The duchess was stunned, then laughed behind her hand, her tone unabashedly disappointed: “Such an answer that is neither desperate nor hopeful. Our assessment was slightly off.” Her tone changed, “But I have no reason to refuse you. I will revoke your hero status, and our contract is void. Of course, with you, he will be much more stable.”
A sudden, intense pain erupted in Naily’s chest. Looking down, she saw nothing, but her heart felt like it had a transparent hole, an empty, painful void. Then something began to fill this emptiness, weaving a dense net that suddenly tightened.
In an instant, the fine lines behind her split into two, stretching upward and soaring, blooming with a light.
After a moment of intense light, pure white wings fluttered behind Naily, and the fuzzy horns in her hair flickered between light and shadow.
Kalsas’s face was a mix of grief and joy. He slowly walked to her, cupped her face, touched foreheads with her, and after a long silence, softly said: “From today onwards, we…”
“Will never be separated,” she completed the sentence, closing her eyes. Crystal-clear tears slid from the corners of her eyes, falling to the ground.
- Splash.
Sparks burst, and candle wax dripped to the ground, further highlighting the surrounding silence.
The main hall of Shlos remained beautiful and solemn. All the torches on the walls were lit, casting a sea of light on the ground that was both real and illusory, silently swaying as if waiting for someone’s arrival.
The obsidian-inlaid throne high above seemed somewhat empty with one person sitting, but perfectly fitting with two people nestled together.
“He’s coming soon,” Naily tilted her head to listen, lazily leaning on Kalsas’s shoulder.
Kalsas brushed her bangs aside and asked casually: “What should we have for dinner?”
“Isn’t it breakfast now?”
“Right, we’re about to return to morning,” Kalsas curved the corners of his eyes, continuing to discuss mundane matters with Naily, “We’ll be able to plant new flowers when spring comes. Lily of the valley or hyacinth, which do you prefer?”
Naily gave him a reproachful look, as if blaming him for mentioning trivial matters at a critical moment, but still softly responded: “Whatever you want… The library should have more books brought in too.”
