“Astreia, you worry too much about the word ‘Descent’…”
The prince’s voice was low and gentle.
Like a clear spring, it slowly flowed through Astreia’s chaotic heart.
“Have you ever considered that the so-called ‘Witch’ isn’t actually another personality?”
“She’s not.” Wendy didn’t give Astreia a moment to think, continuing to guide her, “She’s just the part of you that’s been suppressed too long by the Knightly Code, by morality, by all these rules and restrictions.”
“She craves love, craves possession, and wants to protect what she treasures in the most direct, most violent way. She doesn’t know restraint, nor does she bother to pretend. That wild desire, that pathological possessiveness… it’s always been hiding inside your heart, hasn’t it?”
“I…”
The princess’s delicate body trembled slightly, instinctively wanting to refute him, but found she had no words.
“Astreia, the witch within you is still a part of you—not some monster that needs to be destroyed.”
“This world has never been simply black or white.”
The prince gently cupped her downcast face, looking seriously into those emerald starry eyes.
“It’s a delicate shade of gray—and so are people. There’s no absolute light, nor pure darkness. Suppressing your desires only causes them to twist and explode in silence, eventually… consuming you.”
“So don’t be afraid of her, and don’t hate her. Instead, accept her, understand her, and then… merge with her. Only when you face all your desires and make that power work for you can you become the truly complete, unique Astreia Valoran.”
“At that moment, whether you are the ‘Northern Lioness’ or the ‘Witch Queen,’ you will just be you. And I…”
A mischievous yet doting smirk curved at the corner of Wendy’s lips once more.
“What I love has always been the whole ‘you,’ including your resolve, your clumsiness, your innocence, and even… that terrifying possessiveness that made my waist ache for days.”
Hearing such sincere words, Astreia fell silent.
She stared blankly at the prince before her, feeling as if her heart had been dipped in a jar of warm honey.
Sweet to the point of sickness.
Warm to the point of burning.
The demons tormenting her, under Wendy’s philosophical-like counsel, miraculously vanished.
Yes… that is also part of me.
Part of my unspeakable love for Wendy.
Understanding this, the princess felt an enlightening clarity as if the whole world had changed.
Looking at Wendy’s handsome face that made her heart skip a beat, the love in her chest surged like a dam breaking, impossible to hold back any longer…
But just as the Prince of Emotions Wendy thought he had perfectly solved this crisis and was ready to enjoy the victory fruit,
“So, which ‘me’ do you like better?”
“……”
In an instant, the saint-like gentle and warm expression on Wendy’s face completely collapsed.
His temples throbbed.
He realized his mistake.
You can never reason with a woman caught in love’s grip!
The next second, the prince utterly gave up on “therapy.”
“Smack!!!”
A firm slap landed squarely on the princess’s rounded backside, leaving a clear imprint.
“Ah~ it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!”
Amid the princess’s startled cry, Wendy flipped over and pressed this fool, still tangled in philosophical musings, firmly beneath him.
“You love asking questions, huh?”
Wendy said through gritted teeth as his hands started getting restless, “Then I’ll answer you with actions—let you really feel which one I like!”
“Wendy! You… what are you doing! I-it’s still daylight…”
“Now you’re shy? Too late!”
For a while, stifled growls echoed in the room, only to be immediately suppressed and replaced by flushed, coquettish scoldings.
But this time, it was no longer one-sided taking.
It was a loving fusion.
***
The next day, the sunlight was just right.
The Sunset Fortress army had completed their final preparations—nearly ten thousand soldiers, all sporting massive dark circles under their eyes, assembled on the training grounds.
Their shining armor glittered under the sun, but the weary faces made this once-mighty army look somewhat comical.
A decisive operation that would determine the fate of the kingdom was about to begin.
Yet inside the master bedroom on the third floor of the castle, the atmosphere was entirely different.
Wendy was enjoying some lazy time in bed, like a well-fed, lethargic cat, burying his face deep into Astreia’s soft and incredibly resilient northern hemisphere.
He breathed in the comforting scent of Daisy Blossom Scent.
The restored princess lay on her side, affectionately holding her beloved, gently running her fingers through his deep blue, silky short hair.
After two days of absurd yet sweet “deep exchanges,” she had completely gotten used to, and even deeply fallen for, this intimate way of being together.
Meanwhile, thanks to Wendy’s tireless “teaching,” Astreia had also begun to grasp how to actively enter a semi-Descended state—that is, by wildly imagining Wendy before her being relentlessly NTR’d by various other women.
Though her combat power in this half-hearted state was nowhere near as devastating as her fully Descended form, it was still enough to crush the mundane armies of Valoran and the handful of court mages.
Just as this tender and peaceful moment lingered, an urgent knocking suddenly rang out.
“Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!”
“Your Highness! Prince Wendy! Please open the door quickly!”
Kara’s anxious voice came from outside.
“The Church and the Mage Association… they’ve sent people!”
“???”
The lazy prince and the princess holding her beloved both lifted their heads and exchanged a look filled with question marks.
The Church?
The Mage Association?
These two arrogant giants normally kept their distance—why suddenly send people to this backwater border fortress?
And at such a critical moment?
Neither dared to delay, hastily dressing.
Wendy changed into his signature green robe, while Astreia once again donned her shining heavy armor.
When they pushed open the door and hurried down to the first floor’s Council Hall, a clear and melodious ringing laugh was already flowing in ahead of them.
“Astreia! My dear Astreia! You’re absolutely amazing!”
“I knew you could do it!”
Before the words finished,
A figure like a breeze of purple fragrance burst inside and directly threw herself at Astreia.
“The moment I heard the Orcs were invading south, my heart jumped to my throat—I was so afraid you’d be alone here holding the line! I begged Mother for ages before she agreed to let me come!”
“But I never expected you actually won! And won so beautifully! You’re incredible! No wonder you’re my best friend!”
At the sight of her, the stern expression just held on Astreia’s face instantly melted into genuine joy and excitement.
“Shanna! What are you doing here?”
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love rival alert