The atmosphere inside the room was suffocating despite the silence. Brutus rested his elbows on the arms of his chair, massaging his temples. In just a few minutes, he seemed to have aged five years. Rosalind kept her head down, her face pale as sweat began to bead on her skin, while Beatrice looked completely lost, unsure of what to do.

Ard and Eva could only wait in silence to see who would speak first. Suddenly, "knock... knock," there was a rap at the door. A palace official entered, and everyone turned to look. As he stepped inside, the official immediately felt the tension—it was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Forgive the interruption, Your Majesty. There is a letter from the Elf Tribe Chief," the official said.

"Fine. Just leave it on the desk," Brutus replied.

The official walked quickly to the desk, set the letter down, then promptly excused himself and closed the door. Once the door was shut tight, Brutus spoke.

"So, Rosalind... or should I say Reyna. Can you tell me why you two switched places?" Brutus asked, his voice eerily calm.

Rosalind flinched without lifting her head. Her lips began to tremble, while Beatrice, Ard, and Eva all turned to look at her.

"Um... the reason is... I wanted to go out... to see the world. And I didn't want to be forced into an arranged marriage with Christian, Count Treboll's son, because Christian is actually Rosalind's lover... I'm sorry, Your Majesty," Rosalind said, her voice slow and shaky.

"It's true, Papa... I knew about it, too," Beatrice added, trying to support her.

"Does my brother Byron, your father, know about this?" Brutus asked.

Rosalind shook her head. Brutus rubbed his forehead again, his hand still massaging his temple. He took a long, deep breath and let out a heavy sigh.

"Well, fine. My brother is incredibly stubborn; I can understand why you did it. I won't tell him. But before we move on, please explain something to me. Your answer will determine whether or not I have to tell Byron everything," Brutus said, looking completely exhausted.

"Um... what kind of explanation, Papa?" Beatrice asked. She already knew where this was headed and was deeply regretting her words.

"What exactly did you two mean when you said you're both Ard's fiancées?" Brutus asked. He spoke calmly, but with a face so serious it was actually more terrifying than if he were shouting.

Upon hearing that question, it wasn't just Beatrice and Rosalind who flinched—Ard and Eva did too. All four of them went dead silent, glancing at one another, hoping someone else would speak first. Beatrice and Rosalind looked at Eva with faces that clearly said, "please help us."

And, of course, Eva's expression fired right back, "Grr... why am I the one who has to fix the mess you guys made?"

Finally, Ard stepped in. He recounted everything that had happened at the Barbarian village and how they all ended up engaged to him. Brutus sighed repeatedly as he listened to Ard's explanation, occasionally glancing at Eva, Beatrice, and Rosalind in turn. Once Ard finished, Brutus spoke.

"And what about you?" Brutus asked Ard.

"Before I answer that, let me tell you something else, Uncle," Ard said.

Ard turned to Eva, who gave him a small nod. He then began to tell the story of his nine past lives—how every single woman who was now his fiancée had lived a life with him in a different timeline. He specifically shared how Rosalind had been involved in two of those timelines, and how he eventually realized they were actually different people. Brutus looked skeptical as he listened, but since he knew the truth about Ard and Eva's origins, he was able to somewhat accept the explanation.

"So... all eight of your fiancées, including Eva, are people you've lived with in alternative lives? Even Eledar's eighth child is included? Does your father know about this?" Brutus asked.

"No, I've only told you about this, Uncle. Though all my friends know my story, except for Adeline," Ard answered.

"And in this tenth life of yours, you've realized that your destiny is only just beginning, is that it?" Brutus asked.

"Yes... Uncle," Eva replied.

Brutus fell silent again. His eyebrows knit together and his forehead creased as he processed everything Ard and Eva had just told him. The room went quiet once more; Ard, Eva, Beatrice, and Rosalind could do nothing but wait for Brutus to find his voice. Finally, Brutus turned his gaze toward Beatrice and Rosalind.

"Beatrice, do you truly love Ard?" Brutus asked, getting straight to the point. He knew his daughter's competitive nature all too well.

Beatrice's face turned bright red. She looked down and didn't say a single word, but her silence was answer enough for Brutus. It was the first time his daughter had ever been left speechless by one of his questions, and the first time he had seen her look so genuinely shy. He immediately shifted his attention to Rosalind.

"And what about you, Reyna? Do you truly love Ard?" Brutus asked.

"Y-yes, Your Majesty... ever since my first day at the academy," Rosalind answered softly, also looking down in embarrassment.

"Um... Uncle, why are you asking them that?" Ard cut in.

"Because this isn't a game. You are the son of my best friend, and I don't want to ruin my friendship with Arthur because of the mess you kids are created. Do you understand?" Brutus said, fixing his eyes on Ard.

"Y-yes, Uncle," Ard stammered, caught off guard.

"And what about you, Eva? Are you really okay with all of this?" Brutus asked, his voice firm and demanding.

"Um... at first, I was... but because I lived through those same nine lives alongside Ard... I've come to understand. And... I don't mind sharing. Besides... for the last 3000 years... I've always been with him... maybe I actually need some other friends around too," Eva answered, her voice wavering.

Brutus fell silent once more. Suddenly, he stood up and walked over to his drink cabinet. He poured two glasses, then returned to the desk and sat back down on the sofa. He placed one glass in front of Ard and signaled for him to pick it up while raising his own.

"Fine. I give you my blessing," Brutus said.

Beatrice, Rosalind, and Eva immediately looked up, their faces lighting up with joy. Ard, however, remained still, waiting for the rest of what Brutus had to say.

"Ard, you're fifteen now. You're an adult. This is your decision, and it has nothing to do with the kingdom, your father, your brother, or anyone else around you. After hearing your story, I understand that you share a powerful emotional bond with all of them. So... I want your word. If you ever hurt Beatrice or Rosalind, I expect you to answer to me personally—not as a king to a prince, but as a father to a man," Brutus said firmly.

The color drained from the faces of Beatrice, Rosalind, and Eva. They immediately turned to Ard with hopeful eyes, waiting for his response to Brutus. Meanwhile, Ard looked at the glass on the table. He smiled and picked it up. "Clink." He tapped his glass against Brutus's and met the King's gaze.

"Fair enough, Uncle. I promise. If I ever hurt them, I'll come here myself to face you and take responsibility," Ard said.

"Good. That's what I wanted to hear," Brutus replied.

"But please, don't tell my dad that I made a promise like this to you—and especially don't mention the story of my nine lives with Eva to him. I've only told you, Uncle. Aside from my friends, you're the only person who knows the truth about Eva and me," Ard said, sounding genuinely worried that Brutus might actually tell his father about his past lives.

"Hmm... as for that, I make no promises," Brutus replied, finally breaking into a smile.

"Oh, come on, Uncle, please! He'll lecture me all night long if he finds out," Ard pleaded.

"That's your problem. If you're brave enough to act, you have to be brave enough to face the consequences," Brutus replied with a wide, mocking grin.

"Aaaah... none of this is even my fault, Uncle! Come on," Ard shot back.

"This is clearly your fault. If you had just gone to the academy from the start, none of this would have happened. I feel sorry for your father," Brutus said with a broad grin.

The mood in the room finally brightened as the stifling tension began to melt away. After listening to the back-and-forth between Brutus and Ard, Eva, Beatrice, and Rosalind felt a massive wave of relief, finally leaning back in their chairs to relax. Brutus also gave his word that he would keep the identity swap between Rosalind and Reyna a secret, promising not to mention a word of it to his brother—their father.

They settled into a casual conversation, but in the heat of the moment, they completely overlooked the letter from the Elf Tribe Chief, Eledar. It sat there on the desk, ignored but vital—containing news that was about to change the entire course of Ard and Eva's journey back to the elven village before their eventual meeting with the Dragon God.

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