Saum Rainar...
So this was the man.
Almost instinctively, my gaze shifted toward the entrance.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in a deep navy noble coat embroidered with the silver crest of House Rainar. His neatly combed black hair, composed smile, and effortless posture reflected years spent navigating the political circles of the kingdom. There was nothing flamboyant about him, nor did he carry the intimidating presence that Duke Cedric possessed.
Instead...
He carried the quiet confidence of someone who never needed to raise his voice to command attention.
At first glance, he appeared exactly as one would imagine one of Valenford's most respected nobles—refined, approachable, and utterly trustworthy.
Yet despite that first impression, I found myself observing him far more carefully than anyone who had stood before me today.
I couldn't explain why.
Nothing about his appearance suggested hostility.
His expression was warm, his movements courteous, and even the servants stepping aside for him seemed perfectly at ease.
Still...something didn't quite feel right.
It wasn't fear.
Nor suspicion.
It was simply a feeling deep within me, one I couldn't put into words.
Perhaps it was instinct.
Or perhaps it was because this was the first time I'd met a man whose greatest strength wasn't his sword, but his mind.
Lord Saum stopped before the royal platform and placed one hand across his chest before offering an impeccable bow.
"Your Majesty. Princess Elisa."
His voice was calm, carrying neither excessive enthusiasm nor rigid formality.
"Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on today's occasion."
I returned his greeting with a smile of my own.
"Thank you, Lord Saum. We appreciate your presence. It means a great deal to both the Royal Family and the kingdom."
Princess Elisa gracefully inclined her head.
"We are grateful that you accepted our invitation."
Lord Saum's smile softened ever so slightly as his gaze shifted toward Elisa.
"Before anything else, Your Highness... allow me to once again offer my deepest condolences for the passing of His Late Majesty, King Leki."
A trace of regret crossed his face.
"I had hoped to visit the capital much sooner, but unforeseen matters within my own territory demanded my attention. It remains a source of personal regret that I was unable to offer my respects to you and Her Majesty during those difficult days."
Princess Elisa acknowledged his apology with quiet understanding.
"There is no need to apologize, Lord Saum. Every lord bears responsibilities toward his own people, and Father always believed that fulfilling one's duty to the kingdom often begins with fulfilling one's duty at home."
Her gentle smile never faltered.
"A great deal has happened since then, and while those days remain painful to remember, mourning alone cannot guide a nation."
She briefly glanced toward me before looking back at Lord Saum.
"Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for Valenford. I sincerely hope that everyone gathered here will stand beside His Majesty as we move toward that future together."
"I share that hope wholeheartedly."
Lord Saum bowed his head once more.
"I had the honor of serving His Late Majesty throughout his reign, and it is my sincere hope that under His Majesty King Arin's rule, the Crown and the nobility shall continue working together for the prosperity of Valenford."
His words carried neither exaggeration nor flattery.
Only sincerity.
At least...that was how they sounded.
Several nobles nodded in agreement, and for a brief moment the atmosphere relaxed once again. Even I couldn't help returning his smile.
Then I noticed it.
It was subtle.
So subtle that most people would never have realized anything had changed.
His posture remained the same.
His smile remained the same.
Yet somehow...the atmosphere around him had shifted.
Rather than looking toward me again, Lord Saum turned respectfully toward Queen Mother Charol.
"If Her Majesty would permit me..."
"There is one question I have wished to ask for quite some time."
The quiet murmurs spreading throughout the hall disappeared almost instantly.
Queen Mother Charol met his gaze without the slightest change in expression.
"Of course, Lord Saum."
"You may speak freely."
He inclined his head once more.
"I only ask that no one misunderstand my intentions."
"My purpose is not to question the authority of the Crown, nor to cast doubt upon His Majesty."
His eyes briefly swept across the gathered nobles before returning to the Queen Mother.
"Rather, I seek only to understand the reasoning behind a decision that has changed the course of our kingdom's future."
His voice remained measured.
Neither confrontational nor apologetic.
Simply curious.
"When His Late Majesty, King Leki, passed away so unexpectedly, Valenford found itself without a ruler at one of the most dangerous moments in its history."
He allowed a brief silence to settle before continuing.
"At that time, many believed that Her Majesty would assume responsibility for governing the kingdom until stability had been restored."
"And had that not been the chosen path..."
His eyes slowly shifted toward Princess Elisa.
"...many also believed that Princess Elisa would one day marry a worthy noble of Valenford, allowing the throne to remain in the hands of one of the kingdom's noble Houses."
No one interrupted him.
No one objected.
It wasn't because they agreed with him.
It was because everyone present recognized that he had given voice to a question many had quietly asked themselves in the weeks following King Leki's death.
Lord Saum finally turned toward me.
There was no hostility in his eyes.
Only calm curiosity.
"Yet the Royal Family chose another path."
"They revived the Hero Summoning ritual, despite it having remained forbidden for generations."
"And they entrusted the Crown of Valenford to a man born beyond our world."
He respectfully lowered his head.
"If I may ask...what led the Royal Family to place their faith in an outsider rather than entrusting the future of Valenford to one of its own noble Houses?"
A profound silence settled over the grand hall.
It wasn't the silence born from conflict, nor the uneasy stillness that follows an insult. Rather, it was the silence of expectation, as every noble waited to hear the reasoning behind a decision that had reshaped the kingdom itself.
Even I couldn't deny that it was a fair question.
Had I been born into this world...perhaps I would have asked the very same thing.
Queen Mother Charol drew a slow breath, preparing to answer.
Before she could speak, another voice gently interrupted.
"Mother."
Princess Elisa stepped forward slightly.
"If you would permit me..."
"I would like to answer Lord Saum's question."
For a brief moment, the Queen Mother studied her daughter's face.
She found no uncertainty there.
Only confidence.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Very well."
She nodded gently.
"The answer belongs to you just as much as it belongs to me."
"Thank you, Mother."
Elisa rose gracefully from her seat before descending the marble steps of the royal platform. Every movement reflected the elegance expected of Valenford's Crown Princess, yet there was also a quiet determination within her that immediately drew the attention of everyone present.
She stopped only a few paces before Lord Saum and offered him the same courtesy he had shown the Crown.
She wasn't challenging him.
She wasn't attempting to silence him.
She was simply answering a question that had been asked of the Royal Family.
"Lord Saum," she began softly, "before I answer, allow me to clarify your question."
Her sapphire eyes met his without hesitation.
"You are not asking why His Majesty Arin was chosen."
She paused briefly.
"You are asking why the Royal Family chose someone from beyond our world instead of entrusting the throne to one of Valenford's own noble Houses."
Lord Saum nodded almost immediately.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"That is precisely what I wish to understand."
A faint smile appeared upon Elisa's face.
"Then..."
"I shall answer."
The moment Elisa finished speaking, the entire hall grew still.
Even the faint whispers that had lingered among the nobles disappeared as every eye turned toward the Crown Princess. No one doubted that Lord Saum's question deserved an answer, but very few had expected Elisa herself to step forward.
She took a slow breath before continuing.
"A few weeks ago, when my father, His Late Majesty King Leki, was assassinated, Valenford found itself standing upon the edge of uncertainty."
Her voice remained calm, carrying through the grand hall without the slightest hint of hesitation.
"Not long afterward, Velkyria declared war upon our kingdom."
Several nobles unconsciously lowered their heads as those memories resurfaced.
"In response, the Royal Palace sent a decree throughout the realm."
She slowly turned her gaze across the assembled nobles.
"It was delivered to every House possessing the strength to influence the course of that war."
Her eyes finally settled upon Lord Saum once again.
"I believe you remember that decree."
Lord Saum nodded.
"I do, Your Highness."
Elisa acknowledged his answer with a slight inclination of her head.
"Then perhaps you also remember what that decree requested."
Without waiting for anyone to answer, she continued.
"It called upon every great noble House of Valenford to send its armies in support of General Arhim and stand alongside him in the defense of our southern border."
Her voice remained as gentle as before.
There was no accusation hidden within her words.
She was merely recounting history.
"Lord Saum..."
"If I may ask in return..."
"How many Houses answered that call?"
Silence followed.
Not because the answer was unknown.
But because everyone present already knew it.
Several nobles quietly lowered their heads while others exchanged uneasy glances. Although Elisa had neither named any House nor accused anyone outright, the meaning behind her question was unmistakable, and every person standing within the hall understood exactly what she was referring to.
After allowing the silence to linger for only a moment, Elisa continued.
"The Royal Family understood that every lord bore the responsibility of protecting his own people."
"We have never questioned that duty."
"In times of uncertainty, it is only natural for every ruler to think first of the lands and people entrusted to his care."
She paused briefly before her tone grew just a little more solemn.
"But when the kingdom itself stood upon the brink of war.....we also learned where each House chose to place its first priority."
Once again, Elisa neither named a single House nor accused anyone outright, yet an uneasy silence settled over the hall as every noble present understood precisely what her words implied.
"The decision made by my mother and me was not born from anger. It was born from necessity."
She turned slowly, allowing her gaze to sweep across the gathered nobles before finally stopping on me.
"Had we entrusted the throne to one of Valenford's noble Houses, every other House would have questioned that decision."
"Some would have offered their support."
"Others would have opposed it."
"And before long, the kingdom would have found itself divided by political interests at the very moment unity was needed most."
Her words resonated throughout the chamber.
Even those who wished to disagree found themselves unable to interrupt.
"The Hero Summoning offered us another path. A king with no allegiance to any noble House. A ruler whose loyalty belonged not to a family... but to Valenford itself."
Her eyes softened slightly as they met mine.
"However...there is one thing that I believe many people have misunderstood."
The nobles looked at one another in confusion.
"My engagement to His Majesty was never guaranteed simply because the Hero Summoning succeeded."
A faint murmur spread through the hall before quickly falling silent once more.
"When His Majesty accepted the Crown, it was necessary that he possess the full authority required to lead this kingdom during its greatest crisis. Announcing an engagement between the Crown Princess and the newly summoned Hero provided that legitimacy and ensured that no one could question his right to rule while the kingdom stood upon the brink of war."
She allowed those words to settle before continuing.
"But whether that engagement would truly become a marriage.....was never a decision made on that day."
Her voice remained gentle.
"It was a decision that belonged to the future."
I couldn't help staring at her.
Even I hadn't expected her to reveal that before the entire court.
Elisa smiled ever so slightly.
"His Majesty never asked for the throne."
"He never sought power."
"And he certainly never sought my hand in marriage."
A few quiet chuckles escaped from some of the nobles, easing the tension that had slowly built throughout the hall.
"Instead..he devoted himself to protecting this kingdom. Time and again, he placed the safety of Valenford above his own comfort, never once asking what he would gain in return."
Her gaze never left mine.
"Every decision he made..."
"Every burden he accepted..."
"And every sacrifice he chose to bear allowed both the Royal Family and myself to see the kind of man he truly was."
A warm smile appeared upon her face.
"It was not a promise made by the Hero Summoning that brought us to this day."
"It was trust."
She stepped beside me before extending her hand toward the assembled nobles.
"Today, we stand here together not because the Hero Summoning demanded it... but because both the Crown and I came to the same conclusion."
She looked at me for only a brief moment before turning back toward the court.
"That there is no one more worthy of standing beside me as the future King of Valenford."
For a moment...no one spoke.
The silence that followed was unlike the one before. Earlier, every eye in the hall had been waiting for an answer; now, the nobles stood quietly reflecting upon Elisa's words, while I found myself unable to say a single word.
Standing beside Elisa, I could only stare at her in quiet disbelief.
The woman beside me was the same gentle princess who had laughed with me, argued with me, and shared countless ordinary moments over the past weeks.
Yet today...standing before the assembled nobility of Valenford...she wasn't merely Princess Elisa. She was speaking as the future Queen.
Across the hall, Lord Saum remained perfectly composed.
Not once had he interrupted her.
Not once had he attempted to challenge her reasoning.
His calm eyes rested upon Elisa for several long moments before they slowly shifted toward me.
There was no disappointment in his expression.
No frustration.
No resentment.
Only thoughtful silence.
He had arrived seeking to understand the reasoning behind the Crown's decision.
The answer he received had not been an emotional defense, nor a political justification crafted to silence criticism.
Instead, it had revealed the circumstances, the responsibilities, and the difficult choices that had led the Royal Family to place its faith in a stranger from another world.
Lord Saum remained silent for a brief moment, carefully weighing Elisa's words before finally inclining his head.
"I understand now why the Royal Family arrived at such a decision, Your Highness."
His voice remained as calm as ever.
"Thank you for answering my question with such honesty."
A faint smile appeared upon his face before he continued.
"If you would permit me, however... I would also like to make House Rainar's position equally clear."
The attention of the entire hall shifted back toward him.
"As Duke Cedric has already declared, House Ashbourne, one of Valenford's Four Great Houses, has chosen to place its complete faith in His Majesty and the Crown."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"House Rainar is no less devoted to the prosperity of this kingdom. We, too, shall support the Crown and sincerely hope that His Majesty's vision leads Valenford toward a brighter future."
His calm eyes slowly turned toward me.
"That said... I have always believed that a ruler should be judged not by the promises, but by the decisions he makes once that ceremony has ended."
His expression remained courteous, yet there was an unmistakable sincerity behind his words.
"I shall watch His Majesty's reign with great interest. Should his actions continue to justify the faith the Royal Family has placed in him, then House Rainar will gladly stand beside the Crown with complete confidence."
Having said everything he wished to say, Lord Saum respectfully bowed.
"I offer both Their Majesties my sincere wishes for a prosperous reign."
He turned, intending to return to his place among the assembled nobles.
"Lord Saum."
My voice echoed softly through the hall.
He stopped.
Slowly, he turned back toward me.
Without another word, I rose from my seat and descended the marble steps of the royal platform until I stood only a few paces before him.
The unexpected sight drew every noble's attention once again.
Lord Saum offered another respectful bow.
"Your Majesty."
I smiled.
"Before you leave... there is something I would like to say."
"Of course."
His expression remained calm.
"Please."
I drew a quiet breath before speaking.
"To be honest... I appreciate the question you asked today."
A faint murmur spread through the hall before quickly disappearing.
"When I first arrived in this world, I often found myself asking that very same question."
"Why me?"
"Why would the Royal Family place the future of an entire kingdom in the hands of someone they had never met before?"
For a brief moment, my eyes drifted toward Elisa.
She simply smiled.
Looking back at Lord Saum, I continued.
"Today, I finally received that answer."
"So rather than feeling offended by your question..."
"I'm grateful that you asked it."
"It answered something I myself had struggled to understand for quite some time."
For the first time since entering the hall, Lord Saum's composed expression softened ever so slightly.
"And regarding what you just said..."
"I believe you're right."
"I haven't yet accomplished enough to deserve the complete confidence of every noble House in this kingdom."
"My journey as King has only just begun."
There was no shame in admitting that.
It was simply the truth.
"But I sincerely hope.....that through the decisions I make in the days ahead, House Rainar will one day stand beside me just as firmly as House Ashbourne does today."
As those words left my lips, I extended my hand toward him.
"I look forward to earning that trust."
For a brief instant, Lord Saum simply looked at the hand before him.
Not out of hesitation...
But surprise.
It wasn't every day that a newly crowned king stepped down from his throne to offer the first gesture of respect.
A genuine smile finally appeared upon his face.
Slowly, he reached forward and clasped my hand firmly.
"It would be my honor to witness that day, Your Majesty."
There was no pledge of absolute loyalty.
No dramatic declaration.
Only the quiet acknowledgment shared between two men who understood that trust was earned through actions, not words.
As our hands parted, Lord Saum bowed one final time.
"I pray that your reign becomes the future Valenford has long awaited."
With that, he quietly returned to his place among the gathered nobles.
I watched him until he disappeared into the crowd.
The strange feeling I'd experienced the moment he entered the hall still lingered within me.
Yet now, it no longer felt like suspicion.
Lord Saum hadn't opposed the Crown.
Nor had he offered blind loyalty.
He had simply chosen to reserve his judgment until my actions spoke for themselves.
Somehow...I found myself respecting that choice.