Chapter 156: Thank you for everything

"Yes. But I understand why you did it," I said, taking a sip of my tea. "And I don't blame you for anything," I added.

It was evident that Avanne was struggling not to cry. "Even though I can guess the reason, I still want to hear it from you. Why did you leave me?" I asked.

Avanne closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. She was trying to calm herself and not cry. After she had composed herself a bit, she answered my question. S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"That day… I was in shock when I saw your unconscious and injured body being carried away by the guards. And then, when I saw your big brother's happy smile, I thought you had lost the throne war. That's why I left the capital without drawing attention and returned to my hometown, the only place suitable for our unborn daughter," Avanne said with a trembling voice.

"Well, why didn't you say anything even after hearing the official announcement that I would be the next king? As far as I remember, I was still in the kingdom at that time."

At my new question, Avanne stopped trembling with her hands and began to respond. "After I returned to the viscountcy, many officials from the royal palace came to my house, and I was searching for escape routes in fear. Luckily, they hadn't come for our daughter. Their reason for coming was that if I revealed anything I had seen in the palace that day, they would kill me. So I became suspicious about some things. Then I heard the official announcement that you would be the next king, but I still thought it wasn't safe to contact you. However, after a certain time, when my daughter was born, I thought it was very cruel to keep her away from you, so I started secretly sending you many letters in code."

As Avanne's words echoed in my mind, I took a deep breath. All the memories we shared since the moment we met were flowing in front of my eyes like a filmstrip. I understood her; despite everything, her choices, her fears… Now that I thought about it, I had also made mistakes during this process. At least once, I should have looked at one of Avanne's letters, which she had sent so persistently.

"I understand… I just thought you were barren woman, and that's why such a possibility never crossed my mind," I could only manage to say in a low voice. Your journey continues on m v|l--NovelFire.net

"I also thought I was barren, and I never imagined I would be pregnant. So it's not surprising that you thought that… Also, I'm sorry for everything… I truly apologize for the terrible words I said to you that day. I don't know why those words came out of my mouth; it just came out in a moment of emptiness. I'm sorry…" Avanne said, referring to the day of our separation.

"It's okay; don't worry about it. And thank you for protecting our daughter," I said, standing up and walking toward Avanne.

Avanne looked surprised as I approached her, and her heart began to race suddenly. Her pupils had dilated, and with each step I took toward her, her excitement grew, but I wasn't going to do anything sexual… At least not for now. Then I took off a necklace around my neck. This necklace was the same as the one Isabella had given me years ago that saved my life.

"Do you see this necklace? This is an extremely rare necklace, and I want you to have it. Always wear this necklace around your neck, and if your life is ever in danger, use it. It's very simple to use; all you need to do is make sure the stone on the necklace touches both your skin and Lyra's when the light flashes. Do you understand me? It needs to make contact with both of you," I said as I moved behind Avanne to put the necklace around her neck.

Avanne was looking at me with even more surprise. "So what does this necklace do? Does it provide a protective shield or some power?" she asked.

"No. This necklace grants a special power for dragons. When you use it, it teleports both you and Lyra. It will teleport you both to Isabella, who will keep you safe… At least that's the plan. But remember, it only works when your life is in enough danger, so no matter what happens, you have to protect Lyra until the stone activates."

Upon hearing my explanation, Avanne was quite surprised. "I see. This must be very expensive," she said.

"This necklace is rare and valuable, just like the one Isabella gave me," I said, watching her carefully. "But your safety and our daughter's safety are more important than anything. That's why I want you to take it. This necklace was a beacon of hope for me during the darkest times of my life. Now I want you and Lyra to have such a chance as well."

Avanne felt the necklace around her neck and smiled slightly, but there was still worry in her eyes. "What about you? What will you do if something happens?" she asked.

"Didn't you read the newspapers? I overwhelmingly came in first in the academy's tournament. So don't worry about me; no one can kill me as long as I don't allow it," I answered.

Avanne finally relaxed a little and chuckled at what I said. "I understand. So tell me, do you really trust Isabella enough to hand your daughter over to her?" she asked.

"Don't worry. Isabella is one of the people I trust the most in this world."

Avanne's worried expression softened slightly, but there was still uncertainty in her eyes. "Well, if something happens, are you sure Isabella will take care of Lyra?" she asked.

"Absolutely," I said, doing my best to reassure her. "Isabella is strong and smart. When she's with you, you can be sure our daughter will be safe. I'll do my best too; I guarantee that."

After fastening the necklace around Avanne's smooth neck, I returned to my place and sat down. "So, do you have any questions you want to ask?" I asked.

Avanne thought for a moment and then opened her mouth, but she closed it again, seemingly regretting it, and began to think of a new question. Fortunately, she opened her mouth to ask her question soon. "Well, I know this might seem a bit selfish, and it's okay if you refuse. But will you accept our daughter? I mean, in an official way… But like I said, it's fine if you don't accept!"

Avanne's question hung in the air, but I didn't take long to answer, reassuring her. "That's a funny question. Have you forgotten who I am and what kind of person I am over the past few years? Of course, I will accept our daughter… I just have to postpone it until I become king... I'm sorry for that."

A broad smile on Avanne's face indicated that she had received the answer to her question. "Thank you, Ethan. Really, thank you..."

Suddenly, surprising Avanne, I answered another question. "As for the question you wanted to ask but didn't... I'm not sure. There are now many women around me, and I value them all... If you don't mind this situation, I can accept you when I become king," I said, leaving Avanne in shock.

"How did you know....?" After the initial shock, Avanne's eyes started to get wet and then tears started to flow continuously from her eyes. She covered her face with her hands and said, "I'm sorry... I just..." She tried to say something, but she could not form a proper sentence as she was crying non-stop.

I stood up and walked over to Avanne. I sat next to her, but she didn't notice my presence as she was frantically wiping her tears. After a moment of hesitation, I gently wrapped my arms around Avanne's back. She flinched at my touch and looked at me in surprise as tears streamed from her blue eyes. When I pulled her closer and hugged her tighter, she buried her head in my shoulder and continued to cry without stopping.

As she sobbed, some muffled words escaped her lips: "I love you... hic* I've always loved you... hic* I could never forget you... hic* I'm sorry... I love you... hic* thank you."

"It's okay, Avanne... Just calm down... Everything is fine now," I whispered soothing words in her ear while stroking her back. Her trembling body appeared extremely vulnerable.

Avanne managed to calm down after about five minutes, wiping the remaining tears under her eyes.

"Are you feeling better now?" I asked.

"Yes... Thank you. For everything... You are the most beautiful thing that has happened to me..." she said, a faint smile on her face.

"I didn't do anything," I replied, then stood up and returned to my couch across from her.

"... No, you did a lot. Just giving me Lyra allowed me to have the happiest days of my life. I had completely lost hope, thinking I would never have a child in my life, but deep down, I always imagined having a child in my dream world. Thank you again for making me the happiest woman in the world," she said with happiness.

"I'm also extremely happy about our daughter. By the way, as to how you got pregnant even though you were barren woman, it's because I... I have the ability to get women pregnant," I said.

"What? You have such an ability?" Avanne asked, but at that moment, I felt a chill run down my spine.

I could sense that something powerful was approaching. But it wasn't just a power, it was like a divine power

"I KNEW IT! YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR ME! I KNEW IT!!!" My eyes widened in shock as a woman suddenly teleported into the middle of the room. A woman with turquoise wavy hair and a pair of horns on her head looked at me with a wild smile. This woman was the princess of dragons and the daughter of the greatest power in the world.

"Avanne RUN..." Before I could finish my sentence, the dragon princess vanished, and in the next moment, I felt a powerful blow to the back of my neck. The last thing I saw before my eyes closed and the surroundings turned dark was Avanne's shocked and fearful expression.

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This might be a weird question, but has the dragon princess been mentioned in the story before? Because I don't remember if it has or not.