A few days after the funeral, the arrival of Queen Adelaine in the Duchy was announced.
The news spread quickly throughout the capital.
It was unusual for the queen to leave the heart of the kingdom and personally travel to a duchy.
Especially after a tragedy like this.
Adelaine had come to say farewell to Sofia Douglas de Mondring.
When she entered the ceremonial hall, all conversations immediately fell silent.
The nobles lowered their heads.
The soldiers straightened.
Even those who normally showed respect to no one remained silent.
Adelaine slowly walked between the rows.
Her posture remained firm and elegant, as always.
But her face was different.
There was exhaustion in her eyes.
And a sadness she didn't even try to hide completely.
She reached Sofia's coffin.
She stopped.
For several seconds, she remained silent.
Then she lowered her head.
—The kingdom will never forget your sacrifice... —she murmured—. Rest, my friend.
She said nothing else.
Nothing more was needed.
Silence once again filled the hall.
When the ceremony ended, the nobles gradually began to leave.
Adelaine exchanged a few words with the members of the Douglas family before departing.
Lusian remained behind.
He had no desire to speak to anyone.
He just wanted everyone to leave.
When the hall was almost empty, he heard footsteps behind him.
He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
Elizabeth slowly approached.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
She simply looked at him.
Lusian had changed.
It wasn't just that he seemed more serious.
He seemed dimmer.
As if part of him had remained in that square, beside his mother's coffin.
Elizabeth felt a knot tighten in her chest.
She didn't know what to say.
She didn't know how to help him.
So she did the only thing she could.
She stepped forward and hugged him.
Without asking permission.
Without saying a word.
Lusian remained completely still.
His arms stayed at his sides.
Not because he rejected the embrace.
He simply seemed not to know how to react.
Elizabeth rested her face against his chest.
Her breathing was unsteady.
She was sad too.
But she was more worried about him.
She could feel the tension in his body.
As if even now he were fighting against something no one else could see.
—Lusian...
Her voice was barely a whisper.
He slowly closed his eyes.
For a few seconds, the world seemed to stand still.
Sofia.
The funeral.
The blood.
The last few days.
Everything passed through his mind again.
And then he felt anger.
Again.
An anger that had been building for days.
Not toward Elizabeth.
Not toward the Duchy.
Not even toward Leonardo.
Toward everything.
Toward the future.
Toward the gods.
Toward the churches.
Toward himself.
Because he knew who had caused the attack.
He knew the churches were behind everything.
He had no proof.
He couldn't accuse them.
But he knew them too well.
And he knew that without that attack...
Sofia would still be alive.
Lusian slowly clenched his fists.
Elizabeth felt it.
But she didn't ask.
She simply hugged him a little tighter.
For a moment, everything remained calm.
Until the heroes arrived.
Alejandro, Leonardo, and Kara appeared shortly afterward.
Their presence immediately changed the atmosphere.
The nobles who still remained in the hall began whispering.
It was unusual to have all three heroes of the kingdom gathered in the Duchy.
Especially after Sofia's death.
Alejandro walked with his usual calm demeanor.
Leonardo did as well.
Too calm.
They didn't seem affected.
They weren't crying.
They showed no sadness.
Their expressions were neutral, almost indifferent.
Lusian watched them from the other end of the hall.
Something inside him tensed.
He didn't know exactly why.
Or perhaps he did.
Because as he looked at Leonardo, he remembered the attack.
The churches.
The priests.
Sofia's death.
And the fact that he had been unable to do anything.
Not yet.
Kara was different.
She approached the coffin.
She knelt before Sofia.
She lowered her head.
Her hands trembled slightly.
—My condolences...
Her voice broke.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
She was trying to hold back her tears.
Lusian watched her for several seconds.
She was the only one of the three who seemed genuinely affected.
Then he turned away.
He wanted to leave.
He just wanted to get away from there.
But then he saw her.
Isabella.
She was talking to Leonardo.
Although, in reality, Leonardo was the one doing the talking.
She was barely paying attention to him.
Her eyes were fixed on Lusian.
She had been watching him for some time.
As if no one else existed in that place.
Leonardo finally noticed.
He followed the direction of her gaze.
His expression changed.
His jaw tightened.
Annoyance immediately appeared on his face.
Lusian began walking toward them.
Without haste.
Without any intention of provoking a fight.
At least, not consciously.
But with every step, the anger that had built up over the past few days returned.
Leonardo was the first to speak.
—Duke!
Lusian stopped.
Leonardo took a step forward.
—Leave Isabella alone.
Lusian looked at him.
He didn't answer.
Leonardo gritted his teeth.
He was the second prince of the kingdom.
The Lightning Hero.
One of the most powerful men on the continent.
And far too many people had spent years saying that he should be the next king.
Leonardo believed it too.
Andrew was the official heir.
But to Leonardo, that had never meant Andrew was necessarily the man who should rule.
He had the power.
He had the title of hero.
He had the support of a significant portion of the nobility.
And above all, he had followers.
He was accustomed to others yielding to him.
But Lusian did not yield.
Leonardo took another step.
—I'm talking to you.
Something inside Lusian snapped.
There was no thought.
No strategy.
His hand moved.
The sword left its sheath.
Dark mana covered the blade.
And in the next instant, the sword was pressed against Leonardo's throat.
Everything happened too quickly.
Leonardo barely had time to react.
He felt the edge graze his skin.
A sharp pain.
A drop of blood slowly ran down his neck.
The priest of the Temple of Thunder reacted instinctively.
A burst of energy collided with Lusian's sword.
The impact shook the entire hall.
The walls trembled.
Those present stepped back.
Leonardo took a step backward.
His eyes were wide.
Not because of the sword.
Because of Lusian's gaze.
There was no hatred.
No calculation.
Only anger.
A cold, restrained fury that seemed to be waiting for any excuse to break free.
—Duke! —the priest exclaimed—. What does this mean?
Lusian slowly raised his gaze.
—Do you know where you are?
The priest frowned.
—In the Douglas Duchy.
Lusian took a step forward.
Dark mana began spreading throughout the hall.
The lamps trembled.
The floor cracked beneath his feet.
—Then don't tell me what to do.
His voice was low.
But every word carried a fury he could barely contain.
Leonardo gritted his teeth.
—I'm the second prince of the kingdom!
—I know.
—I'm a hero!
Lusian looked directly at him.
—I know that too.
His hand tightened around the hilt.
—And I don't care.
The priest froze.
Leonardo did too.
Because that answer hadn't been political.
It hadn't been diplomatic.
It had been completely personal.
Lusian was furious.
And even he didn't seem to know how furious he actually was.
Isabella remained behind him.
She hadn't moved.
Leonardo looked at her.
—Isabella!
She didn't answer.
—Come with me!
Nothing.
—I can protect you!
Finally, Isabella spoke.
—I don't need you to protect me.
Leonardo was bewildered.
—What?
Isabella took a step toward Lusian.
—I already have someone.
Leonardo felt something break inside him.
—Him?!
His voice echoed throughout the hall.
—This man?!
Lusian didn't even react.
But his mana rose again.
Isabella looked at him for several seconds.
Then she answered with absolute calm.
—He's my partner.
Leonardo clenched his fists.
—He's manipulating you!
Lusian slowly raised his gaze.
—Shut up.
The word was enough.
The entire hall fell silent.
The pressure of mana increased.
Several priests stepped backward.
Even Alejandro stopped walking.
He was watching.
Analyzing.
He said nothing.
Leonardo, however, had lost control.
—You have no right to speak to me like that!
Lusian took a step toward him.
—Right?
A dry laugh escaped his throat.
There was no humor in it.
—You want to talk to me about rights?
For an instant, images flashed through his mind.
Sofia.
The attack.
The blood.
The priests.
The fire.
His mother falling.
His hands tightened around the sword.
Dark mana began seeping through the blade.
—You're in my territory.
Leonardo took a step backward.
Lusian advanced.
—You're standing before my people.
Another step.
—And you're standing before my mother's coffin.
Lusian's voice cracked slightly.
Only for an instant.
But it was enough.
—So don't ever tell me what I have to do again.
Leonardo swallowed.
However, his pride outweighed his fear.
—You can't order me around! I'm the second prince!
Lusian raised his sword.
—Then act like one.
The Thunder priest stepped forward.
—Enough!
Lusian slowly turned his gaze toward him.
The priest felt a chill.
Because he suddenly understood something.
Lusian wasn't acting rationally.
He wasn't thinking about the consequences.
He wasn't thinking about politics.
He was wounded.
And Leonardo had just touched a wound that was still open.
The priest tried to speak again.
—Duke, this could cause a conflict between the Duchy and the royal family.
Lusian looked at him.
—I don't care.
The answer was immediate.
Too immediate.
And then Leonardo looked at Isabella again.
—Isabella! Come with me!
She shook her head.
—No.
—Why?!
Isabella looked at Lusian.
Then back at Leonardo.
—Because he never tried to decide for me.
Leonardo fell silent.
The sentence struck him directly.
—I...
He had no answer.
His face twisted with anger, humiliation, and disbelief.
Then he made the mistake.
He stepped toward Isabella.
—Wake up already!
He reached out to grab her.
He never touched her.
The ground exploded beneath Lusian's feet.
In an instant, he disappeared.
Leonardo barely saw a shadow.
The sword appeared at his throat again.
This time, the blade cut his skin.
Blood slowly began to trickle down.
Lusian was far too close.
His eyes were completely empty.
—Touch her again...
His voice was barely a whisper.
—And I'll cut your hand off.
Leonardo froze.
Lusian pressed the sword slightly closer.
—In front of everyone.
Dark mana expanded violently.
The lamps went out.
The stones beneath their feet began to crack.
The priests retreated.
And then...
A sword was drawn.
Then another.
Then another.
The sound of steel filled the mausoleum.
Knights.
Soldiers.
Armed nobles.
Warriors of the Douglas family.
One after another, they surrounded Lusian.
They weren't pointing their weapons at him.
They were pointing them at Leonardo.
The second prince of the kingdom.
The Lightning Hero.
One of the men many believed was destined to rule someday.
But there, inside the Douglas Duchy, no one had forgotten the oath they had made during the funeral.
They would protect their new lord.
Leonardo looked around.
For the first time, he understood the situation.
He wasn't surrounded by ordinary enemies.
He was surrounded by an entire territory that had chosen Lusian.
The Thunder priest quickly grabbed Leonardo's arm.
—Hero! Stop!
Leonardo tried to pull away.
—Let go of me!
—No!
The priest gritted his teeth.
—If you continue, there will be a massacre!
Leonardo looked around.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
All watching him.
All with their weapons drawn.
And at the front...
Lusian.
The sword against his throat.
Lusian's face remained completely expressionless.
But beneath that expression...
There was something else.
Pain.
Anger.
And a desperation Leonardo couldn't understand.
Lusian spoke again.
—Listen carefully.
The sword advanced just a few millimeters.
Another drop of blood fell to the floor.
—I don't know what you think you are.
Leonardo stared at him.
—I don't know who told you that you can come here and give me orders.
His voice began to harden.
—But this is my territory.
Lusian looked around.
At the soldiers.
At the nobles.
At Isabella.
And finally at Sofia's coffin.
His expression changed slightly.
—These are my people.
He looked back at Leonardo.
—And she is free to choose who she wants to be with.
Isabella moved a little closer to him.
Without fear.
Without hesitation.
Leonardo gritted his teeth.
—This isn't over.
Lusian didn't answer.
Not because he wanted to start a war.
Nor because he had calculated the consequences.
Simply because he had nothing else to say.
His anger had spoken for him.
The priest finally managed to pull Leonardo away.
The heroes slowly began to leave.
Kara remained a few seconds longer in front of Sofia's coffin.
She looked at Lusian.
There was sadness in her eyes.
Then she lowered her head and left.
Alejandro was the last.
Before leaving, he looked at Lusian for several seconds.
He said nothing.
But that gaze was different.
He was no longer looking at Sofia's son.
Nor at the young noble he had known before.
He was looking at the new duke.
When the doors of the mausoleum finally closed, silence returned.
The swords began to lower.
The soldiers looked at Lusian.
No one said a word.
Lusian remained motionless.
Then he slowly lowered his sword.
Only after the danger had disappeared did he realize that he was trembling.
Isabella approached.
She took his hand.
Lusian looked at her.
For a moment, he seemed as though he wanted to say something.
But he couldn't.
Isabella simply intertwined her fingers with his.
And remained beside him.
Behind them, Sofia's coffin remained silent.
Lusian looked at it one last time.
He had won the argument.
He had forced the second prince to retreat.
He had made it clear who was in charge within the Duchy.
But none of that mattered.
Because his mother was still dead.
And for the first time, Lusian understood something he still didn't want to accept.
Anger could make him stronger.
It could make everyone fear him.
It could even force a hero to retreat.
But it couldn't bring Sofia back.
At dusk, twilight covered the walls of the Duchy.
The sky was still torn open by those enormous cracks of light.
Glowing scars that stretched across the clouds, reminders of the battle that had devastated the region days earlier.
Lusian walked slowly through the inner gardens of the castle.
His steps were heavy.
He was in no hurry.
Nor did he really seem to know where he was going.
Since Sophia's death, he had started walking like this.
He trained.
He ate.
He slept for a few hours.
Then he trained again.
He spoke when necessary.
And the rest of the time, he simply kept moving.
As if stopping meant having to think.
The wind gently stirred the trees and flowers along the stone path.
The garden was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Lusian could not feel that peace.
Then he saw her.
Elizabeth was standing at the end of the path.
Waiting for him.
The princess remained motionless beneath the light of dusk.
Her dark dress moved gently in the wind.
When Lusian approached, she did not look away.
She watched him for several seconds.
And she understood something.
She was not looking at the same Lusian as before.
His face was still the same.
His body was too.
But his eyes had changed.
They looked more tired.
More empty.
As if he had been carrying something for far too long—something he could no longer bear.
Elizabeth felt a knot form in her chest.
She wanted to say something.
Ask him how he was doing.
Tell him he did not have to keep pretending.
But she could not find the words.
So she simply walked toward him.
Lusian stopped in front of her.
Neither spoke.
The wind passed between them.
Elizabeth slowly raised her gaze.
Then she stepped forward.
And kissed him.
Without warning.
Without asking permission.
It was a direct, intense kiss, filled with everything she had been unable to say.
Her hands clutched Lusian's clothes as she pulled him closer.
There was no embarrassment.
No hesitation.
She simply needed to feel him close.
Lusian remained motionless for a moment.
Then he felt the slight tremble of Elizabeth's body.
And something inside him gave way.
His arms slowly wrapped around the princess's waist.
He returned the kiss.
With strength.
There was no tenderness in the gesture.
Nor violence.
Only exhaustion.
Anger.
Pain.
And a desperate need to hold on to something that was still there.
Elizabeth closed her eyes.
She could feel it.
She did not need to ask what was wrong with him.
She understood.
At least part of it.
When they finally separated, they remained close for several seconds.
Their foreheads almost touching.
Neither said a word.
For a moment, Lusian managed to forget the rest of the world.
The Duchy.
The heroes.
The churches.
Sophia's death.
The future.
Everything disappeared.
There was only Elizabeth.
And perhaps that was why, when they were alone in the room later, the silence felt even deeper.
The curtains moved slowly in the night breeze.
The room was dark, illuminated only by the light filtering in through the enormous cracks in the sky.
Elizabeth remained beside Lusian.
She breathed calmly.
Lusian watched her in silence.
And then it happened.
A thought.
One he had been trying to keep buried for far too long.
Elizabeth was in danger.
His breathing grew heavier.
Memories of his previous life came rushing back.
The demon cult.
The rituals.
The sacrifices.
The altar.
The Demon Queen.
And that plan.
Using Elizabeth's body as a vessel.
Lusian closed his eyes.
He remembered everything.
Elizabeth slowly losing control of her own body.
Her consciousness trapped inside herself.
Another presence gradually occupying every corner of her mind.
Until only the body remained.
Her body.
But no longer her.
Lusian opened his eyes.
The image changed.
He saw her standing before the heroes.
Dressed as the Demon Queen.
Surrounded by a monstrous amount of power.
The entire kingdom crying out for her death.
The heroes advancing against her.
The gods being praised.
And finally...
Elizabeth falling.
Sacred weapons piercing her body.
Humanity celebrating the defeat of the Demon Queen.
Lusian felt his chest tighten.
He had already experienced that.
Perhaps not exactly in that way.
But he knew that feeling far too well.
Helplessness.
Rage.
The emptiness left behind when someone important was taken away from you.
Sophia had died.
And he had been unable to stop it.
He would not let it happen again.
Not with Elizabeth.
His arms tightened around her.
Elizabeth slightly raised her head.
—Lusian...
He did not answer.
He buried his face against her neck.
He breathed slowly.
Trying to regain control.
But something inside him had changed.
Because for the first time, the fear of losing her did not turn into sadness.
It turned into determination.
A dangerous kind of determination.
If anyone tried to hurt her...
He would destroy them.
The cult.
The monsters.
Those responsible for the rituals.
All of them.
He would leave none of them alive.
His fingers slowly tightened around Elizabeth's clothes.
Then he spoke.
His voice was low.
—I won't let anything happen to you.
Elizabeth remained silent for several seconds.
She could not understand everything behind those words.
But she could feel the fear Lusian was trying to hide.
She raised a hand and gently stroked his hair.
Then she rested her forehead against his.
—Lusian...
He opened his eyes.
—No matter what happens, I'm with you.
Elizabeth smiled softly.
—No one can take me away from you.
Lusian looked at her.
He did not answer.
Because those words had touched something far too deep.
In his memories, Elizabeth had ended up alone.
Surrounded by enemies.
Abandoned by the world.
Transformed into the very thing everyone wanted to destroy.
But now she was there.
Standing before him.
Alive.
Smiling.
And trusting him.
Lusian closed his eyes.
For a moment, part of him wanted to believe that would be enough.
That this time, he could change everything.
But another part was already thinking about every possibility.
Every threat.
Everyone who might try to use her.
Every path that could lead to the same ending.
And the more he thought about it...
The stronger that determination became.
Protect her.
No matter the cost.
Even if he had to face the cult.
Even if he had to face the heroes.
Even if he had to face the kingdom.
Even if one day he had to face the gods.
Elizabeth rested her head against his chest.
—I will always come back to you —she whispered.
Lusian held her tighter.
He said nothing.
But inside him, those words were etched forever.
Not as a romantic promise.
But as an oath.
He would not allow the demon cult to touch her.
He would not allow the gods to claim her.
He would not allow fate to decide her future.
And if anything tried to take her away from him...
Lusian was willing to destroy it.
Because he had already lost his mother.
He was not willing to lose Elizabeth too.
Even if preventing it meant turning the entire world against him.