The bracelet inside the glass box was as tattered and weathered as it was described in the novel. With rusting links and faded colours along the bracelet, Irene's eyes found the soul stone held by the worn metal, was still intact and pure. This plain stone - with a colourless sheen was exactly what she was looking for.

"Excuse me, Owner? If possible, I'd like to buy this stone." Irene smiled, catching the man and River's attention. It was then that the black-haired mage noticed that the faint magic he was sensing, was coming from the bracelet Irene was looking at.

The old man approached, and gently lifted the glass box off of the bracelet. "You want this? That's unexpected..." The man said, taking the bracelet into his hands. "It doesn't seem like something that would suit your tastes, Little Miss."

Irene smiled, tilting her head innocently. "It's alright, I can have the chains replaced with newer ones," she told him, confidently. "I just like the gemstone."

The man glanced down at the bracelet, still in confusion. But he decided to go along and sell it. It was sitting there helplessly for a good several years, anyway. Better to just give it to her.

As Irene asked the man how much he would take for the bracelet, River stepped forward, placing a slender hand on her head. "It's okay, I'll do the paying." He told her, before handing the old man a small bag filled with gold coins.

Irene blinked up at River, but didn't ask anything. For some reason, he appeared to be wearing a rather dark expression. His eye's were narrowed as if he were in a deep thought, and his face was displaying a shadow of concern.

Is something wrong...?

Irene pondered this for a moment, until his visage faded back into his neutral expression. Whatever it was, there was something definitely on River's mind. But that wasn't too important now. Sighing softly, Irene then turned her attention back to the old shopkeeper.

The man simply opened the little pouch, and took out a single gold coin, before handing back the rest. "I will take the appropriate figure, there's no need for you to give me this much." He told them flatly, which came as a slight surprise.

I guess he's not someone who's swayed by money.

River frowned, his lips slightly pursed. "Very well. Have a good day, Sir." He bowed his head, before turning with a swish of his cloak. Irene watched as he started to head for the exit, before he cast her a side-glance. "We should head back now, Milady."

Irene nodded, before following him. It seemed River was in a rush to head out, so she took the bracelet and hurried out of the shop. "Thank you, good Sir!" She waved goodbye at the old man, before following her teacher out.

As they took their leave, Irene smiled at her father who had been waiting outside along with the knights. Although River seemed a bit serious back at the shop, he had gone back to usual the moment they met with the others, pointing toward the book shop he wanted to show her.

Irene kept the bracelet hidden safely in her bag, for the rest of the day. As she continued to enjoy her excursion with Rudien, she was just happy to be enjoying her time with her father.

Soon, the Duke and his daughter had tired themselves out, and decided it was a good time to head home for the day. They bought a very great number of things, including gifts for Rayvis, such as a toy sword, as well as dresses that would suit Sarah.

The duke had even allowed River to splurge some money on books, at Irene's request. Although his face was always hard to read, the sparkle in her teacher's eyes made it clear he was greatful to her.

By the time they had made it back to their carriage, the sun was already beginning to set. Irene hadn't realised they spent so much time outside, since it went by so quickly.

As they entered the carriage, Irene sat in her father's lap again, gazing out of the window with her hands at the edge. Soon, the wagon rolled into motion, and the sound of horse shoes echoed through the streets.

"...I'm glad we were able to enjoy ourselves today." Rudien softly said, his gaze fixed to the outside. As Irene gazed up at his profile, she noticed his Adam's apple protruding from his pale neck, and resisted the urge to poke it.

"Me as well, Papa," she beamed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I had a lot of fun, thank you for today!"

Rudien's ruby eyes reflected the golden rays of the sun, as he looked down at his daughter with a pleased expression. But his smile faded ever so slightly, with a hint of wistfulness.

"Rene, listen," he told her, gently playing with her soft white hair. "As you know, the empire will soon be going to war with Izadel. I'm... Going to be going away for a while to lead the army."

"I know, Papa," Irene could feel his fingers on her head, and her own hands locked around the fabric of his jacket. "I already know. That's why you spent time with me today, right? Because we won't be able to for a while..."

This man, who held her close and showered her with love, was as upset about having to leave as she was. Irene slightly regretted writing about the war as an event that took place prior to the timeline of her novel. She didn't realise Rudien would become such an important figure in her life.

But at the same time, Irene was sure that he would return to her and soon. He was the greatest weapon of the empire, after all. "I can't wait for you to come back, Papa," she assured him, stubbornly hiding her tears of frustration.

Rudien smiled again, gently brushing her snow-white hair with his fingers. His daughter was always showing him her smiling face, to make him feel at ease. She's growing up to be considerate of other people... He thought. I'm proud to have her as my daughter.

Once they had gotten back to the Cherliann duchy, Rudien had the servants unload the gifts he bought, as Irene had gone up to play with Rayvis until dinner was served. She kept the summoners stone hidden in her room, for later that night - while spending the rest of her day with her family.

Rudien was happy that he could spend time with his daughter before he had to prepare his knights and leave for war, knowing it could quite possibly be years until he saw her again. As the man in charge of leading the battle, he would be unable to leave his post until the war reached an end.

That was why, he was determined to make it quick. He didn't want to waste too much time away during her precious years of youth, so Rudien told himself that he would return as soon as possible.

After a long and enjoyable day, Irene was soon tucked into bed by her nanny, Joanne. The woman was like a kind grandmotherly figure to her, and would often read her bedtime stories as she slept.

However, this time, Irene was waiting for her room to be empty so that she could finally commence her plan. As she held the summoners stone in the pocket of her nightgown, she waited for Joanne to turn out the lights and take her leave, before pulling it out.

"It's time..." Irene whispered to herself, gazing down at the tattered bracelet in her hands. Golden eyes flickering toward the window, Irene smiled as the moon beamed down on the earth with a faint, luminous glow.

The conditions for her to summon a spirit were all in place, with the exception of a few small details which she needed to do now.

As she silently climbed out of her bed, her little white nightgown fluttered gently as she ran across the room to search for something sharp. A small, slender needle for embroidery lay on the surface of her desk, and Irene picked up the item with her small hand.

Taking a deep breath, the little girl placed her other hand on the desk, and slid the needle into the fabric of her nightgown while glancing up at the moon again.

In order for this to work, Irene needed to ensure the moon was visible to the stone, and needed to wait for the giant white orb in the sky to reach its highest point. Because the stone was directly connected to the mana controlled by the moon's presence, once it reached its highest point in the sky, the stone would start to glow.

In that moment, a drop of the summoner's blood would be needed to complete the summoning. As Irene took the needle and the bracelet to her window sill, she waited patiently for the stone to glow, while the moon rode high in the sky.

In the original novel, Isabella was unaware of these conditions and had happened to summon her beast, on complete accident. It happened during the grand hunt, which took place every ten years. Isabella had gotten lost late into the night in the great depths of the forest, and was bleeding after tripping over a tree root. The blood somehow found it's way to her bracelet, and in that moment, her spirit animal materialised.

Irene smiled softly, remembering writing that scene - before shaking her head to focus on what was in front of her.

It was taking a long time, but eventually the conditions for the summoning were in place. A few minutes passed, until the stone suddenly started to emit a faint, soft white glow. The magic inside it resonated with the moon, as if it were a fragment of the planet itself, yearning to return to its former place.

Just as this happened, Irene took the little pin and screwed her eyes shut, holding her breath as she pressed her fingertip clumsily against the sharp edge of the pin. It stung as it pierced her fingertip, and Irene winced in pain - but it was worth it.

Irene watched carefully, as a drop of her crimson blood trickled onto the small white stone, which was still glowing from the moon's light. She then wrapped her finger in a small bandage, before observing the stone keenly.

For the brief second that the stone became covered by a thin layer of her blood, nothing happened. And then all of a sudden, the stone lit up with a bright, intense surge of light. Irene squinted her eyes — the blinding glow obscuring her vision as she held her arms over her face in startlement. Just then, the light changed from white to a tint of gold, and something appeared to materialise in front of her.

Irene kept her eyes screwed shut, until the light disappeared. As she waited for the incandescence to dissipate, the strange voice of an ethereal being suddenly reached her ears.

"So... I've been summoned, at long last?" The voice resembled that of a young man, and Irene almost instantly switched her gaze toward it.

Her golden eyes agape, the little white-haired girl stared in total wonder, at the beautiful beast that had appeared before her.

...Woah!

Perched on the window sill, was a large, white phoenix, with eyes that shone more brightly than the sun.