Days had passed, yet Alice still found herself unable to fully grasp the reality she now lived in.

The emotions settled in layers—soft, surreal, and still a bit too dazzling for her to make complete sense of.

‘Junior and I… no, Riley and I… we’re officially one now, right?’

The thought drifted through her mind like sunlight through gauze.

Agentle, warm whisper.

And with it, a smile curled upon her lips—quiet, content.

She stepped out onto the marble balcony, barefoot, the coolness of the stone contrasting the warmth of the morning sun.

The sky was painted in gold and soft blue, clouds drifting lazily across the horizon.

A light breeze danced past her, ruffling the sheer white curtains behind her and tugging playfully at her Pink hair.

Her hands rose above her head in a stretch, letting out a soft sound. “Nggh~”

Her fingers flexed toward the sky as she tilted her head back and breathed in the crisp air.

From here, at the highest spire of the White Castle’s tower, the entire kingdom stretched before her like a woven tapestry.

White rooftops and glimmering roads sprawled outward, meeting the forest edges and distant hills that hugged the borders of their land.

The city was waking up beneath her, its heartbeat calm but steady.

SHHH-!!!

A glimmer of red light shimmered above her head—delicate and slow—before crystallizing into the shape of a crown.

The Crimson Crest of Sovereignty.

A symbol that once felt impossibly far from her reach now hovered above her as effortlessly as the morning sun.

A part of her still wasn’t used to it.

Not just the crown or the title… but the weight of it all.

She was the ruler of this realm now.

The Queen of the White Kingdom. Her domain.

Her people. And soon, the world the world she originally ruled, would merge into this one.

Two threads of fate finally weaving into one.

It was all moving so quickly—too quickly, maybe.

Behind the elegant halls and smiles, chaos churned.

Diplomatic briefings from local residents… albeit most of which lacked proper intelligence to conduct proper negotiations with, logistical redrafts, supply chain restructuring, integration of governance systems.

She wasn’t blind to the sheer mountain of labor being quietly borne by those beneath her.

‘I’m glad Cheshire’s here with me…’

The thought brought a small smile to Alice’s lips.

Without her ever-whimsical familiar, she would’ve drowned in managerial work long ago.

Although Cheshire had a knack for making baffling decisions—like erecting a giant statue of his smug, cat-like self in the middle of the city square—she had simply let it be.

It was ridiculous, yes, but perhaps it was a fitting tribute to all the work he’d done behind the scenes.

A reward, in its own odd way.

Alice gazed out at the city below—the kingdom of white that had once been so cold, so lifeless.

Now, it was changing.

Slowly but surely, streaks of color began to seep into the monochrome world.

Buildings took on warmer hues, the skies above shimmered with soft pastels, and flowers bloomed along cobbled streets where none had dared to grow before.

Her realm was evolving—not just through policy or planning, but by her will.

Her power had matured into something more than just control—it was expression, creation.

A reality that once reflected only solitude now mirrored something richer, something warmer.

It wasn’t just her story anymore.

And yet, despite the weight of leadership and the shifting tides of power, she felt strangely calm.

Maybe it was the golden sunlight brushing her cheeks.

Maybe it was the soft breeze dancing through the curtains.

Or maybe… it was simply because she wasn’t alone anymore.

Her fingers curled gently around the cool stone of the balcony railing as her golden eyes softened.

“Riley…”

Turning back toward her room, her gaze lingered on the messy sheets and the slight warmth still clinging to where he had once been.

“Did he go train early again?” she murmured to herself, tilting her head in mild disappointment.

It had become a habit—her waking to find the space beside her empty.

Still, even in his absence, she didn’t feel hollow.

She had never thought herself the kind of woman to grow attached to another’s presence so easily… but perhaps Riley had simply become an exception to every rule she once lived by.

It had been several days now—maybe even a week—since Alice last woke with Riley still beside her in the morning.

She understood. She truly did. Riley had always been something of a training maniac.

The discipline he maintained over his body and mind was impressive, admirable even.

But still… a small part of her, nestled deep within the warm sheets of their shared bed, longed to wake up wrapped in his arms, basking in his comforting warmth.

Not that she had any right to complain—not really.

After all, Riley was more than generous when it came to indulging her nightly requests for warmth of another kind.

And when it came to that kind of closeness… well, they hadn’t exactly been subtle lately.

“I wonder if he knocked me up…” she murmured to herself, fingers gently brushing across her lower abdomen as she stared out over the kingdom.

The thought wasn’t born of panic or dread, but something softer—curious, even hopeful.

Ever since the that day when they first truly expressed their love, she and Riley had been… enthusiastic.

Unapologetically so.

Night after night even during their free times, tangled in silk sheets and each other, they gave in to everything they had once hesitated to show.

And Alice, for all her pride and meticulous control, never let a single drop of his seed go to waste.

She had been greedy with him—possessive in the quietest, most intimate way possible.

She knew they should probably begin taking things a little more seriously—maybe even responsibly.

But how could she, when the rawness of it all made her feel more alive than ever?

There was something sacred about it.

Something magical in the way he held her, loved her, and made her forget that she had once been a lonely ruler with a heart hidden behind gold-colored eyes.

Realizing her thoughts were starting to drift a little too far, she coughed into her hand and sat up straighter, cheeks tinged a soft pink.

Her gaze returned to the vast city below, now alive with light and color.

The sun caught on polished white stone, on rooftops where greenery had started to grow, and on the absurdly massive statue of Cheshire that loomed over the city square.

“I should probably head down into the town today…” she muttered, stretching her arms above her head before letting them fall with a sigh. “Cheshire’s been far too lively lately. I can’t have him going out of hand again.”

Knowing him, there would be something unexpected—festivities she hadn’t approved, a parade of cat-themed pastries, or maybe another statue.

She shook her head with a fond smile.

Nodding to herself, Alice turned on her heel and began making her way toward the marble-framed doors of the bathroom.

A refreshing morning bath was exactly what she needed before stepping out into the bustling city—both to soothe her thoughts and prepare her mind for whatever Cheshire had inevitably conjured up while she slept.

But just as her fingers brushed against the gilded doorknob, a shimmer of light danced across the room—subtle at first, then intensifying with an almost divine brilliance.

A pulse of golden radiance bloomed in the air before her, followed by a low crackling hum as the magic twisted reality itself.

A vortex of dark energy opened in the center of the room, swirling like the mouth of a black star.

Then, without warning, a figure emerged—his silhouette illuminated by the glowing residue left in the rift’s wake.

Alice’s eyes widened.

“R-Riley?!”

Without thinking, she rushed over to him.

The moment she reached his side, she saw it.

The weariness in his eyes, the way his knees nearly buckled beneath him, and the eerie flickering of unstable mana that danced along his skin like tiny bolts of lightning.

He looked as though he’d been torn apart and barely stitched back together, his breathing shallow, his circuits overloaded.

He was still recovering—she knew that much. His mana circuits had yet to fully stabilize.

And yet… he had warped here, forcibly, by ripping a hole through dimensions with sheer will and power.

“What happened? No—lie down, now! I’ll help you—!”

Her voice trembled with urgency as she reached for him, hands glowing faintly as she prepared to use her own energy to help soothe his instability.

But then… Riley gently grasped her wrist.

“It’s fine,” he said softly, his hand warm despite the visible tremors in his body. “I’m alright…”

“You’re clearly not!” she snapped, eyes narrowed, voice cracking between frustration and fear.

And yet, Riley only chuckled.

It was quiet, almost sheepish, the way he laughed at her concern—like her worry was the most endearing thing in the world to him.

“T-This isn’t the time to be laughing!” Alice huffed, cheeks puffing slightly. “Your mana’s fluctuating like crazy and—hmm?!”

Her reprimand was cut short as a radiant golden light suddenly engulfed Riley, wrapping around him like an ethereal cocoon.

The pressure in the room shifted instantly.

The overwhelming weight of his unbalanced aura dissipated.

His pale complexion regained color.

The wild surges of mana that once sparked at his fingertips faded into calm, controlled streams.

Alice could only stare in stunned silence as the transformation completed before her.

When the light faded, Riley stood straight, tall, and steady.

He smiled gently. “See?”

She blinked, golden eyes wide and filled with wonder. “What… was that?”

“Just a little divine gift,” he replied cryptically, brushing a bit of dust off his shoulder. “Anyway, I’m fine now. You don’t need to worry.”

Alice frowned, lips pursing as her brows knit together. She didn’t like how casually he brushed off what had just happened, but for now, she could see he was genuinely okay. Still… divine gift?

That was something she wasn’t going to let go of easily.

“…You’re going to tell me everything,” Alice said, her voice low and firm, arms folded beneath her chest in a stance that made it clear—this wasn’t a request.

Riley chuckled again, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. “I figured you’d say that.”

He glanced away for a moment, the light in his eyes dimming ever so slightly.

Honestly, the whole situation was far too convoluted to explain in a single breath—hell, even in an entire afternoon.

There were layers upon layers of hidden truths, divine entanglements, and reality-bending revelations still left buried.

And then… there was the truth about himself.

The part he hadn’t even begun to unpack aloud.

But after the promise he made to Alice that day—after they shared more than just bodies but hearts—he knew one thing for certain.

He would never lie to her, from that day on only the truth exists between the two of them…

So, after a moment’s pause, Riley decided to go with the simplest, most honest piece of the story he could offer.

“A certain goddess just… invited me out for tea,” he said slowly, testing the waters.

Alice blinked. “…Huh?”

“And her sister,” he added casually, “just barged in mid-way through and, well, punished me a little. Just a bit.”

Alice stared.

Then her expression twisted.

“HUHH?!”

Riley knew this whole conversation would take quite some time to finish…

…

Time passed, quietly and without apology.

Before Emilia realized it, the smooth warmth of spring and the golden shimmer of summer had slipped away—replaced now by the crisp bite of autumn air and the scent of dried leaves crumbling beneath her boots.

The gentle winds carried with them the weight of the passing seasons.

Back in the Holy Kingdom, she would have stood by the cathedral balconies, watching the leaves turn orange like the twilight sky, fluttering down from trees like dancing embers.

But here, inside the Academy’s ancient walls, there were no trees with fiery crowns—only frost-kissed stone, pale gray skies, and the shifting breath of winter creeping into her lungs.

Her first semester as a first-year was about to end.

And yet… as she stood here now, heart pounding, legs trembling, breath fogging in front of her—Emilia realized she hadn’t truly lived most of it.

Not in the way she’d wanted.

“Haah… haah…!”

Her breath came in ragged, uneven gasps as her chest rose and fell.

Sweat matted her now silvery-blonde hair filled with divine energy, but despite the exhaustion weighing on her like a curse, a wild, brilliant smile stretched across her lips.

Her white shimmering eyes sparkled with victory.

“Hehe… w-we did it, right?” she asked, her voice shaky but triumphant.

“Yeah…” came the calm, steady voice beside her.

The young man next to her—his short, tousled hair catching the faint sunlight, golden eyes glinting with something fierce—stood with his white-bladed sword still embedded in the smoking chest of their fallen foe.

A three-meter-tall demon, once radiating wrath and dread, now lay still.

Its body, twisted and grotesque, was slowly disintegrating into ash, carried away by the wind that whispered through the training grounds.

“FUCKK!!!”

A scream of raw emotion tore through the silence.

It came from another of their party—a burly young man with a buzz cut, his gauntlets shattered, knuckles bloodied, muscles coiled like steel springs.

His shout was a blend of rage and joy, disbelief and pride. He dropped to his knees, laughing like a man who had just survived the gates of hell.

“Fuck it why did I get involved with all of this shit!?” said the voice of a grey-haired young woman who slumped down towards her wind spirits.

The rest of their team stood nearby.

Some slumped to the ground, catching their breath.

Others remained still, staring in awe at the smoldering remains of what they had just conquered. Words weren’t needed.

Their faces said everything—relief, disbelief, victory.

“We… really did it,” Emilia whispered again.

The sun had just begun to rise, casting a pale golden hue over the battlefield.

And in front of them, finally dead, lay the smoldering remains of a Demonic Duke—the final desperate play of the cultists who had hidden in the Academy’s shadows for far too long.

A last-ditch effort to sow chaos.

To break spirits.

To remind the world that darkness never truly sleeps.

But they had stopped it.

‘Together’.

And now, as light spilled over the training fields and the gentle winds swept away the last traces of the battle, Emilia smiled.

They had quietly protected the academy successfully from the darkness hidden in the world.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep