The portrait work was tiring, but manageable.

Of course, it wasn’t easy at all.

Being a model for two hours in the morning and two hours before dinner, unable to move a muscle, felt like a witch’s curse from the fairy tale books Hecate and Jeff had brought me before – as if my whole body was slowly turning to stone.

Still, since the painting would last for a long time, I fought with willpower, hoping to be depicted in the most dignified and impressive way possible.

Finally, after the promised 5 days had passed, when Musai said the basic work was done and he could finish coloring on his own, I can’t describe how happy I felt with the sense of liberation and joy.

“Darjeeling! It must have been hard not being able to meet your friends because of the portrait work all this time?”

Meanwhile, Jeff suggested one morning during breakfast that it would be nice to meet with my companions again.

It’s not that I particularly missed them, but since they were children I was politically connected with, I couldn’t avoid seeing them forever. I also thought I needed a change of pace, so I said I should see my friends.

“That’s a good idea, our little sage ruler.”

Hecate, who was with us in the dining room at the time, was very pleased and asked if it would be alright to invite both the Vladimir and Fleur families this time, so I told her to go ahead.

‘When did I ever choose who to meet?’

Honestly, Jeff and Hecate have been arranging these social gathering schedules for me since I was 3 years old.

This means I’ve never directly told Hecate that I want to meet the Fleur family on Monday, rest on Tuesday, and meet the Vladimir family on Wednesday.

Since they’ve never made me meet people I disliked or felt uncomfortable with, I just casually find out various things from the court ladies.

“Then how about our Darjeeling writes the invitation letters to her friends herself?”

“Alright.”

Thinking it was worth trying once, I readily agreed and entered the small study next to my bedroom as soon as the morning successor lessons ended.

Not too spacious, the room suitable for reading books alone and sinking into contemplation was a place only I, Hayley, and Miranda could enter. It gleamed brightly, perhaps because it had recently been redecorated.

Moreover, with the refreshing scent of wood permeating the air in the room, it felt like being in nature, bringing back old memories and making me feel comfortable in many ways.

“The wood scent is a bit unique. Which region is this timber from?”

I blurted out as I sat down at the desk to write the letters.

Clatter−.

“I heard it’s wood imported from the eastern region, Your Highness.”

Miranda, who was closest, brought paper and placed it on the desk, selecting an inkwell from the display and bringing it closer as she answered. Meanwhile, Hayley slightly opened the window and prepared drinks and snacks.

“The Radast family, who have deep ties with the Fleur family, prepared it, saying only the finest wood should be used where Your Highness resides.”

“Hmm, so it wasn’t the Fleur family who took the initiative in preparing this.”

The Radast family – I remember seeing that name on the list of families participating in regular meetings when I was the Emperor in my previous life.

I had thought nothing of it then, just noting they had enough influence to set foot in the capital, but seeing how they’ve gained an opportunity to curry favor with the imperial family through their connection with the Fleur family in this life, I wonder if they’re also testing the waters to push their children as my companions later.

“It seems that since the Fleur family and Radast family are in a cooperative business relationship, and the two families have strong private ties as well, they may have helped connect suppliers for the materials needed for this study’s new renovation.”

“The two families do business together? That’s news to me.”

After being reborn as the imperial princess, I naturally learned that the Fleur family was close to the imperial family, but I wasn’t interested in which families the Fleur family was closely associated with in noble society.

“By the way, does the Radast family have young children too?”

Somehow not wanting more companions to increase, I asked casually to probe.

“I just recently investigated various information circulating in noble society, and from what I hear, since the youngest Miss Isabel recently held her engagement ceremony, it seems there are no children around Your Highness’s age.”

“I see. I thought there might be someone my age since you said they were close to the Fleur family. Actually, I don’t want to increase my friends anymore, so I was going to draw the line early if the child was much younger.”

When I added that I didn’t want to have a headache over managing personal connections until I die after becoming Emperor later, Miranda nodded and said she understood.

“Oh, is this a new quill pen?”

“Yes, Your Highness. The color is so beautiful, and the texture of the feather is amazing.”

A moment later, I sipped the orange juice Hayley had brought and fiddled with the red quill pen Miranda had handed me.

“His Majesty the Emperor even had Your Highness’s name engraved on it.”

“Where?”

Looking closely at the upper part of the pen nib, I could see my name engraved in very small and fine letters. Thinking that he must have put in effort, I examined the elegant pattern on the silver nib and then touched the red feather attached to the end.

‘It’s unlikely to be a feather from the Phoenix clan that rivaled dragons in paradise, but it looks somewhat similar.’

While the Dragon clan, starting with Yongyong-i, showed some interest in the second human race on earth and a very small number even interacted with them, the Phoenix clan never left paradise even when they came out of their habitat, so it doesn’t make sense.

‘They were such a closed-off bunch that I barely had any interactions with them. We just exchanged polite greetings when we happened to meet.’

Yet, the mystical red feather that looked as if it contained flames, gradually changing from orange to bright yellow towards the bottom, reminded me more and more of the Phoenix clan. It resembled them so accurately that it made me think of a being I had forgotten, leading me to form a hypothesis.

Perhaps, hundreds of years ago, someone from the second human race who visited paradise by chance saw a phoenix, and that image was passed down to later generations, resulting in the creation of a similar imitation.

“Dad really can’t help but do everything for me.”

The thought that Jeff, who served me like Duke Thebern who served Ulrika when I was the previous emperor, was doing the same for me reincarnated as his daughter, made me chuckle.

I had expected it since he’s the kind of unusual person who prepares ten more things in the process of preparing one, but this quill pen was even more to my liking, aside from my personal feelings about the Phoenix clan, making the weight of the obligatory letter writing feel less burdensome.

“Wait on the sofa for a bit. I’ll call you when I’m done.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Understood.”

Because it was uncomfortable to have someone watching from behind, I indirectly expressed that they shouldn’t lurk around, and immediately opened the inkwell. Soon after, I dipped the quill pen in, tapped the ink on the nib tip, and quickly wrote on the paper.

Since I hardly ever use ink, the old ink had disappeared and everything had been replaced with new ones. The scent of the ink was so unique that it felt like it was made with rare and expensive ingredients, though not as good as the ointment made with dragon’s breath.

[Ronowe, Berith, and Carlyle. Hear me, my friends.] [I have been postponing our meetings due to portrait work for a while.] [However, that work is now coming to an end, and I can finally make time.] [Prepare to come to Bowellian Castle with a joyful heart.] [−Your eternal friend, Darjeeling Piccadilly−]

“Ah, I forgot to ask about Marquis Fleur’s well-being.”

I hurriedly added a postscript message and then diligently wrote a letter to be sent to the Vladimir family as well. Although it’s troublesome, all these actions serve to show the dignity of the imperial family.

Anyway, I entrusted the completed letters to Miranda and Hayley afterwards. Those two were servants who understood me perfectly, so they skillfully double-wrapped the letters, and I finally stamped them with the imperial wax seal and stretched.

‘It’ll be noisy when everyone gathers after a long time.’

Although it was bound to be tiring, I decided to think positively since there would be no successor lessons on the day I meet the children, only self-study.

In any case, it would only be to my disadvantage to get stressed, and if I couldn’t properly control myself over something like this, it would be as if I were disgracing my face as the previous emperor, let alone being the heir to the throne.

And so, a few days later.

On a day when the sky was clear without a single cloud, as if blue had been painted on a white canvas, I headed to the domed gazebo in the outdoor garden first, accompanied by the three children from the Fleur family who had arrived earlier than scheduled.

The plan was to leisurely drink juice and eat snacks while waiting for Sasha, feeling the gentle touch of the wind brushing through my hair.

“Your Highness, besides the letter you sent us last time, we also received a letter from Her Majesty the Empress.”

“What do you mean?”

I tilted my head at Ronowe’s sudden remark. While there was no reason Hecate or Jeff couldn’t write separate letters, I found it odd since they were the type to mention it if they did.

“She said she would introduce a new friend to us?”

Ronowe seemed surprised that I didn’t know, and the same went for Carlyle and Berith.

“Really? I thought I was just playing with you guys today too.”

Damn it, did Hecate have something hidden to surprise me like a treasure hunt? Did everyone agree not to say a word, like when I received Poppy before?

“Ah, then Her Majesty must have kept it a secret!”

“That’s right! That’s why even Your Highness doesn’t know~”

Seeing my completely clueless expression, the bright-faced Fleur siblings deduced possible reasons while munching on snacks.

‘Surely they’re not bringing a child from a noble family close to the Vladimir family as a new friend?’

Just as I was inwardly praying that it wouldn’t be some sly kid while taking another sip of fruit juice.

“Huh?”

Ronowe put down her teacup of juice and stared at someone who had appeared on the white marble path leading to the gazebo.

“There’s a pretty child next to the Vladimir young master!”

Looking closely, it was indeed Sasha who had appeared, and beside him was a girl with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes who seemed familiar.

“Where, where?”

The curious riffraff quickly started making a fuss, while I crossed my arms with an indifferent face, waiting for Sasha and the girl who was probably the new friend Hecate had mentioned to come closer.

‘Ah, now I remember!’

As the platinum-blonde girl came closer, I recalled the pale-faced girl lying in the bedroom that had the strongest aura of the dead at the Vladimir mansion.

“Nice to meet you, everyone.”

With her hair cut short and dressed more elaborately, I didn’t recognize her for a moment, but the platinum-blonde girl was definitely…

“I’m Freya Eve Vladimir.”

Sasha’s precious older sister whom he cherished dearly.