There were a lot of things to do. The number of people to meet, the list of tasks to complete - all these seemed enormous. One of the tricks she learned was to wake up early. Officials hate early meetings. That's a nice opportunity to spend time on work outside the palace.

The young maid was desperately trying to suppress her yawning while cleaning the table after breakfast. Cornelia stretched her arms, and something touched her leg. She knew what it was all about but pretended not to notice. The rubbing touch was repeated, with more force applied.

"No, you have already had your meal," said the princess, and petted Isis. The white cat with black socks on its long paws arched its back and rubbed against Cornelia's hand. Loudly purring, Isis tried to jump onto the table but was caught mid-jump. Sitting on a lap, the cat shook its tail a little, irritated by the failed attempt. She had no doubt that the food her owner ate tasted much better than the food in the cat's bowl.

"Are you heading to the training ground, Your Highness?" asked the maid, standing in front of the wardrobe. She glanced at the purring cat with a hint of envy. Unlike her, the pet was free to take a nap anytime.

"No, I'm going to the lab. Clothes that are easy to move in will do. It will be a shame if I brush away with long sleeves anything fragile and important."

The maid giggled, imagining such an outcome, and dove into the wardrobe. Cornelia stroked Isis' head before letting the sulky cat go.

Unlike officials who prefer to lie around in bed for as long as possible, Dr. Winda was already in her laboratory when Cornelia paid her a visit. The woman's black hair was styled into a back knot, and the hem of her navy-blue skirt could be seen from under her white lab coat. She was reading while drinking coffee, and when the princess entered the room, she greeted her with no hint of surprise.

"Was the trip to Kushane successful?" the doctor asked, and when Cornelia handed her a box of sweets, she added with a smile, "Oh, thank you! Pistachio, my favorite."

"It was, though the news about it was mostly spread through word of mouth" the princess sat on a chair at an empty desk beside the doctor. Right now, they were alone here, but during the day, the space was much livelier, with assistants and technicians helping with research. The filing cabinet containing papers and folders were kept neatly, in contrast to the sink filled with petri dishes. Looks like someone from the staff was slacking off. It wasn't her place to talk about such things if the head of the lab was fine with it. In any case, such a level of chaos didn't affect the overall impression. The most important things - countless shelves filled with crates with soil and plants - were kept meticulously.

Young and tender green sprouts reminded her of another matter that had been bothering her recently. A glimpse of sadness and worry did not go unnoticed by her interlocutor. Dr. Winda, with just a raise of her eyebrows, was able to ask a question without any words. This level of attention and empathy was totally foreign to her royal parents.

"I have filed a request to meet my niece. I should receive an answer in a few days. I hope Claudia likes the present I brought from Kushane."

"She is less than two years old, right? Just give her candy and she'll be delighted," the woman said, taking a sip from her half-empty mug and offering the princess a drink with a gesture. When Cornelia shook her head, the woman continued, "But a request to meet your own niece? Royal families make things really complicated."

"That has more to do with Castro's family than royal status," said Cornelia, recalling her visit to Fuego.

"Well, if I may complain a little as well, then just compare this," the woman took a folded letter from her desk and stretched it out like an accordion. The end of the letter even touched the floor. Then, she took a single piece of paper from a desk drawer and said, "And this."

It wasn't the first time that Hafsah Winda complained about her relationship. She continued to exchange letters with Shango during her stay in the capital of Castro. Both were busy indulging in their own projects, yet they still managed to diligently write to each other. It was heartwarming to witness such commitment and closeness. Cornelia listened humbly to all the sighs and complaints, knowing that this was Dr. Winda's way of relieving stress.

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"I see your fiancé is not very talkative."

"Oh, he's talkative alright. He just hates writing. But if I try to pull the same trick, he will nag endlessly about how I keep secrets and don't share anything."

Still irritated, the doctor sighed and and put the unfolded letter into the envelope.

"Sounds hard. But the long-distance relationship will soon be over - he can move to Castro and start working here this autumn."

With the increased funding, they were able to increase the lab's budget. The building for Shango's research was being constructed, but some of the necessary equipment had already been stored here. The hardest part was keeping his work out of the king's sight. Shango dedicated himself to finding ways to create materials of high quality and durability. The military were very interested in the results of his research and were eager to get their hands on unlimited amounts of fine metal.

"Can't we increase the heat?" asked Cornelia, when they were discussing Shango's work before.

"That we don't know. Currently, it's beyond our abilities. There should probably be some kind of trick, but it eludes us. It would be nice if Saintess could descend and enlighten us, but sadly this won't happen. This is just one of many issues. Take the Tower for example. It's so high and huge that it should have been impossible to build. It should collapse under its own weight, but it doesn't. The shape we can understand, but the material looks like a fusion of several ones. Strictly speaking, we don't know what it's made of."

The answer was understandable. Dark holes in knowledge were a legacy humanity received from the Retaliation War. What made the situation worse was that even some elements and resources that were available to people who came to this world were absent here. While concentrating on survival, people missed an important opportunity to fill knowledge gaps while memories were still fresh. It now felt like trying to assemble a puzzle without being able to match pieces correctly.

Dr. Winda sealed the envelope and stuck a few stamps on it. She glanced at the princess. "What about you, Your Highness? How is the engagement going?"

"It was smooth at first," Cornelia shrugged. This was her father's arrangement, and at the time, she couldn't oppose it. "And the duke is a good man. Though when I talk to him, it feels like I'm talking to Kroghan or Gahiji."

"Makes sense, he's closer to their age."

"We met a few times, all very officially and respectably. But I think the engagement will be cancelled. His position was shaken after one of his businesses went bankrupt."

The woman's gaze hinted to Cornelia that she should express more emotions toward the subject. But it was neither a sad nor joyous outcome. The only reason the engagement was not officially annulled was due to the princess' strengthened influence. She had not been sitting still for the past year and a half and had gained both supporters and informants. A year ago, she could only comply with the king's orders. But now, if the topic of a new engagement arises, the princess can take action on her own, using marriage to bring a powerful family into her fold. Carlos was dragging out an already broken deal, waiting for her position to weaken.

Without receiving any emotional response to the situation, Dr Winda shook her head. "All these sweet royal romance - everything revolves around money and status."

"Don't forget about political influence. I think it's nice to meet your future husband at university."

I would say that it's pretty normal. Well, let's see how our little squirrels are doing," returning to work, the doctor took a bowl of porridge and headed for the aviary in the corner of the room.

From Cornelia's point of view, the honey squirrels looked plump and happy. They had the opportunity to fill their bellies to their heart's content and didn't need to be afraid of predators. The animals even got a special menu - sweet porridge made from experimented crops. Noticing a familiar figure approaching them at the usual time, the animals chirred in excitement. Sitting side by side on the branches in a single line, they resembled small birds on wires from children's books. As soon as the bowl touched the ground, the honey squirrels leaped down and hurried to their feast.