“Alright,” her voice comes out small and shy.

Kalia was generally tactile with the people who entered her space.

She would gently pat people on the head or shoulder, her awkward way of expressing affection and trust.

Whenever she did this, people would blush and feel awkward, but Kalia, who wasn’t sensitive to such nuances, couldn’t understand why.

“…Then, I’ll go and get White from the stables. Please wait a moment, Master.”

Hemmie, who had been hurrying, gave a little yelp before disappearing behind a building.

Despite her slightly rough and clumsy side, Hemmie was very diligent.

Once given a task, she would always complete it without fail.

There was nothing more to wish for in a squire than Hemmie, who was also quite adorable.

Kalia found Hemmie, who had a naivety she didn’t have as a child, simply adorable.

As she looked in the direction Hemmie disappeared with a small smile, she soon returned with Kalia’s horse, White.

Purrr-!

The huge, pure white horse, a gift directly from the Emperor, stood in front of Kalia with his usual majestic gait.

The horse, having recognized her with its dark eyes, snorted excitedly but even that was exceptionally elegant and calm.

Kalia, as if finding White endearing, stroked his nose and stopped as she was about to mount the horse.

“Oh.”

…Right.

She sighed, short and regretful, handing the reins back to Hemmie.

“I’m sorry, could you put White back and get the carriage ready?”

“Huh? The carriage?”

Kalia rarely used carriages.

Actually, she had never once used a carriage to travel.

So Hemmie thought he had misheard and asked again, to which Kalia nodded in confirmation.

“The carriage. Please prepare the carriage. I need it.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

Although Hemmie was puzzled, she obediently went to fetch the carriage.

As she watched Hemmie disappear, Kalia quietly sighed, gently patting her flat belly.

She nearly got on the horse without thinking.

Even if she didn’t know much about pregnancy, she knew that it would be dangerous to run or ride a horse in her state. Even the great White would jolt her body when running.

‘I need to be more careful in the future. I can’t act as I usually do unconsciously.’

She didn’t want to do anything that might harm the precious baby inside her.

Kalia made a firm resolution, clenching her fist.

And soon, she carefully climbed onto the carriage that Hemmie brought.

“If you’re going by carriage, I’ll drive it. Would you allow me to?”

Kalia nodded at Hemmie, who was asking through a small window.

Seeming relieved, Hemmie immediately climbed onto the driver’s seat.

As Kalia, seated in the carriage, was sorting out what to say to the Crown Prince, the carriage quickly sped towards the palace.

* * *

“We’ve arrived, General.”

After dropping off Kalia, Hemmie headed towards the carriage house.

The giant palace gate opened, and the carriage carrying Kalia entered the palace.

The Crown Prince’s office was on the second floor of the west wing of the palace, and to get there, one had to pass through the corridor beyond the main palace and the central garden.

After dropping off Kalia, Hemmie headed towards the carriage house.

Having served as the Crown Prince’s guard since childhood, Kalia had a deep connection with him.

The path to his palace wasn’t unfamiliar to her.

It was when she entered the entrance to the corridor leading to the west wing with her familiar steps.

From the other end of the corridor, a few ladies in bright dresses and the young nobles escorting them noisily entered.

“My goodness, Helena was indeed right. How did she choose a bracelet that suits the princess so well?”

“And with the seal of the Duke of Magic, how valuable is that gift?”

“Wow! It’s my first time seeing Simon’s magic seal so close. I heard it’s worth hundreds.”

“He’s such a great person, so it’s natural! Among young ladies, there are those who collect anything with the seal of the Minister of Magic.”

“Those young ladies would be so jealous if they knew that Helena personally gave a bracelet with Simon’s seal as a gift.”

“It was just a small gift for the princess’s journey. It’s nothing special.”

The chatter of the women, centered around the elegantly coiffed beauty, stopped suddenly when they noticed Kalia walking towards them.

Despite the silence that ensued, Kalia walked on with an unwavering expression.

In fact, she was too preoccupied thinking about what to say to the Crown Prince to notice who the group in front of her was.

Just as she was about to pass them with a formal curtsy…

“Kalia.”

A voice as smooth and cold as silk called her name.

Kalia, who had come to a halt, turned and looked at the woman who had called her.

‘Ah, great.’

A perplexed expression flickered in Kalia’s eyes, but it was so brief that no one could catch it.

“You’re so busy, you don’t even greet me. I was almost hurt.”

“I’m sorry. I was lost in thought and didn’t notice Madame Helena. How have you been?”

At the light apology, Helena, who had knit her brows as if upset, immediately relaxed her face.

Her eyes, a shade of green much deeper than Kalia’s emerald ones, twinkled with laughter.

“Yes, as you see. If you were curious, you could’ve visited me once in a while. You’ve been out of sight recently. Are you not sick? Did you enjoy the cookies I sent last time?”

She approached gently and lightly stroked Kalia’s cheek.

“You seem to have lost some weight.”

Her eyes were filled with concern, as tender as a mother’s.

The touch on her cheek was incredibly soft and fragrant, and at the same time very cold.

Kalia looked at the beautiful woman who was gazing at her with worry.

‘Madame Helena.’

A beauty with a youthful appearance that made it impossible to guess her age.

Her deep green eyes clearly showed that she was a half-elf.A mysterious woman who, despite being over forty, preserved the beauty of her twenties, praised as the queen of the social world.

And Simon’s mother.

The woman who would be the grandmother of the baby in Kalia’s belly, and the lady of the mansion where Kalia was raised.

“Chef Karin got a good doe this time. Come over soon, Kalia. I want to cook for you, who always protects the Crown Prince, our country, and our Simon.”

At her sweet words, the Viscountess Hoverz, who had been lingering behind, exclaimed with admiration.

“You’re so affectionate, Madame Helena! I’ve heard that Helena is like a mother to Kalia.”

“Indeed. The General is the pride of our mansion, alongside Simon. Despite her beauty, she grew up like a sibling to Simon. How unruly and full of vigor she was…”

“It’s a famous story. The story of the deep friendship between the Duke of Magic Simon and General Kalia is a common topic of conversation in social circles.”

“Oh my, then I must have been talking too much. If it’s a common topic of conversation, I should have known better.”

Helena laughed faintly, biting her lower lip as if embarrassed.

Kalia had nothing to say and simply looked at Helena quietly.

‘Hmm, the pride of our mansion, huh?’

It was true that she grew up in the mansion, but she didn’t grow up as a ‘sibling’ to Simon as Helena claimed.

She had always used a room at the end of an annex that barely saw sunlight, and shared a dining hall with the servants.

Especially during academy breaks, when she stayed at the mansion, she needed Helena’s permission to meet Simon.

Which family needs the mother’s permission for siblings to meet?

She even doubted if Kalia ever belonged to the ‘us’ that Helena mentioned.

‘…Well, now it doesn’t matter.’

In reality, the idea of a slum girl from becoming a part of a noble family just because she saved a life once sounds like a story from a novel.

She wasn’t the protagonist of such a romantic novel, and such a thing couldn’t possibly happen…

If that were the case, Kalia should already be the fifth child and third princess of the Emperor. She had saved the Crown Prince’s life four times.

But what does it matter whose child she is now?

Kalia thought bitterly.

Every time they met in a crowded place, Helena always behaved overly sweetly.

It was an adorable trick from a noblewoman who wanted to make herself look good. It was nothing that couldn’t be overlooked.

After all, it was true that Kalia was where she was thanks to the support of the Duchy.

Kalia lifted the corners of her lips into a smile and lightly kissed the back of Helena’s hand that was stroking her cheek.

“Thank you for your concern. If I have time, I’ll visit soon.”

“It’s a promise. It has to be. I’ve been too late because of my lengthy chat with Princess Michelle. She just wouldn’t let me go, she had so many things to ask about Simon. How awkward it was…”

With that, Helena stared directly at Kalia.

Not knowing what Helena was trying to find through her eyes, Kalia casually smiled and replied.

“I hope you had a pleasant time.”

Helena responded with a deep smile as if very satisfied with her answer.

“Well then, I’ll be off.”

Helena brushed past Kalia.

“…!”

Suddenly, Kalia felt a sharp pain in her head.

A sound, like wind or waves, buzzed in her ears, grinding her hearing like sand, then disappeared in an instant.

With a wince, Kalia pressed her hand to her ear and instinctively turned around.

Helena, along with her noisy followers, had already disappeared.

A strange silence hung over the empty corridor, silently throbbing.