Chapter 312: Two Hearts, One Step Closer

With Malakor’s help, Soren arrived back in front of the secret room. Knight Aya was standing guard outside. He greeted her, and once Ethea opened the room, he entered.

As soon as he stepped inside, Princess Roya rose from her seat and bowed her head slightly. "Mr. Soren... I want to thank you for everything you’ve done. And... I owe you an apology as well. I misjudged you before, and I’m ashamed of it."

Soren blinked, as if confused by her words. "Apology? I’m not sure what you mean, Your Highness." He offered a polite nod, putting the etiquette he had just learned into use. "But I accept your thanks. I’m glad you’re safe."

Roya opened her mouth as if to say more, but Soren had already turned to Ethea with a gentle smile. "Shall we take our leave, dear?"

Ethea smiled back and nodded.

"Please excuse us," Soren said to the princess.

"...Take care. I hope we’ll meet again."

After getting a reluctant farewell from the princess, Soren stepped behind Ethea’s wheelchair and wheeled her out of the room.

As they walked back into a corridor with no one else, Malakor teleported them back to their room, saving them the hassle of walking around.

Then, Soren helped Ethea with her afternoon routine. By the time they were done, the room was enveloped in a sweet aroma. He settled her back into her wheelchair near the small dining table and began drying her damp hair with a towel.

"Are you hungry?" He asked softly.

Ethea took a moment to answer. "Not much. But I can eat a little."

Soren smiled. "Then let’s have something light."

’And I’ll tell you everything while we are at it,’ he added inwardly.

’Mm...’

’Actually...’ Soren started by sharing his full plan with her and how it went while Ethea listened silently.

From the beginning, he had left Malakor outside the arena, hidden in the shadows since he knew he wouldn’t be much of use in Nullifier’s anti-mana zone. His task was to watch over the entire city and its people, searching for any sign of the Puppeteer’s real body while Soren and the others kept the Puppeteer and other Outcast members distracted. Since Malakor could move unseen and sense things beyond normal perception, he was the perfect counter to an enemy who relied on misdirection.

Soren had also predicted that the Puppeteer would come for Ethea. After yesterday’s clash and their shared history, it was clear he saw her as both a threat and an obsession. That was why Soren had wanted her to remain in the secret room. But Ethea had understood the risk and still chose to join the plan. If the Puppeteer came for her, she would hold him there, trapping his consciousness long enough for Soren and Malakor to act.

Soren also asked Malakor to secretly protect Ethea and watch out for other suspicious people. After all, as Ethea said, there might have been more members of the Outcasts.

Fortunately, it had worked. The Puppeteer not only underestimated Soren but also Malakor, dismissing him as nothing more than a normal magic beast. He had no idea of his mental and phantom nature, and that single mistake had cost him everything. The countless barriers and traps he made to protect his real body were no threat to Malakor. He was Kalmira’s Nightmare after all.

As for the Hollow Pair, Soren had intended to provoke them and lower their guard after learning their personalities and fighting styles from Ethea. By fighting recklessly and taking hits, he made himself seem weaker than he actually was. Then, when they least expected it, he struck back.

That plan had also worked.

The Leech had been easy to provoke, his pride making him sloppy and quick to anger. It didn’t take much for Soren to push him into losing his cool, which only made him more predictable. But the Nullifier had been a lot more difficult since he was far more level-headed than his partner, and no matter how much Soren baited him, he refused to lose focus. Only after being beaten to the brink did Soren manage to create the opening he needed.

And it had nearly cost him his life. If he hadn’t used Limit Breaker and stacked Amplification on top of it, he wouldn’t have been able to defeat him.

Once he finished explaining everything, Ethea let out a slow breath. Although she had already figured out most of his strategy during the battle, hearing the full picture from him made her realize just how much he had gambled.

"Your plan was solid, and you executed it well. But next time... please make a plan that doesn’t involve you almost dying."

Soren scratched the back of his head like a guilty child. "I’ll do my best."

Ethea’s expression softened into a gentle smile. "Good. Because I don’t want to go through that again." She paused, then added, "But thank you. You saved so many people and also helped me take care of one of my old enemies... and you gave me a chance to be part of it. That meant a lot to me."

Soren chuckled. "You did an amazing job too. If it weren’t for your timely attack, Sevihan might have slipped away before we could reach him. You’re the reason he couldn’t escape in the end."

"I guess we make a good team then?" Ethea laughed softly.

Soren grinned. "The best."

Ethea’s smile lingered for a moment before she tilted her head. "By the way... what did you do after you left earlier? You didn’t get bored waiting for us, did you?"

"No, not at all. I took care of a few things while you were talking with the princess," Soren said. "Wanna hear about it?"

Ethea nodded, settling more comfortably on her chair.

Then, Soren told her about his meeting with Lord Asad, his request for privacy, and the arrangements for their departure. He also mentioned meeting Nuelia, her apology, the pendant she had gifted him, and the book he managed to get.

"You did well." Ethea smiled, relieved he spent his time productively and hadn’t been bored waiting around.

"Mm." Soren set the last plate down and sat down. "Fortunately, it all worked out in the end."

"Right..." Ethea replied, pausing as if recalling something. "Dear, I also received something from Her Highness."

"Oh, it must be something useful," Soren guessed, placing the ice cream he’d bought earlier on the table.

Ethea nodded. "It’s a free pass that allows us to travel through the Empire without going through the usual procedures. As long as we show it at any gate or checkpoint, we’ll be allowed through without issue." She paused, a small smile on her lips. "It should make our journey much smoother."

Soren’s eyes lit up in surprise. "That’s more than useful! It saves us a lot of trouble, especially with the teleportation gates."

Ethea hummed in agreement. "She wanted to give more, but I told her this was enough. Besides, she got kidnapped because she sent us help. I couldn’t ask for more after that."

"You made the right choice," Soren said as he helped her eat. "Actually, I talked with her guardian knight too, and had a little talk. She thanked me for helping with the rescue and said the Empire wouldn’t forget what we did. She also agreed to help keep our identities hidden."

"That’s good." Ethea took a small bite of her meal before continuing. "Her Highness also promised to keep our secret. She said she would never reveal who we really are without our permission."

Soren nodded, satisfied. "Then there’s nothing to worry about. With both of them on our side, our identities should stay safe."

"...Have you received any messages from Ryan yet?" Ethea asked a moment later, shifting the conversation.

"Not yet. I plan to contact him once we arrive at our destination. However, according to our last conversation, they will probably arrive at the empire in a few days."

"That’s good then." Ethea sighed in relief. "We still have time to make our preparations."

"True." Soren chuckled. "We will also have time to tour the city. And..." He paused, his expression softening as he met her gaze. "...Let’s go on a date."

Ethea blinked, clearly caught off guard. "A... date?"

Soren nodded, a hint of nervousness in his smile. "We’ve been through so much already. I think we deserve a little more time to just enjoy ourselves. What do you say?"

Ethea stared at him for a moment before a warm smile curved her lips. "I’d like that."

"Good!" Soren’s smile widened, and he leaned back in his chair. "Then it’s settled. We’ll take tomorrow to rest, and the day after, we’ll go out on a date."

Ethea tilted her head slightly. "Do you already have something in mind?"

Soren scratched the back of his neck. "N-Not exactly. But I’ll think of something before then. Leave it to me."

Ethea laughed softly. "I’ll look forward to it."

"Mmm. I promise it’ll be a day you won’t forget." Soren said, meeting her eyes.

’I’ll confess to her then,’ he added inwardly. ’Whatever her answer is, I’ll accept it. But I won’t hide anymore.’

Ethea’s smile softened, and she gave a small nod. "Then I’ll hold you to that."

"Hehe, I’ll definitely do my best."

"..." Ethea smiled and continued eating.

Actually, she already guessed why he even suggested a date. And honestly, she was happy he was taking the lead again. She had wanted to do the same for a while now, but every time she tried, the words would catch in her throat, and she would tell herself it wasn’t the right time.

But after what had almost happened earlier, she knew he felt the same way. There was no more room for doubt. He was preparing to face those feelings, and she would do the same.

Even if he didn’t end up saying what she thought he was going to say, she had already made up her mind.

’...I’ll confess to him. Say that I love him...’