When she came out of Ilya’s office, Flora’s steps were light, almost silent. She maintained a quiet and obedient expression, like a “well-adjusted” new demon princess.
However, only she knew that her heart was still tightening slightly.
She stood at the end of the hallway for a moment, appearing to adjust her skirt, but she was actually organizing everything that had just happened in her head.
‘Stay with her for a while’ and ‘look over government affairs.’
These reasons were gentle and natural, but Flora didn’t believe for a second that it wasn’t part of a test.
A strange “princess” who had just been brought back was being pulled into the highest ruler’s administrative process? This in itself was abnormal.
However, she didn’t show the slightest hint of doubt. Disguise was the only weapon she could use right now.
Flora took a deep breath, as if to suppress the unease in her chest. Then, she slowly walked toward the west wing.
She decided to take advantage of this time, before her new “daily routine” was arranged and while Ilya was busy with government affairs, to take the initiative to walk around and observe the routes.
At least there had to be a starting point.
The corridors of the west wing were much quieter than other areas, as if they were deliberately isolating all sound.
Between the pillars on the walls, lamps embedded with pale purple magic crystals flickered softly, the light gentle yet enough to illuminate every tiny shadow.
Flora’s footsteps were extremely light. She was careful not to let her skirt make too much friction.
Every step landed on the thickest part of the carpet, and she didn’t linger in any central area directly illuminated by light. This was a habit she had developed from her previous life of combat.
She knew people might be watching her — hidden sentries, guards, and perhaps even magical observation.
But she couldn’t act like she was “scouting,” or she would immediately expose her motives.
She had to pretend she was just wandering around to clear her head because the new environment was so unfamiliar.
So, she maintained a slightly reserved gait all the way, looking like a submissive but slightly uneasy little princess looking for a place where she could feel at ease.
At the end of the corridor, the sound of the wind came softly through the gaps. It was the outdoor wind.
She stepped out from the side door of the west wing and saw the so-called garden.
The garden entrance was a small ramp that extended slowly from the stone steps, with near-perfectly trimmed flowering trees on both sides.
Excessively tall flower branches interlaced overhead, as if deliberately forming a soft “corridor.”
Flora stood at the top of the stairs and took a deep breath.
For the first time, she realized she was indeed standing at the center of everything in the demon race.
The moment her foot touched the ground, a vague sense of tension welled up in her heart. Every leaf and every stone here did not belong to her world.
But she still walked down.
The garden was much larger than she had imagined.
The flower branches were tall enough to block the sunlight, and the paths wound and twisted like a maze. The colors of the flowers were also completely different from the flowers in the human world.
They were overly beautiful, to the point of having an unnatural aggression.
Flora bent down to look at a cluster of unusually vibrant purple-blue flowers. The petals looked as if they had been brushed by flowing light, sharp enough to cut through the air.
She reached out to touch another harmless-looking small plant by the roadside, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw the purple-blue cluster tremble slightly.
That trembling was not caused by the wind, but seemed more like an instinctive reaction to someone approaching.
Just as she was about to pull away, a series of hurried footsteps came from the other side of the path.
“Your Highness! Be careful!”
A young voice carried urgency and tension.
Flora froze instantly.
A girl wearing a maid uniform rushed over — it was Lena, the little maid who had just cleaned her room.
Lena’s face was pale, and she immediately grabbed Flora’s sleeve, pulling her back a step.
“Your Highness, those flowers… you can’t get too close! They’re really dangerous!”
Flora was stunned for a moment.
“Dangerous?”
Lena nodded, her voice as thin as a small bird clutching a tail feather.
“Those are evernight blade vines. They look very pretty, but the edges of the petals are poisonous, and they will actively cut anything that gets close… They’re common in the demon realm, and they have… rather bad tempers.”
Flora was silent for a second, with only one evaluation in her heart.
‘Even the flowers in the demon realm want to kill people.’
Of course, she wouldn’t say those words aloud. She just stepped back slightly, pretending to be a little startled.
“Thank you, Lena,” she said in a gentle tone. “I didn’t know.”
Lena waved her hands hurriedly. “No, it’s not Your Highness’s fault! Your Highness just returned, so it’s normal not to know many things.”
Flora glanced at her.
This child’s nervousness was sincere; she didn’t seem like a spy sent by Ilya.
She quietly made a note in her heart.
‘The pretty flower cluster area at the edge of the garden is a danger zone. I must avoid it when I escape.’
***
After Lena left, Flora continued to walk out along the garden path.
The path was winding, paved with white stones, and quiet as treading on snow.
She controlled her breathing, keeping it shallow and making as little sound as possible. She didn’t focus on the beautiful scenery, but on observing.
She walked slowly, but stopped every few dozen steps to observe.
Outside was a large open space, and further out was the castle’s outer wall.
‘The wall height… is about 3 meters or more.’
‘The west outer wall… the plants are dangerous, so I can’t stay near them for too long, or I’ll get injured easily. But there are fewer guards patrolling there… it could be an option.’
‘The south side is the main gate, but the guards are the densest… I definitely won’t be able to break through during the day. Not at night either; the road over there is too wide, making it difficult to hide.’
Along the base of the wall, demon soldiers were patrolling in groups of two or three, their steps steady and their weapons gleaming coldly.
She observed for a long time.
Patrolling soldiers changed every 10 minutes, and there were soldiers in the team with sharp mana perception, which was troublesome.
To the south of the castle was a main road leading to the city, while to the north was a dense forest.
Flora thought to herself.
‘The south gate is easy to walk, but it would be easy to be caught. The north forest direction — seemingly feasible, but the plants and demon beasts are dangerous.’
When she returned to the entrance of the main building, she was about to go inside when she suddenly heard two voices talking in low tones around the corner ahead.
She immediately lightened her steps and stopped.
Two maids were standing together, talking softly, seemingly discussing something. “Have you noticed? Her Majesty’s mood… seems much better lately.”
“Yeah, I noticed too… A few days ago, no one dared to go near Her Majesty. Even the ministers said a storm was coming.”
“But since Her Highness returned… Her Majesty hasn’t even lost her temper during the morning’s political affairs. I heard she even took the initiative to let Her Highness stay and accompany her…”
“Her Majesty really, really cares about Her Highness.”
“Of course…”
The voices stopped abruptly, as if they sensed someone approaching.
Flora pretended she hadn’t heard anything and stepped out from the shadows of the corridor.
The maids immediately bowed. “Your Highness.”
Flora said coolly, “Go back to your work.”
She didn’t say another word. The maids scrambled away.
Flora walked toward the main building, her skirt swaying gently.
Her expression didn’t change, but that phrase ‘Her Majesty’s mood seems much better’ poked something in her chest.
It wasn’t pain.
It was more like confusion, complexity, and a kind of exhaustion from being forced into someone else’s world.
She clearly just wanted to escape, but she had suddenly become the reason for someone else’s “improved mood.”