By the time noon sunlight finally peeked through the curtains, the room still smelled faintly of sweat, perfume, and the chaos of last night.

Oliver woke first — barely.

His body ached everywhere. Not from battle.

No… from very different warfare.

He stared at the ceiling for five seconds before grumbling:

"…I'm never letting Isolde drag Ariana into shopping again."

A soft groan came from beside him.

Ariana immediately hid under the blanket with a squeak, face burning bright red.

Isolde, shameless as ever, stretched like a cat, completely unbothered.

"Oh please," she yawned. "You enjoyed every second."

Oliver choked on air. "That's not the point—!"

A calm, completely neutral voice echoed by the door.

"Master exceeded recommended biological exertion output by 273%."

Seraphine.

Standing perfectly straight, holding clean folded clothes, expression unreadable.

Ariana made a dying noise.

"Seraphine!!" she squealed from under the blanket. "Wh-Why are you reporting something like that?!"

The silver-haired construct tilted her head.

"It is a factual observation."

Isolde burst out laughing.

Oliver covered his face.

"Just… just give me the clothes."

***

After washing up (and ignoring Ariana's refusal to show her face), they gathered at the inn's small dining table.

Ariana kept her hair covering half her face, barely whispering.

"I can't believe I lost control like that…"

Isolde sipped her tea calmly. "You didn't lose control. You were guided."

"That's worse!"

Oliver smirked. "Relax. No one's judging."

"Correction." Seraphine raised her hand.

"Master was judging himself for approximately six minutes this morning."

"SERAPHINE!"

Isolde choked on her tea from laughing too hard

Ariana peeked at him, still pink. "Um… thank you… for last night… but can you forget it."

"Forget what?" Oliver asked innocently.

"Everything!"

Isolde patted her back. "Sweetheart, that's not how memories work."

Seraphine raised a hand.

"I have full visual recordings. Shall I delete them?"

Ariana nearly flipped the table.

"YES—DELETE—DELETE EVERYTHING—"

Oliver choked on his drink.

Isolde wiped a tear from laughing too hard.

Seraphine blinked.

"Deletion protocols initiated. Memories expunged. My logs are now 7% lighter."

Ariana collapsed forward in sheer relief.

"…Thank you."

****

By late afternoon, the inn room was filled with the rustling of new fabrics and the faint scent of perfume.

All four stood in front of the mirror.

Isolde wore a long obsidian dress with a high slit — elegant and predatory, entirely fitting for her overwhelming presence.

Ariana chose a soft lavender gown that hugged her waist and flared gently — modest but beautiful.

Seraphine wore a white-and-silver dress that made her look like a living goddess statue carved into mortal form.

Oliver…

Looked like a man who had been forcibly scrubbed, dressed in noble-style attire, and bullied into not slouching.

He tugged on his collar. "Do I really need this much embroidery?"

Isolde smirked. "You're entering a princess's residence. Try not to look like a bandit."

Seraphine walked up and dusted Oliver's shoulder.

"Master's attractiveness has increased by approximately 34%."

"Stop calculating my attractiveness!"

Ariana hid a smile.

***

The capital was evening-bright, lamplights flickering to life along the marble streets.

Elisha's palace wasn't anything like the royal palace's towering spires — but it was still grand:

A wide courtyard, crystalline fountains, elegant columns carved with phoenix motifs — her royal sigil.

Two rows of armored guards stood at the entrance, their polished armor reflecting torchlight.

As soon as they saw Oliver's group approaching, the atmosphere shifted.

Some guards straightened.

Some stiffened.

Some stared at the three breathtaking women beside him with thinly veiled envy.

Oliver felt the daggers of jealousy from every direction.

"Why are they looking at us like that…" Ariana whispered.

Isolde smirked. "Because the hero walked in with three beauties. Try to get used to it."

Seraphine blinked at the guards.

"Hostile emotional signatures detected."

"Not hostile," Oliver muttered. "Just… jealous."

"…Unnecessary." Seraphine concluded.

***

A familiar voice called out:

"Sir Oliver!"

Ronald approached — clean uniform, serious expression, but clearly relieved to see them.

He bowed slightly.

"The Princess has been expecting you. Please follow me."

Isolde walked forward with no hesitation.

Ariana stiffened, then followed.

Seraphine examined every statue, every pillar, storing details with perfect memory.

Oliver exhaled and stepped inside.

Marble floors.

Delicate chandeliers.

Paintings of phoenixes and ancient battles.

It looked less like royalty and more like a quiet, elegant refuge — fitting for Elisha's gentle personality.

Ronald guided them down a long hallway.

"The Princess is waiting in the inner hall."

Oliver swallowed.

This was a dinner invitation — but knowing Elisha's personality, it wouldn't just be dinner.

He could already picture her bright smile.

And maybe the slight blush she gets when flustered.

Beside him, Isolde watched him with narrowed eyes.

"…Try to avoid seducing royalty again," she whispered dryly.

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

Ariana snickered. Seraphine nodded.

"Master did engage in heat-driven biological interaction with two women mere hours ago."

"STOP BRINGING THAT UP!!"

Their bickering echoed through the gold-trimmed corridor…

As they walked further their shock grew even more.

The building was enormous — stately white pillars, a garden stretching wider than an entire district of Valtaine, fountains shaped like swans, and banners bearing the Hestia royal crest fluttering in the wind.

Ariana gawked openly.

Seraphine tilted her head, scanning everything with calm curiosity.

Isolde looked unimpressed.

"…Tenebris summer palaces were bigger," she muttered under her breath.

Oliver elbowed her lightly. "Don't insult someone's house right outside the front door, you menace."

Before Isolde could retort, the palace doors opened and Elisha stepped out, radiant in a soft blue evening gown, her silver hair tied elegantly behind her. Two maids and Ronald followed behind.

Her eyes lit up the moment she saw them.

"You're here!"

Oliver grinned, waving casually. "Didn't think we'd skip free food."

Elisha laughed, covering her mouth. "Well, at least you're honest."

Ronald bowed slightly to them. "Her Highness has been waiting since morning."

Isolde smirked. "No pressure at all."

They were led inside.

The interior was even grander than the outside — crystal chandeliers, polished marble floors, portraits of past kings and queens lining the halls. Ariana whispered, "This place looks like it's worth more than my entire hometown…"

Seraphine pointed at a random vase. "Market value estimated at 920 gold coins."

Ariana nearly tripped. "Why do you know that?!"

Seraphine blinked. "Because master's funds seem insufficient. Memorizing expensive items could help with future burglaries."

Oliver choked. "We're NOT robbing the palace, for the love of god—"

Elisha giggled behind them. "You really brought an interesting companion, Oliver."

****

The dining hall was bright, warm, and filled with the smell of roasted meat, buttered vegetables, and sweet wine. A long table stretched across the room, but Elisha guided them to the seats right beside her.

"No need for formality tonight," she said cheerfully. "Just relax."

Oliver didn't need to be told twice. He dug in, moaning dramatically. "Real food… finally."

Isolde rolled her eyes but was already grabbing her own portion.

Halfway through the meal, Oliver finally asked, "So, Your Highness… how've things been? Did things go well after the expedition?"

Elisha nearly burst.

"Oh, you would not BELIEVE the chaos."

She put down her fork, leaning forward with sparkles in her eyes.

"The moment I came back and presented the Heart of Elaris, the entire council hall went silent. Like—dead silent. You should've seen their faces!"

She gestured wildly.

"The Second Prince looked like he swallowed a bug. The Third Princess literally dropped her fan. And the emperor… oh gods…"

She took a breath.

"He went from shock to confusion to pure joy. Like watching someone evolve through all emotional stages in ten seconds."

Ariana snorted into her drink.

Elisha continued proudly, "The Heart of Elaris is something every king of Hestia has tried to recover for generations. The fact that I brought it back practically flipped the entire power structure overnight!"

"What about the other treasures?" Oliver asked.

"Oh, those too. The old artifacts we brought? The historians nearly fainted. Royal archivists scrambled like startled chickens." She puffed up her chest. "In short — I'm officially the most successful princess in the last four dynasties."

Ronald nodded with pride.

Isolde crossed her legs. "So you got rewarded handsomely, I assume."

"Oh, very." Elisha's smile widened. "I received a fief of my own, granted this palace officially, permission to raise a private cavalry, and Daddy— erm, the emperor is extremely affectionate now."

Oliver laughed. "So you basically became a political heavyweight overnight."

"Exactly!" She said happily. "Many noble houses who were neutral have already started aligning with me. I finally have a faction of my own!"

A soft, warm silence followed — the happy kind.

Oliver raised his glass. "Good for you, princess."

Elisha's smile softened. "And it's all thanks to you."

He scratched his cheek awkwardly. "…We helped, sure, but you walked into the forest yourself. You deserve the credit."

Her cheeks reddened slightly.

Across the table, Isolde smirked knowingly.

Seraphine added in a calm tone, "Princess displays elevated heart rate when master compliments her."

"A-Ahem!" Elisha cleared her throat violently. "L-Let's ignore that and continue eating."

Ariana burst out laughing.

And dinner continued — filled with chatter, teasing, warmth, and relief after their hellish expedition.

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