawn. Dianna offered smiles and individual greetings to the priests who had emerged to see them off. The priests she had met previously wore regretful expressions, yet when she met their eyes, they offered meaningful smiles. [Pope] "Must you depart so soon? Why not remain a while longer?" [Dianna] "Remaining away from the realm for too long is hardly advisable." [Pope] "If you say so. May you enjoy a safe journey." [Dianna] "Thank you for

At Ionia's instruction, maids escorted the weeping young Rosalia away. [Dianna] "How long were you watching?" Ionia crossed her arms. [Ionia] "From the beginning." Had she been observing all along? Then why hadn't she raised a commotion? Ionia harbored deep distaste for Dianna and Lodbrog, hardly someone to overlook such an incident. What was the meaning behind this attitude? [Dianna] "Are you offering to cover this up?" [Ionia] "Why? Do you dislike the idea?" She asked shril

Following the Queen's departure, silence settled over the palace of Lodbrog. The populace buzzed with speculation regarding whether she could procure grain. Most remained skeptical. A few bellicose individuals loudly insisted on plundering Panborough's supplies rather than purchasing them, questioning the point of buying food. Yet those who held onto hope displayed unyielding faith in the Queen. She was hardly a monarch to make empty boasts. The boundless trust among those wh

Soaring into the sky, Tarascus circled several times above, unleashing a resonant roar. He moved leisurely, as if claiming the heavens as his domain. Dianna gazed at his form. A serpentine creature stretching long, endowed with wings of pure, luminous white. Sparkling as though encrusted with gems, his body presented an enchanting spectacle. The dragon looked down from above, clear silver-blue eyes beholding the insignificant mortals below. [Taras] "Come fetch me later." [Dia

[Adelheit] "What manner of conversation did you hold with him?" Observing the priests bustling frantically about, Adelheit spoke with a look of utter bewilderment. A day following their conference, the Pope had requested an outing to tour the Holy City alongside Dianna, using it as an opportunity to converse leisurely. The reason was obvious: Dianna possessed the exact information he craved. The precise location where the Primal Temple lay buried. The nobles of the Lodbrog Ki

Dianna rose to her feet. Golden radiance beamed down like sunlight despite the absence of any visible light source. [Priest] "This is indisputably the pure energy of the deity..." Someone muttered in dazed bewilderment as every priest fell to their knees. Watching them, Dianna stifled a silent chuckle. She remained utterly bewildered. Was it this easy? Is a deity a dog's name? No, wait…. was Tarascus actually a messenger? Gazing at the flowers showering down like snow and pil

Whether the Pope possessed a twisted temperament or not, he assigned Ionia to manage the Lodbrog delegation. Yet she no longer confronted them with blatant hostility, greeting them instead with a face as cold and unyielding as stone. Though Ionia's presence proved uncomfortable, Dianna masked her unease. The Pope had intended to weaponize guilt against Dianna and the Lodbrog retinue, apparently unaware that his scheme had failed entirely or perhaps he simply didn't care. A gl

The atmosphere turned suffocatingly heavy at the echoing voice. [Ionia] "Sister Ann!" A clear, cheerful voice seemed to linger in her ears. In Dianna's memories, the girl had inhabited a brighter, far more vibrant world. She had assumed the girl would forever remain a bright child living in a lively world, rather than standing on this spotless white marble floor where the slightest flaw would stand out. Fair skin and flushed cheeks. A girl whose image lingered far more vividl