TSMMT Ch 54

Reunion

Their eyes met. For a split second, Guiscard indicated anger. Yet upon closer inspection, the boy stared at Dianna with his usual dry, detached expression.

[Guiscard] "Forgive me. Your shoulders are exposed, and I worried you might catch a cold."

[Dianna] "It's fine."

She offered a soft smile.

[Guiscard] "The wind is cold, regardless. Why are you outdoors?"

[Philip] "Ann!"

Before Guiscard could finish his sentence, a voice calling her name cut him off.

It was Philip. He galloped toward them on horseback. Dianna fixed her gaze on his bright smile and curved her lips into a smile. In that instant, Guiscard's gaze swept across her face.

This reunion came after a long separation. Dressed in northern attire and a stylish beret adorned with a long feather, the individual approaching was no longer a young boy, but a mature young man.

His wide grin carried absolute playfulness. That familiar expression felt entirely out of place here. Dianna pulled the cloak Guiscard had draped over her tighter around her shoulders. She forced a smile, as if erecting a shield to defend herself.

[Philip] "Did you come out here just to wait for me?"

She bit her lip at his casual question. In truth, it felt that way. No, she definitely had.

[Dianna] "Yes, I did."

She offered the truth. Denying it would only make Philip look far more important than he actually was.

Dianna studied the man.

Did I love this man?

For two years, she had failed to find the answer.

The prince merely stood there, smiling brightly.

[Philip] "It must have been freezing out here."

As if dismissing the implication that she had waited despite the freezing weather, she gestured toward her cloak.

[Dianna] "Not at all. Guiscard helped me like this."

His gaze shifted to Guiscard. Philip swept his eyes over the attractive slave. A complex expression crossed his face, but he quickly forced a smile and extended a hand.

[Philip] "Long time no see. Uh…… Mr. Slave."

Guiscard merely stared at the outstretched hand. Embarrassed, Philip pulled his hand back.

[Philip] "You're still by Ann's side, I see. You've grown taller than me."

An icy chill settled over Guiscard's expression. He offered no reply to the prince, addressing Dianna instead.

[Guiscard] "My Lady. His Grace the Duke will summon you shortly."

[Dianna] "I understand. Give us just a moment to talk."

She addressed Philip.

[Dianna] "Have you been well?"

[Philip] "Yes, I've been doing well."

[Dianna] "For someone who has been well, you didn't attend my royal debut last year."

The royal court only permits children of ducal houses or meritorious nobles to debut in high society within the palace grand hall. Dianna had also debuted on her fourteenth birthday with the King's explicit approval.

[Philip] "I'm sorry…… Ionia told me you looked beautiful back then. She mentioned that the bright red dress suited you perfectly. Of course, I think you look beautiful right now too. So, I prepared a gift."

He drew a dark brown box from his coat. Dianna opened the box and widened her eyes. A magnificent headband crafted from pearls lay inside.

[Dianna] "I won't even be able to wear this in front of Her Majesty the Queen."

She deliberately mentioned the Queen while studying Philip's face. Whether he caught her meaning or not, he merely smiled.

[Philip] "My maternal grandfather procured it for me."

Dianna pondered the weight of his words.

What does this mean?

Had Philip not departed for the estate of his maternal grandfather, Count Kilcos, specifically to renounce his claim to the throne? She possessed no knowledge regarding Count Kilcos, except that the count served as a margrave guarding the border and maintained no interest in politics.

Yet as memories from her past life resurfaced, she remembered that people labeled the count a traitor and a turncoat. During the Lodbrog Kingdom's invasion, Count Kilcos had sided with Guiscard.

What were the count's intentions? Why present a gift of pearls, a gem the Queen detested? Dianna stared at the pearl headband and spoke.

[Dianna] "Philip."

[Philip] "Yes?"

[Dianna] "Why did you come here?"

Recognizing that she questioned the hidden meaning behind the pearl headband, he replied.

[Philip] "Without any hidden motive—I just wanted to see you."

A bitter resonance lingered in his words.

He is incredibly selfish, she thought bitterly.

[Philip] "I was so curious to see what kind of person you had become at fifteen. You are beautiful. You're still as beautiful as ever……"

Examining the golden sheen of the pearl headband, she cut him off before he could continue.

[Dianna] "Thank you, Philip. It's enough that you came. If you have no hidden motives, let me offer you one piece of advice. I want you to return to the Kilcos estate immediately."

[Philip] "What?"

She looked up, her gaze locking onto his green eyes as she spoke.

[Dianna] "A massive crisis will unfold within the royal palace very soon. I don't want you to become one of its victims."

[Philip] "What on earth do you mean……"

She prepared to explain as she watched the complete confusion clouding his face.

[Servant] "Your Highness! Your Highness!"

Spotting a servant rushing toward them in a panic, Dianna recognized that the event she anticipated had finally begun. Her fifteenth birthday was unforgettable. She could never erase it from her memory.

[Servant] "It is an emergency!"

[Philip] "What happened?"

[Servant] "A massive outbreak of monsters has occurred within the Dracel duchy!"

In her past life, this was the day she had felt immense distress upon watching Ferdinand and Duke Brienne abandon the celebration following the news of the monster crisis in the Queen's maternal estate. But now, it marked the genesis of her liberation.

Dianna turned her gaze toward the young man standing behind her. Time had run its course; only execution remained.

---

[Alexa] "Sister! Do you absolutely have to go?"

Alexa whined, clutching Dianna's arm. Dianna gently stroked her sister's hair. Tears pooled in her eyes.

[Dianna] "Alexa. Your own debut is rapidly approaching. You must become the lady who manages the estate in my absence."

[Alexa] "But still! What am I supposed to do without you here, Sister?"

[Dianna] "You'll do wonderfully."

[Alexa] "Hmph."

She sniffled, tears trembling on her lashes. Amazingly, the sister who had remained a spoiled child for so long had matured over the passing days, learning to restrain her tantrums.

[Alexa] "I love you so much, Sister. Why must I always watch you leave?"

[Dianna] "Alexa."

[Alexa] "You prefer me over the princess too, right?"

[Dianna] "Of course."

[Alexa] "If you say you love me a hundred—no, a thousand times more than the princess, I'll let you go."

Dianna burst into laughter. Alexa had finally learned how to show genuine affection. She studied her lovely younger sister.

My own flesh and blood, born of the same mother, unlike Emil. My true sibling. Caring for you felt overwhelming at times, but I love you dearly.

[Dianna] "I love you ten thousand times more."

[Alexa] "Really?!"

Dianna offered a warm smile. Alexa took Dianna's hand, her expression turning mature.

[Alexa] "Send Mother my love when you offer your prayers to her."

[Dianna] "……."

[Alexa] "Guiscard, make sure you take excellent care of my sister!"

Alexa commanded, pointing a finger at the young man standing right behind Dianna.

[Guiscard] "Yes, My Lady. I shall obey."

Perhaps because Guiscard had occasionally looked after Alexa, the younger sister no longer harbored her past hatred toward him. Pride warmed Dianna's heart as she observed how mature Alexa had become.

[Dianna] "Father, I shall depart now."

The Duke nodded as Dianna turned to face him.

[Duke] "As for Emil……"

[Dianna] "It is fine. My brother's behavior is nothing new."

In truth, her brother's absence brought a sense of relief.

The Duke let out a heavy sigh. Then, he shifted his gaze toward Guiscard. A silent stare locked onto the boy—a look undoubtedly filled with intense disapproval.

Dianna understood the reality clearly now. As she grew older, remaining close to Guiscard would only invite endless scandal. Yet it didn't matter. Once this season passed, he would never set foot inside the Brienne estate again.

She surveyed the escort waiting behind her—about a hundred knights assigned to protect her. With Guiscard accompanying them, the protection was complete.

She stepped into the carriage alongside Guiscard. A soft hum escaped her lips unconsciously. Sitting across from him, she gazed at him for a long time. The hour for their parting had finally arrived.

---

Dianna offered her prayers. The southern temples all held a thousand years of sacred history. Within those walls, she prayed with absolute devotion for the eternal rest of her mother and the souls of the departed.

This particular structure served as the temple of Kronosotia, the supreme deity. The silver-white marble, intricately carved with dragons and hourglasses, boasted breathtaking beauty.

Dianna met the priest, Akra, inside the holy sanctuary.

[Akra] "It has been a long time, My Lady!"

[Dianna] "Long time no see."

[Akra] "I received the news. They say you are undertaking a pilgrimage?"

[Dianna] "A pilgrimage sounds far too grand. This is merely a private journey to offer prayers for my mother at these ancient temples."

She offered a bright smile. Akra’s face softened with benevolent warmth as he looked upon the devout follower. Wearing the expression of a mother bird watching her hatchling, he spoke.

[Akra] "Reports of your pure devotion have already reached my ears. I understand this marks your third temple visit? I shall command the priests here to ensure your absolute comfort."

With those words, he shifted his gaze to Guiscard standing beside her.

[Akra] "Who is this man?"

[Dianna] "He is my escort knight."

[Akra] "Ah……"

Dianna narrowed her eyes as she looked at Guiscard. When Akra tilted his head in confusion, she questioned him.

[Dianna] "Is there an issue?"

[Akra] "No, not at all."

Yet Akra stared at Dianna as if a sudden realization had struck him, his expression turning completely mysterious.

What is it?

Akra placed a hand on her shoulder, murmured words of blessing, and departed.

Dismissing her questions regarding the priest's strange behavior, Dianna entered the designated prayer room as planned. This profound silence always felt foreign whenever she stepped into a sanctuary, an experience magnified now while traveling with an escort of over a hundred men.

Dianna inverted the hourglass to signal the beginning of her devotion. Kneeling before a white, spherical statue, she commenced her prayers. Throughout the entire pilgrimage, she never failed to call upon the deity who had granted her the divine revelation.

O God, do you have no other words for me? I am trying my best to walk the righteous path in my own way. Besides, shouldn't returning to the past grant a massive advantage? That is how it works in other books…… so why does my situation look even worse now that I have returned?

It was true that the circumstances surrounding Ionia and Philip had improved, but…… she let out a heavy sigh. In that moment, a brilliant beam of light shone directly over her head.

Huh?

Pure white petals began to flutter down from above. This stone structure possessed absolutely no plants, rendering the presence of petals impossible. As she blinked, the blossoms began to accumulate around her like winter snow.

Just then, a sharp knock echoed through the chamber.

[Akra] "Lady Brienne! Please open the door!"

Hearing the frantic chatter of the gathering priests outside, she focused her gaze on the entrance and spoke.

[Dianna] "Come in. It isn't locked."

As if awaiting her permission, the door burst open instantly, and a crowd of priests flooded into the room.

[Priest] "G-Good heavens, we rushed here after sensing the divine aura."

[Priest] "W-What on earth is this……"

Dianna opened her eyes wide in sheer shock.

[Priest] "T-This is a divine blessing! To receive a direct answer from God, ahhhh!"

Looking upon the priests who threw themselves onto their knees in fervent prayer, Dianna stood completely stunned.

---

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