"Duke, we have to go, the entire Nuer is waiting for you." Grand Marshal Nuer Erstein said solemnly to Amelia.

Amelia reluctantly took a final look at Laine’s territory. There, the green hills and clear waters were full of life, and in the vast fields, the peasants were harvesting winter wheat. The knights under Laine all came, standing in tidy rows, doffing their hats in salute to Amelia.

No one expected the Count’s Head Maid to be the Empire’s Prince-Elector, but once everyone learned of it, they gave Amelia the highest degree of respect. The knights admired those with persistence and responsibility, and Amelia had served Laine for more than eight years.

Now, Amelia had to return to the Empire, where her vassals and subjects awaited her, needing her, and Amelia had to fulfill her duty, being the last legitimate bloodline of the Prince-Elector family.

Surya came, Teresa came, Veronica came, even the rarely seen Dark Elf Ollica, and Lake God Witch Mogiana came.

Of course, what caught Amelia’s attention the most was the Count, whose face held a faint sadness and smile. Time flew by, and when surrounded by the elite Nuer Iron Armor Army, twenty-five-year-old Amelia looked deeply, faintly recalling how Laine looked the first time she saw him at seventeen.

At that time, when she saw him, he was just a Nord Kingdom Knight, a regular member of the White Wolf Knight Order!

Throughout the legendary tales, Amelia was a witness to the countless epics Laine created. Amelia thought she could be a loyal spectator, always watching, but finally, the time to say goodbye arrived. The Duchess’s eyes were filled with tears. As time played the serenade of returning home, she tried to recall her departure eight years ago, packing her bags at the Marinburg port, following Laine back home.

Amelia slowly turned around, signaling the Nuer Iron Armor Army and Knight Order Grand Masters to clear the way, and walked over to Laine. With a doting smile on his face, he placed his hand on Amelia’s shoulder, giving it a gentle tap.

The Duchess clenched her teeth; she understood how vulnerable she was when facing this man. As long as he spoke, as long as he pleaded for her to stay, she would be willing to give up everything to remain by his side, even if it meant being a nameless maid for a lifetime.

He didn’t. On the contrary, Laine’s intention was clear: how to choose was up to her, and whatever decision she made, he would support it.

That was what made him the hero she held in her heart. Laine was a man imbued with responsibility and mission, a model of the Knightly Path, the Divine Chosen Champion of the Lake Fairy, and a paragon for all knights.

If Laine were really like a devoted dog begging for Amelia to stay, she would despise him instead.

"...I must say thank you, Laine. Thank you, without you, there would be no me as I am now." Amelia stood before Laine and the Duchess of Nuer said her final words: "I will always be your little maid Amelia, my man."

Then, Amelia stood on her tiptoes, giving Laine a gentle kiss on the lips, and the Duchess left without looking back.

The Nuer army left right in front of Laine. He stood there, dazed, watching the army march away. The Count sighed deeply. Amelia’s choice to leave meant abandoning her current stable and leisurely life, and choosing to immerse herself in Nuer’s political whirlpool. Currently, Amelia faced no shortage of opponents in the Imperial Court; the positions of Prince-Elector and Grand Duke of Weisen were already held by others. Even though she possessed the Prince-Elector’s Holy Sword "Western Fire," her return would undoubtedly be a storm-filled confrontation.

But it was her choice, and Laine had no right to interfere.

"Let’s go back," Laine turned around. Today, his backyard was very organized; aside from the Lake Fairy mysteriously scheming something recently, all the women who had been involved with him were present.

First to leave were the two witches. Teresa and Veronica had been busy with magic experiments recently. Then, it was Mogiana, the Lake God Witch, who was sending people to investigate Musillon, attempting to learn about the Potion Chalice’s whereabouts through divination.

Left behind were Surya and Ollica. The lady knight softly walked to Laine’s side, taking his arm with her hand, gently comforting her somewhat lost husband: "It’s not that we’ll never see each other again. When the time is right, we can visit Nuer to see Amelia. She has already built the teleportation array, just waiting for Lady Elspeth to activate it from the other side."

"In fact, Amelia’s departure timing isn’t ideal." Laine shook his head, motioning for the knights to disperse, and then returned to the winery: "But there’s no choice; it was the agreed time. The Nuer side had already delayed it long enough."

"Master, she’s pregnant." The dark elf spoke quite bluntly. Ollica, with a sideways glance, didn’t sound pleasant: "Honestly, Master, you’ve been with her a lot lately."

"Amelia is, after all, leaving soon. So it’s only right to spend a bit more time with her; I can only blame myself for being unproductive..." Surya lamented, clutching her abdomen gloomily. Despite being married for over a year and the spirit rune having matured long ago, she still hadn’t conceived.