He walked away without mercy and finally reached the exit. The traces of breaking in to open the locked door were left in a lump.

His gaze, surveying the burning interior, stopped at a certain point. It was where Cedric had been, hidden from view by the flames.

With the sound of the fire, it was uncertain whether Kun’s voice, which was now distant, would reach Cedric.

However, it didn’t matter. Whether he heard it or not, there was no changing his ultimate fate.

“Unfounded arrogance leads to results like this.”
Accept this defeat and gracefully accept the impending death.

Casually adding that, he went outside.

Outside, a chilly wind was blowing. It was an unseasonable cold, but for the two of them, it was perfect weather.

Kun slowly moved his steps to the place where he had tied the horse. Even though he wanted to move quickly, his body didn’t quite follow.

Walking along the path, a large tree greeted him. The bay horse with a dark coat was quietly waiting in front of the tree.

He, who had mounted the horse, seemed to be hesitating to enter the forest.

At the sound heard from behind, he suddenly turned his gaze, revealing a demolished building beyond. It was no longer a cabin; it was just some wooden planks.

Clear anguished screams of the owner could be heard intermittently. To hide the sound, Kun instinctively covered Cloe’s ears.

Then, her body, comfortably concealed in his arms, gradually rose at regular intervals.

Following that, occasional rustling breath sounds were heard. It was a sign that her condition was improving. Relieved, Kun, harshly urging the horse, started to run.

The muffled sound of the wind in the ears, and the vision becoming blurrier each time he closed and opened his eyes. Chills dominating the body and sweat dampening the skin.

These were signals indicating that Kun was not in good condition.

Even with the accumulated fatigue, the invasion of toxic gas into him was something his body couldn’t withstand.

‘Endure.’

But regardless of his situation, he had to endure. He had to go back to the imperial palace, return to his territory, and treat Cloe.

He bit his lips harshly, even if it meant enduring the pain. The tender flesh seemed like it could tear apart easily.

Holding his shaking arms and legs, trembling like a willow, he continued to run.

After a few hours like that, the city wall came into view.

“Ung….”

The first thing Cloe greeted was the unbearable pain.

Next was the familiar ceiling, and above it, the brilliantly shining chandelier.

Despite feeling like carrying a heavy burden, her body didn’t move at all.

Cloe tilted her head to find a comfortable position, somewhat moving her head to assess the situation.

At the edge of the bed, the familiar back of the head appeared. The cute hairstyle, roundly tied up, captivated her attention.

“Jane?”

It was Jane.

Jane, who had taken a brief rest due to exhaustion, immediately woke up at her voice. Like someone who had heard a hallucination, she clumsily reacted and was shocked to see the awakened Cloe.

Gradually, tears gathered on the vividly depicted traces of tears. As the droplets fell little by little and became unstoppable, Jane, choking up, began to sob.

“Yeah, I’m back.”
The sight seemed exactly like seeing the old Cloe.

I, too, waited for Jane like this, and after Jane woke up, she was so happy as if she had the whole world.

“Sorry for making you worry, Jane.”

She warmly hugged Jane without saying anything.

Afterward, many people came to inquire about Cloe’s health.

“I apologize for not protecting you until the end, Your Majesty the Queen. If I had rescued Your Majesty the Queen from the evil group at that time, you wouldn’t have had to go through such a tragedy…”

The grateful knight who had followed the carriage to the end.

“Please forgive our incompetence!”

“We will make sure such incidents never happen again, Your Majesty the Queen.”

The members of the Freihd Knights.

“…Even if my body is cut, I will accept it with reverence. I failed to protect Your Majesty twice.”

Winter, who always stood by her side.

“I prayed to God for you. Although your body is not completely intact, I’m grateful that you came back.”

Pontian, the Pope.

“Cloe…! No, Your Majesty the Queen! Are you okay now? Are there any injuries?”

“I brought tea that’s good for your health. Take a good rest. Are you okay?”

Her close friends, Lerianna and Yuri.

‘Let’s go back. We should go back home, Cloe.’

However, except for one person.