“How are you, my children?” Mom asked sweetly.

We continued eating, a few minutes after I calmed down earlier, and now I was just eating and eating. Food really takes away my concentration. I guess it’s not just my stomach that’s full, but also my heart. And besides, the food here is new to my eyes. It’s different from the world of mine before.

“We missed you our parents so much.” Gennevyv said with a pout, which made us all laugh.

“We missed you too, our children, of course.”

“But what was the reason for your departure?” Thalion asked as he sipped his juice from a goblet.

The king sighed deeply before speaking.

“It’s something important, but we’ll tell you when we’re sure,” he said. The two of them just pouted and continued eating.

I wonder what it’s about. What if it’s war? What if I end up having to save this family? I hope not. I’ve only been here for a few weeks, and now there’s already some serious storyline happening.

“That’s why before we left, your mother and I made sure to inform you, because we weren’t sure how many days we’d be gone. But then there’s Aurelia, who wouldn’t even leave her room,” the father said with a mock pout, which startled me.

That must have been the time Ashley was bugging me, saying I was being called by ‘His Majesty’. What excuse would I give? That I just arrived in this world? His beloved daughter hasn’t adjusted yet.

“Oh, uh, hehe, sorry,” I said awkwardly. They all stared at me in surprise, which confused me until I realized what I’d just said! Oh no, even speech has proper terms for royalty!

Great job, self. Another mistake for the day.

“I mean, I’m sorry, Father,” I corrected myself. But they just laughed, and my father patted my head.

We continued eating and chatting. I joined in from time to time, as long as I was sure I wouldn’t mess up my responses. The room was filled with laughter and playful banter. It felt so good to be in moments like this. It was my first time, and I hoped there would be many more.

Our parents excused themselves to rest, leaving us siblings alone. Since we were done eating, I spaced out again, stood up, and started clearing the table without thinking.

“Sissy, you don’t have to do that,” Gennevyv said, looking at me in disbelief.

I paused, but since I’d already started, I figured I might as well finish. I knew it must be unusual for them to see a princess clearing the table, but it was also strange for me not to clean up after eating!

“It’s okay, I promise,” I said with a sweet smile.

The servants quickly arrived, bowed, and started apologizing profusely. I immediately told them to stop apologizing.

“You really are something, our sister,” Thalion said, shaking his head with a smile.

Then, they pulled me outside, holding both my arms, and I had no idea where we were going.

“Where are we going?” I asked, puzzled.

The two just exchanged glances and smiled.

What if they’re planning to have me executed?

We kept walking until we left the palace. I kept asking where we were going, but they didn’t answer. I started to panic when we reached a bustling area filled with people. They seemed to be commoners, but they didn’t seem surprised to see my siblings. They just bowed respectfully and greeted them.

I was stunned by the sight outside the palace. Wow! It was so clean. There were all sorts of shops, laughter everywhere, and kids running around, playing. Everyone seemed so happy. Their smiles were so peaceful.

Nearby, there was a beautiful fountain. Without realizing it, I walked toward it and saw what was inside. Aside from the crystal-clear water, there were petals from various kinds of flowers floating in it. I grimaced at the golden paint of the fountain. If this were in the modern world, bit by bit, this fountain would probably be dismantled every day.

“Isn’t it beautiful, Your Highness?” a child beside me said, surprising me.

“Our empire is famous for its beautiful variety of flowers,” added another child beside me. I nodded. Ashley had mentioned this to me before. But how do they grow such stunning flowers? Almost all of them were new to me.

“As beautiful as the flowers, so is our empire—pure and pristine like a flower,” Gennevyv said, now standing beside me, as she picked a petal from the fountain and smiled at it.

She blew the petal in her hand into the air, and it seemed to dissolve and scatter in tiny fragments.

We said goodbye to the children and continued walking. It felt like the modern world, with its various shops, but this place had a distinct charm. The equipment, food, and even how people carried themselves were different. I glanced behind us and saw knights following, though their attire was formal. I could tell they were knights because of their aura and the swords hanging at their sides.

The people seemed very accustomed to my siblings, or maybe even to me, so we didn’t need to cover our faces.

I inhaled deeply, savoring the delightful aroma surrounding us as we walked. We had just eaten, but I already felt hungry again!

“Do you want to eat?” Thalion asked, smiling at me, which startled me. I quickly shook my head.

“Maybe later,” I said, pouting, which made both him and Gennevyv laugh. Gennevyv linked her arm with mine, and we walked together.

When we reached another part of the area, we saw some children who seemed to be waiting for someone—they ran toward us excitedly.

“Your Highness! Prince! It’s so nice of you to visit us again,” a little girl said cheerfully.

The two nodded in acknowledgment.

“Are you ready?” Thalion asked playfully, and the children shouted in unison that they were.

Curious, I just watched them.

A knight handed Thalion a wooden sword, and he went to one side, followed by the boys. Meanwhile, Gennevyv sat on the ground, leaning her back against the wall. Her dress was large, and she could’ve sat on a proper chair to avoid dirtying it, but she didn’t seem to care. I smiled at the sight. My siblings truly were kind-hearted people.

I glanced at Thalion, who seemed to be having a training session with the children, all holding wooden swords. I was surprised to see girls among them too. Wow.

Gennevyv, on the other hand, was telling stories to both the boys and girls.

I couldn’t help but smile at the scene.

“Your Highness, we missed you too. It’s been so long since your last visit,” said a little girl with a dirty face.

I knelt to be at her eye level, smiled, and used the hem of my sleeve to wipe her face. She giggled as if she were being tickled, making me laugh too.

“Thank you so much, Your Highness!” she said once her face was clean.

“How long has it been since I last visited?” I asked.

She placed a finger on her chin, deep in thought.

“It’s been a few months,” she said, pouting.

I froze. Does that mean it’s been months? If it were just weeks, I could excuse it as me adjusting to this world. But no, it’s been months, and I’ve only been here for a short while.

“Do you have any idea why?” I asked, grimacing at my own question.

Why would a child know? What kind of questions am I even thinking of asking?

“I don’t know, but I know you do,” she replied innocently, making me laugh. She had a point. So much for gathering information when I don’t even know how to ask properly.

But why? What happened to Aurelia before I came to this world?

She tugged at my arm, leading me to where Gennevyv was sitting. She sat with the other children, so I sat beside Gennevyv.

“Did you enjoy it?” she asked, turning to me.

I nodded and smiled.

“A little girl told me she missed me. She said it’s been months since she last saw me,” I said, glancing at Gennevyv, who just smiled at me.

“They understand, so don’t worry,” she said, holding my hand before turning back to the children.

Understand what? What happened in the past few months that they had to be understanding about?

I shook my head, deciding to focus on Gennevyv’s storytelling with the kids. Thalion’s clothes were now dirty, but he continued his activities, now sparring with the children using wooden swords. Though his face was serious, you could tell he was enjoying himself.

Occasionally, I added comedic parts to Gennevyv’s stories, making her laugh along with the children.

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I know its afternoon already.