Arthur's eyes widened in shock as he listened to the words spoken by the young captain who had a dejected expression on his face.

he asked, not believing his ears.

the young man said bitterly.

the emperor wondered.

Arthur reassured.

he replied, whispering with a hurt voice.

Arthur rose from his chair and walked over to the young knight and patted his shoulder comfortingly, smiling slightly at him.

Arthur stayed silent for a moment, deep in thought. Suddenly, he had an idea that crossed his mind.

he declared, smiling affectionately at him.

══════ ∘◦❁◦∘ ══════

Luana took a quick bath and changed into a new nightgown. She sat down in front of her mirror to brush her hair before going to sleep.

A few minutes later, someone knocked on her door which surprised her.

she ordered.

It was Agnès, her maid who entered the room before bowing to her.

she apologized.

Luana asked, very confused.

she replied.

Luana stayed silent for a moment, deep in thought, before nodding slowly.

she said, standing up.

══════ ∘◦❁◦∘ ══════

The young girl was dressed in a burgundy velvet dress with long, slightly puffy sleeves and a pair of low-heeled, brown, ankle boots. She had left her long wavy hair free.

She walked slowly, all alone towards the garden with her black cape which covered her shoulders from the freezing cold air of winter.

Once she arrived at the meeting place, she was surprised to see another person instead of her father. Lucas Koraxos stood there with Leo and Lea by his side while stroking their heads.

Once he noticed the girl's presence, he walked towards her before bowing.

he greeted.

She took a moment of hindsight and looked at him intently before answering him in a dry tone.

she asked, looking around.

he explained.

she whispered, exasperated.

She turned around to go back to her room when the young captain stopped her by hurriedly taking her hand in his.

she asked, looking at him bitterly.

he begged.

After a long sigh, the young princess finally nodded slowly, removing her hand from that of the young man.

she said coldly.

With these words, they climbed on the back of Leo and Lea before taking the path where Lucas was guiding them towards.

Arthur watched the scene unfold before his eyes from the window with an affectionate smile. Angus came up from behind and called out to him.

he asked, surprised.

he answered, smiling slightly.

Duke Lobelia stood where he was, completely confused by his friend's words. The latter turned to him with a smile still on his lips, sighing with relief.

he asked mischievously.

After some thinking, Angus gave him a knowing look with a smile, realizing what his friend was insinuating.

══════ ∘◦❁◦∘ ══════

A few minutes later, the small group found themselves in a magnificent plain where they could perfectly see the starry sky above them. The full moon was shining brighter that night.

Lucas got off his pet's back and walked over to Luana to help her off hers. The latter exerted a slight pressure on his shoulders which made his abdominal muscles contract. He trembled slightly in pain which alarmed the young girl.

she asked worriedly.

he replied, smiling, out of breath.

The young knight remained silent which confirmed the suspicions of the princess.

With these words, he took his bag which was attached to Leo's back and took out a small blanket which he put on the floor before inviting the young girl to sit down on it.

Once the latter had sat there, he did the same and sat next to her. They stared at the starry sky above them for some minutes without saying anything.

he began.

he explained.

she wondered.

the girl whispered.

he replied.

she asked, feeling her heartbeat quicken.

he announced, looking her straight in the eye.

she hesitated.

The young man looked up at the sky to watch the stars with a sad smile on his face.

he revealed.

This revelation made her eyes widen in surprise. She put her hand over her mouth looking at him in astonishment.

he continued.

she hesitated again, finding nothing to say.

The young man turned to her, showing her a very big smile as he always did.

he said from the bottom of his heart.

He was very surprised to see her with a look of pure shock on her face. It was then that he realized that tears were streaming down his cheeks. He chuckled slightly, ironically.

he whispered in embarrassment.

He wiped away his tears with the palms of his hands and got up to walk towards the plain and take a breath of fresh air to take his mind off things.

Suddenly, he felt someone hug him very tightly from behind which made him freeze in place, his blood freezing in his veins.

whispered the young princess, hiding her face on his back.

she exclaimed angrily.

Lucas bit his bottom lip to stop himself from crying again. He trembled slightly.

she whispered between small sobs.

On those, the young captain turned around to her and hugged her very tightly while crying too. He kissed her forehead affectionately before flashing her a very big smile.

he whispered with red cheeks.

she answered with a flushed face.

The two youngsters enjoyed the view of the beautiful sky above them together as their pets sat a few feet awa from them, rubbing each other's muzzles lovingly.

══════ ∘◦❁◦∘ ══════

Very late at night, someone knocked on the door of Captain Arminel's house. The latter was asleep in his bed and was awakened by the enormous noise.

he growled in displeasure.

He left his bedroom and walked down the long hallway while the person kept knocking nonstop.

he growled again.

Once he opened the door, he found himself in front of a very handsome young man that was wearing a long black cape. He was very tall and very muscular with pale skin, bluish-grayish hair, and eyes that were a blend of shaded color.

he greeted in a deep voice with a small smile.

The captain stood frozen in front of the door, completely confused. The person entered the house and closed the door behind her.

he said, inspecting the place.

Arminel asked in an irritated tone.

The young man looked at him with surprised eyes before bursting out laughing.

After a few seconds of thought, the former captain of the Imperial Army's eyes widened in shock and realization.

he asked, whispering.