Finé's eyes flutter open. Sunlight is seeping in from the curtains, illuminating the room dimly. She looks down to see Izetta nestled in her arms. As Izetta's chest rises and falls rhythmically, her eyes remain closed and her face is completely relaxed. Finé cannot help but smile as she goes in, softly pecking Izetta's forehead.

"F-Finé," Izetta giggles as she opens her eyes.

Finé slightly reels back. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, I was awake," Izetta shakes her head as she pulls Finé in closer. With her cheeks slightly red, she continues, "I was just enjoying snuggling with you."

"Izetta…" Finé murmurs as she leans in to give her another kiss, this time on the lips.

Izetta hums as she smiles into it.

The couple continue to laze around while their bodies remain entangled. They are mostly silent, indulging in the presence of the other.

"…Okay," Finé interjects hesitantly as she drags herself up, "I think I should get up now…"

"You can still rest if you want," Izetta offers as she gets up with Finé. "Nobody's been looking for you."

"Maybe, but I don't want to drag everybody down even more," Finé answers as she tinkers with the clock, turning the alarm back on. She smiles as she remembers why they got it instead of relying on the maids to wake her up. After realising that she was leaving hickeys on Izetta, they did not want somebody coming in to see those marks while they slept. So they asked for an alarm clock instead, under the guise that they should be more independent. "I'm much better now, all thanks to you."

"A-Ah, okay…" Izetta fidgets as she watches Finé go to her wardrobe and pick out a dress.

"I know you're worried," Finé soothes as she goes through the clothes. "But I'll make sure that guards are nearby if I'm in public and I'll go for more counselling. It may take a long time for me to completely get past it, but I'm not going to just stop moving forward. I don't want to burden you like that again."

Finé softly gasps as she feels Izetta hug her from behind. "You are not a burden. Never will be. Whenever you need me, I will be there for you. I will always support you and help you get back on your feet, no matter how many times you may stumble." Izetta buries her face into Finé's shoulder as her arms tighten. "I love you, Finé."

Finé feels like she is melting into the embrace as her body becomes loose. Then she puts an arm on Izetta's while the other hand caresses her head. Kissing her hair, Finé whispers, "I love you too. Izetta, you keep giving me more and more strength, I feel like nothing can stop me now. I will climb my way back up, even if I have to take the hard way. As long as you're with me."

"Definitely," Izetta nuzzles. Then she slowly releases Finé and they face each other. "Okay, go show them why you're going to be Queen one day."

With a giggle, Finé rubs Izetta's shoulders. "I will."

Finé turns back to grab a dress and heads to the washroom to change. As she comes out, Izetta goes in with her own dress to change into. Finé normally waits for Izetta for them to have their meal together, but she pokes her head out the door to speak to the guards. After they exchange greetings and check that Finé is better, she asks the question that popped into her head this morning.

"Do any of you know what happened to that couple from that night? We just left them there."

"The guard there shoved him some money for the damages. His girlfriend stomped away though, grumbling that he was more upset over the dress than her. He groaned a bit more before the guard glared at him again and he slinked away. Although they showed no signs of knowing who you were, we can charge him for assault and battery for shouting at you and grabbing you. You just have to say the word."

"Oh no no, you don't have to go that far," Finé assures them. "It was partially my fault as well, I just wanted to check if they were compensated fairly."

Izetta remained cautious for a few days, choosing not to leave the palace and do some static training in their room to pass the time. Then she was introduced to the gym at the palace and went there, still close enough to rush to Finé's side should she relapse. But as the days went by and Finé attended to her duties as before, her guards gave her more space and so did Izetta. She returned to the training grounds, her isolated areas where she could use magic freely, and eventually, went on missions again.

Weeks go by and it looks like normalcy has returned in the palace. Finé combing her hair at night as Izetta walks in, dressed in the White Agent suit.

"Ah, Izetta," Finé stops combing to look at her. "How was it? Did the mission go smoothly?"

"It was okay, I just rescued some people that were trapped in a flood."

"I bet you were outstanding as usual, like an angel that descended to save those who were losing hope. You're so amazing."

"F-Finé," Izetta blushes under the helmet. While she thought nothing of lifting huge amounts of debris, swimming through torrential waters, slicing through steel and leaping through great distances, seeing Finé gush about her still makes Izetta's heart flutter. "I couldn't have done it myself. Others were telling me where they detected people and I just headed there."

"I'm sure you still did an excellent job."

"T-Thank you," Izetta shuffles towards the bag with the spare White Agent suit. Picking it up, she heads towards the washroom. "I'll be taking a shower then…"

Finé goes back to combing her hair, although it is already very straight. With a sigh, she puts down the comb. She looks to the toilet where she can hear running water as Izetta showers. Looking back down at her table with all the documents, Finé gathers her thoughts again.

Izetta comes out with the old White Agent suit in her hands, placing it in the laundry bag. She then brings the bag out and the guards outside offer to take it for her, which she hands it over with thanks. As she closes the door and turns around, Finé stands up and postures towards her.

"Izetta," Finé starts as Izetta looks at her. "I have something I need discuss with you."

"Yes?" Izetta steps towards Finé. "You can tell me anything."

"Well… we are about to sign a treaty with Texas, but they would like us to go over there to have a few conferences with an in-person representative, and then show the signing in person. My father cannot go due to his health so usually a minister would go in his place, but…" Finé scratches the back of her head, "…I would like to go. This would be a good experience for me."

"Oh…" Izetta processes. "Okay, when is it? I can pack immediately."

"Huh?" Finé blinks. "Wait wait, I wasn't asking you to go with me. Well, not that I'm opposed to it if you want to come, but it'll probably be really boring for you. I'll be busy most of the time and our hotel won't have any of the facilities that you're used to here, especially not if it has to do with the Secret Service. You'll basically be wandering around unless you make your way to their Secret Service station.

"Ah… I see…" Izetta mutters, not really keen on the idea anymore.

"Yeah…" Finé concurs. "I just wanted to see if you have any objections to it."

"Well…" Izetta rubs her arm. "You'll always have Royal Guards nearby, right?"

"Yes, my security will be the same as usual. You don't have to worry about… that…" Finé looks away as she thinks about the same scenario as Izetta, that somebody would cause her to have another relapse. "But this will also let me get out of my comfort zone slowly."

"Right…" Izetta relaxes her arms. "Then I have no objections. If you want to do this, I'll support you all the way. If you want me to come along, I will as well. I don't mind."

"No, your happiness is very important as well. I don't want to bore you or keep you away from what you want to do." Finé goes over to embrace Izetta, who returns the gesture. "I'll miss you, but we can do video calls when I'm free."

"I'll have to ask Lotte to teach me how to do that then," Izetta chuckles. Then in a more solemn voice, she asks, "When are you leaving?"

"In a few days. I'll be gone for about a week."

Izetta's arms wrap around Finé tighter. "I'll miss you as well. If you ever, ever, need me to be there, just say the word. I'll jump into a pod and speed over to you."

Finé hums as she rubs her arms around Izetta. Then she lifts her head, so that they are looking into each other's eyes. "I'd better get started then. I'll have to kiss you a lot to make up for that week."

As Finé's tongue comes in once again, Izetta moans into the kiss. With the ends of Izetta's lips curling up into a smile, her tongue swirls together with Finé's.

Finé is hugging her father as he nags at her about routine things to take care of herself. She only hums and nods as the private jet behind her starts up, the crew and the Royal Service members boarding it first.

"And remember, you can call me at any time. Don't worry about the time difference, I'm used to waking up in the middle of the night."

"I know, I know," Finé laughs. "You should take care of yourself as well. Don't fret too much about me and relax when you can."

Finé's father pats her one last time. "I'll always worry about you. You're my daughter."

Finé gives her father one last squeeze before walking over to Bianca.

"You got this," Bianca pats Finé's shoulder.

Finé smiles as she places her hand over Bianca's. "Thank you."

Then Finé shuffles over to Izetta. "Well… I'll be off then…"

Izetta slowly steps forward. Finé extends her arms, and Izetta leans in to embrace Finé. "Good luck. …I'll miss you."

Finé nuzzles into her. "I'll miss you too." Then she whispers into Izetta's ear, "I love you."

Izetta's cheeks color slightly. "I love you too."

Finé gives Izetta a quick peck on the lips before turning to the jet. Izetta remains rooted in surprise as she watches Finé run up the stairs and into the jet. Then Izetta remembers that the guards around her and Finé's father are looking at her, especially after that display and her blush deepens.

The jet's engines whirl up and the crowd moves back. As it starts moving, Finé looks out the window for one last glimpse. Although they cannot see her through the one-way window, she waves goodbye to them.

Izetta looks at the doorbell before taking a breath to calm herself down. It has been a day since Finé went overseas and now her father has asked to speak to Izetta tonight. 'I don't think I did anything wrong… So it should be fine? Well… here goes…' Izetta gulps as she presses the button.

A moment later, a nurse opens the door to let Izetta in. The king signals for the others to leave the room and they do so. "Come in," he invites, "Take a seat." Eyeing at how rigid Izetta is moving, he assures her, "I just wanted to talk to you. But while you haven't done anything wrong, this topic is quite serious."

"Oh…" Izetta mouths as she turns a chair to face the King. With a deep breath, she sits down to ask, "Okay, what is it about?"

"It's about your future." Seeing Izetta blink wordlessly, he continues, "You're the White Agent and all that, and you're doing a remarkable job now, but have you thought about what you'll do after? Even you're not sure if your magic will suddenly dry up, correct?"

"…Yes…" Izetta swallows. "Well… I guess I haven't thought about that at all. Maybe I should talk to Finé about it…?"

Finé's father adjusts himself in his bed. "I did decide to talk to you about this now since Finé isn't here. While you two are in a relationship, you are still your own person. You should think about what you want to do for yourself, and then discuss it with Finé."

"Uh… then… I…"

"If you're worried about having to talk about it this early, I promise nothing leaves this room. You can bring up the topic to Finé if you want to, but I won't. I would just hope you have some idea before discussing your own future with her."

"No, that's not it…" Izetta puts a finger to her temple. "I just really have no clue now. I guess I really should have put some thought into it…"

"How about we talk about the past or the present first then? What made you decide to take on the mantle as the White Agent? Why do you continue now even after all that you've achieved?"

"Well… I trust you know about how I was…" Izetta rubs her arm, "Abandoned after birth…?"

"Yes, but if you would rather not talk about it, I won't probe. You can leave the room right now and I won't think any lesser of you. I just wanted to give you some food for thought."

Izetta exhales slowly, raising her head to look at Finé's father. "No, I want to continue. I'd like to do some reflection as well, to figure out where I want to go next." Earning a nod from him, Izetta continues, "Despite that, and despite all the tragedies that happened after, I think it really taught me a lot. I know how fragile life is. How a helpless soul could be crying out, only for nobody to hear it. That there are those who would think nothing of harming others for their own benefit.

"When I began training, I kept telling myself that it would be for Finé's sake. I wanted to make the world a better place for her to live in, even if I couldn't live in the same world as her. But now that she has brought me into the light to be showered with love and care, I realize that it doesn't just have to be because of her. I still love her from the bottom of my heart, and I will do anything to make her happy, but… I am still the White Agent, because I want to be."

Izetta pauses for a moment to lick her lips. "Magic was successfully given to me after researching for many years, learning from each failed experiment. My grandma, who had been using magic for decades, taught me everything she knew in a few years. Including the martial arts I learnt, everything passed on to me is the result of hundreds of years of refinement by different generations.

"Furthermore, I don't do everything myself while out in the field. Everybody has their part to play, from planning to execution to clean-up and they perform their roles flawlessly. Even for my suit, I would not be able to maintain it myself. All this technology stuff flies over my head but I can rely on maintenance to make sure everything functions smoothly. Even though I haven't been called in at all, I still want to help carry the torch that has been passed for centuries. I can't do it alone, but if I can continue to inspire others to rise up, then I will continue to be this beacon."

"…You're very mature," Finé's father leans forward ever so slightly. "But don't ever forget your own blood, sweat and tears that you've needed to endure to get to this point. While you may have an extraordinary talent along with an equally incredible teacher, it is nothing without your hard work and determination. I've heard that you're still training to attain even higher heights, even though you're already at the peak. You deserve every bit of praise you get, for these achievements are truly your own."

"T-Thank you," Izetta blushes as she looks to the side. "Everybody has been telling me that as well, but I also want to acknowledge the equally hard work others put in."

Finé's father gives a small smile as he leans back into his pillow. "So, with that lead up, does anything come to mind on what you want to do afterwards? Even if your magic does not dry up, do you see yourself doing this for decades?"

Izetta looks down at herself. "Maybe. I do like training a little. I think even if I do lose my magic, I would continue to train. I can still contribute, even if it's not as much as before."

"You know that you don't have to keep working, right? I'm sure that Finé has told you before that you could even retire now and enjoy a cushy life. You've done more than your fair share."

"I guess… but it's not like I really want to go on missions either." Izetta looks up, her eyes slightly hard. "If I could give up being the White Agent to ensure peace and prosperity, I would. I'd happily step down if it meant that nobody would need saving, that nobody would be in danger in the first place. It's just… I've been training my whole life, so I don't really know anything else. Although I've been taking time to rest now, I think I would get restless if I just relaxed all day long."

"I understand," Finé's father nods. "You don't have to come up with a concrete answer now. Even if it's just at the back of your mind, spending a little time to think about the future will help to sort out your life. I've met many people who fully commit to their careers and when it's over, they are at a lost at what to do next. The really bad cases fall into depression and are unable to enjoy the rest of their lives, something you definitely want to avoid."

"I-I see," Izetta leans back. "Thank you for talking to me about it."

"There is another topic though. It's about your lineage." Seeing Izetta's eyebrows furrow, he prefaces, "Did your grandmother tell you about the state of witches?"

"Ah…" Izetta's gaze softens. "You're talking about how she was the last witch alive?"

"Yes. Do you feel any pressure in having to continue the bloodline? That you have to pass magic on, now that you are the last witch?"

"I… actually have thought a little about this," Izetta reveals as she rubs her hands. "My magic has been my partner for all these years, I would be sad if it just vanished for good. And despite everything that happened, I am glad that it gave me another chance to live. Yet I wouldn't want to force it onto anybody.

"Only girls can have magic, so what would happen if I had a boy? Then even if she is born with it, there's also the child's preference as well, if she even wants magic in the first place. And I don't think there would be any more experiments with magic after the last one, right?" Earning a headshake from the king, Izetta resigns with a hint of satisfaction, "Then I'll just leave it up to fate. If I do get a daughter that wants to use magic, I'll teach her everything I know. If not, I'll just be the last witch."

Finé's father puts his hand on his chin for a moment. "I said it before, but you are very sensible. Your past, although filled with pain and tears, has really shaped you well. You're a very good girl, so I hope that Finé gives you the happiness you deserve."

"She does," Izetta beams widely, "And so much more."

"…I miss her…" Finé grumbles as she rolls on the bed. It had already been two days since she left Eylstadt. Less than hour ago, she had ended a video call with Izetta saying that she should turn in, but now Finé is still wide awake. Rubbing her face, she gets off the bed with a sigh and heads to the door.

"Hey…" Finé peeps as she opens the door ajar, causing the pair of Royal Guards outside to turn to face her. "Can you two come in for a bit? I just want someone to talk to."

The guards look to each other before nodding. "Sure, Princess," one answers.

Finé smiles slightly as she opens the door more. "Take a seat at the table, I'll get the lights."

The two guards enter and take their seats, eyeing Finé as she walks over. She takes her seat, crossing her fingers as she licks her lips.

"So, Princess," the one on her right pipes up, "What did you have in mind?"

"Well…" Finé looks away for a moment. "I know that it has only been two days since we left, and that this should be nothing compared to what I've been through, but… Do any of you really miss anybody although it has only been a short while?"

"Ah," the guard lights up with a smirk. "You miss Lady Izetta."

Finé's cheeks flush. "I-I… Uh, it could have been my father?"

"Nah, I know what young love's like." The guard crosses her arms with a coy smile, "Having experienced it myself, you just start missing your lover although you just left her. It's only natural for youngsters like you."

"Ahem," the left guard interjects with a soft elbow prod to the other guard. "Princess, if you do miss her, why not call her? You're already staying awake and talking to us anyway."

Finé drums her fingers against her knuckle. "I… do want to do that… But," she looks at the guards more squarely, "I don't want her to think that I'm clingy or anything…"

The right guard chuckles, causing the left one to look at her.

"I'm sure Lady Izetta misses you just as much as you do. Don't you remember how she was behaving before? How her walls completely crumbled once you showed her affection? I'm sure she's having the same thoughts as you, but she's too shy to act on it or thinks you're too busy for her. My wife is always afraid to call me although I keep assuring her that I do want to hear from her too."

"What she means is," the left guard clears her throat, "We miss people because we love them. Since the love is mutual, they probably miss us as much as we do but since we made the decision to strike out on our own, they are afraid of disrupting our focus although we would like to talk to them more. At least for me, my parents are always glad when I come home for a few days. I also still send them daily messages on my status and when I get a reply, I am eager to see. Even mundane things like how their day went still makes me happy."

"Oh," Finé raises her hands to wave them, "I'm sure everybody left their loved ones to join the Royal Service, I don't know why I asked that kind of question. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologise," the right guard leans forward slightly. "All we're saying is that it's normal to miss the people you love, and they miss you as well. It looks rough now, but that's just life."

"Yes, as long as your life doesn't revolve around them, I think it's fine to tell them how much you miss them. Especially since you and Lady Izetta just started dating, you should talk about this since it's affecting at least you this much. If she really wants space, you two should work out a compromise quickly instead of letting it bottle up. But I get the feeling she really wants to see you more as well."

Finé lets out a breath as her shoulders lower. "Thank you, both of you for talking to me about this. I think I will call her."

"…I miss her…" Izetta sighs as she lies on the bed while looking at the ceiling. Ever since her video call with Finé ended an hour ago, she had flopped onto the bed and has not moved since then.

Izetta rolls over to look at her phone. Her finger turns on the screen, then she enters her passcode to unlock it. She scrolls through the contacts to see Finé's name. She stares at it for a while, her finger inching forward to tap on it. Shaking her head, she locks the phone again and buries her head into her arm.

Then her phone goes off, startling her and causing it to almost fly out of her hand. Fumbling around to get a better look at the caller, Izetta shoots up and blinks rapidly to see that it is a video call from Finé. Instinctively looking around to see that the door and windows are still closed, Izetta tries to calm herself down and sits on the bed again. Exhaling deeply, she accepts the call.

"Hello, Izetta?" Finé's face moves around the screen as she tries to take in Izetta's surroundings. "This isn't a bad time, right?"

"No no," Izetta shakes her head, "…I wasn't doing anything… But didn't you say that you were going to sleep? It's already late over there."

Finé gives a resigned smile. "Yeah… I just miss my girlfriend so, so much…"

Izetta feels her cheeks heat up as she looks down. "I…" she slowly looks back at Finé, "…I miss you too… so much…"

Finé's smile grows as she adjusts herself on the bed. "I'm glad I made this call then. I was a little worried you would think that I'm clingy."

"What? No!" Izetta straightens up. "I would never think that. You're working in such a foreign environment, it must be hard on you. You can call me whenever you want, you don't have to hold it in."

Finé giggles. "And you can call me whenever you want as well. Or leave a message if you think I'm busy. I want to hear from you as well."

"Uh…" Izetta's eyes shift around. "I…"

"I may be hundreds of miles away, but I don't want you to feel lonely. Aren't these feelings the same as yours?"

Izetta softly gasps, and then looks dreamily at Finé. "You're right. Okay, I'll send you some messages throughout the day."

"I'd love that. I really should be sleeping soon though, so is there anything else you want to talk about?"

Izetta almost automatically says no, but she holds herself back. "…Is your heater working properly? I didn't get how cold winters are at night but when Lotte taught me how to look things up on the internet, I was really shocked. You're not freezing, are you?"

"No, no, you don't have to worry," Finé smiles as she adjusts the phone to turn more towards her clothes. "I wouldn't be wearing such thin clothing if it was cold here. This hotel is top notch."

"…Okay, I was being paranoid… I'll let you go to sleep then."

Finé giggles. "I appreciate your concern. Love you."

"…Love you too." Izetta waves.

The screen flickers off and Izetta falls back down onto the bed, holding the phone close to her chest while grinning widely. 'How long has it been since we started dating? Finé's still making my heart soar, despite all this… time…'

Izetta shoots back up and begins rapidly tapping on the phone. 'How could I forget?! It's been months already, her birthday is bound to be soon, if it hasn't passed already. Please please please don't be over yet…'

Looking at the birthdate of the Princess of Eylstadt online, Izetta lets out a huge sigh of relief to see that it is soon after Finé comes back. 'Okay, instead of moping around, I should spend some time thinking of what to get her.'

Finé's eyes crack open to hear muffled voices. Her brow furrows as she tries to focus on the sound, deciphering that there are many voices and that they are talking rapidly. 'Are they… arguing…?'

Then a crash resounds at her door and it shocks her awake. More noises rumble from the outside as Finé sits up and stares at the door. Gingerly making her way to the door, she hears the footsteps of more people running towards her room as well. With her finger hovering over her phone, ready to call Izetta, she slowly unlocks the door, inching it open.

"Princess!" a scruffy man cries with bulging eyes as he is being apprehended by the Royal Guards, with his companions suppressed on the floor by other Royal Guards. "Please! You have to save us!"