The carriage came to a stop in front of the monastery.

As they entered the aged stone building, clear and transparent laughter filled the courtyard.

A smile bloomed on Diana’s face.

“Teacher Diana!”

As one girl waved her hand, the playing children turned their heads simultaneously like cats.

“She’s here!”

The monastery children came running in one breath, clinging to the white apron.

Their colorful heads, like sugar candies, were small and cute.

Watching this scene, Anya clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“Why do they like Lady Diana so much?”

Peniche chuckled as she picked up a five-year-old boy.

“You really don’t know?”

“…Am I neglecting my duties?”

“Of course not. It’s just that children recognize those who truly care for them.”

An unpleasant blush crept over her prim face.

‘We dress them, feed them, and put them to bed the same way… isn’t the treatment too different?’

Anya crossed her arms and looked around.

People swarmed only around Diana, who could be called homely, and the crybaby girl Anthony.

‘This is ridiculous, really…’

Not long after, a man with a gentle impression was seen approaching Diana. In his arms was a young sibling.

Whatever they were talking about so pleasantly, smiles never left her face, calm as a lake.

Fiery jealousy blazed in her violet eyes, raised like axes.

“Why don’t you try being a bit more affectionate?”

Despite Peniche’s advice, Anya turned her head coldly.

“What are you suddenly talking about? I should go serve food to the children.”

She was a young lady who didn’t mind unfamiliar labor, but couldn’t be honest.

Peniche shook her head and held back a laugh.

At that time, Diana was in the middle of chatting with Hugo, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

“I was worried because your visits have been infrequent lately.”

“I’m sorry. With the monsters rampant, there aren’t many days I can go out.”

“No, it’s good to see you even like this.”

“I’m so glad to see you after a long time too. Can I hold Damian once? He’s grown a lot since I last saw him?”

Diana took the boy with light brown eyes in her arms and rubbed her round nostrils against his.

Hugo and Damian were brothers who looked exactly alike, as if cast from the same mold.

Their hair was black like Diana’s, and below their straight foreheads were deeply set eyes with thick double eyelids, giving them an honest and solemn impression.

Perhaps because of their similar physical features, they opened up to Diana more easily.

Both had gentle personalities and were well-mannered, so Diana especially adored them.

Damian, clinging to Diana like a koala, pointed to the courtyard.

“Teacher, let’s play house again. You be the mother, elder brother the father, and I’ll be the baby.”

Apparently quite fond of the family play they did before, Damian pleaded cutely.

Diana, infinitely weak to small and cute living beings, nodded despite knowing her busy day schedule.

“Alright. We’ll do it after eating, taking a bath, and having a nap. Understood?”

“Yes!”

However, today there wasn’t a moment of spare time.

Because Anthony burned a pot, lunch had to be prepared from scratch, and during bath time, one child vomited, creating a horrific scene of children swimming amidst vomit. There wasn’t a moment to catch her breath.

“I’m sorry, Damian! Wait just a little bit, okay?”

Hugo picked up Damian and moved away so as not to disturb Diana.

Busily tending to the children, it was already time for the evening sunset. Diana had been working without even straightening her back once during that time.

“I’m so tired…”

As she was about to enter the break room while stretching, she suddenly remembered Damian, whom she had forgotten.

‘What was I thinking…!’

An image of round eyes brimming with tears came to mind.

Diana hurried to the courtyard for Damian, who might be whimpering from the long wait.

Turning around the corridor, she saw the back of Damian sitting on Hugo’s lap.

The two were sitting on a cloth spread wide under a tree, enduring the still chilly northern wind.

‘They should have waited inside.’

Just as she was stepping on the courtyard grass with an apologetic heart, a clear and prim voice startled Diana.

“Open your mouth.”

“…I’m full.”

Behind Hugo’s large back, a glimpse of lavender-colored hair was visible.

‘My goodness… Lady Anya?’

She was holding a fork, trying to feed Damian a strawberry that seemed excessively large.

“How many have you eaten already? You probably can’t eat things like this usually, right?”

“…I think Damian is still young, so this much is enough to fill his stomach.”

“What do you mean enough? Look at the child’s face. His cheeks are sunken from lack of nutrition.”

“…Damian often eats out with the money I earn from work, so you needn’t worry.”

“What? What work?”

“I’m helping with odd jobs at a nearby blacksmith. I’m almost old enough to be independent, after all.”

“…Independent, you say?”

“Yes. I’m thinking of getting a place outside the monastery by the end of this year at least.”

Anya’s expression darkened in an instant. She put down the fork and fidgeted with her fingers anxiously.

“Where to? You won’t come to the monastery anymore?”

“…Probably not.”

“What’s that… I don’t like it.”

Anya bit her lip hard and muttered so that Diana couldn’t hear.

Damian, looking up at her gloomy face, split the strawberry Anya had put down in half and held it out to her tightly closed lips.

“Damian will be here. I’ll stay at the monastery while elder brother works.”

Anya ate the strawberry absentmindedly and glared at Hugo.

“What’s this, that’s different from what you said.”

“…It might be difficult to see your face.”

“That’s ridiculous. Who said I wanted to see you? I just asked out of curiosity, you know?”

Anya picked up a large strawberry with her hand and forcibly stuffed it into his mouth as she spoke.

Diana, hiding behind a nearby tree, listened intently to the interesting conversation.

‘What’s this, Hugo! Why are you so oblivious?’

Anya was the epitome of the haughty and proud noble class.

Now she understood why this woman, who had lived without getting a drop of water on her hands, was so devoted to volunteering at the monastery.

‘I thought Anya would like grand and splendid men like Crown Prince Albert, but she’s surprisingly unprejudiced…’

Just as she was turning away to preserve their intimate moment, the oblivious Damian raised his hand high.

“Teacher Diana!”

The young boy jumped off Hugo’s lap and ran with his arms wide open.

‘No, Damian! Just stay there.’

But Damian had already clung to her dirty apron like a cicada on an old tree.

She had no intention of being a troublemaker. In the distance, she could see Anya packing up the lunchbox and walking away.

‘Lady Anya! That’s not it!’

The foolish Hugo alternated between looking at the two of them, mumbling with his mouth full.

He couldn’t speak because his cheeks were puffed up with the strawberry Anya had stuffed in.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Only when Anya glared at him with fierce eyes did he finally pack up the mat and move his feet.

It truly was an unexpected sight.

Diana boarded the carriage.

She was more than a little tired after chasing after the children all day long.

As she tapped her throbbing knees and looked out of the carriage, she saw Biche absentmindedly driving the horses.

Diana placed her hand on the window and offered words of encouragement.

“It’s still chilly because we’re in the north. If you’re tired, we can rest, so don’t overexert yourself.”

“…”

“Biche?”

“…Yes!”

“…Be careful. You might fall off the horse if you’re distracted.”

Biche nodded frantically.

Diana gazed at the clumsy knight with worried eyes before turning her attention to the yellowing sun.

‘Tonight we’ll find lodging in the Chateaumont territory, and leave early tomorrow morning. Then we should arrive at the castle by afternoon.’

It was already mid-April.

Although the north was still chilly, the sunshine in Arnel had begun to push away winter and bring forth flower buds.

As she imagined the warm spring scenery, the face of a bright man naturally came to mind. Diana closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against the cold glass.

This spring with Raoul would be the last.

By the time he returned next season, Diana would have finished preparing to leave for the Eastern Continent.

Neigh!

The carriage, which had departed early in the morning, was just reaching the outer gate of the castle.

The horse raised its front legs high, causing the carriage to shake violently.

“What’s happening?”

“Monsters! Please stay inside the carriage!”

As Biche spread a wide defensive circle, the monsters within the barrier were thrown outwards.

Thud!

The slimy body that hit the tree left a sticky mark as it slid to the ground.

This time, the monsters were small in size but large in number, looking like a swarm of black frogs attacking the round air dome.

‘…How annoying!’

It was when the knights were swinging their swords outside the circle, destroying the creatures’ hearts one by one.

With the sound of wind cutting through the ground, the monsters fell to the floor with a thud.

Countless pupils turned in one direction.

“You’re late!”

Biche complained with a pleased face, though he didn’t mean it.

The man who had stopped outside the barrier approached the carriage after the protective magic was lifted, wiping the blood on his cheek.

Their gazes met through the thin glass.

He was covered in blood all over, presumably having rushed here during battle.

“Thank you… You’ve worked hard.”

Diana opened her mouth wide with the glass wall between them.

Raoul’s lips curved into a gentle parabola at the sight of her gaping like a goldfish trapped in an aquarium.

“You can go back today. I’ll be there soon. Wait for me.”

As the carriage started moving again, Raoul’s figure receded.

She slid down, burying her back against the carriage seat.

‘Soon means when…’

Her ears blushed red beneath her hair that had been pushed up.