"Y-You want to answer this?" Layla asked, her voice wavering just slightly as her eyes flicked between the King and the others present. The question slipped out almost reflexively, as if she needed to hear the confirmation aloud to believe it. Given the situation, it was only natural for her to doubt her own assumption. She genuinely had no clear grasp of what this was all leading to, or why the weight of the mont suddenly felt so heavy on her shoulders.
"That’s right," the King replied calmly.
His gaze stayed fixed on his daughter, steady and unreadable, yet there was sothing deliberate behind it. He wasn’t looking at her like a king addressing a subject, nor even like a father lecturing his child. It felt more like he was placing sothing fragile yet important into her hands and waiting to see how she would hold it. There was no hint of guidance in his tone, no suggestion of what answer he expected. He truly wanted Layla to speak for herself.
At that mont, it beca clear—or at least it felt clear to —that the King was doing this intentionally. He wanted Layla to start becoming soone capable of ruling. This wasn’t just a test of her opinion; it was a test of her resolve, her judgnt, and her confidence. He was forcing her to think, to weigh consequences, and to decide without leaning on anyone else. Whatever answer she gave, it felt like he had already resolved himself to accept it. Not because it was convenient, but because he believed it was ti.
"You are soone who has already made decisions for the Titans on your own," the King said, his voice carrying a quiet authority. "And those decisions were made for the betternt of everyone."
He paused briefly, letting the words sink in before continuing.
"You were the one who decided to bring this person here. That choice was yours alone. And yet, you didn’t act selfishly. You thought like soone who wanted what was best for her people. You weighed the risks, you considered the consequences, and you still chose to act. That was your decision."
Layla stiffened slightly, clearly not expecting that much acknowledgnt.
"Because of that," he went on, "it is only right that you decide what you want from him. Whatever you think. Whatever you choose. I will accept it."
His words grew firr, more resolute.
"You were the one who made that decision. Even if it is sothing I do not agree with, I will still accept it. And the people of the Titan Kingdom will have no choice but to accept it as well."
That was when it truly hit .
This wasn’t just about a proposal. This wasn’t just about alliances or cooperation. The King was handing Layla the reins and telling her, without directly saying it, that her voice now carried weight equal to his own. The future of the Titan Kingdom—whether it would cooperate with this unification or stand apart from it—rested entirely on her shoulders.
"W-Why ?" Layla asked.
The uncertainty in her voice was unmistakable. She wasn’t acting. She wasn’t trying to be modest. She genuinely didn’t understand why this responsibility was being placed on her now, of all tis.
It was a natural reaction. Layla had never been soone who made decisions for the kingdom as a whole. Those kinds of choices were reserved for one person alone—the King. Unless you held the throne, you didn’t get to decide things that could alter the fate of an entire race. That authority had always belonged to him.
So being asked to decide now, so suddenly, must have felt overwhelming. Confusing. Almost unreal. It was obvious she didn’t yet understand what all of this was building toward.
"That’s because," the King said, his voice steady, "as of now, I am officially crowning you as the heir to the throne."
The words landed like a shockwave.
"And as the one who will rule next," he continued, "I believe it is only natural for you to begin practicing decisions that may have a significant impact on the kingdom."
"M-? Your heir?" Layla blurted out.
Her eyes widened, and she actually pointed at herself, as if she needed to physically confirm that she was the one being addressed. The reaction alone made it obvious just how stunned she was. She looked like soone who had just been told the world had shifted beneath her feet.
Honestly, I didn’t quite understand why this was so shocking at first. From my perspective, it seed logical. But then it clicked.
For generations—countless generations, from what I had co to learn—the Titans had been ruled by kings. n. Always n. Not a single woman had ever sat on the throne. That history alone made this mont unprecedented.
"What? You don’t want it?" the King asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. "You should already know that I don’t believe I can continue ruling for another generation."
His tone softened, but his words didn’t lose their weight.
"My way of thinking has beco too traditional. And the world is changing. It already has. In tis like these, soone with a clearer, more modern mindset would be better suited to take the reins. Don’t you agree?"
"B-But..." Layla hesitated.
She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say more, but the words refused to co out. Accepting sothing like this wasn’t easy. You couldn’t just nod and move on when the future of an entire kingdom was suddenly placed in your hands. Anyone would struggle with that.
"What is it?" the King asked again. "You don’t want it?"
He let out a quiet breath before continuing.
"Layla, I’m not getting any younger. Sooner or later, my body will no longer be capable of ruling. If I wait until that happens, it may already be too late. That is why I am preparing you now. I want you ready. I want the transition to be seamless, smooth, and easier for everyone involved."
"But is that really okay?" Layla asked quietly.
Her doubt wasn’t about herself alone. It was about the people. About tradition. About what might happen once word got out.
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