The sun was beginning to set in the kingdom of Luin, casting pale shadows over the roads. Saruto and Lucien stood on a balcony, the cool air drifting between them. Saruto looked at his friend and said in a quiet but confident tone, "For now, we'll just keep an eye on things. We don't need to make any rash moves."
"Well, I think I deserve a bit of rest after all this," Lucien replied with a weary smile, his voice still heavy with the strain of battle.
Saruto smiled slightly, then placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tomorrow we have the academy. Get some rest; you really deserve it."
Lucien nodded slightly and walked away toward his kingdom, while Saruto turned quietly and made his way to his room. Once inside, he removed his clothes and threw himself onto the bed, lost in thought until sleep overtook him.
As the next day dawned, Saruto returned to the academy. The atmosphere was lively, with students chatting and laughing. He attended classes as usual, but didn't participate much in the discussions, as if his mind were elsewhere. After classes ended, he went to his family's palace.
The next day, Saruto invited Star, the Star Princess, to his palace. She came quickly after receiving his invitation, and servants escorted her to his private flower room. In a profound silence, enveloped by a cool breeze, Saruto sat with Star amidst luminous gardens where purple flowers shimmered like jewels. Star was still amazed by the beauty of the place, as if she were seeing it for the first time. Her eyes wandered among flowers that radiated a soft, celestial glow, and colors she had never seen before.
"Every time I come to your flower room," she said, her voice filled with wonder.
Saruto smiled faintly, a hint of deep sadness crossing his face. "I'm glad you like it," he replied in a quiet, hesitant voice. "It's a gift from my mother before she left this life."
He sat beside her, gazed at the ceiling, and whispered, "Let's leave that for now. There's something I've been keeping from you from the beginning, and I think it's time you knew the truth."
She turned to him, a hint of fear in her eyes, and asked, "What is it? Why does your voice sound so sad?"
He took a deep breath, then said slowly, as if drawing the words from his chest, "Camellia and Eliza. They are sisters. Because of a conflict between their parents, the King of Light and the Queen of Hell, they were separated. And because of this conflict, I was forced to give up one of them to be with the other."
Star froze at the impact of his words, slowly raising her hand to his face. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to comfort you. Please forgive me."
Saruto lowered his gaze and said in a tone heavy with responsibility, "I didn't want to worry you."
Star sat directly in front of him, her hands trembling as she placed one in his. "Saruto, don't do that again—keep secrets from me. I'll always be by your side, no matter what."
Saruto was silent for a moment, his eyes lost in the sparkle of hers. He felt a strange warmth spreading from her hand to his heart. He wasn't used to such warmth. He whispered softly, "Trust me, then. I'll bring Camellia and Eliza back."
Star smiled gently, then rushed to him, embracing him tightly, her arms enveloping him as if trying to hold all his sorrow within her. At that moment, he felt something dissipate within him, a weight he had carried for so long beginning to lighten little by little. She said, still in his arms, "I trust you... Go and bring them back, and I will wait impatiently for your return."
Saruto closed his eyes for a moment, then whispered with a faint smile, "Thank you, Star. You've made this burden lighter than it was."
As they remained like that, the flower room around them grew brighter, as if the flowers themselves shared in the warmth of the moment—a moment of stillness, a blend of hope, promise, and longing, before a new phase of the journey to retrieve the two princesses began.