Lhea

"Art!"

Hearing his name, Art turned his head and saw Elora walking toward him. The meeting had ended.

“Oh, hi,” he greeted, raising a hand lazily.

It was the first time they had seen each other since the attack, and Elora felt a strange sense of relief at his casual demeanor. He wasn’t treating her like a princess. He wasn’t using formalities or bowing his head.

That was exactly what she wanted.

She wanted to be seen as a person, not a royal figure bound by duty and expectations. If she could get him to stop acting formally around her, that would be a step in the right direction.

But beyond that, she was still struggling to process the fact that he was alive.

When she woke up after the incident, she had learned of everything he had done. How he had put himself in danger, stalling a Kyusei member long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

It sounded impossible.