As they passed through the massive arched gate, rows of knights lined up on either side of the path they would take.
And at the very end stood the royal family.
“We greet the First Princess!”
“We greet the First Princess!”
No matter how wary the king was of Liana, the people’s hearts favored her more than their incompetent ruler.
The tale of a royal of noble blood standing at the front lines to defeat enemies and slay monsters was always a popular one, both centuries ago and even now.
Not even the palace knights were exempt from their admiration for Liana.
“Show your respect to Her Highness, the Princess!”
“Loyalty—!”
At the shout of a man who seemed to be the captain of the palace knights, the lined-up knights drew their swords in unison, raised them to the sky, then slammed them down to the ground.
“…My god.”
There was a surprised voice from behind, but Liana didn’t bother to look back and jumped off Rune’s back with ease.
“We follow our lord.”
Kyle, who had been frozen in place, softly muttered and dismounted first. The others quickly gathered their senses and dismounted in an orderly fashion, lining up behind Liana.
Step, step—
Confirming by the movement that everyone was ready, Liana began walking with a calm expression between the rows of knights.
Twenty-five men and women followed behind her.
‘That must sting a bit, huh?’
Liana thought nonchalantly to herself as she walked down the unnecessarily long path.
The reason the king had to personally greet her now was because she held the position of Supreme Commander of the border army, responsible for the death forest frontier.
Treating the commander of the most dangerous region in Rowen with the proper respect was a tradition passed down from the past, one the king couldn’t break even if he wanted to.
Clack—
“Liana Robellin, I have returned safely after completing the mission His Majesty assigned me.”
Liana walked up to the king, who wore a hardened expression, then knelt and formally reported her return.
Not as the First Princess, but as the Supreme Commander.
“I see. You’ve done well. You may rise.”
Looking down at her, the king gave an affable smile and spoke in a dignified voice.
Keeping her kneeling for long would reflect poorly on him in front of so many witnesses.
The king hadn’t always been wary of Liana.
To be honest, when she was younger, he barely paid her any attention.
“You’ve grown a lot.”
“…Yes.”
Liana only saw her father during formal banquets or by chance in the palace.
Even then, he would glance at her without emotion and exchange a few brief words, nothing more.
But everything changed when she became the youngest Magic Swordsman in centuries and left the palace to make a name for herself on the battlefield.
It was after that the king began making her kneel unnecessarily and subtly trying to belittle and keep her in check.
The fact that Liana was his daughter didn’t matter much to him.
“Ahem, you must be tired from the long journey. I won’t keep you any longer. Go and rest.”
The king gave her a curt farewell and offered a few brief words of praise to those standing behind Liana.
The queen beside him also smiled elegantly and spoke in a soft, gentle voice, thanking Liana for her hard work.
“Then I’ll take my leave first. I’m quite tired from preparing in such a rush. I’d hate to inconvenience anyone.”
Liana gave a polite bow with a faint smile, and the king’s lips twitched.
He knew full well that her words were a jab at his sudden order to return.
“…If you missed home so much, you could’ve returned sooner. It’s shameful that you only came back after your father had to summon you.”
The king, who had just been acting like a monarch before his subjects, immediately switched to the mask of a concerned father.
He tried to paint his pettiness as Liana’s eagerness to return home.
But Liana didn’t even consider the palace her home. She thought about giving a hollow laugh but held back.
‘If I do that, I’ll only make things more annoying for myself.’
Liana didn’t bow her head to the king out of fear or worry about disadvantages.
It was simply because in Rowen, upsetting the king only led to unnecessary trouble.
Well… maybe she’d be leaving Rowen soon anyway. It wasn’t fear—it was distaste.
*
Liana looked around calmly. It had been three years since she last set foot in the royal palace.
‘…Nothing’s changed.’
Still didn’t feel like home.
After leaving the central plaza, Liana followed behind a servant the king had sent, supposedly because she might be unfamiliar with the palace layout after so long.
“…Hey, where are we going?”
“Are you a goldfish or something…? We’re going to the palace Her Highness used before.”
At Ren’s annoyed reply, his fellow knight whispered in protest.
“You think I don’t know that? But we’ve been walking for ages. What if they’re trying to bury us somewhere nobody will find us?”
“…Don’t say stupid things.”
Though he snapped at his comrade, Ren was beginning to find it odd too.
It had already been ten minutes since they left the main plaza and handed over their horses.
The servant ahead kept leading them deeper and deeper into the palace’s far corners.
‘We’ve already passed all the luxurious buildings the royals would normally use…’
But their master, walking calmly ahead, didn’t say a word.
The same was true for Ayle and Kyle, and a few knights who had supposedly been to the palace before.
It meant the direction the servant was taking was correct.
A thought suddenly struck Ren.
‘Don’t tell me… this “ostracization” Her Highness mentioned meant something this petty?’
In a palace filled with dozens of grand residences, it was clear someone from the royal family had arranged for Liana’s quarters to be hidden away in such an obscure spot.
Ren’s eyes naturally drifted to Liana’s back, clad in her white uniform and black cloak.
Her small frame, more delicate than Ayle’s beside her, looked fragile despite the strength he felt from her.
As his imagination spiraled, Ren clenched his fists with emotion.
‘Ugh… I will protect you, my lady…!’
He still didn’t know that Liana had absolutely no need for his overly sentimental chivalry.
*
“Your Highness, His Majesty the King wishes to dine with you tomorrow at noon.”
“Tomorrow? Tell him I’ll be there.”
“Yes, then I’ll take my leave.”
The servant who had led them to the innermost part of the palace to Liana’s residence delivered the king’s message and scurried off.
Perhaps because he had a long way back, his footsteps were quick.
Liana, having paused before entering the palace, finally turned to face her guards.
Except for Ayle and Kyle, this was the first time any of them had been to the palace, and she had forgotten they had never seen her quarters before.
“Not quite what you expected, huh?”
“No, it’s amazing!”
At Liana’s somewhat sheepish question, her guards responded energetically.
To be honest, it wasn’t like they hadn’t thought it… but they all knew she didn’t get along with the royal family.
Most of them had the same thought Ren did.
But Liana’s residence was far more grand than they’d imagined.
What they didn’t know was that her residence was actually the third-largest living space within the palace.
Its location was poor, so no other royals used it, but Liana had chosen it herself and quite liked it.
Well, as much as anyone could like anything in this damned palace.
“I think this is the best one!”
“Me too!”
The strong men and women eagerly showered praise on Liana’s residence.
She barely suppressed her laughter, knowing exactly what they were trying to do.
‘Everyone’s so softhearted…’
Though the story behind this place wasn’t as tragic or infuriating as they assumed, mischievous Liana decided to keep that to herself for now.
“Well, that’s good. Someone inside will show you around. There are plenty of rooms, so pick whatever you like.”
“…Even our own rooms?”
Relieved by her nonchalant tone, the guards lit up at the idea of choosing their own rooms.
Even though there was a fortress at the border, most of them had been stationed near the death forest, living in shared tents.
They were better off than regular soldiers, being her direct guards, but they still longed for personal space.
‘…How many rooms were there again?’
It had been so long, Liana couldn’t remember exactly.
After briefly racking her brain, she just nodded.
“Ask how many there are once you’re inside. You figure it out.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Awesome!”
“Rest well tonight. The servants will call you for dinner later.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Waving her hand at the cheering, chattering guards, Liana slipped into the palace.
“We greet the Princess.”
Inside, a dozen or so servants were lined up in two rows.
Liana silently scanned their faces.
As expected—none familiar.
‘Not a single face I know.’
Normally, once servants were assigned to a royal’s quarters, they rarely changed unless there was a special reason.
But the servants in Liana’s quarters had been swapped out every couple of months for years.
“All this talk about the garden being a mess! What are the servants even doing?”
“Liana, I hear the staff in your palace are utterly incompetent. Sounds like the latest replacements are no good either.”
It was thanks to the queen’s petty complaints.
The queen didn’t want Liana building any kind of power base inside the palace—whether it was with maids, footmen, or anyone else.
Whether that was pure wariness or inherited hatred toward Liana’s mother, only the queen knew.
When Liana was younger, she’d thrown fits about it, but a princess under ten couldn’t defy the queen’s authority.
Eventually, she got used to the ever-changing staff. Since they would leave soon anyway, she stopped getting attached.
“Who’s the head maid?”
At Liana’s question, a middle-aged woman with neatly tied brown hair stepped forward.
“I am Vera Dolkin. I am honored to serve Your Highness starting today.”
“Dolkin…”
It wasn’t a name she’d heard before. Not that it mattered much—she wouldn’t be here long.
“Alright, I’ll be in your care. My guards will be coming in shortly, so please guide them to any available rooms.”
Lady Dolkin bowed and Liana left at once.
Shrugging off those who offered to help her unpack, she moved with a practiced, if slightly awkward, ease.
Click—
The heavy door closed behind her. The beige-toned room was neat and clean.
Liana threw her cloak aside and strode toward the bed, its white sheets tucked perfectly.
She sat on the soft bed and patted the spot next to her.
“Come up here.”
A yip! came from the previously empty room, followed by quick, soft steps and a small thump as the blanket puffed up slightly.
Snap—
With a snap of her fingers, the round shape under the covers revealed itself.
Woof!
It was the black ball of fur Liana had brought with her to the palace—still unnamed, the scruffy little pup.
