***
“…Don’t leave .”
The blue-tinged whisper washed over , a desperate plea that pierced my heart.
I clenched my jaw, fighting back the emotions that threatened to consu .
“…”
Lucy was falling apart.
Because of .
Her every word was a blow to my gut, a painful reminder of the hurt I had caused.
Where had it all gone wrong?
I pushed the question aside.
I had vowed to stop dwelling on the past.
The most important thing was to live in the present.
No matter what failures, misfortunes, or sorrows yesterday held, getting through today to the best of my ability was my top priority.
“Your Highness.”
I tightened my grip on her hand, drawing strength from the faint warmth of her touch.
These delicate fingers had untied the noose from around my neck.
They had reached out, trembling, to stop as I raged and thrashed, desperate for an escape from the pain.
Had she despaired in that mont?
I couldn’t bear to imagine the helplessness she must have felt.
“I am sorry.”
I bowed my head, my heart heavy with guilt.
My sorrow had inflicted a cruel wound upon her heart, leaving a scar that might never truly fade.
I had beco a sinner.
“I was a fool… Blinded by rage and resentnt, I couldn’t see what was right in front of .”
But I would not run.
I had finally acknowledged the pain I had caused, and I would find the courage to face it.
“I have inflicted too much pain upon you, Your Highness.”
Life may have shattered , leaving as broken and fragnted as a mirror dropped on a stone floor.
But I would not give up.
I would pick up the pieces of my shattered self, piece by broken piece, and rebuild.
Even if the only thing left in the end was a gaping emptiness.
I would not taint this mont with pretense.
I simply wanted to be “.”
“I have no intention of leaving. I have experienced much sorrow… but I have resolved to live on, tenaciously.”
My past, my act, my final selfish desire…
I would break free from the darkness that had held captive for far too long.
I would no longer treat life as a re countdown to oblivion.
I would pick up the shattered fragnts of my ideals, one by one.
“I need you, Your Highness. As a dear friend, and as the liege I have sworn to serve, I need you in my life.”
Yes, life was a fever dream.
The monts of greatest pain were often the closest to healing.
I had chosen to live.
I would paint a picture of a spring flower, a flower that I believed would bloom soday.
“I may have hurt you deeply, Your Highness, but if you would allow …”
I wanted to live on with her.
“I wish to remain by your side.”
The words poured out of , heavy with sincerity.
Lucy had stopped crying, her gaze fixed on with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.
Her lips moved soundlessly, forming words that refused to be spoken.
Sadness, doubt, surprise—a kaleidoscope of emotions flickered across her face.
Then, as if pushing aside all other thoughts and feelings, a single emotion blood in her eyes.
“Yes…!”
It was pure, unadulterated joy.
Not a single shadow marred its brilliance.
Tears welled up in Lucy’s eyes once more, but these were different.
These were tears of happiness, of relief, of a heart finally finding solace.
“I will devote myself to serving you faithfully from this day forward.”
I knelt before her, bowing my head in a gesture of fealty.
Gently, I took her hand in mine, her skin soft and warm beneath my fingertips.
I pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, a vow sealed with a touch.
“My liege.”
It was a gesture of devotion, an offering of a single bloom of affection to a bond more precious than any other.
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