"L-Let's get you out of this place," he said finally.

Diana nodded, clutching the borrowed jacket tightly, her cheeks flushed from cold and embarrassment alike.

Finally, when it seemed like she had calmed down a little, the Queen of Solaris, who was standing by the side, gave a small cough.

"Princess Diana, you should cover yourself properly".

The princess blinked, momentarily startled. Only then did she realize how much of her skin was showing. Face turning crimson, she instinctively stepped back, the weight of embarrassment finally sinking in.

"You all... how did you find me?" she asked, surprise mixing with a touch of frustration. She'd thought she'd covered her tracks. She'd outwitted the kingdom's own knights, so how in the world...?

"Sigh..." The Queen folded her arms, shaking her head. "You certainly didn't make it easy. If not for My Knight possessing a rather useful skill, it would have been too late."

Her tone carried the kind of gentle lecture that mothers perfected through long practice.

Diana lowered her gaze. "That..." she began softly. She truly had no defense. If they'd been even a few minutes later, she shuddered to think what might have happened. The thought alone made her tremble all over again.

Reinhardt stepped forward, his expression stern but patient. "Your Highness, you're of royal blood. You can't just wander alone. I believe I made that clear even last time. Those bandits... they may have only been after your purse or your looks, but had they realized who you really were, your life would have been in grave danger."

He reached out, helping her stand properly. Once again, Diana had no reply, only a quiet nod as she bit her lip.

"Diana," the Queen said softly, stepping closer. Her voice was no longer reprimanding but warm, like an elder sister consoling her younger counterpart. "Can you tell me what truly happened?"

Perhaps it was that tone, or perhaps simply exhaustion, but the princess finally broke her silence.

Bit by bit, the truth spilled out.

She hadn't run away from her wedding out of impulse. She'd done it because her trust had been broken.

"I-I thought Vaerion and I knew everything about each other," she began, her voice trembling. "He promised me that I was the only woman he loved. And yet… that day, I saw him with his Vice Commander. They..." she stopped, her face tightening. "He lied to me. He kept secrets from me. How can I marry someone who deceived me so easily?"

To summarize her worries, Diana feared being forced to marry a man who betrayed her, being used as a pawn for political gain, and tarnishing her kingdom's reputation all at once. She had been carrying that weight entirely on her own.

The woman was carrying all the burden as she ran away from her wedding.

The Queen closed her eyes, sighing quietly. Reinhardt looked away, uncomfortable at being one of the few in the room who already knew the details.

For a long while, silence hung in the air. Then, gently, the Queen reached out and pulled the Princess into an embrace.

"If I hadn't heard it straight from your mouth, I'd never have believed it," the Queen said softly. "To think the Dark Knight, of all people, would break your heart…" She sighed again. "But, my dear, running away like this, alone and unguarded, was not a wise choice. You put your life at risk."

"I know," Diana whispered, her voice cracking. "I tried to cancel the marriage. But Father insisted I go through with it. He said it would raise the kingdom's reputation if I married the hero who defeated a Heavenly King, even after I told him about the betrayal! My own father!" she cried, tears forming again. "How could he say that?"

The Queen held her tighter. "I understand now. You weren't fleeing the crown. You were fleeing helplessness."

That made Diana cry even harder.

Diana expressed her disappointment. It was because she was backed into a corner that she had no choice but to run away.

"I think I finally understand your plight. But princess..." the Queen said after a pause, "what will you do now? Even if you run, you know the kingdom will eventually find you..."

She trailed off when she saw Reinhardt suddenly frown, his gaze snapping toward the distance.

"What's wrong, my knight?" she asked immediately.

Reinhardt's expression sharpened. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but we can't stay here. The knights from the Black Griffin Legion are on their way, and they're heading straight for the village nearby. Somehow, they've learned of the princess's location."

Diana's face drained of color. "H-how?! My friend told me this route was safe, that this village was the perfect place to rest before crossing the border!"

Reinhardt's jaw tightened. "Then either her friend talked... or someone made sure they did."

Realization struck the princess like a blow. Her breath hitched.

"What should we do? We can't get caught here!"

The Queen straightened immediately, thinking fast. Then her gaze landed on Reinhardt. "My knight, can you use your teleportation skill again? Get us out of here, at least for now. For the princess's safety."

It seemed like the Queen wanted to help the princess of Aetherion. Since it was her command, Reinhardt nodded his head. Activating [Aetherial Stride], he grabbed the two most beautiful women of the two countries and teleported away.

The knights who arrived here later were unable to find any trace of them.

Space distorted as Reinhardt and the two women appeared inside some stately looking office room. "Hm? Where is this place?"

"Hm? Where are we?" the Queen asked, glancing around curiously. Since she had already gotten used to the other party's teleportation skill, she was not overly shocked at finding herself standing at a different location instantly.

"This is my office, Your Majesty".

"What?!"

Be that may, no matter how used to she was, there is no one in this world who could remain unfazed at the power of his skill.

Did he just say office? The Queen was stunned.

Why wouldn't she be? After all, if they were really back at his office, then it meant that they were in the Kingdom of Solaris. From the Kingdom of Aetherion to the Kingdom of Solaris, it was unknown how many thousands of miles of distance there was between the two kingdoms.

Yet they traveled such a great distance in a second? For a second, the Queen was unable to say anything.

"U-um... could you maybe... release me first?"

Reinhardt blinked and glanced down.

Somewhere between teleporting out from their immediate situation and reappearing safely across the continent, he'd forgotten that he was still holding both women tightly.

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