That night, the moon shone brightly once more.
The King remained seated, tears slowly streaming down his face. Mages and soldiers were still busy clearing the dragon corpses scattered throughout the city, while the injured were treated in temporary shelters using healing magic.
Elsewhere, Prince Auleus and Rey hurried forward, carrying the unconscious Luna toward the place where the King, Miera, and Luis were gathered.
"Miera! Father!" the Prince called out.
Everyone turned at once. The King quickly stood up when he saw Luna in his son's arms.
"Are you all right? What happened to Luna?" Miera asked anxiously.
Rey answered, "She collapsed after being attacked by a wolf in the forest."
Luis stepped closer, carefully observing Luna's condition.
"This is strange… her body isn't injured at all. She's simply exhausted," he murmured.
Miera examined Luna more thoroughly—her head, neck, and pulse.
"She's fine. Let's take her to the palace so she can rest properly."
Rey glanced toward the injured citizens being treated nearby.
"What about the houses? Including mine… they're all destroyed."
Miera looked at him gently.
"Tomorrow morning, the King and the royal workers will begin rebuilding every damaged house. For now, all displaced citizens will be sheltered in the central hall, and the kingdom will cover their food and basic needs."
Rey let out a relieved breath.
"Thank goodness…"
Soon after, the Prince, Rey, Miera, Luis, and the soldiers departed together, bringing Luna to the royal palace—where she could finally rest in safety.
---
Upon arriving at the palace, Luna was laid on a large velvet sofa. The King, Miera, Rey, Luis, and the Prince all gathered around her, waiting anxiously for her to wake.
"She's still unconscious," Miera said as she checked Luna's pulse.
The Prince couldn't stay still. His breathing was uneven, his eyes fixed on Luna as if he were afraid she might vanish.
Then—
…kruuuk… kruuuk…
A soft snoring sound escaped Luna's lips.
Everyone froze, their expressions shifting into various shades of confusion and amusement.
"Oh my…" the Prince finally exhaled in relief, rubbing his face with a helpless smile.
The King barely managed to hold back his laughter. Miera could only shake her head with a small smile.
Then, unexpectedly, Luna slowly opened her eyes. With a drowsy gaze—half-asleep, half-dreaming—she stood up.
"Good night… Aether," Luna murmured, gently patting the Prince's head as if he were a puppy.
Everyone went completely still.
Without the slightest sense of embarrassment, Luna began removing the expensive party dress she was wearing. Soon, she was left in white shorts and a loose inner shirt. Miera covered her mouth, trying not to laugh, while the King hurriedly turned his face away in shock.
"W-what is she doing…?" the Prince whispered.
"I… want to sleep in my room. I can't sleep. You should sleep too, Aether," Luna said casually, walking like someone who wasn't fully awake.
The Prince and the King instinctively chased after her.
"She's sleepwalking, right?" the King muttered.
"Seems so… but she's kind of cute," Miera replied, struggling to hold in her laughter.
Luna opened the Prince's bedroom door without hesitation and walked inside. Through the doorway, they saw her approach the soft bed.
"Ah… I'm so tired. I want to be a cat," Luna murmured.
She climbed onto the bed, crawled slowly like a small cat, curled up, and fell into a deep sleep.
The Prince stared at her for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh and smiling helplessly.
"Looks like I'll be sleeping on the sofa tonight."
The King patted the Prince's shoulder, while Miera giggled softly at Luna's completely unexpected behavior.
That night felt truly peaceful.
Luna slept soundly in the Prince's room, wrapped in a thin blanket, her body curled up like a small, exhausted kitten. The Prince, meanwhile, was forced to sleep on the sofa, using Luna's discarded dress as a blanket. Even so, he smiled calmly, as if all his worries faded the moment he knew Luna was safe.
---
In his study, the King was still awake. He leaned over stacks of invitations and lists of workers and cooks he planned to mobilize to help the victims of the dragon attack. Candlelight flickered across his weary face.
"Are these workers enough?" the King murmured, tapping the desk softly.
"And the cooks… should I add more? But I don't even know most of the skilled chefs in this city."
He let out a heavy sigh, pressing his fingers against his temples. Even seeing only one casualty weighed heavily on his heart—a wound he never wished to see again among his people.
---
In her own chamber, Miera stood by the window. The night wind gently lifted the curtains, revealing a clear sky. Among the stars, one blue star shone brighter than the rest—the same star that appeared when the ancient magic of the Meyer family awakened.
Miera gazed at it for a long time.
"Just how powerful… is Luna really?" she whispered.
"From her behavior, she looks like an innocent, ordinary girl… but that magic—Thunder Vein on that scale, ancient circles without incantations… it's impossible for it to belong to anyone else."
Her mind replayed the moment the sky was filled with dark purple lightning and dragons fell like rain.
Miera clenched her robe, making a decision.
"I need to contact Kuro. One of the Seven Grand Magi… an expert in origin mana." Her gaze hardened. "He can read bloodlines and soul cores just by speaking to someone."
She looked once more at the blue star.
"I'm certain… the moment he sees Luna, he'll know who that girl truly is."
---
Morning light streamed through the Prince's bedroom window, softly illuminating the bed where Luna lay. With sleepy eyes, she yawned lightly and murmured,
"Morning already? Good morning, Aether. I hope today's cooking is good…"
Behind her stood the Prince—along with Miera, the King, several servants, and a man with jet-black hair named Kuro.
The Prince frowned.
"Aether who?"
Luna slowly turned her head—then froze when she saw so many people standing behind her.
"UWAAH!!"
In an instant, she jumped off the bed and bowed deeply, almost prostrating herself.
"I-I'm sorry!! I-I'm so sorry!!"
Her entire body trembled like a soaked kitten.
"Th-this… this is bad…" she muttered weakly.
The Prince raised an eyebrow.
"Bad?"
Luna slowly lifted her pale face, her lips trembling.
"I-I'm going to be executed… aren't I?"
The Prince barely held back his laughter.
"Why would I execute a cat that sneaked into my bed?"
Luna froze—then let out a relieved breath, though her panic hadn't completely faded.
Kuro stepped forward with a gentle smile.
"Calm down, Luna. Sit on the bed. I just want to check whether your body has fully recovered."
Luna obeyed, sitting carefully at the edge of the bed. Unbeknownst to her, Kuro released his magic—delicate threads of mana quietly slipping into her body, diving toward the very origin of her magic.
Pretending to make casual conversation, Kuro asked,
"How did you end up in the forest back then? You were found just moments away from being devoured by a wolf."
With innocent nervousness, Luna replied,
"I was pushed away by the Prince from the dragon's flames. I ran… really fast… because I was so scared."
But the moment Kuro's magic touched Luna's deepest core—
Something happened.
Luna's eyes flickered… then sharpened slightly.
In the next instant, Kuro's magic shattered—collapsing as if it had destroyed itself.
"What…?" Kuro staggered back, his expression filled with shock—almost fear.
Luna noticed his reaction.
And immediately screamed like a pinched cat.
"AAA—!!"
Thud.
She collapsed instantly, losing consciousness once more.
"Luna!" the Prince cried out in panic, catching her before she hit the floor.