[Leif’s POV—ThorenVald Estate—Leif’s Chamber—Night]

The door clicked shut.

Not loud. Not dramatic. Just... soft.

Like the universe had the courtesy to whisper instead of scream while my heart slowly folded in on itself.

I stood there for a few seconds—back pressed against the door, eyes closed—waiting for the ache in my chest to settle.

It didn’t.

My fingers were trembling. I curled them into fists until they stopped.

"...Grand Duke Alvar." The words echoed in my head like I was mocking myself.

I had practiced that tone in my mind the whole way here. Calm. Polite. Distant. Not cold. Not cruel. Formal. Just enough to keep my heart from leaping out of my chest when I saw him.

Just enough to remind myself he didn’t want me anymore.

Just enough... to not break.

I swallowed hard. The lump in my throat felt like it could choke me, but I forced myself to move anyway. One step. A shaky breath. Another step.

I stopped in front of the mirror.

The reflection staring back at me didn’t look like a Seraph King. Not like a ruler. Not like a vessel.Not even like someone brave.

Just a man trying to hold together the pieces of himself with trembling fingers. My eyes were swollen at the edges—but not from crying.

Because I didn’t cry.

I refused, crying in pain.

"You’re okay," I whispered.

But my voice cracked anyway. I rested both palms on the edge of the table, leaning in closer to the mirror. My reflection wavered in the faint candlelight.

"You cannot hold anything that wants to let you go."

I said it again. And again. A mantra I’d carved into myself long before I ever woke in this world.

Whether I am Leif Thorenvald...or Renji Takeda... The rule stayed the same.

Because the first person who taught me that rule was my mother.

My real mother.

The woman who let go of my hand when I was twelve. Who chose a new family. A new daughter. A new life. Leaving me behind like I was something she’d outgrown.

I swallowed, jaw clenching until it hurt.

After that... I learned not to cling. Not to beg. Not to expect anyone to stay. People who want to leave will leave. People who don’t choose you will never choose you twice.

And now... Here I was. In another life. Another world. Another body.

And Alvar—the man I loved with a heart that didn’t even belong to this world—He wanted to let go.

And I...?

I wasn’t allowed to hold onto something that was already slipping away. I breathed out a trembling laugh. "Of course... it’s the same ending."

Worlds change.Names change.Bodies change.

But the story stays the same.

I touched the engagement ring lightly, feeling the cold metal against my warm skin.

"I get it," I whispered. "I really do."

But knowing didn’t make it hurt less. Knowing didn’t make the emptiness go away. Knowing didn’t stop the ache that spread slowly through my chest like frost.

I looked at my reflection again. Really looked.

"...You can’t hold what wants to let go," I repeated softly.

The reflection didn’t argue. It just stared back with the same hollow calm—the calm of someone trying to survive loss before it even happened.

I stepped away from the mirror, my heart a little quieter. Not healed. Not okay. Just quieter. Because pain always becomes quiet before it becomes real.

***

[The Next Day—Thorenvald Estate—Living Hall]

Alina grabbed my hand the moment she spotted me, her excitement practically vibrating through her tiny body.

"Brother—BROTHER—faster!" she squealed, pulling with surprising strength for someone so small. "They’re unwrapping your wedding suit!"

I let her drag me through the hallway.

Her laughter echoed. Her tiny shoes tapped quickly on the marble. Her grip was warm, bright, and full of joy.

And I followed silently.

We turned the corner—And I froze. Alvar stood there.

He froze too.

"Oh... brother-in-law!" Alina chirped, beaming between us.

I only... stared at him.

A quiet, suffocating silence bloomed between us. A silence that used to be filled with soft glances.Warm smiles. Unspoken closeness.

Now... it felt like a wall.

I bowed stiffly.

Alina grabbed both our hands with no idea how tightly the air stretched between us. "Let’s go inside!"

She skipped.

We walked.

But not together. Just... next to each other. We stepped into the Hall where sunlight washed over rows of fabrics and ribbons. The seamstresses crowded around a polished table where a large box wrapped in deep blue silk waited.

Our mothers were already there, excitement bubbling in their voices. "Mom! I brought brother—OPEN IT! OPEN IT!" Alina hopped like a rabbit ready to explode.

They all laughed, warm and gentle. Mother ruffled her hair. "Yes, yes, Alina. Let your brother and brother-in-law open it."

Then her gaze landed on me. "Leif, dear, open the lid before Alina combusts."

My hands trembled. I smiled weakly. "Let her open it, Mother..."

"YAY!!" Alina squealed, already lifting the lid.

And then—The world stopped.

My wedding suit.

A pristine white coat embroidered with gold thread that shimmered like starlight. A matching vest with delicate woven patterns meant to symbolize unity. A winter-white fur cloak so soft it looked like moonlight had been spun into fabric. Attached gloves with little feather embroidery.

It was—Too beautiful.

Too hopeful.

Too much.

Mother smiled. "What do you think, Leif?"

Alina clapped. "Brother, it’s PERFECT! You will look like a prince from a storybook!"

My feet moved before I realized. I stood in front of the suit. My hand rose, trembling. Barely brushing the fabric.

Soft. Warm. Alive. Like a promise I shouldn’t touch.

And then—

PLOP.

A tear fell onto the white sleeve.

"Mom! Brother is crying!!" Alina gasped.

Huh...Crying?

I blinked.

Another tear fell.

I didn’t even feel them leave my eyes. Mother stepped closer, smiling tenderly. "Are you that happy, dear?"

Happy?

But the man I love was preparing to let me go. The suit I touched might never be worn at the altar?

I quickly wiped my cheeks, embarrassed—and then...

I looked up.

Alvar— Was staring at me. His eyes were wide. Jaw slightly tense. Shock flickered across his face like he’d been stabbed.

He wasn’t used to seeing me cry. I wasn’t used to crying. I wasn’t supposed to cry.

Not in front of him.Not in front of anyone.

I forced a smile. A small, fragile thing.

"I’m not crying," I whispered. "I think... the dust just got into my eyes."

A lie.

A soft, stupid lie.

Because I didn’t know why I cried.

Maybe because the suit was beautiful. Maybe because the wedding felt like a dream slipping away. Maybe because Alvar’s silence hurt more than any rejection I’d ever known. Maybe because... I loved him, and it was tearing me apart.

My voice cracked, barely audible. "It’s... a very pretty suit."

Mother touched my back gently. Alina clapped. The seamstresses smiled. But all I could feel—Was Alvar’s gaze on me.

Unmoving.Unbreathing.

Pierced with something raw and unspoken. And I didn’t dare meet his eyes again. Because if I did—I might break in front of everyone.

So I walked out of the room. Quickly. Before my hands trembled harder. The hallway was cooler. Quieter. Easier to pretend I wasn’t falling apart.

"My lord."

Baron Sigurd’s voice snapped me back to reality.

"Yes, Baron?" I asked, composing myself.

He bowed, handing over a folder. "These are the documents Sir Cedric sent from Raventon. Estimated budgets and required materials for rebuilding the dam. He asks for immediate approval."

Right. Work.

Work was safe. Work didn’t hurt.

"Should I sign it right now?" I asked.

"Yes, my lord. The sooner we begin, the safer the village."

I nodded. He placed the pen in my hand. My fingers were still trembling, but I signed anyway.

"Tell Cedric to report every detail to me," I said quietly.

Sigurd bowed and stepped aside. I exhaled—

"Leif."

The voice hit me like a physical blow.

Warm. Familiar. Softened in a way I hadn’t heard in days.

Alvar.

I turned—and he was already walking toward me. Purposefully. Quickly. Eyes locked onto mine like I was the only thing in the hallway.

My heart stumbled.

"Al—?"

Before I could finish—

LIFT.

He scooped me into his arms—effortless, tight, desperate—like I weighed nothing, like he had been deprived of holding me for years instead of days.

"Wha— what are you—?! Put me—"

He didn’t let me speak. He didn’t let me breathe. He just crushed me against his chest, his arms wrapping around me so tightly it hurt.

His voice trembled.

"I was wrong, Leif. I was foolish."

The words were raw. Breaking. Barely a whisper—But they hit with the force of a confession years overdue.

My eyes widened.

My breath caught.

And for the first time in days, his warmth—his scent—his arms—made everything inside me shake. He held me like a man terrified of losing something irreplaceable.

And I...I didn’t know whether to push him away—or cling back.