I Kept running—barefoot, breathless, heart pounding—until I finally crossed the borders of the Song Kingdom.
No sooner had I entered than a squad of Knight Mages surrounded . I froze, startled. Were they... searching for ?
Not long after, word must have reached Lucy. she looked relieved—but also furious. Angry. Annoyed. Frustrated.
They escorted to her temporary quarters, where she had been staying during her ti in the Song Kingdom. My steps slowed as we reached the door. I hesitated, unsure of how she would react after everything.
When I stepped inside, Lucy was sitting silently on the edge of the bed, her back straight, hands clenched on her lap. The dim light revealed her pale face and the dark circles beneath her eyes.
I opened my mouth cautiously. "Where... where is Izumi?"
I couldn't help but ask. I didn't think Izumi would leave without a word, not after everything, and especially not that the Song Kingdom is in danger.
Lucy bit her lower lip.
Really? That's what he asks first? she thought bitterly. After being gone so long?
Still, she responded—coldly.
"She's in the room next to ours."
Then she stood up. Her movents were slow, controlled. But I could see it—her weariness. Her pain. Her fury. The eyebags beneath her eyes were harsh and deeply carved, evidence of countless sleepless nights.
"We're leaving," she said coolly, her voice devoid of warmth.
I blinked in surprise.
I hadn't expected that reaction. She seed colder—her once bright eyes now dull and hollow. I stepped forward, wanting to ask her what was wrong, wanting to explain, but she turned away without a word and walked toward the carriage.
Izumi appeared as well, having heard we were leaving. Apparently, Lucy had decided to let her stay in the mansion.
The ride back was... painfully awkward. I sat across from Lucy and Izumi, my thoughts a storm of guilt and confusion. There were so many things I wanted to say, so many explanations to give—but with Izumi there, the silence between us only grew heavier.
Lucy didn't speak. Didn't hug . Didn't even glance my way. The only thing I noticed was how tired she looked. How her eyes, once full of life, were now empty. She hadn't slept. Not for a long ti.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, suppressing the guilt that threatened to choke .
Izumi, anwhile, remained quiet. I didn't fully trust her—but she wasn't a threat. At least, not now. If she hadn't told the Song Kingdom was in danger, I might never have made a decision and and the whole kingdom will be gone
A sacrifice to save the whole, I told myself. But... still. Those were human lives.
The rest of the journey passed in silence, the weight of it pressing on all sides. I scratched my head helplessly, wondering how I would ever make this up to Lucy.
Finally, we reached the borders of the Auxiliary Kingdom. An hour later, the carriage pulled up in front of the mansion. It was raining—cold, steady, unforgiving. Night had already fallen.
Lucy, barely saying a word, gestured for the servants to prepare a room for Izumi. They obeyed without question. Then she turned to .
Her gaze was like ice. My spine shivered under it.
Before I could speak, she grabbed my wrist—her hand cold as frost—and with a blink, she teleported us.
The world spun for a mont, then I found myself in the mansion's massive bathtub. Steam rose around us.
With a snap of her fingers, my clothes vanished.
I gasped, stunned. "Lucy—!"
She didn't answer. She began to wash in silence. Her hands were cold—unusually rough—running along my skin with no hesitation, no sha.
Her fingers lingered longer than necessary on my most intimate parts, touching more than expected, and I couldn't help but respond. My body reacted involuntarily, growing harder under her touch, painfully so.
But her eyes... were still ice.
There was no warmth. No teasing. No softness.
Just silence.
She didn't stop. She washed thoroughly, firmly, as if trying to scrub away more than dirt. Her movents were chanical, almost punishing.
My face flushed deeply, both from embarrassnt and the strange mix of emotions flooding —sha, guilt, desire, pain.
After what felt like an eternity, she didn't let dress. Instead, she teleported us again—this ti to our bedroom.
The rain continued to fall outside, drumming softly against the windows. The cold seeped into my skin.
I tried to cover myself, especially my lower half, feeling far too exposed. But just as I reached for the blanket, she moved.
With a flick of her wrist, my arms were pinned above my head—restrained by invisible force.
I gasped. "Lucy—what are you—"
She climbed onto the bed, her gaze unreadable. Then, wordlessly, she wrapped herself around like a blanket.
Her body was warm. Softer than I rembered. Comforting. And yet, I still felt so vulnerable. Her thighs pressed against , grinding just enough to make squirm.
Suddenly, I felt sothing wet against my neck.
Tears.
She was crying.
I felt her body tremble as she held tightly, her mouth pressing against my skin. Then—she bit .
"Stupid," she muttered, voice choked with emotion. "Stupid... stupid..."
Her teeth pressed into my neck again. She clung to like I was going to vanish any second.
My heart clenched. Guilt flooded in waves.
I hadn't realized... just how much pain I'd caused her.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, breathless. "Lucy... I didn't an to make you worry."
She didn't respond. She kept muttering, biting, grinding her thighs slowly against . My body was stiff beneath her touch, my breath coming in ragged pants. But I couldn't stop her. I didn't want to.
Finally, she spoke again, her voice raw and shaking.
"I thought you were dead," she whispered.
Her tears hit my cheek again, mixing with the rain sounds outside and the heat between us.
Then her voice shifted—deeper, colder.
"If you ever leave again without telling ... I'll cut off your limbs and keep you in my room forever."
A chill ran down my spine.
I looked up at her, wide-eyed. But in her gaze, beneath the fury and sorrow, was desperation. She wasn't trying to punish . She was trying to keep . Protect . Hold on to sothing she thought she had lost.
"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered.
She kissed , finally—deeply, desperately—as though trying to carve those words into her soul.
And that night, in the warmth of her arms and the storm of her emotions, I finally understood just how deeply she loved . And how badly I had hurt her.
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