It was already deep into the night. The chill and dampness of the mountain forest made Sophia feel slightly uncomfortable—but she had no other choice.

She was utterly exhausted.

Sophia found a small stone crevice. After a quick sweep to ensure no snakes, insects, or rodents lurked inside, she lay down and slowly closed her eyes.

Calling it a cave was generous—it was merely a hollow formed by a few large stones propped together.

As Sophia drifted into sleep, An nimbly leaped from her arms and gazed at her serene face.

“Roar—”

A low growl echoed through the woods. Anyone nearby would’ve recognized it instantly: the snarl of a magical beast.

Clearly, the creature had marked Sophia as an unexpected midnight snack.

But An had no intention of allowing that.

In an instant, his cat-like pupils shifted back to their true form. Under the gaze of those crimson dragon eyes, the beast let out a faint whimper and fled.

After releasing a hint of draconic aura to drive off nearby creatures, An curled back into the girl’s arms.

At least it was far warmer here than in the chilly, damp forest.

...

Sophia barely slept. Dawn in the forest arrived unusually early. Before she fully woke, a sunbeam pierced the dense canopy and landed on her face.

“Mmm…”

Her tightly closed eyes twitched slightly, then slowly opened—revealing irises clear as crystal.

“Good morning, little princess.”

An, having shifted back to his miniature true form, flew from the trees. Clutching two fruits in his claws, he dropped them into Sophia’s lap.

She shook her groggy head, forcing herself awake. Grabbing the fruits, she gave them a quick wipe and took a bite.

Wild fruit wasn’t the sweet delicacy books described—just a bitter aftertaste. But for a girl with no provisions, filling her stomach was blessing enough.

An retracted his draconic wings and scales, settled on a rock, and watched her wolf down the food. Amusement flickered in his eyes.

*Just look at the little princess now—where’s the noble grace befitting royalty?*

After finishing, Sophia summoned clean water to freshen up, then pulled her hood back on.

“Where to next, little princess?” An leaped lightly onto her shoulder—only to be scooped into her arms moments later.

“Back to the camp,” Sophia replied coolly.

An shot her a puzzled look. “Why go back?”

“Hmm… see if anything’s worth taking. Dried rations, maybe.” Her tone stayed flat.

According to her route, the next resupply town lay far ahead.

Roughing it like this much longer, and she’d starve on the road.

Yet An doubted that was her real reason.

But…

“Never mind. Let’s go.”

He didn’t care. Nestling into her arms, he closed his eyes.

...

Thanks to last night’s summoned rain, the mud remained soft and damp underfoot.

Sophia’s gaze settled on the cell. Seeing the door wide open, she let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.

An caught the flicker in her eyes—a trace of mockery crossed his own.

*Little princess… keep clinging to this “kindness,” and restoring your kingdom is pure fantasy.*

Still, he had no patience to lecture her. Truth was, he was almost curious: how would this kind-hearted girl’s path to reclaiming her throne truly unfold?

Sophia hadn’t forgotten her purpose. She stepped into the cell.

On a table lay a few relatively clean dried flatbreads beside shattered wine cups.

Clearly the bandits’ mess area. Lucky they hadn’t devoured everything.

She tucked the intact flatbreads into her bosom and turned to leave.

Just before exiting, her eyes flickered at the unlocked cell door.

She remembered—the lock core had been shattered by her magic upon leaving.

“Help… help… Mmph!!!”

“Shut it! Make another sound, and I’ll chop your head off!”

As Sophia reached the threshold, a commotion erupted outside the door.