It wasn’t really a question meant for me. The way she said it, the way her voice dipped just slightly at the end, it felt more like something she was asking herself out loud. Like she needed to hear the words spoken, needed to give shape to the thought before she could accept it. Honestly, that kind of thing coming from her wasn’t surprising at all. If anything, it fit her a little too well.

Considering what she was about to do, it made sense.

She was preparing to sentence multiple people to death. That wasn’t something anyone could just brush off, no matter how composed they looked on the surface. A question like that had to come up eventually. Whether she directed it at me or kept it to herself didn’t really matter. The weight behind it stayed the same.

And then there was the part that made it heavier.

Her own brother.

She was willing to put his head on the guillotine without backing down. Anyone watching from the outside would call her cruel without hesitation. It would be the easiest judgment to make. Family was supposed to mean something. Blood ties were supposed to matter.

Still, things weren’t that simple.

"If you’re asking me, then I guess the only thing I can say is that your decision isn’t kind, but it is valid," I said, keeping my tone steady. "If you look at it from the people’s perspective, I think they could agree with it. They probably won’t blame you for doing something like that. Though that doesn’t mean they’ll fully understand it either. At the end of the day, you’re the one with the authority. You’re the one who decides what happens. I’ll support you all the way."

"I see... That’s sweet of you," she said.

Her voice softened just a little, like my answer had eased something in her chest, even if only slightly.

She kept walking after that. Her steps didn’t stop, didn’t slow, but there was a subtle heaviness to them now. The kind that only showed up when someone was thinking too much but refused to pause.

"Although... I’m a bit disturbed with myself," she continued after a moment. "With how easily I can accept killing my own brother."

Her words came out quieter this time, more honest.

"But after hearing what you said, I think I can go through with it. I think this is something I have to accept. Julius is a lost cause. So in order for him to pay for his sins, he has to die."

There wasn’t any hesitation in that last part. She had already made up her mind. All she needed was that final push to settle it.

"Well, it’s your path, so I’ll follow it," I said.

"I see..." she murmured, almost to herself. "Then I suppose I have to become the best Queen for this country, so you’ll keep following me."

She glanced at me and gave a small wink, lightening the mood just a little.

She didn’t really need to try that hard.

As far as I was concerned, she was already the best Queen. At least, she was the only one I’d ever bother acknowledging.

"Oh, by the way," she added, as if remembering something halfway through her thoughts, "the heroes and the others are returning to the castle tomorrow."

"I see..."

That was all I said.

"You’re not worried or surprised at all? You really don’t show your emotions, Leon."

"Why do you want me to?" I asked.

"I think it’s because you’re acquainted with them, right?" she said, tilting her head slightly.

"Well, in this life, not really," I replied. "I’m more like someone who isn’t affiliated or acquainted with them anymore. I don’t want to involve myself with them, and I definitely don’t plan on bringing them back into my life."

The words came out naturally. There wasn’t any need to think twice about them.

"For them, it’s probably only been a few months since I disappeared from that world. But for me, it’s been twenty years. That’s more than enough time for someone to change. I’ve already grown into this world. I’ve become who I am now."

I paused for a moment, just enough to let that sink in.

"At this point, I’m basically a stranger to them. I don’t see any reason to concern myself with them. Though, I don’t mind having conversations if it comes to that. Just... with limits."

"I see..." she said again, this time more quietly. "Well, I’ll respect your decision."

She didn’t push any further than that.

For Myrcella, it didn’t seem like she fully understood what I meant. And that was fine. It wasn’t exactly something easy to grasp unless you went through it yourself.

To them, I had only been gone for a short time.

To me, it had been twenty years.

That kind of gap didn’t just disappear. It didn’t just close because you wanted it to.

The people I once considered friends were no longer the same in my eyes. Or maybe it was me who had changed too much. Either way, the result was the same.

They were strangers now.

Those memories I had of them felt distant. Almost unreal. Like dreams that lingered after waking up, vivid for a moment, then slowly fading until they didn’t feel real anymore.

Nothing more, nothing less.

***

After finishing that conversation with Myrcella, I stepped out of the castle.

The air outside felt different. Lighter, maybe. Or maybe I was just glad to be away from all the heavy talk for a bit.

That’s when I saw it.

A carriage rolling forward.

I stopped for a second, staring at it.

At first, confusion hit me. Who even used carriages anymore? Cars were way more common now. Faster, easier, and definitely less dramatic.

It almost felt like someone was trying too hard to make an entrance.

Then I noticed the people surrounding it.

The armor they wore wasn’t unfamiliar. The design, the details, the way they carried themselves. It clicked almost immediately.

Ah.

So that’s how it was.

The carriage came to a slow stop, the wheels grinding softly against the ground. The door opened with a small creak, and someone stepped out.

Then another followed.

A woman, around my age.

The moment her eyes landed on me, her entire expression changed. It lit up so quickly it almost felt like a switch had been flipped.

"Leon!!!"

She ran straight toward me without a second thought.

There was no hesitation.

She threw her arms around my waist the moment she reached me. The force of it actually caught me off guard. I had to adjust my footing just to keep from losing my balance.

Still managed to catch her properly, though.

"Tsk." The King of Bethlan clicked his tongue behind her. "A princess shouldn’t be running around like that, Nia."

"Well, I love Leon, after all!" she said without even looking back. "And I missed him so much! It’s been a while! I want to bask in his scent!"

There wasn’t even a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

If anything, she sounded proud of it.

It was... kind of sweet, honestly.

The moment she arrived, she went straight to me. With no greetings, no formalities, just straight to hugging me like she hadn’t seen me in forever.

"Well, that was already obvious," the King sighed. "Since earlier, you couldn’t calm down and kept insisting on getting here as soon as possible."

He looked tired.

Not the kind of tired you get from work, but the kind that comes from dealing with someone like her for too long. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

That’s right.

Titania.

She was standing right in front of me.

"I missed you too, Nia," I said.

I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her back, steadying her properly this time.