Throughout the winter, Liene suffered through a long and grueling bout of morning sickness. The symptoms remained unpredictable. On some days, she could eat; on others, nothing stayed down. A dish that seemed fine one moment would become utterly repulsive the next. Consequently, she found herself unable to do anything but focus on her recovery. She spent most of her time confined to bed, lacking the strength to move, and even a brief stroll through the castle grounds left her

No one knew exactly when the child had been conceived. Not even Liene or Black could be certain. They would only tilt their heads in wonder, thinking, Could it have been that day...? Regardless, as winter took hold, her belly began to swell ever so slightly. This caused Madam Flambard to let out joyful cries of mock distress; though the work was taxing, she claimed nothing made her happier than tailoring new dresses with ample room for the growing child. Nauk Castle, once a p

[Liene] "I am furious." Her brow was deeply furrowed as she bit into a peach harvested in late autumn. This was a fruit once unseen in Nauk, but with the borders expanding to Yadion Bay, foreign delicacies had begun to grace their tables. Fermos had turned his keen eye toward new avenues of profit. He spoke tirelessly of his ambition to transform Yadion Bay into the largest port in the southern part of the continent. He claimed that within ten years, the entire landscape of c

[Liene] "……Pardon?" She tilted her head, blinking in confusion. [Liene] "A baby? That is still a long way off." To her, the idea of a child felt even more distant than her own coronation. However, Madam Henton clearly did not share that sentiment. [Henton] "Seeing the way Lord Tiwakan treats you, I expected as much. But tell me, Princess, has it not been a while since your last monthly cycle?" [Liene] "......Oh." The words caught in her throat. Madam Flambard, who had known L

[Liene] "What did you say?" Liene pushed Black aside and practically leaped from the bed. Black clicked his tongue. Catching up to her, he shed his own robe and draped it over her shoulders. Thud! She threw the door open with frantic haste. [Liene] "Where... where is it? Where is the water coming from?" [Randall] "The waterfalls, Your Highness." [Liene] "My goodness..." As she moved to rush out, Black caught her arm, bringing her to a halt. [Black] "Put on your shoes first."

[Liene] "It’s here." [Black] "Watch your step." She smiled at him, who had stepped down first to light the path exactly where she needed to step. No matter the result, she was no longer afraid. If this failed, she would find another path with him by her side. Thump-thump. Her heart raced with every step. She gripped his hand firmly as they descended into the depths. [Liene] "Please..." Madam Flambard’s desperate prayers could be heard echoing from far above. She likely wouldn

[Liene] "My goodness... an actual key existed. It was genuine." She rubbed her eyes as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Madam Flambard, too, stood with her mouth agape. [Flambard] "What do we do now? This is... to think this small piece of iron holds the power over the water..." The word 'power' felt fitting. Though the piece of metal resting in her palm was light, it carried an immense weight. [Liene] "Now we must find the keyhole that matches it." They had found

[Flambard] "Princess!" [Henton] "Oh, my goodness, Princess!" As soon as she stepped back into the castle, the two madams greeted her with overwhelming intensity. [Liene] "How have you both been? I know it hasn't been long, but I feel as though I’ve been away from the castle for ages." [Flambard] "Not long? To me, it feels as though a decade has passed!" She gripped Liene’s hands tightly and refused to let go. [Liene] "It has only been about fifteen days. We returned much soon

Black scanned the ring held in her hand. The mechanism was intricate but incredibly difficult to notice. Had Liene not bitten it—and had the joint of the ornament not happened to strike her tooth—they might never have known such a device existed. [Black] "If it were designed specifically to be used as a key, they would have made the mechanism more accessible." [Liene] "Hmm...... but couldn't it be otherwise? It’s a device to draw water. I doubt they would have opened and clos

It was nearly noon by the time Liene had finished washing the cream and various traces of breakfast from her face and hands, and made her way to find Blini, who was confined in the underground storehouse. [Blini] "...I was told you were having breakfast." She spat out the words with clear irritation as she watched Liene enter the dim cellar. Her hands and feet were securely bound, and Liene had come inside alone. Black remained just outside the door. [Blini] "Is it still morn

He lightly flicked her nose as she stood there, looking dazed. [Black] "It’s not a home in the sense that Nauk is. It’s simply a place I keep for convenience. Everyone needs a place to rest, after all." [Liene] "That... well, you are undeniably wealthy, aren't you?" [Black] "I have a very capable adjutant to thank for that." The mansion was large enough for entire Tiwakan to rest comfortably and was impeccably maintained. Black mentioned that the estate manager would be sendi

[Liene] "Ahem." The Princess of Nauk cleared her throat and turned around. In Blini's eyes, Black seemed to have gone blind. The Princess of Nauk, with her disheveled hair and dirt-streaked face, was not even remotely adorable. She was a detestable sight, even though this was the first time Blini had ever seen her face. [Liene] "I heard you swallowed the ring." Blini hated those green eyes. [Liene] "Given the time that has passed, the ring shouldn't still be in your stomach.

Bang! [King] "What in the heavens are you doing that those rats haven't been caught yet!" The King had lost all semblance of reason. His rage reached its peak, leaving no room for logic or calm. He had been humiliated twice in rapid succession. The Tiwakan treated the Sharka Palace as if it had no threshold, drifting in and out at will, stirring up chaos before vanishing. A pile of Royal Guard corpses sat in the backyard, yet not a single body belonging to the enemy could be

[Liene] "Ah..." It did hurt, after all. Having worn boots that didn't fit her, her feet were in a miserable state. [Liene] "I didn't realize it was painful. And honestly, it’s nothing much. Everyone else was wounded by blades, while I only have a chafed heel." [Black] "Do not get used to small wounds. It doesn't suit you." He moved to remove her other boot as well. [Liene] "What do you mean, it doesn't suit me? Besides, you’re injured too. Look here." She pointed to his leg,

[Randall] "Ah." A short, startled sound escaped his lips. [Liene] "Sir Randall? What is it?" [Randall] "Someone is coming from ahead. I can hear footsteps." Klima had heard them as well. [Klima] "I don’t think it’s My Lord... those footsteps are... heavier." [Randall] "Ah, this kid. You can even distinguish things like that? You really are useful." [Klima] "......" His face, which had been pale this entire time, momentarily flushed a faint red. [Liene] "Then what should we do

[Tiwakan] "This is actually quite fun." The man who had just cut down a Royal Guard spoke with a grin. Clad in the enemy's uniform, the path to the King’s bedroom had turned into something akin to a high-stakes game. They walked with feigned nonchalance as guards, only to strike down any genuine guard who grew suspicious. [Tiwakan] "If I had the stamina, I feel like I could play this game all night." [Black] "Do not overrate yourselves. Their numbers are still vast." There we