[Your plan with Morgan was set in motion.]
[You each worked separately, gathering information on how much the royal capital knew about the frontlines.]
[And surprisingly, the situation was even worse than expected.]
[Due to the sluggish transmission of news, the people of the capital remained overly optimistic about the war.]
[Some even misinterpreted Morgan's return as a sign of impending victory.]
"Hey, hey! The princess has returned from the battlefield!"
"That must mean the war is about to end, right?!"
"Of course! Our king himself is leading the charge!
How could we possibly lose to the dragon tyrant, Vortigern?!"
Morgan's hands tightened around her horse's reins.
She forced herself to remain composed—
But Rei, riding beside her, noticed the faint sorrow on her face.
She already knew the truth.
In these moments, Rei would lean in slightly and whisper:
"Your Highness, do not let this sadden you."
"This is proof of the people's trust in the King."
"You should be glad for that."
Morgan's lips parted slightly before she responded:
"But that trust… will soon be shattered, won't it?"
"Father… he's already…"
She trailed off.
Even now, even after being sent away, she still believed Uther had one last fight left in him.
"Then you must stand strong."
Rei gazed at the cheering citizens.
"If the King fails to meet their trust, then it falls upon you, Your Highness—
To rekindle it."
"Only then can Britannia have a future worth believing in."
Morgan took a deep breath.
His words comforted her—at least a little.
She tugged gently on her reins, guiding her horse away from the crowd.
As they rode ahead, she suddenly spoke:
"Rei."
"You… will never betray me, will you?"
Rei glanced at her.
"Of course not."
"Unless—"
Morgan's brows furrowed.
"Unless what?"
She cared deeply about this answer.
"Unless you need me to betray you, Your Highness."
"..."
Morgan was silent for a long moment.
Then—
"That's… quite the contradiction."
"But I don't hate it."
[You and Morgan continued executing your plan.]
[You concealed the true reason for your return to the royal capital and began acting as victors.]
[Riding your respective warhorses, you and Morgan tossed gold coins along the roadsides.]
[Everyone was deceived. The rumor of your triumphant return spread like wildfire—
Becoming indistinguishable from the truth.]
[Bards roamed the streets, reciting poetry that praised King Uther.
The scent of wine frequently lingered in the sunlit alleyways.]
[But you knew—it was all an illusion.]
[And Morgan knew it too.]
[You meticulously followed each step of your plan, sealing away any leaks of information.
A single misstep could bring ruin.]
[You grew increasingly aware of each other's importance—
And the inescapable way your fates had become entwined.]
[It brought your relationship into… indescribable territory.] [By day, you were the noble princess and her devoted knight.] [By night, you were clandestine lovers, drawn together by passion and peril.]
[Morgan took pleasure in toying with your body—
One of the few indulgences that granted her respite.]
[But things could never go smoothly forever.]
[A silent danger crept closer.]
The sun dipped below the horizon.
The last slanting rays of sunlight stretched across the capital, painting the land in hues of orange and red.
Rei stood at the city gates—the very ones he had once departed from years ago.
They remained standing, unchanged.
Yet everything else had shifted beyond recognition.
Gazing down the twilight-drenched road, Rei found himself lost in thought.
But he knew what he had to do.
A figure came sprinting down the path.
Rei, a veteran of countless battles, instantly recognized the posture of a returning knight.
His guard went up.
"Stop."
Rei's voice cut through the evening air.
The knight yanked his reins, bringing his horse to a sharp halt.
"State your business."
Rei's voice was calm—calm enough to unsettle the exhausted rider.
"Urgent news from the front!"
The knight was breathless, his words rushed.
"I must report to Princess Morgan immediately!"
A cold weight settled in Rei's chest.
He kept his face composed.
"What news?"
[Knight's Aura Activated: Although the knight had been instructed to report directly to Morgan, your imposing presence swayed him to reveal the information.]
And with that—
Rei learned of the dire turn at the frontlines.
The war was going poorly.
[A single rumor could unravel everything.]
[If word of the battlefield's failure spread, the illusion you and Morgan had woven would collapse in an instant.]
[That could not be allowed to happen.]
[No one would take from Morgan what was rightfully hers.] [Bloodlust swelled within you.]
You led the knight into a secluded alleyway.
And with a swift, merciless strike—
Your blade found his heart.
You erased all traces.
Watched as his horse galloped away, never to return.
No one would ever know.
[But you knew—there had to be a next step.]
Under the cover of night, you avoided prying eyes.
And made your way to Morgan's chambers.
There, you told her everything.
"So it has come to this, after all."
Morgan's voice was steady—unshaken.
This was an eventuality you had both anticipated.
"Rei,"
"Did you handle it?"
"Yes."
Rei nodded.
"It's done. No one will find anything."
Morgan's expression wavered.
She bit her lip.
Her deep blue eyes softened with a rare sorrow.
She reached out—
Fingers brushing against Rei's face, wiping away a faint streak of blood.
"I'm sorry."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"I keep forcing you to do these things… against your own people."
Rei smiled gently.
"It doesn't matter."
"I am already a man burdened by countless sins."
"If I can continue walking this path as your pawn, Your Highness—"
"Then my life has meaning."
"Rei, don't say that."
Morgan's hands cupped his war-worn face.
She gazed at the man who, despite towering over her, knelt at her feet with unwavering loyalty.
She stroked his cheek.
"You are my pawn—yes."
"But as my pawn, you must follow my orders."
Her grip tightened.
"And unless I command it—"
"You are not allowed to die."
Rei's heart pounded at the warmth of her touch.
But even amidst that, his mind remained clear.
"Then, Your Highness…"
"What is our next move?"
Morgan's expression grew firm.
She had already made her decision.
"Rei—"
"I want to kill that child."