Chapter 42: Unification Section

Days passed quickly. Flora spent most of her mornings practicing etiquette.

She turned, walked, and sat in front of that mirror.

At first, she focused on the frequency of her steps, but eventually, her body remembered the movements on its own. Her breathing naturally merged with the rhythm of her pace.

Ilya occasionally came to check on her, but for the most part, she did not.

It was better that way. Flora felt more relaxed when she was alone, especially since Ilya’s standards had become quite high lately.

Meanwhile, she grew closer to Lena. The two of them often looked for ways to have fun in secret.

For instance, Lena would bring out candied fruits she had snuck from the kitchen. They were so sweet they made Flora’s throat ache.

Lena also taught her how to play demon cat’s cradle.

Flora’s fingers were clumsy, and she always tied the strings into tangled knots. Lena would laugh as she helped her untangle them.

In the afternoons, she would head to the library — another of Ilya’s requirements.

She no longer read only the serious books on bloodline history.

Sometimes she flipped through travelogues, looked at interesting architectural guides, or even found a collection of poems about the stars.

She sat in her usual spot, where the sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting colorful patches of light onto the pages.

She even learned some of the sign language used among the demon nobles.

Ilya had casually demonstrated a few signs while they were having tea once.

“This means ‘wait a moment,’ and this means ‘thank you.'”

Flora remembered them.

When she had nothing to do, she would practice the gestures in the air.

Once, she accidentally made the “be dismissed” gesture toward a potted plant.

She froze for two seconds before apologizing to the flower. ‘…I’m sorry, please keep growing.’

Finally, she was required to continue studying and practicing the use of mana.

Since her bloodline had been activated, her mana structure was almost identical to that of the demon royal family, and she needed to become familiar with it.

She felt that her control over her two elements, thunder and ice, had improved significantly. This allowed her to use them more skillfully.

At the same time, Flora’s mastery of the ice element had reached a higher level. Her ice was no longer limited to just being frozen; it could now manifest as a chilling aura that could invade the body.

This provided a noticeable boost to her strength.

The ring remained on her hand during this time. Part of it was habit, and the other part was that it was quite comfortable to wear.

She felt a gentle mana within the ring that occasionally nourished her body, stabilizing her emotions and spirit. It made her feel very comfortable.

She had completely adjusted to living here, with the caring Ilya, the cheerful Lena, and a daily life that was routine but never dull.

She also began to slowly attempt to take on the responsibilities of a princess, such as occasionally following Ilya to handle government affairs or receiving guests.

***

Just like that, two months passed…

“Princess! Your Highness!!”

The sound of the door being pushed open coincided with the shouting.

Flora hadn’t fully emerged from her blankets when the noise forced her eyes open. She instinctively shrank back into the covers, as if trying to confirm whether the voice was real.

The next second, a figure burst into her field of vision.

“Time to get up! It’s already late!”

Lena practically ran to the side of the bed, her movements fast and practiced. “Today is the day before the Unification Festival!”

Flora blinked.

She realized she was still in her pajamas, her collar a bit loose and her sleeves messy. She sat up and pulled the quilt down slightly, revealing half of her face.

“…Is it that important?”

“Of course it’s important!” Lena replied immediately without the slightest hesitation. “It’s the liveliest festival of the year for the demon race!”

Flora slowly sat up straight, feeling a slight chill when her feet touched the floor. She raised a hand to absentmindedly press down her messy hair, her movements sluggish with the grogginess of someone who had just woken up.

The Unification Festival.

The term swirled in her head. She slowly remembered hearing it mentioned a few times in the corridors yesterday, but she hadn’t paid much attention then.

“What is the… Unification Festival for?”

“To celebrate the unification, obviously,” Lena said as if it were common knowledge.

“The demon race used to be divided into separate factions. Then the first generation queen unified the scattered demons. Only after that did the current demon race come to be.”

As she spoke, she walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains.

Morning light flooded in.

It wasn’t blinding, but it was enough to clearly illuminate the room.

Outside, she could see a corner of the castle’s inner courtyard where people were already moving things — wooden crates, colorful fabrics, and some decorations she couldn’t quite identify.

Flora’s gaze drifted outside.

So they were already preparing.

“So the Unification Festival is to commemorate that?” she asked.

“Yes, but it’s not just a commemoration.” Lena turned around and leaned against the window.

“It’s more about everyone celebrating together. There will be food, drinks, and games. It will be even livelier in the town. Even people who usually don’t go out will come for this.”

Flora nodded.

It sounded… fairly normal.

So normal that it didn’t seem like a “royal” holiday.

She had originally expected it to be more formal.

“What about the castle?” she asked.

“The castle will prepare as well, but it’s not as fun as the town.” Lena thought for a moment. “It’s mostly ceremonies and audiences. It’s not very interesting.”

Flora uttered a quiet “oh.”

She slipped her feet into her slippers, the hem of her pajamas swaying as she stood up. She walked to the wardrobe, originally planning to just grab her usual everyday clothes.

However, her hand stopped mid-air.

She scanned the garments in the wardrobe.

Finally, she pulled out a dark dress with a more structured cut.

It wasn’t her most grand outfit, but it was clearly formal.

She changed quickly, fastening the buttons one by one as the skirt draped down her figure. By the time she realized it, she was standing in front of the mirror, gently adjusting her collar.

Lena stood to the side, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly, though she said nothing.

Flora looked down at herself, then looked up.

“You’re in such a hurry. Do you have a schedule for me?”

“Of course!” Lena immediately perked up. “The castle will be even busier today. I have to take you to breakfast first, and then…”

She paused, as if suddenly remembering something.

The Unification Festival, the first generation queen, the unification of the demon race… From any angle, it didn’t seem like something she could treat as unrelated to her. Now that she was the princess, she was bound to have duties.

“Do I… need to do anything?” Flora asked.

Lena tilted her head.

“I’m not quite sure,” she said honestly. “You should ask Her Majesty. After all, she knows everything about these things. It’s best if you ask her.”

Flora didn’t respond.

Her movements slowed as she turned to pick up her coat. A small thought surfaced in her mind, which she quickly suppressed.

‘Ilya might give me some unusual tasks, since this is the first time I’ve faced a demon festival as a princess — and such an important one at that.’

But she wasn’t certain. Who knew what was hidden inside Ilya’s gentle yet mysterious heart?

At the very least, she wouldn’t be doing nothing.