Afterward, Anna nestled against Roland's arm, leaning on his side like a cat. (Product#……Net)
"Your Highness, to meet you… is truly wonderful," after a long while, her breathing finally calmed, and she whispered softly.
"Call me Roland," he gently played with her long hair and smiled, "There are no outsiders here, and I haven't heard you call me by my name directly before."
"Ro…land."
"Good girl," he tickled Anna's ear, making her laugh before sighing, "Actually… I should be the one saying that. In the past, I couldn't have imagined meeting such an outstanding girl like you."
"Not even in the palace?"
"Nowhere," Roland shook his head slightly, "Sometimes, when I think about it, I even feel a sense of unreality."
Anna was silent for a moment, then snuggled even closer, "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."
This sentence instantly stirred his thoughts, and he couldn't help but recall her saying the same thing to him before.
"Living like a normal person or something… I don't care, I just want to stay by Your Highness's side, that's all."
"Are you dreaming? I'm not going anywhere."
That thin girl curled up in the corner of the cell, that serious girl wearing a maid's uniform practicing her abilities, that brave girl who ignited a great fire to block the broken city wall, that shy girl who主动仰起头亲吻自己, that adorable girl who asked him to accompany her on Awakening Day…
Countless fragments appeared before his eyes.
Unknowingly, the two had accumulated so many memories.
"…Yes," Roland ran his hand down her smooth hair, caressing her smooth back, "You are by my side."
Love is so wonderful, he thought, it's clearly a meaningless conversation, yet it makes people feel incredibly warm, as if they're about to melt.
This time the silence was longer, and just when he thought she had fallen asleep, Anna's voice sounded again in his ear.
"I am a witch."
"Mm."
"Wendy told me that witches cannot bear children," Anna said softly, "You will encounter many troubles in the future."
"I am not afraid of them," Roland replied affirmatively, "In fact, compared to the Third Battle of Divine Will that is about to come, all of this is nothing." Originally, he was still considering using a system to solve the issue of succession, but Agatha's intelligence completely shattered his expectations. The war that determines the fate of mankind is imminent. If they cannot defeat the devils, all kingdoms will be completely wiped out. Compared to that, the issue of succession is not worth caring about at all.
Thinking of this, he paused, "Actually, I was a little worried before."
"Worried about what?"
"Afraid that you would use this as a reason to reject me."
"Why," Anna asked in confusion, "I want to be with you, whether I'm a witch or not."
Hearing her answer, Roland couldn't help but chuckle. That's right, since meeting Anna, she has been this way… straightforward, never beating around the bush, and always expressing her thoughts to him. With her, there would never be misunderstandings like in Korean dramas, "I'm doing this for your own good, but I just won't tell you." He was just overthinking it.
As they chatted, Roland felt his body become energetic again, and Anna also noticed his change, kissing his neck and climbing on top of him…
The night was still long.
……
The next day, Roland woke up particularly late. It wasn't until the sun climbed to the top of the castle that he yawned and opened his eyes.
Looking at the pillow beside him, he couldn't help but be slightly stunned. Anna was nowhere to be seen. Could it be… that everything that happened last night was just a dream? He leaned down, then breathed a sigh of relief, only to see a few strands of flaxen hair still remaining on the pillow, and a faint fragrance emanating from the side of the bedding.
"What are you doing?" Anna's voice suddenly sounded above him.
Roland looked up and immediately felt embarrassed—his appearance of lying on the pillow and sniffing just now was really not very elegant. "Ahem, I was counting how many hairs you lost. Uh, why are you up?"
"I went to get you breakfast," she placed the plate in her hand on the bedside table, her movements looking a little unnatural, "When I woke up, I saw you were sleeping soundly, so I didn't wake you."
"Sorry," Roland said apologetically, "I should have prepared these for you." They tossed and turned so many times last night, even if her witch's recovery ability was outstanding, she was probably quite uncomfortable at the moment.
"What are you talking about," Anna chuckled, "You are a prince."
He shook his head and stopped talking, instead pulling her into his arms. After hugging for a while, she patted Roland's back, "Alright, now that you're up, hurry up and eat your breakfast. We have work to do today."
"Don't you want to rest for a few more days?"
"No," Anna said seriously, "We still have devils to deal with. Soraya and Agatha xiaojie are working so hard, I can't slack off either." She smiled slightly, "You too… Roland."
……
After kissing Anna goodbye, the prince happily went to the office. He opened the door and was surprised to see Tilly sitting at the desk waiting for him.
"Good morning," he nodded to her, "…Is there something you need?"
"It's almost noon now," Tilly smiled, "And, you look like you had a good dream."
"D-did I?" Roland couldn't help but touch the corner of his mouth.
"Of course, you almost have a smile on your face," she shrugged, then put away her smile, "I'm here to say goodbye."
Roland was stunned, "Goodbye? Are you going back to Sleeping Island?"
"I've been here for a long time. Although I've been in contact with the Fjords by letter, but… I still have to go back eventually. Now that the Evil Moon is over, I've completed the purpose of this trip." She got up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. "Don't worry, even across the sea, I will fully support you in fighting the Church and the devils."
"Can't you move to the Western Territory?" Roland made a final effort to persuade her to stay, "There are large areas of vacant land on the south bank of the Redwater River, which can completely accommodate all the witches."
"We've already discussed this issue," Tilly sighed softly, "It's not a question of residence."
It seems she's made up her mind, Roland thought helplessly. Although this is a sign of political maturity and a sense of leadership responsibility, it's not good news for him. "Then wait a week before leaving, so I can prepare some things for the witches of the Fjords."
"Oh?" Tilly turned around, "What is it?"
"Textbooks, courseware, and some exercises." He counted on his fingers, "It can save you the trouble of copying, and also enhance the learning effect. In addition, bring a few revolving handguns, in case you encounter enemies carrying God's Stone of Retaliation, they can also serve as self-defense. Also, two steam engines need to be brought along, which are very convenient for both pumping water for irrigation and diverting water for salt drying."
"I see…" Tilly tilted her head, "Thank you."
"In addition, there's also City Founding Day," Roland said word by word, "I hope that on that day, you can witness the establishment of Neverwinter City with me."