With the economic agreement with Aiko and old Steve finalized and the details sorted out, there were still a couple of people Sunny needed to meet.
The first to jump to mind was, naturally, his dazzling best friend, Kai—the future Dragonslayer.
However, Sunny preferred not to ruin the romanticism of their original first meeting, choosing to leave things as they were for now.
'Which means there's only one person left on my list,' he mused.
Seishan.
The lost princess of Song.
The Blood Lord.
Currently, the leader of the Bright Castle's handmaidens—and one of Gunlag's five lieutenants.
'It feels strange to meet her again now.'
Sunny let out a quiet sigh as her name echoed in his mind. An abrupt weight settled in his chest, making his throat feel dry.
In his previous timeline, after surviving his Second Nightmare alone and returning from the Forgotten Shore after two long, exhausting years of fighting for his life every single day, Sunny had re-encountered Seishan at a ball hosted by Clan Valor in the waking world.
At the time, she had approached him solely to recruit him into Clan Song. Sunny had never cared for the idea of joining a Great Clan—it hadn't even crossed his mind. But back then, he wanted nothing more than to put as much distance as possible between himself and Changing Star, escaping the cursed bond that tethered him to her. Seizing the opportunity, he had accepted her offer.
Seishan introduced him to her adoptive mother and served as his guide through Song's domain. Unexpectedly, a solid, genuine friendship blossomed between them over time. They shared far more in common than either of them could have anticipated.
Like Sunny, Seishan was from the Outskirts before being adopted by Supreme Ki Song. Back then, while he daydreamed about bathing in money, she fantasized about surrounding herself with the most expensive jewels. Their conversations were light, sharp, and entirely devoid of the insufferable arrogance typical of Legacy scions.
Until...
'I'm here,' Sunny said to himself mentally, cutting off his own train of thought.
Before him stood a massive wooden door at the end of a long, dimly lit corridor in one of the Bright Castle's most remote towers.
The entrance to Seishan's private quarters.
'Let's check real quick.'
Not daring to send Gloomy ahead—since the Princess of Song was currently the only Sleeper on the Forgotten Shore capable of sensing his shadow—Sunny activated his shadow sense instead.
Instantly, from beyond the door, he detected seven distinct shadows. One of them undeniably belonged to her. The other six were almost certainly her most trusted handmaidens acting as guards.
Confirming her presence, Sunny raised his hand and knocked.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Four seconds passed before the distinct click of an unlatching lock echoed from inside.
As the door swung open, before the young woman who answered could even open her mouth to announce him, Sunny casually brushed past her and stepped inside.
Seishan was there, seated behind a desk overflowing with tall stacks of documents. She possessed long, sleek black hair that fell all the way to the curve of her hips, and a pair of vivid, blood-red eyes. Her beauty was striking and exquisite. She wore a simple yet strangely regal dress of deep wine-red fabric. An intricate silver necklace rested against her collarbone, highlighting her delicate curves, complemented by matching bracelets on her wrists. Yet what caught the eye most wasn't her striking beauty or her full lips, but her skin—grey like a stormy sky, soft as silk, and flawless.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Seishan. Or perhaps you prefer to be called the Lost Princess of Song?" Sunny declared, coming to a stop directly before her and performing a theatrical bow—bending deeply at the waist, arms spread wide, head bowed.
The handmaidens present stared in utter astonishment, exchanging look while blinking repeatedly as they scrutinized him from head to toe, attempting to discern his motives.
Hearing his words, Seishan set down her quill with practiced grace and lifted her crimson eyes to meet his.
"Who are you? And how do you know who I am?" she demanded coolly, her tone instantly sharp and cautious.
The Princess of Song carefully studied the young man standing before her. She took in his pitch-black hair and dark eyes, noting the dark grey tunic covering his pale, smooth skin. In an instant, she assessed that he carried no visible weapons—or kept them thoroughly concealed.
Given her experience, she reasoned he was either powerful enough not to need them, or rather foolish enough to stroll into a room full of her guards unarmed.
Neither possibility excluded the other.
Straightening up, Sunny flashed a bright, friendly smile. "Forgive my sudden intrusion."
He pulled up a chair and sat directly opposite her, crossing his arms and legs comfortably.
One of Seishan's guards instinctively moved to intervene, but she raised a single hand, signaling her to stand down.
"My name is Sunless, but my friends call me Sunny. As for how I know your true identity... well, shadows have eyes and ears everywhere."
Seishan weighed his answer, her eyes narrowing as if trying to pierce through his mysteries. All her instincts were screaming at her regarding this young man named Sunless.
Something told her he wasn't someone easily manipulated, unlike the countless fools she had played along with over the years.
"And why should I believe you?" she asked smoothly.
Sunny tapped his boot against the floor. "Why shouldn't you? After all, I am the most honest person in the world—two worlds, even."
The bold claim echoed through the quiet room.
Seishan blinked, momentarily bewildered by his sheer audacity, while a couple of her handmaidens let out indignant huffs at the disrespectful tone directed toward their mistress.
"The most honest man in two worlds, hm?" She raised a skeptical eyebrow, leaning an elbow on the desk and delicately brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear with effortless charm. "And tell me, Sunless..."
She pronounced his name with deliberate, lingering sensuality. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
The vivid crimson of her eyes, the playful twisting of black silk between her fingers, and the soft candlelight washing over her flawless grey skin combined into a portrait of mesmerizing allure.
Sunny planted both feet flat on the floor and leaned forward, crossing his fingers neatly in front of him.
"A simple matter, really," he said, enunciating every word with deliberate care. "However, I will only discuss it with you, and you alone."
Seishan paused, her fingers freezing mid-twist.
"My dear Sunless, do you truly take me for such a fool that I would dismiss my guards?" she asked, tilting her head with a captivating smile.
Sunny's smile didn't fade; if anything, it only deepened. He knew just how sharp Seishan was, and how deadly she could be. After all, she hadn't survived all the way to returning to the waking world by letting her handmaidens do her heavy lifting.
So, with a subtle touch of treachery in his tone, he added:
"What's the matter? Are you people of Song Domain not interested in winning the war against Valor?"
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