As both me and Rebecca stood there.

Staring in awe at the sword, time seemed to slow down around us.

Neither of us spoke.

Neither of us breathed properly.

The blade rested quietly.

Yet, it felt like it carried far heavier weight than steel.

My fingers twitched at my side, not daring to reach out.

While Rebecca leaned forward just a little.

Her eyes shining as if she were afraid the sword might vanish if she blinked.

The air felt thick, like it was holding a secret.

And all I could hear was my own heartbeat echoing in my ears.

Suddenly, the stillness broke.

Lucy walked toward us with calm steps.

Her robe brushed lightly against the stone floor.

She tilted her head, glanced at our frozen faces.

And said in a flat but amused tone, "Enough staring at it this long."

Her voice snapped us back to reality.

Rebecca straightened immediately.

Clearing her throat as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

I turned my head toward Lucy.

And before I could stop myself, a thought formed clearly in my mind.

As expected from Lucy, an archmage… I thought.

She must've seen many things to not get surprised by such a sword.

She didn't look impressed.

She didn't look shocked.

If anything, she looked mildly bored.

Like the sword was just another artifact among countless others she had seen in her long life.

That alone made the sword feel even more unreal.

Something that could leave Rebecca and me speechless barely earned a glance from Lucy.

Before either of us could reply, footsteps echoed softly from behind us.

At the same moment, Kalia approached.

Hands folded neatly in front of her, her expression gentle but firm.

"We didn't realize our little adventure took three hours," she said, then smiled faintly.

"Dinner is ready."

Three hours.

The words settled slowly.

I exchanged a look with Rebecca, both of us clearly surprised.

What felt like moments had stretched into hours without us noticing.

My shoulders relaxed as hunger finally caught up with me.

A dull ache reminding me how long we had been standing there.

We followed Kalia, walking through the quiet halls toward the dining room of the castle.

The sound of our footsteps echoed louder than usual.

Bouncing off stone walls that now felt too empty.

The reason was clear.

Because of the recent king's assassination.

All the guards had fled the moment they knew the king was dead.

No shouts.

No commands.

No armor clinking.

Just silence.

The castle was empty now.

Too empty.

Every corridor felt hollow, like the walls themselves were holding their breath.

The banners still hung proudly.

And the torches still burned, but without people, it all felt wrong.

As we walked, my mind wandered, heavy with thoughts I couldn't shake off.

I let out a long sigh without meaning to.

"I should make a royal speech with Maria tomorrow," I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.

"To calm the country before a civil war rises."

The words tasted bitter in my mouth.

The responsibility felt heavy, like a weight pressing down on my chest.

The future was uncertain, and I could already imagine panic spreading if nothing was done.

Lucy glanced at me, her expression relaxed, almost casual.

She didn't slow her steps when she spoke.

"Then why don't you marry Maria?" she said lightly.

"Think of it.

She is the princess.

You would have a legal way to become king, and besides….

The people will rest assured the royal blood will continue with Maria's help."

The world stopped.

I froze mid-step, my foot hovering awkwardly before dropping back to the ground.

I turned slowly, staring at Lucy with wide, winded eyes, my mouth slightly open.

My brain struggled to process what she had just said so casually.

Like she was suggesting a simple solution to a minor problem.

"W–what?" was all I managed.

Before I could say anything else, fate decided to make things worse.

Maria had been walking toward us to tell us about the dinner.

She had been smiling softly.

Clearly unaware of the conversation, until she heard everything.

She stopped.

Right there.

Her hands flew up to her mouth, eyes widening in shock.

Her face drained of color for a brief second before turning bright red.

She didn't move.

She didn't speak.

She just stood there, frozen, clearly having heard every single word Lucy said.

Lucy noticed her immediately.

A slow smirk spread across Lucy's face, sharp and playful.

She turned slightly toward Maria and asked.

Her tone filled with amusement, "Isn't that right, Maria?

The royal blood must continue."

Maria looked like her soul was about to leave her body.

Her face turned red like a tomato.

And she stumbled over her words, hands shaking slightly as she tried to speak.

"If it's Ragnar, I… I don't mind it," she blurted out, barely audible, her voice trembling.

Then, without waiting for any response, she turned and bolted away.

And running back the way she came.

Her footsteps were quick and uneven as she disappeared down the hall.

Silence followed.

Rebecca stared after her, eyes wide.

Clearly stunned by what had just happened.

Kalia covered her mouth.

Her shoulders shaking slightly as she tried to hold back a laugh.

Lucy, on the other hand, looked completely satisfied.

I stood there, still trying to catch my breath, my mind a complete mess.

Slowly, I turned my head and gave Lucy a long side glance.

It said everything.

Why are you teasing her?

Lucy only smiled.

Then she shrugged, the motion light and careless.

As if what had just happened meant nothing to her at all.

She stepped forward and walked in front of me.

Her boots tapped softly against the stone floor.

And without even turning fully around she spoke, her voice playful and warm at the same time.

"How can I resist it," she said, letting the words linger, "Maria is just too cute~"

I stopped walking without realizing it, my body reacting before my mind did.

The sound of her voice echoed in the empty hallway.

And for a moment it felt louder than it should have been.

The castle was still quiet, too quiet, and her tone filled that silence completely.

I watched her back as she moved ahead of me.

Her posture relaxed, shoulders loose.

As if she had not just stirred chaos with a single sentence.

Lucy slowed her steps, then stopped right in front of me.

She didn't turn around fully.

Instead, she shifted her weight slightly and swayed her hips in a smooth, teasing motion.

It was slow enough that it was impossible not to notice.

The fabric of her robe moved with her.

Brushing against her legs as she leaned just a little forward.

Then she glanced back at me over her shoulder.

Her eyes half-lidded, lips curved into a knowing smile that made my chest tighten without warning.

"You wouldn't make a move against this poor mage, my mighty king~"

Her words landed heavier than they should have.

I blinked once, then again, trying to ground myself.

'Is this a green sign?' I thought.

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