Night had fallen deep.
Betty managed to find a brief moment for Dahlia to see Gwynnslun.
"Princess Dahlia, you must go quickly while I distract the guards. I won't be able to hold them off for long."
"…Thank you, Betty."
As Betty approached the guards and led them away under some excuse, Dahlia swallowed hard.
Pulling her cloak tightly around herself, she slipped into the shadows and made her way toward the underground prison.
With every step downward, the air grew heavier—thick, damp, suffocating.
Cold seeped through the stone walls, biting into her skin.
In the deep darkness, only the hollow echo of her footsteps accompanied her.
And then—
Behind iron bars, she saw him.
Her heart clenched as if crushed in an unseen fist.
"Lun…!"
Her trembling voice tore through the darkness of the prison.
She ran to the cell.
The moment she stopped before the bars, her breath caught painfully in her throat.
Gwynnslun was drenched in blood.
Split lips. A torn face. Bruises and wounds covered into his body.
The sight was merciless.
"Lun... I'm sorry… because of me... this all happened… because of me…"
Dahlia clutched the iron bars with shaking hands, gripping them so tightly her fingers turned white.
At the sound of her voice, Gwynnslun struggled to lift his head.
His blue eyes, clearer than the blood staining him, filled only with her.
"Lad… Your Highness? How did you…?"
Swallowing his pain, he forced a faint smile and stepped closer to the bars.
"Youg Highness… please don't cry…"
"I'm sorry… it's my fault… all of it… if it weren't for me—"
Her shoulders shook uncontrollably. She couldn't hold her tears back.
Gwynnslun lifted his bloodstained hand and gently laid it over hers.
"I was happy. Every day I spent with you... felt like a dream I never wanted to wake from. The days in the cabin, your laughter... everything. I have never once regretted my choice. Not for a single moment."
His fingertips brushed her cheek softly.
Carefully, tenderly, he wiped away her tears.
Dahlia clenched his hand, forcing herself not to break.
"Lun, please… stay alive. Wait for me. No matter where you go—no matter how far— I will find you. I swear I will. So please… please...."
"...I promise."
At his words, a fragile sense of relief settled in her chest.
From afar, Betty's urgent signal reached them.
Time was up.
Dahlia drew in a shaky breath and lifted her head.
"…Lun."
Her eyes were bloodshot.
For a moment, she couldn't speak.
But she knew that if she didn't say it now, she never would.
Slowly, she parted her lips.
"I love you. I love you, Lun."
Through her tear-soaked face, a very small, careful smile bloomed.
His breath escaped a beat too late.
Then, he smiled first.
But the tremor was hidden beneath that smile.
Dahlia knew it better than anyone.
Quietly, with a shaking yet aching voice, he answered.
"I love you too...."
Dahlia smiled softly.
Now, truly, it was time to part.
Their fingers, pressed together through the bars, slowly and agonizingly began to separate.
Dahlia held on until the very last second, retreating step by step, each one heavier than the last.
The moment their fingertips fully parted, his warmth slipped away like melting snow.
"Please… stay alive."
Swallowing her tears, Dahlia turned away.
Praying this would not be the last time she ever saw Gwynnslun.
***
The next morning.
Dark shadows lay beneath Dahlia's eyes after a sleepless night.
She looked nothing like a bride on the eve of her wedding.
Only sorrow and pain clung to her pale face.
A knock came at her door.
When it opened, it was not Betty but another maid who entered with a bow.
"…Wait. Where is Betty?"
"She resigned last night."
"…What?"
Dahlia immediately knew it was a lie.
Betty, who had promised to leave for the Empire with her, would never quit without reason.
"Where is Betty?"
"I… I don't know."
"I'll ask again. Where is she?"
Only then did the maid speak.
"I'm not certain, but… last night, I saw Betty being dragged away by knights. That's all I—"
Dahlia's heart collapsed.
'It's my fault… all of this… because of me…'
But she could not allow the devastation within her to surface.
In this palace, within these walls, she could trust no one.
Forcing her tears back, she steadied her breath.
"Then… find out where Betty is."
"Yes, Your Highness."
When the door closed, Dahlia stood frozen.
Hands tightly clasped, trembling lips whispering silent prayers for Betty's safety.
***
As dusk fell, devastating news reached her.
"The maid named Betty… was punished for treason. Both of her hands were severed, and she was abandoned in the slums."
"...!"
Dahlia's entire body stiffened.
She covered her mouth, unable to breathe.
Her vision shook as if her heart were being torn apart.
She wanted to rush to the king and shatter everything.
But she had neither the power nor the right.
And she hated herself all the more for it.
'Because of me… Lun… Betty…'
She wanted to run to the slums immediately.
But she was no longer even allowed to leave the palace at will.
Biting her lip with all her strength, she tried to suppress her grief.
The blood trickled down her chin.
Red-rimmed eyes. Bloodstained lips.
Her pain spoke louder than any words.
"Your Highness… your lip—"
"…Leave me. I want to be alone."
"Yes, Your Highness."
When the door closed, Dahlia collapsed.
Tears poured down endlessly, but she couldn't make a sound.
Afraid someone might hear, she pressed her lips together and cried silently, alone in the room for a long, long time.
On the night before her wedding, Dahlia lost yet another precious person.
Crushed beneath unbearable loss, her heart bent and withered like a flower slowly breaking under its own weight.
***
At dawn the next day, Dahlia boarded the carriage in a pure white wedding dress.
There were no blessings.
No farewells.
Even the king did not appear.
The attendants avoided her gaze.
And Betty, who was meant to be by her side, was gone.
Inside the empty carriage, Dahlia sat silently with her hands folded in her lap.
It was the loneliest wedding day imaginable.
After days of travel, the gates of the Empire finally came into view.
The carriage came to a stop.
The door opened, and a hand was offered to her.
Golden hair shining like morning sunlight, swept back neatly.
A warm smile beneath brilliant white ceremonial robes.
Luias Alex Aureum.
The young Emperor of the Empire.
Though he had ascended the throne at a young age after his father's death, no one ruled the Empire better.
At least, that was true until this wedding.
People even called him the most handsome emperor in history.
"Welcome, Empress Dahlia."
He addressed her as Empress even before the ceremony.
Dahlia didn't make eye contact with him and lowered her head.
Her emotions long since dried up.
"…Thank you."
She carefully took his warm hand and stepped down from the carriage.
"I apologize for the haste. The wedding was delayed… so we must proceed immediately. Is that all right?"
There was genuine consideration in his voice.
Dahlia nodded weakly.
Unlike her kingdom, the Empire welcomed her.
Countless people smiled and offered their blessings.
Though shortened for her sake, the ceremony was grand and magnificent.
But Dahlia saw none of it.
The joyful laughter only deepened her pain.
Because Gwynnslun. Because Betty.
Dahlia's heart sank deeper into darkness.