“Farewell trip?”

“Yes. Farewell trip.”

Just as it was difficult to know when the love began, the farewell was sudden.

No, was it really a farewell? Orbis quickly gave up when Litania rejected him and sent her back to the present.

The two didn’t properly face each other to express their disappointment, nor did they release their anger.

Everything was so sudden and shocking that they skipped all the steps that should have been taken to end a relationship, cutting it off abruptly as if with scissors.

It shouldn’t have been like that.

“We never really knew each other until the end.”

“If you knew, you would be disappointed.”

“Maybe. But, we need to.”

That’s how it should be.

“So I can know what kind of man I loved.”

Surprise appeared on Orbis’s face, still marked with traces of tears.

Then anger, then sadness, anguish…

The emotions rippled like waves spreading across a calm lake, twinkling like dawn stars in his blue eyes before disappearing.

“Can I get to know you too?”

“At least more than now.”

Strength returned to the hands that had merely touched. The large hand, now warm again, enveloped hers.

“If I can know the you I don’t know.”

It always felt like wandering in darkness.

It felt like being trapped in a whirlpool, going around and around only to return to the starting point.

If this love had an end.

She wanted to see that end.

“I, willingly.”

Meanwhile, the knights waiting outside the cliff surrounding the Dragon Castle were anxiously looking up at the edge of the cliff.

“Captain. Shouldn’t we go up after all?”

“Don’t be in disarray. It’s a knight’s virtue to be faithful to the mission as ordered.”

“You say that, but you’ve been staring at the sky this whole time.”

“…Unnecessary words.”

In fact, Bain was the one who wanted to rush up immediately.

He wanted to climb the stone cliff, even if it meant driving his sword into the rock crevices.

If he wasn’t in a position to control his subordinate knights, he might have really done so.

‘Should I not have let her go?’

Knowing the dangers of the Dragon Castle, at that moment he had been completely overwhelmed by Litania.

The thrill he felt when the clumsy princess who used to say naive and foolish things suddenly commanded him while riding a winged white horse was indescribable.

‘I have no choice but to believe in her.’

The ridiculous saying “goodwill begets goodwill,” which even a lowly servant in the imperial palace wouldn’t believe, became truth the moment she said it.

So perhaps her words that the scenery of the Dragon Castle, where lightning and hail fell, had changed, and that the divine dragon would not threaten them, might also be true.

No, it had to be.

‘She’s the first person I’ve wanted to serve of my own will.’

Bain released the sword hilt he had been gripping so tightly his hands were sweating. He took a deep breath and lowered his head, which had been turned towards the sky, to survey his subordinate knights.

With Litania absent, he couldn’t show a nervous appearance as the captain if he wanted to lead his knights.

“Our lord will certainly return.”

The moment he spoke with fervent hope, it became truth.

“Captain! The clouds in the sky!”

The clouds that had been coloring the sky a hazy gray suddenly parted as if cut by scissors, revealing a clear blue.

And above that, a huge shadow that seemed to cover the entire sky rose up.

“It’s a dragon!”

“The divine dragon!”

The figure of the divine dragon, which had only been seen once during the last rain ritual, and even then only as a silhouette obscured by clouds, was revealed. The dragon with dark blue wings spread wide flew through the parting clouds.

As if drawing a line with a brush heavily loaded with blue paint, intense sunlight shone through the streak of sky blue.

And then.

“Did I keep you waiting?”

Their lord, riding a pure white horse, miraculously returned.

The king of the Kingdom of Sermo, which shares a border with the Beriberbium Empire, sighed as he looked down at the mountain of documents.

‘War is still premature. But if we miss this opportunity, there may not be another.’

With the Beriberbium Emperor having ascended the throne not long ago and public sentiment unstable, now was the perfect opportunity for invasion.

The only flaw was the lack of military power. While defensive wars were one thing, offensive wars were determined by the number of troops. If not careful, it could end with losses and no gains.

In the worst case, they could be ambushed from behind by a third power watching from afar.

‘But to just leave it be, Beriberbium’s land is too precious.’

Fertile land encompassing several lakes. To the north, there’s a dragon’s nest preventing magical beasts from invading, and high mountain ranges blocking the cold winter winds.

Sermo’s barren territory was unsuitable for farming. For Sermo, which had been dependent on imports for most of its food, even half of Beriberbium’s territory would be an enormous gain.

‘The other kingdoms that were talking about alliances when the divine dragon was flying over the territory are now keeping their mouths shut.’

Their plan is to wait for Sermo to move first and engage in a war of attrition with Beriberbium, then step in when both countries are weakened to seek their own profit.

But that would be like cooking porridge for someone else to eat.

As the King of Sermo was about to open the border report while rubbing his temples, his aide rushed in urgently.

“Your Majesty! An envoy from Beriberbium has arrived!”

“From Beriberbium?”

Although war had not been officially declared, relations between the two countries were at their worst.

Previously, Sermo had protested to Beriberbium about the divine dragon threatening their territory, and then Beriberbium had raised suspicions that Sermo was behind the kidnapping of Princess Litania.

They had denied it strenuously and erased the evidence, but immediately after that, they had moved their military bases to the border, cutting off even trade.

And now, an envoy?

‘It can’t be a declaration of war. Beriberbium would suffer the biggest blow if war breaks out now.’

Then, is it an attempt at appeasement?

‘If that young emperor bends first, I might not be unwilling to compromise to the extent of ceding some territory.’

He smoothed his long beard and composed his expression, then ordered his aide with a deliberately solemn face.

“Let the envoy in.”

“Thank you for granting me an audience.”

Before the aide could relay the message, the door opened. Without anyone opening it, the door slid open smoothly, and a beautiful woman in a black dress entered and bowed politely.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty of Sermo. I am Litania, Princess of Beriberbium, sent as an envoy by Emperor Ferus.”

“Princess Litania?”

The King of Sermo’s eyes widened. He unconsciously half-rose from his chair, then quickly sat back down.

The princess they had tried to kidnap and kill had come as an envoy. It couldn’t be a good sign.

‘I heard she had gone missing.’

He had heard rumors that she had gone missing after divorcing the divine dragon, and that the new emperor had mobilized even the military to find her.

Perhaps that was to make her an envoy to Sermo.

‘They say she was an outcast princess, so it seems they’ve sent someone they wouldn’t mind losing.’

There was no need to kill her now, but there was also no need to show full respect to a princess who was treated poorly in her own country.

The King of Sermo put on airs as he opened his documents.

“I’m in the middle of work, so state your business briefly.”

It was a clear indication that he had no intention of taking her seriously. It was blatant disrespect.

Even though she was an envoy, she was still a princess. Treating a foreign dignitary like this would be enough reason to start a war, considering it an insult to the imperial family, but the King of Sermo paid no mind.

‘I heard she’s of low birth, does she even know what an insult is?’

There was even a hint of mockery in his heart.

“I’ve come to apologize.”

“Apologize?”

“Previously, you said that the people of Sermo were frightened because Beriberbium’s divine dragon kept patrolling over Sermo’s airspace. So I’ve come to apologize.”

“I don’t know what ancient history you’re talking about. And if it’s something Beriberbium did, the apology should be made directly.”

The implication was that an apology from a despised princess meant nothing.

“Yes. That’s why I brought company.”

“What?”

“You said the apology should be made directly, didn’t you?”

As Litania turned and signaled, a tall figure entered through the still-open door.

White ceremonial dress with a red cape. Long golden hair reaching the waist and blue eyes.

Just one step forward was enough to feel the pressure.

The flickering of the lamps illuminating the walls all stopped at once.

As if time had frozen.

“What…”

Even without an introduction, it was clear.

This was not human.

“Divine Dragon Orbis. The guardian dragon of Beriberbium.”

The man was standing far below the king’s throne, yet his voice seemed to resound as if from the heavens.

“I’ve come to apologize for causing anxiety among the people of Sermo. I’m sorry.”

The window through which sunlight had been shining was filled with a blue light that shimmered like fog.

The divine dragon’s aura enveloped the entire Sermo palace.

“Ah, no. How could the divine dragon come for such a matter…”

The King of Sermo stammered, overwhelmed.

Wasn’t the relationship between the divine dragon and the imperial family over?

He had heard that the dragon had secluded himself, surrounding his nest with cliffs.

Hadn’t he not budged even when the emperor sent troops?

Moreover, he had divorced the princess long ago, so why did they come together?

Unorganized thoughts jumbled in his head. For no apparent reason, a chill ran down his spine.

“I did come to apologize. But that’s not all. I have something to ask the King of Sermo.”

“Yes? What…”

“My former wife.”

Orbis pointed to the princess beside him as he spoke.

“About the attempt to kidnap and murder Princess Litania.”