The emotions of Willis’s previous self would occasionally resurface, influencing her current judgments, but over these days, Willis had managed to suppress them quite well.
Of course, perhaps it was also because her personality had gradually fused with that of her previous self.
“Annie Donald?”
Hill Yu scanned Annie with a scrutinizing gaze.
“You’re the granddaughter of Bri Donald? But I’ve never heard him mention having a granddaughter…”
As Willis’s teacher, and someone who had grown close to Willis, Hill Yu was familiar with the old man.
Yet from before until now, Bri Donald had never once mentioned having a granddaughter.
“Perhaps Grandpa thinks it’s better to keep a low profile… Your Highness, please forgive us,” Annie Donald replied respectfully, prompting Hill Yu to come back to her senses.
She had forgotten Willis’s existence.
If Willis knew about such a beautiful granddaughter, what would happen?
But… why did she now appear before Willis of her own accord?
“Princess, don’t stare at her so intently. She admires your swordsmanship, which is why she asked me to introduce her,” Willis said.
“You’re making her nervous just by looking like that…”
“Oh, sorry, haha…” Hill Yu scratched her head awkwardly.
“But admiration for swordsmanship and all…”
“If you want to learn from me, given Bri Donald’s status, it shouldn’t be difficult to get you into the Royal Academy, right?”
“Then you can just attend my swordsmanship classes… I’m not opposed to observing mages.”
“Princess!”
Willis poked Hill Yu’s waist. Across from them, Annie Donald was already burying her head shyly against her chest.
Willis whispered softly into Hill Yu’s ear, “Admiring swordsmanship is just one thing; admiring you is the real reason. Didn’t you notice?”
Now it was Hill Yu’s turn to feel embarrassed.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she immediately shut up, unsure of what to think.
As the First Princess, Hill Yu had quite a few women who admired her, some even giving subtle confessions face-to-face, but Hill Yu had never responded.
But this time…
This brown-haired girl actually asked Willis to play matchmaker for her, leaving Hill Yu at a loss for how to handle the situation.
Meanwhile, Ophelia never said a word, her eyes darting between the three of them, often glaring at Willis.
After breakfast, Annie Donald, face flushed, bid farewell to the two princesses and returned to her room.
Once inside, she immediately changed her expression, now filled with grievance and a hint of a temper as she slammed the wooden door hard.
Bang!
“Willis, you idiot!”
To be fair, she had orchestrated the whole situation herself, but reasoning with a woman—especially a beautiful girl—was pointless.
On the other hand, Ophelia stood awkwardly beside Willis, dressed in her maid uniform.
Finding an excuse, she left, and Willis didn’t stop her, waving her off.
“Don’t leave the ten-meter radius of my room. If I come back and don’t see you, you know what that means…”
“Got it…”
“Hmm?”
“G-go… got it, Master…”
Once everyone else had left, Hill Yu finally relaxed, stretching carelessly without concern for her dignity.
“Ah~ this is so suffocating!”
Hill Yu sighed deeply.
“Willis, were you serious just now?”
“Was there any other way to say it?”
Willis took a sip of tea.
“Princess, you’re not thinking of rejecting her, are you?”
“Get lost!”
Hill Yu shot her a glare.
“I don’t like women! I mean, dating women is impossible!”
“I know that, but I already promised her. Princess, just endure it for me a little.”
Willis smirked mischievously.
Hill Yu caught on, her eyes narrowing oddly at Willis.
“This isn’t like you at all, Willis—pushing away such a beauty.”
“She likes you, after all. As your little sister, it’s my duty to guard what belongs to you.”
“Cut it out!”
Hill Yu scoffed.
“Are you planning to reject her first, then secretly take her for yourself? That’s why you agreed to have Annie Donald stay close, isn’t it?”
“This time, Princess, you’re mistaken. I really don’t think like that,” Willis said sincerely.
“Annie Donald has the potential to be a mage and is my teacher’s granddaughter. By associating with her, I’m indirectly repaying my teacher’s kindness…”
“Secondly, it’s also a good ally for you, Princess.”
“If you can accept her, your strength will increase, which indirectly benefits me as well.”
Hill Yu didn’t believe Willis’s explanation at all. She stared at her for a long time, but Willis remained unfazed, revealing no flaw.
After a while, Hill Yu sighed.
“Fine, even if that’s true, I won’t accept her. I’ll say it again—I don’t like dating women!”
“No! To be precise, my heart is only for the sword. There’s no room for romance!”
Hill Yu emphasized resolutely.
“Alright!”
Willis shrugged, indifferent.
If she were the kind to compete for power and influence, even if only pretending, she might ambiguously agree to keep Annie Donald close.
But Hill Yu had never been that kind of person since Willis met her.
“What about Ophelia Laiensi?”
Hill Yu asked.
“As you see, the Laiensi family needs a mineral resource in my possession to survive, and Ophelia is the bargaining chip.”
Before Hill Yu could scold her for taking advantage, Willis explained proactively.
“If I don’t take her in, Rasser Lyons plans to sell her to that old General Taber.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, a genius mage exchanged for a few small mines. Princess, wouldn’t you say I’m doing a good deed?”
Hill Yu’s expression shifted unpredictably—shock, regret, and helplessness.
“I didn’t expect the Laiensi family to have fallen so far. If only they could wait for the child to grow up, there’s still hope to revive the family.”
“But the Laiensi family can’t wait that long…” Willis reminded her.
After a long pause, Hill Yu sighed.
“Alright, take good care of her. It’s better than marrying that old bull.”
Her face was heavy with melancholy. Willis could tell Hill Yu was probably thinking about her own status as an Imperial Princess.
If she couldn’t ascend to the throne, the princess would generally be used as a tool for marriage alliances, just like Ophelia.
In essence, there was no difference between the two.
“By the way, what about Victoria? Why haven’t I seen her these past few visits?”
Hill Yu frowned.
“As a Royal Knight, that’s just irresponsible!”
Willis hurriedly defended Victoria.
“You’re wrong about her, Princess. At dawn today, the Meklay family sent intelligence, so I had Victoria run some errands.”
Curious, Hill Yu asked, “The Meklay family? What intelligence?”
“Since the attack on the road near the Academy involved the Meklay family, they have to provide some explanation or compensation to the Empire and to me…”
Willis’s smile turned cold.
“Speaking of which, the Church of Judicature and the City Defense Army should also be taking action. I thought you noticed, Princess.”
“Of course not… So you’re not leaving today?”
“I will, but in the afternoon.”
At that moment, a maid arrived with a report that the chief inquisitor from the Church of Judicature wished to see her.