Having reunited after a long time, Henry and Loti couldn’t help but go see Ren one last time before they departed for Hianshu.

This time, however, Zayden was not going to accompany them. The Imperial General’s knights were the ones assigned to escort them to the border, open the gate, and close it again.

Although the war had ended and a peace treaty had been agreed upon, Hianshu and Revhara still harboured deep resentment toward each other, even if on the surface they pretended to be on good terms.

As they stood in the hallway, waiting for a chance to enter Ren’s room, they saw the man stepping out with Zayden, smiling brightly. Their hearts ached, but a bittersweet smile formed on their lips.

"It seems he has finally found happiness..." Henry murmured.

"Right," Loti replied softly, looking at Eiran, whose eyes resembled Ilyan’s far too much.

"But Ilyan—"

"He is gone," Loti interrupted gently.

Henry looked at her, biting his lip as he tried his best to hold back the tears.

"Yes..."

"I am sure Raniel won’t forget him. He learned how to be human from him, after all."

Henry nodded, exhaling shakily. He wouldn’t have known Raniel if not for Ilyan.

"We should head back," Loti said, reaching for his hand and smiling softly.

"Yes... We should return to that damned place."

Loti chuckled.

"Did you just curse? It seems Revhara influenced you."

"I would love to give the First High Priest a heart attack," the man sneered, turning and heading back to their room.

"She wouldn’t die so easily," Loti rolled her eyes. "That witch..." She murmured under her breath.

"Careful. If one of the disciples hears you, they will tell her."

Loti sighed.

"You are right... At least High Priest Charles is no longer here."

"His nephew is most likely to succeed him, I believe."

"Then I hope he is not as insane as he was... Hurting his own partner," Loti massaged his temples.

After having breakfast, Henry and Loti headed outside with their luggage carried by their disciples.

The Emperor walked down the marble path, his attendants following closely behind.

Henry and Loti bowed, greeting him respectfully. They stood beside the carriage while the others gathered to bid them farewell.

For most, it was merely politeness.

But for Ren, it was something bittersweet. He had never imagined he would see these two again in his lifetime. Their reunion had felt like a miracle—brief, unexpected, yet unforgettable.

And now, it was already coming to an end.

The carriage door closed with a soft thud, but before stepping inside, Henry paused and turned toward Enzo, who stood quietly behind Zayden.

"...We are extremely sorry," Henry said, bowing his head.

Loti mirrored the gesture, her expression filled with guilt.

"We should have spoken up for you back then. But High Priest Charles... he was not someone we could dare to offend. We didn’t have the power to go against him."

Enzo’s breath hitched—just for a second—but he covered it with a faint smile.

"It’s alright. I never expected anything from you anyway."

Henry’s eyes dimmed, and Loti’s shoulders fell. There was nothing they could say to erase what had happened.

Then they faced Ren.

Loti took Ren’s hands gently.

"Take care of yourself."

Henry managed a small, sincere smile.

"Until we meet again."

Ren nodded, his throat tightening.

"Travel safely. Truly."

Henry and Loti finally climbed into the carriage after a long moment.

Zayden’s knights signalled, and the carriage began moving toward the gate, horses following in formation.

The General watched their departure, brows slightly furrowed.

"...That’s strange," he muttered thoughtfully. "You seemed unusually close to them. When did that happen?"

Ren stiffened slightly, just enough for Zayden to notice. His mind raced, searching for an answer.

Before he could say anything, Zayden began, his voice low, "But then again, considering you have met a few times..."

He sighed before continuing, "Maybe it makes sense," he shrugged lightly, accepting his own reasoning.

Ren exhaled silently, relieved Zayden had drawn his own conclusion.

"...Yes," he said softly. "Exactly."

The gates closed behind the carriage and soldiers with a sharp, echoing thud.

One by one, people dispersed, returning to their duties as if the farewell had been nothing more than another routine moment in palace life.

Ren let out a quiet breath and turned on his heels.

It almost felt like he was physically turning his back on his past.

But he knew—deep down—that this was the right choice.

For himself.

For Zayden.

For Eiran.

No matter how far he walked, his past would remain etched inside him, woven into the person he had become.

And his love for Ilyan... that would never fade. Not in this lifetime.

***

When he entered his study room, he saw a parchment on his desk. Once he read its content, Soren almost stopped breathing.

It was the invitation letter—the official announcement that would soon be sent across the entire empire for his engagement. He had refused Rihaan’s requests to cancel it again and again, but he still hadn’t expected it to become real. Not yet. It felt far too sudden.

Even though this engagement was supposed to happen five years ago, it had always felt distant, like a storm that never arrived.

But now that Hianshu’s delegation had returned, his father clearly didn’t want to waste another second.

Of course, he wouldn’t.

The moment the political tension eased even slightly, the Emperor would push the engagement forward—something that had been forcibly delayed for years.

Soren swallowed hard, fingers tightening around the parchment as an uneasy heaviness settled in his chest.

What would Crown Prince Rihaan’s reaction be? He could only wonder.

But it seemed the answer had decided to walk straight to his door.

A knock echoed, followed by a maid’s voice announcing that Crown Prince Rihaan had arrived to visit him. Soren snapped back to reality as soon as he heard that name.

"Ugh... why did he have to come today?" he muttered, rubbing his temples.

He did anticipate a visit from that man soon enough. However, today was supposed to be the day he, Enzo, Zayden, and Ren finally went out together—an outing they had planned now that all the tension had finally settled.

But of course, the troubles of an Imperial Crown Prince never truly ended.