Night had fully fallen over the Ancient Kingdom of Roran.
The events in the royal audience hall that day weighed like a massive boulder on Sara's heart, leaving her chest tight, her breathing shallow, and her frustration at its breaking point.
In just a few hours, everything she had believed for six years had crumbled.
Anrokuzan, the Regent she had relied on and trusted since childhood, the man she considered her sole support, could no longer be relied upon at all.
One moment, he could denounce an invader on her behalf and swear to protect her; the next, he could fall to his knees and grovel before that powerful outsider, betraying her and rejecting her authority.
Well, it was only because Miki Yūya was far too powerful that Anrokuzan had acted that way. She did not really blame him.
If anyone was to blame, it was that bastard who had suddenly barged into her kingdom, carrying her mother's royal Heirloom Sword, acting domineering, overbearing, and utterly unreasonable.
He had barged into her royal city out of nowhere, intent on seizing her dragon veins, shaking everything she knew, and overturning her peaceful life.
Frustration, hurt, anger, helplessness, confusion-countless emotions tangled together, choking Sara until she could barely breathe.
With no outlet for her pent-up feelings, Sara slipped away alone, avoiding everyone as she followed a familiar secret passage to the Underground Ancient Ruins.
This was the source of Rōran's dragon veins, the oldest and quietest sanctuary in the thousand-year-old kingdom, and the only secret place where she had been able to unwind alone and soothe her emotions since childhood.
Sara sat alone on the cold stone steps, her hands folded over her knees, her fingertips slightly pale.
She felt awful. Miki Yūya's perpetually nonchalant face kept replaying in her mind, along