“You came early.”

As she entered the classroom located at the end of the second floor, a kind-looking woman bowed her head to Diana.

Her name was Odette, a mixed-race person with blood from the Eastern Continent.

With black hair like Diana, she resembled people from her pre-possession homeland, which was now a hazy memory.

Odette, who had completed her studies in the Eastern Continent following her mother early on, caught her father’s eye while looking for a job.

It was a familiar face she had seen often before the regression.

“Today we will appreciate a poem written by a woman from the Eastern Continent.”

“Yes.”

“Please recite it first.”

Cutting the waist of the long night of the winter solstice month,
I tucked it away under the spring wind blanket,
To unfold it coil by coil on the night my beloved comes.

“It’s a poem written by a courtesan from the Eastern Continent. It’s outstanding.”

“Yes. The yearning for the beloved is deeply moving.”

“Would you like to interpret the meaning of the poem?”

“Yes. First, the winter solstice month refers to the 11th month of the lunar calendar. Since it’s winter, the days are short and the nights are long. This courtesan expresses her desire to hold the long night hours under a warm blanket and unfold them to spend a long time together on the night her beloved comes. The use of onomatopoeic words like ‘coil by coil’ and ‘fold by fold’ shows excellent vocabulary, and above all, the way abstract concepts are materialized into concrete objects is remarkable…!”

“…I’m amazed every time I hear you. You’ve never visited the Eastern Continent, correct? Yet, how have you mastered the language and culture of the Eastern Continent? It’s astounding.”

Well, isn’t it because the author of this novel is Korean? Diana smiled contentedly.

The history of the Hamel Empire beginning trade with the unknown land of the Eastern Continent is not long.

Although maritime trade has begun, the journey to the Eastern Continent is very long and treacherous.

It takes nearly a month of sailing by ship, and there are many cases of sinking due to encounters with monsters like krakens or sea serpents.

Therefore, items from the Eastern Continent were quite rare.

This amazing and mysterious land was never mentioned in the original work.

But Diana had known about the existence of the Eastern Continent for a very long time.

Even before the regression, she had been learning the Eastern Continent language since she was fifteen.

As the Arnel Principality got involved in maritime trade, her father thought about selling Diana to a wealthy merchant from the Eastern Continent.

‘He probably thought of exchanging me for porcelain, ginseng, and silk from the Eastern Continent.’

At the time, she studied a second foreign language and literature diligently without knowing the reason, but now thinking about it, her father’s business intentions were clear.

Currently, the Imperial Princess has become the queen of a small country called Arbein due to the check of the former Crown Prince and the current Emperor.

However, when the time comes, she will also assassinate the King of Arbein and raise an army by drawing on the national treasury.

Her father is a lover who is willing to use even forbidden summoning magic to aid a hopeless war.

‘Someone like me must be a thorn in his side. How nice it would be to sell me at a high price to an Eastern Continent merchant and remove one obstacle when marrying the Imperial Princess?’

Although she pretends to be kind on the outside, the Imperial Princess is a supremacist rotten to the core.

There’s no way she would recognize Diana, who lacks legitimacy, as a member of the royal family.

‘It’s all for the best for me anyway.’

She was planning to save money in this life to escape to the Eastern Continent.

Since the author of the original work was Korean, the Eastern Continent was a very familiar culture to Koreans.

Moreover, with fantasy elements added and author-convenient settings incorporated, it was portrayed as a much more ideal and livable land than the Western Continent.

“Next, we’ll look at the culture of the Eastern Continent. Last time, I asked you to read Martin Bodur’s travelogue and preview the different races of the Eastern Continent, didn’t I?”

“Yes. According to my research, there are goblins who can handle blue fire, gumiho who can transform into human form, and imugi who evolve into dragons through thousands of years of training in the Eastern Continent.”

“That’s correct. They revere these different races with precious abilities. In remote rural areas, they are not considered as different races but worshipped as gods.”

Diana thought that the Eastern Continent was truly a land of opportunity for a new life.

In fact, in a few years, they will actively trade with the Western Continent and even establish systems to help their immigration and stable settlement.

‘I look similar and my language skills are at a native level, so I should adapt quickly.’

Just thinking about the Eastern Continent filled her heart with anticipation.

Diana grinned mischievously as she turned to the next page.

“Next, we’ll learn about the education system of the Eastern Continent.”

“Yes!”

Diana stretched as she left the classroom.

Meanwhile, Diana had been struggling to find Paisar.

She regularly attended prayer meetings that didn’t suit her aptitude and made efforts to find a handsome painter resembling Paisar by visiting monastery childcare facilities.

However, she ultimately failed to find him.

Diana put aside her expectations for Paisar and recently turned her attention elsewhere.

Namely, playing the role of a luxurious princess.

Come to think of it, Diana had lived too gently and kindly.

‘Why? For what?’

There were certainly unfair aspects. No, there definitely were.

From what she observed, her father showed no interest in whatever Diana did.

Before the regression, she imitated her frugal mother to please her father, and after the regression, she restrained herself, wary of the villain’s mood.

However, recently Diana had been going all out.

Thinking about it, her father only thought about selling Diana off.

So why should she pretend to be a frugal and kind daughter? If she couldn’t find Paisar and ended up marrying a pot-bellied Eastern Continent merchant, it would be too late to regret then.

Moreover, now she had a justification.

She had new dresses and beautiful accessories made for each monthly prayer meeting.

It was a gathering of noble young ladies that the Empire boasted about.

Even the money Diana spent nervously and generously was modest compared to them.

Benjamin silently removed Diana’s budget limit.

The taste of money was sweeter than expected.

“Why have I been so cautious all this time? I have nothing more to lose!”

In reality, the prayer meetings always ended with monastery service, and she wore shabby nun’s clothes instead of expensive dresses, but there was no need to report that to Benjamin and her father.

Diana felt pleased every time she looked at her now lavish wardrobe and jewelry box.

‘If I sell everything, it should be enough for the fare to the Eastern Continent and settlement funds.’

Nevertheless, the reason Diana still hadn’t given up on Paisar was solely because of the children at the monastery.

‘I might somehow survive, but the nuns and children…’

Their future was uncertain.

What end would extras who didn’t appear even once in the original work meet? Diana was afraid.

‘By that time, the monastery factions will split. Homern Principality, which sides with Ayla, will be safe, but Arnel’s monastery… I can’t guarantee.’

She needed to help as many children as possible escape to safe areas. The money she had now was far from enough for that.

Diana stroked her chin as she strolled through the garden. At that moment, a long shadow fell across her path.

“When did you get here?”

“Just now.”

As Diana frowned at the sunlight, Raoul made a shade with his hand.

“Where are you going?”

“Just for a walk. I was thinking of going to the lakeside.”

“Sounds good. I’ll join you.”

Raoul volunteered to accompany her, just like when they were young.

It was a strange feeling, this leisure she hadn’t experienced in a while. As soon as they entered the forest, Raoul held Diana’s hand tightly.

‘Why does this feel so awkward…?’

Raoul’s profile, as Diana looked up at him, seemed nonchalant.

‘Am I the only one feeling self-conscious?’

The place where the two stopped was the lakeside where they first met.

The cherry trees surrounding the lake were reflected in the water, making the colorless, odorless water look as sweet as strawberry milk. Diana opened her mouth for a moment, gazing at the pink waves.

“This place is always so beautiful…”

Raoul turned Diana’s body towards him and bent down.

“Stay still for a moment.”

He kept one hand firmly holding hers while tucking Diana’s hair behind her ear with the other.

Their faces were close, making her feel somewhat embarrassed. Diana held her breath, looking down.

‘What… What is he doing…?’

Raoul’s fingers kept brushing against the curve where her ear met her face.

The brief moment of about 10 seconds felt like 10 minutes.

Raoul stepped back before Diana’s face could burst into flames.

Only then did Diana notice the foreign sensation behind her ear.

When she raised her hand to touch her right ear where Raoul had touched, there was a dainty cherry blossom petal tucked in.

“What… You startled me…”

“…Why?”

“You suddenly came so close…”

“What were you thinking?”

Raoul asked a bit mischievously.

Diana blushed at the casual teasing and lightly tapped Raoul’s chest. It was really just a gentle tap.

“Don’t play such jokes.”

“…”

“Raoul…?”

The silence between words lengthened. Raoul lowered his head without answering.

A hand so hot it almost stung touched Diana’s cheek. Diana held her breath, her eyes wide open.

She was afraid that the breath escaping through her thin lips might touch Raoul’s.