Unlike magicians, black magicians were those who served demons and used their power. They were cruel and strong.

The Empire and the Temple were wary of them and killed them on sight, but the black magicians used strange tricks to blur the eyes of their opponents and disguise themselves to continue their lineage.

‘Lucas or Elise must have made a soul contract with a black magician. If they provide what the black magician wants, the black magician will move as they wish.’

Even if Elise couldn’t, Lucas had the power and authority to do so. She judged that it was probably Lucas who hired the black magician.

‘They have strong allies, but I have nothing.’

She was anxious and uneasy because even her only allies, the spirits, didn’t move according to Roxiana’s will. She wanted to develop some kind of ability as soon as possible to reclaim her family and bring those responsible to their knees.

‘But what am I doing now?’

Roxiana sat on a garden bench and recalled her recent daily routine.

She would have a few conversations with spirits, then go to the laundry to do laundry or clean, go to the kitchen to learn cooking and help with meal preparation, and occasionally spend time tending the garden with the gardener.

At first, the employees were perplexed by Roxiana’s visits, but now they greeted her with welcoming smiles.

‘Yes, I shouldn’t think of this as a waste of time.’

Winning people’s hearts before doing great things was important. There are times when people’s hearts can be the greatest help, more than any power.

‘It’s natural that it will take a long time for me, who has nothing, to reach those people. If I get impatient, things might go wrong, so I need to look at the big picture and move step by step.’

Roxiana thus calmed her anxious heart.

It would be nice to have someone to confide in and share worries with at times like this.

When she thought of the person she could confide everything in when everyone was alive, her stomach turned.

‘Yes, it was you, Elise. I told you things I couldn’t even tell my family.’

As Roxiana clenched her fists tightly, something jumped onto her thigh. Her eyes softened as she looked down at the furry bundle.

“Lion.”

The gray wolf, who had been given the name of a lion, licked the back of Roxiana’s hand as if to comfort her. Roxiana tickled Lion’s chin and said,

“Yes, now I have you.”

No matter how small, a beast is still a beast, and Lion was fierce to everyone. Even though Petria brought meat and milk every day, he didn’t give her a chance.

Yet, only to Roxiana did he act like a gentle puppy. He didn’t bare his teeth, and unlike a wolf, he wagged his tail and showed his belly affectionately.

There was no way not to feel affection for the small wolf that was only loving towards her.

Every time she realized her incompetence and wanted to die, the small life clung to Roxiana’s ankle.

‘Yes, I must endure at least until this child is alive.’

The wolf pup became her strength without knowing what thoughts kept Roxiana going.

Roxiana looked down at Lion with softened eyes, tickling his chin. She said to the wolf whose eyes had narrowed in pleasure,

“You know, my younger sibling’s name is Ranian, and they really loved dogs. If they had seen you, they would have adored you so much…”

Roxiana couldn’t talk about her family to other people, but it was different with Lion. The small wolf only looked at Roxiana with bright, clear eyes, without making any judgments or offering comfort.

That’s why it was comfortable.

“Ranian had a tender heart and was kind, so they loved animals very much. Among them, they loved dogs the most and raised five of them. They were all cute and lovable, but with no one to take care of them, I guess they’re all dead now.”

As Roxiana’s voice trembled, Lion licked the tips of her fingers as if to comfort her. Roxiana gazed down at Lion for a moment and then said,

“It’s been almost a month since we first met, but you haven’t grown at all. Are you not feeling well? I wonder if Sir Lepe would know why you’re not growing?”

It was a few days ago that she realized Lion wasn’t growing. One morning, as she looked at Lion lying at her feet, she suddenly realized it. He was the same size as when they first met.

She quickly dismissed the thought that dogs and wolves might grow at different rates. Wolves are wild animals, so they should grow even faster. There’s no way they would maintain such a small and fragile appearance for long.

When she realized something was strange, she wanted to run straight to Kirshan and ask, but she couldn’t.

Recently, the Grand Duke’s palace was too busy managing the people who had migrated to the city because the forest was dying.

The city dwellers treated the refugees as country bumpkins, and the refugees resented such city dwellers. Of course, there were more people who took care of the refugees with good intentions, but it was easy to predict that conflicts occurring throughout the city could spread like wildfire burning hay in an instant.

In the midst of this, she couldn’t bother Kirshan with the problem of a wolf not growing. As busy as Floyd was, his knight, Kirshan, must be busy too.

“The other day, when I went to the bustling area with Mrs. Renardo, I saw the Grand Duke. He was resolving a dispute that had broken out in the market. He was swearing… I’ve never heard such swear words in my life, you know?”

It was the first time she had seen a ruler personally intervene to resolve a market dispute, or separate fighters by roughly pulling them apart while spouting colorful curses. It was so strange and interesting that Roxiana watched for a long time before leaving the place.

“He’s an interesting person. I’ve never seen anyone like him before. Even though he swears so much, he doesn’t seem vulgar. Is that why everyone likes the Grand Duke?”

Roxiana scratched Lion’s chin.

“My sibling was loved by everyone too… Ah, of course, not because they swore a lot like the Grand Duke, but because they were a very bright, cheerful, and mature child. And this is a secret…”

As Roxiana lowered her voice, Lion perked up his ears.

“Ranian had a talent for magic. They knew how to use magic even before coming of age. If that becomes known, the Empire takes them away and locks them up in the magic tower, and they can’t meet their family well. We kept it a secret because we were afraid of that…”

Roxiana’s mouth twisted.

“If I had known this would happen, it would have been better for them to be locked up in the magic tower. Then they would be alive now.”

Roxiana didn’t cry, but the wolf licked her cheek as if understanding her feelings. Despite the warmth on her cheek, the chill touching her hollow heart didn’t disappear.

Suddenly, Lion bristled and growled, looking behind Roxiana. Roxiana stood up abruptly and turned around.

A middle-aged woman she had never seen before was standing in the middle of the path between the flower beds. The woman, dressed in an old-fashioned but neat dress, was looking around the garden with surprised eyes.

Roxiana hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.

“Is there a problem?”

The visitor seemed to realize Roxiana’s presence only then, composing her expression. She blinked her eyes, looking at Roxiana, and then opened her mouth.

“Ah, well, um… I’m Eledrun. Eledrun Hills.”

Roxiana knew that name too.

Roxiana slightly lifted her skirt and bent her knees in a curtsy.

“So you’re the head maid. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Roxiana.”

Eledrun stared blankly at Roxiana, who greeted her first.

Roxiana didn’t know, but Eledrun had experienced many things related to Roxiana during this time.

No matter how hard they tried to suppress it, the rumor that the Grand Duke had brought a woman into the Lily Palace couldn’t be completely blocked.

Viscountess Tibrang’s loose tongue flapped at will whenever she met people, and those who heard the story came to Eledrun with sparkling eyes to uncover the truth.

To hide the fact that the woman to whom the Grand Duke had given the Lily Palace was branded as a slave, Eledrun had to chatter about ‘our beautiful and noble lady’ to those who came every day.

As a result, she began to feel a sense of familiarity with Roxiana, whom she had never properly conversed with. Moreover, as Roxiana’s reputation improved among the employees, she truly came to be seen as a ‘beautiful and noble lady.’

In the meantime, she heard rumors that the garden of the Lily Palace was unusually beautiful. After hearing such words, she couldn’t help but visit.

Eledrun visited the Lily Palace as if enchanted and saw a real ‘princess’ there.

When Roxiana had been brought in Floyd’s arms, she had only caught a glimpse and didn’t have a chance to properly appreciate her appearance.

Roxiana, standing in the strangely beautiful garden, was wearing just a plain dress with a coat over it, yet she looked so noble that the word ‘princess’ naturally came to mind.

Her tall stature and long, graceful arms and legs, her platinum blonde hair shining brilliantly under the sunlight and the amber face beneath it, her green eyes like a beautiful forest and lips red as roses.

Her posture, standing with her back straight, was flawless in its elegance and dignity.

‘This woman must be a fairy!’

She couldn’t take her eyes off that beauty, to the point of having such childish thoughts.

‘That outfit won’t do!’

Eledrun, who had spent decades as a head maid, instantly thought of dresses and accessories that would suit Roxiana well.

‘A light pink, no, a light green dress. Gradually darkening colors towards the bottom, and accessories with bold points in gold and emerald…’

“Um, Head Maid?”

Eledrun snapped back to reality at Roxiana’s call.

‘What am I thinking!’

She had lost herself for a moment. Receiving Roxiana’s questioning gaze, Eledrun cleared her throat and remembered why she had come here.