How long had she been asleep? Was it one hour? Two hours? Or even longer?
‘Forget it, it doesn’t matter anymore,’ she thought, her head feeling dizzy.
Xue Li sat up from the bed and looked down to her left. The gray plush doll lay there quietly — so very quietly.
Wanting to clear her head, Xue Li scratched the top of her scalp. Her hair was currently a mess, looking like a tangled ball of cotton, a far cry from its usual state.
She gently stroked the doll beside her and then slowly began to untangle her messy, long silver hair.
It took about five or six minutes to get her hair back in order, and only then did Xue Li check the current time.
“I slept for five hours,” Xue Li said. Her voice remained flat, but it wasn’t the kind of flatness used to hide her emotions; it was a flatness tinged with a hint of bewilderment.
It was currently three in the afternoon, and there were still so many things left to do.
For some reason, the air in the room felt heavy and humid, making it difficult to breathe.
‘But I have to at least do something. I can’t just do nothing,’ she thought.
After such a long delay, she expected the others would be getting worried.
Xue Li stood up straight, seemingly trying to adopt her familiar “Princess Xue Li” persona again, but she failed after only one minute of trying.
‘I can’t do it,’ Xue Li thought, looking at her hands as she slightly clenched and then released her fists.
Even if she couldn’t fully manage it, Xue Li still tried to maintain a reasonable state, or at least avoid appearing too weak.
She tested herself and found she could barely maintain it, perhaps because she had just slept for five hours.
“Phew…” Xue Li took a deep breath.
As she inhaled, her chest felt a dull pain from the expansion. Ignoring it, Xue Li changed her clothes, pushed open the door, and slowly walked out.
***
Inside the pavilion, Flora sat quietly with her chin resting in her hand.
In reality, she was thinking about what exactly she would do once she returned to the human world.
The house that was once so familiar she could recognize it with her eyes closed was now somewhat blurry in her memory. Only the general layout and colors remained.
She wondered how her sister and the others were doing. Had Kaan returned home completely safely? What was her sister doing right now? How was her sister’s life?
‘Stop thinking so much. I’ll see them soon anyway.’
When the time came, she would stay in the city for a while. There wasn’t anywhere else in particular she wanted to go.
Returning was simply to see them with her own eyes, spend some time with them, and “say a final goodbye” to the past.
Flora stretched her legs forward, letting them relax a bit.
The sunlight outside the pavilion was wonderful, shining brightly on the small yellow flowers. The wind was also warm and soft, carrying the scent of green grass. It smelled lovely.
Returning to the human world… it was happening so fast.
Not long ago, she had felt like it was something in the distant future. When she had returned from White Stone City and mentioned it to Ilya, her heart had been in her throat.
She hadn’t expected her mother to agree so soon, and then for everything to be prepared so quickly.
As for the clothes, the ones she was wearing now were what she would wear when they headed out.
Flora looked down at her dress. It wasn’t the ornate, complicated gown typical of the demon race’s court, but rather a simpler style that a human noble might wear.
Though, it did feel a bit strange to be wearing it now.
The colors were a gentle cream and light blue, but the collar and cuffs were embroidered with extremely fine, dark vine patterns.
This had been one of Ilya’s small requirements. Although Flora didn’t know why, it was a harmless detail.
About ten such outfits had been prepared. When Flora first tried them on, she had stared into the mirror for a long time. The person in the mirror didn’t look like her former self…
Well, Lena had teased her about it at the time, saying, “Your Highness looks so unique like this.”
…A pure and lovely girl.
Thinking of Lena’s expression at the time, the corners of Flora’s mouth curled up unconsciously.
She pulled her legs back, sat up straight, and shifted her gaze from the bright flowers toward the main building of the castle.
It seemed her luggage was mostly packed. Actually, there wasn’t much she specifically needed to bring.
It was mostly clothing suited for the identity of a “human noble lady,” a few books Ilya had handpicked to pass the time on the road, and a small bag of potions and food Lena had prepared just in case.
In truth, Flora’s current mood was very peculiar.
It was a mix of anticipation, hesitation, and sadness, yet also a strangely firm resolve.
It was like standing at a crossroads, looking at a road that was both familiar and strange, not knowing what would happen after walking down it, yet desperately wanting to see the scenery along that path once more.
“Your Highness,” Lena’s voice came from outside the pavilion, carrying respect and a trace of almost imperceptible dissatisfaction.
“Her Majesty the Queen requests your presence. She said there are some final arrangements before the departure.”
“Mm, alright,” Flora replied casually.
“I can’t believe I can’t go with you this time. Honestly, hmph, Your Highness is playing favorites!” Lena said in a willful, joking tone.
“It can’t be helped. You simply cannot come along this time, Lena,” Flora said somewhat seriously, appearing to take Lena’s complaint at face value.
“I was just joking, Your Highness. You actually took it seriously,” Lena said with a speechless laugh.
“Don’t joke about such things in the future,” Flora said with a faint smile and a sigh.
Flora said nothing more and stood up. Her hemline swayed gently in a soft arc with her movement. The delicate texture of the fabric was indeed different from the dresses she usually wore.
She took two steps, stopped, and looked back at the brilliant cluster of flowers outside the pavilion before turning to walk toward the castle.
Soon, she arrived at Ilya’s room.
She rarely visited Ilya’s private chambers.
The room was permeated with a faint scent of ink and a certain crisp, woody fragrance. Ilya wasn’t sitting; she was standing by the window, looking at the scenery outside.
Ilya only turned around when she heard Flora enter.
“Is everything ready?” Ilya asked. Her gaze lingered on Flora’s dress for a moment, and she seemed to give a slight nod of approval.
“Yes, everything is packed,” Flora said as she walked to her side, also looking out the window. “Mother, when exactly… are we leaving?”
“Tomorrow at dawn,” Ilya’s voice was calm. “We will depart while the mist has yet to scatter so we don’t attract too much attention.”
Tomorrow.
The word made Flora’s heart skip a beat.
“I have already arranged the identities and relevant documents,” Ilya continued, her tone like she was delivering an official report, even though the content concerned their upcoming disguise.
“We are a mother and daughter from a fallen minor noble family in the south. Our surname is Flan. I am Alison, and you are Flora. The pronunciation of your name remains the same, but the characters have changed.”
“Also, remember, the purpose of our trip is to visit a site that might belong to — “