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  Taneaya was still mesmerized by the beauty before her.

  “This feels like a fairy tale world…”

  Eran smiled. “Hmm…”

  Taneaya shot him a sharp look. “Tch… Someone as annoying as you would never understand!”

  “How can you say that? I just cleared my throat—I didn’t even say anything,” Eran protested.

  Taneaya merely gave him a disdainful glance before turning her gaze back outside.

  As they entered the palace grounds, the carriage came to a stop in the courtyard of one of the lavish buildings.

  There, a man in a crimson robe stood waiting. Behind him were two guards stationed at his side.

  “Yuwin,” Aldrich called out as he saw the man awaiting them. The man smiled broadly.

  “Aldrich, save the pleasantries for later,” he replied, bowing slightly upon noticing Theo and Taran behind Aldrich.

  “My deepest respects to the Emperor and his bloodline,” Yuwin said, bowing to Theo.

  “Ah…” Theo nodded in return.

  “All honor to the King and his descendants,” Yuwin continued, turning to Taran with another respectful bow.

  “All honor to the King and his descendants,” Taran replied courteously.

  “It is an honor to welcome the Sacred Prince and the Eastern Prince,” Yuwin added, bowing his head. He dared not look them directly in the eyes.

  “Lift your head, Yuwin. And just call me Theo—I'm nothing more than a mercenary,” Theo said, patting his shoulder.

  “That goes for me too. Just call me Taran. And drop all the formality—I’m not used to it,” Taran said firmly.

  “Very well, sir,” Yuwin replied, then continued, “Please rest first. We've prepared rooms for your stay.” He opened the door to let the party inside.

  “Aldrich, would you please show our honored guests to their quarters?” Yuwin asked his friend. Aldrich nodded.

  “Alright, follow me,” the new general said.

  As everyone entered, Catallina lingered at the back, allowing the others to go ahead. Yuwin approached her and knelt down before the red-haired girl.

  “All praise to the kingdom’s one and only beauty. Welcome, Princess Catallina,” Yuwin said solemnly.

  “Ahh... shhh… You’re too loud! Don’t do that, Yuwin. Keep it a secret,” Catallina said in a panic. Yuwin smiled at her reaction.

  “Don’t you want to meet the King and Queen? They’ve missed you dearly, Princess,” Yuwin said.

  “Actually, I was hoping you could take me to them. I’ve forgotten the way around here.”

  “Ah, you haven’t changed at all, Princess.”

  They walked along the paths designated for the high-ranking nobles of the de Golden clan. The area was still quiet, with little activity.

  “Not much has changed since I left,” Catallina said as she took a deep breath of the morning air. “Ahh... The air is so refreshing. I’ve missed this so much.” Yuwin smiled at her words.

  “You’re right, Princess. It’s thanks to His Majesty’s wise leadership. The King, the royal council, and the noble elders work tirelessly every day to uphold the kingdom,” Yuwin explained with enthusiasm.

  Catallina was pleased to hear that, and she could tell from Yuwin’s expression that he meant it.

  “You’re one of those who never stops, Yuwin,” she praised him.

  “Thank you for your kind words, Princess. But in truth, I still have much to learn from the elders,” Yuwin said modestly.

  “You’re one of the future pillars of this kingdom, Yuwin. I’m certain that in a few years, you’ll take my uncle’s place as the esteemed young royal advisor—Sir Yuwin the Honored,” she said with a laugh.

  “Thank you again for your praise, Princess, but you’re giving me too much credit. I’m not so sure about that. My father would probably choose to remain by His Majesty’s side rather than spend every day with my mother,” Yuwin replied with a sheepish smile.

  "Ah… You’re right," said Catallina, shuddering.

  "I really miss the two of them—Uncle Sander’s rambling and Aunt Farla’s terrifying scolding."

  They both laughed as memories of their childhood came flooding back.

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  "It seems Aldrich doesn't know your true identity."

  "That’s right. I was pretty surprised when I found out the one leading the assault was a newly appointed general. I hadn’t even heard his name or seen his face before."

  "Aldrich is a friend of mine, Your Highness. He was trained directly by General Aymin since childhood. Sometimes I feel bad for him. General Aymin is very strict and extremely dedicated," said Yuwin.

  "Hmm... No wonder I never saw him before. I can’t imagine how harsh the training must’ve been."

  "Well, now he’s proven himself. Even though he had help from two strong bands, he successfully carried out his first mission," Yuwin said proudly.

  "He was the one who led the mission. In fact, the strategy we used came from his own thinking."

  "Seriously!? Damn you, Aldrich. And Prince Taran was there too, right? He’s known as a master tactician. I can’t imagine how nervous Aldrich must have been, leading a mission in front of him," Yuwin said, full of excitement and pride for his friend.

  Catallina simply smiled, watching her younger cousin's proud expression.

  "Did your Band of the Sun friends treat you well?" Yuwin asked.

  "Yep, they were really nice. In that band, we set aside all titles and social status. Everyone is treated equally—even with Theo, we could all talk freely. And what I appreciated most was that they never questioned where we came from."

  "I'm glad to hear that."

  "I'm really happy there. I already consider them my family, my second home," said Catallina with a peaceful expression. Yuwin felt both happy and relieved hearing that.

  "Forgive me, Your Highness, but… do your friends know about your true identity? Other than Prince Theo?"

  "There are two who do—Taneaya de Wind, the princess of the Satascar Kingdom, and Kain de Fire," Catallina replied casually.

  "Princess Taneaya is also in the Band of the Sun!?" Yuwin asked in shock.

  "Yes. That beautiful girl with the silver hair earlier," answered Catallina, glancing at Yuwin. "Why are you making that face?"

  "Ah, no, no."

  Catallina nudged Yuwin’s shoulder playfully.

  "You like her, don’t you?" she teased.

  "Ah… no, it’s not like that," Yuwin replied, flustered.

  The palace was already in sight. They would arrive soon, and Catallina would be reunited with her parents—at least for a while.

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  After the ceremony, the celebration continued in full swing. Amid the festivities, Taran approached Theo to say his farewells.

  Afterward, Theo chatted with high-ranking nobles and royal officials. But truthfully, he was already bored. Between conversations, he scanned the area and spotted his group enjoying the party. He noticed Catallina explaining her true identity to the Band members who hadn't known yet.

  Then his eyes shifted to another corner, and a wide smile spread across his face.

  He saw Eran sitting alone in a quiet part of the garden, enjoying some food and drink.

  Without hesitation and still carrying himself with polite composure, Theo excused himself from the group of high officials and made his way to Eran.

  "Eran, are you here all by yourself? Come join us and celebrate the victory!" Theo greeted him with a smile.

  Eran glanced at the man standing in front of him, already guessing who it was.

  "Ah, it's fine. I'm comfortable on my own," Eran replied with a faint smile.

  Theo sat beside Eran.

  "But this is a joyful moment for all of us. You fought bravely on the battlefield. Your actions during the war were truly impressive. You saved many of our comrades' lives," Theo praised enthusiastically.

  "Too heroic, in fact. My head would've been gone if your sword hadn't blocked General Paul's strike back then," Eran replied.

  "Not everyone could do what you did. You're an extraordinary warrior. You deserve the same recognition we received," Theo added.

  Eran raised an eyebrow. "But I'm not part of your mercenary unit. I'm just someone who joined the war to feed myself."

  Theo gave a gentle smile. "It doesn't matter whether you're part of the band or not. You're amazing. Your solo feats proved that. I was honestly in awe watching you fight."

  "Fine. Do as you like."

  "You know, Eran, if you ever want to join the Band of the Sun, the door will always be open for you," Theo offered while patting his own head.

  Eran chuckled. "You really know how to sweet-talk someone into joining, huh?"

  Theo grinned proudly. "It's one of my many talents."

  Eran smiled back. "Maybe someday I'll consider your offer. Who knows?"

  Theo's expression suddenly turned serious. "I'm serious about my offer."

  Eran could feel Theo's presence pressing down on him like a weight.

  "What's with this atmosphere? Are you trying to kill me or something?" Eran asked.

  Theo remained silent, unmoving. His sharp gaze pierced into Eran.

  "Alright then," Eran said, as Theo’s face returned to his usual cheerful self. "But I have one condition."

  Theo responded quickly, "Name it."

  "Fight me seriously. If you win, you can do whatever you want to me," Eran offered.

  Without hesitation, Theo replied, "Alright. When?"

  "Now."

  Theo nodded. "Follow me," he said.

  They left the royal garden and headed toward a quiet park in a secluded corner of the capital, not far from the palace walls.

  They stopped near the only old tree standing in the middle of the park.

  "I’ll be serious from the start, as you requested. Are you sure about this, Eran?" Theo asked, drawing his rapier from its sheath.

  "A man speaks through his blade," Eran said as he pulled out both of his daggers.

  "Wow, I’m surprised you managed to hide those daggers even with that outfit," Theo said, impressed.

  The moon shone full and clear that night. The park was completely silent.

  Its light spread across every corner.

  No one knew. No one saw.

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