Ibnel, who was in conversation with Shuher, noticed Davian belatedly and greeted her warmly first.

“Good morning, Davian.”

“……Good morning.”

After a moment of silence, a response was heard from Davian. She then glanced at Shuher, who was with her, and asked.

“But why are you two together……”

Davian, who had been heading to meet him with an excited heart after receiving Shuher’s call, was a little taken aback to see him with Ibnel. Ibnel, not noticing that doubt, cheerfully answered.

“His Majesty said he had something to say.”

“What? I was also called by His Majesty.”

Upon hearing Davian’s answer, Ibnel’s gaze also turned to Shuher. As if asking if that was true.

Despite the two pairs of eyes focused on him, he alone remained nonchalant.

“I have something to say to both of you, so you may now withdraw.”

Ibnel couldn’t understand what was happening, but she followed Shuher who was walking ahead. Davian, who had been standing dazed, hurriedly followed behind, leaving Bris behind.

“Do you know why His Majesty called us?”

“I don’t know either. He wouldn’t answer no matter how much I asked.”

Davian, looking at Shuher walking far ahead, couldn’t contain her curiosity and ended up asking. Otherwise, it would keep bothering her.

“But you were coming with His Majesty earlier.”

To her eyes, the sight of the two people conversing seemed quite natural. It even looked so routine that for a moment she hesitated to approach.

“Ah, His Majesty mentioned during the meal. To come to the office. So we left the palace together.”

“You had a meal together? From the morning?”

“The place I’m staying now is His Majesty’s palace. So sometimes when the timing fits, we have breakfast together.”

Ibnel had come to have such times occasionally since she first had a meal with Shuher. So naturally.

But Davian seemed shocked, her expression darkening rapidly. It couldn’t be helped, as she had never thought that Ibnel would be staying at Shuher’s palace. She naturally assumed she would be staying at another palace like herself.

“I had no idea. But why am I at a different palace……”

Belatedly noticing Davian’s gloomy face, Ibnel hastily added to her words. To emphasize that there was no special reason for staying at the Emperor’s palace.

“I suppose my situation is different from Davian’s. His Majesty probably judged it better to have me where his eyes could reach. A kind of surveillance, you could say?”

She didn’t want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings for the female protagonist. She had even less intention of getting between them or interfering.

At that moment, a line Aran had passionately uttered came to mind.

[“The end of a villainess who torments the female protagonist and interferes with her relationship with the male protagonist is never good. It’s definitely death. Well, it’s satisfying from the reader’s perspective.”]

Seeing how Shuher spoke kindly, it seemed he had taken a liking to her from their first meeting, so Ibnel didn’t want to create any situation where she might be at odds with Davian.

Having just barely escaped the fate of a doomed extra, she wasn’t keen on being mistaken for a villainess.

“Ah, I see. Ibnel is a person from Aodin after all.”

Davian’s face brightened immediately at her explanation. Seeing her readily accept it, Ibnel secretly breathed a sigh of relief. And she quickly changed the topic to something else.

“The clothes you’re wearing today suit you very well too. I’m glad the wounds have almost disappeared.”

As if proving the attentive care she received at the imperial palace, Davian’s complexion had noticeably improved. Her eyes, which had lost their vitality, now sparkled with their original light, her expression brightened, and she had gained a little weight, exuding a radiant atmosphere.

“It’s because the maids treated me well. But Ibnel, you’re in training clothes again today?”

“Yes. I train every day, so this outfit is actually more comfortable.”

‘So Bris was right after all.’

That unlike herself who was receiving proper treatment, Ibnel’s treatment wasn’t very good.

Davian thought that was why Ibnel, a noble lady, was wearing training clothes instead of luxurious and elegant clothes. Thinking she was making excuses because she didn’t want to be caught, Davian decided to go along with it to avoid making her feel embarrassed.

“It suits you well too, Ibnel.”

By now, her eyes looking at Ibnel were tinged with a hint of pity.

Soon, the two arrived at Shuher’s office and sat on the sofa, waiting for what he had to say. What could it be that he called them both at the same time?

Shuher, without beating around the bush, went straight to the point and said.

“I called you here today because there’s something to discuss about Davian.”

Ibnel was puzzled as to why she was also called for a matter related to Davian. On the contrary, Davian felt a little nervous.

“Your wounds have almost healed, so it would be good to prepare for what’s to come.”

“By ‘what’s to come’, do you mean dealing with the monsters?”

“Yes. Because you don’t know anything about that part. If you’re deployed in the field in that state, you won’t be able to fully utilize your abilities.”

Davian agreed on that point. She didn’t know much about monsters, and it hadn’t been long since she became aware of this ability.

“Then what should I do?”

“That’s why I called Lady Ibnel. I want to entrust that part to her.”

“To me?”

At Shuher’s words, Ibnel felt both flustered and dazed. That such an important task would be entrusted to her.

Next came worry. She herself hadn’t been in Caries for long, and there were still many areas lacking in relation to monsters.

“Wouldn’t it be better to ask Lord Demil or the knights? They have much more combat experience than I do.”

Shuher had naturally considered that aspect as well. However, observing Davian, it seemed unreasonable for her to engage in direct combat like Ibnel. She wasn’t adept at handling weapons like her either.

“You won’t be directly confronting monsters, so I judged it better for you to take charge. And since you have the same ability, it will be beneficial for both of you.”

“But still.”

While his words made sense, Ibnel still hesitated. Even by her own assessment, there were many lacking areas, and she wondered if she could guide Davian well.

As she struggled to make a decision, Shuher’s voice reached her.

“You are more than qualified.”

Ibnel raised her slightly lowered head to look at him. Seeing trust in the eyes looking at her, she nodded immediately, making her previous hesitation seem pointless.

“I’ll do my best.”

Perhaps it was because Shuher had been observing Ibnel closer than anyone else that he could say that. She had been training diligently every day with the sole intention of being helpful in facing monsters. That’s why he immediately thought she was the right person for the job.

Davian, who had been listening to their conversation, suddenly remembered something she had forgotten and urgently raised her voice.

“But wasn’t Ibnel leaving the imperial palace? That’s what I understood.”

It was confusing for her to hear that Ibnel, who was about to leave, would be put in charge of her.

“Actually, I got permission from His Majesty to continue staying at the imperial palace.”

“Ah……”

While Davian was slightly surprised by this unexpected fact, she welcomed Ibnel’s help. After all, she was more comfortable with her than with the knights so far.

“I think it would be good if it’s Ibnel.”

“I look forward to working with you.”

“Then what should I do first?”

She asked, filled with overflowing enthusiasm. She wanted to show everyone as soon as possible how she could use this ability.

Ibnel, reflecting on her own experience, made a suggestion.

“How about getting familiar with the existence of monsters first? You were quite shocked when you first encountered them last time, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Even now, remembering that moment made Davian’s skin crawl. She had been so consumed by fear that nothing registered in her eyes.

At her answer, Ibnel presented her opinion to Shuher.

“I heard that monsters are captured for training and research. How about we go there? There won’t be any danger either.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to learn the theoretical aspects first?”

“Still, the feeling of actually facing them is completely different from just knowing about them in your head. Just seeing them once could help you become a bit more familiar with the existence of monsters. Then you might be able to respond quickly even in case of a surprise attack. In fact, I really regretted not having such an experience before going on the subjugation mission.”

As Ibnel spoke based on her own experience, Shuher seemed to agree.

“Then let’s do that. If I say I gave permission, they will open the doors of that place.”

As everything was decided swiftly, Ibnel stood up first.

“Shall we go right now? We’ll just take a light look around today, so there’s no need to be too nervous.”

Davian, who stood up following her, looked at Shuher somewhat regretfully before leaving the office.

[This is the timeline separator]

The place where the monsters were confined was connected to the monster training ground where Shuher had taken Ibnel before to confirm her abilities. Given the presence of dangerous monsters, it was the most remote and secluded area within the imperial palace.

“It’s my first time actually going there too, so I’m both excited and nervous.”

“Will it really be alright?”

As Davian showed signs of worry, Ibnel reassured her.

“It’s fine because the monsters are confined. There are also knights guarding.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“If it gets difficult, tell me right away. There’s no need to push yourself too hard from the start.”

“I will, Ibnel.”

Ibnel had been concerned about how Davian addressed her since before, so she spoke frankly about it.

“Just call me Ibnel comfortably.”

“What? How could I…”

Regardless of the surrounding circumstances, the fact that she was a noble remained unchanged, so Davian couldn’t readily agree to do so.

But Ibnel wanted to become even closer to her than now. Perhaps because they had the same ability, she felt a strange sense of kinship.

“It’s what I want. We’ll have a lot to do together in the future, so it’s better for both of us if we address each other comfortably.”

The previous Davian would have adamantly refused no matter how many times she was urged. She thought it was impossible to even stand side by side with a noble like this, let alone look them in the eye.

But now, many things, no, everything had changed. She was no longer Davian the orphan living a miserable life at the very bottom, but Davian whom everyone in Caries looked up to.

The situation where everyone in the imperial palace valued her highly, and people bowed their heads wherever she passed, was enough to change her heart and thinking.

“Then I’ll do that, Ibnel. I look forward to working with you.”

“Likewise.”

While the two were conversing, they arrived at their destination. The massive dome-shaped structure hadn’t changed much since Ibnel’s previous visit, and two knights were guarding its entrance.

“What brings you here?”

“We’d like to take a look at the monsters here. His Majesty has given permission.”

Since Shuher had given permission and they knew who the two were, the knights immediately opened the entrance.

“Please follow me.”

Following one of the two knights inside, the entrance closed firmly behind them. Passing through a space full of various traces of monsters familiar to Ibnel, they stopped in front of an entrance made of iron bars. It was located right next to where Rapiru had appeared last time.

“The monsters are in here.”

The knight unlocked the padlock with the key he had and opened the door, leading the way in. The two carefully followed behind.

As they walked down the dark path without a speck of light, Ibnel felt that unpleasant sensation becoming clearer as they got closer to where the monsters were.

“Davian, don’t you feel anything unpleasant or anything?”

“No, not at all.”

‘So it’s just me after all.’

Despite having the same ability, Davian didn’t seem to feel that sensation at all.