As I packed my things in preparation for returning to the Holy Kingdom, I paused by the window. Leaning against the frame with my chin in my hand, I gazed towards Garnata Palace, where the final ball was taking place.

Tonight’s celebration was even more extravagant than before. From my room, I watched the nobles and young ladies arrive at the palace, their faces lit with excitement and anticipation. I observed them quietly, feeling a sense of distance in my chest. They were so young and full of life and possibility — something that I could no longer find within myself, with the end so close.

Before long, fireworks bloomed across the dark sky, bursting into brilliant colors accompanied by thunderous echoes. They were probably a gift from the Estantian Republic to the Adelaide Empire. Those dazzling lights marked the final night of the banquet, melting into the exotic splendor of Luxor’s imperial palace and forming a spectacle so beautiful that it almost felt unreal.

‘It’s blindingly beautiful…So why does it feel so ominous?’

Like the opening movement of a grand symphony or the brief calm before a storm, there was a sense of peace and serenity, yet the unmistakable feeling that something was about to happen hung in the air.

I shivered as a strange unease crept through me.

***

“Still no word from the prince?”

Ludwig raked his fingers through his hair, his face tight with anxiety. Unable to stay still even for a moment, he paced restlessly around the dark room, looking every bit like a man on the verge of madness.

“At this rate… aren’t we just being abandoned? This is exactly how it starts.”

“Your Highness, Prince Galahad cannot simply discard us. We’ve come too far for that…”

“Then why has the supply we were promised—and all contact—suddenly stopped?”

“Please, be patient. We’ve been told the imperial palace is occupied with receiving foreign envoys—”

“Shut up! Just be quiet. You’re getting on my nerves.”

Frustration and irritation hung in the dim air. After venting his anger at Pontius, Ludwig fell into thought.

The silence stretched on long enough for unease to settle in Pontius’s chest. Suddenly, Ludwig’s expression lit up as though he had found an answer. He clapped his hands together, and a bright, almost manic, smile spread across his face.

“In the end, all we have to do is eliminate the other princes and help Galahad become Crown Prince, right?”

If they were planning to discard us by staying silent, then we should act first. We can’t just sit here and wait to be thrown away.

“That won’t do. We’re moving.”

“Your Highness? But it’s too dangerous. We haven’t received any signal yet—”

“Shut up and follow me. You opposed me at Trieste too, didn’t you? And that turned out fine. Sometimes, you need boldness. Besides, aren’t they all gathered in one place right now? Isn’t that the perfect opportunity to deal with them all at once?”

If we live, we live together. If we die, we die together.

If you took my hand, you should have been prepared to let go.

There was no turning back now.

Even if this decision dragged him into ruin, Ludwig was ready to take someone with him.

After all, he had nowhere left to fall.

***

Preparations for my return to the Holy Kingdom were progressing quickly. During that time, I remained confined to my room, using my illness as an excuse to avoid seeing anyone except Isabel and Jeremy.

Only one formality remained: an audience with the Emperor and Empress to inform them of our departure.

“It feels far too soon to part ways, Saintess. Sir Knight.”

“Next time, we hope you will stay longer. We will be eagerly awaiting your return.”

“I thought you would remain at least until the crown prince’s proclamation. This is rather disappointing, Jeremy.”

The emperor and empress were clearly disappointed by our earlier-than-expected departure. I didn’t know what excuse Jeremy had given them, but though they were reluctant, they did not try to detain us.

As I watched our modest luggage being loaded onto the carriage, I pulled my Saintess robe tightly around me.

At Jeremy’s request, the imperial guard knights were escorting us, providing almost excessive protection. They would accompany us all the way to the border between the Adelaide Empire and the Holy Kingdom. They would only turn back once we had safely crossed the Platina Road and passed through the Veil of Light.

“[Sienna. Shall we go?]”

I nodded and took Jeremy’s hand.

Just before stepping into the carriage with his support, I turned my head toward the guesthouse where Helares would be.

‘Goodbye, Reinhardt Helares. My return to the Holy Kingdom will be my last. Perhaps… one day, word of my death will find its way to you.’

‘Don’t feel too wronged that you couldn’t kill me yourself. Your revenge has already succeeded, hasn’t it? I’ve paid a price befitting the name “Witch of Beatrix.”’

‘You didn’t love me, did you? You mustn’t.’

‘I’d rather you hate me.’

‘When you hear that I’ve died, I hope you laugh. I hope you’re happy—that you forget me and go on living well.’

‘I’m sorry the last version of me you saw was so weak… but the truth is, I never wanted you to see me like that.’

‘Broken. Bleeding. Dying.’

‘I never wanted you to see any of it.”’

With that, the quiet farewell came to an end, and the long line of carriages began to move.

‘I’m really going back now.’

Letting out a soft breath of relief, I looked out the window. As the carriage rolled forward, the scenery slowly shifted, and the once-familiar imperial palace began to feel strangely distant.

Just as we were about to pass through the palace gates—

Clunk.

A strange tension filled the air, and suddenly, the carriage came to a halt.

“[What is it?]”
“[What’s happening?]”

Jeremy opened the carriage door to assess the situation.

With a growing sense of unease, I peered outside through the window.

The captain of the imperial guard—and the knights—looked unsettled, their movements tinged with confusion.

“Your Highness—!”

A servant came running, breathless, staggering as though he might collapse at any moment.

“What is it?”

“Th-that is…”

“Stop hesitating and speak.”

When the servant faltered, Jeremy ran a hand roughly through his hair and snapped, his voice sharp with impatience.

The servant squeezed his eyes shut, as if even saying it aloud was a burden.

“Ishtin… has declared independence. Ludwig Beatrix has been crowned king.”

“What?”

“The militia in Ishtin, along with the fallen saints, have joined the former crown prince’s faction. Armed conflict with the imperial forces has already begun.”

Ludwig.

Hearing that long-forgotten name again made me feel suddenly dizzy.

That bastard was still alive.

He was clinging onto the throne and trying to crawl his way back. His refusal to let go was enough to make me sick.

The palace fell into chaos as the civil war erupted without warning.

Jeremy’s return was postponed indefinitely. With the fallen saints now involved, the Commander of the Holy Knights could not stay out of it. By now, the Holy Kingdom would already have dispatched covert operatives and ordered the mobilization of the Holy Knights. From that moment on, Jeremy had no choice but to carry out his duty as their commander.

“[Sienna. Stay with Isabel for now. I’ll find a way to secure an escort so the two of you can return to the Holy Kingdom.]”

Meanwhile, the Emperor began mobilizing every available force to suppress the rebellion. Even the imperial knights who had been assigned to escort them home were recalled to join the fight.

Meanwhile, Prince Caleb and Prince Galahad each insisted on leading the campaign themselves and were in open conflict over who would crush the uprising. The delegation from the Estantian Republic would likely be forced to withdraw as well — after all, Ludwig was a fugitive from their country.

Even as everything unraveled, time pressed forward without mercy.

And then, another shocking truth came to light.

“[Galahad… conspired with Ludwig to assassinate Caleb.]”

Evidence had surfaced—proof that Galahad had funded Ludwig and maintained secret communication with him, presented by Caleb himself.

“[I knew Galahad was mad, but to go this far, blinded by his hunger for the throne…]”

Caleb seized control.

Galahad fell.

The uprising, the sudden revelation of evidence, and the perfectly timed collapse all fit together too neatly.

It was like a puzzle locking into place.

It felt wrong.

Too familiar.

A cold sense of déjà vu crept over me.

“[Sienna. I’ll have to go down to Ishtin.]”

The Holy Kingdom was now caught up in the situation. Jeremy was caught up in it, too. The Adelaide Empire was thrown into turmoil over succession and, as expected, a rebellion erupted.

The situation was eerily reminiscent of how Helares had once neutralized every interfering force before igniting the Estantian Revolution — eliminating each obstacle one by one until no one could intervene.

“[Go back to the Holy Kingdom with Isabel. Helares will likely head to Ishtin with the rest of the Republic’s forces. He’s the Commander of the military, after all.]”

“[Alright… Jeremy. Please be careful.]”

Seeing the tension etched across Jeremy’s face, I knew the situation was far more urgent than he let on. I forced down the rising unease and simply nodded.

“[Just in case, I’ll assign a few elite knights to you. Not many—but enough.]”

“[Commander, please don’t worry.]”

Isabel said firmly, tightening her grip around my hand as if to reassure both him and me.

“[I’ll be with her. And with Ludwig causing all this chaos, there’s no way Helares would follow us, right? That would be insane.]”

Her words were meant to comfort, but they only made my chest feel tighter.

“[Go. While everything’s in disarray, leave as quickly as you can. I’ll see you safely in the Holy Kingdom.]”

In the midst of such chaos, I didn’t want to delay our departure any longer.

With a much smaller escort than originally planned, we set out in haste—heading back to the Holy Kingdom.