Lucy

The sun hasn’t risen yet. I wake up at my usual time to see Amelle, across from my bed, still sleeping soundly in a messy posture. I can’t help but smile before changing into my training clothes, securing my tachi’s hanger to my belt so the blade rests below my waist.

I jog toward the academy field at the northern end of the complex to begin my morning regimen. Usually I run without my tachi, so running with it certainly feels different. But keeping my weapon by my side at all times is an essential part of martial discipline.

After completing two laps, dark orange sunlight begins to illuminate the field.

Chronos’s voice echoes clearly inside my mind: Go to Rose Street. Bring your bag.

I am surprised to hear that. Though the words are concise, his instruction leaves much to interpretation. Rose Street is a long street, stretching all the way from the western market district to the edge of the city’s slum. Even though I haven’t finished my usual morning regimen, the strange direction piques my curiosity.

I quickly return to my room, still seeing Amelle deep in her dreams. Wiping off my sweat, I splash some water on my face and change into my traveling clothes, strapping my travel bag onto my back.

Leaving the academy grounds, I set off toward Rose Street in the western district. Walking along the cobblestone paths, I observe merchants busily setting up their shops and roadside stalls to my left and right.

At a major intersection, I spot a wooden signpost indicating that turning right will lead me onto Rose Street, and left toward the Royal Castle.

Rose Street isn’t a primary road, yet it remains relatively wide. As I walk down the road, I notice the surroundings growing noticeably poorer, signaling its proximity to the city’s slum.

From the other side, I catch sight of a familiar figure—a woman in her thirties sweeping the entrance of a modest inn and restaurant bearing the sign Lucy.

I swallow hard; Lucy was the nickname that my mother and she used to call me. The woman was one of the maids who served me from the day I was born until that incident occurred.

I let out a low exhale. Thank God I rejected her plea to accompany me to my grandfather’s domain five years ago. If she had come with me… I would have lost her during the ambush as well.

I slowly walk toward her…

“Uluru…”

Uluru materializes after absorbing a small spark of my mana, perching softly on my right shoulder.

It seems Melissa hears my approaching footsteps, though at first she doesn’t turn around. “I’m sorry, but the shop hasn’t o—”

When she turns and her eyes land on my face, her wooden broom clatters to the cobblestones.

“Pri—Lucy?”

She gasps, rushing forward and throwing her arms around me, tears brimming instantly in her eyes. “Princess Lucy… Is that truly you? Is it really you? I am not seeing a spirit, am I?”

The only thing I can do is wrap my arms around her and hug her tightly in return.

“I’m home… Melissa.”

The atmosphere changes after we enter the quiet and homey dining room. A lot of tables and chairs are stationed across the room, with a counter and staircase leading toward the inn area on the far end. Behind the wooden counter, I spot a huge man busily preparing ingredients for the day.

“Princess…” Melissa whispers, her voice trembling.

“I am officially dead,” I say softly, ushering her further inside the room to keep our conversation private. “Revealing the truth now would only cause unnecessary confusion. Until I am ready to set things right, please call me Luminera—a commoner, just like you.”

“I understand… Luminera.” I can hear the tremble in her voice, showing how difficult it is for her to address me with that name.

“Actually, my first friend as Luminera just called me Lumi. I don’t really mind if you call me that either—I just realized that using my full name, even if it’s a fake name, sounds far too stiff.”

It seems to make her hesitate for a second, but finally she smiles and speaks the name softly. “Lumi.”

“That’s good.”

A man's deep voice calls out from behind the counter: “Melissa? Who is that young lady?”

Looking toward the kitchen, the huge, burly man wearing a crisp white apron looks even more unusual up close. That is certainly a striking combination—his broad, muscular frame looks far more suited for wielding a heavy warhammer than delicately tying an apron and chopping vegetables…

Before Melissa can answer, I step forward and offer a polite bow. “Good morning. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Luminera, an acquaintance of Ms. Melissa. Please, call me Lumi.”

The man smiles warmly at me, his rugged face softening entirely. “Nice to meet you, Lumi. My name is Tony, Melissa’s husband. Please, take a seat and have a warm drink.”

He pours a glass of fresh milk and slides it across the counter toward me.

Realizing I forgot to hydrate properly after my morning run, I gratefully accept the glass, sit down, and take a long, refreshing drink. Melissa sits beside me.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Tony…” I set the glass down and turn to Melissa. “So, you became an innkeeper after leaving the royal castle?”

“Yes… After the official report declared that the First Princess had been killed, I resigned from my post at the palace. It simply felt wrong to remain… The only master to whom I owed my true loyalty was gone. How could I ever serve another?”

It seems Melissa was truly heartbroken after that day. Placing myself in her shoes, I can feel the weight of her grief. Hearing her words, all I can do is bite my lower lip to keep my own emotions in check.

“I am sorry,” I whisper softly, keeping my voice low enough so only Melissa can hear.

“…Pri—Lumi, I am just so deeply grateful that you are alive and healthy.”

“As am I, seeing you settled like this…” Looking around the warm, inviting interior, I add, “How did the two of you decide to open an inn together?”

“Well…” Melissa smiles, looking toward her husband. “I met Tony selling food at a roadside stall on the main street shortly after leaving the castle. I hadn't even brought money with me that day, as my grief had rendered me completely senseless, but he was generous enough to give me a meat skewer for free… Miraculously, I ran into him again near this very street a year later… We began to talk, started dating, and eventually decided to pool his savings with my severance pay to construct this inn.”

“That is… a truly wonderful story.” Tears well in my eyes as I listen, and I quickly wipe them away with my sleeve before they can fall.

The man behind the counter sets down a woven basket filled with fresh bread and prepared dishes—leftover items from the previous evening—in front of Melissa.

Noticing the basket, I ask, “What is that for?”

“Oh, this? It’s food we couldn’t sell yesterday. It is still perfectly good to eat, so every morning we gather the leftovers from our kitchen and bring them over to the orphanage in the nearby slums.”

Melissa takes the basket and stands up hurriedly. “I’m sorry, but the children are expecting this. I cannot be late with their breakfast. Will you wait for me here?”

I stand up as well, stepping beside Melissa. “How about I accompany you to the orphanage? I would like to see it as well.”

The suggestion clearly makes Melissa a bit uneasy—given my true identity as the First Princess, the slums are hardly an appropriate place for royalty to tread. But after staring into my eyes for a long moment and recognizing the quiet resolve in my gaze, she lets out a soft sigh and nods.