The Love She Craved
Runa couldn't completely lie to herself. There were still hints of her affection for Niels, even though she had given up on him. The main reason she went to such lengths to save Reichwein was because of him.
Another reason was the people of Reichwein itself. Growing up, Runa had never received the love that she had expected from people around her. Instead, she was widely loved by the people of Reichwein.
These people would assemble and offer prayers for her whenever she participated in a parade or travelled to a public location. Commoners would yell her name as if she were a saint, and children would give her flowers. She recalled that being surrounded by others made her feel comfortable.
What they had given her had been ingrained deeply in her heart, and Runa grew to genuinely care about them. Perhaps she was not devoid of love at all, she had just been begging for love from the wrong people. She felt foolish now.