“Go on, tell me. Are you truly a saintess?”

“I-I…“

Lette’s trembling voice faltered, unable to meet the girl’s gaze, before she seemingly mustered her resolve, clenching her fists tightly and raising her voice.

“I am indeed a Saintess.”

Lette locked eyes with her. The blue of her irises wavered with uncertainty, yet a faint, ominous purple light flickered within. That glow seemed to speak, whispering: I’m lying. It’s you who should close your eyes to the truth.

The girl felt her world tilt as if it had been upended. At that moment, the image of the Marquis Dekar gripping her arm in desperation in his final moments surfaced in her mind. That man—her father—had endured so much because of the truth that his daughter was the Saintess. He had made unimaginable sacrifices, leaving her to carry the burden of his life.

But now, his daughter’s mere existence threatened to unravel everything. This fraudulent Saintess was undermining all she had endured.

She had to expose the imposter for what she was. Rage consumed her. The truth was hers, and she was alone to reveal it.

“How dare you continue mocking me to the very end?”

Her gaze landed on the sword at the boy’s waist. The imposter would indeed reveal her true self if faced with mortal danger. It was the most straightforward and definitive method.

At least she had to show the boy the truth. She had to prove she wasn’t lying. That she wasn’t someone he could abandon.

“Fine, let’s see how long you can keep up this shameless act.”

Before the boy could react, she drew the sword from its sheath at his waist. The blade was heavier than she expected, startling her briefly. She thought fleetingly, So this is the weight of a tool designed to take lives.

Without giving herself time to reconsider, she swung the blade toward Lette.

“Lette!”

The boy reacted swiftly, pulling Lette into his arms and out of harm’s way. The blade, lighter than she imagined, cut through the air and struck the spot Lette had been standing moments before.

“Ruben, how could you…?”

Her voice trembled, the tip of the sword shaking in her grasp.

It was her final chance. She had raised a weapon against another person for the first time, risking everything to expose that strange girl’s true nature. And the boy had snatched that chance away as if mocking her desperation.

Then the boy leaned in close to Lette, whispering something to her. Lette nodded, then turned and ran without looking back.

“That girl….”

The girl moved to chase Lette, but the boy stood firmly in her way. Her chance to expose the truth was slipping through her fingers. She had to show him—prove that she wasn’t lying. Today was supposed to be the day she finally spoke the truth to him.

But, as always, reality turned its back on her.

“Your Highness.”

The voice was so cold it sent shivers down her spine. It wasn’t even the usual title he called her by. For a moment, the girl chasing after Lette froze as if rooted in place, wondering if that chilling voice was truly addressing her. Slowly, she turned her head, silently hoping it wasn’t her being called.

But as she turned, she saw the boy kneeling before her, his sword on the ground. A familiar scene overlapped in her mind before she could even grasp what was happening.

Once, long ago, the boy had knelt before her just like this, vowing to become her knight. Her heart had trembled then, a deep and reassuring warmth surging through her. Such a brilliant person is mine. That alone was her solace; she had endured so much with only that thought in mind.

And now, that same boy was kneeling before her again—but with an entirely different expression.

“I withdraw the vow I made to you, Princess.”

“…What do you mean?”

She asked the question, but she feared the answer. She wanted to rush forward, silence him, and scream at him to stop. Yet, for some reason, she couldn’t move a single finger.

I can’t reach him. Not anymore. That feeling had haunted her lately, the sensation that he was drifting further and further out of reach. But this—this was too much. It couldn’t be real.

“It means exactly what I said.“

“Ruben.“

“I can no longer protect you, Princess.”

That was it. Cruel and final.

The boy turned his back on her, walking away without hesitation.

She should have stopped him, should have reached for him. But instead, she collapsed to the ground. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, her strength abandoning her. She buried her face in the cold earth, but that didn’t stop the shaking. She wanted to scream for him not to leave, but all that escaped her lips were choked sobs. Her breathing became ragged and uneven.

This can’t happen. You can’t leave me, too. Not you. Anyone but you, Ruben…

“Ruben, please…”

She barely managed to whisper his name, her voice broken. But no one answered her call. No one remained to witness her desperate cries. As her world crumbled entirely, she was left utterly alone. And she would remain so—permanently.

***

Even when the heavens fall, time marches on. A day had passed, and that alone was enough to show her the truth. Even if her world had shattered and stopped, the rest of the world continued, unaffected.

That was why she now sat numbly in the audience chamber, waiting for an audience with the king. She sat as still as a doll, waiting for her father to appear.

It was strange. Her world had undeniably fallen apart, yet time moved on as if nothing had happened. Why didn’t everything just end? She would instead have closed her eyes forever. She was sinking deeper into despair, unable to find her way out.

But what did it matter? Her world was already in ruins. Even if she drowned in this swamp of despair, it wouldn’t make a difference. Everything around her passed her by. Her world had come to a silent, blackened halt, like an ancient kingdom erased from memory, waiting to be forgotten.

So, of course, she didn’t even notice when Rigel, the king, entered the chamber.

Rigel’s sharp, golden eyes surveyed her like a snake inspecting its prey. There was no trace of the usual clarity in her eyes. Her gaze was unfocused, her stare empty. Rigel smirked in disdain as he sank into a chair before her, muttering.

“Pathetic.”

She flinched and turned her blurry eyes toward him. He looked bored as if even facing her was a chore.

Entertainment. That’s all her life was to him. She felt a fleeting disgust at Rigel’s condescension, but the emotion quickly faded. She no longer had the strength to feel anger. He’s right. I’m nothing more than a mayfly. She already knew that’s how Rigel saw her. It was nothing new.

Her gaze, now devoid of emotion, met Rigel’s. He stared back for a moment before openly sneering.

“The duke must have been important to you.”

“…”

“You shouldn’t make your weaknesses so obvious.”

He spoke in a low voice as if sharing a secret, then rose to his feet with a dismissive grace.

Weakness? What is he talking about? Her heart began pounding wildly, an unfamiliar sense of dread washing over her. Her once-empty eyes wavered, her vision blurring.

Even with her world in ruins, the nightmare wasn’t over. It continued to chase her.

Rigel strolled toward the door, speaking over his shoulder.

“No matter. You’re the sole heir to this kingdom. You can’t afford to have weaknesses. I’ll have to handle this personally.

No! She nearly screamed but swallowed the sound at the last second. Her mind raced frantically, trying to piece together his words.

Was I about to give up on myself? But… if I give up, am I the only one who falls?

It felt like lightning struck her mind. What was I about to do? She recoiled at her own foolishness.

Even if hope was gone, she couldn’t give up. Even if she couldn’t see the light ahead, she couldn’t stop walking. She had to endure alone, even if no one remained by her side.

The reason was simple: there was still a future. Even a hopeless future was a future nonetheless. Even in the darkest darkness, it would come. And she had to protect it, even if she stood alone. She couldn’t give up. She wasn’t allowed to give up. People had entrusted her with their hope, with their lives and futures. She remembered that moment clearly, even now. She bore the weight of those lives and their futures.

The realization left no room for hesitation. She would lie again if she had to. Lying had always been her specialty. She could do it. She clasped her hands tightly together, the pain grounding her, sharpening her resolve.

“He’s not important to me.”

The clear, resolute voice cut across the audience chamber. Footsteps that had been heading decisively toward the exit slowed.

He was intrigued by her words. That alone was enough. If all it took was such words, she could say them as much as needed.

“Not important?“

“Betrayal by a once-loyal hound only leaves a sting of disappointment. A dog that bites its master can be cast away, right?”

Words that clashed with her true feelings flowed smoothly in her calm, measured tone. Once spoken, she closed her eyes tightly before opening them again. The words from her own lips scraped painfully at her heart.

Rigel turned his head slowly. Gone was his earlier look of boredom; now, he wore an amused smile. Disgusting. She clenched her fists tightly, determined not to let her feelings show.

“Music to my ears.“

“Effective immediately, I will issue a decree barring Duke Ruben Effenberg from entering the Rose Palace.”

From now on, they wouldn’t even cross paths by chance. As she imagined his retreating back—the last image of him she would ever have—her throat tightened painfully. But she had to endure. For his sake, her own sake, and the kingdom’s sake.

That will suffice if only I can bury my heart and keep going.