Chapter 1
The Three Kingdoms of the Beginning
My country, the Kingdom of Lundra, was built upon the sacrifice and protection of the dragon Lundra.
Long ago, dragons and humans lived together on this land. Dragons were beings with near-infinite magical power and lifespans that stretched almost without end.
Then beings from another world crossed over into this peaceful land. Their magic was limited, yet they wielded it with perfect freedom. Humans called them demons.
The demons sought to swallow this land whole. Thus began the war between dragons and demons—fierce, evenly matched, and unending.
Dragons were stronger, yet the demons far outnumbered them. Both sides shed blood. Humans hid away, wishing only for peace to return.
At last, the dragons decided to abandon the land. They could find countless other places similar to this one; there was no need to spill more blood.
Most dragons left.
But the dragon Lundra was different.
Lundra loved this land—the nights and days, the stars and sun, the sky and wind, the flowing hours and changing seasons. He loved everything, and wished for none of it to be destroyed.
Finally, Lundra burst forth with his magic. He cast a spell over the land—one so powerful that any being not born of this land would have their magic rebound and die.
It was a magic so strong that even the demons could not overcome it. Rather than try to resist the spell, the demons abandoned their conquest and left.
But the magic was too strong. It consumed Lundra’s immortality, costing him his life. Thus, Lundra protected this land and became known as the last dragon of this world.
At Lundra’s final moment, a single human stood by his side.
Before the dragon drew his final breath, the human made a promise—to restore this beloved land, ravaged by war, back to the beauty Lundra cherished.
A single tear fell from the dragon. The moment it touched the earth, it hardened into a gem.
The human held the dragon’s tear close and vowed to build a kingdom in Lundra’s name. That man was Theseus I, the founding king of the Kingdom of Lundra.
The dragon blessed Theseus I.
You and your descendants shall endure forever under the name of Lundra.
Theseus I sought out companions who shared his ideals. Three humans gathered and founded three nations: Lundra, Owen, and Lonaise.
Lundra Kingdom was built in the northern lands, home of the dragon Lundra. Owen arose in the temperate central region with four clear seasons. Lonaise was founded in the hot, resource-rich southern territory.
These were called “The Three Kingdoms of the Beginning.”
As promised, the land loved by Lundra regained its beauty.
This is the founding myth known to all who live on this land—
The Story of the Three Kingdoms of the Beginning.
But times have changed. The three founders who once burned with the desire to rebuild this land are now legends from over five thousand years ago.
As history flowed, new nations appeared and vanished, and even the relationships among the three remaining countries shifted from how they once were.
Yet through five millennia, these three nations endured:
In the most beautiful land—the Kingdom of Lundra, land of mages.
In the strongest land—the Kingdom (now Empire) of Owen, land of knights.
In the most advanced land—the Kingdom of Lonaise, land of scholars.
When the three kingdoms were first founded, they were said to be like brothers.
They supported one another, shared what they had, and walked forward together. Their languages were the same, their cultures were the same.
But now, one of them has become an empire.
The Conqueror King—the first Emperor of the Owen Empire—expanded his lands through war and subjugated many nations.
The wars did not last long, but they changed everything.
Thus the three kingdoms became one empire and two kingdoms.
Centuries have passed since peace returned, yet the borders among them have grown heavier and the walls higher.
And now, standing before me, a woman with red hair was claiming to be the princess of the only empire among them.
Princess Rachel Widnes of the Owen Empire smiled, her eyes narrowing.
Her already sharp eyes and lips grew even sharper—
just like in my memories.
Still the mischievous smile I remembered.
Someone I had known for years…
was actually from a foreign empire.
I first met Rachel ten years ago.
It was the day my second oldest brother, Daemond, came home from the Academy for his vacation.
Daemond had sent a letter days earlier, saying he would be returning with several friends.
Daemond and his group of friends were infamous troublemakers—so notorious that even I, who rarely left home, knew about them.
On the day of the Academy’s closing ceremony, I met all five of them.
My brother Daemond; a stunningly beautiful older girl; an older boy with a terrifying face; an older boy even prettier than the pretty girl;
and finally, the fearsome mass of curls—Rachel.
Yes, Rachel was one of Daemond’s Academy friends.
I already knew some of Daemond’s friends, but Rachel was new to me.
“Hi! Nice to meet you. You’re Daisy, right? You’re just adorable.”
Rachel greeted me casually from the moment we met. It wasn’t rude—just friendly, and memorable.
She introduced herself as the second daughter of Viscount Leach. Smiling mischievously, she clasped my hand.
Her hand was warm.
I think I hoped she wouldn’t let go.
While they stayed with us, our quiet house became endlessly noisy.
Just as the rumors said, they attracted trouble everywhere they went. Well… trouble by adult standards. To my eyes, it all looked like adventure.
Exploring rarely used spare rooms, sneaking out to the back mountain and being found late at night, using weird magic in the basement—things like that.
One late night, I passed through the garden and heard voices.
I knew almost no one would be out there at that hour, so naturally I walked toward the sound.
It was Rachel and Daemond.
They hadn’t noticed me.
I crouched behind a rose bush—because with them, anything interesting might be happening.
Rachel giggled, lightly smacking Daemond’s back. They were definitely sharing something amusing.
Daemond scratched his head, then leaned toward Rachel and said something.
Rachel suddenly stepped back.
Daemond glanced around.
I crouched lower.
Daemond stepped toward Rachel again and took her by the arm.
They spoke quietly and were far away, so I couldn’t hear the conversation.
Rachel smiled softly, then gave Daemond a hug. After that, she left first.
Daemond remained, rubbing his face furiously with one hand.
My skirt caught on a rose thorn.
Rustle.
Daemond shot up like a startled cat.
Then he marched toward me at terrifying speed.
“Daisy! How long have you been there?!”
“Hm? Since Rachel laughed?”
“She laughs all the time! I mean when exactly!”
Daemond stepped even closer.
The magic lantern lit his face—it was as red as an apple.
“I saw Rachel hugging you.”
The moment the words left my mouth, his face turned redder than a plum.
Was he feverish?
Whenever Daemond got sick, the entire household panicked.
I hoped it wasn’t a fever.
“Are you sick?”
When I reached out to touch his forehead, he stepped back.
“You didn’t see me here today. It’s a secret.”
“Why?”
I hadn’t planned to tell anyone anyway.
Unlike Daemond, I didn’t have close friends to gossip with.
“If you don’t tell anyone, I’ll grant you one special wish.”
“Wow! Really?!”
I clapped.
To be honest, Daemond never granted me a single wish.
Whenever I asked, he claimed it “wasn’t special enough.”
Still, I kept the secret all this time.
Back then, I believed he would fulfill a special wish someday.
In recent years, I’ve begun to suspect that what I saw was Daemond being rejected by Rachel.
I wanted to protect teenage Daemond’s pride.
Now, in the present—now that I know Rachel is the imperial princess of Owen—
keeping that secret turns out to have been the right choice.
Imagine the rumors: the second prince of Lundra was rejected by the Empire’s princess.
Because yes—my second brother Daemond is Daemond Lund, second prince of the Kingdom of Lundra. And I am Daisy Lund, the youngest princess.
Princess Rachel Widnes opened her mouth.
The words she spoke next would change my future.
