The princess's room fell into a heavy silence.
Lusian collapsed onto the bed, exhausted.
Beside him, Elizabeth dropped down next to him and rested her forehead against his chest. Her arms wrapped around him with a strength she would never have shown in front of anyone else.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
She simply remained there, listening to his breathing.
—Not again...
Lusian lowered his gaze.
—What?
Elizabeth tightened her arms around him slightly.
—I'm not going to wait eight months for you again.
Her voice was quiet.
But there was no weakness in it.
It was wounded pride.
—I've had enough of that once.
Lusian remained silent.
He knew that side of Elizabeth all too well.
The princess who could make nobles and soldiers kneel before her.
The woman who had never accepted rejection.
But now she was holding him as if letting go meant losing him.
Lusian closed his eyes.
For some reason, that touch awakened something inside him.
A memory that was not his.
A little girl standing at the top of a staircase.
A proud gaze.
A small hand tugging at his coat because she wanted to force him to pay attention to her.
Her frustration when he simply kept walking.
A small war that the original Lusian had waged for years.
The memory disappeared.
Lusian opened his eyes again.
It wasn't his.
But that body remembered it.
—I know you don't want me to leave —he murmured.
Elizabeth raised her head slightly.
—And you?
Lusian looked at her.
—I don't want to be apart from you either.
She remained silent.
Lusian slowly stroked her hair.
—But this time, I have to go.
Elizabeth frowned.
—Why?
—Because I need to prepare.
His expression grew more serious.
—What is happening in the capital isn't going to stop just because we want it to.
Elizabeth watched him without speaking.
—The Heralds are changing the kingdom. The heroes will grow stronger too. And we need time to prepare.
—We?
—You're part of this too.
Elizabeth remained still.
Lusian continued:
—When all of this is over, I'll come back for you.
Elizabeth's eyes locked onto his.
—Do you swear?
Lusian didn't answer immediately.
She narrowed her eyes.
—And I don't want an empty promise, Lusian Douglas.
He raised a hand and gently caressed her cheek.
—It isn't.
—Not from you.
Lusian held her gaze.
—I swear.
Elizabeth pressed her lips together.
For a moment, she seemed to struggle against something she didn't want to show.
—You always ignored me...
Her voice grew softer.
—Everyone else bowed. Everyone wanted to please me. Everyone was afraid of making me angry.
A small, bitter smile appeared on her lips.
—But you weren't.
Lusian smiled faintly.
—Maybe I was an idiot.
—You were.
She answered without hesitation.
Lusian let out a small laugh.
Elizabeth moved a little closer.
—And now...
Her smile disappeared.
—Now you're the only person I don't want to leave me.
Lusian didn't respond.
She rested her forehead against his again.
Her breathing was calm now.
But her fingers were still clutching his clothes.
—I'll wait for you —she finally said.
She paused.
—Even if it takes a long time.
Her voice became firmer.
—Even if everything is against us.
She looked directly at him.
—But I won't allow you to disappear for another eight months.
Lusian nodded.
—I won't disappear.
Elizabeth kissed him.
It wasn't a sweet kiss.
It was brief and intense.
As if she wanted to make it clear that this farewell did not mean she was giving up on him.
When they separated, she remained close to his face.
—You'll come back.
It wasn't a question.
It was an order.
Lusian smiled.
—Yes, Princess.
Elizabeth frowned.
—Don't call me that now.
—Then what should I call you?
She hesitated.
For the first time, she seemed not to know how to answer.
—Elizabeth.
Lusian nodded.
—Elizabeth.
She closed her eyes for a moment.
—That's better.
Lusian began to sit up.
But before he could stand, Elizabeth grabbed him by the wrist again.
Her grip was firm.
Almost painful.
Lusian looked at her.
There was no trace of the perfect princess anymore.
Only a woman who didn't want to admit how much the separation hurt.
—Lusian...
—Yes?
Elizabeth lowered her gaze.
—Don't take too long.
Those two words, spoken by the princess who had made half the kingdom kneel before her, carried a weight that no command ever could.
Lusian leaned down and kissed her forehead.
—I'll be back before you have time to start missing me.
Elizabeth let out a small laugh.
A brief, almost involuntary laugh.
—Idiot.
Lusian smiled.
—I remember that too.
She looked at him.
—What?
—Nothing.
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.
—Lusian...
—See you soon.
Lusian began getting dressed.
Elizabeth remained seated on the bed, watching him in silence.
He avoided looking at her for too long.
Not because he didn't want to.
Quite the opposite.
This farewell was beginning to weigh on him more than he had expected.
When he adjusted the last part of his clothes, a strange thought crossed his mind.
It didn't belong to Lusian.
It didn't even belong to that world.
It was a memory.
A small room.
A screen illuminating the darkness.
Erwin sitting in front of his computer.
The Demon Queen appeared on the screen.
Tall.
Beautiful.
Imposing.
Her long hair fell over her shoulders as she wore that cold expression that had made so many players hate her.
She was evil.
Erwin knew that.
She was dangerous.
He knew that perfectly well.
She had destroyed cities.
She had killed characters.
She had turned entire regions into battlefields.
She was, quite literally, the Demon Queen.
And yet...
She was beautiful.
Erwin rested one hand on the mouse.
The battle was about to end.
His character had his sword raised.
Only one strike remained.
One.
The Demon Queen's health bar was almost empty.
Erwin smiled.
—This time, for sure.
His finger was about to click.
Then he stopped.
He looked at the screen.
He watched her for several seconds.
The Demon Queen was still there.
Wounded.
But still beautiful.
Erwin slowly released the mouse.
—Five more minutes.
He let her move.
He watched her attack.
He watched her walk.
He watched her use her abilities.
And when she finally died...
Erwin restarted the game.
Again.
He didn't remember how many times he had done that.
Ten.
Fifty.
A hundred.
Maybe more.
He had lost count long ago.
Every time, he reached the same point.
Every time, he could finish the battle.
And every time, he stopped.
Not because he was afraid of losing.
He simply wanted to see her a little longer.
As long as he could see her...
He was fine.
The memory disappeared.
Lusian blinked.
He found himself back in that room.
Elizabeth was still there.
Waiting for him.
Lusian lowered his gaze.
For a moment, he felt a strange nostalgia.
One that didn't belong to that world.
Erwin was gone.
But some things still remained.
A face.
A voice.
An image in front of a screen.
And a game he had never wanted to finish.
Lusian breathed slowly.
Then he finished getting dressed.
He walked toward the door.
Elizabeth didn't take her eyes off him.
Lusian placed his hand on the doorknob.
Then she spoke.
—Lusian.
He turned around.
Elizabeth looked at him for several seconds.
—Come back.
There was no pride in those words.
No command.
Only a request.
Lusian nodded.
—I will.
He opened the door.
And walked out.
The door slowly closed behind him.
Elizabeth remained motionless.
For several seconds, she did nothing.
Then she lowered her gaze to her hands.
She could still feel his warmth.
She slowly clenched the sheets between her fingers.
Eight months.
She had already waited that long once.
She wasn't going to do it again.
But this time, something was different.
The kingdom was changing.
The gods had appeared.
The Heralds were gathering followers.
And four young people had been turned into heroes.
Elizabeth still didn't know what all of this would mean for Lusian.
She didn't know what it would mean for her either.
She only knew that he would return to the duchy.
And for the first time, the distance between them would not depend solely on their families.
There were forces far greater moving around them.
Elizabeth slowly raised her gaze toward the door.
—Come back soon...
This time, there was no one there to hear her.