Chapter 16: Leaving the kingdom
As the king sat lost in thought, he was suddenly jolted back to reality by the sound of a knock on his door. With a heavy heart, he turned to see who was seeking his attention, only to find himself struck with emotion at the sight of Maya. Tears began to stream down his face as he spoke with hesitation, "I'm... sorry Maya."
It had been years since Maya had last visited the king. After she was separated from royal politics, the king stopped visiting her out of guilt, even missing her wedding. Maya could see the pain in the king's eyes and took him in her arms, holding him tightly. With tears streaming down her own face, she reassured him, "Hey, you don't have to be sorry about that, it's all in the past."
The king broke the embrace and walked to his wardrobe, taking out a small wooden box, which he gave to Maya. He explained, "You know your mother, the first queen, always wanted to give this to you as a wedding gift, but she never had the chance. Now, I can give this gift to you on her behalf." Maya's eyes widened with wonder as she opened the box to reveal a beautiful locket. Overcome with emotion, she put it on, feeling her mother's presence close to her heart.
For an hour, the two of them talked, laughing and crying together as they caught up on lost time. Finally, the conversation came to an end, and Maya left the room with a smile on her face, though a hint of sadness lingered. The king watched her go, his heart heavy with longing, but also filled with a sense of peace that only came from making things right with someone he deeply loved.
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An hour had passed when Maya, Linda, and Alex made their way to the king's chamber to inform him of their impending departure. After their brief conversation, they bid farewell to the kingdom and set off on their journey.
Unbeknownst to the rest of the kingdom, the three had an intricate marriage arrangement, which only the king was privy to. To the public, Maya had given up her royal position and left the capital, while Linda had divorced the king and found a peaceful abode. Alex, on the other hand, was compensated for his role as the City Lord of the Last City, but little did anyone know the city's grim history.
In Julia's room, Adam was greeted by the playful princess, who teased him for being the new hero. However, her tone quickly shifted to arrogance as she declared that she would only marry him once he had defeated the demon king. She warned him that failure would result in a fate similar to that of his cousin, who had also held the position of City Lord of the Last City. Despite her threatening words, Adam remained unfazed, and with a chuckle, he pointed out that his cousin had still achieved success even after losing his position. Julia countered his argument with a grim reminder that the city had been rebuilt after its previous lord was murdered and was now a place of Alex's grave.
-The end of volume 1.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone