“You look so much like my mother. My mother was a twin. One of them married into the Kingdom of Amoroso and gave birth to a child. Her name was Bethania. Your mother is Bethania, is she not?” When Alana gave a small nod, the king took a deep breath.

“You are Princess Alana, after all.”

“Yes, it is a pleasure to meet you. King Ismael of Nava Serrat and Queen Carmelita. I am Alana, the first princess of Armenia. Please forgive my rudeness for showing up unannounced and unexpected.”

“I have heard that you are physically weak. The floor is cold. Sit in a chair.”

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine. May I speak?”

Alana, with the king’s approval, began to speak.

She talked about the black soil and black water. Armenia’s alliance was a lie. Behind the scenes was the country of Teges. Time had already begun to move. Along the way, she saw what appeared to be a knight of Teges.

“Your country, Nava Serrat, is coming to an end. This is the conclusion of my rash remarks. I accept that I deserve to be beheaded at this moment. However, my body is capable of being a shield. However, I have no power, and unfortunately, only one person can surely save me. King Ismael, if you can save me a little, let me protect one of your loved ones. I swear that I will protect them with my life.”

The queen put her hand over her mouth. It was so quiet that the sound of a candle burning could be heard. In the midst of all this, Alana sank even lower and touched her forehead against the floor.

“Princess Alana. You think we’re all going to be killed, don’t you?”

“Yes, I’m afraid there is no way to save you.”

“You call Serrat, Nava Serrat, a distant name from the past. No one calls us that now.” A large hand rested on Alana’s shoulder as the king walked up to her and bent down to place it on her shoulder.

“No matter what happens, royalty is not something who bow down. Not to mention, you are the second coming of Lorenzo. And you are the daughter of my first love. As a man, I ask you to go no further.”

Alana batted her eyelashes, not expecting to be told that she was the second coming of Lorenzo here. And that she was the daughter of his first love. Alana didn’t have a single memory of her mother. He had never told anyone, but he and Bethania had been in love once upon a time. The king looked at the queen and smiled, “You and I hadn’t met yet, but that was in the past. Forgive me,” he smiled.

“I was curious about Bethania’s memento. I’ve also sent a man to investigate. I also know that her body is weak and that she was imprisoned as Lorenzo’s reincarnation. She has a fiancé, and she cannot leave the castle. You are now in front of me by pushing yourself. I’m sorry for making you imitate the messenger of death. This is an adult’s mistake.”

Alana’s delicate body was awakened by the king. The king stared into her eyes.

“Princess Alana, your hair should be golden, close to white, but did you dye it to come here?”

“Yes, I dyed it.”

“I see. You’ve come all this way to tell me about the crisis. There is no need for you to feel guilty. It’s different. This had nothing to do with you. It was bound to happen sooner or later. We’ve been having a series of skirmishes with Teges.”

The king’s face showed that he had given up. He seemed to see that resistance would not only be futile but would only make his opponent fiercer and add fuel to the fire. Perhaps the king was also aware of the current state of the castle, which was being undermined, and that he was being watched.

He had accepted his fate.

“I take full responsibility for this. I am the one who was deceived. I am the one who is weak. I am the one who is a foolish king. But I am not afraid of death. I want a clean death with the country.”

“I thought that the alliance with Armenia would be a means to save Nava Serrat.”

According to his research, the nobility of Serrat had long been split in two. There were even nobles who were more powerful than the royal family, and some of them even had connections with Teges. It seemed that the king was planning to unite the nobles by marrying his son Luciano to the daughter of the Duke of Vento.

“I will not deny it. Serrat is in decline. The future of the country is in the hands of my bright son. … at least one year, no, half a year….”

The king looked up and gazed at the door leading to Mileia’s room.

“If possible, I want to keep my son and daughter alive. I want them to see the future. But it must not be at your expense. I want you to live too. Therefore, Princess Alana. I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your suggestion. This is dangerous. Leave the country tomorrow morning.”

The king placed his hand on top of Alana’s head. It was the first time it had been touched by an adult, though Callisto had also touched her head. His hand was strong and warm. He stroked her slowly. The king pulled Alana’s arm and hugged her tightly.

Alana’s eyes were round.

“The King of Armenia is not known for his love for his children. It seems that no one has ever taught you to feel. I don’t have much time left but think of me as your father now. You are only twelve years old before you are the second coming of the wise emperor Lorenzo.” Alana was confused. She did not know what was going on. She had never known her parents’ love, so this was something she had never expected. What did it mean to think of him as her father? She was being hugged by the king from the front, but suddenly she felt the warmth from her back as well. It was because the queen had embraced the king and Alana from behind.

She didn’t know how to respond, but she could feel their sincerity. She could feel her cheeks getting hot and wet. She thought it was strange. She was supposed to be emotionless. She was not supposed to be able to understand the human heart. She was the second coming, so she hadn’t cried since she was a little girl.

She tried to stop, but she could not. Her body shook and wobbled. She wondered why she was hadn’t been blamed. She was the daughter of Armenia, the country’s destroyer.

Why was she being hugged? She was the princess of the hateful enemy country.

“U…Uh….” Alana unknowingly raised her voice. She was sad, in pain, and she did not want to die; she wanted to live. She wanted to live.

But what should she do? Her head was rattling terribly. Alana realised as she let her tears fall. This was human emotion.

♔♔♔