chapter 101
The cabin fell silent.
The lantern swayed gently above them.
Flora stared at Guinevere.
"...Why?"
Her voice was quiet.
"So many people knew."
"The worshippers."
"Vendetta."
"You."
"Marco."
"...Yet I was the last person to learn the truth."
Marco lowered his head.
Guinevere met Flora's gaze without hesitation.
"Because the truth would've killed you."
Flora frowned.
"...Don't."
"Don't give me another excuse."
"It's not an excuse."
"It's a fact."
The room grew still.
Guinevere continued.
"The day the kingdom announced the birth of the Blood of Peace..."
"...your life ceased to be your own."
"You became the greatest obstacle standing in the way of every worshipper who serves the other Gods."
"They couldn't allow the God of Justice to awaken."
"So they needed one thing."
"The Four Souls."
"Dead."
Flora's expression slowly changed.
Guinevere's voice remained calm.
"From the day you were born..."
"...people you've never met wanted you dead."
Silence.
Flora tightened her fists.
"...Then you should've told me."
Guinevere shook her head.
"So you could do what?"
"You were fourteen."
"You had no army."
"No political influence."
"No allies beyond the few standing beside you."
"You couldn't even protect your own mother."
The words landed like stones.
Marco closed his eyes.
Guinevere didn't stop.
"When His Majesty died..."
"the kingdom fractured."
"Your mother lost both her health and her authority."
"Your uncle inherited the throne."
"The court chose power over loyalty."
"And every mistake became fatal."
Flora looked away.
"...I already knew my uncle was using me."
"You knew he was using you."
Guinevere replied.
"He wasn't searching for the stone bodies to save this world."
"He was searching for power."
"You were simply the easiest piece to move."
Flora's breathing became heavier.
"He threatened Mother..."
"So I obeyed."
"Yes."
Guinevere answered without emotion.
"And he knew you would."
"He understood your weakness."
"So he used it."
Silence filled the cabin once again.
After a moment, Flora looked back at her.
"...You still should've trusted me."
Guinevere's expression remained unchanged.
"This was never about trust."
"It was about survival."
Flora frowned.
"If you had known the entire truth..."
"You would've acted."
"You always do."
"You would've questioned the court."
"You would've searched for answers."
"You would've attracted attention."
"And eventually..."
"...someone would've realized the Blood of Peace knew exactly what she was."
Guinevere took a slow step forward.
"Do you know what would've happened then?"
She didn't wait for an answer.
"You wouldn't have been seen as Princess Flora."
"You would've become a weapon."
"A hostage."
"A bargaining chip."
"Or a corpse."
The room became deathly silent.
Marco finally spoke.
"We wanted to tell you."
"There were countless times."
"But every path ended the same way."
"More danger."
Flora laughed bitterly.
"So the decision was made for me."
"...Yes."
Guinevere answered immediately.
"I made it."
Marco slowly looked toward her.
She continued.
"I knew you would resent me one day."
"I accepted that long ago."
Flora stared at her.
"You don't even regret it..."
Guinevere was silent for a few seconds.
Then—
"I regret that you were forced to carry this life."
"I do not regret keeping you alive."
For the first time...
there was no strategy in her voice.
Only conviction.
She turned toward the door.
Her hand rested on the handle.
Without looking back, she spoke one final time.
"You once asked me what a guard exists to protect."
"I gave you the wrong answer."
Another brief silence.
"A guard doesn't protect someone's trust."
"They protect their life."
"If history repeated itself..."
"...my decision would not change."
The door opened.
Cool sea air drifted into the cabin.
Guinevere stepped outside.
Marco remained where he stood.
He looked at Flora.
"I'm sorry."
It was all he could say.
Then he quietly followed Guinevere.
The door closed.
Click.
Princess Flora remained alone beneath the flickering lantern.
Everything she believed about herself...
had been torn apart.
Princess.
Blood of Peace.
One of the Four Souls.
For the first time...
she didn't know which of them was truly her.
Outside—
the sea continued forward without hesitation.
Just as destiny always had.
The door closed.
Click.
Princess Flora remained alone beneath the flickering lantern.
For a long while—
she didn't move.
The silence swallowed the cabin whole.
Slowly...
she sank back into her chair.
Her shoulders slumped, as though every ounce of strength had quietly left her body.
Her hands rested motionless in her lap.
Her head lowered.
The vibrant emerald eyes that had always carried warmth and determination were now dull...
empty...
fixed upon the wooden floor without focus.
Princess.
Blood of Peace.
One of the Four Souls.
For the first time...
she no longer knew who she truly was.
Or whether the girl called Flora had ever existed at all.
A faint tremor passed through her fingers.
She blinked.
A single tear slipped down her cheek, falling silently onto the floor.
Then another.
She made no attempt to wipe them away.
She simply remained there—
alone.
Silent.
Broken.
As though the weight of the truth had stripped away everything that once made her feel whole.
---
Outside the cabin—
Guinevere stepped into the corridor without a word.
Marco followed a moment later.
The instant the door closed behind him, he came to a stop.
Captain Bochy stood nearby, his arms folded tightly across his chest.
Chris leaned against the wall in silence, the usual spark in his eyes nowhere to be found.
Vendetta lowered her gaze.
Even Esabell had arrived, her expression heavy as she looked toward the closed cabin door.
No one spoke.
The walls of the cabin had been thin enough.
They had heard everything.
Every question.
Every answer.
Every painful truth.
An oppressive silence settled over the corridor.
No one knew what to say.
No words could ease the pain waiting on the other side of that door.
Marco lowered his head.
Without meeting anyone's eyes, he quietly walked past them.
His footsteps echoed softly through the corridor before fading into the distance.
Still...
no one moved.
esabell,s eyes remained fixed on the closed cabin door.
Behind it—
Princess Flora sat alone beneath the flickering lantern.
And for the first time
she looked utterly lost.
Outside—
the endless sea continued forward without hesitation.
Just as destiny always had.
...CHAPTER 101ENDS...