After hovering in the sky for half an hour, the hot air balloon descended gently into the castle courtyard.
The moment the basket touched the ground, the witches, drawn by the hot air balloon's glow, swarmed around it. Unlike the initial gathering of only nightingales, the Witch Alliance had now assembled nearly all its members, with Shu Juan, who had just returned from the town hall, even trotting over. After learning the details, she stared skyward in constant worry, fearing the massive sphere might plummet down.
As soon as His Royal Highness emerged from the hanging basket, Shu Juan and Wendy rushed up to lecture him, urging him not to take such a risk. After Prince offered a brief defense, he cleverly diverted the conversation with this novel device. Nightingale found it amusing and was about to join them when she suddenly froze in her tracks.
She saw Anna's eyes brimming with joy as she was carried out of the cradle by RolandYour Highness, her cheeks flushed with a rosy glow. Her linen-colored bangs were neatly parted to one side, and a small hairpin hung from her hair, shimmering with a silvery sheen.
The nightingale remembered a silver ingot he had casually polished a few days earlier while directing the blacksmith in operating the massive machines at the factory.
That's a hairpin made by Your Highness?
The other witches were clamoring to ride the hot air balloon, and soon the airbag inflated again. This time, Anna and Nana were the ones who soared into the sky.
The Nightingale stood outside the crowd, staring blankly at the hot air balloon shrinking.
Her mind was filled with Anna's tender smile.
Anna, usually calm and composed, rarely wore such an expression. During the Nightingale's journey with the Fellowship, she had encountered many similar God-like figures in the city's streets and alleys. She knew what it meant—Your Highness and Anna were clearly not merely admiring the scenery. Though Lightning and Maxie were present, making such a move impossible, the thought that crossed her mind was hard to suppress. Suddenly, she felt an emptiness in her heart.
Though the decision had been made long ago, when the moment finally arrived, Nightingale realized she was far less indifferent than she had imagined.
She walked to a corner, leaned against the wall, and sat down, watching the commotion around her, her mind blank.
The hot air balloon descended again. After Nana Wa climbed out of the basket, Ye Zi, who had seized the opportunity, immediately jumped in.
When Nightingale turned back to God, Roland was no longer in the courtyard—likely after being lectured by the scrolls, he had returned to the castle to attend to his duties. She should have followed him to the office, standing by the Prince as she had in the past. But Nightingale stood up, yet found herself unable to move—she had no idea what expression to wear at Roland, even though he couldn't see her in the mist. Still, she knew his happy face would only make her feel worse.
As the hot air balloon ascended and descended, after nearly everyone had had their turn, Wendy approached. "Why are you staying here? Why not try it? The view of the town from the sky is absolutely breathtaking." If there was anyone more difficult to face than RolandYour Highness, it was Anna. Nightingale stood up abruptly. "No, I need to go back to the office." With that, she stepped into the mist. After taking a few steps, she realized why she had used her ability in the courtyard. Glancing back at Wendy, who was staring around in confusion, she gritted her teeth and hurried away.
...
After dinner, she went back to her bedroom and lay on her back on the bed.
She remained conspicuously absent from the office until the very end. When Her Highness tentatively called her name, she merely tapped her back twice to acknowledge her presence. Even the sight of the salt-baked dried fish—her favorite delicacy—pulled from the rosewood table failed to sway her.
"What's wrong? Did something happen today?" Wendy walked into the bedroom and closed the door. "I saw everyone else riding the hot air balloon, but you were sitting alone by the side." "Nothing," Nightingale said, turning over.
"Clearly there's something," Wendy sat by the bed, straightening her posture and gazing at her for a long while. "I thought you'd confide in me about everything." "..." The girl closed her eyes, murmuring after a long pause, "Because of Anna." "Anna?" Nightingale didn't want to voice these troubles, fearing it would make her feel petty—after all, the first Witch Your Highness knew was Anna, not her. Yet keeping it silent left her heart feeling suffocated, even more painful. At the Guild, Wendy had helped her immensely. Whenever she felt lost, Wendy was always the first person she thought of, and she never let her down. With that thought, she gently took Wendy's hand and began to recount the events.
After hearing this, Wendy sighed, "Anna doesn't grasp the gravity of this matter. Don't you understand? I warned you before-he can't possibly be with a Witch. Roland Wimbledon is the King, and the throne demands an heir. That's why he'd never choose a Witch as his wife." "He would." "What?" Wendy froze in shock.
"Your Highness Roland will wed a witch," Nightingale suddenly blurted out, her eyes wide open, "he said it himself!" She had tried to bury this truth deep in her heart, but now the weight of being misunderstood was crushing her.
Wendy appeared startled, frowning after a long pause before asking, "Are you sure?" "It's true," Nightingale repeated the question from the ancient scroll, "When asked' Could you possibly marry a Witch? ', his answer was' Why not? '. You know my ability—I can tell if someone's lying. He said it seriously." Wendy suddenly grabbed Nightingale's arm. "Remember this: don't tell anyone about it, not even the sisters of the Witch Alliance." "Why..." "Because he's destined to become the King of Graycastle. What does a childless king mean? Even without the Church, the local Nobles would struggle to support such a ruler. This must remain a secret. Your only duty now is to protect him. Remember, his fate as Graycastle's ruler determines the destiny of all sisters." Nightingale nodded.
"As for what troubles you," Wentie mused for a moment, "do you wish to ascend the throne, or merely to remain by Your Highness's side?" "Certainly to stay by his side," the Nightingale replied without hesitation.
"So you're not with him now?" Wendy smiled. "There's only one Queen, but even if he ascends the throne, he'll still need your protection. Do you understand?" The Nightingale blinked without replying.
"So it's not difficult to stay together; the real challenge lies in accepting the choices you've made," Wendy said with a shrug. "If you can't do it, you have no choice but to compromise or take a step further... As for this question, only you know the answer."
The next morning, Roland yawned as he entered the office. When he opened the drawer, the dried fish was gone.