Having resolved the issue of her height, Yulia was delighted.
Life is looking up!
From now on, if anyone dared to look down on her, she would shove a photo in their face.
Click, click—
She took a few screenshots.
The screenshots were secured, but the original image had to be hidden carefully.
If anyone else saw it, especially in comparison, they might ask: “Is this really you?”
Yes! Of course it is! The future is bright!
“Maria, gather all the portraits of me in the palace and hand them over to me.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
No one questioned what the princess was up to—it was her own business, after all.
After observing her for a while, they couldn’t help but feel that the current princess seemed a little… scatterbrained.
But they didn’t dare say it aloud.
Besides, it made sense. Given Her Highness’s condition, something must’ve gone wrong with the plan.
Normally, the returned princess should’ve regained some of her memories, and her body shouldn’t have been so young.
But it didn’t matter. What’s important was that she had returned—everything else had already been arranged.
Still admiring the painting and wondering whether to bring it back for her sister to see, Yulia suddenly froze as a realization struck her.
She hastily stashed the painting into her small bamboo basket.
“Oh no, I forgot! There are still so many people waiting for me outside the Golden City!”
She had already been inside for half an hour—Brother Isaac must be worried sick by now!
Indeed, Isaac was growing impatient.
They had watched as Yulia stepped into the sandstorm, only to vanish without a trace.
Although the sand had seemingly parted to let her pass, no one knew what was happening inside after all this time.
Finally, he gave the order: “Everyone, advance!”
Some hesitated, but a sharp glare from Isaac had them moving immediately.
As they approached the sandstorm, preparing to force their way in, the wind suddenly began to slow down.
Before long, the storm ceased entirely.
Confused and wary, they stared ahead.
Then, as the dust settled, an ancient yet magnificent castle loomed before them.
Everyone was awestruck by the towering dark golden walls and the colossal gates.
Suddenly, a tiny figure appeared atop the walls—Yulia.
Waving her arms, she amplified her voice with magic: “Brother! I’m fine! Everything’s okay!”
“Halt!”
Isaac called for a stop, though they had already frozen in place.
After a moment, Yulia emerged from the gates.
As she approached, Isaac’s eyesight flicked towards her hand—the rings were intact. She really was unharmed.
“Good. You’re safe.”
“Sorry for making you and everyone worry.”
“It’s fine.”
“Do you all want to come inside and take a look? It’s amazing in here!”
Steven asked cautiously, “Is there any danger inside?”
Yulia shook her head. “None. The people—or rather, non-humans—inside are all very kind.”
“Non-humans?”
“You’ll understand once you see.”
If only the specters could leave the Golden City or even just step onto the walls, Yulia would’ve dragged them up for a look right then.
But the moment they entered, many soldiers and knights tensed at the sudden shift in atmosphere.
Day turned into night, and a chill crept into the air.
When they spotted the ghosts, their instincts screamed at them to be wary.
Fortunately, this was a fantasy world—seeing strange things wasn’t strange at all.
They adjusted quickly.
Then, Yulia began introducing both sides.
One group was her former subordinates and loved ones; the other, her current ones.
She kept it brief, omitting unnecessary details to avoid complications.
Isaac’s side received the gist: Yulia would inherit this city. Born with a silver spoon? Too weak—she was born carrying an entire golden city!
Maria’s side also received the message: Her Highness remained a princess even outside. Truly, her charm and power couldn’t be hidden.
Both sides marveled in unison:
““As expected of Her Highness!””
Once the basics were covered, Isaac and the army had to hurry back.
They had been away for over a month, and border fortress duties and knightly orders demanded his attention.
Yulia kept only Steven behind, handing Isaac a bundle of items.
“I’ll stay here for a while, Brother Isaac. Go ahead and return—just make sure the teleportation array is set up properly.”
This was a long-distance inter-realm teleportation array, requiring high-grade materials and skilled builders.
The Golden City’s array would be easy—their clan had an innate advantage in spatial magic.
The one in the Jade Empire, however, would take more effort.
Once completed, Yulia could travel between the two at will.
She let Steven roam freely—she had noticed his fascination with the array, his eyes practically glued to the construction process.
With his own talent for spatial magic, Steven turned into an eager student, firing off questions left and right.
Once the others had left, Maria and the rest finally had a chance to speak privately with Yulia.
They had serious matters to discuss.
“Your Highness, were those people from an outside nation?”
“Yes. The Jade Empire.”
“The Jade Empire…”
“Do you know of it?”
““No.””
They all shook their heads.
Captain Kyne stepped forward. “I sensed something familiar about them—especially Your Highness’s current elder brother.”
“According to my guess, the Jade Empire was likely founded by descendants who survived the fall of the Golden Kingdom.”
“That would make sense.”
Head Steward Andrew added, “Your Highness, the Golden Kingdom had been warned long before the catastrophe struck. Her Majesty the Queen even foresaw the day it would come. Yet, despite our preparations, we couldn’t avert the disaster.”
“Still, we made many contingency plans. One was to conceal a branch of the royal family outside, preserving our legacy. The Jade Empire may be the result.”
“Oh? What other plans were there?”
Yulia’s excitement was palpable.
If Father and Mother already had arrangements, then all I need to do is find them—I’ll have a massive advantage!
Of course. With the Golden Kingdom’s foundation, how could we be wiped out so thoroughly?
“This Golden City was originally Your Highness’s own project. There were others—the Heroic Spirit Project, the Cradle1 Project, the Golden Origin2 Project…”
“The Heroic Spirit Project… the Tower of Heroic Trials? That was built by our kingdom too?”
“Yes.”
“And what about the Cradle and Golden City?”
“Apologies, Your Highness. We don’t know. The names are only what we overheard. Each project was kept separate—we were involved in the Golden City Project and thus isolated from the others.”
“For secrecy?”
“Precisely. The only ones who might know everything are Their Majesties… and you, Your Highness.”
“Me… Never mind, let’s focus on the Golden City Project for now. What needs to be done?”
“All that is required is to restore the Golden City.”