The aroma of freshly baked bread, roasted vegetables, and warm soup filled the dining hall as breakfast was served.
Following Bereshith's morning prayer of blessing, everyone began their meal.
The atmosphere was calm.
Even Princess Alesh, who usually complained about noble etiquette, had become unusually quiet as she happily enjoyed the breakfast.
Prince Rayryn ate with composed manners.
Ms. Maliks occasionally adjusted her spectacles while sampling each dish with visible satisfaction.
For a few peaceful moments...
There was nothing but the soft clinking of silverware.
Then—
Ascirick quietly raised one hand.
The butlers and maids immediately understood the signal.
One after another, they bowed respectfully before leaving the dining hall.
Even Sarah gave Yareach a gentle smile before closing the doors behind her.
Click.
Silence filled the room.
Every member of the family instinctively understood.
This was no longer breakfast.
This had become a family meeting.
Ascirick slowly folded his hands upon the table.
His expression turned serious.
"...Bereshith."
The young man instinctively straightened his back.
"...Yes, Grandfather?"
Ascirick looked directly into his eyes.
"Starting tomorrow..."
"You shall accompany His Highness back to the capital."
"...!"
The announcement struck the room like thunder.
Levanah blinked.
Lexy's fork froze halfway to her mouth.
Maria and Eva exchanged surprised glances.
Yareach tilted her head in confusion.
Only Lucas...
And Prince Rayryn...
Remained completely calm, as though they had expected this decision.
Seeing everyone's reactions, Ascirick continued.
"Of course, you will not travel alone."
He shifted his gaze around the table.
"Lucas."
"My son-in-law"
Lucas nodded, then shifted his tone as he mentioned the two kids.
"Cyte."
"Cyse."
Then Ascirick looked toward the opposite side of the table.
"And the two of you as well..."
"Levanah."
"Lexy."
Both girls instinctively sat straighter.
"Yes, Grandfather."
Ascirick smiled faintly.
"You have both reached an age where learning only within this manor is no longer enough."
"You have yet to receive a proper royal education."
"His Highness Rayryn has proposed that all three of you attend the Royal Academy as recognition for your service to the kingdom."
"There..."
"You shall learn diplomacy..."
"Politics..."
"History..."
"Swordsmanship..."
"And the way the world beyond Eirene truly works."
"I believe all of you will benefit greatly."
The room became quiet once more.
Levanah's eyes sparkled.
"The Royal Academy..."
Lexy couldn't help grinning.
"Heh... looks like we're finally leaving the countryside."
Beside them—
Princess Inoha slowly lowered her gaze.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of her dress beneath the table.
"..."
Her heart suddenly felt heavy.
So...
He's leaving...
And I'll have to return home...
Does that mean...
I'll never see Sir Bereshith again...?
She remained silent.
Her smile from moments ago slowly faded.
Levanah happened to notice the princess's expression.
A tiny smirk appeared on her lips.
Hmph...
Serves you right.
Meanwhile—
Lexy nudged Bereshith with her elbow.
"Looks like we'll be together this time."
Bereshith could only smile awkwardly.
"I suppose so..."
Suddenly—
Bang!
Princess Inoha slammed both hands onto the table before rising to her feet.
"Your Highness Rayryn!"
The sudden outburst startled everyone.
Prince Rayryn nearly dropped his spoon.
"Y-Yes?"
Princess Inoha's sapphire eyes burned with determination.
"I wish to transfer."
"I want to study at the Royal Academy of Heirora."
Silence.
Even Ms. Maliks looked surprised.
Prince Rayryn blinked several times.
"...You mean..."
"You wish to attend Sol Academy?"
Princess Inoha nodded firmly.
"Yes."
"I wish to study in your kingdom."
Rayryn scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Your Highness..."
"I don't believe His Majesty would approve such a decision."
"Especially without his permission."
Before anyone else could speak—
Princess Alesh nearly jumped out of her chair.
"Sister?!"
"Have you lost your mind?!"
"If you don't return with us, Father will definitely scold both of us this time!"
Princess Inoha slowly turned her head.
Her calm expression disappeared.
"Shut it, Alesh."
"...!"
Princess Alesh immediately shrank into her chair.
"...Y-Yes..."
The room instantly fell silent.
Princess Inoha then turned back toward Prince Rayryn.
This time...
Her determined expression melted into one of quiet pleading.
Her eyes seemed to say only one thing.
Please...
Let me stay.
Levanah quietly clenched her fist beneath the table.
Hmph...
Trying to win everyone over with those eyes...
Lexy sighed to herself.
She's surprisingly persistent...
Prince Rayryn rubbed his forehead before finally speaking.
"...Very well."
"If His Majesty grants permission..."
"I shall personally recommend your admission to Sol Academy."
Princess Inoha's eyes instantly lit up.
A beautiful smile bloomed across her face.
Princess Inoha's eyes sparkled with determination.
"That won't be a problem."
"I'll ask Father right now."
Everyone froze.
"...Right now?" Lucas repeated in disbelief.
Princess Inoha calmly reached into the side pocket of her dress and retrieved a smooth circular stone no larger than her palm. Embedded at its center was a brilliant blue crystal that shimmered with gentle light.
The moment it appeared—
Ascirick's eyes widened.
"A Sun Crystal...?!"
Lucas stood halfway from his chair.
"An ancient communication relic..."
Even Prince Rayryn looked genuinely surprised.
"Don't tell me..."
"You're planning to contact His Majesty... right now?"
Princess Inoha smiled confidently.
"Of course."
She gently pressed the crystal with her thumb.
The blue crystal immediately glowed before changing into a brilliant emerald light.
A warm pillar of green radiance rose into the air, gathering into the shape of a human figure.
Then—
"Hmm...?"
A deep, dignified voice echoed throughout the dining hall.
"What's going on?"
The figure gradually became clearer.
A middle-aged man dressed in magnificent royal robes appeared within the light. His stern face carried years of authority, while his silver-streaked hair only added to the dignity of a king.
His sharp eyes slowly surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings.
Before anyone else could speak—
Princess Alesh suddenly sprang to her feet.
"Father!!"
The King blinked in surprise.
"...Alesh?"
Without giving anyone a chance to interrupt, the young princess pointed dramatically toward her elder sister.
"Father! Listen to this!"
"Elder Sister says she wants to study at the Royal Academy of Heirora!"
The King's expression immediately stiffened.
"...What?"
His brows furrowed.
"Where is your sister right now?"
He leaned closer to the magical projection, his eyes searching the room.
Princess Inoha quietly stepped into view.
"...Father."
The King's stern gaze immediately settled upon her.
"Inoha."
"What is the meaning of this?"
The Fourth Princess clasped both hands together in front of her chest.
Her cheeks slowly flushed pink.
She lowered her head shyly before speaking in a soft voice.
"But, Father..."
"I want to stay with Sir Bereshith..."
The room fell silent.
Princess Inoha took a small breath before finishing her sentence.
"...He took my first."
...
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Every heartbeat in the dining hall seemed to stop.
Lucas slowly turned his head toward Bereshith.
Bereshith's mouth hung open in complete disbelief.
Prince Rayryn nearly spat out the tea he had just sipped.
Princess Alesh's eyes widened as she realized exactly how those words sounded.
Ms. Maliks slowly removed her spectacles and closed her eyes.
Levanah and Lexy both rose from their seats at the exact same moment.
Even Ascirick—who had faced wars, monsters, and decades of politics—could only stare speechlessly.
Inside the floating projection...
The King's face became completely expressionless.
"..."
"..."
Then...
A terrifying aura erupted from the magical image.
"...What."
His voice was low.
Far too calm.
Which somehow made it even more frightening.
Every person in the room instinctively felt a chill run down their spine.
Only Princess Inoha remained blissfully unaware that every single person present had misunderstood what she had actually meant. She had merely intended to say that Bereshith had taken her first nightmare away, giving her peaceful sleep for the first time in months.
Unfortunately...
No one else knew that.
The King's face darkened.
For several seconds...
No one dared to breathe.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
The roar shook the entire dining hall, even though it came only from the Sun Crystal.
"Did that man defile you, my daughter?!"
His voice thundered with fury.
"Who dares lay a hand upon the Princess of Cartha?! Tell me his name!"
The atmosphere instantly turned heavy.
Lucas immediately stood.
"Your Majesty, please calm yourself."
He respectfully placed a hand over his chest before continuing.
"I believe there has been a misunderstanding."
He glanced toward Princess Inoha.
"Your Majesty... I don't believe Princess Inoha meant that kind of 'first.'"
Then he smiled awkwardly.
"...Isn't that right, Princess Inoha?"
Everyone silently prayed she would clear everything up.
Princess Inoha blinked innocently.
Then...
She spoke.
"No."
Lucas froze.
"...You are mistaken."
The room became deathly quiet.
Princess Inoha smiled shyly.
"Sir Bereshith helped me sleep peacefully last night."
Bereshith's eyes widened.
Lucas' face slowly lost all color.
But Princess Inoha had not finished.
"Not only that..."
"When I stayed close to him..."
"I felt his warm..."
"...safe..."
"...and peaceful."
She placed both hands over her chest.
"He filled me with his seed of warmth."
...
Silence.
Utter...
Absolute...
Silence.
Even the birds outside seemed to stop singing.
Bereshith stared blankly.
"..."
'Princess...'
'Please...'
'That is NOT helping...'
Lucas slowly lowered his face into both hands.
"...We're doomed."
Across the table—
Levanah's eye twitched.
Lexy's jaw dropped.
Prince Rayryn quietly covered his face.
Ms. Maliks removed her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
Even Ascirick closed his eyes as though silently mourning Bereshith's future.
Then...
The King exploded.
"HE DID WHAT?!"
The magical projection shook violently.
"WHO IS THIS BASTARD?!"
"SHOW YOURSELF THIS INSTANT!!"
His voice echoed throughout the manor.
Bereshith immediately jumped to his feet.
"I-It's me, Your Majesty!"
He hurriedly bowed.
"P-Please allow me to explain!"
"I swear it isn't what you think—"
Before another word could leave his mouth—
Princess Inoha interrupted him.
"Father!"
"Stop yelling!"
Her cheeks puffed in annoyance.
"That's inappropriate!"
"Please don't scold Sir Bereshith!"
"He only did it for my sake!"
Every person in the room slowly turned toward her.
"..."
Bereshith felt his soul leaving his body.
'Your Highness...'
'Please stop helping...'
Unfortunately...
The King heard something entirely different.
His face turned crimson.
"Silence!"
"You have no right to defend that man!"
Princess Inoha frowned.
Then—
Like a rebellious daughter arguing with her father—
She crossed her arms.
"I hate you, Father!"
The entire room froze.
"I am not going back!"
"I'll stay here with Sir Bereshith!"
"And there's nothing you can do about it!"
Click.
She pressed the Sun Crystal.
"Wha—"
The King's shocked voice was cut off as the light disappeared.
The projection vanished.
Silence filled the dining hall once more.
Princess Inoha turned toward everyone with a bright, innocent smile.
She gracefully lowered her head.
"Please..."
"Take care of me from now on."
The gesture resembled someone politely asking to be accepted into a new home.
Nobody knew how to respond.
Then...
Princess Alesh suddenly stood.
"No!"
Everyone looked toward the younger princess.
"If Elder Sister is staying..."
"...Then I'm staying too!"
Princess Inoha immediately turned around.
"Alesh?"
"You can't."
"You must return to Cartha."
"Father will be furious."
Princess Alesh shook her head repeatedly.
"Sister!"
"Father is already furious because of you!"
"If I return alone..."
"He'll bombard me with questions the moment I arrive!"
She swallowed nervously before bowing politely toward Ascirick's family.
"So..."
"Please..."
"Take care of me as well."
...
Silence.
Again.
No one knew what expression they should make anymore.
Lucas looked completely exhausted.
Maria blinked repeatedly.
Eva stared into space.
Even Prince Rayryn—who had witnessed countless diplomatic negotiations—could only sit there speechless.
Ms. Maliks quietly wondered how a simple trade meeting had somehow evolved into an international diplomatic incident.
Then—
Bang!
Levanah slammed both palms onto the table.
"No!"
Almost simultaneously—
Bang!
Lexy slammed the table as well.
"You two cannot stay here!"
The sisters spoke in perfect unison.
The entire dining hall fell silent.
Lucas, Maria, and Eva immediately went pale.
They stared at Levanah and Lexy with horrified expressions.
Those two had just raised their voices...
...at princesses of a foreign kingdom.
Levanah and Lexy finally lost what little composure they had left.
Both of them stood from their seats at the same time.
Their eyes locked onto Princess Inoha.
"You slut!" Lexy shouted, pointing directly at the princess without the slightest hint of noble etiquette. "You only want to stay here so you can seduce Bereshith! He's not that kind of man! The only person that ever occupies his mind is his little sister!"
Bereshith slowly lowered his head.
"...Ouch."
Levanah, whose face had already turned bright red from frustration, immediately joined in.
"She's right! This idiot is a complete sis-con!" she yelled without restraint. "Even if you stood in front of him with nothing on, he'd probably throw you a blanket and tell you to catch a cold! The only one getting taken advantage of here is him! You lying whore!"
The entire dining hall froze.
Although both girls were desperately trying to defend Bereshith...
...they had somehow managed to destroy his dignity in the process.
Bereshith stared blankly at the table.
Tiny cracks seemed to appear around him.
Inside his heart...
He suffered critical emotional damage.
'You two...'
'Please stop...'
'I do like women...'
'I'm simply trying to restrain myself because I respect them...'
Unfortunately...
Just as always...
His inner defense never managed to leave his mouth.
Princess Inoha's face reddened in anger.
"What rude women!"
She slammed both palms onto the table.
"Me? A slut? A lying whore?"
"I never lied!"
She pointed toward Bereshith.
"Sir Bereshith really helped me last night!"
"He truly filled me with warmth and peace!"
The moment those words left her lips...
Every adult in the room slowly closed their eyes.
Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose.
Prince Rayryn quietly sighed.
Ms. Maliks silently wondered whether this conversation could possibly become any worse.
It did.
"Stop lying, you bitch!" Levanah snapped.
"Bereshith isn't the kind of man who would even touch a woman!"
She pointed toward the hallway.
"Besides..."
"You were the one inside HIS room."
"Not the other way around!"
...
Silence.
Everyone slowly turned toward Princess Inoha.
Even Prince Rayryn blinked.
Lucas' expression immediately became serious.
He looked toward Levanah.
"Levanah."
His calm voice immediately silenced the room.
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
Levanah inhaled deeply before answering.
"When we went to wake Bereshith this morning..."
"...we found this woman inside his room."
"...Inside his bed."
The room became deathly quiet.
Lexy immediately nodded.
"That's right."
"Not only that..."
"She kept saying she was thanking him."
"But logically speaking..."
"A royal princess entering a man's private room without anyone knowing makes it very difficult to accuse the man of forcing himself upon her."
She crossed her arms.
"If anything..."
"It looks more like she cornered Bereshith instead."
Levanah immediately continued.
"Exactly!"
"That's why I don't believe a single excuse this lying witch says!"
Princess Inoha clenched her fists.
For several moments...
She simply endured every insult.
Then she looked directly at Bereshith.
Her voice trembled—not with anger...
...but with desperation.
"Sir Bereshith..."
"Please."
"Tell them."
She lowered her head slightly.
"Tell everyone what really happened."
"I am not lying."
The entire dining hall fell silent.
Every eye slowly turned toward Bereshith.
"..."
Bereshith swallowed.
Then he let out a long sigh.
"...Finally."
"I can explain."
He stood up from his chair and respectfully bowed toward everyone present.
With calm honesty, he recounted every event from the previous night.
He explained how Princess Inoha had sleepwalked into his room.
How she had nearly fallen unconscious at the doorway.
How he had carried her onto his bed simply so she would not sleep on the floor.
How she unconsciously held onto him during her nightmare.
How she cried in her sleep.
And finally...
How, through God's mercy, he entered her nightmare to help free her from the mysterious curse that had tormented her for months.
He left out nothing important.
When his explanation ended...
He bowed once more.
"...That is everything."
He looked toward Princess Inoha before smiling awkwardly.
"Your Highness never lied."
"But..."
He scratched the back of his head.
"...I think her choice of words caused everyone to misunderstand the situation."
Silence filled the room once again.
Prince Rayryn stared at Bereshith for several moments.
Then he slowly asked the question everyone wanted answered.
"So..."
"...Nothing improper actually happened between the two of you?"
"Not really much, Your Highness. Besides her kissing me, Nothing really much had happened."
A heavy silence settled over the dining hall.
Bereshith's explanation had finally cleared up the misunderstanding...
Or so he thought.
Instead...
Prince Rayryn, Lucas, and Ascirick all wore expressions of utter disbelief.
"...Sir Bereshith."
Prince Rayryn rubbed his forehead before speaking in a weary voice.
"Are you familiar with the customs of the Kingdom of Cartha?"
Bereshith respectfully placed his right hand over his chest and lowered his head.
"My apologies, Your Highness. I have little knowledge of the customs of foreign kingdoms. I humbly ask that you enlighten this ignorant one."
Prince Rayryn let out a long sigh.
"Very well..."
He glanced toward Princess Inoha before continuing.
"In the Kingdom of Cartha, a noblewoman's first kiss is regarded as sacred."
"The man who receives it is, by tradition, acknowledged as the one who has taken her first."
He paused, looking increasingly troubled.
"And once that happens..."
"...her honor becomes tied to his."
Bereshith blinked.
"...What?"
He immediately pointed at Princess Inoha.
"But I didn't kiss Her Highness!"
"She was the one who kissed me!"
"It happened without my permission!"
"It makes no difference, Sir Bereshith." Prince Rayryn answered with another exhausted sigh.
"The custom does not distinguish who initiated the kiss."
"What matters is that it happened."
Bereshith slowly turned pale.
"...You're joking."
"I wish I were."
Prince Rayryn closed his eyes for a brief moment before turning toward Lucas.
"Sir Lucas..."
"If it is not too much to ask, I would appreciate your assistance later."
"We must prepare a formal letter to His Majesty, the King of Cartha."
Lucas already knew what was coming.
"...Understood, Your Highness."
Prince Rayryn continued with a defeated smile.
"The letter must explain everything exactly as it happened..."
"...and inform His Majesty that Sir Bereshith has accepted responsibility for Princess Inoha's honor."
A long silence followed.
Then Prince Rayryn finished the sentence that made everyone in the room freeze.
"According to the laws and customs of the Kingdom of Cartha..."
"...Sir Bereshith will be expected to marry Princess Inoha."
Lucas slowly closed his eyes.
"...Understood, Your Highness."
Even he sounded exhausted.
Across the table...
Princess Inoha quietly lowered her head.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Meanwhile...
Bereshith's soul seemed to leave his body.
"...Eh?"