The next morning, the girl used a silver fork to cut a piece of her chocolate cake breakfast. She took a small bite, letting the delicate, sweet flavor melt in her mouth.

"Wow... this is amazing."

She couldn't remember if she had ever enjoyed food so much in her previous life. But this chocolate cake? It was definitely something special.

Sura, who was sitting silently beside her, looked at her with surprise. She still couldn't believe how this girl had gone from running for her life to becoming a princess, now sitting in the royal garden and enjoying a luxurious life.

"It's truly a miracle."

The girl smiled. "Isn't it? I can't believe it myself. I am now a Karnelius. A princess of the heavens."

"You better learn how to get along with this new family so they will accept you."

"I know. I have a pretty good understanding of their personalities."

Sura nodded, warning, "I just hope none of them decides to kill you."

The girl took another piece of cake with a small, wry smile. This moment of peace and sweetness was precious to her. She decided to enjoy her peace as long as possible—it was these moments that made life feel good.

The sound of soft, slow footsteps behind her drew her attention. She turned her head and saw a young maid approaching gently. The maid stopped in front of the table, gave a short bow, and said:

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince wishes to see you. Also, the Young Masters have returned and wish to meet you."

"The Young Masters?"

"Yes, they are waiting for you in the guest hall."

For a moment, curiosity replaced worry. The time had come to face two important figures on her path. She stood up gracefully, straightened her dress, and followed the maid towards the guest hall.

[The Boys' Perspective]

The girl's bright eyes, slender nose, and small ears, along with her dark chocolate-colored hair that framed her face like silk, were undoubtedly reminiscent of Monica. The softness and smoothness of her hair added a unique beauty to her face. Her delicate and full cheeks were so perfect that anyone would be tempted to pinch them. Her tiny ears and the gentle smile that always played on her lips created a childlike and lovely face.

She stood in front of the three boys. Arien and Ilirian, both with curious and staring looks, were watching her. Even Ilirian couldn't deny that this girl looked very different from their previous meeting. But Arcsiel showed no change in his gaze. From the beginning, he had decided that appearance was unimportant to him, and what mattered was the true personality of the little girl. For this reason, without pausing for a moment, he returned his gaze to the book in his hand.

*****

The girl froze for a moment; it was as if her emotions had taken over her entire being. Sunlight streamed through the large windows of the hall, illuminating the faces of the three boys like magnificent and luminous statues. How could anyone be so perfect? (They look so cute and beautiful at this age.) Astia was grappling with herself in her mind.

Arien and Ilirian, with their golden and honey-colored hair, were shimmering in the sunlight. Arcsiel, however, looked completely different with his night-black hair that hid part of his ruby and mysterious eyes. Even in the shadows that his hair cast on his face, his eyes still shone, like precious stones hidden in the dark.

Suddenly, Arien, with his usual enthusiasm, got up from the sofa and took long strides towards the girl. He, who was clearly a bit taller than the girl, slowly circled her, as if assessing her energy. Then, a cheerful smile spread across his face.

"So, this special energy belongs to a demon angel!"

Ilirian calmly replied, without the slightest change in his expression, "I'm surprised you haven't noticed until now."

Arien continued with a loud laugh, "I can't believe it! The angel that everyone was afraid of is just a sweet little girl." Then he bent down a little to make the girl feel more comfortable.

"What's your name?"

The girl paused for a moment, then whispered in a soft, quiet voice, "Astia."

Her eyes had a sparkle of joy that caught Arien's attention. Arien said excitedly, "It's great to have a cute little cousin. The Karnelius family must maintain its glory. And fortunately, you have a strong energy core!" Arien continued and pointed to Arcsiel, saying, "See that moving refrigerator? That's my little brother."

Arcsiel, who gently lifted his gaze from the book, said in a cold tone, "Do you have to emphasize that I'm smaller every time you introduce me?"

Arien shrugged and said with a laugh, "Yeah, well! Why not?"

Arcsiel sighed and muttered, "Good heavens..."

Arien suddenly snatched the book from Arcsiel's hand, forcing him to get up from the sofa, and then returned the book to his brother with a friendly laugh. He brought Arcsiel towards the girl and said:

"Arcs is very taciturn. If he doesn't say anything, don't be upset."

Arcsiel coldly replied, "I can speak for myself. I don't need you to speak for me."

"Then say something, before she gets the wrong idea about you!"

For a moment, a heavy silence filled the room. In this silence, the little girl was struggling to control her emotions. Looking at Arcsiel, a wave of past memories suddenly attacked her—memories that she couldn't even fully understand. Everything she remembered awakened a wave of deep and unfamiliar sorrow in her heart.

Before Arcsiel could say anything, the girl started to cry. Tears were involuntarily streaming down her cheeks. She didn't even know why, until the three boys stared at her with surprised looks.

Ilirian asked in a soft voice, "Why... why are you crying?" The confusion was clearly visible on his face.

The little girl, trying to wipe away her tears, said, "Crying? I'm not crying." She hadn't even noticed when her tears had started to fall. She quickly used her sleeve to dry her face. Arien hurriedly handed her a handkerchief.

The little girl said in a quiet voice, "Thank you..." and wiped away the remaining tears. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment. Her first meeting with her precious characters that she would need in the future had been ruined unbelievably, and now, with her involuntary tears, she had left a strange and unsuccessful image of herself—it really wasn't a good start for her.

"Well... you're not crying anymore, right?" Arien said this in a worried tone, as if trying to hide the guilt he was feeling. The maids had brought the little girl a warm cup of tea and a chocolate cake to comfort her. With her puffy eyes, she gently held the cup of tea in her hands, but her gaze was on the cake on the table.

As she looked at the cake, she mentally berated herself: "It was really a terrible start!" A phrase that was repeated several times in her mind. Her involuntary tears seemed to be the result of memories that had made her cry, even if she didn't want to. Now that her tears had stopped, she felt a little relieved.

"I... I'm sorry."

Ilirian, contrary to his cool demeanor, said in a soft tone, "It's okay. Maybe you remembered something. Don't blame yourself."

Then he gently put his hand on the little girl's head to calm her down a bit.

This moment was strange for the girl. She couldn't believe that these three, who had always been serious and inaccessible in her mind, were so kind to her. Of course, Arcsiel hadn't changed as she expected. He was completely engrossed in his book, as if he didn't even notice what was happening around him and didn't care.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps from the hallway broke the silence of the room. The head servant entered with steady steps. He carried several books and a sword. He approached and said in a serious but respectful tone:

"It's time for your lessons, Your Highness and Young Masters."

Arien suddenly came to his senses, as if he had remembered something he had forgotten. He got up from the sofa with great energy and said:

"Oh, you're right! Thanks, Cladis."

He picked up one of the books from the table and signaled to Ilirian to follow him.

"Ilirian and I have to study the history of Purgatory until sunset. You can stay here with Arcs. I'll see you at dinner, little sister!"

He waved to the little girl with a smile and left the room with Ilirian. Now that Arien and Ilirian had left, the room seemed cold and heavy. A strange silence hung in the air, as if everything had stopped for a moment.

The little girl glanced at Arcsiel, who was still indifferently engrossed in his book. A question kept repeating in her mind: "Why doesn't he talk? Why is he so quiet?" She felt she had to do something to break this annoying silence.

Astia placed the cup of tea on the table and slowly got up from the opposite side of the sofa and sat quietly next to Arcsiel, put her small hands on her knees and stared at his serious and deep face. She was silent for a moment, but she couldn't help herself.

"You know, you're very dry and quiet. You're like books that I can never understand what's written in them."

Arcsiel looked up from the book, raised an eyebrow, and said, "That means you still can't read."

The girl smiled slightly: "Yeah, but I can guess that there's something in that book that has made you so cold and serious."

Arcsiel replied indifferently, "It's just a history book. There's nothing special about it."

He turned his gaze back to the book, but the girl decided to continue the conversation.

"Are you always this cold?"

"I'm not cold. I'm just wiser than to waste my time with meaningless questions."

The girl laughed, but quickly pulled herself together. "That's very selfish! Maybe my questions aren't meaningless."

Arcsiel replied in a dry tone: "Okay. Ask."

The girl paused for a moment, as if she really wanted to ask an important question.

"Why do you always keep your distance? It's as if you never want anyone to get close to you." Arcsiel started thinking for a moment (She just met me but she can talk so comfortably as if she has known me for a long time)

Arcsiel was silent for a moment, looked into the girl's eyes, and said in a soft voice:

"Because anyone who gets close usually has a reason. Angels and humans, they're all made that way."

The girl shook her head thoughtfully and said: "But maybe not everyone's reason is bad!"

The little girl tilted her head and stared at the boy's cold face with an innocent look. The boy remained silent in response.

Arcsiel was trying to react, but it was impossible.