As I pushed the large wooden door open, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. The familiar scent, the arrangement of couches and tables near the entrance—it was all still the same. This was where I had spent a whole year and a half… a place that had become home-like.
As we stepped inside, Lily looked around, wide-eyed.
"You said a house, brother. Define a _house_ again!"
"Ah... yeah... about that. You could say it's _pretty large_," I replied, scratching my head.
Honestly, this felt nostalgic. Wasn't it me who had once asked something similar? And Silver had replied it was still too small for him.
Speaking of which... where _are_ they? They should've returned after defeating the Demon Lord. And now that I'm here, I should probably explain everything to my family—and apologize to Lily, especially. Maybe even tell her there's another Lily here. I wonder what her reaction will be.
"How about you all sit down for a bit while I explain everything?" I offered.
"Right... explanation. That's what I _also_ want!" a familiar voice cut in from behind.
Turning back to the door, I saw her—Princess Maya—standing there with a few knights. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying the entire way here.
"Aren't you a fast one. Did you run all the way here, Princess Maya?" I asked with a soft smile.
She didn't answer. Instead, she walked up to me quickly—and hugged me tightly.
"What took you so long? A whole year... Why didn't you come back sooner?" she whispered, voice trembling.
I gently placed my hand on her back.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly.
I didn't know what else to say. First the King, then me—disappearing without a word. No goodbyes, no explanations. They had to rebuild this city on their own. And from what I've seen... they did it. They really did. These royal siblings were far stronger than people gave them credit for.
"We thought we'd never see you again, Sir Alve," she whispered while wiping her tears. "But now that you're back..."
Before I could say anything more, Mom stepped forward, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"Who is she, Alve?"
Ah. Right. Introductions.
"This is Maya Armenia," I began. "Princess of the Kingdom of Armenia."
Maya composed herself and gave a graceful bow to my family.
"In that case," I continued, gesturing toward them, "this is my family. Ethan Westberg, my father. Sejal Westberg, my mother. And Lily Westberg, my younger sister."
At the mention of Lily, Maya blinked and looked at me in surprise.
"Lily?"
I nodded with a smile.
"Yeah, my younger sister just happens to share the same name."