Roxiana staggered to her feet, brushed off the dirt on her skirt, and composed her expression. She didn’t want to show any signs of fatigue to Eledrun.

At Roxiana’s call, Eledrun came out to the garden and looked around her garden with wide eyes, as if she couldn’t believe it. The foul smell that had stung her nose was gone, and the dark, murky soil had regained its original color.

Eledrun covered her face with both hands and sobbed.

“Thank you, thank you so much.”

Roxiana didn’t know how to react to Eledrun, who was shedding tears and expressing joy even though the dead trees hadn’t come back to life and the flowers weren’t as lush as before.

−”There’s nothing the princess can do.”

Floyd’s voice echoed in her mind, along with the overwhelming sense of despair she felt then.

‘There’s nothing I can do?’

Roxiana looked back at the transformed landscape and Eledrun, who was crying tears of joy. A faint smile briefly appeared on Roxiana’s lips before disappearing.

‘I can do anything.’

+++

“When I won the Fairy Garden Competition, I was much happier than when my son received his knighthood. Because I achieved it entirely on my own.”

Eledrun said, sitting across from Roxiana at a small tea table on the terrace overlooking the garden. She was gazing down at the garden with loving eyes.

“I had truly given up, but thanks to you, Princess, I can challenge the competition once again. I’m truly grateful.”

“It’s nothing. I merely did what I could.”

“No. You must have felt that I treated you poorly. Yet you still acted on my behalf. Not everyone would show such kindness to someone who dislikes them.”

Eledrun sighed.

“The first thing His Grace the Grand Duke did after entering Torkan was to proclaim the abolition of slavery. I thought it was wonderful. After all, all people are equal under God’s love. But I was the one who supported the slave system more than anyone else. Just because of a single brand.”

Eledrun put down her teacup and bowed her head.

“I apologize for my attitude towards you all this time, Princess.”

“No, what are you saying? The head maid and I have never even met.”

“Didn’t you notice, Princess? Petria was just a maid. His Grace the Grand Duke ordered me to send a skilled lady-in-waiting to the Lily Palace, but I didn’t comply.”

Roxiana had already noticed that Petria wasn’t from a noble family, but it wasn’t an issue worth raising. Petria was diligent, kind, intelligent, and quick. Roxiana had never felt any discomfort.

“You didn’t even report that to His Grace the Grand Duke, so I’ve been indebted to you all this time, from then until now.”

“Head Maid.”

“Please, call me Eledrun comfortably.”

It was quite uncomfortable to see Eledrun, who was about her mother’s age, unable to lift her head. Roxiana hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“You simply did what you had to do from your position, and I simply did what I could do. I’m actually grateful for the Petria situation. You could have sent an unskilled maid to give me a hard time, but you chose to send someone intelligent.”

“Princess…”

“It’s unlikely that ladies from good families would have served me well, given my slave brand. Your judgment was correct.”

Eledrun was nearly breathless with emotion.

How could this beautiful, intelligent, elegant, and kind princess be so considerate as well?

She thought she had developed a good eye for people in her 40-plus years of life, but she now realized how lacking she had been. To have slighted and belittled such a person just because of a slave brand.

‘If only she could become my son’s wife, there would be nothing better.’

She quickly erased the thought that had suddenly occurred to her.

To have such a terrible imagination about her benefactor.

‘How could you even think of matching her with that bear-like boy who doesn’t even wash properly and is only interested in swords and martial arts! That would be repaying kindness with enmity.’

Roxiana would be better suited to a more elegant, beautiful man who knows proper etiquette. Someone like Arsen Chetek, for example.

‘Yes, she would go very well with Lord Chetek. When they stand together, it would look like a goddess and a god gathered in one place.’

Just imagining Arsen’s silver hair and Roxiana’s platinum blonde hair shining brilliantly under the sunlight made her dizzy.

Unaware of what Eledrun was thinking, Roxiana was drinking the fragrant black tea when she said,

“Oh, Madam. I have one request…”

“Please, just say it.”

“Please don’t tell anyone about what happened today.”

“Yes, of course. That goes without saying.”

Eledrun was quick-witted, so she thought that Roxiana’s power was not an ordinary one.

The power to drive away evil magic.

Originally, this was a power that only holy knights and priests who had dedicated their bodies and souls to the god Weden should possess. And the Empire and the Temple did not leave those with such power alone.

Either bring them into the Temple, or kill them if they refuse.

Knowing these circumstances well, Eledrun had no intention of blabbing about today’s events everywhere.

“But… can’t I tell His Grace the Grand Duke?”

But it was different with Floyd. If the Grand Duke learned of Roxiana’s power, he would undoubtedly grant her more authority and status.

“No, not yet. Please don’t tell anyone for now.”

Roxiana had her own plans, so she wanted Floyd to remain unaware of what she had accomplished here. If he found out, he might assign guards to prevent Roxiana from overexerting herself.

“Alright, I’ll do that. You don’t need to worry about my lips opening.”

After that, Eledrun talked at length about how she would decorate this garden. As it wasn’t boring to listen to her story full of vitality and joy, Roxiana spent quite a long time there before returning to the Lily Palace.

And in front of the arch of the Lily Palace, she discovered a man with long silver hair crouching down. The silver-haired man was holding a large bone in his hand.

+++

Arsen intended to draw the attention of the wolf at the Lily Palace.

As Floyd said, that cute and lovable baby wolf was Roxiana’s responsibility. Whether that wolf stayed that small forever or fell ill somewhere, it wasn’t Arsen’s concern.

‘Right, I only need to take care of my own children.’

But every time he saw his own dogs growing up healthy, his heart would stir at the thought of that young predator, which was even smaller than the dogs.

The gray wolves native to this region grow to be as long as an adult woman. If that wolf was about 3 or 4 months old, it should have grown at least as big as the dogs Arsen raised.

Arsen, who had been watching his knights practice in the training ground, couldn’t bear it anymore when he heard that Roxiana had gone to Head Maid Eledrun’s mansion, and headed to the Lily Palace.

Before visiting the Lily Palace, he obtained a large bone with plenty of meat still attached from the kitchen. He wasn’t trying to kidnap the wolf. He just wanted to call it out and take a quick look. Or maybe it would be good to take it to a veterinarian in town.

Fortunately, the gray wolf was out in the garden of the Lily Palace. It was sleeping contentedly on its back on the grass of the particularly beautiful garden.

‘It really is small. Could it be a dog instead of a wolf?’

Although Arsen moved quietly, the wolf seemed to sense his presence and suddenly opened its eyes, got up, and bared its teeth while glaring at Arsen. Even when Arsen held out the meaty bone, the wolf didn’t lower its guard.

“I won’t hurt you.”

Even speaking in the gentlest voice possible was of no use. The wolf lowered its upper body even more, ready to attack Arsen.

“I just want to check on you because you’re not growing. I’m just going to look. It won’t hurt. Tsk tsk tsk.”

No matter how much he coaxed and cajoled, the wolf wouldn’t let its guard down. In the wolf’s brown eyes glaring at Arsen, there was a hint of irritation and anger.

“Excuse me.”

A small and thin voice was heard just as Arsen had decided he would have to offer one of his forearms to the wolf and catch it. Arsen, who had been so focused on the wolf that he hadn’t noticed someone approaching, turned around with a start.

“Woof!”

The wolf barked happily and rushed past Arsen towards Roxiana. Stopping in front of Roxiana, the wolf, unlike its behavior towards Arsen, wagged its tail and acted coy. It even wiggled its hips as if it hadn’t seen her in a hundred years.

“Yes, yes.”

Roxiana bent down to stroke the wolf’s head and then picked it up. Arsen was dumbfounded at the sight of the wolf narrowing its eyes and purring contentedly.

‘How on earth did that woman tame this young wolf?’

Then, realizing what kind of state she had caught him in, he blushed. Fortunately, she was busy petting the wolf and wasn’t looking at Arsen.

Arsen quickly composed his expression and cleared his throat to make his presence known. Roxiana slowly raised her head, and their gazes met in mid-air.

Roxiana was about to say something but tilted her head slightly to the side. Only then did Arsen realize that he hadn’t introduced himself to her and opened his mouth.

“Arsen Chetek. I’m the commander of the White Eagle Knights.”

“Ah, I’m Roxiana. But what brings you here? Did our Lion do something wrong?”