“Princess, this is what Poppy just bit!”

Ronowe extended a gift towards me, about the size of his own head.

“Come closer and take a look.”

“Alright.”

I approached, arms crossed. Cautiously touching the surface with my fingertips, the texture wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.

‘It feels oddly familiar. It’s like a seashell. But I’ve never seen one this big. I remember finding a much smaller one.’

Old memories came to mind naturally as I took the gift from Ronowe and turned it this way and that. A brief life in a small fishing village flashed through my thoughts.

Life as a princess, with every need met, was a far cry from my past life as the daughter of impoverished parents, too poor even to afford medicine when ill. Back then, I had given up on finding answers to life’s questions.

I couldn’t remember my exact age when I died, but I clearly recalled walking on the beach, collecting a few seashells and whelks, and lying on my bed, playing with them until I closed my eyes.

‘Interesting that I remember all this.’

Perhaps because my first experience of the sea had left an indelible mark.

I’m not a poet, so I can’t describe it adequately, but the feel of the sea, which I had seen and felt for the first time back then, was special.

It was a fresh experience, as the paradise I lived in during my first life had no sea.

Despite being trapped in the cycle of death and rebirth for hundreds of years, that one life near the sea felt significant.

It was but a blip in my repetitive existence; even the faces and names of family from that life were blurry.

After all, perfectly remembering a large volume of past lives would be abnormal.

My memories of the life at the beginning, except for a few details about Yongyong, were fuzzy at best.

So if someone demanded to know who I was a hundred years ago and threatened me, I wouldn’t be able to say anything.

But would such a character actually appear? I’d probably take them down first.

Why?

Isn’t it obvious? Because they’re insolent towards perfect me.

“Is it a snail?”

The more I looked at it, the more it resembled a seashell but wasn’t one.

Like the times Ronowe changes, it seemed like something else wearing a seashell’s skin.

Perhaps it’s ocean debris transformed into a souvenir.

‘How disgusting.’

The thought that it was made from a corpse gave me the creeps. Judging by its meticulous crafting, it would fetch a high price.

Wouldn’t the vain flock to buy it?

“Ronowe, does this remind you of anything?”

I abruptly asked Ronowe, to avoid any misunderstandings.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen something like this before.”

Tch, even he who knows the works of the scholar ‘Roph de Zaniata’ doesn’t know this. I sighed internally.

“Is that so? I thought you’d know.”

Next, I glanced at Carlyle. I expected him to approach, but he hadn’t taken a step during this entire exchange.

“Uh…”

Upon closer inspection, Carlyle had been busy consoling Poppy. Thanks to him, the noisy crying had stopped, and Poppy was merely sniffling, leaning against Carlyle’s chest and staring at the ceiling.

The face was clearly one of regret.

‘As greedy as she is, even she wouldn’t want to eat that.’
When I first got Poppy, I was thrilled, thinking I could even defy God because of a mosquito incident. But not anymore.

I found Poppy pathetic. What part of that shell looked like food, compelling her to pounce?

“Keep an eye on that one.”

I sighed and gestured to Ronowe, suggesting she go to Carlyle. I didn’t want to hold onto someone who couldn’t answer my questions for too long.

“Look after Poppy with Beris, in case she picks up something weird to eat again.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Telling her bluntly would make her cry, so I made up a moderate excuse.

Ronowe quickly ran to where Carlyle was without prying any further. After petting Poppy’s head a few times, she exchanged a smiling glance with Beris, who had by now joined us.

“Poppy seems upset; let’s cheer her up!”

“Okay, sounds good!”

Next, we coordinated our moves and tossed Poppy in the air above our heads like a ball, frightening ourselves. We were wary of hitting a sensitive spot or dropping her.

But Ronowe and Beris skillfully tossed Poppy back and forth like jugglers. Eventually, they held hands and twirled around in a dance, with Poppy in the middle.

Should I stop them? I wondered. However, Carlyle simply clapped, unbothered by our ridiculous antics.

Seeing that made me want to ask what they were doing but gave up, fearing it would only aggravate things.

‘No more accidents now.’

With a sour face, I returned to my original spot after watching Poppy and Fleur mingle with the kids. With three people tending to Poppy, I was confident that no unfortunate incidents would occur to the gifts from the nobles.

“Your Highness.”

“What is it?”

Sasha appeared, as if he had been waiting, and suddenly spoke.

His eyes were fixed on the large gift I had brought. Clearly written on his face was, ‘I know what it is! I want to talk about it!’

In short, Sasha seemed restless, wanting to show off his knowledge.