Darkness enveloped her. A dream... if she wished hard enough, perhaps it would all be just a dream, she prayed. Soon though, she woke up to a voice calling her name. Louise was peering at her worriedly. Her dear, dear friend Louise. The rain had stopped. The grass nearby was wet and she was enveloped by a cool atmosphere. It was as if the violent battle just now was a lie, Henrietta thought. However, it wasn't a lie. Wales' cold corpse was laying beside her. It was the end of the ones who were given fake life by Ring of Andvari. By Louise's "Dispel Magic", the fake life had faded and they returned to their original forms, though Henrietta did not care about that now. It was just that, she felt that the things that needed to be had returned to where they should be. And, that was enough for now. She wanted to think it was a dream. No, a nightmare... Her beloved lay next to her. Her right hand moved to his face, but before reaching it, she stopped herself... a nightmare-like reality. One in which she had betrayed her own love... And she, had tried to throw away everything and surrender herself to that nightmare. Henrietta covered her face with her hands. Right now, she had no right to touch Wales' corpse. Much less did she have the courage to face the one who was in front of her, who had loved her since they were young. "Just what have I done?"she cried.

"Have you woken up?" Louise asked Henrietta in a sad and cold voice. There was no sign of anger. Concern, love, and complete trust... It was the same Louise as before. That seemed more damning than any accusations.

Henrietta nodded. "What should I say to apologize to you? What should I say in order to ask for forgiveness from the people hurt by me? Please tell me, Louise. I can't think of any words that are enough..."

"More important than that, princess' powers are needed." Louise pointed to the downed members of the Griffin Corps. "Please heal them with your 'water'."

"I do not have any words of apology that I can say. I will heal all of them as best as I can..." There were several surviving nobles of the Griffin corps. Henrietta healed their wounds one at a time.

And then... without caring about whether one was an ally or enemy, the corpses were carried into the shade of a tree. Even if the corpses were going to be buried later, they could not just leave them as they were. They had been used just like her beloved...

Louise and the others... Even Kirche, even Tabitha, did not condemn Henrietta. Henrietta had been seeing a nightmare. A sweet, tempting dream. If they had to hate someone, it would be the person who gave Wales false life and took advantage of Henrietta's heart like this. It cannot be said that Henrietta was sinless herself, but it was also truth that there was an existence that profited from that sin. Henrietta was trying to move Wales at the end. At that time... Henrietta saw something she couldn't believe at all. Perhaps, Henrietta's sorrowful love had reached somewhere. Maybe, someone softly, to heal her heart, very softly tipped the scales of life. When Henrietta touched Wales' cheek, his eyelids weakly opened.

"...Henrietta? Is it you?" It was a weak and fading voice, but it was Wales' voice without a doubt. Henrietta's shoulders shook.

If miracles existed in Halkeginia, times like this were definitely that. That is because no one can explain the reason why the light of life that should have disappeared was given a mere glow. It is possible that when Louise's "Dispel Magic" blew away the fake life. Wales' barely remaining breath of life lit the fire. It was possible that the feelings Henrietta felt for Wales called upon a whim from the gods. No one knew why. They just knew that, Wales opened his eyes. That was the truth.

"Wales...my love..." She said slowly. She understood. The Wales before her this time was the true Wales. Not a puppet that moved with fake life, but the true him. Tears flowed from Henrietta's eyes.

"What a thing. Just how long have I waited for this moment..." Wales said as he looked into her eyes.

The group rushed over with surprised faces.

The eyes of the group widened when they saw that Wales had opened his eyes. Perhaps only Kirche noted the somewhat hazy rainbow that had enveloped the two...

At that moment, Henrietta saw that a red stain was spreading over Wales' white shirt. The wound caused by Wardes's thrust that was closed by the fake life had opened.

Panicking, Henrietta chanted a spell to close up the wound. However... Cruelly so, Henrietta's magic did not work on that wound. Without the wound closing up, the stain of blood only grew bigger. "Wales, don't... No, why..."

"It's no use... Henrietta. This wound will no longer close. Bodies that have died once will no longer revive. I have probably only come back a bit, just a bit. Perhaps, this is the whim of the water spirit."

"Wales, no, no... Do you plan to leave me alone again?"

"Henrietta. I have one last wish."

"Don't say something like 'last'. Please, you have to stay. Don't go!"

"I want to go to that Ragdorian Lake, where I met you for the first time. There is something I want you to promise there."

Tabitha pulled along her wind dragon. Zero and Kirche set Wales on its back. Following that, Henrietta, who was riding on the wind dragon, placed Wales' head on her knees and supported his body to keep it from falling.

Carrying the group, the wind dragon soared up.

Aiming for Ragdorian Lake, the wind dragon flew straight towards it.

At Ragdorian Lake, Wales leaned his body on Henrietta as they walked on the shore. The sky was beginning to whiten. Morning was close. "How nostalgic."

"Yes."

"When we first met, I thought you looked like a fairy. What else but a fairy could so utterly charm a man from but a sight? See, you were bathing around here." Wales pointed to one spot. He probably could already no longer see. That spot was completely different from the one in Henrietta's memories.

However, Henrietta nodded. Desperately restraining herself from crying, "Oh, you're as skilled as ever."

"At that time, this was what I thought. If we just threw everything away like this. Anywhere is fine. The location doesn't matter. It's enough to just have a small house with a garden. A flower bed is necessary though. A flower bed for you to grow flowers in." Every step that they took, it seemed as if the power was being drained from Wales' legs , forcing him to lean on Henrietta more and more as the moved..

"Hey, I always wanted to ask you. At that time, why did you not say those kind words? Why did you not tell me that you love me? I have always waited for those words." Henrietta asked Wales.

"I could not speak those words, knowing it would make you unhappy." Wales smiled as he replied.

"What are you saying? It was my joy to be loved by you. There was nothing that could have made me happier!"

Wales fell silent. Henrietta felt the life disappearing from her beloved Wales' body little by little. For him to have lasted so long could be called a miracle. However, she couldn't cry. In the time remaining, she wanted to exchange words with him as much as possible. Even so, her voice was trembling.

Mustering his energy, Wales stated. "Swear, Henrietta."

"I will swear about anything. What should I swear about? Please tell me."

"To forget me. Swear that you will forget me and find another man to love. I want to hear those words. At this Ragdorian Lake. In front of the water spirit, I want to hear you pledge that."

"Do not say the impossible. I cannot swear such a thing. There is no way I could swear a lie." Henrietta froze in her track. Her shoulders were trembling.

"Please, Henrietta. Otherwise, my soul will probably wander for eternity. Do you wish for me to be unhappy?"

Henrietta shook her head. "No. I definitely don't want to."

"There is no time. There, there is no time anymore. I am already... That's why, please...This is all I can ask of you...please..."

"Then, then swear. Swear that you love me. By now, you should be able to swear that, right? If you swear to that, then I will swear as well."

"I will."

Henrietta, with a sad expression, spoke the words of oath.

"...I swear. To forget about my beloved Wales. I will find someone else to love. I promise..."

Wales said in a satisfied manner, "Thank you."

"Next, is your turn. Please."

"I will. Bring me to the waterside."

Henrietta brought Wales to the waterside. The morning sun poked through the spaces between the tree, and with a beauty unthinkable in this world, the Ragdorian Lake glittered. Their legs got soaked in water.

Henrietta griped Wales' shoulders. "Now, say it. Promise to love me. It is fine for just this moment. I will embrace this moment for eternity. No matter what you say, I will embrace it. Do you understand?"

However, Wales did not reply.

"Prince Wales?" Henrietta shook his shoulders. But, Wales had already died. She slowly recalled the days here, where she met Wales for the first time. As if to take each memory one by one from a treasure box and check it. Those days where she was happy, where she was in love would no longer come. The days where she could dream, the days where she was able to truly be alive would no longer come. The words of pledge exchanged at this lake, would no longer be protected. "What a mean person." Looking straight ahead, Henrietta whispered. "To the end, you never spoke those words of oath." Slowly, Henrietta closed her eyes. From her closed eyelids, a line of tears flowed down her cheek.

Zero, who was watching over the two from the shade, was holding Louise's shoulders. Louise was quietly looking at Henrietta, crying silently. While holding her shoulders, Zero shook his head. How can they justify this. How? With every action they took, they seemed to be trying to push him over the line. They wanted to provoke him. That could be the only possible explanation. They wanted to be put down. Well, it was his job to make dreams come true he supposed. If that's what they wanted, truly wanted... He'd show them no mercy. While holding Louise's shoulders, who was crying like a child, Zero couldn't help but see it. This was his reason for fighting now. These people, with their hearts and their hopes. What was right, and what was wrong... There was a difference, there had to be. And he would ensure that his enemies knew that. For the first time, he would fight for what he deemed justice. He would show them justice... He made that oath now. On Iris, on Henrietta, on Louise... On the kind dead prince... He would show them the power that they had invoked with their actions.

Henrietta laid Wales' corpse in the water. Then she waved her wand slightly, and chanted a rune. The lake water moved, slowly carrying Wales' body into the water, where it sank. The water was deeply transparent, and the sinking corpse of Wales could be seen clearly for quite some time. Even after she was unable to see her Wales anymore, Henrietta remained still.

From below the lake's surface seven prismatic colors of light gently glowed in the area... Henrietta looked at the light with a sort of gentle wonder. She could almost feel a benevolent presence looking on, trying to comfort her. "Do not worry, It will be fine," it seemed to say. She wondered if she was the only one to hear that kind and gentle voice...