The profound, highly emotional journey through the ancient mountain city had already proven to be far more than just a simple romantic holiday for Erwin and Aoi. It was rapidly transforming into a deeply moving, highly symbolic pilgrimage.

  Their immersive exploration of the ancient historical sites was not merely about admiring old stones and rusted metal. It was a beautiful, deeply reflective lesson on the massive, terrifying struggles and the profound, agonizing sacrifices made by the founding leaders of Hohenreich.

  They had stood on the freezing, windswept peak of Kaiser Hill, completely visualizing the absolute, terrifying moment when King Albrecht the First loudly proclaimed his sacred oath, violently uniting a chaotic, warring land into a single, unified empire.

  They had walked through the quiet, glowing silver halls of Festung Silberkrone, completely absorbing the heavy, bloody history of the royal crown being meticulously forged by master swordsmen. And most importantly, they had stood in the exact meeting room where King Friedrich the Second had bravely, humbly sacrificed a massive portion of his own sovereign territory to successfully prevent a catastrophic, apocalyptic war.

  It was a beautiful, deeply humbling reminder that true, absolute leadership and profound love for one's people often required massive, highly painful personal sacrifices that completely defied human ego.

  As they left the peaceful, sun-drenched hillside where they had enjoyed their quiet picnic, the young couple made their way back to the warm, comfortable interior of their premium luxury SUV.

  Erwin smoothly started the powerful engine, shifting the heavy vehicle into gear and carefully navigating the winding, snow-lined streets of the ancient city. Their next highly anticipated destination was located directly in the bustling, historic cultural center of the town.

  "So, where exactly is our brilliant, highly educated tour guide taking us next?" Aoi asked cheerfully, buckling her seatbelt and turning her body slightly to look at his handsome profile.

  "We are currently heading straight toward the Historisches Museum Altkanz," Erwin announced smoothly, his dark, highly observant eyes completely focused on the busy mountain traffic.

  Aoi's dark eyes lit up with genuine, highly eager curiosity. She had seen numerous signs for the museum plastered all over the transit station earlier that morning.

  "I have read that it is one of the most famous, highly visited museums in the entire country," Aoi noted softly, her musical voice filled with genuine fascination. "What exactly makes this specific museum so incredibly renowned, Erwin?"

  Erwin smiled slightly, his large hands resting comfortably on the leather steering wheel. He loved seeing her so completely, utterly invested in the deep history of his nation.

  "It is highly famous because it serves as the absolute, definitive historical vault for the entire empire," Erwin explained, his deep baritone voice carrying a highly educational, deeply captivating tone. "Inside those massive stone walls, they have securely preserved the original, highly fragile state documents spanning from the very first reign of King Albrecht all the way to the executive orders of our current modern president."

  Aoi gasped softly, completely amazed by the sheer, overwhelming timeline of the archival collection.

  "But it is not just boring legal documents and dusty treaties," Erwin continued, smoothly turning the heavy luxury vehicle onto a wide, cobblestone avenue. "The museum also houses the actual, original broadsword that belonged to King Albrecht the First. The blade is completely shattered and heavily cracked from his brutal, apocalyptic battles against his most terrifying mountain rivals."

  Erwin paused for a brief, highly dramatic second, ensuring she grasped the massive historical weight of the exhibits.

  "They also possess the original, highly detailed territorial maps drawn long before the unification of Hohenreich ever occurred," Erwin added smoothly. "It shows exactly what this violent, chaotic land looked like before the ancient kings finally brought absolute order to it."

  Aoi sat back in her plush leather seat, completely, utterly awestruck by his highly detailed description.

  "That is absolutely incredible," Aoi breathed softly, her dark eyes shining with pure, unadulterated admiration. "I honestly had absolutely no idea that the brutal struggles and the massive sacrifices of our nation's founders were on such an unimaginably grand scale. I am so incredibly excited to see all of this with my own eyes."

  Erwin offered her a warm, highly affectionate smile, completely charmed by her sweet, highly enthusiastic anticipation. He gently pressed his foot against the accelerator, steering the sleek luxury vehicle directly toward the historic museum district.

  After a short, highly scenic drive through the ancient city center, they finally arrived at their destination.

  Erwin smoothly parked the SUV in a designated, highly secure visitor lot. As they stepped out of the warm vehicle and walked toward the main entrance, Aoi was immediately struck entirely speechless by the sheer, overwhelming architectural majesty of the museum's exterior.

  The Historisches Museum Altkanz was an absolutely massive, incredibly imposing structure built entirely from dark, highly weathered mountain granite.

  The grand architecture was incredibly ancient, featuring towering, heavily carved stone pillars and massive, arched stained-glass windows. However, the building had been meticulously, beautifully restored with highly specific, brilliant architectural touches directly honoring the ancient era of King Albrecht the First.

  Massive, highly detailed iron banners hung from the stone parapets, and the grand, heavy wooden entrance doors were bound in thick, highly polished brass. The sprawling, beautifully manicured front courtyard was completely packed with massive crowds of highly eager tourists, historical scholars, and fascinated foreign visitors from all over the world.

  "This place does not even look like a normal museum," Aoi whispered softly, her dark eyes completely wide as she stared up at the towering stone arches. "It honestly feels exactly like we are about to step directly into a magical, highly ancient time tunnel."

  Erwin chuckled softly, gently taking her small, gloved hand securely into his own. "Then let us officially step back in time, my love," he replied smoothly, leading her confidently up the wide, sweeping stone steps and directly through the heavy wooden entrance doors.

  The absolute second they crossed the threshold and entered the grand, highly expansive main exhibition hall, they were both completely, utterly mesmerized by the breathtaking sights surrounding them.

  The massive, vaulted stone ceilings echoed with the quiet, highly respectful whispers of hundreds of fascinated tourists. And sitting directly in the absolute center of the grand entrance hall, illuminated by a single, highly dramatic spotlight, was the exact, legendary artifact Erwin had mentioned in the car.

  It was the original, highly sacred broadsword of King Albrecht the First.

  Aoi immediately let go of Erwin's hand, stepping quickly toward the thick, highly secure glass display case resting on a heavy marble pedestal. She leaned forward, completely captivated by the ancient, highly lethal weapon.

  "Erwin, look at this," Aoi whispered, her voice completely filled with profound, deep reverence.

  Erwin stepped up right behind her, his dark, highly observant eyes completely locking onto the ancient steel blade.

  "This is the exact, silent witness to the incredibly bloody, highly violent birth of our entire nation," Erwin explained softly, his deep voice carrying a heavy, deeply emotional weight. "I cannot even begin to mathematically calculate exactly how much blood King Albrecht had to spill, or how many massive, agonizing sacrifices he had to make to finally forge this empire."

  Aoi meticulously, carefully examined the ancient weapon through the thick glass.

  She did not just look at the ornate, highly rusted iron hilt. Her dark, highly empathetic eyes focused entirely on the massive, terrifying cracks heavily spiderwebbing across the thick steel blade. She noticed the deep, highly corrosive patches of dark orange rust that had slowly, relentlessly eaten away at the lethal edges of the sword over the long centuries.

  "It looks so incredibly tired," Aoi noted softly, a deeply compassionate, highly maternal tone completely coloring her voice as she stared at the damaged metal. "It looks like it has been through absolute, complete hell."

  "That is a highly accurate, deeply poetic observation," Erwin agreed softly, gently resting his large hands on her slender shoulders. "That sword was violently swung in the name of peace over a thousand years ago. It completely earned its deep, massive cracks. After surviving such a long, incredibly brutal journey, it is only fair that we finally give this heavy blade a permanent, highly deserved rest."

  Completely moved by the profound, heavy history of the ancient weapon, Aoi quickly pulled her smartphone out of her coat pocket. She wanted to capture the beautiful, deeply tragic details of the shattered blade.

  She raised the digital camera, completely forgetting to check her device settings, and pressed the capture button.

  A sudden, incredibly bright, and highly blinding flash of pure white light instantly exploded from the back of her smartphone, violently illuminating the dim, highly controlled lighting of the grand exhibition hall.

  Almost immediately, a stern, highly professional museum security guard wearing a crisp, dark blue uniform stepped quickly out from the shadows of a nearby stone pillar.

  "Excuse me, miss," the security guard called out, his voice sharp and highly authoritative, completely echoing across the quiet marble floor. He walked directly up to Aoi, his expression deeply serious. "You are absolutely not permitted to take any photographs of the ancient artifacts using a harsh camera flashlight."

  Aoi physically jumped, completely startled and immediately, overwhelmingly mortified by her accidental rule-breaking. A massive, brilliantly bright blush instantly rushed to her cheeks.

  "Oh my goodness, I am so incredibly sorry," Aoi apologized frantically, immediately lowering her smartphone and frantically pressing the screen to completely disable the flash function. "I completely forgot to turn the automatic flash setting off. I truly did not mean to break the rules."

  Before the stern guard could issue a formal warning, Erwin immediately stepped forward. He smoothly positioned his tall, highly imposing frame slightly in front of Aoi, effortlessly deploying his flawless, deeply intimidating, and highly aristocratic diplomatic skills.

  "Please accept my absolute, most sincere apologies on behalf of my companion, sir," Erwin stated smoothly. His deep voice was incredibly polite, highly respectful, but it carried an absolute, undeniable authority that instantly commanded the guard's respect. "It was a completely honest, highly unintentional mistake on our part. We are deeply fascinated by the history here and simply lost our spatial awareness for a brief moment."

  The security guard looked up at the tall, highly confident young man, his stern, authoritative expression instantly softening under Erwin's flawless, highly educated aristocratic manners.

  "I understand, sir," the guard replied, his tone immediately becoming much more polite and accommodating. "I am just doing my job. You must understand that many of the ancient, highly fragile items in this specific museum are incredibly sensitive to intense bursts of modern artificial light. The harsh ultraviolet radiation from a camera flash can actually cause severe, highly irreversible chemical degradation to the thousand-year-old metals and delicate fabrics."

  Aoi felt a massive, highly crushing wave of genuine, deeply profound guilt completely wash over her heart. She immediately opened the digital gallery on her smartphone and permanently, completely deleted the bright photograph she had just taken of the sword.

  "I have entirely deleted the photograph, sir," Aoi assured the guard softly, her dark eyes completely filled with highly genuine, deeply sincere regret. "We completely understand the historical importance of preserving these items. We promise you we will be incredibly, highly careful from this moment forward."

  The museum guard offered her a small, highly forgiving nod of his head. "I deeply appreciate your understanding and cooperation, miss. Please, continue to enjoy the rest of the historical exhibits."

  The guard turned around and walked slowly back to his designated security post, completely satisfied that the minor situation was resolved.

  Aoi let out a long, highly relieved, but deeply embarrassed sigh, completely hiding her flushed face against the warm fabric of Erwin's coat sleeve. "I cannot believe I just did that," she mumbled pathetically. "I feel so incredibly stupid."

  Erwin laughed softly, a deep, incredibly warm, and highly comforting sound. He gently wrapped his strong arm entirely around her shoulders, pulling her securely against his side.

  "You are absolutely not stupid, Aoi," Erwin reassured her gently, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her dark hair. "It was just a simple, highly innocent mistake. Now we know the strict rules, and we will simply enjoy the rest of the artifacts with our own eyes."

  They slowly left the grand entrance hall, making their way deeper into the massive, sprawling stone complex. They soon entered the highly secure, heavily climate-controlled Royal Archive Room.

  The air inside this specific chamber was completely still and highly purified. The lighting was incredibly dim, specifically designed to protect the highly fragile, deeply ancient fabrics and parchments resting inside the massive glass display cases.

  True to their solemn promise to the security guard, Aoi kept her smartphone completely tucked away in her pocket. They walked slowly, silently observing the incredible, highly majestic artifacts belonging to the era of King Albrecht the First.

  They eventually stopped in front of a massive, incredibly tall glass case that housed a breathtaking, utterly magnificent royal robe.

  The ancient garment was woven from incredibly thick, highly luxurious dark crimson velvet. It was heavily, meticulously embroidered with thick, incredibly complex patterns of pure, highly reflective gold thread, depicting fierce mountain eagles and crossed iron swords.

  "This specific robe is an absolute, undeniable masterpiece of ancient craftsmanship," Erwin whispered softly, his dark eyes completely scanning the highly intricate golden embroidery. "But the true, highly emotional story behind its creation is rarely ever mentioned in the standard history textbooks."

  Aoi leaned closer to the glass, highly intrigued by the hidden, deeply personal history. "What is the story behind it?"

  "This magnificent, highly regal garment was not created by a massive team of elite, highly paid royal tailors," Erwin explained smoothly, his voice carrying a deep, highly respectful tone. "It was meticulously, entirely hand-crafted over the course of one full, agonizing year by a completely ordinary, highly humble working-class craftsman from the deep southern regions of Hohenreich. His name was Martin Brizman."

  Aoi's dark eyes completely widened in absolute awe as she stared at the flawless, highly detailed golden eagles woven into the fabric.

  "A completely ordinary man made this entirely by himself?" Aoi asked softly, completely amazed by the sheer, overwhelming level of human dedication.

  "Yes," Erwin confirmed softly, nodding his head slowly. "He was granted the absolute, ultimate national honor of crafting the king's coronation robe. But the intricate, highly complex golden thread was incredibly stiff and highly unforgiving to work with."

  Erwin pointed his elegant finger toward the heavy, intricately detailed collar of the ancient robe.

  "The historical records explicitly state that Martin worked so incredibly hard, and with such fierce, absolute dedication to perfection, that his fingers constantly, heavily bled onto his wooden worktable," Erwin detailed smoothly. "He literally poured his own blood, his endless sweat, and his entire physical health directly into creating this beautiful symbol of the empire."

  Aoi stared at the crimson robe, completely moved to silence. She suddenly realized that the massive, highly celebrated history of Hohenreich was not just built by powerful kings swinging heavy swords. It was equally built by the quiet, highly agonizing, and deeply profound sacrifices of ordinary, hard-working people like Martin Brizman.

  They slowly moved on to the next major display case, which contained the highly famous, incredibly ancient pre-unification map of the region.

  The thick, highly yellowed parchment was covered in faded black ink, depicting dozens of completely chaotic, heavily fractured territorial lines.

  "This map is actually surprisingly small," Aoi observed astutely, leaning her head slightly against Erwin's shoulder as she studied the chaotic territorial borders.

  "That is because, prior to King Albrecht's massive unification wars, Hohenreich was absolutely nothing more than a tiny, highly violent cluster of warring mountain territories," Erwin confirmed smoothly. "It was a dark, terrifying era where neighboring clans constantly, brutally slaughtered each other over tiny scraps of frozen land and basic resources."

  They continued their peaceful, highly educational journey through the massive museum, slowly transitioning from the brutal, highly violent founding era of Albrecht the First directly into the exhibits belonging to the subsequent royal monarchs.

  They stopped briefly to observe the massive, highly detailed expansion maps belonging to King Otto the Third. The complex military maps clearly showed the massive, aggressive southern push that eventually established the sprawling, highly populated territory of Ehrenstadt, which now served as the modern, highly modernized capital city of the entire nation.

  However, as they walked into the next grand stone gallery, Aoi's dark eyes were immediately, powerfully drawn to a massive, incredibly striking, and highly emotional oil portrait hanging heavily on the far wall.

  The beautiful, highly detailed painting depicted a young, incredibly handsome, and highly intense royal monarch wearing heavy silver plate armor. He had a thick, dark fur cape draped heavily over his broad shoulders, and his dark, highly calculating eyes stared directly out of the canvas with a look of profound, deeply terrifying maturity that seemed incredibly, completely out of place on his highly youthful face.

  Aoi walked slowly toward the massive painting, completely captivated by the intense, highly conflicted energy radiating from the painted king.

  "Who exactly is this?" Aoi asked softly, her dark eyes completely scanning the bright silver armor and the heavy, intricate crown resting on his dark hair.

  Erwin stepped up silently right beside her, his dark eyes instantly recognizing the highly famous historical figure.

  "That is a highly celebrated portrait of King Konrad the First von Hochwald," Erwin answered smoothly, his deep voice carrying a highly educated, deeply authoritative tone. "He was officially crowned as the seventh reigning monarch of the Hohenreich empire."

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  Erwin seamlessly slipped back into his brilliant, highly academic tour guide persona. "He is primarily, highly famous for actively leading a massive, incredibly brutal border war against the neighboring, highly aggressive kingdom of Kazimiria. They launched a massive, highly cowardly surprise attack directly against the vulnerable southern borders of Hohenreich in the year twelve hundred and ninety-four."

  Erwin suddenly stopped speaking. He completely froze, his dark brows furrowing slightly in deep, highly analytical thought.

  His brilliant, highly terrifying, and completely flawless legal mind, which had perfectly memorized thousands of pages of complex federal statutes and ancient historical dates, instantly detected a massive, glaring error in his own spoken sentence.

  "Wait," Erwin muttered softly, slowly shaking his head as his mind rapidly, flawlessly re-indexed the massive historical timeline stored in his brain. "That is absolutely incorrect. I apologize."

  Aoi turned to look at him, highly confused but deeply amused by his sudden, highly uncharacteristic hesitation. "What is incorrect?"

  "The Kazimirian border war did not break out in twelve ninety-four," Erwin corrected himself instantly, his voice completely regaining its absolute, undeniable factual confidence. "The massive, highly violent conflict actually erupted exactly six years earlier, in the winter of twelve hundred and eighty-eight."

  Erwin looked directly at the oil painting, a deep, highly profound sense of absolute respect completely washing over his handsome features.

  "And the absolute, most terrifying historical context of that specific date," Erwin explained softly, his voice dropping into a low, highly dramatic register, "is that the brutal, highly bloody war erupted just four short months after Konrad was officially, formally crowned as the supreme king. He was only twenty-two years old."

  Aoi let out a loud, completely unrestrained gasp of pure, unadulterated shock. Her dark eyes completely widened as she quickly looked back at the youthful, highly intense face depicted in the ancient oil painting.

  "Twenty-two years old?" Aoi repeated softly, her voice completely trembling with absolute disbelief. "But... but that is incredibly young. He was practically the exact same age that we are right now."

  "I am completely, intimately aware of that terrifying fact," Erwin agreed softly, a dark, highly heavy, and deeply philosophical shadow completely settling over his dark eyes.

  Aoi looked at the painting, her brilliant, highly empathetic psychological mind rapidly trying to comprehend the sheer, crushing mental pressure the young king must have experienced.

  "How on earth could a twenty-two-year-old boy possibly become the absolute, supreme ruler of a massive, warring empire?" Aoi asked, her voice completely filled with genuine, highly desperate curiosity.

  "It was an absolute, completely unexpected, and highly catastrophic tragedy," Erwin explained softly, his deep voice carrying a heavy, deeply tragic tone.

  "Konrad's father was King Matthias the First von Hochwald," Erwin narrated flawlessly, painting the tragic historical picture for her. "King Matthias was widely considered to be a completely brilliant, highly effective, and incredibly beloved ruler. During his reign, the empire experienced an unprecedented, highly peaceful era of absolute stability. The international trade routes were highly secure, and the national economy was incredibly, aggressively thriving."

  Erwin let out a slow, heavy sigh. "But unfortunately, the universe is rarely ever kind to great men. King Matthias contracted a highly aggressive, completely incurable lung disease. It rapidly, violently destroyed his physical health, leaving him entirely bedridden and completely incapable of leading the nation."

  Erwin looked deeply into Aoi's eyes, perfectly conveying the absolute, terrifying gravity of the historical situation.

  "Knowing that his death was absolutely imminent, Matthias was forced to officially, permanently pass the incredibly heavy, terrifying burden of the royal crown directly to his only living son, Konrad," Erwin explained. "Konrad was completely, utterly shocked. He was just a young, highly inexperienced prince who was entirely unprepared to carry the massive, crushing weight of an entire empire on his young shoulders. But he absolutely had no choice."

  Aoi's heart completely ached for the tragic, highly burdened young king in the painting. "That is so incredibly unfair. He was forced to sacrifice his entire youth to clean up a massive, highly terrifying political crisis."

  "In the dark, highly unforgiving halls of absolute power, fairness does not exist," Erwin stated coldly, his deep voice carrying the brutal, terrifying reality of his own dark aristocratic world. "Sometimes, people are violently forced to make incredibly difficult, highly dangerous decisions simply because there is absolutely no one else left to take the burden."

  "So, he was crowned king at twenty-two," Aoi summarized softly, completely absorbed by the thrilling history. "And then, just four months later, a massive, brutal war breaks out. What exactly happened next? Did the kingdom fall apart?"

  Erwin stared at the painting of King Konrad, a highly rare, deeply profound, and incredibly confident smirk slowly, beautifully curving the corners of his handsome lips.

  "No," Erwin answered smoothly, his voice completely saturated with absolute, undeniable pride for the young historical monarch. "Miraculously, it did not."

  Erwin gently crossed his arms over his broad chest, looking at the painted king as if he were looking at a highly respected, deeply understood peer.

  "Despite his incredibly young age, despite the massive, overwhelming terror he must have felt, Konrad absolutely refused to break under the crushing pressure," Erwin explained proudly. "He personally rode out to the freezing, highly dangerous front lines. He completely took command of the highly chaotic royal army, and through sheer, terrifying tactical brilliance, he completely, utterly crushed the massive Kazimirian invasion."

  Aoi stared at Erwin, completely amazed by the incredible, highly triumphant conclusion to the terrifying story.

  "A twenty-two-year-old boy successfully led a massive kingdom to an absolute, undeniable military victory," Erwin stated softly, his dark eyes shining with a highly intense, deeply resonant light. "After completely slaughtering their front lines, Konrad issued a highly terrifying, absolute ultimatum to the Kazimirian generals, explicitly warning them to never, ever step foot near the borders of Hohenreich again."

  Erwin looked down at Aoi, a deeply intimate, highly meaningful expression completely softening his sharp features.

  "He then spent the rest of his incredibly long, highly successful reign completely focusing on strengthening the national defense and ensuring the absolute, unshakeable economic stability of his people," Erwin concluded smoothly.

  Aoi looked back at the oil painting of the young, highly intense king. But as she stared at the brilliant, highly calculating dark eyes and the broad, heavily armored shoulders of the twenty-two-year-old monarch who had successfully carried the massive, terrifying weight of an entire world, she didn't just see a dusty historical figure.

  She saw a highly powerful, deeply undeniable, and completely breathtaking parallel standing right beside her in the quiet museum gallery.

  Erwin was also incredibly young. He was also being violently forced to carry a massive, terrifying, and highly dangerous burden that he did not ask for. He was actively fighting massive corporate wars, destroying corrupt billionaires, and protecting innocent people with a terrifying, absolute brilliance that completely defied his twenty-one years of age.

  Aoi completely understood the deep, highly unspoken connection Erwin felt with the ancient king. She silently reached out, gently wrapping her small, incredibly warm hand securely around his long, elegant fingers.

  She didn't say a single word. She simply squeezed his hand tightly, offering him her absolute, unbreakable, and highly fierce loyalty. She wanted him to completely, undeniably know that unlike the tragic, lonely young king in the ancient painting, Erwin von Stahlberg would absolutely never have to fight his dark, terrifying wars alone.

  The smooth, powerful luxury SUV finally rolled to a completely gentle, highly elegant halt in front of a breathtaking, incredibly majestic building located directly in the historic, cobblestone heart of Altkanz.

  The Grand Hotel Altkanz was an absolute, undeniable architectural masterpiece of the ancient era, flawlessly updated to meet the absolute highest, most elite modern standards of premium luxury. The exterior of the massive, sprawling building was constructed from highly polished, pale mountain stone, completely adorned with intricate, deeply carved wooden balconies and glowing, warm amber lanterns that cast a beautiful, highly romantic light onto the cobblestone street.

  Erwin gracefully shifted the heavy vehicle into park, smoothly handing the digital keys over to a highly polite, immaculately dressed valet attendant who immediately approached the driver's side door.

  "Welcome to the Grand Hotel Altkanz, sir," the valet greeted them warmly, offering a deep, highly respectful bow. "We will completely take care of your luggage and securely park your vehicle in our private, heated underground garage."

  "Thank you very much," Erwin replied smoothly, his deep voice carrying a highly refined, perfectly polite aristocratic tone as he stepped out into the cool, highly refreshing spring night air.

  He immediately walked around the front of the vehicle, gently opening the passenger door for Aoi and offering her his large, warm hand to assist her out of the luxurious cabin.

  As they walked through the massive, highly ornate revolving glass doors and stepped directly into the grand, beautifully illuminated main lobby, an overwhelming, deeply comforting sense of profound physical exhaustion finally began to settle heavily into their bones.

  They had traveled for incredibly long, highly exhausting hours on the luxury express train the previous night. They had hiked up steep, freezing mountain stairs, completely explored ancient, sprawling silver fortresses, and absorbed a massive, highly emotional amount of dense national history all in a single, incredibly long day.

  The lobby was entirely bathed in the warm, deeply soothing glow of massive crystal chandeliers. The air smelled beautifully of fresh mountain pine and expensive, highly polished mahogany wood. Erwin seamlessly, flawlessly handled the highly exclusive check-in process at the front reception desk, retrieving their heavy brass room key with terrifying, effortless efficiency while Aoi stood quietly beside him, her dark eyes heavily drooping with sheer, unadulterated sleepiness.

  They silently rode the highly polished, antique brass elevator up to the absolute highest, most exclusive premium floor of the grand hotel. Erwin smoothly unlocked the heavy, intricately carved oak door, gently pushing it open to reveal their sprawling, incredibly luxurious private suite.

  The room was absolutely magnificent. It featured a massive, incredibly plush king-sized bed completely covered in thick, pristine white down comforters and highly expensive, high-thread-count silk sheets. A beautiful, highly ornate stone fireplace rested quietly in the corner, and massive, floor-to-ceiling glass doors led out to a private, romantic balcony overlooking the glittering, historic city below.

  "This room is absolutely, incredibly beautiful, Erwin," Aoi murmured softly, stepping out of her heavy winter coat and leaving her thick boots near the entrance. Her musical voice was thick and highly sluggish with overwhelming, deep physical fatigue.

  "It is only the absolute best for you, my love," Erwin replied smoothly, a deep, highly affectionate, and incredibly handsome smile completely warming his sharp features.

  He effortlessly carried their heavy canvas travel bags into the spacious, brightly lit walk-in closet, completely taking care of all the heavy lifting so she could finally rest.

  Aoi wasted absolutely no time. She quickly retreated into the massive, highly luxurious marble bathroom, taking a long, incredibly hot, and deeply soothing shower to completely wash away the cold mountain dirt and the heavy, lingering exhaustion of the long day.

  When she finally emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a highly comfortable, incredibly soft set of light cotton pajamas, she looked completely, utterly exhausted. Her dark, silky hair was slightly damp, and her beautiful eyes were barely managing to stay open.

  Erwin was standing near the massive glass balcony doors, wearing a pair of highly comfortable, dark grey lounge trousers and a simple, incredibly soft white cotton undershirt that perfectly highlighted his broad, highly muscular shoulders. He immediately walked over to her, gently pulling back the thick, heavy duvet cover of the massive bed.

  "Come here, Aoi. You are practically falling asleep completely on your feet," Erwin murmured softly, his deep voice completely saturated with highly protective, deeply nurturing affection.

  Aoi didn't argue for a single, microscopic second. She immediately crawled into the incredibly soft, deeply warm mattress, letting out a long, highly dramatic sigh of pure, absolute physical bliss as her tired head hit the plush, expensive pillows.

  Erwin gently pulled the thick, heavy blankets completely up to her delicate shoulders, completely tucking her in to ensure she was perfectly, incredibly warm against the cool mountain night. He leaned down, pressing a deep, highly lingering, and incredibly soft kiss directly against her warm forehead.

  "Sleep well, my beautiful peace," Erwin whispered softly, his dark eyes shining with absolute, undeniable devotion.

  "Goodnight, Erwin," Aoi mumbled incoherently, her dark eyes completely sliding shut. Within a mere matter of seconds, she was entirely, profoundly asleep, completely lost in a deep, highly restorative, and incredibly peaceful slumber, entirely safe in the absolute knowledge that he was there to completely protect her.

  The hours ticked by in a highly quiet, deeply peaceful, and entirely unbroken silence. The massive, luxurious hotel suite remained completely, entirely still, save for the soft, highly rhythmic sound of Aoi's deep, peaceful breathing completely filling the dark room.

  Suddenly, the heavy, highly ornate grandfather clock standing quietly in the hotel hallway outside their door chimed softly. It was exactly twelve o'clock at midnight.

  Aoi slowly, highly groggily began to stir from her deep, dreamless sleep. She shifted her small body under the thick, warm covers, instinctively reaching out her hand to completely seek the highly comforting, solid physical warmth of her boyfriend sleeping beside her.

  However, her hand only met the cool, entirely empty expanse of the soft silk sheets.

  Aoi slowly blinked her dark eyes open, highly confused and completely disoriented by the dark room. She rubbed her eyes, slowly pushing herself up into a sitting position against the plush headboard. She looked around the massive, heavily shadowed suite, desperately trying to locate him.

  Her dark eyes eventually completely locked onto a highly faint, incredibly warm sliver of golden light completely spilling out from the small, highly secluded private study area located near the far corner of the massive hotel suite.

  Aoi quietly pushed the heavy, warm blankets aside, her bare feet gently touching the soft, highly plush carpet. She walked slowly, completely silently across the dark room, entirely approaching the partially open wooden doors of the private study area.

  What she saw completely, utterly broke her deeply empathetic heart.

  Erwin was sitting rigidly upright behind a massive, highly polished antique wooden writing desk. The only light in the entire room came from a small, highly ornate brass desk lamp and the harsh, bright, and incredibly sterile glow of his sleek silver laptop screen completely illuminating his highly exhausted, deeply tense face.

  He was still awake. He had not slept for a single, microscopic second.

  His dark, highly calculating eyes were moving rapidly, furiously scanning through highly complex, incredibly dense pages of digital legal documents. His broad, muscular shoulders were completely, entirely tense, hunched tightly over the keyboard as his long, elegant fingers typed with a highly aggressive, incredibly terrifying, and completely relentless speed.

  He was currently, actively drafting massive, highly aggressive, and incredibly complex federal subpoenas for Dr. Alaric Hohenberg's elite legal firm.

  Erwin felt a massive, completely suffocating, and incredibly terrifying weight of absolute responsibility completely crushing his chest. He had just been officially, formally promoted to the highly prestigious, incredibly demanding position of Dr. Alaric's primary senior legal assistant. It was an absolute, undeniable honor, but it also completely required an inhuman, terrifying level of flawless dedication.

  He desperately, fiercely wanted to completely finish drafting all of the highly sensitive, deeply complex federal paperwork against the corrupt GreenForm executives tonight. He was completely, utterly determined to completely sacrifice his own physical health and his own sleep so that when the sun finally rose tomorrow morning, he could completely, entirely shut down his brilliant, terrifying legal mind and devote one hundred percent of his absolute attention to making Aoi completely happy.

  He absolutely refused to let his dark, highly dangerous corporate wars completely ruin her peaceful spring holiday. He would simply carry the massive, agonizing burden entirely in the dark, completely alone, while she slept peacefully.

  Aoi stood silently in the dark doorway, entirely watching him completely destroy himself with heavy, agonizing overwork.

  She looked at the deep, dark, and highly visible circles of sheer physical exhaustion completely resting beneath his beautiful eyes. She saw the tight, highly stressed clench of his sharp jawline. He looked exactly, undeniably like that highly tragic, incredibly burdened young king they had completely analyzed in the historic museum painting earlier that afternoon. A young man completely, entirely crushed by a terrifying world he did not ask to rule.

  Aoi completely, suddenly remembered the highly profound, deeply beautiful, and incredibly maternal advice that old Martha Linden had gently given her in the narrow, swaying hallway of the train.

  She took a deep, highly calming breath. She slowly, entirely silently walked into the dimly lit study, completely approaching the massive wooden desk from behind his chair.

  Erwin was so incredibly, completely absorbed in his highly aggressive, deeply complex federal legal drafts that he absolutely did not hear her highly delicate, completely silent footsteps approaching him on the plush carpet.

  Aoi gently, incredibly softly reached out her small, warm hands. She placed them directly, highly securely over the top of his broad, incredibly tense, and highly stressed shoulders.

  Erwin violently, completely flinched at the sudden, highly unexpected physical contact. His highly trained, deeply paranoid reflexes instantly flared up, completely ready to aggressively defend himself against a hidden corporate attacker. He quickly spun his head around, his dark eyes completely wide and highly defensive.

  But the absolute, undeniable second his dark eyes completely locked onto Aoi's soft, highly sleepy, and incredibly beautiful face illuminated by the warm desk lamp, all of the terrifying, highly aggressive tension completely, utterly vanished from his muscular body.

  "Aoi," Erwin breathed softly, his deep voice carrying a highly surprised, deeply apologetic tone. "What are you doing awake? It is completely past midnight. You should be in bed resting."

  Aoi did not move her hands from his broad shoulders. She gently, highly soothingly began to massage the incredibly tight, highly stressed muscles located at the absolute base of his neck, her small thumbs working highly effectively to completely melt away his terrifying physical tension.

  "I could ask you the exact, undeniably same question, Mr. Advocate," Aoi replied softly, her musical voice completely filled with a highly gentle, deeply loving, and incredibly persuasive warmth. "Why exactly are you sitting here completely alone in the dark, aggressively fighting a massive corporate legal war when we are supposed to be completely enjoying a peaceful holiday together?"

  Erwin let out a long, heavy, and highly exhausted sigh. He leaned his head back slightly, entirely surrendering to the highly comforting, deeply amazing sensation of her small hands massaging his aching shoulders.

  "I have to completely finish drafting these highly specific, incredibly complex federal subpoenas for Dr. Alaric before the municipal courts officially open on Monday morning," Erwin explained softly, his deep voice thick with sheer, undeniable physical exhaustion. "I am officially the senior assistant now, Aoi. I carry a massive, terrifying amount of absolute responsibility. I absolutely cannot fail the vanguard."

  He completely turned his chair around to directly face her, looking up at her with highly tired, deeply apologetic dark eyes.

  "I just wanted to completely finish all of this horrible, highly toxic corporate paperwork tonight while you were sleeping," Erwin confessed honestly, his voice dropping into a highly intimate, deeply vulnerable whisper. "I wanted the rest of the week to be completely, entirely about you. I do not want my dark, terrifying world to cast a single, microscopic shadow over your happiness."

  Aoi felt a massive, completely overwhelming surge of pure, unadulterated, and highly protective love completely wash over her entire soul. He was literally sacrificing his own physical health and his own sanity completely out of pure, absolute devotion to her happiness.

  She slowly stepped completely forward, moving perfectly into the small space between his spread knees. She gently reached out with her small, highly warm hands, completely framing his handsome, highly exhausted face.

  She gently, incredibly tenderly stroked his sharp cheekbones with her soft thumbs, completely forcing him to look directly, deeply into her dark, highly empathetic eyes.

  "Erwin, please listen to me very carefully," Aoi murmured softly, her voice completely saturated with absolute, undeniable, and highly persuasive love. "I absolutely love and entirely admire your brilliant, terrifying legal mind. I am so incredibly, unbelievably proud of the massive, highly honorable responsibilities you carry for Dr. Alaric and the vanguard."

  She leaned down slightly, bringing her face incredibly, deeply close to his.

  "But you absolutely cannot pour completely from an empty, highly exhausted cup, my love," Aoi reasoned gently, her psychological empathy completely dismantling his highly rigid, deeply stubborn legal defenses. "If you completely destroy your own physical health and your own mind by completely refusing to sleep, you are not protecting me at all. You are just completely breaking my heart by watching you suffer in the dark."

  Erwin stared up at her, completely, entirely struck by the absolute, undeniable, and highly profound truth in her soft, beautiful words. He realized that his highly arrogant, deeply stubborn desire to carry the entire, massive world completely on his own shoulders was actually causing the exact person he loved the most to deeply worry about him.

  "The massive, multi-billion derhom energy conglomerates and the highly corrupt corporate executives will still be there waiting to be completely destroyed by your brilliant mind tomorrow," Aoi promised him softly, offering him a highly gentle, incredibly sweet, and deeply irresistible smile. "But right now, in this exact, highly beautiful moment, the only absolute, undeniable responsibility you have is to close that laptop, come back to bed, and completely hold me until morning."

  She gently leaned forward, pressing a deep, incredibly soft, and highly lingering kiss directly against his warm lips. It was a completely gentle, highly persuasive kiss that entirely melted the absolute last, highly stubborn remnants of his cold, calculating courtroom persona.

  When she finally, slowly pulled back, Erwin let out a deep, highly defeated, and completely peaceful chuckle. He completely, utterly surrendered to her gentle, undeniable authority.

  "You are absolutely, incredibly terrifying when you use your brilliant psychological logic against me," Erwin admitted softly, a deeply genuine, highly affectionate, and completely relaxed smile entirely taking over his handsome face.

  "I learned how to perfectly win highly impossible arguments directly from the absolute best advocate in the entire country," Aoi teased gently, a highly musical, deeply happy little giggle completely escaping her lips.

  Erwin slowly reached out, smoothly pressing the power button on his sleek silver laptop. The harsh, bright, and incredibly sterile glow of the digital screen completely, instantly vanished, entirely plunging the small private study back into the warm, highly comforting, and deeply peaceful shadows of the desk lamp.

  He completely closed the heavy silver lid with a soft, highly definitive, and deeply satisfying click. He was officially, entirely done working for the night.

  Erwin smoothly stood up from the heavy wooden chair, completely ignoring his aching muscles. He effortlessly, highly gently wrapped his strong, highly protective arms entirely around Aoi's waist, pulling her incredibly tight against his warm, broad chest.

  "Lead the way back to the bed, my beautiful peace," Erwin murmured softly, completely burying his face deep into the warm, highly comforting curve of her neck. "I am completely, absolutely entirely yours for the rest of the night."

  Aoi smiled brightly, highly satisfied that she had successfully, completely pulled her brilliant, highly burdened king back from the dark, terrifying edge of exhaustion. She gently took his large, warm hand securely into her own, entirely leading him out of the dim, highly stressful study and directly back into the massive, completely dark, and highly luxurious bedroom.

  They climbed completely back into the massive, highly plush king-sized bed together. Erwin immediately, highly naturally wrapped his strong arms completely around her, pulling her back flush against his incredibly warm, highly solid chest. He completely buried his face in her dark, silky hair, entirely breathing in the deep, highly comforting scent of her sweet vanilla perfume.

  As they lay there entirely tangled together in the complete, absolute darkness of the luxurious hotel suite, completely surrounded by the quiet, highly peaceful night of the ancient mountain city, Erwin finally closed his highly exhausted eyes.

  For the absolute, undeniable first time in what felt like an entire lifetime, the dark, terrifying, and highly toxic shadow of the corporate world did not follow him into his dreams. He completely, entirely surrendered to the profound, highly beautiful, and incredibly restorative peace that only she could perfectly provide. They both drifted completely, beautifully off to sleep, absolutely safe, entirely protected, and completely, overwhelmingly loved in each other's warm arms.