As they repaired the old cabin piece by piece, it slowly transformed into a place the two of them could truly call home.
They filled it with their own memories, adapting to life there little by little, spending each day wrapped in happiness.
They also got along well with the villagers.
To them, Dahlia and Gwynnslun were known simply as a young married couple named Lun and Lia.
Like the past few months, that morning was peaceful as well.
While Gwynnslun stayed behind to continue repairing the cabin, Dahlia decided to go down to the village alone to buy some necessities.
Yet an unexplainable unease kept stirring in her heart.
'It's not the first time I've gone to the village without Lun… so why? Why does my heart feel so unsettled today?'
As usual, she was exchanging greetings with the fruit vendor while choosing fruit when the woman's casual remark froze Dahlia in place.
"I saw royal knights roaming around today… It's very rare to see them here…. Lia, do you think another war's about to break out?"
In that instant, the fruit nearly slipped from Dahlia's hands.
"R-Royal knights…? W-Well, I'm not really sure…"
She answered as calmly as she could, but her heart had already begun to beat coldly in her chest.
"I, I'll buy the fruit another time. I just remembered something I left at home—I should hurry back."
She placed the fruit down and turned abruptly, breaking into a run toward the cabin.
"Oh—oh dear, Lia! She must've forgotten something important. She's gone pale!"
The fruit vendor's voice no longer reached her ears.
The unease inside her spread like ice through her veins.
Dahlia ran with all her strength.
'Please… please… let nothing have happened…'
Before her desperate prayer could even finish—
Clang! Clang—!
The sharp sound of metal ringing in the distance brought her to an abrupt stop.
What she saw after running until she could barely breathe was a sight she could hardly believe.
More than ten royal knights—
And Gwynnslun, fighting them all alone.
"Lady Dahlia! Please—run!"
The moment he saw her, Gwynnslun shouted.
As always, his eyes searched for her first.
No matter how skilled he was, holding out against more than ten royal knights was impossible.
Trying to help even a little, Dahlia hurled the items she was carrying at the knights.
But then—
A cold blade was pressed against her throat.
Startled, she dropped everything in her hands.
"Lady Dahlia!"
In that instant of distraction, an attack slipped through.
Steel tore into Gwynnslun's arm and leg, leaving deep, gaping wounds.
"Ugh—!"
"No! Stop—! Please, stop!"
Ignoring the blade at her neck, Dahlia rushed toward him.
Perhaps there had been orders not to harm her, the knight holding her redirected his blade, leaving only a shallow cut across her skin.
The other knights halted as well.
"Lady Dahlia… your neck—"
Even with his body bleeding, Gwynnslun's eyes went first to the thin wound at her throat.
Tears welled in Dahlia's eyes at the sight of his wounds, but she clenched her teeth and swallowed them down.
Now is the time to act as a princess again.
That was the only way to save him.
"What my father wants is my capture, isn't it? I'll return willingly. So release Knight Gwynnslun."
One of the knights answered coldly.
"His Majesty ordered us to bring you back and to kill that man. We cannot spare him."
"Then you'll have to take my corpse with you."
Her voice was steady.
The knights exchanged uneasy glances.
Her gaze did not waver.
Neither side was willing to back down.
Quietly, Gwynnslun reached out and took Dahlia's hand.
"Lady Dahlia… I'll go with you."
"No! If you come with me, I don't know what they'll do to you."
After a tense pause, one knight spoke again.
"We'll take him alive. So come with us willingly, Princess."
Dahlia glared at him.
She knew this was the only way to keep Gwynnslun alive—for now.
She also knew that even if they spared him here, once she returned to the palace, they could kill him at any time.
And so, Dahlia and Gwynnslun were taken back to the Rubere Kingdom.
No—
They were dragged back.
***
Within the cold, oppressive court of Rubere, Dahlia knelt alone before the king.
From the throne, the king's gaze was venomously cold.
It was not the look of a father toward his daughter.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?!"
His furious voice thundered through the hall.
"Because of you, everything I've spent years securing from the Empire nearly turned to dust! You will bear the responsibility for this!"
Dahlia bit her lip until she tasted blood.
She had been naïve to believe his ambition would end with her political marriage.
'So that's why he searched us so desperately… But what am I to the Empire, exactly? What did father demand under the excuse of this marriage…?'
There was much she didn't understand.
But one thing was clear.
She must save Gwynnslun.
"I will accept marriage to the Emperor."
The moment the words left her mouth, something deep within her collapsed without a sound.
But if it meant saving Gwynnslun, her own future no longer mattered.
"However, I have a condition."
The king's brow twitched sharply.
"How dare you make demands of me?!"
"Then I will end my life here."
Her voice trembled, but her resolve did not.
She would do anything to save Gwynnslun.
The king raged, but she did not yield.
"… In exchange for the marriage, please spare Knight Gwynnslun. He has done nothing wrong."
A brief silence fell.
Then, slowly, the king smiled—a cruel, twisted smile.
"Very well. But he will be stripped of his knighthood and exiled as a slave."
"...!"
Dahlia bowed her head, fists clenched so tightly they shook.
'A slave.....!'
She knew better than anyone what that meant.
But provoking the king further would only push Gwynnslun toward certain death.
"… Thank you."
The words scraped out of her throat.
After a negotiation that felt like an endless night, Dahlia was finally allowed to return to her chambers.
And there, a familiar warm face awaited her.
"Princess Dahlia!"
"Betty…!"
Her loyal maid rushed to her side, holding her up in silence.
"Betty… have you been well…?"
"And you, Your Highness…? I'm so relieved to see you again, but… this is all too heartbreaking…"
The sincerity in her trembling voice eased something tight in Dahlia's chest.
"Betty… may I ask two more things of you?"
"Anything you wish."
"… Lun is in the underground prison. Because of me."
Betty's eyes widened in shock.
"I leave for the Empire the day after tomorrow. Before then… I want to see him just once."
"I'll find a way."
Betty answered without hesitation.
"And… one more thing."
Dahlia took a slow, careful breath.
"Will you come with me to the Empire?"
She didn't want to leave Betty behind again.
Anywhere would be safer than this kingdom.
Tears slipped silently down Betty's cheeks as she nodded.
"Yes…. Yes, Your Highness. I want to go with you."
Dahlia pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Thank you, Betty. And… I'm sorry that I left you alone here before. "