They were having a meaningless argument with the spirit for a while when suddenly the surrounding space started making cracking sounds and began to split.

Countless gold appeared on the ceiling, making it feel as if it had spread endlessly. Then, like shattered glass, it shattered into pieces.
In the moment when the white light mercilessly pierced through my cornea like needles, I realized that I had returned to the original world.

“Bella! Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?”

“Uh… yeah. I’m fine. Except for being a bit blinded by the light.”

While I was rubbing my stinging eyes, Shionne, who was a little away from the carriage, found Charlotte lying unconscious and exclaimed in surprise.

“Why is she here… Could it be that Charlotte is the mastermind behind all this?”

“Half right, half wrong. It’s true that Charlotte aimed a knife at me, but she behaved unstable, as if someone had brainwashed her.”

I explained in detail to Shionne about what had happened in the astral space. While I was confronting Charlotte in another dimension, Shionne had apparently done her best to pull me out.

The time difference between the real world and the time spent in the astral space seemed quite significant.

“I suggest we immediately return to the royal palace and guide Charlotte’s safety to the Royal Knights. If there’s someone behind this, they’ll try to assassinate her somehow.”

“They might have already considered failure and planted some obstacles around. Since we can be tracked with magic, let’s try a different approach.”

“A different approach? Do you have any good ideas?”

“Well, there’s a solution that fits the current situation perfectly.”

The solution I mentioned was to cast a barrier I learned from the spirits and move within it.

Since our appearance and sound couldn’t be seen or heard outside the barrier, it was the optimal way to move secretly.

After tying up the deeply sleeping Charlotte and loading her onto the carriage, we headed towards the royal palace.

There were some suspicious individuals following us, but thanks to the barrier, we could completely shake them off.

“When did you learn such an incredible ability? A transparent defense barrier that can’t be traced even with magic. It’s really amazing.”

“The spirits taught me. To confess now, I’ve used it several times even inside the Rose Palace. It’s incredibly useful for moving around without being noticed by people.”

“No wonder things seemed strange. You’ve been hiding such a secret.”

After a while, having entered the royal palace, we headed straight to the place where the Knight Order was based.

Having heard all the details, Walter seemed utterly astonished. He was aware that she was deeply involved with the assassins, but he never expected her to attempt direct murder.

“For now, hide Charlotte in a discreet place, Walter. Pretend she’s staying at the palace for some business with the Repel family. At least for tonight.”

“Understood, Princess. But why specifically for one night? Do you have something in mind?”
“Yeah, I’ve completely run out of patience now. I can’t tolerate that guy any longer.”

“When you say ‘that guy’… you don’t mean…”

As Walter calmly inquired, I replied with a mischievous grin.

“Tonight, I need to meet Galio and settle things with him.”

I headed to the Dark Alley late at night to meet Galio. I had hoped that Galio, aware of Charlotte’s failed assassination attempt, might show some unusual movements, but nothing like that happened. In the end, before it got too late, I decided to depart for the Dark Alley with Cain and Raven.

Shionne couldn’t accompany us because the only person capable of treating Charlotte, who seemed to be under a dark magic spell, was her.

“Bella, do you really have to meet Galio? He’s too dangerous, and you’ve already been through something perilous. It might be better to take a break…”

“There’s no meaning in another day, Shionne. By tomorrow morning, Charlotte will have become a formidable enemy, having attempted to kill me three times. Galio will be sipping morning tea or whatever, watching the situation unfold.”

“…”

“I despise that fact to the core. I’ll make him feel it clearly. In the new kingdom I’m building, there’s no need for such a guy.”

“A new kingdom… Are you, by any chance, dreaming of taking Lord’s position?”

“That’s right. I will become the Lord leading the Chevesh Kingdom, succeeding my father.”

This was the first time I directly revealed my aspirations to Shionne. She looked as if she had been hit on the back of her head, gaping for a moment, then began to smile.

“It seems I’ve underestimated you, Bella. I’ve always thought of you as too young. Until when should I have protected you as a governess?!”

“Of course. I’m already twelve. Soon I’ll be fourteen, sixteen. It’ll be pretty soon from what you see now, right?”

Probably around this time.

Shionne’s expression shifted from a kind governess mode to that of a strict instructor.

“I understand, Bella. It seems I’ve seen you as too immature. It’s said that mother birds, when the time is right, push their chicks off the cliff to make them fly. It’s time for you to leave my embrace, Bella.”

“Huh? No, there’s really no need to push me off a cliff…”

“Take care and come back safely. And if possible, make Galio’s nose flat. Don’t let him utter a word near you again.”