“Your Highness, if I may ask, did you come with your brothers?” Hestia asked respectfully, subtly changing the subject.

“No, I came alone,” Amara responded, letting out a small sigh. “My brothers are busy dealing with the borders and the situation with the monsters… so they don’t have much time to focus on other things.”

Emily blinked, unable to stop her curiosity from getting the better of her.

Since childhood, she had heard vague rumors about strange creatures and beings, but always thought they were just stories to scare children.

“Monsters?” Emily asked before she could stop herself. “Is it true that... they exist?”

The question seemed to surprise the princess, who brought a hand to her mouth, suppressing a small laugh.

“So, there are still people who doubt their existence, huh? Well, it makes sense if you live around here...” Amara said with a hint of amusement in her tone. “I’m starting to understand the kind of person you are.”

Emily blushed slightly, feeling a bit childish under the princess’s gaze, but she couldn’t help but listen intently.

Amara turned slightly to face her, her expression now more serious.

“Yes, monsters exist, just like demons and... even more dangerous creatures. Dragons, for example, inhabit the mountains to the north of the kingdom.”

Emily’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Dra-dragons?” she stammered, unable to believe it. “Are you... are you serious?”

“Of course,” Amara responded naturally. “That’s why no kingdom has ever stopped its research to improve its...” —she paused, searching for the right word— “combat and defense techniques.”

The explanation left Emily breathless.

Though she had heard the occasional story about mythical creatures and dark beings, she never thought they were real, let alone so close.

Emily swallowed hard as her thoughts raced.

“Are they... dangerous?” Emily asked, trembling slightly.

The princess tilted her head with a mischievous smile.

“Do you expect creatures that act purely on instinct to have a conversation with us?” she teased, waving her hand gracefully. “Monsters are as dangerous as the legends say, and they won’t hesitate to attack you if you run into them.”

Emily shuddered and quickly lowered her head.

“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to ask silly questions...”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Don’t worry,” Amara replied more kindly. “Curiosity isn’t a bad thing, especially when it comes to understanding the world around you.”

Noticing Emily’s discomfort, Hestia intervened with a warm tone.

“Emily, you don’t have to worry. Right now, you’re in the safest place in the entire kingdom,” she reassured her with a comforting smile. “The center of the capital is well protected. There are many lines of defense and magical barriers, so monsters can’t get close. You’ll never have to face them.”

Emily nodded, trying to calm herself.

But deep down, the princess’s words still echoed in her mind.

How could something like that be real?

Princess Amara observed her in silence for a few moments, then, with an expression that mixed interest and curiosity, leaned slightly toward her.

“Tell me, Emily... what is Nolan like?” she asked in a casual tone, though her eyes reflected something more.

Emily blinked, surprised by the question, and felt a light blush form on her cheeks.

“Ah... he’s...” she paused, searching for the right words. “He’s pretty calm. He thinks things through before acting, and... he’s a really good teacher.”

Amara raised an eyebrow with interest, but it was Hestia who leaned forward, intrigued.

“Teacher?” she asked softly. “Has he been teaching you something, Emily?”

“Yes, wind magic,” Emily replied, a little excited, not noticing the surprised expressions that formed on both the healer’s and the princess’s faces.

Hestia straightened up, her eyes wide.

“Are you serious?”

Emily nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes, he taught me some tricks to control the wind and...”

But Amara interrupted her in a soft voice.

“Is... that Nolan’s main magic?”

Emily paused to think.

Was wind magic his specialty?

Before she could answer, a distant thunderclap rumbled, followed by a bright flash that lit up the sky.

Emily jumped slightly in surprise, her hands trembling as she looked around.

Amara laughed gently.

“How cute you look like that,” she commented, her smile widening.

Emily blushed deeply and looked away, embarrassed.

“Thank you...” she murmured quietly.

However, the moment of calm was abruptly shattered when the sound of steel echoed from the church courtyard.

The metallic clashing of swords reached their ears, followed by a choked scream.

“What’s happening?” exclaimed Hestia, turning toward the source of the noise.

Emily’s heart raced as she followed Hestia and the princess toward the commotion.

Rounding the corner, they were met with a disturbing scene.

A knight, wide-eyed and breathing heavily, held a sword covered in blood, while the body of another knight lay on the ground, his chest pierced and a pool of blood forming around him.

Emily’s stomach churned at the sight of the blood, a sudden wave of nausea causing her to step back.

The image of the fallen knight, his blank eyes and sweat-covered face, left her frozen.

“What is happening here?” demanded the princess in a firm voice.

A healer from the church staff, pale and visibly frightened, quickly stepped forward.

“That knight... was possessed by a demon,” he explained in a low but urgent tone.

Hestia frowned, but seeing the confusion on Emily’s face, she leaned in and spoke softly.

“Lately, we’ve seen more cases of people losing consciousness and becoming aggressive. It’s as if something is controlling them from within,” she murmured. “We call it ‘possession,’ but we still don’t know exactly what causes it.”

“And... what’s the source of all this?” Emily asked in a faint voice.

Hestia shook her head, her expression grim.

“We don’t know yet. But it seems to only affect knights who spend a lot of time outside the walls, exploring the wilderness. We believe it has something to do with some kind of corruption or... dark influence that follows them back. That’s why many come here to the church to heal, but it seems it was too late for him...”

Emily swallowed hard, feeling a knot in her stomach.

Then, a terrifying thought crossed her mind.

‘What if... all of this is my fault?’

If there was one thing that had accompanied Emily throughout her life, it was her bad luck.