Chapter 182 - Before it is all over

The entirety of the space was bathing with soft light. The moon, even at its half—was shining brightly against the balcony. The light had illuminated the sea, which was grey and tranquil in the night. The breeze was swaying over the king's robes and his platinum-blond hair. The stars behind him shined brightly against the dark skies. The king's expression was as gentle as ever.

He parted away from her. He stared at Faustina intently. At that moment, Faustina felt as if time had frozen and all things ceased to exist. At that moment all mattered was that the king. 

It has been a while ever since he had appeared before her.

Faustina couldn't tell what she was feeling. She had forgotten what it was like to have King Alexander Octavius Ein Feuerkrieger IX in front of her. The last she had seen him was at the castle—and he didn't bid her farewell at her when she headed to the capital. She had awoken as 'Faustina Feuerlon' and then—at that point in time—Faustina had thought that the king didn't want to associate himself with her. 

Faustina assumed that the king wanted nothing to do with her. He had thought that the king only wanted to keep it into having her as a mere Heilen that is commanded by the king. Faustina knew he, Alexander Octavius, was the king of the Feuersturm Empire. She, who was under his rule—was obliged to obey.

Yet…

The one who was standing in front of her—with his sapphire eyes shawled in an emotion that she couldn't tell; an expression of a man who had longed for something that he had wanted for long. His squinted, and narrowed eyes had looked at her like he never did before. 

Who was the king in front of her?

"Noah?"

The king's expression softened as he gently held Faustina's hand. He then dr.a.p.ed her palm around his cheek as he smiled warmly—he had felt the heat from Faustina's palms. "It's warm."

Faustina still couldn't believe it. He was here. 

"Call me that name again," the king exclaimed. "Faustina."

Faustina parted her lips.

"Noah…"

He seemed pleased. 

The wind from the sea breeze swept Faustina's hair, and then slowly—its grey color vanished. Faustina blinked as the grey glamour vanished slowly as it dispersed glitter dust to thin air. 

Faustina was confused. She now had her black hair back. 

"Don't worry," the king exclaimed. "Your mana is just being absorbed. I inevitably absorbed your glamour as well."

"Absorbed…?"

The king stared at Faustina.

"I am absorbing your mana, my fair maiden," the king exclaimed as he caresses Faustina's cheek. He then dr.a.p.ed his finger over the dark threads of her hair. The black strands passed through the gaps in his long fingers and then fell gently over his fingers. He then leaned to kiss the end of Faustina's hair.

"Absorbing my mana?"

The king didn't answer Faustina's question. 

��You will understand it soon." The king exclaimed. "For now, this is what I'll do to sustain this life that is creeping to end."

Faustina only stared at the king, who now drew away from her. Seeing she wanted the answers so much, the king simply let out a light chuckle.

"Do you remember the time you are in the castle?" The king asked.

Faustina nodded.

"It is because of me," the king exclaimed. "I absorbed the leaking mana. But I tend to absorb much more due to my body needing more."

The king stared at the distance.

"The more I get closer to you, the more I absorb more of your mana." The king exclaimed as he stares at the sea. "My presence alone will endanger your life, no matter how much mana you hold inside."

Faustina stared intently at the king.

Then… does that mean… "You can easily take my life to sustain yours, My King," Faustina exclaimed, coming unto a realization. "If you would just absorb all of my mana, then you wouldn't suffer."

The king stared at Faustina, whose eyes were filled with mixed confusion and realization.

Noah caressed her cheek.

"But I couldn't do that, Faustina." 

Faustina stared at the king's eyes.

"Why?"

The king leaned his body closer to hers.

"My fair maiden," the king smiled. "You are unaware of yourself."

The king held Faustina's chin. Faustina's lips parted as he leaned closer. 

"Why do you ask questions with answers you are aware of?"

Faustina couldn't understand. Her heart had beat rapidly against her chest. She began to back away from the king, breaking from his grasp. She felt her cheeks reddening as she backed away inside her room. The curtains made of transparent linen swayed from the ocean breeze. The king was left into the balcony, staring at her with eyes that held unreadable thoughts.

Faustina met his sapphire eyes once more. She quickly averted her gaze.

No. She shouldn't.

Faustina lowered her gaze.

The king was confusing. He always had been. One moment he was warm and gentle, the next is he would be as cold as ice. But now he was looking at her with an expression that Faustina had only seen now. She doesn't know how to react. 

"Faustina," the king walked towards her. But Faustina could only see the king's shoes from her lowered gaze.

"D-don't come close."

The king flinched in response, but his expression eventually softened as his eyes caught the red in Faustina's cheeks, which spread to her ears.

"Why?" The king asked.

"I-I might misunderstand, Your Majesty," Faustina answered. "I don't… I don't want to misunderstand anything."

The king then lifted Faustina's gaze as he raised her chin with his fingers.

"Misunderstand what, Faustina?" 

"Th-that I��� you…"

The king stared at Faustina intently, and then to her parted lips.

With his thumb, he caressed her bottom lip. She could see her mana—a golden light he only could perceive—wrapping towards him. She was brimming with this golden light.

His fair maiden.

"Faustina," the king leaned his lips towards hers, and then he leaned into her ears. "You are not misunderstanding anything."

The king stared at her baffled expression and her dimming gaze.

The mana absorption was showing its toll. Her gaze that was beginning to dim as her flushed cheeks began to be more visible to his eyes and the huffs on her breath emphasized her body unaccustomed to the irregular amounts of mana being absorbed.

This was why he cannot get close to her, no matter how much he wanted to.

Faustina's knees wobbled and impended to fail, but the king was able to catch her before she fell.

"Noah…" Faustina stared at the king.

The king recognized her dimmed and dizzy expression. She was now on a state of reverie.

"You wouldn't remember this either, huh…" The king smiled as he wrapped an arm around her and then carried her body to his arms.

Faustina's clothes fell down a bit. The king's eyes then found their way to her chest, and then to her half-closed eyes and parted lips.

"I can't do it yet," he said as he placed her down to the soft mattress. "Not now."

Faustina couldn't understand what the king was saying, but she felt as if she wanted to be held. 

As if she was intoxicated.

The king knew this very well. At the greenhouse, she became like this too. It was one of the stages of mana absorption. The one who is providing the mana will have to bind themselves to the one who absorbs them to avoid these types of symptoms. Years of studies by the Clairvoyants showed that the souls need to be bound to prevent these symptoms from showing.

"The joining of bodies together to have mana merge as one," said the king as he stared at Faustina, who was looking at him with dizzy eyes. "Of course, I can't do that."

Faustina stared at the king who was being blurrier and blurrier in her vision.

"Why… are you here, My King…?"

The king stared at Faustina intently. 

"I am here to claim a dungeon." The king exclaimed as magic revolved around his palms to the tip of his fingers. He then touched her hair, making the glamour come back. Soon Faustina's black hair became grey, and then she was Faustina Feuerlon again.

"Dungeon…?"

"Yes, a dungeon." The king exclaimed. "I have to find the cure for the Vice-Captain, so I will be sending Lorenz in his stead to guard you."

Faustina only stared. 

"You won't remember this, Faustina, but I want you to call me 'Noah'. My real name." The king exclaimed. "It won't be long after we part ways. After you accomplish your goal and after I put the Forsaken to justice."

"Yes," the king stared at Faustina who was unresponsive, caressing her cheek. "After a while, you will be with your master again, and everything here will become nothing but a distant memory."

The king stared at Faustina's lips, and then to the creased on her nightgown, showing her chest. He then leaned his arm to the fabric of her clothes and smoothed them out.

"So, call me Noah." The king exclaimed. "Let me cherish a memory that only you and I made. Before it's all over. Before we both accomplish our tasks."

The king then leaned to kiss Faustina's forehead.

"Sleep, Faustina." The king exclaimed as he parted away from Faustina. "Close your eyes before the night will be over."

Faustina's eyes closed then. The king's gentle expression began to vanish from her vision.

"I pray that dawn will never come," the king exclaimed as he walked away. "But it shall."

"Goodnight, Faustina."