Long ago, in a distant age, there were two close friends who cherished one another more than anyone else.
Each built their own kingdom, and at times they helped one another, standing as pillars of support as they maintained peace together.
Yet as generations passed, their friendship gradually faded.
Until one day, it was severed completely.
When one prospered, the other grew envious.
They constantly sought to overpower and subdue one another, fighting without end.
After decades of such strife, one nation finally obtained overwhelming power and rose to become an empire.
The empire is now known as the Aureum Empire.
The defeated kingdom, Rubere, fell into a small and powerless.
Though Rubere remained a kingdom by title, it was nothing more than a weak nation with no real strength.
As more generations passed, the Aureum Empire continued to grow ever stronger.
The Rubere kingdom, however, did not simply resign itself to decline.
It waited patiently, constantly seeking an opportunity to surpass the Empire.
And that opportunity arrived during the reign of the most greedy and cruel king in Rubere's history.
***
"My daughter has finally become a source of strength to her father! Hahahahaha!"
The Rubere king shouted drunkenly.
Dahlia felt sick just looking at her father's hypocritical smile and exaggerated gestures directed at her.
He had always been like this.
Power was the only thing he ever cared about, and he had never once cherished his daughter sincerely.
Today's royal party was no different.
On the surface, it was said to be a celebration of the marriage alliance between the Aureum Empire and the Rubere kingdom.
In truth, it was something else entirely.
"Everyone, hear me! Through my daughter's marriage, Rubere has joined hands with the Empire!"
To the king of Rubere, this marriage was the opportunity he had coveted for decades.
The moment his daughter became Empress, he would gain the title of 'the Emperor's father-in-law.'
With that single title alone, he truly believed he would stand on equal footing with the Empire.
He carried himself as though the title already belonged to him—when the wedding had not even happened yet.
That was why, only after all the imperial guests had departed, did he bother to host such an extravagant party.
It was not a celebration that came first, but a display.
Not joy, but boastfulness.
"From this day on, we shall become a stronger kingdom–no, no, we shall become an empire ourselves!"
As the king of Rubere raised his glass and proclaimed proudly, cheers erupted throughout the hall.
Yet hardly anyone's gaze turned toward Dahlia, the very centerpiece of the occasion.
Neither the king nor the nobles paid her any real attention.
Dahlia had never liked such a party.
More precisely, she didn't like the people gathered within them.
'The nobles who fattened themselves while the kingdom crumbled….'
Dahlia clenched her fists tightly.
If not for the king and nobles' extravagance, if not for their endless greed, the kingdom might have been far more peaceful than it was now.
But today was the last day she would ever be entangled with them.
Today, Dahlia would make a choice that would change her entire life.
As the second piece of music neared its end, her maid, Betty, quietly approached and whispered.
"Your Highness, it will soon be time to leave."
Betty was the only person Dahlia trusted in the palace. She was Dahlia's only friend.
She had helped prepare this entire plan and had even carefully found out when the knights would change their patrols.
"Thank you, Betty."
"Of course. It's for Your Highness!"
When the second piece of music ended, Dahlia excused herself, saying she needed some rest, and left the party.
It was easy for her to leave since no one cared.
She went straight to the prepared room with Betty, where she dyed her red hair a common brown and changed into a different dress.
Before boarding the carriage that had been prepared in advance, Dahlia handed Betty two small pouches filled with her jewels.
"Betty, take these. One is your share. Use the other for the orphanage and the people in the slums."
"Your Highness… Thank you so much. I was happy to serve you. Now, please–find happiness of your own."
Tears welled in both of their eyes as they exchanged their final farewell.
After holding each other tightly, Dahlia boarded the carriage.
She pretended to be the daughter of the noble household and left the royal palace.
Inside the carriage was a commoner's cloth that Betty had prepared in advance.
Her careful consideration was evident everywhere, and it made Dahlia's heart ache even more.
"Betty…. Thank you."
She held the cloth close to her and thought about Betty.
When the carriage arrived at the town shortly afterward, Dahlia told the coachman that she had business at the marketplace and sent him away.
Once she confirmed the carriage had disappeared from sight, she immediately began running toward the meeting place.
By the time she arrived, gasping for breath, her steps slowed unconsciously.
Because she saw him.
In the dark night, beneath the moonlight, stood a man with silver hair that seemed to shimmer as it caught the moonlight.
It was Gwynnslun.
He had removed both his royal knight's armor and his sword, standing there as a single man waiting only for her.
When Gwynnslun noticed Dahlia, he looked at her and broke into a radiant smile.
His smile, bathed in moonlight, was like that of a moon god from myth.
'An angel… no, he really might be the god of the moon.'
Captivated by his beautiful smile, Dahlia stood there blankly for a moment, staring at him.
Gwynnslun approached her as she remained still.
He gently lifted a lock of her brown-dyed hair and softly pressed a kiss to its end.
"Your Highness Dahlia, no matter the color of your hair, you are always beautiful."
His sudden warmth made her face heat up, but Dahlia steadied herself and looked at him.
"Lun… are you really going to leave with me?"
Before words, his unwavering gaze answered her.
"Even if I am abandoned one day, I will follow Your Highness to the very end."
Emotions too overwhelming for words filled Dahlia's heart.
As she was unable to hold them back, she opened her arms and embraced him tightly, wanting him to feel the happiness she felt.
"I'm not a princess anymore. So call me Dahlia."
After hesitating for a moment, Gwynnslun smiled and carefully called her name in a gentle voice.
"... Lady Dahlia."
She wished he would simply call her Dahlia, but her heart trembled softly at his smile.
But happiness had to be set aside for later.
"Lady Dahlia, we must go now."
At his words, Dahlia nodded.
They had to leave–farther, faster–before they were discovered.
They held hands as if they would never let go.
The two ran together as far as they could, fleeing with all their strength to a place that the king could not follow.