Greg walked up quietly so he wouldn't scare her. "Lylia?"

She got tense but didn't look back. "I'm sorry, Greg... I just needed a minute to breathe a little... and maybe calm myself down from all this pressure..."

"No worries. Take all the time you need," Greg said as he moved to stand next to her at the railing. "But you don't have to do it by yourself."

Lylia laughed, but it sounded broken. "Greg, I'm acting useless as an ex-Royal Knight..."

"Like I'm... I'm not helpful at all with the situation right now. You can see what has happened!"

"Lady Rosalina had to give up her life, and she's still fighting from inside that monster! And Christoft gave it all as well! Both Lady Rosalina and Christoft truly demonstrate their exceptional skills as Elite Royal Knights!"

"And... Hilda, who worked as a miner, even found a way to fight back and get away. And what did I do after all this time!?"

"Lylia..."

"I left the Royal Knights," she said, her voice getting louder with emotion. "I left because I couldn't take the stress..."

"I told myself that running a restaurant was just as important as other things I could do, but the truth is that I left. I quit because I was scared of failing and not being good enough!"

Now, tears flowed freely down her face. "And now, what am I when it matters most? A cook... A chef..."

"What good is that against a monster that's tearing everything apart? I can't fight like Lady Rosalina can, and I can't give up like Christoft!"

"What's even worse is that I can't even get away like Hilda could. I feel like I'm just taking up space while people who are better than me are dying!"

Greg let her finish, letting the words flow out in a flood of sadness and self-blame. He spoke when she finally stopped crying and shaking.

He said, "You're right," and she turned her head in shock. "You're not Hilda, Rosalina, or Christoft."

"But..."

"You are Lylia Goldenwind. That's exactly who we need."

"But I am not..."

"You give people food," Greg said softly. "Do you understand what that means?"

"It means that when Ironhaven fell and everyone was tired and broken, you made sure we had the strength to keep going."

"You were there for Marina when she needed someone steady after losing her whole team. You told me to keep going when I felt guilty about Hilda."

He turned to face her completely, and his face was serious. "Lady Rosalina taught you how to fight, but she also taught you that being a Royal Knight isn't about having power!"

"It's about being there for people when they need you. And you've been doing that like... every SINGLE day. You have provided meals and offered words of support every single day."

"That's not the same," Lylia said weakly. "That's entirely different...!"

Greg said, "It's the same."

"You think Christoft's last act was brave because it was big and showy? No! He was brave because he was willing to give up everything for the people he loved!"

"You do that every day, but in smaller ways, but those little things add up. And most importantly, they keep us alive, and that's what makes us human!"

He reached out and softly wiped the tears from her cheeks. "You didn't run away from the Knights because you were weak..."

"You left because you knew there are other ways to keep people safe by giving them food, taking care of them, and making them feel like they belong. That's not less than fighting... that's just as important."

Lylia's breath caught. "But I can't stop it... and people are dying."

Greg said, "We can't stop it by ourselves."

"That's why we're together."

"Lylia, you're part of this team. Not because you are a chef, but because of who you really are."

"You remind us of what we're fighting for... like the little things. For example, like... food that tastes good, warm conversations, and a place to live! That's worth protecting!"

"Greg..." It was difficult to hear her voice.

"Rosalina would be proud of you," Greg said in a low voice. "Not for picking up a sword again, but for finding your own way to help. For being who you are..."

Lylia's heart broke then. Not in a bad way, but like a dam letting go of pressure that had been building for too long. She leant forward, and Greg caught her and held her as she cried for the first time since the incident all started.

The morning sun warmed them as they stood there for a few minutes, and the city slowly came to life below. When Lylia finally let go, her eyes were red but clearer than they had been in days.

"Thank you," she said, her voice full of feeling. "To see the real me... and to understand how stupid I am..."

"Always, and you're not stupid." Greg said without hesitation.

Lylia really looked at him, and her face changed. A choice is made, and a wall comes down. She stood on her toes and kissed him before Greg could figure out what was going on.

At first, the kiss was soft and hesitant, as if she was afraid he would pull away. But he didn't, and he responded with the same gentleness.

It got worse when it didn't have any desperation or passion. Just real feelings like peace and love, where two people find comfort in each other in the middle of the chaos.

When they finally broke up the kiss, Lylia rested her forehead on his and held on to his shirt. "Greg... I want to say this once... I love you," she said softly.

"I've loved you for a long time... I know you're with Marina, and I know this makes things harder. But I had to let you know. If we don't..."

"Stop there," Greg said, his voice shaking. "Don't say you won't make it! I don't like someone saying that because they're going to jinx it!"

"We are going to make it through this. Every single one of us!"

"But I have to be honest here so that I don't ruin any relationship," Lylia said. "I'm not trying to steal you from Marina!"

"You two are perfect together, and she's great. But my heart isn't concerned about reason or time. It just means that you make me want to be a better person."

"You believe that I have value, even when I don't see it myself. Isn't that what love is? Seeing someone for who they really are and still choosing them?"

Greg didn't know what to say just because he had cared for Lylia deeply for months. On the other hand, Marina was his girlfriend and partner.

He had been trying to stay away from this kind of complicated situation. But as he stood there looking at Lylia's tear-stained face and the weakness in her eyes, he couldn't bring himself to shut her down.

He finally said, "I care about you," choosing to be honest. "More than I probably should. But I don't want to hurt anyone..."

"Not you... not Marina..."

"I know," Lylia said. "And I don't want you to choose right now."

"I just wanted you to know that I don't want to have regrets about things I didn't say if the worst happens."

She stepped back and made an effort to calm down. "We should go back. The other people will be curious about where we are."

"We need to talk about this more, Lylia."

"Later," she said, forcing a small smile. "After we save the world."

"Then we can figure out what the matter is between us."

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