After leaving Solmire with the Crescent Moon Necklace of Elyas securely in my possession, it was finally time to head back to the capital.

I had successfully obtained both the Amber Heart and the Crescent Moon, securing them before anyone else could claim them, which had been my priority from the start.

Truthfully, I had plenty of time to claim the Crescent Moon necklace. It wasn’t supposed to fall into the protagonist’s hands for another year, making it far less urgent than the Amber Heart. But since I was already so close to Solmire, I figured I might as well retrieve it while I was in the area.

Besides, I needed that necklace for a very particular reason.

Regardless, the journey back to the capital went smoothly, and we took no further risks.

Having acquired exactly what I came for, I left the return trip to Oliver and Mia. We stopped at a few towns along the way for rest, but otherwise, the return trip was uneventful.

We were not ambushed by the Black Sun again, nor did we cross paths with any bandits. We did encounter a few roaming beasts, but Oliver and Mia dispatched them with trivial ease.

Overall, the journey took us five days, a rather excellent pace, considering I had originally thought of an entire week of travel.

And so, we were finally back. I had to admit, no matter how crowded the capital was, or how the air was filled with the stench of political cunning, I had missed it.

As we reached the royal castle, I stepped down from the carriage, my gaze drawn immediately to the Great Flame of Helios burning brightly above.

I looked down at my hand and slowly clenched my fist.

Damn. The difference between being outside the capital and standing within it, or rather, the difference between being far from the Flame and standing right beneath it, was astounding.

I felt noticeably stronger, and safer, bathed in its presence.

I turned around to watch Eleanor and Leilah step down from the carriage, followed by Oliver and Mia dismounting their horses.

Everyone was understandably exhausted, but I was relieved that everything had gone so perfectly.

My wounded shoulder still throbbed with a dull ache, but the moment I had stepped back into the capital and drawn close to the Flame, I could already feel the recovery process accelerating drastically.

"So, Eleanor, what did you think of our little honeymoon?" I asked with a smile.

She returned the smile softly.

"It was truly wonderful," she said.

"Indeed. You are quite feisty in bed, I must say, but I rather like that side of you," I chuckled.

"Y—Your Majesty...!" Eleanor gasped, flushing crimson in pure panic as her eyes darted around the courtyard.

The royal knights standing guard at the gates very quickly, and very professionally, averted their gazes.

"Leilah, take a well-deserved rest with Eleanor. You have the rest of the day to yourselves. Take tomorrow off as well," I said.

Leilah gave a curt nod and led a deeply embarrassed Eleanor away.

I then turned my attention to Oliver and Mia.

"Both of you have done a tremendous job escorting us. As expected, Arges gave me reliable people to watch my back. I will see to it that you are properly rewarded later. For now, go and get some real rest," I said.

"Your Majesty," Oliver said, bowing.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Mia echoed.

They bowed their heads respectfully before turning and walking off toward the knights’ quarters.

As expected, they were exhausted as well.

I had intended to thank Alan and Elric, but the two of them had already slipped away to tend to the carriage and horses.

Turning around, I walked calmly back into the castle.

The servants and knights around the courtyard immediately greeted me with respectful bows the moment they saw I had returned.

My old self would have received similar greetings, but they would have entirely lacked the respect, fear, and reverence I could see painted across their faces now.

The expressions I was receiving were exactly the ones they ought to show a King.

In any case, the castle seemed remarkably well-protected.

Sienna was doing her job flawlessly, just as expected.

I only hoped nothing grave had occurred during my brief absence.

I made my way toward the royal quarters, intending to visit my mother and sister, but I crossed paths with a rather unexpected person along the way.

Ravenna.

"Ravenna, what a surprise," I said, offering her a smile.

She looked equally surprised, but quickly inclined her head. "Your Majesty. Welcome back."

"I have been absent for a few days. How have you been occupying yourself in the meantime?" I asked, gesturing for her to walk with me. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Nothing of particular interest," she replied after a brief pause.

"Well, I imagine for someone like you, most things are terribly boring. But do not worry, you will certainly find Luminar much more suited to your tastes," I told her.

"Have you ever been to Luminar, Your Majesty?" Ravenna asked, casting me a sideways glance.

"Never. Our relations with them have not always been the warmest, though my father did a great deal to mend fences. That is exactly why it is now possible for me, and others from Helios, to attend with far less worry than in the past," I explained. "But it is said to be a wonderful place. Are you not curious?"

"I am," she nodded, a small, dark smile touching her lips.

I honestly pitied whoever she ended up targeting there.

Under normal circumstances, her cruelty would be aimed directly at the protagonist and his heroines; she was even destined to harass Dorothy. But with me present, I wondered if things would unfold differently.

Truthfully, I was quite curious to see how the whole affair would play out.

As I thought about that, I turned the next corner and my eyes widened slightly. Up ahead in the corridor, quite a gathering was taking place.

My sister was facing Vincent Ashcroft, accompanied by Regina.

Now, that was interesting.

Ravenna moved to continue walking forward, but I caught her arm, pulled her back behind the corner, and pressed her against the wall, trapping her there.

"Shh," I said with a smile, pressing a finger to my lips.

She blinked her dark blue eyes at me but said nothing.

I was simply curious to hear what they were discussing.

I peeked around the corner.

Vincent Ashcroft.

Ravenna’s older brother.

He was a true, two-faced scumbag, the kind of man who seized every opportunity to insult me behind my back or in roundabout ways, all while keeping a gentle, polite smile plastered across his face. He was also deeply, uncomfortably obsessed with Lenora.

Regardless, what in the hell was he still doing here in the capital?

I had sent his father back to their territory; he was supposed to have gone with him.

Anyway, I listened.

"Release my hand, and I will choose to forget this ever happened."

Dear sister, you are being far too patient with that scumbag.

"Happened what? If not for Ravenna, we would have already been together; you would have been my wife. It is only a matter of time before that monster gets tossed aside by Lumiel just like Morgana, and then you will be engaged to me."

Vincent Ashcroft, truly a scumbag.

Is that how you treat your very beautiful sister?

It was hard to say exactly how Ravenna had become such a twisted woman. I only knew brief fragments of her past, but if her own older brother had been treating her with such disdain ever since that incident, and if you factored in the toxic influence of her mother, it suddenly made perfect sense why she had turned out the way she did.

I glanced back at her.

She wasn’t peeking around the corner to watch the scene unfold as I was, but she was definitely listening to every word. Yet, she did not seem in the least bit perturbed by her brother casually referring to her as a monster. She must have grown entirely numb to it by now.

Or rather, knowing exactly who she was, I knew she wouldn’t let herself be shaken so easily, especially not by the likes of him. After all, she was the designated Villainess of this world. In the game, I had watched her commit far worse atrocities without ever once breaking character. Well, almost never.

"M—My Lord!"

Oh...

Regina actually intervened the moment that bastard grabbed my sister’s arm.

I knew she possessed a daring streak, but she had just shoved the heir to a Marquisate, hadn’t she? I doubt any ordinary maid in the entire palace would have dared to do such a thing, except perhaps Alice. Yes, I could easily picture Alice doing it, but Alice was a childhood friend to us.

Regina’s circumstances were different. Securing this position in the royal castle was vital to her survival and future, yet she had still chosen to cast that aside and act.

I found myself smiling at the sight.

But that smile vanished the instant Vincent’s hand slapped across her face.

"Stop whining, Lenora, and simply accept it," Vincent sneered, trapping my sister forcefully against the wall.

I had seen enough.

I stepped out from the shadows of the corridor.

"You will never walk away from this," Lenora spat.

Vincent scoffed. "Once I make you mine, there will be no—"

"And what exactly do we have here?"