When I opened my eyes in the morning and sat up in bed, I noticed Luna was already awake, quietly watching the view from the balcony.
Getting out of bed, I walked over to her with heavy steps.
Ignoring the soreness in my throat, I asked, “Are you okay?”
Without turning to face me, her eyes still fixed on the landscape, she replied in a cold voice, “We need to talk.”
I sat in the empty chair beside her, rubbing my sleepy eyes as she continued, “Last night, Ramia told me some things…”
Looking at her, I muttered, “Yeah?” trying to guess what was coming.
Taking a deep breath, she turned her gaze to me.
“A massive coup was carried out against our dynasty…
and my entire family has been slaughtered.”
I froze for a moment at her words, then looked at her face tentatively.
“What?
Are you serious?
Why did no one say a single word to me until now?” I snapped sharply.
Luna suddenly gripped my hand tightly and forced me back down into the chair.
“When Ramia first told me, I personally instructed them absolutely not to tell you, so it wouldn’t ruin your morale.
Enwoybi respected my decision, which is why he didn’t say anything.
I needed to be the one to tell you directly…
Plus, when the Emperor offered you that Archduke position last night, I was genuinely happy for you.
But at the same time, I was wondering how I was going to explain all this,” she said honestly.
I locked my eyes onto hers.
“But when you guys returned from the thermal pool, you seemed perfectly happy and cheerful?” I asked skeptically.
A faint, sorrowful smile appeared on her face.
“Because you were by my side at that moment…” she said.
Leaning back, I furrowed my brows.
“I don’t understand, why did everything happen so suddenly and brutally?” As I muttered this, Luna slowly lowered her head, her voice trembling: “If even my own people no longer want me in the palace…”
To dispel the helplessness she was feeling, I suddenly stood up.
“Damn, that really is a terrible start,” I said, stretching and cracking my stiff back.
Sitting back down beside her, I reached out and pulled her into a tight hug.
“Anyway, at least you’re safe, I don’t care about the rest,” I said.
However, Luna instinctively pulled back abruptly.
Incapacitated by my morning grogginess, I lost my balance and was about to slide backward off the chair, but Luna caught my hand with a swift movement, saving me from a total disaster.
Once I was fully settled back into my chair, I grinned faintly.
“When I hugged you just now, wasn’t that dodging move supposed to be your usual reaction anyway?” I teased.
Seeing the gloomy shadow on her face gradually fade and her spirits lift, I pulled my chair a bit closer to her.
“So…
what exactly do you think about Scatroj’s Archduke offer from last night?” I asked, looking at her profile as she watched the view.
She turned to me.
“What do you actually want, Kaan?” she passed the question back.
I leaned back comfortably.
“Even though I absolutely hate all that bureaucratic, tedious palace business…
leaving a noble legacy for my lineage, for those who come after me, and helping my friend Scatroj in this chaos doesn’t sound bad at all,” I said.
Hearing the word ‘lineage,’ Luna arched a single eyebrow in surprise.
“Your lineage?” she murmured.
A deep, slightly tense silence suddenly fell over the room.
Noticing her subtly jealous and annoyed demeanor, I spoke up to break the silence: “As you’ve probably noticed…
I can be a really blind and oblivious guy about certain things sometimes, Luna.
So just know this: in every plan I make, in every step I take, your presence always comes before my own.
And I will respect any wish you ask of me to the absolute end.”
Looking at me with still slightly irritated eyes, she shook her head.
“You are a very strange man,” she said.
I nodded in agreement, stood up, and stepped into the room.
“I am…
Anyway, let me go downstairs and prepare something good for us to eat.
Would you like to have a nice breakfast up here on the balcony, just the two of us today?”
Luna pouted her lips with a childish pout.
“I would…
Bring me that yellow thing that was on the table yesterday too.”
When I left the room and entered the grand hall, I saw our crew already settled at the table, digging into their food.
Raising my arm in mock indignation, I said bluntly, “Seriously, guys?
You really couldn’t wait for me, huh?”
Scatroj shrugged while chewing.
“We didn’t want to disturb you upstairs, bro, you know how it is…” he smirked.
As I approached the table and began meticulously filling an empty plate with food, Ermo raised an eyebrow at me.
“What’s up, aren’t you eating down here with us?” he asked.
I raised my brows and looked at the table.
“I’d rather have a quiet meal upstairs, just the two of us, than deal with your nagging down here,” I said flatly.
Right before leaving the hall, I turned back to give the crew a final warning: “Once you’re done eating, there are some very urgent matters we need to discuss down in the garden, just so you know.”
Ermo dropped his fork and shrugged.
“Come on, Kaan…
We’re all heading back to our own lands tomorrow anyway, what is there left to talk about, for God’s sake?” he complained.
I narrowed my eyes into a stern glare.
“Like I said, it’s a highly urgent and vital matter.”
Instantly catching the rare, absolute seriousness on my face, Enwoybi silenced Ermo.
“Just focus on your food, dummy, the man clearly has business to attend to,” he teased me mockingly.
Exiting the hall with the full plate and glasses in hand, I called out to Luna as I reached the bedroom door: “My hands are totally full, could you open the door?”
The door opened within seconds.
Allowing me inside, Luna grumbled, “You could have easily opened the door with magic using your mana, Kaan, why make me get up for you?” she said, immediately heading back out to the balcony. Get faster updates on novelping dot com.
I carefully placed the plate on the balcony table and settled into the chair next to it.
Handing her the yellow drink she wanted—an ice-cold lemonade—I grinned: “Here you go, milady, your lemonade.”
As Luna took an elegant sip of her lemonade, I continued, “I have a small matter to settle with the others downstairs after eating.
So, Velmora and Ramia will be left alone here for a while.”
As Luna enjoyed her meal, she noticed me staring, watching her intently.
“If something’s bothering you, just ask directly, Kaan, don’t just sit there staring like that,” she said, waving her fork toward the plate.
A bit tentatively, weighing where to lead the conversation, I asked, “Ramia…
when she first saw you at the manor yesterday, why did she completely ignore you as if you were a stranger?”
Luna slowly lowered her cheese-laden fork to the edge of the plate.
“Because…
she thought I was still very angry with her over past events,” she said.
I raised my eyebrows.
“What do you mean?”
She laughed softly.
“Long story…
But to sum it up briefly, back when she left our tribe, some unpleasant things happened between us.
Ramia assumed I’d been harboring hatred toward her ever since.
But yesterday at the pool, we sat down, talked everything through in detail, and completely resolved all our issues.”
I nodded understandingly.
“I see…
If you guys sorted it out between yourselves, I’m fine with it.
But…
are you really okay, Luna?
I mean, about the whole dynasty thing…”
Letting out a deep breath, she looked up at the sky.
“I don’t know…
But at least, I’m not doing terrible.”
I leaped up from my chair.
“Great…
You enjoy your food, I urgently need to join the others waiting downstairs,” I said, hurrying out of the room.
When I stepped into the garden, I heard the three of them heatedly discussing something at the table on the grass.
The moment they saw me, they cut their private conversation dead and gestured toward the empty chair next to them.
The second I settled into the chair, Enwoybi looked straight into my eyes.
“Spit it out, kid…
Gathering us here first thing in the morning, what’s on your mind?”
Taking a deep breath into my lungs, I laid everything out before them—everything I had experienced last night in the dream dimension with that pitch-black fog, the underworld races, the fear of the dragons, and the hidden plans of the gods and angels in heaven.
After listening to the story, Scatroj set his glass down on the table and grunted, “Good, good…
At least it doesn’t affect us for now, it’s the higher-ups’ problem,” he muttered casually.
Taking a much more strategic approach, Enwoybi intervened: “Still, it seems highly beneficial not to dismiss this intel and to listen thoroughly to Kaan’s thoughts.”
Ermo suddenly chimed in, frowning, “Man, I don’t like those higher-ups or their angels at all!”
Scatroj burst out laughing, teasing Ermo: “Dude, why do you randomly hate them out of nowhere?”
Ermo turned directly to Scatroj.
“Because those angels and gods have been relentless enemies of the dragons since ancient times!”
Turning to Ermo, I threw a blunt question at him: “If a massive apocalypse broke out at the end of it all, and the dragons and gods went head-to-head, whose side exactly would you take?”
Without hesitating for even a single second, Ermo stated firmly, “I’d take Velmora’s side, obviously.”
I responded to his blind, love-struck answer with a dry chuckle.
“Absolute nonsense…” I said.
Then I turned to the other two: “After spending a few days in the empire with Scatroj, I’m planning to head straight to those coordinates in the dream dimension and talk face-to-face with that fog.
At this stage, I really can’t be bothered with the Dragon King’s tantrums and never-ending problems.”
Scatroj sharply cut me off, snapping, “Look here, Kaan, this isn’t a game!
If you’re coming to the empire with me to take that Archduke title, you’re going to shoulder massive responsibilities.
If you don’t want to carry this burden, tell us right now!”
Waving my hand in a ‘fine, don’t drag it out’ gesture, I shut down his serious outburst: “Alright, alright…
Got it, boss, we’ll handle it, don’t snap so quickly,” I said.
Then I turned to Enwoybi: “The real issue on my mind is a much bigger, more vital question regarding Luna.”
Enwoybi smirked under his breath.
“Let’s hear it…
As the future Grand Archduke, what exactly are you requesting from us?”
When everyone except me burst into loud laughter at this comment, I offered no reaction and simply waited for them to shut up.
Seeing the ice-cold seriousness on my face, they stopped laughing within milliseconds and turned grave.
Scatroj asked with concern, “Is there really a bad situation, Kaan?”
I shook my head.
“It’s just…
I have serious concerns about Luna.
I’m afraid of something happening to her in the future, of her getting caught in the middle of these divine wars.
I was thinking…
instead of coming with us for a while, what if she stays in the Elf Kingdom—her own safe lands?
If she trains there safely with Ramia, she’ll get stronger much faster and stay out of sight.”
Enwoybi raised a single eyebrow in surprise at this proposal.
“I think that’s a completely absurd and unnecessary idea.
Why are you thinking of pushing the girl so far away from you for no reason?” he asked.
I looked directly into Enwoybi’s eyes.
“You all know damn well that cursed palace politics devours everything in its path alive!
I highly doubt I’ll be able to stay as calm and sane as I am right now,” I warned in a threatening tone.
Noticing the protective power behind my words, Ermo nodded in agreement.
“Actually, I completely agree with Kaan on this.
If you want her absolute safety, if you wish, we could take her to our Dragon Lands—”
I cut Ermo off sharply.
“No offense, Ermo, but I don’t care for those arrogant dragons and their lands one bit.
If something happens to Luna while she’s there, dealing with that dragon council afterward would be a massive headache.
The best option…
Enwoybi can easily arrange a new fake identity for her in the Elf Kingdom and an official role like a palace secretary, so she can blend in.”
Enwoybi stroked his beard in silence for a moment, thinking, then looked up and approved: “Arranging a hidden identity like that poses no issue for me, Kaan.
However, her own famil—”
I cut him off harshly again.
“I already know about her family being slaughtered and the coup.
It’s fine, Luna has already overcome and accepted those circumstances within herself.”
Realizing he had no other choice, Enwoybi finally nodded.
“Fine, if that’s what you want…
I’ll look into something suitable for her from the palace archives.
Since she and Ramia got along great at the pool yesterday anyway, training there shouldn’t be too difficult,” he said.
Following this private meeting in the garden, we discussed military strategies for a while longer before heading back inside the manor.
When we entered the hall, we found the girls chatting cheerfully among themselves.
The moment we walked in, Velmora and Luna slid over slightly on their couches to make room for us.
Ermo immediately settled next to Velmora, smirking, “I see you girls have really hit it off,” he said.
At that moment, Ramia turned her eyes directly to Luna, while Luna shot a highly meaningful look at me.
Raising my brows bluntly, I asked, “Great…
Is there something going on here that I’m unaware of?”
Unable to hold back her excitement any longer, Ramia spoke with an eager tone: “Um, sir…
Actually, we discussed some private matters inside without your permission.
Although Luna is extremely willing, I honestly didn’t think someone as protective as you would ever allow it,” she said mockingly.
I turned directly to Luna, who was sitting next to me.
Looking into my eyes, Luna said firmly, “We should talk about this upstairs, in private, Kaan.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Fine…
We’ll go up to our room in a bit and discuss it thoroughly,” I said, brushing the topic aside for now.
After wrapping up a few more strategic chats with the crew downstairs, I suddenly stood up.
“Alright guys, we’re traveling tomorrow after all, time to slowly get ready.
If you’ll excuse us, we’re heading up,” I said, and as we left, Scatroj raised his hand, calling after me, “Don’t be late!”
The moment we entered the room, as soon as the door closed, I dashed toward the bed and threw myself directly onto it, bouncing.
Following me into the room, Luna crossed her arms over her chest and grumbled, “Hey!
That’s my signature move every time I enter a room, you snatched it before me!”
Quickly sitting up from the bed, I grinned: “Alright, alright…
Go to your side, I allow it,” I said, moving over.
Stretching out comfortably on the large armchair near the balcony, I fixed my eyes on her: “Alright, tell me…
what’s this big secret matter you and Ramia were whispering about downstairs?”
Settling onto the bed, Luna locked her eyes onto mine, her tone suddenly turning dead serious and icy: “With my current strength…
I can never kill you, Kaan,” she said.
Taking a large bite out of a fresh apple from the table, I chewed and asked flippantly, “Yeah?
And?”
Luna continued with the same resolve: “That’s exactly why, to take my revenge in the future, I have to become insanely strong.
But under your protective wings, staying by your side, I can never truly grow powerful.
That’s why…
I want to go to the elven lands and enter a ruthless training regime with Ramia.”
Hearing this, I set the apple down and turned directly to her.
“So…
to improve yourself, you need to fight and train for real with someone much stronger than you, is that it?” I asked, inwardly surprised by how perfectly it aligned with the decision I had just made in the garden.
With a faint smile on her face, Luna replied, “Duh…
His Majesty the Elf King himself is there, he will train me personally.”
I smirked under my breath.
“I see…
And what happens when that king comes to ask me politely out of courtesy, and I, as Kaan, say ‘no’ to this arrangement?” I asked, intentionally testing her.
Luna suddenly bolted up from the bed, walked briskly to my side, and leaned down right next to my ear.
Feeling her warm breath against my skin, she whispered in a low voice, “You wouldn’t do that to me, you would never reject this request of mine, right, Kaan?”
Slowly tilting my head down, I looked up at her noble face from below.
“So…
you really want to go there that badly?” I asked honestly.
She nodded firmly in absolute confirmation.
“Alright…
When that training is over, will you really consider coming back to my side one day?” I asked, looking into her eyes.
Luna leaned back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, her tone turning melancholic: “It’s not like I have any other place left to go in this world…
except by your side anyway,” she said.
Intentionally rolling my eyes, I pressed further: “So you’re indirectly saying that if you find another place to go in the future, you’ll never come back, huh?”
I noticed Luna freeze for a moment at my question, genuinely hesitating to answer.
Upon her silence, I pulled out that ancient rune stone I had skimmed from the royal treasury back in the day and placed it on the bed, right beside her.
“This stone already recognizes your mana very well.
In the future, by expending just a tiny bit of mana, you can speak directly with me at any moment, no matter where you are,” I said bluntly.
When no verbal reply came from Luna again, I got up from the armchair, walked straight out to the balcony, and rested my hands on the marble railings.
Fixing my eyes on the majestic mountain landscape in the distance, I quietly watched the outside world, completely hiding the storm raging inside me…