Roselia let out a short, humorless laugh. She tilted her head slightly, eyes sliding toward Lily for just a second before returning to Emily. A thin smile curved her lips. It wasn't warm or playful but deliberate.
"If you don't believe me, go ask your beloved friend."
Arashi and Emi couldn't understand what was happening or where things were heading.
Arashi leaned closer to Emi, raised a hand to his mouth, and whispered into her ear,
"What the hell is going on? Do you think we should stop them? Otherwise, this might not end well."
Emi whispered back, maintaining her usual composure.
"Better not."
The thing Arashi feared was starting to happen. The situation was spiraling out of control, and it seemed Roselia wouldn't stop until the kingdom was in her hands.
Emily and Cartethiya exchanged a glance, then Emily turned to Lily and asked,
"Is that true?"
But no word came out of Lily.
A moment later, she let out a small cheer, her face lighting up with a proud smile.
"You did great!"
Their reaction shocked both Roselia and Lily; neither had expected this, especially Roselia.
Rosellia snapped angrily,
"You guys still want to be friends with this witch?"
Cartethiya stepped closer to her and said with conviction.
"The real witch is you."
Putting a hand on her chest, she added,
"We've always understood this kind of behavior from you, because we were friends... you always crossed the line, and we never said anything. But how dare you say this in front of her? Do you think you're worthy of her title… Never."
Emily nodded.
Snapping his fingers, Arashi smirked, his gaze flicking toward Roselia before turning to Emi.
"Right to the point!"
Roselia grew furious at Cartethiya's words. Her eyes narrowed, her jaw tightening as she spat,
"You…!!"
Lily stepped in quickly.
"Stop. All of you."
She met their gazes, then tried to excuse herself, saying that Arashi and Emi needed rest.
"They had a long journey and must have gone through a lot in the sea. After coming to this kingdom, they haven't had a moment of proper rest because of the situation. So please excuse us… they need some rest."
She spoke politely, holding her temper in check. She didn't want to escalate the situation any further. After everything that had happened, she was already exhausted.
With that, she started walking forward, but as she passed Roselia, Roselia grabbed her hand tightly to stop her.
"You're not going anywhere."
In response, Lily said nothing. She met Roselia's eyes, holding her gaze without a word. The look she gave her sent a chill through Roselia, and she immediately released Lily's hand.
Lily started walking again without looking back. As she passed Roselia, Arashi glanced at her before walking past as well.
Lily was walking quickly. After reaching an empty spot, she stopped and looked at Arashi and Emi.
"Sorry for the trouble."
Emi replied with a friendly tone. It was the first time she had spoken this freely.
"It's okay."
"As if it's a big deal," Arashi said casually, sounding as carefree as ever.
"It's fine."
Lily gave a small nod.
"Let's go to the castle and rest."
Arashi stretched his arms above his head.
"Let's go. I'm a bit tired too."
Then, they began walking toward the castle. Meanwhile, back where Lily's friends stood, Emily watched the direction Lily had gone.
"Let her go. She deserves some rest."
Both Emily and Cartethiya turned to Roselia, their expressions filled with anger, before walking toward the kingdom as well. Roselia watched them leave, an annoyed expression crossing her face.
"Tch..."
By evening, after everyone had safely returned to their homes, the kingdom's security was tightened. Guards were deployed across the land, standing watch at every corner. The entire kingdom was now surrounded by them. If anyone needed to leave their house, guards escorted them for any important matter.
Loid stood before the guards, his hands clasped behind his back. His sharp blue eyes scanned their faces one by one.
"We were caught off guard once."
Slowly, he began walking down the line.
"We won't let that happen again."He stopped.
"If the monsters return, we won't panic. We won't hesitate."
His voice hardened, carrying the weight of responsibility he bore for the kingdom.
"We protect the civilians first, no matter what. That is our foremost priority. If we fail to protect them… then we have no right to call ourselves the protectors of this kingdom."
He looked toward the castle walls.
"This kingdom stands because its people stand. And as long as we breathe, nothing will touch them."
He turned his gaze back to the guards.
"Stay alert. Stay disciplined. From tonight onward, we do not fail."
After finishing his speech and completing some duties, Loid stepped onto the castle balcony at midnight. From there, he could see the entire kingdom and half of the village beyond. He pulled a cigarette from his suit pocket and placed it between his lips. With a soft click, he lit it. The flame burned briefly and then died out. He exhaled slowly, his face more worried than ever. As the smoke drifted into the night air, his thoughts wandered to an uncertain future thinking about the possibilities that might happen.
While Loid was lost in thought, a female voice reached him from behind. He turned toward the source and saw Lily standing there, one hand on her hip, wearing an attitude as if she knew everything.
"I knew you might be here."
But her expression suddenly changed.
She raised an eyebrow when she noticed the cigarette between his fingers.
She walked toward him. Without saying anything, she forcefully took the cigarette from his mouth. Then, she turned and pressed it down to the ashtray beside the chair.
Loid didn't expect that and reacted instantly.
"What are you doing?"
Lily completely ignored his question. After extinguishing the cigarette, she looked into his eyes. With that same knowing attitude, she said,
"Now tell me, what brings you here tonight? You only come here when you're stressed about work."
Loid replied, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Do you remember… today is the day she died?"