Ever since they left the academy that day, Emma hadn't contacted anyone, despite how much she trusted them. Naturally, that included her father as well.

However, William reached out to the man through telepathy.

His range had been gradually increasing, spreading across nations when he fully devoted himself to it.

He contacted the man mainly because he wanted to ask about Nana.

That was when Vitori informed William that Nana had stopped eating and interacting with others. She would usually sit in the corner of her room, staring blankly at the forest, confined within her own space.

After that, Vitori and William had a long discussion about the situation, and the two men agreed to meet.

"You really thought I would betray you two?" Vitori asked, his voice carrying a justified hint of complaint.

Emma glanced at her beloved, but William was too occupied talking with Nana to help her here.

No, in truth, William was aware of the situation, but he chose not to interfere between the two.

Emma let out a quiet sigh before admitting honestly, "You always held suspicions about William. Ever since I told you about those Cursed Chains, you kept warning me about him."

With her shoulders slumped, she said, "I feared you might try to separate us. That's why I didn't approach you."

Vitori was genuinely frustrated. Still, instead of raising his voice, he asked quietly, "Emma… have I really built such shallow faith in you over the years that you believed I would go against your wishes and force you to do something you don't want to?"

Emma lowered her head and said nothing. The guilt was clear on her face.

It was a fact that ever since she was a child, her father had supported her decisions and never asked anything from her. Every choice she made had been her own. No expectations, no complaints.

Her father had always stood by her side like a shield. He never scolded her when she fell, but always encouraged her to rise again.

"I am disappointed… not in you, but in myself," Vitori muttered, his voice carrying emotions she had rarely heard from him.

Emma looked up, her eyes widening as she shook her head. She wanted to speak, but no words came when she saw the tears in his eyes.

Vitori stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. "You have no idea how torturous these twenty days have been. You vanished after such a massive ambush at the academy. Not even a single letter to tell me you were safe… did you not think of my feelings, Emma? Did you forget that in this world, I have no one but you?"

Emma's eyes grew moist as well. Her hands slowly lifted as she hugged her father back, a soft sniffle escaping her.

"I… I am sorry, Father. I shouldn't have done this. I truly regret it."

Vitori sighed, his eyes closing as tears continued to stream down his cheeks. "Don't… not even once think that I would choose anything above my daughter. Your happiness is, and always will be, my utmost priority. Do you hear me?"

"Mm… I understand," Emma replied, her heart finally easing.

Living here with William alone for the rest of her life was never something she would have regretted. But having someone accept their relationship and stand by their side made it feel complete.

William, sitting to the side, watched the two with a gentle smile.

Nana sat on his lap, her face buried against his chest, eyes closed.

He softly ran his hand along her back and asked,

{Heard you haven't been eating well?}

{It's because of big brother and sister… you broke your promise.}

She shot back, still clearly upset.

William gave a wry smile.

{Things got complicated, my dear. But I did reach out to you, didn't I?}

Nana huffed, her hands clutching his shirt tighter.

{Nana… was lonely. Nana felt big brother forgot about her… and would never return… just like Mama and Papa…}

William's heart grew heavy at her words. He let out a slow breath.

Things had spiraled out of control. For the first week, Emma and William had been constantly on the move, never staying in one place for long.

Even after arriving here, they had remained cautious, unsure if someone was still tracking them or if it was truly safe to settle down.

It was only in the past seven days that they had begun to regain some stability, finally allowing the tension to ease.

That was when William decided to speak with Vitori. He had faith that the man wouldn't simply take the rational side. He had seen how deeply he loved Emma.

Fortunately, his guess proved right.

But now… Vitori wasn't the only father he needed to contact.

Looking out the window, he muttered faintly under his breath,

'I hope you are alive, old man.'

°°°°°°°

"Mm…" Natalie groaned softly as she stirred awake.

Her lower body felt heavy, as if some extra weight had been placed over it.

She slowly opened her eyes and realized she had fallen asleep while sitting. And the reason for that weight…

"Look at this sleepyhead."

A familiar pink head rested comfortably on her lap.

She leaned down and blew lightly into his ear, making Loid shiver before he turned to her with a faint complaint. "Very rude of you, Natalie. I never wake you up when you're sleeping."

Natalie narrowed her eyes, her lips curving into a teasing smile. "Oh? But were you actually sleeping, or just pretending so you could enjoy the moment?"

Loid's cheeks flushed red as he tried to sit up, only for Natalie to gently press him back down. "It's okay. You've earned it."

Though shy, Loid didn't refuse.

He would be a fool to reject something this soft and warm.

Natalie's fingers slowly threaded through his soft locks as she asked, "What do you think, Loid? Are they safe?"

"Who? William and Miss Emma?" the prince replied, glancing up at her. "I'm confident they are."

Natalie hummed softly. "Well, they're both strong. And since they have each other, I'm sure they don't need anything else."

It was a simple truth. The two of them had their priorities clear.

Their world didn't revolve around family, friends, or anything else. They only needed each other.

"I'm more worried about Kevin," Loid muttered quietly.

His concern stemmed from the sudden recruitment Kevin had undergone.

He had been taken under the command of the Royal Legion. Once the world learned that Kevin was an Apostle, with his patron being none other than the strongest Archangel, he became a valuable asset, not just for the empire, but for the entire world.

Natalie let out a soft sigh. "Well… he always wanted to become a soldier."

And now, he was part of the military, or rather, being trained for what lay ahead.

Her father, the Legion Commander, had taken it upon himself to shape Kevin into a proper warrior.

Meanwhile, Laila and Lizel had returned to their homes, since the academy was no longer continuing. Perhaps not now… and perhaps not for many years, after the countless deaths that had occurred twenty days ago.

'Everyone is scattered… searching for their purpose and place in this world.'

Looking towards the window, the girl muttered,

"I hope they find their destination too."

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comment.