Ethan lowered his gaze to the metal tag in his hand, then looked back at her. For once, a trace of awkward hesitation crept into his expression.
He clearly wasn't good at handling this kind of moment.
After a short silence, he finally spoke.
"How about this." Ethan scratched his cheek, keeping his tone as gentle as he could manage. "From now on, you come with me to Emerald Castle. I can't give you a princess title… but there, you can live like a princess. Free. No one telling you what you're allowed to be."
Anya froze.
Then the light in her eyes flared so bright it almost hurt to look at.
She didn't overthink it. She lunged forward and hugged Ethan, fast enough that even he stiffened for a second.
"Thank you!"
Her voice shook with excitement and happiness, and she couldn't quite hide the leftover tears.
"You're really a good person! You helped me get revenge, and you're willing to take me with you… I don't even know how to repay you!"
