Chapter 133: Farewell

The door closed softly behind her.

“Master Lian, please follow me.”

Marina, who had been waiting outside the room, bowed to Lian and then led the way.

Lian followed behind her, looking back at the door to her room one last time.

She walked through the corridors of the Youlin Courtyard — it was quiet and spacious, with the morning light spilling across the arched window frames and illuminating the intricate patterns on the carpet.

She found herself already accustomed to this silence. It held the same rhythm as the married life she had originally envisioned and desired: staying by the side of her family and close friends, working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

She couldn’t help but begin to imagine what her life would have looked like if none of this had ever happened.

She certainly would have stayed by Meliya’s side, witnessing Milin grow one step at a time.

She and Sephy would have discovered the lingering effects of Vera’s condition even sooner, allowing them to resolve it.

She would have sat in the living room of the Farm, hosting her old companions from the Brigade, recollecting that journey amidst the aroma of hot coffee by a warm fireplace —

‘What would have happened to the territory then?’ Lian suddenly wondered as she looked at the exquisitely crafted Shed Pavilion and the magnificent palace complex beyond the window.

She had rejected the rewards of land and titles back then… but the nobles, led by the Dukes of the Four Borders, had never intended to consult her opinion in the first place.

So, she felt she still would have become a Duchess, but she certainly wouldn’t have built such a massive palace or hired so many servants… let alone developed Cyrus, which was originally just a small village, into its current state.

‘My wife is truly incredible.’

Lian marveled inwardly. She could imagine just how much hardship Meliya must have endured to build everything she saw today… and so, a sense of responsibility welled up in her heart.

This had nothing to do with whether she was currently a Hero or whether she possessed power.

She wanted to safeguard the peace that the Brigade had fought so hard to establish, and she wanted to protect her wife, daughter, friends, and everything they had built until now.

Lian did not linger any longer. With newfound determination, she followed Malena toward the meeting place.

…..

Inside the side gate of the Red Lotus Palace’s Outer Palace, the same gate Lian and Iyue had used to enter the palace earlier.

This gate was merely a small side entrance for palace personnel; carriages could not pass through here.

The air here was noticeably colder than in the Innermost Palace.

The cold wind blowing from the river struck the towering palace walls, and the distant clamor from the direction of the main gate could be heard faintly.

The parade in the city was still continuing today. The earth-shaking slogans and shouts carried over with the wind, drilling straight into Iyue’s ears as she stood beneath the gate tower.

“Hmm… those people’s demands are the same today.”

Her ears twitched slightly as Iyue spoke to Vera, who stood beside her.

“I will handle it later,” Vera said, her expression appearing calm.

Dealing with these citizens and coordinating the current situation in Cyrus and the Northland was a headache-inducing problem… but at this moment, as she saw off her dear friend and companion, she did not want these matters to occupy her thoughts any further.

“Do you really not need a carriage?” she asked Iyue once more. “Even if you don’t use the main gate, leaving from another side gate is fine.”

“No need,” Iyue shook her head. “According to Lian En, there might be internal collaborators for the Demon Race both in the palace and the city.”

She paused, her gaze beneath the brim of her hat turning sharp. She stole a glance through the gap in the city gate.

“If we travel with a grand entourage, we’ll likely attract those guys’ attention. Besides, there are so many people blocking the gates that can accommodate carriages — look, there are even people here… although these people shouldn’t have anything to do with the Demon Race.”

Vera followed her gaze and found a group of priests dressed in white standing at the bridgehead on the other side of the moat.

“It’s the people from the Church.” Vera’s brow furrowed. “I met with the Bishop before and told them not to do this.”

“Didn’t you say before that they see Milin as the new Hero?”

“That’s how it is. Ever since the attack, they’ve sent people to block the palace gates every day to recite prayers and sing hymns.”

“They certainly seized the opportunity,” Iyue shook her head helplessly. “Linxi really should discipline them properly. If this keeps up, they might try to canonize Milin just like they did for you.”

“…You can’t count on Linxi.”

“Why?”

“Because she is likely the one who authorized the Church in Yilansiya to do these things. The Holy Nation has always been opposed to peaceful coexistence with the Demon Race… and that remains true today. Ever since Lian En disappeared, she has been trying to establish a new Hero figure to represent the will of the Holy Nation — she even tried to put me in that position.”

“No way.” Iyue was a bit dumbfounded. “This was actually her idea? I thought over all these years, her pedantic way of thinking would have changed —”

“I’m here! Sorry to keep you waiting!”

Lian’s voice interrupted their conversation. They saw Lian walking over behind the new Head Maid, Malena.

“Still as slow as ever. Do you know how long we’ve been waiting here?”

“I came as fast as I could! I only got those clothes from you and Meliya this morning…”

“Heh… so you picked the clothes I chose for you. They fit quite well. Wearing them makes you look even more cute and beautiful than before.”

“I’m taking them off right now…!”

“Hehe…” Watching the playful banter between Vera and Lian, Iyue smiled knowingly.

She noticed that Vera’s brow had softened. The suffocating pain and sorrow that used to knot the Royal Princess’s eyes had dissipated significantly.

When looking at Lian, her eyes were bright and full of life. Just being able to talk with Lian En like this made her feel very happy — her gaze spoke as much.

But the big blockhead opposite her didn’t seem to notice.

Iyue saw Vera’s gaze, which had been fixed intently on Lian, suddenly waver… and for a split second, it drifted toward her.

‘Sigh, those two really are a handful.’

“Ah, I need to go check on the horses’ condition.” Thus, Iyue whistled and walked toward the stables. “Malena, you come help too.”

“Me? But I’ve never taken care of horses…”

“Wait, Iyue…” Before Vera could respond, Iyue had already pulled Malena away, leaving the space beneath the gate tower to the two of them.

The guards stood atop the tower, unable to hear the conversation of the two below.

“…”

The two, who had been joking around just a moment ago, suddenly fell silent.

No matter how dense they were, they could sense that Iyue’s departure was to create an opportunity for them to be alone.

Vera felt that she usually had countless things she wanted to say to her… even in front of Meliya. But once they were in this kind of private setting, she didn’t know where to start.

“Uh…”

Lian, standing across from her, was clearly the same. She scratched her cheek just as she used to, evidently weighing what words to use to break the awkward silence.

“Your sword wounds —”

“Your illness —”

Both spoke at once, their thoughts clearly colliding.

They looked each other in the eye —

“— are they really okay now?”

“Pfft.” As it turned out, the follow-up sentence was also identical. Both of them burst into laughter at the same time.

“I’m fine.” Lian moved her shoulders, laughing easily. “Before my Magic Power was sealed, those sword marks had mostly faded. Otherwise, how could I have survived until now?”

“That’s good.” Vera nodded heavily, then looked at Lian’s new clothes again. “I’m also doing well… after that thing shattered, I can no longer feel that chill. Are those clothes comfortable? Do you feel cold?”

“Not cold… Why are you naggy like an old woman?”

“Because I’ve reached that age.” To Lian’s surprise, Vera did not rise to her habitual verbal provocation. “If I hadn’t been helping you look after your wife and child, I should have started a family of my own… maybe my children would be as old as you.”

This was, of course, a lie. But the lie still made Lian feel a pang of shame, causing her to lower her head.

“It’s my fault.”

“How is it your fault? From your perspective, you never left… you were always by our side.”

Vera reached out, wanting to touch her cheek… but her hand ultimately landed on Lian’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Vera… I’ll leave the matters in the city to you.” Lian looked at that hand, then opened her arms to embrace her.

“Leave it to me.” Vera knew what this hug represented, so she could finally set aside her own hesitation and hugged Lian back.

“I am the Royal Princess of this country, after all. This is my specialty.”

“Take care of yourself.”

“You too.”

There were no more unnecessary words between them… but it wasn’t until Iyue led the horses over that they released their hold on each other.