"I don't know what love is, father," Marianne responded. Asherton then sighed heavily and looked at Marianne with tears in his eyes. "I know you love him, and I know that you are just confused," Asherton responded. "Yes, I'm confused," Marianne responded. "I know you love him, Marianne! Stop being dumb!" Asherton shouted. Marianne blinked twice when Asherton said it, and she started to cry. "But..." Marianne whispered as her tears started to fall down. "You are my last hope, Marianne!" Asherton shouted.
"Marianne..." Ace sighed heavily as he called out to her. Ace was still riding on his horse, feeling the strong and cold wind as he approached the mountain where Marianne was. When Ace finally arrived at the base of the mountain, he jumped off his horse and looked up. "I know where you are," Ace whispered. He then tied his horse to a nearby tree and began to climb the mountain. Ace then tried his hardest to ascend the mountain, but the winds were so strong that they could carry away a goat. Ace eventually had to kneel down and hold onto a tree to prevent himself from being swept away.
When Ace found himself unable to combat the relentless wind, he tapped into his power to manipulate the elements. As his power was connected to the cold wind, he couldn't completely stop it, but he managed to ease its strength. With the wind now more manageable, he continued his ascent to the top of the mountain. In the midst of his journey to the summit, Ace unexpectedly encountered a formidable creature who served as the guardian of the mountain. This creature possessed six eyes, sharp teeth, and the ability to manipulate the temperature of the mountain. The creature was huge and looks like a Lion.
"Introduce thyself," said the creature. "I am King Alexander Hawthorne's first son, Prince Ace Hawthorne," Ace responded. "Why are you here?" the creature asked. "Forgive me for disturbing your peace, but I am here to find Princess Marianne," Ace explained. "No one has ever come here, I am sure of it. You are in the wrong place," the creature responded. "I know she is here," Ace asserted. "What makes you so sure about it?" the creature inquired. "Because I can see things from her perspective, and I can feel the same temperature as her. I know where she is," Ace explained.
"The world is indeed full of wonders," the creature responded. "However... people can be quite perplexing as well," the creature added. "I will grant you entry if you answer my question, but if you fail to do so, you must leave," the creature said. "I'm willing to take risks," Ace responded. "Surely, you are," the creature replied. "What is the meaning of life?" the creature asked. Ace blinked twice upon hearing the question, and he pondered for a moment.
"The meaning of life is being able to live a happy, peaceful, and content life," Ace responded. "Quite right," the creature acknowledged. "Now, what is death?" the creature asked again. "Death is the end of life," Ace replied. "What is love?" the creature inquired. "Love is... the ability to experience both the joys and pains of living and dying simultaneously," Ace explained. "Why is that?" the creature probed. "Because love has the power to bring immense happiness, but it can also cause deep heartache," Ace responded.
The creature then responded, "As I've said, people can be confusing, just like life, death, and love." The creature created a path for Ace to proceed, and Ace respectfully bowed before entering. As he approached the summit, Ace noticed Marianne in tears. He called out to her, "Marianne..." Marianne heard his voice and turned to look at him. Her eyes lit up at the sight of him, and for the first time, her heart skipped a beat as she met Ace's concerned gaze.
"Ace..." she whispered as she stood up. As Ace approached her, Marianne couldn't contain herself and tightly hugged him, crying uncontrollably. Ace blinked twice in surprise as Marianne embraced him, and he could hear his heartbeat racing in his ears. Ace hugged her back and asked, "W-what's wrong?" he inquired. "What is love, Ace?!" Marianne asked, her voice filled with desperation. Ace blinked twice in response to her question. He held Marianne close and whispered, "This is love, Marianne."
He gently placed Marianne's head on his chest, allowing her to hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "Can't you see? Can't you feel? I love you, Marianne," Ace said softly. Marianne's tears ceased as she nestled against his chest, listening to his heartbeat in the peaceful embrace. Marianne then smiled gently, "Y-you love me? Since... when?" she asked. "Since that day you kicked my balls," Ace said teasingly. Marianne chuckled softly, "You're kidding."
Ace chuckled, "It doesn't matter when I fell in love, because you've softened my cold personality and melted me like an ice cream." Marianne looked at Ace and smiled gently, asking, "Really...?" Ace nodded and then asked, "Do you feel the same?" Marianne smiled and replied, "Yeah, but I thought you didn't feel the same." Ace smiled back and said, "I thought the same about you." Marianne chuckled softly, blushing slightly as she laughed.
"Since our feelings are mutual now..." Ace said gently as he released Marianne from the hug. Marianne looked at him with confusion, her gaze fixed on Ace. Ace then knelt down and revealed a ring, saying, "Will you marry me? Not because of the scroll, but because you love me?" Ace asked, his voice filled with sincerity. Marianne, taken aback by Ace's proposal, was momentarily speechless. She glanced at Asherton, who simply smiled at her. Returning his smile, Marianne turned her gaze back to Ace. A smile formed on her lips as she whispered, "Yes, I do!"
Ace smiled gently and extended his hand, which Marianne willingly placed hers in. With care, Ace slid the ring onto Marianne's ring finger. As soon as the ring was in place, the gates suddenly swung open wide, and the scroll unfurled, breaking the curse that had plagued them.