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Today, the Kingdom of Alaric was unusually busy.

The people of Alaric were filled with joy as they prepared for the evening celebration. Everyone worked together, making sure everything looked festive and perfect.

But inside her room, Ambara remained still.

She knew nothing about the party that was going to happen tonight.

All she knew was that her plan had to go perfectly—tonight.

Ambara packed a few sets of clothes.

She also carefully prepared a few of her most treasured belongings.

Now, all that was left was to wait—until the moon appeared in its full beauty in the sky.

When she was done, she sat quietly again on the edge of her husband's bed, lost in thought.

Suddenly, the door creaked open.

Zayden stepped inside.

Ambara's eyes widened slightly. After all this time... he had finally come.

She didn't say a word. She didn't know what to say. Should she argue with him like always? Confront him? Yell?

But instead, her mind was flooded with memories—Zayden's anger, his annoying smirks, his sharp glares. All of it made her realize how much she missed him.

Zayden turned his gaze toward her.

They just stared at each other, neither of them saying a word.

The room fell into absolute silence.

Zayden parted his lips to speak.

"Amb—"

"Zayden!!!"

A voice interrupted him.

A woman came rushing in and threw her arms around him.

Ambara froze. That strange, painful feeling surged inside her again. She hated this. She hated seeing Zayden and Celia wrapped in each other's arms—right in front of her.

Celia gave Ambara a smug, cold look.

She clung to Zayden even tighter.

Zayden didn't say a word. He didn't push her away.

He just let her hug him for a long while.

Ambara's eyes welled up again.

"Zayden... I'm hungry. Will you cook something for me?" Celia whined.

Zayden looked down at her.

"Wait in your room," he said.

Celia smiled and squeezed him tighter.

"Thank you, Zayden."

She kissed his cheek before skipping off to her room.

Ambara was silent.

Zayden didn't look at her. He kept staring at the hallway where Celia had disappeared.

Ambara stood up and walked toward the bathroom.

"Wait, Ambara!"

Zayden grabbed her hand.

But Ambara yanked her hand away with force.

"Please... from now on, don't interfere with my life anymore!"

Her voice was firm and unwavering.

She didn't even know where the courage came from—but she stood up to Zayden.

"What do you mean?" he asked quietly.

"Stay away from me. I don't want to see you right now," she whispered.

Her voice cracked, tears slipping from her eyes.

She pushed him away and hurried into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

Her tears wouldn't stop falling.

Zayden stood frozen, staring at the closed door.

"I'm sorry, Ambara," he whispered, then walked away.

Ambara heard the sound of his footsteps fading.

She wiped her tears and returned to her room.

Moonlight shone through her window.

Ambara looked up, mesmerized by how beautiful the moon was that night.

"Starting today, I'll begin a new life—one I've always dreamed of," she whispered with a small smile.

Once the moon was fully visible, she quickly got ready.

She packed some food and hid it in a medium-sized bag.

She gathered the clothes she had prepared, tied a rope to the window, and quietly climbed down.

She rushed to the storage area where the fruits for her parents had been kept.

When she arrived, the royal guards were just about to depart with the fruits.

Silently, she tucked her belongings into the piles of fruit.

Once everything was ready, the guards loaded the goods and headed to the harbor.

Ambara followed them, riding a horse she had prepared earlier that afternoon.

At the harbor, while everyone was busy, Ambara snuck onto the ship and hid inside the cargo hold—where the fruit was stored.

The guards, unaware of her presence, locked the room from outside to keep the cargo secure.

Hidden deep among the fruit crates, Ambara felt an unexpected sense of peace. She covered herself with fruit cloths to avoid detection, even if someone decided to check the shipment.

A few minutes later, the ship departed—leaving the Kingdom of Alaric behind, bound for the Kingdom of Lucifer.

Ambara felt oddly happy. She couldn't explain it, but there was also a strange ache in her heart as she left Alaric.

Still, she forced herself to bury those feelings.

The ship sailed through the night.

No one came to inspect the cargo. It seemed Ambara was lucky—no one discovered her.

She spent her nights at sea peeking through the small window in the storage room, watching the moonlight dance on the waves.

She felt joyful.

Sometimes, she even spotted sea creatures she had never seen before.

Yet behind her smiles... something always lingered. A feeling that haunted her.

As if something—or someone—was calling her back to Alaric.

What was that feeling...?

---

Meanwhile, at the Alaric castle…

"I've told you—I'll never leave Ambara," Zayden said firmly.

Celia, who had been pleading with him to divorce Ambara, clenched her fists.

"But why, Zayden?! Didn't you say you don't love her? So why won't you let her go?!"

She stared into his eyes, demanding an answer.

"I don't love Ambara. But I won't go against my parents' wishes," Zayden said coldly.

Celia turned away in frustration.

"You're cruel, Zayden! I hate you! I hate you!!!"

She stormed off, leaving him alone.

Zayden let out a deep sigh.

He looked up at the glowing moon.

His eyes then drifted to the table—where his graduation certificate lay.

He picked it up.

A soft smile tugged at his lips.

Years of hard work, long nights of study, and finally, the certificate was in his hands.

But then—he remembered.

He hadn't told Ambara yet.

He wanted to boast about it, to annoy her, to see her roll her eyes and lecture him like always.

That would've been fun.

Zayden left Celia's room and headed for Ambara's.

But his steps halted midway.

He remembered how Ambara had pushed him away earlier.

He stood still for a moment—then turned away.

He decided to join the townspeople outside the castle and celebrate with them instead, leaving Ambara to her solitude.

Meanwhile, Celia was packing her things.

She had finally given up.

After days of trying to win Zayden's heart, she realized there was nothing more she could do.

She planned to return to her kingdom the next morning—before the coronation ceremony.

...