The next day. Flora woke up very early, before the sun had even risen.
The room was silent. Heavy curtains blocked out most of the night, allowing only a faint sliver of light to bleed through the edges.
She lay there with her eyes open for a while, not rising immediately. Her breathing was steady against her chest, yet sleep eluded her.
Eventually, she sat up.
When her feet touched the carpet, it felt soft and warm. She walked to the window and reached out to pull back a corner of the curtain.
The sky outside was still dark. A deep grey-blue pressed down on the distant city walls and the silhouettes of the trees.
The outline of the castle crouched quietly in the night, its lights scattered and thin, like stars that hadn’t quite woken up yet.
Flora stood there, watching for a moment.
She couldn’t say why she had woken up at this time. There was no sense of being startled awake, only a very slight, blurred premonition, as if her body had known something in advance.
That feeling wasn’t unease.
It was more like… something different was about to happen.
She stood there, staring as if at something specific, yet seeing nothing at all, her eyes simply remaining open.
Each breath left a thin mist on the glass.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze drifting downward.
The mist reflected the lower half of her face, but she saw more than just that. She saw a girl of medium height with white-purple hair and hands resting at her sides.
‘So beautiful.’
She wasn’t sure if that thought was about the night, about herself, or about herself enveloped by the night.
‘Right now…’
Flora gazed at the bright moon for a long time, seeing many wonderful sights.
But she didn’t think about anything; she just watched.
Only when she felt a bit of a chill did she realize she had been standing there for quite a while. She drew the curtains closed and turned to return to the bed.
She didn’t try to go back to sleep.
She simply lay down again, pulled the blanket to her chest, and closed her eyes. Her consciousness stopped reaching outward and instead slowly retreated inward.
Even though she remained awake, her body relaxed bit by bit, as if accepting this half-awake, half-asleep state.
After an unknown amount of time, a soft knock came from the door.
The rhythm was familiar.
“Princess?”
Flora opened her eyes.
“Come in.”
The door was pushed open, and Lena poked her head inside. When she saw Flora sitting on the bed, she was clearly taken aback.
“Eh?” She blinked. “Your Highness woke up so early.”
Flora gave a quiet affirmation.
“Yes, I couldn’t really sleep.”
Her voice sounded calm, lacking the raspiness of someone who had just woken up, nor did she seem like someone who had been disturbed. Lena scanned the room, looked at her expression, and understood immediately.
“That works out well, then.” Lena smiled and closed the door. “The clothes are already prepared.”
“Put them over there.” Flora nodded and then asked, “Is it time to set out?”
“It’s still a bit early.” Lena placed the clothes over the back of a chair. “We don’t need to rush. We’ll be taking a common carriage.”
Flora got out of bed and walked over to the chair.
Lena had prepared a very simple outfit. The fabric was a common cotton-linen blend, the colors were a plain grey-blue and deep brown, and the style was basic, devoid of any patterns or decorations signifying her status.
“This set is perfect,” Lena said. “You won’t stand out in a crowd.”
Flora nodded and took the grey-blue set. The fabric felt a bit coarse in her hands, but it had been washed clean, carrying a faint scent of sunlight and soap.
She changed quickly. The clothes fit well, clearly showing that Lena had put thought into it.
The process of changing was quiet. Her movements were as practiced as always, but this time, there was no tension in her heart about whether she was “dressed appropriately.”
When the fabric settled against her body, she glanced down and noticed that her reflection in the mirror was already different from a few days ago.
A bit of that sharp presence had vanished.
After changing, Flora tucked the other set of clothes into her storage ring so she could change later if needed.
She walked to the dressing table. The mirror reflected a figure in ordinary clothes, but her face and her silver hair and purple eyes were still striking.
The ring on her finger shimmered with a very faint light.
She suddenly remembered what Ilya had specifically told her the previous night.
‘The ring can also help you hide your aura and slightly modify your appearance. It will let you be more low-key.’
Flora closed her eyes.
Following the flow of mana, she drew her aura inward. The ring on her finger warmed slightly, as if responding to her will.
The air seemed to vibrate gently.
When she opened her eyes again, the transformation in the mirror was complete.
Her original white-to-purple gradient hair had turned into a very ordinary brown, neither as shiny as before nor overly dull.
The gold in her eyes was suppressed, as if covered by a layer of soft grey, losing the brilliance that would catch someone’s eye at a glance.
The lines of her facial features had also shifted slightly, making her look more average.
She now looked like a very ordinary member of the demon race, the kind of person who would blend into a crowd and go unnoticed.
Flora stared at the mirror for two seconds, momentarily stunned herself.
“This is much better.” Lena walked over, circled her once, and nodded with satisfaction. “In a crowd, no one will give you a second look.”
Flora reached up to brush a strand of hair.
“Indeed,” she whispered.
By the time they went downstairs, the castle was beginning to show signs of life. People were moving things at the end of the hallway, and voices could be heard in low conversation.
They didn’t attract any attention as they quietly walked to the main gate.
‘I’m finally going out. It has really been a long time.’
‘I’m really looking forward to this!’
A carriage sat quietly outside the gate.
It was a very ordinary carriage, clean and simple, with no extra decorations. The driver looked like someone who traveled this route every day; he simply nodded when he saw them.
After boarding, Flora and Lena sat across from each other.
Though the interior lacked refinement or luxury, it was still quite comfortable.
“Your Highness, are you sitting comfortably?”
“Yes.”
Flora leaned against the carriage window, watching as the scenery shifted from familiar to strange. The high walls of the castle receded, replaced by forests and roads as the distant terrain slowly unfolded.
She watched for a while before suddenly realizing something.
She didn’t seem to know what exactly people did during the Unification Festival.
She turned her head to look at Lena.
“I don’t think I know what the characteristic activities or items of the Unification Festival are.”
Lena, who was organizing the items in her bag, looked up.
“You’re only asking now?” She chuckled. “I thought you didn’t care about those things.”
“It’s not that I don’t care.” Flora thought for a moment. “I just didn’t remember to ask.”
Lena considered it.
“Actually, it’s not that complicated,” she said. “The Unification Festival is just about everyone coming out to celebrate. There’s food, drink, and games—everything you can imagine.”
She started counting on her fingers.
“The most common food is called Wall Biscuit. It’s baked until it’s very hard, and it makes a loud ‘crunch’ when you bite it, with crumbs falling everywhere. Everyone eats them while they walk, and nobody cares.”
“Then there’s the Mixed-Color Market. All sorts of stalls squeeze together, selling a mess of random things, but it’s incredibly lively.”
“Children play the Duel Game in the squares, making armor out of cardboard and fighting until everything is a mess.”
“And there’s the Knot-Untying Game,” she added. “It looks simple, but it’s actually quite difficult. There’s always someone who can’t untie it.”
She spoke quickly and naturally, as if describing the most ordinary things in the world.
Flora listened, her gaze returning to the window.
Those images began to piece themselves together in her mind.
There were no ritualistic ceremonies here.
There were only crowds, sounds, food, and laughter.
“It sounds…” She paused. “Truly interesting.”
Lena smiled.
“Right? That’s why I said you shouldn’t stay in the castle for the Unification Festival.”
The carriage continued forward.
Flora leaned against the window. The bright sunlight seemed to remind her that this day was worth experiencing to the end.
She watched the road stretching ahead, her breathing steady.
‘I’m really starting to look forward to this. It looks like it will be a wonderful day.’