Chapter 179: The Sisters' Gifts For Camellia [1]

After breakfast, Camellia led the three sisters from the hall herself.

The morning had grown brighter by then, though the royal castle still carried the uneasy atmosphere left by the previous night. Knights stood at every major crossing, servants moved through the corridors with lowered voices, and more than once Hermione noticed people pausing when they saw the princess walking beside three witches.

Camellia appeared not to notice.

Or perhaps she simply chose not to care.

"Your Highness," Hermione said as they crossed into a long gallery lined with old royal portraits, "you do not need to accompany us. We could have asked a servant to retrieve the gifts."

"I know," Camellia replied. "But I want to see them with you."

Esther, walking between Hermione and Airam, looked a little brighter than she had earlier. The promise of showing their presents to Camellia had distracted her from the constant worry for Ulrich, if only briefly.

"I hope you like them," Esther said, fidgeting nervously.

"I am certain I will."

They reached a guarded intersection near the eastern wing of the castle.

Camellia stopped before one of the knights stationed there.

"Excuse me," she said. "Do you know where the ceremony gifts have been stored?"

The knight straightened immediately.

He had been standing watch beside an alcove, one hand resting near the pommel of his sword. At the sight of Camellia, he lowered his head in a deep bow.

"Your Highness. The gifts have been moved to the receiving chamber in the east wing. They are being held there until the royal mages complete their inspection."

"Would you take us there?"

"Of course, Your Highness."

The knight led them through another series of corridors, farther from the dining hall and the guest chambers. The route passed through an older section of the castle, where the stone walls were thicker and the windows narrower. The portraits disappeared, replaced by tapestries depicting old Skargardian victories, royal marriages, and the first kings of the kingdom.

Esther looked up at one tapestry as they passed.

A golden-winged bird had been woven above a crowned woman holding a sword.

"The phoenix," Camellia said when she noticed Esther looking. "It is one of the old symbols of Skargardia."

Esther nodded, though her gaze remained on the wings.

"It is beautiful."

Camellia's expression became quiet for a moment.

"Yes," she said. "It is."

At last, they reached the receiving chamber.

Two guards stood outside a pair of broad wooden doors reinforced with silver bands. One of them had been leaning against the wall, his posture slack with fatigue. A yawn had just begun to escape him when he noticed Camellia approaching.

He straightened so quickly that his armor gave a sharp clink.

"Y—Your Highness!"

Camellia offered him a polite nod.

"Good morning. I would like to see the gifts from the ceremony."

The guard hesitated.

His eyes moved briefly toward the three sisters behind her, then returned to Camellia.

"Your Highness, I beg your pardon, but the gifts have not all been verified yet."

Camellia's brow lifted slightly.

"Verified?"

"The Commander has ordered every present checked by the royal mages before it reaches the royal family," the guard explained. "After the attack, there may be dangerous spellwork, concealed artifacts, or traps planted by demons. We cannot allow anything into your chambers without inspection."

The words were respectful.

But they were also strong.

Camellia could have ordered him to open the door.

As princess, she had every authority to do so.

Instead, she considered him for a moment.

Then she said, "I understand. I do not intend to inspect every gift. I only wish to see the presents brought by my three friends."

The guard's attention shifted toward Hermione, Esther, and Airam again.

Camellia continued before he could speak.

"They would not be dangerous."

The guard looked uncomfortable.

"Your Highness, I do not doubt your judgment," he said. "But I still need the name of the household. I can retrieve the specific gift box and bring it out for you."

Camellia smiled at that.

"That will be sufficient. The gifts are from House Rubenhart."

The knight's expression changed at once.

"H—House Rubenhart?"

"Yes."

He nodded quickly.

"Please wait here, Your Highness."

The doors opened only enough for him to pass through. Once inside, the thick wood shut behind him with a loud sound.

For a few moments, they waited in the corridor.

Esther shifted from one foot to the other.

"I hope they did not put the gifts somewhere too far back," she murmured.

"I am sure they did," Airam replied.

Esther looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because there are probably hundreds of them."

"That does not mean ours will be at the back."

"It probably does."

Hermione sighed.

"Airam."

"What? It is logical."

Camellia concealed a small smile.

From within the room came the muted sound of objects being moved. Wooden cases scraped across the floor. Wrapping paper rustled. At one point, something heavy was set down with a dull thud.

Then the doors opened again.

The knight emerged, guiding a large rectangular box in both arms.

The box was sturdy, made from crimson lacquered wood with metal corners. The crest of House Rubenhart had been placed prominently on the lid.

The guard carried it carefully, as though the weight had surprised him.

"Your Highness," he said, bowing his head. "This was listed among the gifts delivered under House Rubenhart's name."

Esther's face brightened.

"That is it!"

She stepped closer, though Hermione gently caught her sleeve before she could touch the box.

"We should let His Highness's guards handle it," Hermione reminded her.

Esther nodded, though she kept staring at the crest.

"I remember it," she said. "Our gifts were packed inside this before we left the estate."

Hermione looked at the box and nodded.

"Yes. Monika and the servants prepared it before our carriage departed."

Camellia placed a hand lightly against the wooden lid.

"Would you bring this to my chambers?" She asked the knight.

The guard blinked.

"Your Highness?"

"I would like to open it there."

"O—Of course."

He immediately signaled to another knight nearby. Together, they lifted the box more securely and followed Camellia back through the halls.

The return journey felt different.

Esther walked with a growing smile, her earlier gloom pushed aside by anticipation. Hermione remained composed, although she too seemed curious to see Camellia's reaction. Airam was unreadable, but her eyes kept returning to the Rubenhart crest.

When they reached Camellia's chambers, the knights carried the box inside.

The princess's private rooms were spacious but softer than the public halls of the castle. Tall windows opened toward the inner gardens. A fireplace burned quietly in one corner. Shelves held books, small porcelain figures, and neatly arranged vases of fresh flowers. Camellia's desk stood beneath the window, covered with writing paper and several unopened letters.

The box was placed on a low table near the center of the sitting room.

Camellia turned toward the knight.

"Thank you. You may leave us now."

The knight hesitated.

"Your Highness, should we remain outside the door?"

"Yes," Camellia said. "Outside is enough."

He bowed.

"As you command."

The guards withdrew, closing the doors behind them.

For the first time since leaving the breakfast hall, the four girls stood without knights or servants nearby.

Camellia moved to one side of the large box.

The three sisters stood opposite her.

Camellia lifted the lid.

Inside, the gifts had been arranged carefully beneath layers of protective cloth. Several small packages rested in the center, each tied with ribbon and wrapped in a different color.

Esther pointed first.

"That blue one is mine!"

Her gift was wrapped in bright blue paper, its ribbon tied in a slightly uneven bow.

Hermione pointed toward a more neatly wrapped package beside it.

"The red one is mine."

The red paper had been folded sharply at every corner, the ribbon placed with precise care.

Airam looked toward the final parcel.

"It is white," she said.

The package was wrapped in plain white paper, without a bright ribbon or decorative flourish. Yet it had been sealed with a thin dark-blue cord, knotted in a pattern that looked almost like a spell.

Camellia looked at the three gifts.

Then she looked up at the sisters.

Her smile widened, a hint of anticipation in her expression.

"Which should I open first?"