[3]

The sun this morning was bright enough to illuminate a large room. Outside the large window with beautiful carvings was a tree that could match the height of the second floor of the palace. You could say it's a good place for some animals to make their nest there. The shadows from the leaves of the trees cast funny patterns on the balcony floor which was blocked by the large window and white curtains.

I quite like moments like now. This is quite refreshing for the eyes for me who was sitting on the bed, saw a squirrel on one of the tree branches there. I honestly don't know if it's a squirrel or what. It has long ears, two tails with thick hair, and horns right on top of its head. Its squirrel-like colors and prints are quite different from such a look.

He's not alone, I think there is..

"Good morning princess!!"

"Good morning Rasya."

I didn't look at the girl. I just answered and smiled faintly still watching the squirrel-like animal. I think Rasya watched me for a moment and joined her gaze towards the tree in front of the window.

"Summer is the season for the tusk. Would you be interested in giving them the quinoa back?" asked Rasya.

"Last time I fed it, there was only one there. I didn't expect him to be a lot," I answered casually.

"Haha I think the tusk likes the princess because you want to give it food. So he brought his friends and family."

"Well, at least there aren't just bird nests there."

I got up from my bed, while Rasya opened the window curtains and started cleaning my bed quickly. The girl was really very serious in doing her job. Apart from Rasya, there were two other maids who entered my room earlier. They helped prepare water for me to bathe and helped me choose clothes.

Are Aldrich and Freya going to have breakfast with me and Venus again today?

"What's on the menu for breakfast today?" I asked.

"Ah the head chef of the palace said there would be a special meal. He also said that it was an order from the queen's majesty."

"Is it true? it's rare."

"Most likely it was a surprise from Her Majesty the queen."

Rasya looked very happy when she said that. Her bright orange eyes twinkled at me. I chuckled softly and intended to play a little prank on her.

"If it's a surprise, Your Majesty, you have leaked it to me, Rasya."

The girl was silent with a plain face. And right after that showed her panicked face. I can see it clearly from the reflection of the mirror because at this time the girl was combing my hair.

"Ah, hmm, let's say you get a newspaper from a foreigner," Rasya answered by scratching her temple.

"I'm just kidding," I replied with a chuckle.

"Newspapers from foreigners huh. Then a bird flew here and knocked on my window."

"Uhh princess, I admit defeat if I have to argue about puns."

Rasya lowered her head with an expression of surrender. We continued chatting until Rasya finished her task of helping me. Actually, I mostly listened to the story, but that's okay.

Knock knock..

I glanced at the large window in the room. Rasya, who also heard the knocking sound, also turned to look there.

"There is a sound like a knock?" asked Rasya.

"Princess, do I need to check?"

I nodded. Rasya walked slowly towards the slightly open window and was blocked by a thin curtain that swayed with the wind. Meanwhile, I just stood silently in the doorway of the room because earlier our goal was the palace dining room. Rasya looked like she wanted to squat after opening the window door. And a moment after that the girl was shocked to sit on the floor. I don't know what happened, it's just that something flew closer to me.

Bird???

The bird flew quickly toward my face. I tried to take cover by raising my right hand. As soon as I looked back, the bird was perched on my arm. There is something unique about it, namely the fur on its body which is deep red with a mixture of black on the tail and the tips of its wings. On the tail there is a two-string like but ends there is a mane of red hair between the black tail feathers. Its sharp curved golden beak, body shape and size looks like that of an eagle. But there is a sinister complexion like an owl on his face with flaming yellow eyes.

"Princess!! Are you okay?"

Rasya quickly stood up and came over to me. Whether feeling threatened or what, the red bird flew again with its wide wings. The animal had circled above us and stopped perched on my shoulder. And I can feel his sharp nails gripping my shoulder nicely without pain, as if he already understands.

"That bird, I will catch it princess!"

When Rasya was about to approach me again, the worker spread her wings again and flapped her wings on my shoulder. Which of course made my already neat hair damaged again because of what he was doing.

"..stop it, Rasya, stay away from me for a while," I finally said.

Rasya obeyed me by giving a little distance from me. The red bird calmed down and folded its wings again. I turned to the bird and took a clear look at the annoying animal. At her feet was a band of bright cream-colored cloth. I untied it and took off the roll of cloth which contained paper with an inscription.

Is that so? so cool..

"Rasya, go first to meet mother and Venus. Tell me I'll be a little late to the dining room," I said calmly.

"Do you know what the bird means, princess?"

"Take it easy, this is just a newspaper from a foreigner," I said with a faint smile.

✧✦✧

"What do you mean?"

I don't think the kid's stuttering like before. that's good..

"Are those words not clear to you?"

"There's no need to rush into a decision. Ponder your thoughts with yourself. If you're interested, you can contact me directly."

"What.. I'll see you again?"

"Hmm, I guess for now I'll be resting at home, so I won't be seeing you."

The boy looked down silently. I smirked and turned my back on him.

"If you're interested, go ahead with your first mission. Think of it as filling your spare time."

"Say it."

"Huh, you will definitely be interested if you say so."

"I will listen to it."

"Then go to your orphanage while you're still small."

The child fell silent. There was no reply until I decided to leave because Lily had asked me to return to the palace immediately.

✧✦✧

["I'm trying to rethink your request.. I will do it.. Today according to your orders, I will go to that orphanage. Send your further instructions to Poo, my red alack that I sent to you. And again for your help that night, thank you so much. - Carl"]

"So your name is Poo huh?" I asked the red bird in front of me.

The letter and the bird were sent by Carl to the palace, right in front of my bedroom window. There were actually a lot of questions I wanted to ask the boy. Like how he had a pet this big, how did he know that I was a member of the royal family when it was already clear that my face was hidden by a hood of robes, and knew my bedroom window among the many windows in this vast palace. I guess if I ever have the chance to run away again, I'll meet up and ask about it.

I took a roll of paper from my desk drawer and tore it into small square pieces. Take ink and quill to write a reply letter. When finished, I rolled it up in the previous beige cloth and tied it around the leg of the bird named Poo. The bird snored with a sound I think I've heard it elsewhere.

"Are you also a dove? Your voice is very similar to the carrier pigeon in my world."

I walked over to the window and opened it wide. The red bird flew swiftly and disappeared away. Because I opened the window wide enough, the squirrels, ah no, the tusk that was on the big tree started coming towards me one by one. It's quite funny to see them jumping up and down running towards me.

"..and there are eight of them now," I said while sighing.

"You guys hungry? I only have a few, I'll ask Rasya to spread the rest on this balcony."

An aura of magic surrounds my hand, taking out a small bag filled with wheat from the storage scroll. Actually in the past days I did have time to feed them. Their numbers have grown in just a few days, and I suspect they will continue to grow. As long as they don't bother me I'm fine, after all they are cute enough to decorate a large tree that looks too lonely.

✼⊷♛⊶✼

The dining room door opened. A large long table with various foods neatly arranged on it. And now there are two people who are looking at me with different eyes. One smiled at me and the other looked at me with a sullen face.

"Sister is really too late!!"

The grunt of the boy there made me have to give him a smile.

"Venus, I'm just a little late," I said as I walked closer.

The boy didn't answer. He prefers to turn his head and take a mouthful of food on his plate. I also chose to sit in a chair directly opposite Venus. There's something a little different here, where I didn't find Aldrich with the two of them.

"Mom, where's dad?" I asked.

"Dad still has business. Last night someone suddenly reported something strange to the palace. But your dad has already taken care of it, so don't worry," Freya replied calmly.

"Hm, I see."

I think the person I met last night did their job well without being noticed. Honestly I want to ask more about it. It's just that if they hear from Freya's intonation and being here, they want a child like me and Venus not to know about it. And I can ask Kris for more details the next time I meet the butler.

On the other hand, when I wanted to take my food spoon, Venus, who was sitting in front of me, was heard muttering a little loudly. I glanced ahead and I can confirm that the child is in a sulking phase.

To whom? Of course me..

"What's wrong?" I asked carefully.

The kid didn't answer my question and just focused on his food. Freya who saw that from her seat that was between us, sounded a chuckle.

"I think your little brother is angry with you," whispered Freya who slightly brought her head closer to mine.

"Was I that long while getting ready?" I asked in a whisper too.

Actually, I told Rasya not to tell Freya and Venus about the little incident that happened in my room this morning. I think the girl understood and did her job well by telling me that I wanted to get ready myself which resulted in me being late to the dining room.

"Not too. But Venus was waiting for you to come."

"So you guys haven't started breakfast and are waiting for me instead?"

"Correct."

I don't know how to react..

I looked back at Venus who seemed to be eating her food quickly. I'm sure I have to do something about this myself. I rarely deal with children though. More precisely, I really do not like dealing with children.

My mistakes pile up in the eyes of a three year old, huh..

"Mom, after breakfast, can I play with my brother in the garden behind the palace?" I asked Freya.

"Of course."

Venus who heard our conversation finally wanted to look at me with an angry face but looked very innocent.

"Who said I want to play with sister?" asked the boy.

"If you don't want to, that's fine. I can play alone," I answered casually.

I smiled faintly at the boy, while he kept looking at me with the same expression as before. We chose to continue our breakfast time with more talk between me and Freya, Venus and Freya. Freya seemed to only smile calmly seeing the slight conflict between her two children.

"I'll go first, mom," I said.

Freya nodded and I got up from my chair. Left the dining hall with a cautious greeting from Freya as a mother.

Now I'm walking down the corridor of the palace. If I may say personally, this palace has an interior that is quite pleasing to the eye. Carvings on the large wall pillars with large photo frames arranged between the pillars. The lights that are hung just look beautiful when they are not lit. Marble tiles with abstract but regular patterns and dark red carpets along the streets are something in itself that adds a special impression.

Arriving at the end of the hall with a crossroads there, I could see Rasya walking casually pushing cleaning equipment. I walked a little fast towards him. Rasya who turned towards me showed her happy face when she met me.

"Princess, did you have a nice breakfast?" who is that girl.

"It's pretty fun," I replied casually.

"Oh yes Rasya, there are two things I want to ask of you."

"What is it princess?"

"You remember the tusk in my room? Please bring them more wheat grains. Just tell Aunt Gray that's my request."

"Ah fine. I will bring them as many as I can carry."

The girl seemed very excited about his words. I shook my head in response to that.

"They're not that many. Give some and leave the rest in my room."

"Then, if you meet the butler, ask him to accompany me in the back garden maze. I'll be waiting there." I continued.

"Well understood, princess."

I nodded and quickly left Rasya, heading to the garden behind the palace.

If there is anything I can be proud of while I'm here, I would say that I have memorized the palace plans well. From the front door to the back door. Even so, there are some places that I can't just enter, one of which is the dungeon. I could see the entrance where, but I've never been in there. The place was heavily guarded by soldiers so let's just say I understand that.

There are four large buildings on the territory plan of the royal castle. The first was the grand palace with the same name as his own country, the Angelise palace, from the kingdom of the Southeastern continent. Whether they are lazy to give names or what, I think it's easier to remember. The second is a Rube mansion. A large residence located in the western part of the palace. The residence is usually used for state guests or important people to stay. Even during the past kings, it was used for the residence of the king's concubines and also the King and Queen who retired from their positions.

The third building among them was the warrior base. The building was to the east of the palace with a large open building connected between them, and that building was the sword training ground. Members of the royal family and soldiers used to train there. I visited that place once and it was an absolutely amazing place cooler than the interior of the palace itself. That's my personal opinion.

And the last one is the greenhouse. I honestly do not understand the function of this greenhouse among other buildings. But the place has its own story. This building looked smaller than the others, but at least it was a building of impressive size.

I will give a little explanation here. The royal castle or royal grounds are surrounded by a tall battlement that rises up around the castle grounds. And something that I like is, this area is located on a hillside that is right in front of other high hills. Because of the high ground, at night you will be able to see the sparkling lights of the town of Angelise itself. Even in the morning you can see the silhouette of the city stretching far around the castle.

I like the most when I see the sun rising between the hills and sinking between the city buildings.

I looked up and could see a two-man-tall hedge right in front of me. I've arrived at the labyrinth entrance of the garden behind the palace. This labyrinth is not very wide but once I enter it it will be a little difficult to find a way out without magic because of the branches in the labyrinth. Even in my opinion, this labyrinth is magic itself.

I took a deep breath and decided to enter the labyrinth slowly.

There are several interesting spots in this labyrinth. There was a medium-sized tree in the middle of the labyrinth. If you can find the tree, then you'll be safe and won't have to worry about getting lost. But for someone who didn't know about that, he had to be wary of that tree because it was the heart of the labyrinth.

"Has the princess been waiting for me long?"

I turned around and found Kris smiling kindly at me. As usual, I didn't even feel this person coming while I was surveying the apple tree in front of me. I shook my head in response and moved closer to the tree to sit on a chair there.

"I have something to ask you, Kris."

"You can ask me anything, princess."

The old man did not change his position from the entrance to the tree labyrinth. The distance between me and the butler was quite far. But due to the quiet atmosphere, I was able to talk to him in only a low voice.

"Did someone come to the palace last night?"

My question slightly changed the friendly smile on the man. Even if only briefly, I'm sure he was a little surprised by my question.

"That's right, princess."

"Can you tell me more details?"

Kris seemed to think for a moment before finally explaining it to me. The point is, the person I controlled last night to come to the palace confessed all of his actions all of a sudden in front of Aldrich and Freya's eyes. Initially, the guard soldiers did not allow the man to enter the palace. There was even a small commotion because the stranger kept muttering that he wanted to meet the king. Kris, who was on patrol at the time, saw this and decided to report directly to Aldrich.

"Then what decision did dad make for that?"

"His Majesty the king imprisoned the foreigner when the person suddenly fainted. His Majesty the king also ordered teams III and V knights to trace the incident."

"And where was dad this morning?"

"Previously, there were some strange things that stranger said before fainting. I don't really understand what that word means because it's not the language of any country. But because of that, the king's majesty decided to meet the language translator expert. And the scheduled departure is before sunrise."

I was silent for a moment after hearing that story from Kris. I leaned back against the park bench and closed my eyes for a moment.

"You know I trust you right?" I asked.

"Of course princess."

I nodded and looked back at the old man.

"Thank you for answering my question." I said while smiling a little.

"By your order and my duty, princess."

"Then I'd like to leave. I think the task of accompanying the princess will be replaced by your younger brother," Kris said with a warm smile.

"Hm? Venus is here already? Guide the kid."

"Yes princess, I will guide Prince Venus here."

Kris slightly bowed before turning around and disappearing into the maze's tall bushes. And not long after came back together with a little boy who looked down. The kid looks like he's too shy to come here. I already knew that and just chuckled softly.

He's just a normal kid..

"You don't want to go to your sister?" I asked calmly.

The boy scratched the back of his head and started walking slowly towards me. While Kris again bowed in greeting and walked away from the labyrinth. Now I don't know what to do with this little boy. I briefly ran through some of someone's actions in my mind and came up with an idea. I got up from the chair and started to stretch my arms. Venus who saw that while glancing at the hazelnut showed an expression that was difficult to explain. But suddenly he ran towards me and hit me with his arms.

"Haha what's wrong with you little boy?" I asked noisily while ruffling his hair.

"..Venus wants to apologize," said the boy.

Her small face pressed against my stomach so I couldn't see the expression on her face.

"To whom?" I asked still intending to tease him.

"Sister."

"Who's your sister?"

"Ukh why do you say like that?!" Venus said while looking up at me with her cute annoyed expression.

I wasn't kidding when I asked that.

"Hahaha I'm just kidding, calm down little boy," I said jokingly back ruffling that bright blue hair.

"What's wrong? hm? Why do you want to apologize to this older sister of yours?" I asked.

"Because I was angry at you this morning," said Venus sadly.

I shook my head in amazement at the child's cute behavior. I led Venus to sit on a park bench, right next to me.

"Then your sister also wants to apologize to Venus."

"Why?"

"Because your sister was late to join you for breakfast."

And to say no-no the day before, of course.

"You are a good boy," I continued.

"Hehe of course because Venus is Valencia's sister who is very beautiful!"

"Yeah that high confidence, great."

Venus looked really happy as she started telling me all the various things she wanted to tell me. From the start he learned to speak, he started to tell a lot about many things and asked what he wanted to know about me and also Aldrich Freya. I understand because even when Valencia's body was the same age I used to find out about this world bit by bit.

"Sister, sister, how about we come up with our own nicknames? So when we call each other, it will be different from other people when calling us!" Venus said.

"Own nickname?"

"Correct! Hmm, if I'm going to call sister with..." Venus paused a bit in her words.

"Sis Val!!"

"Val? Three letters of my first name?" I asked to make sure.

"Right, right, how's that?"

"Sounds good.. then I'll call you Neil."

"Neil? Why Neil?"

"Why what? That's your middle name. Do you want me to call Ven?"

"I think that sounds marketable.. Alright!! Val and Neil!!" Venus said excitedly.

"Why are you so happy like that?" my hand while chuckling.

"Because I'm happy!"

I sighed in resignation and patted the boy's head several times. This kid reminds me a bit of a piece of advice from someone in my memory. It is about how easy a child gets their happiness. But that can be denied by not only small children who easily get happiness from small things. Because adults, no, everyone can get it anytime and from anywhere. It is something simple to feel.

✼⊷♛⊶✼