"Your Highness Michaela, I am Chief of Knights Carle from Kydus, my sincerest apologies for visiting you this late"

He bowed to me showing full respect with his eyes shut. Although I don't like visits like this, sometimes these emergency visits are the most relevant news — after all Kydus is a day or two on a horse from here, they wouldn't send the Chief Knight himself for something trivial.

"I accept, now you may be seated, and also you can continue drinking that tea."

"No your highness, I must relay this information as early as possible"

So that is why he's so desperate to finish that tea earlier, even how hot it was.

"Okay, speak."

"Umm… but Your Majesty, General Geraldine Savoy is here, this message is for the empress herself, privately towards you."

"It's fine, she's my most trusted aide right now"

Carle looked slowly a bit at Geraldine, maybe deciding whether to say it in her presence or not, Geraldine who has a curious expression on her face smiled wryly at me.

"Then, if you insist, I'll declare the message verbally, Empress of Kydus invites you to the palace, your fiance Mr. Andrei Spia have returned."

Huh? What the h.e.l.l does that mean?

And just like that, as if time have stopped for me, I couldn't move a muscle, and just stared at the messenger in front of me. I couldn't believe what he just said, even beheading won't satisfy me if he just made that up.

After all this time? Why?!

Why the h.e.l.l did he come to Kydus instead of coming here directly?

Is there any reason?

So I my guts was right after all, Gideon definitely knew something that day but decided not to tell me.

But why now… and why there?

Annoyed I took Carle on his collar, I don't know if its just me venting out my anger and frustration, but I want more answers from him.

"Hey, Carle you are really not lying right? If you are lying here, I'll send you to the firing range, here and now!"

Carle, seemingly understood my expression and as if he saw it coming, didn't resist that much, instead of panicking from being collared he only nodded.

Geraldine has als othe same expression as me, filled with shock, and a mix of emotions that we couldn't tell.

Except Geraldine wasn't that frustrated as me, she could onyl cover her mouth as beads of tears started coming out from her eyes.

"Andrei… have he really returned?" she muttered, confirming it with Carle in her own way, we were both wide-eyed in disbelief, but Geraldine started crying.

It makes sense… she's also waiting for his return after all.

Not seem able to wait, as we were paralyzed with the shocking news given to us, Carle immediately spoke.

"But… your majesty, you would have to hurry, as he will set off shortly"

"Huh?! Get real Carle! Sir Andrei wouldn��t do that to her majesty! After all he-… he-"

Geraldine answered him in her disbelief.

I had also the same reaction.

Setting off? Where is he going right now again?

Is he going to leave me again?

No… I won't allow him until I see him again.

If Carle is saying the truth, then I should head out immediately and verify this with Rara, if it's false I'll freeze and burn his body altogether.

"Carle… we will leave now, escort me with your men. Do you have a carriage reay?"

"Yes your majesty, the carriage is already waiting for you outside. Then I shall inform the coachman immediately"

He immediately bowed to me and ran towards the exit.

Seeing how he paced himself, I can feel that Carle really is talking about the truth.

I felt my heart beat faster and faster, so much that I couldn't control it.

With Carle's action I can tell that he didn't harbor any bad intentions and was really hurrying it up.

And knowing that Rara sent Carle here to say the message verbally then, it makes sense.

Empress Rara doesn't have any benefit in lying.

"Your majesty shall I prepare some guards for you?"

Geraldine immediately brought back the commanders with her bringing guns.

"It's fine, I'm fine by myself, it's faster that way, please keep the guard around the castle I need to go now"

With what I have seen earlier, it might be possible that the man is still here. But if I'm not there that man might have already retreated if his goal is to a.s.sa.s.sinate me.

This should come first more than anything.

I have waited, worried and became anxious for a year waiting for this day to come.

I have so many questions to ask him.

But what if this a dream? And my real body is still sleeping soundly at the veranda? After all, too much has already happened today, including the news about Andrei's arrival.

Not wasting any time, Carle, Geraldine and I immediately set off for Kydus in the middle of the night, Geraldine who wanted also to see Andrei, entrusted the search to her knights.. With no regards to my safety, with no questions, with just the desire to see him again once more.

After riding for a while in a jumpy carriage, it only took at least a day to reach Kydus.

And that Carraige was amazing no matter that the road was b.u.mpy because of something on its wheels the shaking is not that confusing anymore. Thought I don't know what the material is called but its st.u.r.dy and stretchy at the same time.

As we got close and closer with Kydus' carriage that was made exactly to be fast, I started praying to the G.o.ds for our reunion.

Please make it, please don't walk away before I could even talk to you.

I still have a mountain of questions to ask you.

And much more... I miss you, Andrei so much.

Please take me with you, I'll go anywhere if it's you.

…

????? ????? - ?????? ????????

It's finally the night for Andrei to go back.

The portal remains open only for three days. After resupplying, together with Eagle and Raven, Andrei dresses up again in a black mantle, the same way he looked in the other world.

But this time it's a new mantle made just for him, with a durable cloth. He also has spares with him, the three of them are bringing huge backpacks with them and two carry-on at each hand.

According to their info they their base of operations is just outside of the portal, so it they just need to carry it in a few steps.

To be honest, I wanted to talk with Andrei more, but right now it doesn't really feels like he has come home, it is as if his heart and mind is still trapped in that mission. He always keeps his guard, even though it's just me, Layla and Gideon who knows about his secret.

As he hasn't truly come home yet, I won't lay my feelings bare yet otherwise it would be useless… and cruel.

As I watch the hues of orange and sky blue at the skies I worried about the other arrangement I made.

Did Carl make it? Did Michaela believe him?

I wanted Michaela to talk with Andrei first before he goes through that portal and never come back again after a year. Another long waiting time for her.

But I already did my part, from hereon it's her decision, it's her choice.

The sun has already set and Layla took the food from her basket as we all sat on the stones of the ruins we bathed on the light of the moon the stars and moon. It was a tasty bread, with a piece of meat in between.

"Was it in accordance to your taste your majesty?"

Layla graceful as ever made a short curtsy.

"Yes Layla, thank you, to be honest it's much better and homey than the one made the royal cook"

"Thank you for your compliment, your majesty."

Then she looked at Andrei, who's eating the same thing with Raven and Eagle at his back. Being with the two for too long he only spoke much with the two while Gideon is checking the supplies one by one.

"Your majesty, will Queen Michaela really arrive on time? If she doesn��t catch up, she might not see him for a longer time."

"We'll leave that to fate Layla, there are things in this world we are not in control of, let's just leave it at the hands of the G.o.ds, we already did what we have to do.

We honored Andrei's wishes before, this time we will show our grat.i.tude to the Queen herself"

"I see… "

As we waited more and more the new moon already appeared, the portal became active, two tall stones in the ruins parallel to each other emitted a faint golden light, similar to the color of the moonlight it bathed in.

The reason it only activates once a year because it receives energy from the moon and converts it to magic, its the only characteristics we could tell as its construction is still shrouded in mystery, and there are no records of Kydus about it, I only knew about it when Layla told me about Andrei's plan.

Seeing that it already shone, Andrei, Raven and Eagle including Gideon started throwing their bags inside.

Really men are… and I thought they were going to bring those by themselves, and now they are just throwing them around lazily.

In this I noticed faint footsteps behind me and saw some golden strands of hair behind a tree. Clearly the human behind it is hiding, for some reason, but with that hair, there's now way I wouldn't know from which person it is.

Seeing this, I know that it's time for me to show back my sincerity. I wiped the food crumbs on my lap, stood up and went near Andrei.

"Hey Andrei! You done?"

I told him loudly with all of my energy, so that the person behind that tree can hear us clearly.

He looks at me closely with his lonely eyes and turned to me with a bow.

"Your majesty, thank you for these supplies, I'll make sure that the next time I come I will deliver good news to you."

Knowing that I can't do anything about his loneliness right now, I did what I want and smiled.

After all the only person who could make him happy is either resting on Ethareri right now enclosed in a barrier, or is hiding at the tree behind me.

Right now, I have no right to approach Andrei, or it would be too cruel for both.

That's why I'll wait… for him to be truly be home.

And it will be a contest then — person with the golden hair hiding behind the tree.

When that times I won't be holding my punches anymore.