—
Entark Capital.
The Royal Palace.
Treya’s Training Grounds.
As Treya’s maid, having served her for over a decade, Sarah stood to the side watching her train. Yet today, she felt as though she was seeing her for the first ti.
Her posture while holding the sword hadn’t changed.
Her movents as she swung it were still sharp and graceful.
Her gaze remained as cold as ice.
Even the subtle twitch of her pointed elven ears as the blade slid into its sheath was the sa as always.
But…
There was sothing about Princess Treya that felt entirely different from the cold yet inherently pure half-elf princess she had once been.
Was it…
Because she had returned to the capital, to the palace, two weeks ago? After wandering outside for what felt like an eternity (though it was less than a month), perhaps she was no longer accustod to the life of a princess in the palace?
Yes, Treya had returned. But Sarah didn’t know what had happened to her during her ti away. She had only been gone for a month before coming back to the palace.
When she returned, she had casually remarked, almost cheerfully, “The lamb in Moxi Town grills up quite nicely. We should have the kitchen order so next ti.”
Wasn’t she supposed to be…
Forming a dungeon adventuring team with the Hysterm family’s youngest son, her long-ti friend, and fiancé?
Why had she returned to the capital and the palace?
And…
Why had she co back alone?!
Though Sarah was rely a maid accompanying her during training, as soone handpicked by the royal family, she couldn’t ignore the strange feeling in the air.
Had sothing happened…
Sothing that Will, as an “outsider,” truly couldn’t intervene in?
Regardless, Sarah found it hard to believe that such a kind and understanding man as Will, and such a pure and lovely princess as Treya, could have any serious conflict between them.
Watching Treya in the training grounds, her shadow elongated by the muted afternoon sunlight, Sarah silently speculated…
But then, like sothing out of a ghost story, Treya suddenly turned around.
She looked directly at Sarah.
“What’s wrong, Sarah? Is there sothing wrong with my outfit?”
Whether it was her half-elf intuition or her instincts as an agile swordswoman, Treya was incredibly perceptive.
Sarah had only been staring at her for a mont before she noticed.
“N-nothing! I was just… just srized by how long it’s been since I last watched Your Highness train.”
If she were a maid serving another princess, she might have rushed forward to discuss the changes she had noticed.
But…
Treya’s expression was hard to read, and there was always a faint aura of killing intent about her.
Sarah didn’t dare ask, didn’t dare speak, didn’t dare listen.
In monts like these, she couldn’t help but admire Will.
Though Will often emphasized privately that his engagent to Treya might never co to fruition, that it would be indefinitely postponed until it was eventually canceled, and that she shouldn’t think of him as a future mber of the royal family…
Still…
In Sarah’s eyes, Will was the one—the only one—who truly understood Treya. He was the one who could be her fiancé, her future husband, her advisor, and her companion.
He wasn’t just soone who could offer constructive feedback on Treya’s swordsmanship.
He could also analyze the royal family’s intricate and ever-changing political landscape with her.
And…
He could even help ease the constant tension Treya seed to carry.
“Don’t worry… I just don’t know why, but I’ve been feeling much more anxious lately.”
Treya relaxed her perpetually furrowed brow, as if trying to show she was calming down.
But Sarah knew better. Ever since her return, Treya had seed preoccupied.
“Could it be… because of the Fourth Prince being suspended and investigated by the Seventh Princess?”
When Sarah blurted out this comnt, Treya turned to look at her again.
eting her gaze, Sarah noticed faint dark circles under Treya’s usually pristine eyes.
“S-sorry, that’s… that’s not sothing a maid like should be gossiping about.”
The Fourth Prince, Geoffrey, was a nearly thirty-year-old man with short, pale green hair, known for his military prowess.
The Seventh Princess, Glynne, was a serious and ticulous figure, particularly respected for her contributions to Entark’s legal system.
The palace atmosphere had been tense lately, likely due to this matter.
For reasons unknown, the Seventh Princess had suddenly accused the Fourth Prince of betraying the royal family and abusing his military authority, calling for his impeachnt.
This had left everyone on edge.
Not because anyone truly believed the Fourth Prince had betrayed the royal family or abused his power—after all, the royal siblings’ competition for influence was a well-known and accepted practice.
Each royal child, except for a few ceremonial figures, wielded significant power, especially those in positions of real authority.
But…
The Seventh Princess, known for her seriousness and integrity, seed to be using this as an opportunity to enter the political fray.
This likely ant that the conflict had lost one of its “neutral observers.”
Of course, as a servant, Sarah couldn’t fully grasp or analyze these complexities.
Still…
In the increasingly oppressive atmosphere of the palace, under a sky that seed to suffocate, this was all anyone could talk about.
Eavesdropping on palace gossip, she had picked up bits and pieces of the story.
So…
It was only natural for Princess Treya to feel anxious about it.
In Entark’s royal family, who wouldn’t be anxious about the throne?
“It’s nothing. For the royal family, these kinds of struggles are commonplace. Hmm, Will said the sa thing to .”
Sarah found it odd that Treya didn’t add the honorific “teacher” when ntioning sothing Will had taught her.
But that was how it should be. After all, they were supposed to be married one day! Constantly calling him “teacher” would make it seem like they had so strange dynamic.
“Let’s practice another set of sword techniques. Help set up the training dummies, Sarah.”
“Of course.”
“Arrange them according to the red circles I’ve drawn on the ground.”
“Understood.”
Treya watched as Sarah positioned the dummies, then took a deep breath.
Her training sessions had been unusually long lately, even longer than when she was with the adventuring team.
And… this wasn’t the first day.
For the past two or three days, she had maintained this level of intensity.
If Will were here, he’d probably lecture her about not balancing work and rest.
But…
She looked at the dummies.
The arrangent was one that Will had personally adjusted for her that night, based on Eugenie’s layout.
There were 30 dummies on the field, the sa number Will had specified that night.
It was a formation burned into her mory, one she would never forget.
For her now, these 30 dummies—even if doubled or randomly scattered—were no challenge.
Draw the sword.
Slash and thrust.
Sheathe the sword.
—Just like now, in the blink of an eye, she used Entark’s demonic swordsmanship to destroy them all effortlessly.
But…
No matter how many tis she practiced, she couldn’t shake a lingering unease.
Perhaps she kept destroying the mories of that night’s scene because she wanted to imrse herself in them over and over again.
Was it because of the royal family’s turmoil?
“Your Highness is truly… truly incredible. With skills like yours, you could dominate any dungeon.”
“Yes. That’s true.”
Treya nodded.
“That’s enough for today. I need to visit the guards.”
“Alright, I’ll clean up for you… Wait?! Why the guards?”
“To check on how they’re handling the task of posting the missing person notices.”
“Your Highness, who are you looking for?”
“Will. Will Hysterm.”
“Ah? So sothing did happen between you two—”
“He… has gone missing.”
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