I was stunned—utterly speechless—by what the King had just declared.
It all happened so suddenly. For a moment, I stood frozen, my eyes sweeping over the sea of people below the stage. Knights, civilians, friends... all of them were cheering for me with joy shining in their eyes.
Lyra, Freya, Marius, Julius, Leopold, Luna, and Erin were no longer weeping. Instead, they smiled—faces glowing with pride. Their sorrow was washed away, even if just for a moment.
And then... I saw her.
Serena smiled at me warmly from a distance. Her eyes shimmered with quiet relief. Theresia beamed, flashing a cheerful thumbs-up. Her face was radiant, hopeful.
Cain, on the other hand, looked less than thrilled. I could practically hear his thoughts—he's always been the competitive one. But even so, he slowly began to clap, nodding in reluctant acknowledgment. He accepted me.
