As always, happy times flew by in the blink of an eye.

Raoul’s growth was a great joy, but also a source of regret.

‘Time is so cruel…’

The moments with him, which would inevitably come to an end someday, were both sweet and bittersweet.

‘It’s already been 3 years.’

She looked at the girl in the mirror while receiving Angela’s grooming.

The girl was still pale and still had sharp features, but the gloomy atmosphere from before had somewhat dissipated.

‘Is it okay for me to be this happy?’

Worries and regrets were gradually washing away, and their place was being filled with the quiet happiness of everyday life.

Just as her heart was unsettled in the midst of such excessive happiness, unexpected news arrived.

“This year, young lady has been ordered to accompany without fail.”

She looked down at the invitation placed before her. It bore the golden seal issued only by the Imperial family.

‘Oh my…’

Diana finally got the chance to attend the Imperial ball for the first time in 4 years since her regression.

She felt dazed, as if struck by sudden good fortune, but what mattered now was not ‘why’ but ‘how’.

“Angela, do you think I can do well?”

“Of course…! It’s your debut stage. I’m all nervous for you. Let’s prepare everything perfectly during the remaining time – dress, shoes, accessories, without missing anything!”

Angela clenched her fists, burning with determination.

Looking at the ever-loyal Angela, Diana suddenly hugged the waist in front of her.

“Angela… I’m so happy…”

“Young lady… Are you that pleased?”

Angela’s voice trembled as her eyes reddened.

“Oh my… I just thought you disliked going out. I’m such a fool…”

‘Well, that’s true…’

Diana smiled awkwardly, feeling a pang of conscience.

“Let’s arrange everything to be the best so you can have a splendid debut…”

Diana nodded slightly as she looked up at the face that had somehow become filled with a manic gleam.

‘Well, I guess this turned out well?’

Diana spent busy days preparing for the sudden ball.

Not only did she have to get a dress fitted, but she also needed new shoes and accessories. Since Angela insisted on only the best for everything, finding the right people was no easy task.

Moreover, she had to thoroughly prepare by reading recent newsletters to be able to mingle with high-class young ladies, and above all, she had to be ready for the inevitable encounter with Peniche.

It was when she was about to head to the library to read even one more word.

Whispering voices echoed from the end of the corridor.

“Ugh, I’m really in a foul mood. What a disgrace over one slave?”

Two men who looked like low-ranking knights drew their bloodless swords and vented their anger into the air.

“I get using them as hunting dogs, but competition? Are they trying to replace manpower with slaves that don’t cost a penny?”

“Come on! Their loyalty is different! How can you compare them to uncivilized barbarians?”

“That bastard Vincent doesn’t even realize his livelihood is being taken away and just grins like an idiot!”

“The man’s gone soft! Captain Ellen would’ve been better…”

Familiar names were mixed in their grumbling words.

As Diana was about to listen more intently, a voice tinged with laughter was heard from afar.

“If it bothers you that much, why don’t you complain directly to the lord? He’s the one who called the other race to the hunting grounds, after all.”

Vincent entered the training ground, wiping blood from his face.

The men, intimidated by his towering figure, lowered their tails and muttered.

“Huh, spending time with slaves must have made you fond of them.”

Vincent simply smiled leisurely without bothering to answer their mumbled words.

“…Alright, let’s just go!”

The knights left, overwhelmed by his presence, without Diana needing to intervene.

‘I should just be on my way.’

“Young lady, did you come to see your pupil?”

‘Caught red-handed…’

Vincent turned towards Diana and greeted her familiarly.

“…No? I was on my way to the library.”

Although Diana had never actually visited the training ground to see Raoul, Vincent always greeted her like this whenever she passed by the corridor, inciting Raoul’s anger.

Whenever he playfully teased that encouragement was needed, or love was needed, with a face full of mirth, Raoul would hate it so much that he’d throw down his sword and headbutt him.

‘Really… Why does a grown man act like that?’

It wasn’t the first time Diana had to intervene and leave in his stead.

She thought today might be a similar situation, but Raoul was nowhere to be seen.

As Diana looked towards the back of the training ground, Vincent cleared his throat and spoke.

“Ah, so you haven’t checked yet.”

“…Checked what?”

“I can’t say because someone will get really angry if I do, but… you’ll probably be very surprised today.”

“Don’t tell me Raoul is hurt?”

“No. He could beat up adult dwarves when he was 10. How could he get hurt just from going hunting?”

“…So it’s not bad news, right?”

“…Not for him.”

‘What does he mean?’

“Even if you’re a bit surprised, just tell him you’re proud. He’s really looking forward to it.”

Diana tilted her head in confusion.

‘Surprised?’

Although she didn’t understand what he meant, seeing Vincent’s sly face, it was clearly a prank.

‘Geez, is teasing kids that fun…?’

Diana glared at him with mirthful eyes and started moving again.

Behind her, Vincent’s voice was heard once more, making a final request.

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“Don’t forget to praise him!”

He was always such an excessive prankster.

The morning library, bathed in sunlight, was quiet and peaceful.

As the door opened, tiny dust particles sparkled as they floated in the light.

It was near the desk by the window where she once sat and studied with Raoul.

‘How many years ago was that?’

He had learned to read and write, and now occasionally wrote small notes.

Sometimes when he was sparring with knights until late, he would slip a small note under Diana’s bedroom door.

The contents were just a short line or two, but they were so precious that she would read them over and over again.

I’m sorry I couldn’t come by today, it got too late. Sleep well, see you tomorrow.

Each time, her heart would pound and she would be filled with excitement.

‘He’s so cute and lovable… What luck is it that I get to spend even a moment with Raoul?’

Every day felt new and overwhelming.

She should have abandoned expectations like ‘Maybe, perhaps’, but it wasn’t as easy as she thought.

Just as she was about to pull out a collection of newsletters from high up on the shelf,

“Shall I help you?”

Startled by the sudden voice, Diana looked down from the ladder.

“Ah, no, it’s fine… uh… ah!”

As she tried to turn her head back towards the bookshelf, her posture crumbled and her footing wavered.

The ladder shook violently and her body tilted.

‘I’m, I’m falling!’

Fortunately, Raoul caught her lightly from below, avoiding the misfortune of a broken nose.

“What are you doing alone?”

Diana, who somehow ended up being carried like a princess, turned her head away in embarrassment.

“You startled me by calling suddenly…”

As soon as her feet touched the ground, she ran to the window, leaving Raoul behind.

“…Are you going to read?”

“…Yeah.”

For some reason, Raoul didn’t pick up a book but sat down on the floor below the sofa.

“It’s cold, why are you sitting on the floor? Come sit up here.”

“Just… I like it here.”

He leaned his head against the armrest and stared intently at Diana reading her book.

Diana didn’t know what to do with herself under that ticklish gaze.

“Wh-what? Stop joking around and hurry up and bring your book too.”

“What joke?”

“Are you going to keep pretending you don’t know…?”

Raoul had been like this recently.

Following Diana around like a newborn duckling, and pretending not to know when told to stop.

Every time Raoul played dumb, only Diana felt wronged.

She tried to ignore his cutely sparkling eyes and focus back on her book.

“…When are you going back?”

“Probably around evening. …Why?”

“…Go back a bit earlier today.”

Raoul’s eyes sparkled brightly like a child with something to look forward to.

Diana recalled Vincent’s words from the morning and wondered what he had prepared to be so expectant.

“Alright.”

She smiled gently and turned the page.

Until then, she had no idea that Raoul’s surprise event would be this kind of repayment.

“Wh-what is this?!”

Diana, who had returned to her bedroom early, was shocked by the unexpected sight.

After urging her to hurry back, what lay under her bed was none other than three white rabbits tied with straw rope.

‘Moreover, they’re all corpses…’

Too surprised, Diana clutched her pounding heart and looked closely at the corpses.

They were all dead with their eyes open, which was horror itself.

‘Is this really something to be praised for?!’

She recalled his gentle face full of expectation as he urged her to return quickly.

‘…I guess he meant it as a gift for me… What should I do?’

For now, she disposed of the rabbit corpses herself so Angela wouldn’t see them.

She hid them under the bed and then climbed down the tree at night to bury them in the forest behind. It was her first time feeling such stiff muscles, and it was so unfamiliar and creepy that she dry heaved several times.

She prayed for the souls of the three unfortunate rabbits and fell asleep with a haggard face.

It was too bizarre to be called a gift.

The next day, Raoul seemed uncharacteristically excited when they met.

“…Did you see?”

“…Huh?”

“The rabbits. Did you see them?”

“Oh… yeah.”

Diana hesitated, not knowing how to react.

Vincent had asked her to praise him, but it would be really troublesome if he brought animal corpses as gifts again next time.

As she pondered whether to teach the child a lesson, his expectant gaze was too transparent.

‘Ugh… I really can’t bring myself to say I don’t like it.’

Soft-hearted Diana eventually couldn’t bring herself to say harsh words and reluctantly expressed insincere gratitude.

“I saw them… Thank you…”

“…You don’t like them?”

Raoul asked with a disappointed expression at her spiritless reaction.

“No, no? Um… I like them…?”

Diana tried to soothe him, but it was useless.

When she tried to lie, it showed immediately on her face, so Raoul didn’t seem to believe her at all.

“I shouldn’t have believed that guy after all.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Nothing.”

Raoul recalled Vincent’s face as he tried to persuade him.

‘What a fool. Wild boars would have been better after all.’

Diana repeated her insincere words of gratitude in bewilderment, but he was already hurt.

“It’s okay. I was mistaken.”

And the next day, Diana really had to receive a large wild boar carcass as a gift.

She couldn’t bring herself to spit in his face, which looked proud while pretending not to be.

As she forcibly pulled up the corners of her mouth, her cheek muscles trembled.

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“As I thought, the big one is better.”
“Yeah…”
‘No! It’s not!’
Aside from these small incidents, it was peaceful enough to call it tranquil days.

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