Tatkan blinked his eyes for a moment and then, as if genuinely pleased, fluttered around the ceiling, speaking quickly.

“[Hey, I can talk! This is truly joyful! How could this not be a happy occasion! Help Asti!]”
Ratifa, who was secretly surprised by the very polite and mature tone, which was quite different from his usual playful speech, thought, ‘Tatkan is a truly intelligent creature. He speaks just like Caesar.’

“I can speak to you; it’s a secret. If you keep that secret, I’ll help Princess Asti as much as I can.”

“Alright, that’s a promise even a birdbrain can keep!”

Tatkan, shouting loudly with his beak rather than sounding very joyful, landed on the floor and rested his head on Ratifa’s palm. Then the silvery spirit spoke more intensively to her.

“[The Sultan told her to go to Madrasa. Asti doesn’t want to go. She has no friends except me. No one likes Asti.]”
‘If it’s Madrasa, it’s the school for reading and writing within the harem. The princess is not exempt, it seems?’

“Madrasa? She doesn’t have to go if she doesn’t want to. Anyway, Asti is a princess.”

[Asti still can’t read. She needs to go to Madrasa to study. Also, the Sultan ordered Asti to make friends. Asti can’t make friends. Asti is a noble princess!]

‘He truly is a father.’

Ratifa laughed slightly bitterly, recalling Asti’s usual behavior, which was somewhat unruly. He seemed like an ideal father when needed.

[During Madrasa’s break time, no one talks to Asti. Tatkan doesn’t like it when Asti is sad. Tatkan is her friend. Tatkan is a Fraulein.] Tatkan weakly leaned his beak on Ratifa.

“Yeah, I understand you’re a Fraulein too. But making friends… It’s not something we can force.”

Suddenly facing a dilemma, Ratifa also lost her energy. She pulled out a round peony flower bud from the pouch Hades had given her.

‘It’s a Fraulein’s duty to make the owner happy. Tatkan must be really upset, especially since he’s an intelligent animal and can even speak.’

But wait. Isn’t it true that…

‘Knowing how to speak means you can draw attention, right?’

Children naturally loved interesting and new things. Of course, Tatkan’s ability to speak was not particularly special, but that wasn’t the point.

‘The key is what Tatkan is saying.’

Suddenly struck by a thought, Ratifa enthusiastically said to Tatkan, “Tatkan, are there many children at Madrasa? There’s something you can do for Asti! I’ll help you!”

“A birdbrain is going to help?”
“Stop calling me a birdbrain. Besides, you’re the birdbrain here.”

Ratifa laughed and touched Tatkan’s beak.

Since arriving at the Grand Bazaar, there had been nothing to fear.

But, even if unseen, to believe that you are there.

I will take a step forward today as well.

Holding tightly the gift Hades risked his life to give her as she stood up from her seat, Ratifa walked confidently along the corridor.

‘Even if he doesn’t recognize me as a woman here, we are…’

The footsteps of Ratifa, stepping along the harem, were filled with unprecedented confidence.

‘We have a relationship more special than that.’

She was his happiness as a Fraulein.

[Star Icon][Star Icon]

The next day.

“That one is an imperial slave. She’s even fairer than the imperial slaves I saw before.”

“I know her. She’s General Hades’s Fraulein.”

“But isn’t she not anymore?”

Ratifa stood in front of the entrance to the building leading to Madrasa, receiving the warm glances and whispers of the desert children.
The slightly older girls gathered in a terrace-like place with large windows, looking down below, while the smaller girls of Asti’s age sat on the window sills of the lower floor, peering down.

“I won’t go.”

“Oh dear, Princess. It’s an order from the Sultan; we can’t help it. If Lady Eunsa comes soon, she might wield her cane.”

“The cane will be for you!”

Asti’s maids were holding onto the princess, who vehemently shook her head, engaged in a struggle.

“If she doesn’t come, it’ll be bad. What use is it for the princess to learn to read? If she wants something read, she can ask her maids.”

“Exactly. No matter how much the Sultan cherishes the princess, once she leaves, she’s just a given royal to outsiders. There’s no reason to get close to her, especially accommodating her temperament.”

“She never brought snacks and never shared. No wonder she gained so much weight.”

The young girls outside teased Asti, gossiping loudly so that everything could be heard.

Ratifa, who was in Asti’s position despite being a stranger, wondered how Asti felt, being the target herself. Ratifa approached Asti, who had tears welling up in her eyes, and warmly held her hand.

“Princess, if you just go for today, I’ll tell you how the Moon Goddess dress I wore in the empire looked. It was more beautiful than the dress worn by the Golden Princess.”

“…Really?”

There was no way Ratifa had a Moon Goddess dress in the empire, but Asti was still too young to notice.

“Yes! We can even cut the fabric together and make one ourselves. So, just go for today.”

Ratifa said this, hoping for Tatkan, who was perched on Asti’s shoulder, to succeed.