...

PAT.

The bathroom door opened.

Immediately, scalding steam billowed out, misting the air around the doorway.

Crisp footsteps sounded.

Shiayar lifted his head slightly, only to see that the blonde girl had, at some point, changed into a teacher's outfit.

Amidst her pale golden locks, she wore an exquisitely crafted headpiece with raised, dark purple horns on either side.

It was the most popular item in contemporary adult novelty stores—the "Succubus Headwear."

Enola walked to the bedside and gently knelt beside Shiayar. Her fair skin, flushed with warmth after her bath, appeared slightly translucent under the glow of the magictech lamp.

She pulled back the covers and slid a long, slender, black-stockinged leg beneath them.

Then, Enola turned her head slightly, tilting it as she looked at Shiayar, her porcelain-white face devoid of emotion.

"Not sleeping yet?"

Shiayar paused, startled. He glanced at the girl before him, dressed in a teacher's OL outfit and wearing the Succubus Headwear. "Sleep like this?"

It wasn't that he was clueless about romance; it was just that the Ennie before him felt somewhat foreign.

This girl was usually so proud and tsundere. Even though they shared a bed, she always wrapped herself tightly in her blanket, never giving him an opportunity for a sneaky nighttime advance.

As for the intimacy and "benefits" expected between lovers, or even spouses, those were always granted coyly and reluctantly. An occasional lap pillow was already an extremely rare treat.

So why had she suddenly become so proactive today?

"Mhm."

Enola nodded gently.

Her sky-blue eyes blinked. Then, she leaned a step closer to Shiayar and extended her hands.

The next moment, Shiayar felt himself being embraced.

It wasn't the full and soft sensation he'd experienced with Silvia; this embrace felt innocent, yet gentle.

Pale golden spiritual power slowly emanated from her.

Then, silently, it enveloped Shiayar's spirit.

This was Enola's own spiritual power. Unlike the piercing Sharpness she wielded in battle, this was replaced by a gentleness, flowing like water.

Enola pressed herself tightly against Shiayar's chest. A gentle warmth radiated from her delicate body, warming both his physical form and his spirit.

Her soft whisper resonated beside Shiayar's ear.

"It's okay."

"No matter what you've done wrong, Shiayar, whatever mistakes you've made, or what consequences have arisen... I'm willing to bear and face them all with you."

"I belong to you... and not just because of the vow we made back in Ceylon."

Enola bit her lip gently.

"Even if the vow ends and our memories of each other disappear... even if you don't want me anymore, it won't matter. I will follow you, even to the ends of the earth, until death itself."

"So, please, don't blame yourself or feel lost... And don't pay any mind to what those historians say about you."

"Even if, one day, the entire world calls you an irredeemable demon, Shiayar, a fiend beyond forgiveness, and banishes you to the Abyss, I will walk into that Abyss and stay by your side."

...

Listening to her gentle, soft words, Shiayar was slightly taken aback.

He couldn't help but recall everything that had happened in Red Frost Territory's main city, a few days after the fall of Ceylon.

Shiayar had secretly investigated everything for her, arranged for a White Tower tutor, and secured a future that was brighter, with more promising prospects.

Yet, that little girl had still jumped off the departing steam train, limping, and unhesitatingly chosen to stay by his side.

And at this moment, he suddenly understood the true intention behind Enola's words and actions.

This silly girl hadn't suddenly "opened up"... nor had she finally been cured of that so-called ailment known as "tsundere."

It was because she had sensed the wavering, confusion, and self-reproach in his heart.

That was why she was using such an incredibly clumsy way to try and comfort him.

Thinking this, a faint smile touched Shiayar's lips.

He shifted slightly, turning the tables and pulling the blonde girl on the bed into his embrace.

The girl's body was exceptionally soft, yet radiated an intense warmth.

"Ennie, you're underestimating your boyfriend far too much."

"Do you really think I'm the type with such poor mental fortitude that I'd get lost in confusion and self-doubt, become delusional, or even spiral into depression?"

Enola didn't resist, allowing Shiayar to hold her.

She gazed into Shiayar's eyes with her sky-blue orbs, her expression serious. "So, what about the Second Princess's situation, and this incorrect history? What do you plan to do?"

"What else can I do?"

Shiayar toyed with a lock of the girl's pale golden hair, twirling it around his fingers.

"If I've made a mistake, then I have to admit it and then try to make amends. Facing your errors is far braver than choosing to run away."

"Since the Empire's history has gone down the wrong path, and because of me, Her Royal Highness's fate has been diverted onto a course I never wished for."

"Then, what I must do is correct it... and change the ending of this imperfect 'Legend of the Knight King' to one I desire."

"Since all this turmoil began because of Cain, then it shall also end with Cain."

Shiayar pulled the blanket further over Enola.

"I'll do this, not for some promotion reward, nor for any grandiose but ultimately absurd reasons like 'correcting the course of humanity' or 'maintaining the great trend of history.'"

"It's simply because I want to. That's all."

"As far as I'm concerned, if it's something I want to do, then it is the right thing to do."

"Are you satisfied with that answer, Ennie?"

"Mhm."

Hearing the conviction in his words, Enola snuggled deeper into his embrace and nodded gently.

She wasn't particularly interested in concepts like reversing time, intersecting timelines, or the correctness of history; even thinking about them too much made her head ache slightly…

But since these were matters Shiayar had to face, she was willing to endure the headache and confusion to learn and understand them.

Only by doing so could she stand by his side and be his strength when he needed her.

When she'd seen Shiayar looking so self-reproachful earlier, Enola had felt quite alarmed, as she rarely saw him like that. The last time had been during that blizzard in Ceylon.

Only when Shiayar's voice regained its usual spirit just now did she finally feel relieved.

This proud, bold, and confident—even to the point of arrogance—boy was the Shiayar she knew.

Whatever he decided was right, he considered absolute and unshakeable, and he would undoubtedly achieve it.

That was his way, whether in his attitude towards Isadella or previously with Silvia...

Enola was extremely displeased by the Gray-Silver Witch's appearance. However, she knew in her heart that if Shiayar were confronted by the White Tower Master and actually dithered, refusing to admit his true identity and feelings, then he wouldn't be Shiayar anymore.

"Though I know you're only doing this to comfort me, Ennie..."

"But since you've said all that, I'm going to take you at your word, alright?"

Shiayar felt the soft, warm body in his arms and inhaled her faint, youthful fragrance as he spoke slowly.

"I promised to wait until after our wedding to truly be with you, but for anything else... I won't be holding back tonight."

"Okay."

Enola nodded.

Then, in an extremely soft voice, almost a whisper, she said,

"Actually... being a bit more affectionate on a daily basis would be fine too..."

"And I'm starting to think that using two blankets for one bed is a little wasteful."

Enola rested her head on Shiayar's shoulder and snuggled even closer into his chest.

The boy's arms weren't particularly thick or brawny, yet they radiated an intense warmth. In her memory, they were like a shield. They felt strong enough to ward off even the blizzards of the Northern Territory—storms capable of freezing a snow mammoth solid.

Truthfully, all she had ever wanted, from beginning to end, was just to be able to nestle beside him like this...

...

That night, the hotel's two deluxe suites were exceptionally quiet. The pitch-black soundproof barrier not only isolated the rooms from the outside world but also severed their connection to the Soul Pact Space.

MEOW...

MEOW...

Only the plaintive meows of a cat occasionally broke the silence.

Despite initially being too proud to admit it, a certain someone eventually couldn't resist their curiosity... stealthily extending their spiritual power to penetrate the barrier and peek.

And that one peek was enough to turn the white cat into a "lemon cat."