"Haah...!"
Axel gasped as soon as he passed through the bright light, falling to his ass on the ground.
Looking around, he found himself not in Queen Wisteria's room, but instead another strange space. It wasn't as unsettling as the one before—this one was colorful rather than drab, suffocating darkness.
The space itself was mostly white, with streams of colorful lines scattered throughout. Almost like a liquid canvas dripped with various colored paint. They mixed and matched chaotically, yet seemed bound by some invisible set of rules.
"Husband...!"
After he caught his breath, Ria—who had been right beside him the whole time, still holding his hand—threw herself into his embrace. "We were so worried! Extremely so!" She exclaimed, voice wavering somewhere between scolding and relief.
"Ria..."
Axel whispered her name, one hand propping himself from behind, the other patting her back. Gently, as if placating a crying child.
"Sorry about this, Duke Axel. This was all my fault."
