CHAPTER 30: CH:30 THE MOST UN-PRINCESSY PRINCESS

As Dila walked slowly down the quiet hallway, her bare feet barely made a sound against the polished marble floor.

Suddenly, a maid spotted her from a distance and rushed forward.

"Princess! What are you doing out here? Please... at least wear your sandals!"

Dila blinked and sighed in her mind.

"I swear... I might die first because of this ’Princess’ thing before anything else kills me. Princess here, Princess there—where does it even end?"

She looked down at her bare feet, then up at the flustered maid.

"And seriously, I’m not a toddler. I don’t need someone reminding me to wear my sandals."

☆ Hahaha~ ☆

Nari’s gentle laugh rang through her mind like a wind chime.

"Not funny, Nari," Dila murmured under her breath, eyes flicking to the side.

"Besides... I still haven’t moved on from what happened earlier. That elf, what he said—it’s haunting me."

☆ Don’t worry, Master... ☆

☆ And don’t forget—you always have the chance to grow stronger. No matter what happens, there’s always a next step. Let’s bet everything on it, together. ☆

Dila paused. Her breath steadied a little.

"...Yeah."

She spoke softly, answering Nari more to herself than anyone else.

The maid tilted her head, blinking in confusion.

"Princess? Are you spacing out?"

Dila quickly forced a smile and stretched her cheeks with her fingers.

"Haha... no biggie. Just... being happy!"

The maid let out a small, polite chuckle.

"You’re funny, Princess."

Dila thought quietly to herself, eyes a bit distant.

"Glad you found it funny..."

☆ That’s because it is funny~! Hahaha! ☆

Dila sighed with mild irritation.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want..."

But still, her faint smile lingered for just a moment longer.

Dila finally slipped on her sandals. Her gown—a soft, fluffy dress befitting royalty—swayed gently with every step she took through the corridor. A pair of silver earrings shimmered under the light, brushing just slightly against her pale cheeks. Her hair had been gently brushed and tied, her entire appearance resembling a perfect portrait of a noble princess.

But behind her bored expression, Dila wasn’t impressed.

She walked toward the garden, two armored knights flanking her sides like tall, clanking tin cans, while a single maid followed from behind.

She sighed, muttering just loud enough for the maid to hear, "Do I really need to be followed by two tin cans and a maid just for a walk?"

The maid, clearly flustered but still smiling politely, responded softly,

"Please, Princess... they’re here for your safety. Maybe speak to them a little more kindly?"

Dila’s eyes drifted into the distance, half-lidded. She said nothing, only letting out another breath.

"Good thing the garden’s blooming today," she mumbled as she looked around the path ahead.

"Fluffy flowers everywhere... but nothing else. Still boring. Just boring all around."

☆ Boring? You mean the part where a dangerous elf nearly kidnapped you is boring enough for you? ☆

Dila clicked her tongue.

"No, not that boring, Nari. I meant this—the situation, this forced royal parade. It’s like walking around wearing a curtain with an audience."

☆ Then how about we change the scenery? Let’s go to a different area, hmm? ☆

"Why don’t you go explore by yourself," Dila shot back dryly.

☆ Hahaha! You’re funny, Master~ But I can’t go anywhere by myself. I don’t have a body, remember? I can only move with you. ☆

Dila tilted her head.

"Oh yeah? Then how did you materialize in my dream with a full human body?"

☆ Ah... that was because your desire for human connection was so strong, I took shape in your dreams. Your heart called out, and I simply... answered. ☆

Dila sit and leaned on a wooden bench, legs spread, her left arm lazily slung across the backrest.

"Then... can’t you materialize now?"

☆ Sorry, Master... not right now. I don’t have enough power to do that. ☆

"So you can do it," Dila muttered, eyes narrowing.

☆ I don’t know for sure. Maybe... maybe not. I’m not really sure how to make it happened for the first time, either. ☆

Dila gave a long, slow sigh.

"Figures."

Unaware of her posture, she slouched into the bench even further, legs stretched out and relaxed like she was in her own room. Her calm, tomboyish posture didn’t go unnoticed.

The maid behind her stared silently for a second.

"This girl..." the maid thought to herself, watching Dila with a quiet smile.

"She really doesn’t act like a princess. More like a noble brat who skipped sword training to hang with the boys..."

But even then... there was something undeniably charming about Dila, in the way she didn’t care about how others saw her.

Finally, after a long silence, Dila muttered in her mind:

"You’re right, Nari... Sitting around doing nothing is boring."

☆ See? I told you! You’re not a sitting-duck type of princess after all~ ☆

Dila let out a soft grunt and stood up from the bench, stretching her arms like she just woke up from a nap. Her legs were still a bit apart, and her gown puffed out awkwardly as she adjusted her stance.

She turned to the maid and, in the most un-princessy way possible, bowed stiffly like she was greeting a sword master.

"Umm... Miss Maid Lady—uh, where’s the training area around here?"

The maid blinked.

Dila’s bow was way too deep. Her hands were stiff at her sides, and the way she addressed her—"Miss Maid Lady"—was the final nail in the etiquette coffin.

The maid smiled kindly, but inside, her thoughts were going wild.

"Yep... Just like a boy. Haaahhh..."

She forced her best noble smile while thinking,

"She bows like a clunky scarecrow, calls me lady, and looks ready to fight a goblin, not drink tea with nobles... Does she even know how to act like a princess?"

Still smiling, the maid gently replied,

"I can guide you there, Princess. It’s not far... and no need to bow to me, goodness."

☆ Smooth, Master. At this rate, they’ll knight you for being the most un-princess-like princess alive~ ☆

"Shut up, Nari."

But deep down, Dila grinned a little.

Maybe today wouldn’t be so boring after all.

After a few minutes.....

As Dila arrived at the training grounds, she noticed the area was divided into several zones—each one dedicated to a different discipline. The archery range was off to the side, where rows of archers were practicing their aim with rapid fire and focused precision.

Two guards flanked her as usual, walking like metal towers. The maid trailed behind her in silence, though her eyes were constantly scanning Dila’s behavior like a walking etiquette inspector.

Some of the archers paused mid-practice when they noticed her. A few stared. Others fumbled with their bows, startled, and quickly bowed.

Dila raised a brow and gave a tiny chuckle.

"Huh... maybe this whole Princess act is kinda OP after all..."

Then she paused.

"Wait... is it even an act? Or is it real? Ugh."

☆ Hahaha~ Now you’re questioning whether it’s a bluff or destiny! I love this timeline! ☆

Dila’s eyes went completely deadpan.

"Yeah. Real funny."

☆ Why do you look like a dry fish? Come on, just laugh a little! ☆

"Get used to it, Nari. This is my reaction to almost everything now."

As they passed the spear training zone, a group of young knights-in-training was drilling sharp, coordinated thrusts. More bowing followed. Dila didn’t react—just nodded slightly like royalty doing royalty things.

Then came the shield training. Even louder. Grunts. Clanging. Marching in place.

More bowing.

"This is getting ridiculous," she muttered.

But then—something finally caught her eye.

The magic training grounds. Rows of mages, old and young, casting elemental spells, runes flaring in vibrant lights—wind bursts, fireballs, glowing circles beneath their feet. Dila paused, truly curious.

"Whoa... so many mages in one place..." she whispered.

☆ Should we sneak in and show off your support spells? ☆

"Nari. I’m not showing off. And besides... I got spell-cancelled earlier like a roasted chicken."

☆ Right. Too soon. ☆

She moved on—until finally, she stopped.

The sword training grounds.

There he was—Sarios.

Training one-on-one with another knight. His posture strong. His black armor polished under the sun. He stood tall, sword gripped with elegant form. With every movement, he looked like a textbook example of a rising hero. Calm. Fierce. Focused.

Dila stood in the distance, arms loosely crossed, her hair swaying lightly in the wind.

A small smirk curled at her lips.

"...Now this looks interesting."