The Emperor sent Gilbert Bellacian to a small island in the West near the Valley of Chaos. Although people were assigned to foresee the island once in a while, he had practically been exiled.

However, if Count Bellacian was officially punished, they would not use the word ‘punishment’ because it could cause damage to me or Diana.

Count Bellacian left for the West without much resistance. Rumor had it that he had gone crazy.

I didn’t know if he was lying or he was really out of his mind, but even if that was true, I felt no sympathy for him.

Diana also showed little interest in the rumors about Count Bellacian.

Since that day, Diana had stayed at the Crown Prince’s Palace to prepare for the Knights Academy.

Usually nobles would be admitted without taking the test and could receive a letter of recommendation. But Diana said she wanted to take the test fair and square, so I respected her will.

Diana was extremely busy because she had to give physical tests, swordsmanship, and even written tests.

Edon had graduated from the Academy of Knights so he was also helping Diana, just like an instructor.

Diana did not take her eyes off of the book even though it was close to midnight.

“Diana, you should take a break.”

I put the snack and rosemary tea down on the desk.

“Wow, I’m already so hungry. I’m so lucky to be able to study while drinking tea made by my sister.”

She took a sip of rosemary tea.

“You’re overexerting yourself, aren’t you?”

“The test is just around the corner.”

Diana answered bravely. She was like a different person from the original Diana.

The Diana of ‘The Beast and the Lady’ was beautiful, but gloomy and indecisive. From beginning to end, she was torn between Blake and Richard.

But now Diana was confident and decisive.

“Don’t feel too pressured though. We still have next year if it doesn’t work this year.”

Diana was 10 years old, so she had one or two more chances even if she failed.

“No! I don’t want to call a kid younger than me a senior.”

So that was why it was so important to her…!

“I have to pass this time!”

***

Diana passed the entrance exam at the Academy with excellent grades, ranking 9th overall and 2nd among women. It was worthwhile to practice swordsmanship steadily for two years.

“Congratulations, Diana.”

But Diana didn’t look very happy. Wasn’t the result satisfactory?

“Diana, you ranked 9th. You did a great job.”

“Yes. I’m surprised it came out better than I thought.”

“Then why the long face?”

“I need to be away from you when I go into the academy.”

Diana sighed. I grinned and pinched her cheeks lightly.

“The entrance ceremony is next February. We can stay together until then.”

“Still…”

“Then, do you want to not go to the Academy and live with your sister?”

“…..I can’t. I have to become a knight. So please wait for me for 6 years.”

Diana would graduate that year at the age of 17. Blake would also be 17 then.

Would I be able to lift Blake’s curse by then? Or should I give up everything and get ready to leave?

“Sister…?”

Diana’s eyes shook nervously when I couldn’t answer.

“Yes. I will.”

I’d try to wait for her with Blake and hoped that his curse would be lifted.

I was going to do my best, but I couldn’t make any promises.

“Preparing for admission…”

When I tried to change the topic of the conversation, suddenly Diana grabbed my hand and hooked her pinky finger around mine.

“Promise me.”

“Diana…”

I tried to remove my hand in embarrassment, but she tightened her little finger even more and smiled.

“It’s a promise.”

I was forced to agree to the promise. However, when I saw our little fingers intertwined with each other, a smile appeared on my face for some reason.

“Yes. I promise.”

I ended up making an uncertain promise.

***

One year had passed. This year was also the year when Tensteon fell into Richard’s ruse and lost his life in the original story.

I wanted to find a way to lift Blake’s curse before the year went by, but the year ended without me finding any clues.

There was a New Year’s ball today. I attended with Tenstheon as always.

As the Crown Princess, I offered New Year’s greetings to the nobility and envoys, and when the main dance began, I naturally left toward the terrace.

“Sister!”

Diana was already on the terrace. She jumped and waved her hand when she saw me. As there were many participants today, the competition for securing a terrace was fierce. But she was able to secure the best place.

I was walking towards Diana, but Richard stood in front of me.

Richard was turning 17 this year and he had become a complete man. I didn’t like him very much, but I couldn’t deny that he was handsome.

“You look beautiful as usual.”

He greeted me proudly. The audacity! Count Bellacian had Diana spy on the Crown Prince’s Palace, and he suddenly exploded on the day the Duke’s eldest son announced his marriage and used violence.

Gilbert didn’t say anything, but it was clear that it was the Duke of Cassil behind him.

He probably used the marriage of his eldest son Frank and Diana as bait to manipulate Count Bellacian. And it was probably Richard who set up that ruse.

In “The Beast and the Lady”, too, he used to plot such things.

Even after doing that to the Count of Bellacian, he came over to greet me without any hint of guilt. And he didn’t call me Your Highness again today.

Richard wasn’t really interested in me. He had just judged me to be worthy of being used by him.

I wanted to pretend as if I hadn’t seen him, but as the Crown Princess, I still had to maintain etiquette.

“Thank you, Sir Cassil.”

“You’re not dancing again today?”

“Yes.”

“If you don’t gain experience, your skills won’t improve.”

The main character of the original novel was really full of perseverance. Even though he had been rejected for three years now, he still encouraged me to dance with him.

“You’ve worried uselessly.”

“My sister is a good dancer. She has practiced!”

Diana ran to my side. Richard fixed his eyes on me and did not even look at her.

“Did you practice by yourself? You have a cute side.”

“She didn’t practice to look cute to you!”

Diana interrupted him again. Richard had been treating her as if she was invisible, so he frowned.

“Lady Bellacian, you’re being disrespectful right now…”

“Sister, let’s go.”

Diana turned her head as if she didn’t hear Richard and looped her arm around mine. Perhaps the two were determined to ignore each other.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

I went into the terrace with Diana. As soon as she closed the curtains on the terrace, she flung herself into a chair and threw her shoes off.

“Oh, my leg hurts. I can’t wear shoes like this anymore.”

Diana kneaded her feet with her fists. This Diana was no longer a delicate heroine. She had become a tomboyish girl now. But I liked this Diana better.

Moreover, this was not the only difference from the original story.

“Diana, what do you think of Richard Cassil?”

“He’s annoying. Bad luck…”

Diana was about to swear, but she stopped when she looked at me. She had been speaking rather roughly since she came back from the academy orientation.

“Anyway, I hate him. I really hate him.”

Diana shuddered at the mere thought of Richard. It really seemed as if Richard had gone insane. He was treating Diana as if she was air.

“Diana, who do you like more in ‘The Secret of the Sword’?”

“The Secret of the Sword” was a famous opera depicting the love triangle between a fallen aristocrat and two men.

In particular, one of the two male protagonists was Ma Tap-ju, a highly ambitious and obsessive man, and the other was the friendly and warm Count who respected the thoughts of the female protagonist. It was somehow similar to ‘Beast and the Lady’.

The opera had been a masterpiece for hundreds of years. People argued about who they’d choose if they were the heroine.

“Of course it’s the Count. Why on earth would someone like a man like Ma Tap-ju? I just don’t understand.”

Diana’s taste had completely changed compared to the original story.

Richard was too much of a scumbag to have Diana.

I was worried that Diana might fall for Richard and twist her fate, but hearing her, I was relieved.

***

The New Year’s ball continued until midnight. Diana returned to the far-off Crown Prince’s Palace. Tenstheon asked me to come with him.

“Did you have something to say?”

“Come on, I want to have a glass of wine with my father.”

“No.”

Tenstheon took me to the top of Phillion Palace.

“Wow, I can see the whole Palace from here”

“Blake loves this room. When we played hide-and-seek, he’d always hide in this room.”

Tenstheon slowly shook the wine glass. The red wine drew a beautiful shape according to his movements. The color was completely different from that of the grape juice in my glass.

“Why don’t you come to Amoria Palace as a New Year’s gift? His Highness will be very pleased.”

“If I do something wrong, I could hurt the child even more.”

“You’re too careful. His curse will surely be lifted. As long as his father is alive, no one will harm the Crown Prince.”

“……”

He held the glass of wine in silence.