I looked at the 'Tears of Light'.

Tenlarn Palace, the golden room, stone plates, Phillip, Laontel, the screaming of a woman, and Tears of Light.

Maybe all of these were somehow connected.

But the curse of the Goddess had been lifted.

The Cassils were also about to fall.

Everything had been settled, but I still felt like I had missed something important.

Suddenly, the door to the office opened and Collin entered.

"Your Majesty!"

As soon as I heard the urgency in his voice, my heart began to beat fast.

Tenstheon asked him nervously, "What's going on?"

"The Door of Darkness opened!"

***

When the Door of Darkness In the Valley of Chaos opened, the world would be doomed.

The Emperor of Asteric Empire was responsible for closing the Door of Darkness.

"I need to go now. I'm sorry."

Blake shook his head at Tenstheon's apology.

"No, don't worry. Just go."

"Yes."

Tenstheon answered but he hesitated to walk away. Collin urged him.

"Your Majesty, we're running out of time."

The longer they stalled, the more the Door of Darkness would open.

"I'll be right back."

"Yes, we'll be waiting. Be careful, father."

"You don't need to hurry. Ancia and I will be fine, so don't worry."

"Yes, I'll be careful."

I knew what Tenstheon was worried about.

To seal the Door of Darkness, he needed the power of light.

But, the more the Emperor used the power of light, the more painful it would be for the Heir to the Curse.

But Blake was no longer cursed, so what would happen now?

If Tenstheon used the power, would that affect Blake in any way?

Or would nothing happen since the curse had been lifted?

I was also worried about it.

There was no scene like this in the original story.

I hoped that everything would be fine.

***

Nothing's going to happen. Everything's going to be okay.

Although I tried to think so, I still rummaged through the history books at the Imperial palace anxiously.

A thousand years ago, even during the Zelcan Empire, the Door of Darkness had opened.

How did they stop it then?

But all of the books in the Zelcan Empire era were gone so I couldn't find any no information on it.

"It'll be alright. We'll be alright."

I left the library with a heavy heart.

Then, I saw Collin staggering from afar like a zombie.

"Sir Collin!"

"Your Highness."

He looked at me and bowed,

"You stayed up all night again?"

The dark circles under Collin's eyes had deepened yet again.

"No..."

"You look so tired."

"His Majesty headed to the Valley of Chaos without a wink of sleep, so I can't be like this."

Tenstheon had entrusted Collin with all of his tasks before leaving the palace.

Now that the Emperor and the knights had left the capital, Collin's burden had increased even more.

"Have you eaten yet?"

"I took a special nutritious supplement to wake myself up."

"That's not enough. Do you want me to make you a meal?"

"It's a great honor to taste your food, but I think I will fall asleep the moment the food goes into my stomach."

"You should really sleep. You look very tired."

"It's still bearable. His Majesty has given me an important task. I must do my job."

Collin was always like that.

When he was with Tenstheon, he would complain about this and that, but he would always show his respect towards Tenstheon when he was in front of others.

"Sir Collin is really a good man."

"Please say that one more time when His Majesty comes back. Your praise is stronger than a thousand letters of recommendation."

"He already knows it without me saying it. You know how much he trusts and depends on you right?"

"Well..."

"Why? What's the matter?"

"He said that he'd give me a vacation after the Cassils' matter was taken care of."

"That's great news!"

"Is he trying to get rid of me?"

"....."

"That can't be true. You've worked hard Sir Collin, so he's being considerate by giving you a vacation."

"It's my first time being given a vacation, so I'm a little nervous. What if my position is taken over by the time I come back from the vacation?"

"What should I do if His Highness no longer needs me?"

"Enough."

I cut him off firmly. What Collin should be worried about right now was him being overworked, not unemployed.

"You're thinking of such nonsense, so you must be lacking sleep. Get some rest now!"

"No!"

"I command you as the Crown Princess!"

I immediately ordered a cook to prepare warm soup to be given to him after he woke up. After I forced him to get some sleep, I checked the documents that he was working on.

Among them were the documents sent by the Marquis of Westin.

It was a report to inform the Emperor that he tried to break the engagement between Frank and his daughter, but the Cassils refused.

No matter how high ranking a noble was, they were not obliged to report to the Emperor except when they got engaged or divorce.

This report was just to show the Emperor that the Westins wanted to break their relationship with the Cassils.

But in the original novel, they even got married.

Everything had changed...

In the first place, the Westins accepted this marriage because they wanted their daughter to become the Empress.

With the Cassils family downfall, there was no way they'd continue their engagement.

"Your Majesty, I'd like to go home... please let me go..."

Collin talked in his sleep as he slept on the sofa.

It was nice to see him coming back to the normal office worker mode, where he dreamed of going home from work, instead of being afraid of losing his job.

***

"Blake, what about the furniture? How about white? Should we use calming colours?"

We were preparing to move out.

When Blake was cursed, he was put in a far away palace. But now that the curse had been lifted, there was no reason to keep staying there anymore.

Tenstheon gave us the Forens Palace, which was right next to the Sephia Palace, and we were scheduled to move right after the ball.

But there's a slight problem.

"Just pick whatever you like."

"What do you think, Blake?"

"I like whatever you choose."

Blake smiled brightly. It was always like this.

Everything from lighting to furniture, Blake never made any comment.

Even if I asked, he'd just say to pick whatever I wanted.

"I'm the only one who's been choosing everything so far. You do it this time."

"No, you do it."

"Ugh."

Then, Blake clasped my hand.

"You like picking things, right, Ancia? I want to live in a place that is full of things that you like."

"...But do you really not want to pick anything?"

"What you want is what I want."

"Then let's choose together. Because I also like what you like."

"Alright."

Blake smiled in reply.

We picked out furniture during the day and practiced dancing together at night.

When the ball would be held after Tenstheon's return, I'd have my first dance with Blake.

I thought it was only a dream.

I thought it wouldn't be possible.

But the day was approaching soon.

Blake and I often danced together. Maybe because we had been practicing together for three years already, but we did very well together.

"Ancia, you're very good at this."

"Really? Aren't my steps a little awkward?"

"No, you're really good."

"It;s because you lead me so well. I think I will make a mistake if I dance with someone else."

I was about to take the next step, when Blake stopped me.

"Do you need to dance with the other guys?"

"After the first dance with you, I'd have to dance with another guy and you'd have to dance with another girl too."

It was a basic etiquette that we had to follow at the ball.

But Blake's shoulders drooped.

"Are you jealous?"

"Yes."

I was going to tease him a little but he nodded instead.

"...you will dance with someone else."

"Blake, you need to dance with other girls too."

"I don't want it. I only want to dance with Ancia."

"You're the Crown Prince. You can't do that."

"I still don't want it. Everyone hated me before, so why do I have to dance with them now?"

"Blake..."

"All I need is Ancia. I only want to stay here with you. I don't like other places. I like it here. I don't want to leave..."