Faust was a lot more clearheaded when he headed back to the castle. He knew he would have to talk to Flora about it. Now.

His heart clenched when he walked up the stairs. She would be in her room, and she would be so excited to meet him.

‘This only makes it worse…’ he sighed and forced himself to walk towards her chamber.

He came to a halt in front of her door and could hear his own heart pounding.

‘Be calm Faust… Be calm…’ he told himself and knocked on the door. After waiting for an agonizingly long minute, the door opened and Flora peeked through the slit.

When she saw Faust, her face lit up. She opened the door all the way and jumped at him, hugging him tightly.

“You’re safe.” She sighed.

Faust felt an ache in his heart when he saw her like this. He hesitantly hugged her back. Flora could tell something was not right.

“Did something happen?” she asked him with a confused voice, looking him up and down.

“Flora… we need to talk,” Faust said in a husky voice. Her face immediately dropped.

‘Oh no, that can only mean one thing!’ she thought to herself, and she had to ask.

“Faust, are you breaking up with me?” she said, disbelief written on her face.

He felt his chest contracting, a tingle running over his skin and shame. He opened his mouth… but closed it again.

‘I can’t. I’m here to tell her we broke up.’ He remained silent.

And at the very moment he did not reply to her question Flora felt her heartbeat go into overdrive. Her mind raced and was flooded with emotions.

“Flora… let's go inside first.” He sighed with a sad expression. Flora’s heart dropped even further when she saw his expression.

‘No! No! NO! It can’t be! We are so perfect together!’ Flora howled in her thoughts while she staggered back a few steps into her room. Faust followed her and she slumped down onto her bed, looking at him with big eyes.

“Faust… I don’t understand…” she stammered. Her beautiful face showed shock and disbelief.

“Flora… on my mission… I died. At least I thought I did,” Faust began to explain. “When I believed myself to be dead, I realized many things… Flora. Would we have ever loved each other if not for the raid?” he asked her with pain in his voice.

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‘Why does it hurt so much just to tell her?’ he sat down on a stool, facing her.

Flora thought about his words, but the more she thought the more unsure she became.

Her face showed surprise, then realization, and eventually sadness. A small tear rolled down her left cheek.

“I… I don’t know.” Another tear followed.

“Flora,” he continued in a sad, but kind voice. “Whenever we were together, was it because we loved one another or because we found solace in our embrace?”

Her thoughts spun wildly, mixing with her emotions.

‘No! Our love is genuine, we were perfect!’ she lied to herself because deep down she knew. Yet admitting this would cause a pain much greater than this.

“Faust… I love you…” she sobbed. Faust’s heart was jumping out of his chest.

“Flora. I’m sure it’s not too different for you, but everybody warned me, that we might end up like this when we got together…” Faust sighed and folded his hands before his face.

By now Flora couldn’t think straight, the adrenaline was pumping through her veins. Mirabella had warned her, but as Faust, she too had discarded the warnings. Yet now here they were.

‘My feelings… are genuine… they must be… I love him… no I need him!’ she thought as something in her thinking changed. Only now with the threat of the breakup looming over her did she realize how dependent they had been on one another.

“Faust… please don’t do this. Please give us another chance… I can’t-“ When she noticed Faust’s facial expression she realized that all attempts were futile. She knew he meanz well. That he cared for her. But that made it so much worse to not be with him.

She wanted to hug him, to kiss him, to be held…

“Flora. It is better for both of us to go our own ways. We need to overcome what happened, not avoid it.” He said, struggling not to shed a tear, facing her emotional outburst.

‘How did I expect her to react?’ he scolded himself but discarded the thought.

“You… have already moved on?” she asked with tears in her eyes. She looked hurt.

‘Was our relationship really that meaningless to him?’ she trembled just thinking about it.

Little did she know Faust’s emotions were in turmoil.

‘Flora… I can’t bear to see you this way… please, you must know this relationship could have never worked in the long run…’ he struggled with himself to maintain his composure.

He gulped and looked her straight in the eyes. Her anxious, crying face stared at him.

“Flora. It’s over. Please accept it and let us move on.” He pleaded in a husky voice. He didn’t know what else to say.

Flora did not reply, but buried her head in her hands and sobbed. She did not stop.

Faust stood up. He could not… while their relationship had not been a healthy one they had still been friends for their whole life.

“You know where to find me…” he mumbled as he slowly left the room, fleeing. From his own emotions.

He closed the door and left for his own room hurriedly.

Flora had broken down on the floor and cried uncontrollably. She railed against her fate and begged for him to come back into her room, take her into his arms, and hold her.

“Faust… I need you.” She whined, kneeling on the ground of her chamber.

Two rooms next to her Faust quickly closed the door behind him, locked it, and slumped down against it.

‘Why… why do I have to hurt someone to create a better future for both of us? Why…’ he started to cry.

‘I never meant to hurt her… I just can’t continue being with her… I know I have done the right thing… but right now… it pains me.’ He admitted and sat in his room, quietly sobbing.

After a while, he had calmed down. He still felt like shit. He leaned his head back and took a deep, shaky breath.

‘I need to distract myself. I’ll pick up Bronn’s offer to train.’