Noelle raised an eyebrow.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but as Princess you're expected to choose a husband and produce an heir for the Kingdom. Your partner must be a man. At best, you could keep other girls as lovers."
"Well… that's essentially true," Anabella admitted.
"Then if you truly love Eris, let her go." Noelle's voice turned unusually serious. "Don't force her into a relationship where she can never be your true love—only your lover beside your husband."
The Princess flinched at the words.
"When you say it like that… it hurts even more."
"Obviously. As a Princess, you probably thought you could have anyone you wanted," Noelle remarked, reopening her book.
Anabella gave a faint smile.
"No one else talks to me like this. That's why I like you, Noelle."
"Just so you know, I'm not going to comfort you. You're not my type."
The Princess huffed.
"Maybe I should seek comfort in Young Wolf's arms instead."
Noelle burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Even a demon girl would have a better chance with him than you."
"You really hate me that much?!" Anabella asked, offended.
"It's not that he hates you. He just… doesn't like you."
"Because I'm the Princess?"
Noelle snapped the book shut and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Are you really that stupid?" she asked bluntly. "The problem isn't that you're a Princess. It's that you're a ridiculously lazy brat who never bothered to learn swordsmanship or magic."
"I didn't have to learn those things because I'm the Princess!" Anabella shot back.
"You're only fifteen!" Noelle snapped. "If you finally understand how weak you are, then it's time to start training so you can become stronger! You'd already be helping the Hero a lot if you could at least defeat a single imp on your own, instead of needing protection from a mouse. This is a massive burden on Eris!"
The Princess lowered her head.
"All right… I understand. Yes, you're right. I need to become stronger. I know that now. I've learned my lesson."
Noelle nodded.
"Excellent. Then you've already taken the first step on the right path."
Packing Up the Past
For a moment, the Princess smiled, as if trying to hide her own pain.
"After Eris, I like you the most, Noelle," she said softly.
Noelle didn't even look up from her book; she simply shrugged.
"Then I hope you'll use that affection to pay me the one hundred and fifty gold you owe me as soon as possible."
Anabella's eyes widened.
"I'll send it to Wolfwood once I return to the capital, through a trustworthy courier. Will that do?"
"That works for me."
"And… what are you planning to spend it on?" the Princess asked with cautious curiosity.
"I'm going to buy a high‑quality slave in the Empire."
Anabella thought for a moment, then a mischievous smile crept onto her face.
"Maybe I should buy one too. Someone who looks like Eris… hehehe."
Noelle grimaced in disgust.
"Ugh! Stupid Princess!"
The half‑elf girl tried to return to her book, but Anabella simply wouldn't leave her alone that day. She needed someone to distract her from the weight of grief and responsibility. And Noelle—despite her protests—ended up filling that role perfectly.
While the two girls talked in the library, Young Wolf had returned to Eli's old, secret magical workshop. The room still carried the scent of bygone days: dust, parchment, and the faint metallic aroma of magic.
"Now that the battle against the demons is over, it's time to pack up your things," Andras said as he looked around the shelves.
Eli's duplicate raised an eyebrow.
"And how exactly do you plan to transport all this to Wolfwood?"
"I'll put everything into my magical storage."
"What storage are you talking about?"
"The one your real self developed on the Sky Island."
Eli's duplicate leaned forward, her curiosity instantly ignited.
"Details. Now."
Young Wolf explained the principle behind the magical storage—the unique space‑bending technique understood only by the greatest mages.
Eli's duplicate spread her arms triumphantly, as if she had just uncovered the greatest secret in the world.
"The real me is a genius! Which means I'm a genius too! With an invention like this, we can move the entire workshop to Wolfwood! Hahaha!"
Andras threw his cloak over his shoulder and sighed wearily.
"Yeah, but it'll still take a full day to pack everything into the storage."
"Then you'd better get started," Eli replied, as if she herself had no intention of helping.
The Dragon's Shadow
Night had already fallen by the time the young Mage and Eli finished emptying the secret workshop. The shelves stood bare, the room hollow and echoing, with only a few stray scraps of parchment scattered across the floor.
Eli looked around, then suddenly shouted,
"Wait! Where's that damn magical cauldron?"
"There was nothing wrong with that cauldron," Andras replied. "Aside from the foul sludge rotting inside it."
Eli stared at him in disbelief.
"You packed it?!"
"You can't smell anything inside the storage. One of the maids in Wolfwood will clean it."
Eli sighed, then something else occurred to her.
"The necklace is in your storage too?"
"Yeah. Safe and sound."
"That cursed necklace was used by one of the Demon Generals a thousand years ago," Eli said, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and excitement.
"The Beast‑man you mentioned earlier?"
"Exactly. Good thing only a weak demon used it this time."
"Yeah… considering Wildfire still almost killed the Hero," Andras muttered.
Eli's eyes gleamed.
"I can't wait to experiment on it."
"If we could convert the evil dragon's power into a purified dragon‑heart, we could artificially create a Dragon Knight," Andras said casually, as if he weren't describing one of the most dangerous magical projects in the world.
Eli bounced on her heels impatiently.
"When are we going back to Wolfwood?"
"No point rushing," Andras said, rubbing the polished magical stone set into his ring. "We still have to meet with the other noble houses to discuss further measures against the demons. And I want to look around the city. It's my first time in Greenwood."
"I want to start experimenting in my new workshop immediately!"
"You waited a thousand years. You can handle a few more days."
Eli crossed her arms.
"I can handle it… if you make it up to me."
Andras thought for a moment, then a crooked smile appeared on his face.
"How about we go to the Empire and find a slave compatible with you?"
Eli's eyes sparkled.
"And then I could possess their body?"
"Yeah. The younger the host, the easier it is to develop their magic capacity."
Eli snapped her fingers in satisfaction.
"As expected of the real me's apprentice! Hahaha!"
Council of the Fallen King
The next day, the council of the noble houses convened to discuss countermeasures against the demon army. Around the long oak table sat Young Wolf, Christina, Floralys, Botond, and Princess Anabella. Tension hung in the air; the weight of their losses pressed heavily on every shoulder.
Botond was the first to break the silence.
"I regret that I must represent House Redwood," he said, his deep voice respectful. "My lady… Annerose… is in no condition to make decisions of this magnitude. I am grateful to Lady Carla for caring for her, despite suffering a loss just as great."