**Chapter 258: The Princess is One Meter Seventy!**
Yuliya had just taken a step when a notification sound from the system suddenly rang in her ears about the server shut down.
“Eh?”
The system quickly chimed in her mind again: “You are unaffected.”
“Oh, well that’s good.”
Unlike other players, she couldn’t log off anytime she wanted.
At the very least, she had to set up camp and rest properly first.
So, she shrugged it off and continued her march into the city.
After passing through the city gate, her vision expanded.
Yuliya squinted as she looked up; although it was still daytime outside with the blazing sun, here it was a crescent moon hanging in the air.
And in the small square further ahead, there were shadowy figures of pale white lining up neatly.
People! They must be citizens of the Golden Kingdom! The cheers she had heard when the door was pushed open must have come from them.
She trotted forward with excitement.
Finally, Yuliya caught a clearer glimpse of the figures.
Then… she froze in her tracks, her expression stiffening, almost wanting to turn and run.
Oh no! Ghosts!
Before she could even act, all the lined-up figures bent their knees and bowed, shouting in unison, “Welcome back, Your Highness!”
“…”
Alright then, it’s really them.
Yuliya calmed down a bit, but upon reflection, it made sense.
This was the Desert Realm, deep in the desert, the paradise of monsters.
How could there be living people here?
Besides, the Golden Kingdom had perished for a millennium; the chance of the citizens surviving as they originally were was zero. Existing in another life form was just more reasonable.
She sighed and said lightly, “You can stand up.”
“Thank you, Your Highness!” they all replied in unison.
Everyone stood back up.
Suddenly, a small ghost darted out of the crowd, quickly approached Yuliya, and gave her a tight hug.
“Your Highness! You’re finally back!”
Yuliya immediately struggled. After her experience in the Ruinous Country, she had a significant aversion to direct contact with ghosts.
But just as she was about to move, she noticed something different.
The ghosts here didn’t carry that cold, eerie aura. Instead, there was a feeling of warmth and familiarity.
Like a long-lost family, they felt almost like her own.
Moreover, these ghosts all looked just like they did in life.
“Luti! Don’t be silly! The Princess just returned and still needs to understand a lot!” someone stepped forward and pulled Luti back.
“Sorry, Your Highness, she got a bit too excited.”
Yuliya smiled slightly, shaking her head. “It’s alright. But I really don’t know much about this place right now. I might need someone to introduce it to me.”
“I’ll do it! I’ll do it!” Luti squeaked, managing to squeeze back out.
“Alright.”
Since Yuliya agreed, the others couldn’t say anything against it.
Luti stood next to Yuliya, “Your Highness, how much of your memory have you regained?”
Yuliya awkwardly rubbed her fingers together, “Almost none…”
“Really? Well, then I’ll start by introducing myself. I’m Luti, Your Highness’s maid and also your best friend!”
“Hey! Luti, don’t embellish! The Princess has never said you’re her best friend!”
“Ugh, can’t you just be quiet?”
Yuliya covered her mouth and chuckled.
These people were kinda cute.
She patted Luti’s shoulder. “It’s okay; we can still become best friends later.”
Yuliya took mental notes about everyone.
Luti was a lively girl around one meter sixty, dressed in a maid outfit with twin ponytails.
There were also the head maid, the captain of the guards, the housekeeper, and some other people of status.
The rest simply introduced themselves with their names.
“Your Highness, it’s time to visit the palace. Everyone else has dispersed. Let me show you around.”
“What about last time?”
“Last time I just entered the palace, and it was you who showed me around.”
“Sounds good.”
The Golden City was like a fortress and was originally the royal metropolis of the Golden Kingdom, Ganderlis.
It covered a vast area, nearly as large as the current capital of the Emerald Empire.
However, the Golden City was a complete, movable castle, while the Emerald City was merely a building on the ground.
This alone showcased the grandeur of the once-glorious Golden Kingdom.
Luti led Yuliya ahead, with the others following closely.
They remained silent, merely smiling at her.
Yuliya quickly toured around, noting all the places.
This was her former home, the place she had lived in for a long time, and seeing many buildings sparked memories of past stories.
Suddenly, Luti looked at Yuliya and asked, “By the way, Your Highness, why do you look so… small now?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know anything. I’m just like this now. Why?”
“Ah, it’s nothing, just that you seem a bit less imposing now. But it’s definitely still you!”
Yuliya’s eyes lit up. “So what was I like before?”
“Powerful, handsome, beautiful, wise, and very gentle!”
“Is there a portrait? I want to see!”
Luti yelled to the back, “Maria, do we have a portrait of the Princess?”
“Your Highness, please follow me; there’s a portrait of you in the palace.”
Yuliya quickly followed her into a grand hall.
In the center of the hall, a massive statue painting hung right in the middle of the staircase leading to the second floor.
It was of a breathtaking girl in a formal dress, her golden hair flowing, holding a folding fan half concealing her face.
The half of her face that was visible resembled Yuliya a lot, especially those golden eyes; they were almost identical.
In terms of temperament, the girl had some resemblance to Elia, but her eyes exuded a livelier spirit.
To be honest, comparing that gaze to Yuliya’s current goofy look left one wondering if they were really the same person.
“I’m really stunning!”
“Your Highness, aren’t you always referring to yourself as ‘This Princess’?”
“Oh, this Princess is really stunning!”
“…”
“Luti, Luti!” Yuliya’s eyes sparkled again, “So how tall was this Princess before?”
“Let me think, about this high,” Luti said, gesturing, indicating a height a bit taller than her.
Which meant two heads taller than Yuliya.
“Wow, I was that tall?” Yuliya mirrored the gesture.
“Even taller, a bit more.”
“How about this tall?”
“Higher.”
“But I can’t reach that high!”
“Then step onto the stairs.”
Finally, Maria couldn’t hold back any longer and interjected, “Your Highness, you were one meter sixty-eight before! Luti! Stop gesturing! Can you do it right?!”
Luti awkwardly scratched her head.
Yuliya, however, was excited, “Awesome! This Princess is one meter seventy!”
Everyone was speechless…
Maria said, “Your Highness, I think maybe you should still call yourself ‘This Princess’ for now.”
“Oh, okay. This Princess is one meter seventy!”
