“…This is Pteria,” she said.

“I know. That’s why I snuck in,” Ruben replied.

A duke of a foreign nation sneaking into another country—especially into the Pteria Empire? Helia felt a wave of dizziness. The sheer audacity of the upright and principled Ruben Effenberg to commit such an act left her reeling.

“What I mean is—why are you here?” she demanded.

“Because I wanted to see you,” he answered.

“You could have done that in Bailey…”

Helia trailed off mid-sentence, suddenly struck by a realization. She stared at him in disbelief. Ruben did not respond. Instead, he offered a faintly bitter smile, which was answered enough.

In Bailey, Helia resided in the Rose Palace, where Ruben Effenberg was forbidden entry, as per her direct order.

However, if he genuinely wanted to, no one could stop him. Ruben Effenberg was the head of the Effenberg ducal house, one of the few duchies in the kingdom, and above all, the kingdom’s foremost knight. Entering the Rose Palace would be far simpler for him than infiltrating the empire. Yet, he had deliberately chosen the perilous journey to Pteria instead. Then again, trespassing into the Rose Palace had never been his option. It was an order from none other than Helia Bailey herself.

Ruben Effenberg could no longer defy her words. He had no desire to do so. No matter how irrational or nonsensical her commands were, he was ready to comply without hesitation or question if they came from her. Even if she offered no reason, it would be enough. If she wanted it, then it was right.

“If I said it’s because I wanted to see you one day sooner, would you believe me?” Ruben asked gently, as though deflecting her interrogation. Helia knew it was an excuse, yet it still tugged at her heartstrings. Ruben might have found it unfair, for while it was an excuse, it was also the truth.

“You…!” she began.

Since when did you become so obedient? You could have just ignored my orders and barged into the Rose Palace! Risking so much to come here… are you out of your mind? 

She wanted to lash out, but something swelled in her chest, choking her retort. If she spoke, tears might spill out as well. This surreal scene, coupled with his absurd words, was making her increasingly emotional.

Helia turned her head sharply. She could no longer bear to look. The magical moonlit tableau seemed to whisper impossible hopes to her. This was a fleeting dream that would vanish with the dawn.

“If you have something to say, say it quickly and leave,” she said coldly, deliberately harsh. Ruben, however, was grateful simply to have her permission to speak. He had already prepared himself for her cold rejection.

Carefully but with firm resolve, he spoke.

“Would you become our sovereign?”

“…What?” Helia’s brow furrowed reflexively. The absurdity of the request itself was one issue, but the pronoun choice—our—bothered her even more. Regardless, her answer was already decided. She was prepared to say, No, that’s impossible. But our? Was this ridiculous proposal not Ruben’s alone? Then, who else had supported such a notion…?

“Surely not…“ she whispered.

“…”

“Is it the revolutionary army’s leadership?“ she demanded, trembling.

“…”

“Is it?”

Under her piercing gaze, Ruben raised his head again. He had anticipated this news would be difficult for her to accept. But seeing her visibly shaken stirred a protective instinct in him—a desire to take her away to a place where nothing could harm or overwhelm her. Yet, he knew he had to speak. He truly believed this was the best path for her.

With a heavy tone but unwavering voice, he said, “It was time to persuade them all.”

Helia momentarily felt her mind go blank, as if her thoughts had been entirely derailed. Persuade them all? To make her the revolutionary army’s leader? The notion was unthinkable. No, it was unacceptable.

“You’ve lost your mind,“ she said.

“…”

“You’re insane, Ruben Effenberg,“ she continued.

How could you? Her hands trembled as they rose to her mouth, and her face was pale with shock. The sharpness of her voice betrayed her disbelief, but she couldn’t help it.

Even if he claimed to have convinced them all, there would undoubtedly be those among the revolutionary army who would reject her leadership and abandon the cause. That meant betrayal was inevitable. It wasn’t hard to imagine that those who left might turn to King Xeroth to expose the revolutionaries in exchange for survival. Such a scenario was all too plausible—and all too dangerous. By his actions, he had effectively created potential traitors within their ranks.

“What were you thinking, doing something so reckless? Threatening the very existence of the revolutionary army!”

“I believed it was the way to protect you, Princess.“

“…What?”

Helia repeated the words in a dazed voice, her fury disappearing instantly. No, it wasn’t so much that her anger subsided as she no longer had the energy to sustain it.

“Why would you protect me? Why…?”

Helia murmured in disbelief. If there was anyone in the world who absolutely should not protect her, it was the Revolutionary Army. They were the ones meant to pull her down from the clutches of the royal forces trying to shield her. Yet, he said he convinced them to protect her? What kind of contradiction was this?

I am meant to be the villain to the end, and you are meant to leave me behind and move forward. I am nothing more than a remnant of the past.

But those words were caught in her throat. She couldn’t bring herself to say that she wasn’t worth protecting. Even deciding the worth of her existence had been a heavy enough burden. Was this hesitation? Was there still a lingering attachment to this fleeting life?

“Why go so far, Ruben…?”

Even I have abandoned myself. What am I to deserve this? Helia swallowed back the words she couldn’t complete. It felt like swallowing fire, a hot sensation rising in her chest, making it hard to speak.

But to Ruben Effenberg, the question was meaningless. He could do anything—there was nothing he couldn’t do. The reason was simple.

“Because it’s you.”

Because it was her and no one else. That was enough. No other justification was needed. For her, nothing was reckless. He would gladly leap into the flames if it meant protecting her and still regret that he only had one life to give.

Ruben had reached the point where he could think of nothing but her. Yet, he believed he should have arrived at this realization much sooner.

But Helia was different. She stared at him as if she had forgotten how to breathe, unable to move. How was she supposed to process his words? Helia thought, her mind blank. 

I really don’t understand anything anymore, Ruben.

“I…“

Helia’s voice trembled uncontrollably. Her breathing grew ragged, and her palms became clammy. For some reason, it was overwhelmingly difficult to open her mouth.

“I am Bailey.”

That name was a curse she could never escape. The throne she despised was all she had ever been. But did he understand that? She couldn’t run or flee because she had nothing else left. While she clung to her role, the sins of the Bailey name piled up irreversibly. She could only carry that weight alone, completely and utterly, without dragging anyone else down with her.

“You know it, too. Bailey must be completely destroyed. Not a single remnant can remain.”

Now, she was practically begging. There was a desperate edge to her plea as if she were being chased by an invincible evil. Her golden eyes trembled with fear.

Ruben understood the source of her unease. She was terrified that any remnant of her existence would survive, allowing Bailey’s legacy to endure. The name that should disappear might persist. Ruben wanted nothing more than to hold her and promise that none of her fears would come true. But instead, he chose to give her the words she needed to hear.

“Bailey will vanish without a trace. Just as you wish.“

“Then…“

“And afterward, something new will begin—with you.”

“…”

Helia lost her words again. She had always believed that she was the one who must disappear as a relic of the past. But to start anew herself? That was utterly absurd.

To Ruben, it was only natural. Just as dawn follows the night, spring follows winter, and beginnings follow endings, a new history would begin with her. Even if she didn’t accept his proposal, that would remain an undeniable truth.

“If it starts with me, then it’s not a beginning. It’s just repetition.“

“It’s different. Because Bailey will no longer exist.“

“I am Bailey. I am the one who must disappear.”