“Have I been lying here long?”

“A week.”

“I must have worried you.”

Ruben’s face darkened in an instant. He looked guilt-ridden as if the only thing that mattered was causing her concern, while his own condition was entirely unimportant.

“Wait. If it’s been a week, what about the coronation?”

“It’s scheduled to proceed as planned tomorrow.”

Ruben visibly relaxed.

“Good. I’m glad I woke up on time. It’s an honor to attend.”

“Yes. Truly an honor.”

Before he realized it, Helia had come close to him. Naturally, Ruben lifted his gaze toward her from where he sat on the bed.

“There’s something we need to decide first.”

Ruben quickly ran through the matters that must be settled before the coronation. But Helia spoke first.

“Nattritz.”

She murmured the word softly, almost like a whisper. Ruben furrowed his brows, unsure if he had heard her correctly. Meeting his gaze without flinching, Helia spoke again, this time with firm resolve.

“Ruben Nattritz.”

Ruben’s pupils trembled slightly. It was the new name she was giving him. He clenched his fists tightly.

Nattritz, an ancient word, meant “light of the night.” You are my light, my hope, my dawn, and my daybreak. It felt as though Helia was whispering these words into his ear. The name felt too noble, too overwhelming for him to bear.

Ruben rose and knelt on one knee before her with a flawless, dignified posture that betrayed no hint of his condition. Helia was reminded of the night he had once pledged himself to her. Ruben must have been thinking the same. Bowing his head, he spoke.

“My name exists solely to be called by you.”

And then, as Ruben raised his head, his green eyes sparkled vividly. A radiant burst of colors, dazzling as if an explosion of light. Those eyes always give her courage. They let her push forward without hesitation, to step up with all her strength. 

Knowing you’ll follow me wherever I go allows me to run without looking back. Wherever I stop, I know you’ll be behind me. Yet, I’d only want to turn around to see your clear, earnest face following me.

“You have something else to say to me, right?”

At Helia’s words, Ruben looked puzzled. But she had no intention of telling him what it was. 

You figure it out on your own. And when you say the correct answer, confess it to me.

“Until you say those words, you’re not allowed to die.”

Her golden eyes bore into him like piercing sunlight. For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of light beyond her gaze directed at him. A shiver ran down Ruben’s spine. Instinctively, he realized what she was waiting for. His lips parted on their own, and his voice trembled.

“I… I wouldn’t dare…”

But hesitation overwhelmed him—he felt unworthy. How could he possibly say it? That he loved her.

Helia didn’t reassure him. She knew there was no need. Instead, she extended her left hand toward him. Ruben’s pupils quivered in disbelief as he stared at the hand reaching out to him.

Ruben would forever be shackled by guilt over her. That was something Helia could not change—it was his burden to bear. But she wanted to tell him this: It’s okay to embrace that guilt and love me anyway. Go beyond it and love me. If you can do that, I’ll run to you, shedding all titles and power, just as myself.

Ruben gently grasped her fingertips with trembling hands as though handling a delicate feather. Slowly, he brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss upon it. What began as a kiss of promise lingered far longer than expected. When the warmth of his lips spread from her hand to envelop her entire body like blooming flames, Ruben released her hand. His gaze, filled with tenderness, met hers.

“Even if I break, I will cherish you.”

Even if loving me breaks you, you’ll still be precious to me. There’s no way you wouldn’t be. So give yourself to me.

His throat burned with emotion. Ruben couldn’t hold back any longer. Even the guilt was intoxicatingly sweet, unbearably blissful. Like a sinner confessing, he finally let the words spill from his lips.

“I love you.”

“Yes.”

“I love you deeply.”

“Yes.”

“I…”

Ruben’s voice dropped, hoarse with emotion.

“Even when I thought I hated you, there wasn’t a single night I didn’t think of you…”

His voice broke off painfully. Helia reached out and caressed his tear-streaked face. With an expression of salvation, he buried his face in her touch. As if that weren’t enough, he gently grasped her wrist and pressed his lips against its inner side. He treated it as the most sacred relic, cautious and reverent. For a moment, Helia felt like the most cherished and precious person in the world.

When Ruben finally lifted his lips from her wrist, he gazed into her eyes. Their gazes remained locked as he slowly rose to his feet. Helia stood unwavering under the intense, feverish light in his eyes. The glow in Ruben’s green eyes had never shone so brilliantly.

Those ever-precious eyes drew closer. Helia closed her own. And then, soft, warm lips pressed against hers. They hesitated initially, unsure if they were worthy, but then deepened, claiming her with slow certainty.

Helia reached out. His large frame, as if it had always belonged there, yielded to her embrace. He was warm. Undeniably real, radiating the heat of a living person. The warmth was so overwhelming it brought tears to her eyes. Helia held him tightly, her arms wrapped around his back. At that moment, nothing else in the world mattered.

***

In the castle once known as Effenberg Manor.

Helia walked forward, draped in a crimson cloak embroidered with gold thread. Her vassals stood waiting, their heads bowed in deference to her presence. A golden crown, crafted solely for her, was atop her neatly styled red hair. She held a golden scepter adorned with a ruby in her right hand. She moved steadily, treading on the red carpet beneath her feet.

Her destination was singular: the throne prepared for her.

When Helia finally arrived before the throne, all eyes lifted to meet their new sovereign. She gazed upon each of them in turn. To Miel, impeccably dressed in uniform. To Vivian, boldly wearing a robe that revealed her identity as a witch. To Ikael and Enoch, pillars of the council. To Lette, the founding hero of the new nation. Her gaze rested equally on each.

After meeting every gaze, Helia declared in a resolute voice:

“I, Helia Feron Rovna, hereby proclaim from this day forward, this land shall be known as the Kingdom of Carden, and under its name, we shall write a noble history.”

At her proclamation, the crowd in the royal hall erupted into cheers, calling out, “Helia Feron Rovna!” Some knelt, swearing their undying loyalty to her. Amidst celebrating the new nation’s birth, Ruben—now known as Ruben Nattritz—stood at the forefront, smiling sincerely. Helia met his gaze and returned his smile just as warmly.

It was the dawn of a new history.