The misfortunes never come alone. César's Royal Hunt was a success. It became the talk of the capital for many weeks, something that many months of hard work on the southern canal could never achieve. This type of injustice was not the first or the last, so Cornelia focused on other work. However, a new strike came from a direction she couldn't predict.

Despite the discreetness around Dr. Winda's research, rumors about the lab somehow began to spread throughout the capital. The newspapers, an independent press, wrote countless articles without expressing the journalists’ opinion. The words that journalists used were as neutral as possible, but the only side they gave voice to were the angry shouts of the opposition. Experts, religious figures, hardworking farmers, and even officials - everyone viewed the research as a completely abhorrent thing that deserved nothing but contempt. The condemnation of society grew like a snowball, threatening every single person associated with the lab, from technicians assisting with research to the princess who funded it. After weeks of heated debate, despite all efforts, it was decided to relocate the lab to a building on the outskirts of the city.

Helping to pack the folders with data, Cornelia tried to ignore the chanting of slogans by protestors on the street. Her trusted soldiers were guarding the building, and at least no one should be able to get past them and cause any damage.

As if reading her thoughts, Dr. Winda cheerfully said, "Don't be disheartened, Your Highness. Failures happen. At least nobody has trashed the lab this time."

"This time? Did something like that happen before?"

Dr. Winda opened the small cage to carry the lab's honey squirrels to their new home and placed a bowl of sweet water inside.

"Yep, a few days before the Draw. I've just received promising results, but while I was away, someone got into my study and turned it into a pigpen. I was so down in the dumps, considering returning back home. This would mean giving up on my dreams and following my parents' will to inherit the family business," the woman took the cage and carried it to the aviary. She placed it next to the door and opened both. The honey squirrels stared at the cage warily. They could compare the size of their current home and this new one, and the opinion was not in favor of the latter.

Tired of holding the cage, the doctor started to encourage the animals: "Come on, there's a nice treat inside."

It didn't convince the plump squirrels. The chirred and started to wash their muzzles with their tiny paws. For the time being, giving up, Dr. Winda closed the door and placed the cage on the floor.

"Anyway, Shango convinced me to attend the banquet, and that was a fantastic decision, as I met Your Highness there. Your earnest interest and admiration were like a safe haven in the stormy ocean, which I thought would swallow me up. So, cheer up! Moving to the outskirts has its own perks - we can proceed to the next stage and start working in a field."

As if to confirm the seriousness of her words, the woman took a small shovel from the drawer and proudly demonstrated it to the princess. Cornelia chuckled. She couldn’t imagine that a person who indulges in the latest fashions would dig the soil under a hot sun.

"Thank you, doctor. I'm just tired because there has been so much work and conflict recently. It's not like I'm going to give up. And we even put up a formidable fight this time. If it happened a couple of years ago, we wouldn't have lasted this long. But still, thank you, really."

"Don't mention it," said Winda, glancing at the aviary, hoping the squirrels would become interested in the cage and the sweet water inside it. But the animals stubbornly refused to fall into her scheme. The woman turned to Cornelia, who had finished packing the first box and was now moving on to the second. "Obsolete views are hard to change. It takes time. What concerns me is that Your Highness skipped the trip to Fuego del Tierra because of all this ruckus. Wouldn't it be bad for your image if you weren't present at the prince's funeral?"

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Cornelia stopped for a moment. She stood with another pack of papers, staring at an empty box. With a sigh, she put the papers in the box.

"I think it's good that César went to Fuego instead of me. He was closer to Diego and could give a nice speech, unlike me. It's a tragedy, but there are some things that don't make sense. Like, what was the prince doing in the border region of Kushane in the first place? There are some shady rumors about him. Knowing all this, I'm not sure if I would be able to say only good things about the deceased."

Dr. Winda picked up a cup from her desk and took a sip. Unlike the usually stylish things around her, this cup was bright pink with a picture of a cute, fat cat on it. She had complained about her fiancé's particular taste, but she kept the present anyway.

"And besides the scandal over the research, there was another matter I couldn't leave," continued the princess, returning to packing. "Earl Berg and his eldest son died in an accident at the construction site. I had to attend the funeral to support Dietrich."

"Earl Berg has passed away?!" the woman exclaimed, almost spilling coffee on her lab coat. She put down the cup, mumbling, "Goodness me, I missed the news in all this chaos. How is Sir Berg?"

"He is holding up well, considering the situation. I was going to pay him a visit today after I helped you pack. Though, his mother looks at me rather sternly. Castro's noblewomen are not very fond of me."

For a few long minutes, the atmosphere in the lab became quiet and sad. Packing was a good way to change the daily routine and also to calm down thoughts. However, it didn't work as well as Cornelia had hoped. She was filling the box, covering fragile things and putting papers in folders, but despite everything, her mood remained dark. Reminiscing about the tragedy of the Berg family added fuel to the fire.

While the princess was thinking about her upcoming visit to the bereaved household, Dr. Winda finished her coffee. She used the moment of silence to make a decision and opened the drawer of her desk.

"I was planning to give you this for your next birthday, but it looks like now is a better time," said the woman as she approached Cornelia. She smiled and handed the princess a paper bag. "It's lacking a presentable cover, but the content is good."

One glance inside was enough to leave Cornelia stunned. When she had recovered from the first shock, she tried to return the package saying, "I'm grateful from the bottom of my heart, but this is too grandiose a gift for me to accept."

Dr. Winda raised her palm, easily nipping Cornelia's attempts.

"Please find the courage to accept it. It's not something that can easily be given, so it shouldn't be given up easily either."

"But that is the reason why I can't. The golden spider cloth is such a rare and tremendously expensive item that it is only worn by Holly scholars and monarchs."

"Yes, my family has been overseeing spider silk production for many generations. The late master of the Tower, Her Holiness Imara, was gifted with a vestment made from such fabric," the woman smiled. Cunning sparks danced in her dark eyes. She knew the young princess too well. "And without a doubt, His Majesty has been dying to get his hands on the famous golden spider cloth for a long time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have tried to please me when I arrived in Castro. Therefore, by accepting this gift, you will do us both an honor and annoy your father."

Finally, the princess eased up and smiled back. "You are right. Thank you truly for such an outstanding gift. I will never forget your kindness. Although I feel like it will just remain stored in the chest."

"Don't mention it. Your Highness also helped me when I had my share of problems. And I have a feeling that you will get the chance to wear this."