(Eri's POV)
For almost two years, the tasks given to me by Regent Sato continued.
Two years of traveling outside the palace.
Two years of forests, mountains, and distant villages.
Slowly, those places became familiar to me.
Sometimes I stayed in small villages for days. Sometimes only for a few hours before moving again.
Most of the villagers did not know who I really was.
To them, I was only a foreign traveler.
A young noble perhaps.
No one suspected that the girl walking through their markets would one day become the queen of Kazunaga.
That anonymity was strangely peaceful.
No bowing.
No whispers.
No politics.
Just ordinary life.
Still, there was one place I returned to more often than anywhere else.
The Forbidden Forest.
Most people avoided it.
Stories said the forest was filled with bandits and dangerous beasts. Many travelers refused to even walk near its borders.
But if people actually entered the forest, they would see something different.
The place was beautiful.
Especially at night.
The sound of crickets filled the air.
Fireflies floated between the trees like tiny lights.
And deeper inside the forest was a quiet lake and a waterfall where the water reflected the moon like a mirror.
It was peaceful there.
That place became my escape.
Whenever the palace frustrated me, I went there.
Whenever I needed to think, I went there.
Sometimes I even went there to heal.
Because during those two years, there were moments when I was attacked.
I never had proof.
But I knew who might be behind it.
My aunt.
Regent Sato.
Of course, I had no evidence.
And the rule outside the palace was simple.
If you travel beyond the capital, you must expect danger.
Bandits.
Thieves.
Assassins.
Anyone could appear.
So whenever I returned from those journeys with wounds, no one questioned it.
But the Forbidden Forest always helped me recover.
It was quiet.
Hidden.
Safe enough for someone like me.
One morning, everything changed.
I was in the palace library, reading a book about old alliances between kingdoms.
The room was quiet.
Until the door suddenly opened.
"Your Highness."
It was Lourice.
My personal assistant.
She had been with me since we were children, and she was one of the few people I trusted completely. We were the same age, and she had seen almost every part of my life inside the palace.
She looked slightly out of breath.
"There is a visit," she said.
I looked up from my book.
"A visit?"
"From Vesperia."
For a moment, I froze.
"Today?"
Lourice nodded.
"They arrived this morning."
My brows slowly lowered.
"And no one thought to inform me?"
She hesitated before answering.
"Regent Sato is already meeting them."
Of course she was.
Lourice continued.
"Haru is there as well. The General Minister… and the council."
Which meant something important.
Everyone had been informed.
Except me.
If Lourice had not discovered it, I would not have known at all.
I slowly closed the book in front of me.
"What does Vesperia want?" I asked quietly.
"I do not know," Lourice replied.
I stood up.
Whatever it was, I would not learn it sitting inside the library.
Without another word, I placed the book back on the table and began walking toward the door.
Then faster.
Toward the Chamber Hall.
Whatever the kingdom of Vesperia had come for—
I was going to hear it myself.
I did not slow down as I walked through the palace corridors.
Something was wrong.
If a delegation from Vesperia had arrived, I should have been informed immediately.
I was still the heir of Kazunaga, whether Regent Sato liked it or not.
When I reached the Chamber Hall, the guards looked surprised to see me.
That only made my suspicion stronger.
Without waiting for anyone to announce me, I pushed the door open.
The large wooden doors burst wide.
The sound echoed through the chamber.
For a moment, the entire room fell silent.
Everyone inside looked toward me.
Ministers.
Council members.
Generals.
Haru.
And Regent Sato.
They were all already there.
For a second, I was surprised too.
Not because they were present—
but because they had clearly begun the meeting without me.
Then I noticed something else.
Standing near the council table was a man in ceremonial robes.
The High Priest.
That was unusual.
The High Priest rarely attended political meetings unless something extremely important was being discussed.
Which meant this was no simple visit.
There was serious business being decided here.
I stepped further into the hall.
"What is happening here?" I asked calmly.
My voice echoed slightly against the high walls.
"Why was I not informed that we have guests from Vesperia?"
For a moment, no one answered.
Then Sato spoke.
Her voice was smooth, almost polite.
"I did not know you had already returned from your journey," she said.
Her expression remained calm.
Too calm.
But I knew her well.
Every word she spoke was chosen carefully.
Every reaction measured.
Behind her calm face, she was always calculating.
Still, the room remained tense.
Everyone was watching.
Waiting.
And I could already feel it.
Whatever Vesperia had brought with them—
it was something that could change everything.