And Thus… It All Comes to an End - Chapter 25

The moment I finished reading the letter, I slammed it onto my desk. The dry crack of impact left an ominous echo lingering in the office.

My temples throbbed. Unable to suppress my irritation, I clicked my tongue against the back of my teeth.

—That utter fool.

The curse screaming in my mind sent sparks through my chest. He couldn’t even manage something as simple as making her wear a bracelet to bind that girl’s gaze. And now the Crown Prince is a prisoner…

A hostage situation is a move to be made by the strong. To end up as the one being taken is the height of embarrassment for the Royal Family. My negotiation cards had crumbled into dust without a sound.

—But it is not over yet.

“Your Majesty. What does the letter say?”

The Prime Minister’s voice. He sounded calm, but in truth, he couldn’t entirely hide his trepidation. I mocked him inwardly. He still didn’t understand. A King is not shaken by something of this magnitude.

“The Crown Prince has been captured. Apparently, for the crime of attempting to harm Luciana. She has written demanding that I appear at the negotiating table.”

I let out a derisive snort.

“She says that if I refuse, she will force through the declaration of independence.”

“…!” The Prime Minister gasped.

“What should we do, Prime Minister?”

As I asked, the answer was already decided. A King does not make mistakes in his choices. I have never made a mistake, not even once.

“We must recover His Highness the Crown Prince at any cost.”

A platitude. And because it was a platitude, it was tedious. The Crown Prince is “unique,” but he is not “irreplaceable.” That is the nature of a Royal Family.

“Her Majesty the Queen is prostrate with grief.”

At those words, my heart wavered for a fleeting second. But I cut the feeling away immediately.

“Tears cannot protect a nation.”

I am a King. I am a being who prioritizes appearance and order over emotion.

“…Sara, too, is concerned for His Highness.”

The moment that name was mentioned, my thoughts shifted. Sara. The Apostle of the Goddess. The symbol of faith. And a trump card still held within my grasp.

“Sara will accompany me to the negotiations.”

“Are you certain, sire?”

“Yes.” I stated it with absolute conviction. “Faith is a hope for the weak, and a tool for the strong.”

The Prime Minister bowed his head deeply. Looking down at him, I began to envision the shape of my victory.

I would recover the Crown Prince, nip the bud of independence, and teach that girl playing at being a Queen a lesson about reality.

It was then.

The door shook with enough force to suggest it was being broken down. An attendant practically collapsed into the room. His face was ash-pale. His breathing was ragged, and the words were stuck in his throat.

The moment I saw him, a “bad premonition” sprouted in the depths of my chest.

“A disaster…”

“Be brief,” I snapped, making no effort to hide my irritation.

“The… the people they have vanished.”

—Pardon?

For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend the meaning.

“What are you talking about? A mass desertion?”

“N-no! The vast majority of the capital, it is as if they were never there to begin with…”

The plazas are hollow.

The streets are empty of shadows.

The people, sucked into the light.

The words being fired at me one after another made my head swim.

—Absurd.

“The city gates should be sealed!”

As I raised my voice, the Prime Minister quietly cut in.

“…It must be a magic circle.” That single sentence pierced my chest like a cold blade. “There is no doubt this is Veridia’s doing. A scale of this magnitude, it already exceeds our projections.”

Projections. That word was profoundly unpleasant.

“Meaning, they have taken the people hostage?”

“…Yes.”

I slowly leaned back into my chair. There was no panic. No! I must not panic.

“Then all the more reason to negotiate here, in our castle. Going to their land is not something a King does.”

I declared it as if to convince myself. The Prime Minister started to say something, then closed his mouth. Good. There is no need to raise objections to a King’s judgment.

I crushed the letter in my hand. The sensation of the paper was unexpectedly fragile.

—Everything is still within my palm.

“I shall step out for a moment.”

I headed toward the Queen’s private chambers. My stride was unwavering. It wasn’t about the Crown Prince—it was to ease the Queen’s mind. Hearing that she was prostrate with grief, I couldn’t simply stay away.

“Tears cannot protect a nation.”

I had said that, but I had no intention of leaving a weeping Queen to herself. She is my most beloved. The Queen is the woman I chose, the being who stands beside the throne. The Crown Prince is merely a byproduct of that.

When I opened the door, the scent of incense mingled with suppressed sobs drifted out. The Queen sat on a chaise longue, supported by a maid, her face pale.

“Leave us.”

I commanded the maids, and they exited with a bow. I closed the door and approached the Queen quietly.

“…Your Majesty.”

A trembling voice. The eyes that looked at me were clinging, yet terrified. I must protect her. That much was certain.

“You have heard, then,” I said lowly. “The Crown Prince has been captured by the nation of Veridia.”

The Queen’s throat hitched.

“So, it is true… Oh, how could the Crown Prince…” Her voice was weak. “…And what of us?” She continued, her lips trembling. “Your Majesty, if—if that woman bears a grudge… if she does something to this castle, to you, or to me…”

The thing she feared most was not the life or death of her son, but our own future. As a mother, she may be lacking. But as my beloved, this reaction was only natural. I knelt before the Queen and met her eyes.

“Rest easy.” I gave her my absolute word. “No matter who does what, I will protect you.”

The Queen’s eyes welled with tears.

“Your Majesty…”

“I will never allow danger to reach you. Even if it means cutting the Crown Prince loose.”

I continued without filtering my words. They were not the words of a King or a father. They were simply the vow of a man. The Queen let out a breath of relief, looking as though she might collapse into tears of a different kind.

“…I was so afraid.” Her arms grabbed my sleeve. “But our son Your Majesty, please, do something for him as well.”

“Yes, I will do my best. You must not leave the castle. Until the negotiations are over, there is no need for you to appear in public.”

I spoke gently, but with a tone that brooked no argument.

“Yes.”

An obedient reply. That was all I needed. I would recover the Crown Prince if necessary. But the option of losing the Queen never existed to begin with.

I stood up and kissed the Queen lightly on the forehead.

“I shall decide everything.”

As I closed the door, I heard the Queen let out a small sigh behind me. A sigh of relief.

The things I must protect are clear.