Chapter 823

Chapter 823

To the north of Crossroad.

Arian Kingdom’s military camp.

The tent used by King Hraim of Arian.

“What did you just say, Your Majesty?!”

The assembled officials and soldiers reeled at the king’s words.

But King Miller repeated himself calmly.

“I’ve decided to send Yun away... to grant her a noble end befitting royalty.”

“...!”

“She hasn’t regained consciousness, even though the curse has vanished, and remains in a coma. Transporting her in such a weakened state all the way back to the Arian Kingdom would be too much of a burden.”

Miller turned his head to look at his daughter, Yun Ariane, lying asleep on the bed behind him.

“Leaving a royal descendant in the Empire’s territory is out of the question. Who knows how it might become a vulnerability for our nation in the future?”

“But the princess is still alive!”

“Isn’t she practically a living corpse?”

Miller retorted angrily.

“Even when divine power still existed in this world, we couldn’t heal her. Now that divine power has vanished, there’s virtually no way to wake her.”

“...”

“This is to preserve Yun’s honor as a member of the royal family... and as a princess.”

The officials and soldiers bowed their heads with somber expressions.

“When we return home, we’ll announce that she died honorably in battle at the Monster Front.”

Miller let out a long sigh and then shouted.

“Bring the prepared poison!”

That was when it happened.

Boom!

The ceiling of the tent exploded upward in a circular shape, and

Flutter—!

someone descended, cloak billowing around them.

The large figure landed on the ground and immediately swept Yun from the bed into their embrace.

“Y-You’re—!”

Recognizing the intruder, Miller’s face twisted in anger.

“The King of the Beastmen...!”

With his red ponytail flying in the wind and Yun held tightly in his arms,

Kuilan, the Beastman King, growled low.

“I’m taking Yun with me.”

“Y-You bastard!”

Enraged, Miller swung his one remaining arm in a punch,

Whoosh—

Crash!

But Kuilan evaded the blow with an almost pre-planned precision and hurled Miller back onto the bed where Yun had been lying.

“Oof!”

Sprawled on the bed, Miller shouted urgently.

“What are you waiting for?! Stop him!”

Thump!

Kuilan, holding Yun securely, kicked off the ground and dashed toward the tent entrance. The officials and soldiers of the Arian Kingdom scrambled to block his path.

“Stop!”

“Return the princess to us!”

Kuilan paid no heed, lashing out with fists and kicks in all directions.

“Gaaah!”

“Aaargh—”

“He’s too strong—!”

The people of the Arian Kingdom trying to stop him were sent sprawling in all directions.

As Kuilan swiftly navigated between the soldiers, one of his punches accidentally landed squarely on a soldier’s jaw.

“Gah!”

Seeing the soldier clutching his jaw in pain, Kuilan asked quickly, “Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine! Don’t worry about me, just go quickly!”

“Oh, okay.”

Thump—!

Kuilan sprinted out of the tent, leaving the Arian soldiers who were desperately trying to follow him in his dust.

“Don’t move!”

“...!”

“I have your precious princess in my hands! If Yun dies or gets hurt, the ‘honor’ you wanted to uphold will be meaningless!”

The people of the Arian Kingdom let out collective groans of despair.

“How dare you kidnap the princess!”

“This kind of shameless act in this day and age!”

“You beastly man! You barbaric brute!”

“...Aren’t they just stating the obvious?”

Seeing the Arian people at a loss, Kuilan was suddenly reminded of the past.

His first connection to Crossroad had also begun by kidnapping Prince Ash.

‘Starting with a kidnapping and ending with a kidnapping.’

A villainous smile spread across Kuilan’s face.

Three years at the Monster Front.

Not bad.

“Your princess will be... resting in the village of the Maple Wolf Tribe near the Great Forest! I mean, she will be held hostage there!”

“You scoundrel! Give me back my daughter!”

“If you’re worried about your precious daughter, show your sincerity... I mean, send gifts often. Heh heh...!”

“Argh! In that case, I’ll send a messenger every six months with letters and medicine!”

A few soldiers who had been watching this scene quietly whispered among themselves.

“Do we really have to put on this act to send the princess away?”

“And isn’t the premise a bit of a stretch?”

“Shh! Keep it down!”

“Can’t you see His Majesty is really into it? Let him enjoy it...!”

Finally, Kuilan let out a hearty laugh and turned around.

“I’ll take good care of Yun, with all my heart and sincerity! Hahaha! Well then, safe travels back to the Arian Kingdom!”

With that, Kuilan kicked off the ground and disappeared from view in an instant.

Miller, kneeling on the ground, reached out toward the direction Kuilan had fled, shouting,

“Yuuuuuun—!”

Leaving behind Miller’s heartbroken cry, Kuilan, holding Yun carefully in his arms, left the Arian camp.

It didn’t matter if they staged a clumsy act. It didn’t matter if he was branded with infamy. It didn’t matter if he would be resented in the future.

‘Until the day you open your eyes in the morning.’

Embracing the warmth of the woman in his arms, Kuilan swore.

‘I will protect you, Yun.’

On the night of the farewell ceremony,

all over the city, people mourned their partings, confirmed their feelings, and promised to meet again.

This was a time when bittersweet farewells intertwined with the beginnings of new connections.

I chuckled softly.

Because she was once a slave. Because she bought her title with money. Because she had mixed blood.

Serenade had faced the judgment of society her entire life.

So it seemed she still didn’t quite understand.

Just how amazing, wonderful... and essential she was to me.

“Serenade, do you remember the promise we made when we were young?”

At my question, Serenade’s eyes widened.

“Of course I remember... How could I ever forget?”

She managed a faint smile through her tear-streaked cheeks.

“It was on that very day... that I fell in love with you.”

— A world where bloodlines, noble or common, don’t matter... A world for kids like us who are treated as outcasts. A world where moms don’t have to cry and big sisters aren’t bullied.

— I... promise, I’ll make it happen.

Recalling that scene, which remained vivid in my memory, I spoke with certainty.

“It’s because of that promise that I was able to make it this far.”

“...!”

“It’s because of you that my journey continued. Because I wanted to build that kind of world with you, because I wanted to live in that kind of world with you, we’ve come this far together, hand in hand.”

I smiled gently.

“And Serenade, the world we promised is already here.”

I looked at the rings in my hand...

“It’s not complete yet, but I promise, Serenade. I’ll spend the rest of my life working to make that world complete.”

These proposal rings, made by the united effort of all races, were one-of-a-kind in the world. I held them out to her.

“And to create that world, I need you.”

“...”

“So please, Serenade. Marry me.”

I whispered earnestly.

“I can’t do this without you.”

“...”

Slowly,

Serenade lowered the hands that had been covering her face.

“Just one more thing... I’d like to ask.”

“Ask me anything.”

“Even if time passes and I’m no longer young, even if I’m no longer beautiful in your eyes.”

Her face, wet with tears, was filled with both sadness and joy like never before...

And, as always, she was radiant.

“Will you still love me?”

I smiled softly.

“When I was at my lowest, at my ugliest and most foolish, you still loved me.”

Throughout that long time,

You were the one who loved me in every moment.

And I am no different.

“I promise. I’ll love you not just now, in this moment when you shine the brightest.”

I reached out, took her left hand, and pulled it toward me.

“I’ll love you even in the moments when you think you’re at your worst.”

Then, carefully and slowly, I slipped the ring onto her trembling left ring finger.

I grinned and asked,

“You’ll do the same for me, right?”

Silently, Serenade took the ring box from me, pulled out the other ring, held my left hand...

and gently slid the ring onto my ring finger.

“Yes.”

And finally—she smiled at me.

“I’ll love you. Always, no matter how many times...”

We kissed.

Kissing each other again and again, we twirled around the garden, and then, still holding Serenade close, I led her out of the garden.

Waiting quietly on the path from the guild to the plaza were the master craftsmen of each race who had helped make the rings.

Unable to hold back, Kellibey, who had overseen the ring’s creation, shouted,

“Did it work?! Did she accept?!”

Instead of answering, I raised our joined hands. The proposal rings on our left ring fingers sparkled in the streetlights.

“Yes—!”

“Hurrah! Hurrah!”

“That’s it!”

The craftsmen leaped from their spots, cheering with joy as if it were their own success.

Serenade and I walked into the plaza.

Seeing us embrace each other so tightly, the people who had been waiting anxiously understood the situation. They screamed, popped champagne, and applauded to congratulate us.

Surrounded by cheers, blessings, and toasts pouring in from all sides,

Serenade couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“You said you’d treasure the truly precious things privately!”

“I wanted to, but I can’t anymore! I’m too happy, so I’ll brag a little!”

I laughed heartily.

“Let’s dance, my partner!”

Though there wasn’t a prepared band, someone pulled out a harmonica and began to play.

People stomped their feet to keep the rhythm, drummed on tables to create a beat, and raised their voices together in song.

If thou must love me, let it be for nought

But love’s sake only. Do not say

“I love her for her smile—her look—her way

Of speaking gently, for a trick of thought

That falls in well with mine, and certes brought

**A sense of pleasant ease on such a day”—

For these things in themselves, Beloved, may

Be changed, or change for thee—and love, so wrought,

May be unwrought so. Neither love me for

Thine own dear pity’s wiping my cheeks dry:

A creature might forget to weep, who bore

Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!

But love me for love’s sake, that evermore

Thou mayst love on, through love’s eternity.

Amid the applause, cheers, blessings, and toasts from the gathered crowd...

Serenade and I danced.

Foreheads touching, singing along to the love songs that everyone was singing, until the dark night gave way to a bright white dawn.

In the unforgettable dawn of our proposal, just like that.

–TL Notes–

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