“Let’s open it wider.”
"Ah."
“No. It’s too small, I don’t think it’ll fit.”
“Ah, it hurts.”
It was like a baby bird.
Diana tried to open her mouth as wide as possible, but her jaw joints were stiff, making it difficult. Noah, holding a bowl of porridge and a spoon, looked at her with a pitiful look. Diana rubbed her numb chin and let out a discontented voice.
“Are you a dentist?”
“I’ll ask him to bring me a teaspoon.”
Diana was only able to eat her porridge after being brought a small spoon. A renowned medical doctor had warned that eating too much food immediately could lead to disaster, so she had to survive on porridge and soup for the time being. After the meal, Noah, who had also given her her medicine, took out a light cardigan and draped it over her shoulders.
“Now that you’ve finished eating, you should go for a walk and then go to rehab.”
“Noah... I don’t feel well. My stomach hurts too.”
Those who don't want to move and those who want to make them move. A high-level psychological warfare has begun.
She hunched her slender upper body, her expression as sickly as possible. Noah was five steps ahead of Diana. He knew her lazy nature well, so he couldn't have been unaware of her hidden intentions. He'd been lenient with her a couple of times, but he was a strict, high-ranking officer. Noah sat up straight and engaged in this psychological warfare seriously.
“Diana, are you going to be carried around for the rest of your life?”
Diana feigned disappointment. Patients tend to complain more, after all. He immediately picked her up, placed her in the wheelchair, and looked at her withered face intently.
“I can do it any time. But there might come a day when you have to carry me.”
“No, that’s not...”
Diana had been bedridden for so long that even the slightest movement was difficult, let alone walking, and her body had become extremely weak. Fortunately, she had recovered enough to sign the divorce papers. The two were officially married again. She shook her head with a sickly smile.
"I was wrong. I was already lazy, and now I'm losing my health."
"If you train hard, you'll get healthy again. A strong mind creates a strong body."
“Are you by any chance a former teaching assistant?”
"You should do your favorite art again and travel with me. And you said you wanted to have children, right?"
Diana's sigh touched the back of his clasped hand.
She bit her lip, staring at her own slender arms and thighs, then spoke as if she had made up her mind.
“Yes. It’ll be hard on this body, so I’ll have to work hard to recover.”
“In my current state, even if I do have a baby, there is a high chance of miscarriage.”
Noah remembered the doctor's words, but didn't show it on his face.
“Health comes first. It’s your body.”
Noah patted Diana's shoulder encouragingly. Without him, she might have spent her entire life in bed, repeatedly postponing her rehabilitation. Thanks to the (forced) consistent rehabilitation and exercise, she was able to walk without crutches, and by the time she'd increased her food intake, she'd gained some weight and strength.
Queen Grace II came to the Duke of Yorkshire with Boaz. She rushed to Diana as soon as she heard of her awakening, but she never met her. She visited her several times afterward, but she never met her. The Queen tried to remain silent, accepting any resentment or reprimand, but received no response. She made no specific demands of the Queen, nor did she even express her personal opinion of her.
“Princess Diana, Her Majesty Queen Grace has come to visit.”
“Sarah, is stew for dinner tonight?”
The maid carefully relayed the news, but Diana remained silent.
It was as if someone had completely erased the words "Queen Grace II" from their minds. A complete disregard for anyone they disliked. A complete elimination of their very existence from their lives, regardless of what others might say.
“I will not smile or answer you, for the rest of my life.”
Unlike her aloof attitude, her eyes were cold and settled.
Noah was so afraid that he had to restrain his instincts and patience. He had decided that Diana was completely capable. He never wanted to be banished from her world. Noah, quietly reflecting, turned around and left the room without saying another word.
"Boaz."
Boaz, who had grown plump from eating well, wagged his tail at Noah.
In the spacious lobby of the castle, the Queen and Boaz, accompanied by knights and maids, appeared. Beside them stood the Grand Duke and his family, their faces tense. From their perspective, it was no different from the constant visits of the supreme commander to inspect his troops.
"The Princess is eating well and is doing well with her rehabilitation. However, she does have some difficulty interacting with people. We are doing our best to provide her with treatment and support, so please don't worry too much."
The Duke of Yorkshire, his graying hair tied back in a bob, forced a smile. Noah sometimes thought he looked like a musician. Sweat beaded on his deep forehead. The Queen lowered her eyes, only turning her pupils to look at him before returning her gaze straight ahead.
“I always feel sorry, Your Highness.”
"Your Majesty, the Princess is a very kind person. I'm sure she'll open her heart to you someday."
The Grand Duchess offered some consolation.
Noah stared at them with a blank expression. Was it because they were talented individuals he wanted by his side? Or was it because she regarded Diana as her daughter? She wasn't just ignored; she was treated as if she were nothing. He muttered to himself, watching the Queen, who refused to give up and continued to beg. His blue eyes focused on the polka-dotted cape around Boaz's neck.
“That’s cool. It’s like a circus dog.”
“I made it for practice. How is Diana?”
The Queen asked, standing with her back straight and her posture dignified.
Noah remembered Diana's cold gaze.
“She's gotten a lot better. And since she doesn’t want to see you, I don’t think you need to come.”
He preferred not to beat around the bush. The members of the Grand Duchy and Baroness Mason, standing behind her, glanced at her. The Queen sighed, removing her wide-brimmed hat decorated with feathers.
“Yes, it seems Boaz can stay with you now.”
“Yes. If you leave it any longer, it might become obese.”
"What, he was so skinny it was almost pitiful. Look at those poor eyes. I couldn't give him a snack."
Noah remembered that all the cats and dogs the Queen kept were fat.
The Queen bowed down and rubbed Boaz's shaggy neck, their foreheads touching.
"Boaz, it's time to go back to your rightful owner. You won't be able to eat many snacks anymore."
“Ugh...”
Boaz, sensing that they were parting, opened his eyes wide and looked up at her. The Queen, standing upright again, turned her gaze to Noah with a forgiving expression.
“I’m going to go now.”
"Yes. I plan to leave for the United States after Diana's recovery. I'm planning to go to the Allied Forces Operations Command."
It was a firm declaration that there was no guarantee of a future. The Queen stared at him with a feigned indifference. A hint of regret lingered in her clear green eyes, but a smile soon formed.
"Do as you please. If you need help, just let me know. I'll keep waiting."
The weather was already approaching early summer. The trees were hastily putting on their green leaves to replace the fallen blossoms, and the refreshing colors characteristic of summer were blending into the earth.
Diana strolled lightly through the garden filled with crimson flowers with Boaz. Once, Diana had kept pace with Boaz, but now Boaz was taking his own slow steps, one step at a time. Sitting on a bench to rest, she recalled Esmeralda's visit not long ago. She apologized for the hurt she had caused due to her prejudice and asked for her forgiveness. Diana decided to forgive her, considering that she had relayed news of her to Noah and had helped rescue the Frogen citizens.
They already knew that the atomic bomb had been dropped on the Frogen capital. They also knew that a large quantity of explosives had been buried beneath the capital's central railway. They could have simply destroyed and blocked all the tracks except those used by supply trains.
Was the plan to trap key figures and people in the capital and annihilate them, preventing them from escaping? Perhaps they didn't care if ordinary citizens were caught up in the chaos. After all, national power is proportional to population. This was a plan passed down from generations long ago. Thinking about it now, it's chilling.
But Noah didn't do that. Following her will to save the good, she evacuated the citizens of the capital and surrounding areas, only to destroy the contaminated thoughts that remained there. The contaminated land would likely be unusable for a long time. The thought of pollutants spreading across the continent through rivers was somewhat bittersweet. Indeed, even in modern times, after atomic bombings and nuclear power plant accidents, they spread through wind and rain, and flowed down rivers to the Pacific Ocean. However, if Frogen had been successfully developed and the victors had emerged, an unimaginable catastrophe would have occurred. A hydrogen bomb with an explosive range of 80 miles might have been developed.
“Princess Diana, let me go for a walk with you!”
While she was lost in thought, a girl standing far away among the maids waved at her. It was Mabel, the eight-year-old granddaughter of the Duke of Yorkshire.
“You have to go to class now...!”
The maids' cries of dissuasion were heard, but Mabel ignored them, running towards Diana, bowing politely and smiling brightly. She was wearing a princess-like lace dress, holding a doll in a similar dress in one arm. It was "Barbara," made by the Chelsea Doll Company. Mabel added cheerfully, holding up the doll.
“Barbara, too.”
"Yes, Mabel. Barbara is my close friend, too."
Mabel delightedly took Diana's hand in her small one. The doll's gray eyes blinked at the angle of the tilt. Diana smiled at Mabel's rosy cheeks and stroked her black curly hair.
After regaining consciousness and greeting each other properly for the first time, the two quickly became close.
Since the war had just ended, Diana felt sorry for Mabel, who was unable to go outside for safety reasons and had no friends her age in the castle, so she often played with her.
“Princess, let’s sing together!”
But it was still unfamiliar to play along with a lively child who always ended her sentences with exclamation marks. Diana nodded, her face somewhat embarrassed. Mabel, who dreamed of becoming a singer, raised her lovely hands and began to sing with vigor.
“A rabbit at dawn!”
Diana's face lit up with her characteristically cold disdain. Mabel, perhaps displeased, placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks.
“Hey. It’s ‘Rub your eyes and wake up,’ Princess.”
“Rubbing your eyes and getting up.”
“I came to wash my face!”
“Aww-.”
Boaz, sitting next to Mabel, raised his muzzle and sang along, his voice audible in unison. Diana, listening to the dog and girl's chorus, spotted Noah, dressed in his uniform, walking toward her. Mabel, seeing him, blinked her azure eyes and jumped.
“The prince has arrived!”
The handsome silver-haired prince looked at Diana with eyes filled with affection.
“You know how to walk on your own now. What have you been doing?”
“I was singing with the Princess, Prince.”
Mabel answered in her stead, her eyes sparkling. Noah, a smile playing on his lips, slowly shook his head.
“I'm not a Prince.”
“Yes, you're the Prince.”
“Although they are a collateral branch of the Freudian royal family, they were deposed when Frogen was defeated, and their right to succession to other countries was also lost...”
“I’m a Prince because I married a Princess.”
Noah seemed to immediately agree with the child's simple conclusion. Diana tugged at Noah's sleeve and whispered quietly.
“Isn’t Mabel cute? She looks like a curly-haired doll.”
“I’m cuter.”
Noah, leaving Diana's face serious, bent down and reached out to Mabel as if escorting her. She took his hand, her expression bewildered. Noah's lips curved into a gentle expression.
“The Grand Duchess was looking for you. She looked very angry.”
“My grandmother?”
Mabel, who had been thinking for a moment, suddenly covered her mouth in surprise.
"It's time for liberal arts class! I'll have to excuse myself now!"
After saying that, Diana looked at Mabel's back as she ran to the maids and asked Noah.
“Noah, is Johanna staying in the United States now?”
“That’s right. I heard you’re getting married soon.”
“With Mr. Reynolds?”
"Yes."
Johanna had quit her military career. Ayla and Renier had been living in a city in the western United States, but they had recently moved to a small town near the capital and opened a shop in its downtown area. Diana, remembering Ayla's bright smile, hesitated before parting her lips.
“Did Ayla hear that Mastiff died?”
"Yeah. I heard she received the inheritance documents and a letter. She became rich by taking Mastiff's fortune."
Diana knew that it was people, not capital, that filled the human heart. While it was true that money was needed to gain and keep people, why had this perverse perception of capital over people developed? Was Ayla coping well with the loss of her loved one? What about Renier's grief when she heard Eileen's news? Would she resent her for turning a blind eye to their misfortune? Like a drop of black ink spreading through water, Diana's heart was tinged with guilt and worry. Noah, seeing her expression slowly sinking, ran a hand through Diana's hair and asked.
“Do you miss your friends?”
"Hmm..."
Diana struggled to decide what to say to the jealous man. If she said yes, he might just say, with a blank expression, "No, you only want to see me."
“I’m worried about how they’re doing. I miss them too.”
"You can meet them if you go to the United States. Medea's headquarters is in the capital. They even provide a general-level residence, but I don't like it."
“I don’t like what I want to see... Huh?”
Diana blinked, startled by the unexpected reaction. Noah looked at her with a natural expression, as if asking what was wrong.
“Why did you, who wanted to be unique to me, give such a normal answer?”
"Everyone important to you is important to me, too. But I should be the most important. And I don't like men or Henry."
“Why, Henry, all of a sudden?”
“I just don’t like it. Like Lieutenant Groenendaal, who lectures me like a father-in-law.”
Diana smiled, pressing her finger between Noah's dark eyebrows.
“What is he doing, Lieutenant Groenendaal?”
“We’re busy catching the fugitive war criminals and suppressing the anti-pacifist forces and remaining rebels.”
“A lot has changed while I was sleeping.”
“Yeah. You must have had a lot going on, too.”
“Yes, I think it’s been a few hundred years. I don’t remember exactly, though.”
The wind rustled the leaves. It sounded like the gentle sound of waves. Diana closed her eyes, feeling the faint lingering scent of spring.
“And I think you’ve changed a lot, too.”
“I haven’t changed.”
Noah's eyes softened as he stopped talking, and his dimples slightly flared.
“From the moment we first met until now. And in the future, too.”
"Ah."
“No. It’s too small, I don’t think it’ll fit.”
“Ah, it hurts.”
It was like a baby bird.
Diana tried to open her mouth as wide as possible, but her jaw joints were stiff, making it difficult. Noah, holding a bowl of porridge and a spoon, looked at her with a pitiful look. Diana rubbed her numb chin and let out a discontented voice.
“Are you a dentist?”
“I’ll ask him to bring me a teaspoon.”
Diana was only able to eat her porridge after being brought a small spoon. A renowned medical doctor had warned that eating too much food immediately could lead to disaster, so she had to survive on porridge and soup for the time being. After the meal, Noah, who had also given her her medicine, took out a light cardigan and draped it over her shoulders.
“Now that you’ve finished eating, you should go for a walk and then go to rehab.”
“Noah... I don’t feel well. My stomach hurts too.”
Those who don't want to move and those who want to make them move. A high-level psychological warfare has begun.
She hunched her slender upper body, her expression as sickly as possible. Noah was five steps ahead of Diana. He knew her lazy nature well, so he couldn't have been unaware of her hidden intentions. He'd been lenient with her a couple of times, but he was a strict, high-ranking officer. Noah sat up straight and engaged in this psychological warfare seriously.
“Diana, are you going to be carried around for the rest of your life?”
“Don't you want to carry me?”
“I can do it any time. But there might come a day when you have to carry me.”
“No, that’s not...”
Diana had been bedridden for so long that even the slightest movement was difficult, let alone walking, and her body had become extremely weak. Fortunately, she had recovered enough to sign the divorce papers. The two were officially married again. She shook her head with a sickly smile.
"I was wrong. I was already lazy, and now I'm losing my health."
"If you train hard, you'll get healthy again. A strong mind creates a strong body."
“Are you by any chance a former teaching assistant?”
"You should do your favorite art again and travel with me. And you said you wanted to have children, right?"
Diana's sigh touched the back of his clasped hand.
She bit her lip, staring at her own slender arms and thighs, then spoke as if she had made up her mind.
“Yes. It’ll be hard on this body, so I’ll have to work hard to recover.”
“In my current state, even if I do have a baby, there is a high chance of miscarriage.”
Noah remembered the doctor's words, but didn't show it on his face.
“Health comes first. It’s your body.”
Noah patted Diana's shoulder encouragingly. Without him, she might have spent her entire life in bed, repeatedly postponing her rehabilitation. Thanks to the (forced) consistent rehabilitation and exercise, she was able to walk without crutches, and by the time she'd increased her food intake, she'd gained some weight and strength.
Queen Grace II came to the Duke of Yorkshire with Boaz. She rushed to Diana as soon as she heard of her awakening, but she never met her. She visited her several times afterward, but she never met her. The Queen tried to remain silent, accepting any resentment or reprimand, but received no response. She made no specific demands of the Queen, nor did she even express her personal opinion of her.
“Princess Diana, Her Majesty Queen Grace has come to visit.”
“Sarah, is stew for dinner tonight?”
The maid carefully relayed the news, but Diana remained silent.
It was as if someone had completely erased the words "Queen Grace II" from their minds. A complete disregard for anyone they disliked. A complete elimination of their very existence from their lives, regardless of what others might say.
“I will not smile or answer you, for the rest of my life.”
Unlike her aloof attitude, her eyes were cold and settled.
Noah was so afraid that he had to restrain his instincts and patience. He had decided that Diana was completely capable. He never wanted to be banished from her world. Noah, quietly reflecting, turned around and left the room without saying another word.
"Boaz."
Boaz, who had grown plump from eating well, wagged his tail at Noah.
In the spacious lobby of the castle, the Queen and Boaz, accompanied by knights and maids, appeared. Beside them stood the Grand Duke and his family, their faces tense. From their perspective, it was no different from the constant visits of the supreme commander to inspect his troops.
"The Princess is eating well and is doing well with her rehabilitation. However, she does have some difficulty interacting with people. We are doing our best to provide her with treatment and support, so please don't worry too much."
The Duke of Yorkshire, his graying hair tied back in a bob, forced a smile. Noah sometimes thought he looked like a musician. Sweat beaded on his deep forehead. The Queen lowered her eyes, only turning her pupils to look at him before returning her gaze straight ahead.
“I always feel sorry, Your Highness.”
"Your Majesty, the Princess is a very kind person. I'm sure she'll open her heart to you someday."
The Grand Duchess offered some consolation.
Noah stared at them with a blank expression. Was it because they were talented individuals he wanted by his side? Or was it because she regarded Diana as her daughter? She wasn't just ignored; she was treated as if she were nothing. He muttered to himself, watching the Queen, who refused to give up and continued to beg. His blue eyes focused on the polka-dotted cape around Boaz's neck.
“That’s cool. It’s like a circus dog.”
“I made it for practice. How is Diana?”
The Queen asked, standing with her back straight and her posture dignified.
Noah remembered Diana's cold gaze.
“She's gotten a lot better. And since she doesn’t want to see you, I don’t think you need to come.”
He preferred not to beat around the bush. The members of the Grand Duchy and Baroness Mason, standing behind her, glanced at her. The Queen sighed, removing her wide-brimmed hat decorated with feathers.
“Yes, it seems Boaz can stay with you now.”
“Yes. If you leave it any longer, it might become obese.”
"What, he was so skinny it was almost pitiful. Look at those poor eyes. I couldn't give him a snack."
Noah remembered that all the cats and dogs the Queen kept were fat.
The Queen bowed down and rubbed Boaz's shaggy neck, their foreheads touching.
"Boaz, it's time to go back to your rightful owner. You won't be able to eat many snacks anymore."
“Ugh...”
Boaz, sensing that they were parting, opened his eyes wide and looked up at her. The Queen, standing upright again, turned her gaze to Noah with a forgiving expression.
“I’m going to go now.”
"Yes. I plan to leave for the United States after Diana's recovery. I'm planning to go to the Allied Forces Operations Command."
It was a firm declaration that there was no guarantee of a future. The Queen stared at him with a feigned indifference. A hint of regret lingered in her clear green eyes, but a smile soon formed.
"Do as you please. If you need help, just let me know. I'll keep waiting."
***
The weather was already approaching early summer. The trees were hastily putting on their green leaves to replace the fallen blossoms, and the refreshing colors characteristic of summer were blending into the earth.
Diana strolled lightly through the garden filled with crimson flowers with Boaz. Once, Diana had kept pace with Boaz, but now Boaz was taking his own slow steps, one step at a time. Sitting on a bench to rest, she recalled Esmeralda's visit not long ago. She apologized for the hurt she had caused due to her prejudice and asked for her forgiveness. Diana decided to forgive her, considering that she had relayed news of her to Noah and had helped rescue the Frogen citizens.
They already knew that the atomic bomb had been dropped on the Frogen capital. They also knew that a large quantity of explosives had been buried beneath the capital's central railway. They could have simply destroyed and blocked all the tracks except those used by supply trains.
Was the plan to trap key figures and people in the capital and annihilate them, preventing them from escaping? Perhaps they didn't care if ordinary citizens were caught up in the chaos. After all, national power is proportional to population. This was a plan passed down from generations long ago. Thinking about it now, it's chilling.
But Noah didn't do that. Following her will to save the good, she evacuated the citizens of the capital and surrounding areas, only to destroy the contaminated thoughts that remained there. The contaminated land would likely be unusable for a long time. The thought of pollutants spreading across the continent through rivers was somewhat bittersweet. Indeed, even in modern times, after atomic bombings and nuclear power plant accidents, they spread through wind and rain, and flowed down rivers to the Pacific Ocean. However, if Frogen had been successfully developed and the victors had emerged, an unimaginable catastrophe would have occurred. A hydrogen bomb with an explosive range of 80 miles might have been developed.
“Princess Diana, let me go for a walk with you!”
While she was lost in thought, a girl standing far away among the maids waved at her. It was Mabel, the eight-year-old granddaughter of the Duke of Yorkshire.
“You have to go to class now...!”
The maids' cries of dissuasion were heard, but Mabel ignored them, running towards Diana, bowing politely and smiling brightly. She was wearing a princess-like lace dress, holding a doll in a similar dress in one arm. It was "Barbara," made by the Chelsea Doll Company. Mabel added cheerfully, holding up the doll.
“Barbara, too.”
"Yes, Mabel. Barbara is my close friend, too."
Mabel delightedly took Diana's hand in her small one. The doll's gray eyes blinked at the angle of the tilt. Diana smiled at Mabel's rosy cheeks and stroked her black curly hair.
After regaining consciousness and greeting each other properly for the first time, the two quickly became close.
Since the war had just ended, Diana felt sorry for Mabel, who was unable to go outside for safety reasons and had no friends her age in the castle, so she often played with her.
“Princess, let’s sing together!”
But it was still unfamiliar to play along with a lively child who always ended her sentences with exclamation marks. Diana nodded, her face somewhat embarrassed. Mabel, who dreamed of becoming a singer, raised her lovely hands and began to sing with vigor.
“A rabbit at dawn!”
“Hop.”
“Hey. It’s ‘Rub your eyes and wake up,’ Princess.”
“Rubbing your eyes and getting up.”
“I came to wash my face!”
“Aww-.”
Boaz, sitting next to Mabel, raised his muzzle and sang along, his voice audible in unison. Diana, listening to the dog and girl's chorus, spotted Noah, dressed in his uniform, walking toward her. Mabel, seeing him, blinked her azure eyes and jumped.
“The prince has arrived!”
The handsome silver-haired prince looked at Diana with eyes filled with affection.
“You know how to walk on your own now. What have you been doing?”
“I was singing with the Princess, Prince.”
Mabel answered in her stead, her eyes sparkling. Noah, a smile playing on his lips, slowly shook his head.
“I'm not a Prince.”
“Yes, you're the Prince.”
“Although they are a collateral branch of the Freudian royal family, they were deposed when Frogen was defeated, and their right to succession to other countries was also lost...”
“I’m a Prince because I married a Princess.”
Noah seemed to immediately agree with the child's simple conclusion. Diana tugged at Noah's sleeve and whispered quietly.
“Isn’t Mabel cute? She looks like a curly-haired doll.”
“I’m cuter.”
Noah, leaving Diana's face serious, bent down and reached out to Mabel as if escorting her. She took his hand, her expression bewildered. Noah's lips curved into a gentle expression.
“The Grand Duchess was looking for you. She looked very angry.”
“My grandmother?”
Mabel, who had been thinking for a moment, suddenly covered her mouth in surprise.
"It's time for liberal arts class! I'll have to excuse myself now!"
After saying that, Diana looked at Mabel's back as she ran to the maids and asked Noah.
“Noah, is Johanna staying in the United States now?”
“That’s right. I heard you’re getting married soon.”
“With Mr. Reynolds?”
"Yes."
Johanna had quit her military career. Ayla and Renier had been living in a city in the western United States, but they had recently moved to a small town near the capital and opened a shop in its downtown area. Diana, remembering Ayla's bright smile, hesitated before parting her lips.
“Did Ayla hear that Mastiff died?”
"Yeah. I heard she received the inheritance documents and a letter. She became rich by taking Mastiff's fortune."
Diana knew that it was people, not capital, that filled the human heart. While it was true that money was needed to gain and keep people, why had this perverse perception of capital over people developed? Was Ayla coping well with the loss of her loved one? What about Renier's grief when she heard Eileen's news? Would she resent her for turning a blind eye to their misfortune? Like a drop of black ink spreading through water, Diana's heart was tinged with guilt and worry. Noah, seeing her expression slowly sinking, ran a hand through Diana's hair and asked.
“Do you miss your friends?”
"Hmm..."
Diana struggled to decide what to say to the jealous man. If she said yes, he might just say, with a blank expression, "No, you only want to see me."
“I’m worried about how they’re doing. I miss them too.”
"You can meet them if you go to the United States. Medea's headquarters is in the capital. They even provide a general-level residence, but I don't like it."
“I don’t like what I want to see... Huh?”
Diana blinked, startled by the unexpected reaction. Noah looked at her with a natural expression, as if asking what was wrong.
“Why did you, who wanted to be unique to me, give such a normal answer?”
"Everyone important to you is important to me, too. But I should be the most important. And I don't like men or Henry."
“Why, Henry, all of a sudden?”
“I just don’t like it. Like Lieutenant Groenendaal, who lectures me like a father-in-law.”
Diana smiled, pressing her finger between Noah's dark eyebrows.
“What is he doing, Lieutenant Groenendaal?”
“We’re busy catching the fugitive war criminals and suppressing the anti-pacifist forces and remaining rebels.”
“A lot has changed while I was sleeping.”
“Yeah. You must have had a lot going on, too.”
“Yes, I think it’s been a few hundred years. I don’t remember exactly, though.”
The wind rustled the leaves. It sounded like the gentle sound of waves. Diana closed her eyes, feeling the faint lingering scent of spring.
“And I think you’ve changed a lot, too.”
“I haven’t changed.”
Noah's eyes softened as he stopped talking, and his dimples slightly flared.
“From the moment we first met until now. And in the future, too.”
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