CHAPTER 267: TO RETREAT

Aldric’s gaze flicked to the faint blue fire still clinging to Lorraine’s skin before turning to Leroy. "What are you planning to do?" he asked, his voice low.

He didn’t want to linger here, because Sylvia would be waiting, worried, but she would never rest until she knew what had truly happened. And so, neither could he.

It was then he noticed it... something had changed in Leroy’s face. The mark was the same, but the air around him felt... different. There was something else too. But he couldn’t place it, and there was no time to. The Emperor would send more men soon; Aldric needed to know what came next.

Leroy’s eyes softened as he looked at Lorraine, then steadied. "I’m taking her away," he said quietly. "You know what to do."

Aldric raised a brow. He’d known Leroy wanted to leave, but after all that had just unfolded, he had thought, he hoped, that the prince might change his mind. But Leroy hadn’t. His resolve was iron now.

"My mother..." Leroy’s gaze swept the hall. She was nowhere in sight.

"I’ll find her," Aldric said at once. It wasn’t just reassurance; it was his duty.

Leroy’s eyes lingered on him, heavy with unspoken conflict. His gaze shifted briefly toward Emma and Elias, who were speaking softly to Lorraine. Should he ask them to look after his mother?

"I’ll take care of her," Aldric said, reading his thoughts before he could voice them.

Leroy’s eyes met his, and though he said nothing, the question was clear: You have Sylvia. How will you protect them both?

"It’s my duty," Aldric replied simply.

For a fleeting moment, guilt flickered in Leroy’s chest. Shouldn’t it be mine? He had only just learned who his mother truly was. He was certain she loved him, and he loved her, though the bond still felt fragile, like a bridge rebuilt after centuries of silence.

But then his eyes found Lorraine again, standing there with the faint light of blue flame still curling at her fingertips, the fire’s reflection glinting in her eyes. She was his priority now. She always would be.

"They don’t deserve her," he thought. "Not this place. Not after all they’ve done."

"Ensure the safety of everyone," Leroy said, his tone quiet but commanding.

Aldric nodded and turned away, running toward the stables where Sylvia was. He didn’t argue, for there was no need. The prophecy would find its way, as it always did. The heir would not remain hidden forever.

Perhaps this was how it began; this breaking, this burning.

Perhaps both Leroy and Lorraine needed to disappear... to return one day as the storm the world had feared and forgotten.

Leroy took a step toward Lorraine, who was still speaking softly with Emma. The firelight danced across her face, and the last traces of blue flame shimmered like a halo around her hands.

-----

Lorraine was relieved to see Emma and Elias alive. Elias’ bandaged side was bleeding again, but he brushed her concern away with a smile.

Both of them kept glancing at the faint blue flame still curling around her hands and shoulders, eyes wide in awe. Lorraine waved her hand, trying to put it out, but the flame only shimmered brighter, as if alive.

"Did you see Sylvia anywhere?" she asked, voice tight. "And Aralyn?"

"Lady Aralyn?" Emma blinked. "No, Your Highness. I’ll find her right away," she said, bowing hurriedly.

Lorraine’s heart clenched. She had searched the mansion before, but Aralyn had not been there. None of the staff had seen her either. Their last conversation replayed in her mind—Aralyn’s faraway expression, the strange loneliness in her tone.

Where could she have gone?

Before she could dwell further, Emma straightened abruptly and dropped into a curtsey. Elias bowed too.

Lorraine turned, and her breath caught.

Leroy was walking toward her, his golden hair streaked with ash, the braided strands falling over his shoulders, gleaming faintly in the firelight. The wind from the open courtyard tugged at the ends of his cloak, and despite the ruin, the smoke, and the smell of burnt stone, her heart warmed.

Ah... my husband is so handsome.

Even now, she couldn’t help the little giggle that escaped her thoughts. The world was crumbling, and yet, just looking at him made her chest flutter.

Leroy’s gaze found hers. He didn’t speak; he just kept walking until he reached her. Then, without a word, he bent and lifted her into his arms. And with that, the flame on her vanished as if it was never there.

Lorraine blinked, half-laughing. "You never change, do you?" she murmured, burying her face against his chest.

Emma caught her eye and grinned, the mischief in her expression unmissable. Lorraine smiled back and said softly, "Sylvia knows what to do next."

But her smile faltered. Does she? Aldric’s words echoed faintly in her mind, she wondered if he had been lying about Sylvia’s wound. But Emma would take care of it.

"We have to clean and rebuild," Lorraine said, her voice firmer now. "The damage isn’t too bad. We can still save the house." She looked back once more at the smoldering glow of their home. "We’ve made too many memories here to just leave it."

Leroy said nothing. His silence felt heavy.

Only when they descended into the tunnels beneath the courtyard did he finally set her down. The air grew colder, the torches flickering weakly along the narrow stone walls. Lorraine frowned. These tunnels led toward the outskirts of the city.

She remembered Sylvia mentioning that Lord Osric was stationed there, ready with an escape route. Perhaps that’s where we’re going, she thought. To relieve him.

Still, something felt... off. Leroy’s face, lit by the orange torches, looked almost sculpted—beautiful and unreadable. His eyes were distant, as though he were walking through a dream he didn’t want to wake from.

"What are you planning, Leroy?" she asked quietly.

He didn’t answer right away. For a long moment, she only heard the echo of their footsteps against damp stone.

Then his voice came; steady, calm, resolute. "We’re leaving the kingdom, Lorraine. I’m taking you away."

Lorraine stopped dead.

"What?" she whispered.

She stared at him in disbelief. She had thought he revealed himself today for a reason: to stand against the Emperor, to claim what was his, to fight for his honor.

But this... this sounded like retreat.

Her fingers curled, her fingertips burying into her palms.

He wants to run away? After everything?

Lorraine’s eyes blazed. She had followed him through war, betrayal, and fire, but she would not follow him into surrender.