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The sound of chatter filled the room and made the music fade into the background. Naturally, the noise was inevitable since, if not all, most of the Magic Knights gathered in the palace for this evening. A banquet was held tonight as a celebration of winning the war. While it’s been almost a month since Lucius got defeated, it was agreed upon that it’d be best to delay the formal event. The people of the Kingdom needed to concentrate on more important things post-war, besides the much-needed recovery from injuries. It was also best to leave time to mourn those who lost their lives in the battle.
Charlotte arrived an hour ago. She preferred to be punctual, but her duties today went on longer than she estimated, and she ended up here later than she planned. Sol offered to help her, but the Blue Rose’s Captain declined it, saying she didn’t want her to be late too. Later, she regretted the decision when she’d tried to fit into her dress alone, and it took her more time to dress up than she liked to admit. When Charlotte entered the room, fashionably late, she only needed a few seconds to look around and see that the guests were already… pretty comfortable and loosened up, no doubt thanks to the wide variety of drinks that got served. Everyone seemed to find their company or formed groups, so she chose to join a few of her squad members who also didn’t have a partner.
The war had one positive aspect: it brought people together. After the final battle, several budding relationships started. Even Charlotte noticed the sudden rise of couples, she usually didn’t bother with gossip, but it reached her regardless. At the end of the day, she wished them the best, everyone deserves some happiness after the hard times.
Speaking of romance, Charlotte specifically made an effort this evening to not look around too obviously and search for a certain man. The only problem was that it wasn’t hard to spot him because he was tall and well-built with muscles. She also noticed that tonight he attempted to look… different from usual. The open jacket he wore showed that his shirt wasn’t buttoned up all the way up, showing the top of his chest. She could also tell from the distance that his trousers looked better too. However, at least half the time, he kept one hand in his pocket. It was more like a semi-formal look, but it fitted him. He looked good, and her eyes were drawn to him even when she tried to concentrate on something else.
Tonight, she wanted to talk to him, she just wasn’t sure how to approach him. And if she guessed right, maybe Yami wanted to talk to her too. Otherwise, why would he invite her out to have tea together? Charlotte didn’t forget their short exchange while they were waiting on the roof on Judgement Day. However, since then, it hasn’t been brought up again. Since then, they haven’t even talked much. After all, they’d fought a war, there were more important matters to do and discuss than a potential date. Even if she wanted to bring it up.
Truthfully, she still felt frustrated with herself because she avoided him after the Spade Raid. Charlotte knew she should’ve spoken with him sooner, instead of acting cowardly and staying away from him. It was even more embarrassing since her confession had an audience and everyone already knew the truth anyway. Well, everyone but him.
The only time she tried to speak with Yami was not long after the battle, and it just went as well as her usual attempts, with no progression made. Well, at least not with him.
Thinking back on it, she knew that her timing wasn’t ideal, and that was part of the reason the opportunity went down the drain…
—
Charlotte placed the get-well basket, which she quickly fetched up on her way, on the windowsill and looked out at the destroyed city, which had just started to form back into its old shape. The battle had ended five days ago, and it wasn’t kind to the Capital. Fortunately, they had enough time to evacuate the civilians and make preparations, but destruction was inevitable. Quite a few districts were in ruin, but on the other hand, many buildings were lucky enough to remain unscratched.
After a few days of hospital rest, Charlotte finally returned to her duties. If it were up to her, she’d be back sooner, but she got ordered to bed rest even though her injuries weren’t anything to worry about. Plenty of others got out worse or not alive at all, which was another thing to deal with… Thoughts like this were the reason she preferred to keep herself busy.
Today Charlotte had a free hour—fifty-three minutes to be precise—and the girls strongly encouraged her to visit the Black Bull’s Captain. When she tried to reject the offer, using excuses such as the growing workload on her desk, she basically got locked out of the base. Logically, Charlotte knew she could’ve given an order to let her back in, but deep down, she was aware she needed that push. Yami was still ordered to bed rest, his injuries were worse than she had hoped for, though, given his stubborn nature, she was sure he’d recover soon. She just needed to make sure of it by seeing him in person.
This is how she found herself standing on the opposite side of the corridor, where she should be right now, instead of staring out the window like a lunatic. Nevertheless, having a little alone time was nice when she didn’t need to concentrate on anything and could turn her brain off for a bit.
However, when a construction worker from the nearby rooftop waved at her and proceeded to wink with a cocky grin on his face, Charlotte decided it was finally time to move on and proceed with what she came here for. She grasped onto her newfound determination to move away before the said worker could start the catcalling. It occurred to her that the push was kind of pathetic, but oh well, whatever worked the best.
The door was open, and if the silence was any indicator, he didn’t have any visitors currently. Or maybe he had, but Charlotte knew the people who visited him, and they weren’t known for being quiet. At least the majority of them.
Her steps got lighter as she got closer, and she stopped just before the threshold to peer into the small room. Her eyes drew towards the center of the room where he was lying on the bed, deep in his sleep, if the snoring was any indicator. Next to him was an empty chair. And looking further, she noticed the windowsill was filled with various gifts and trinkets, which told her he hadn’t lacked company in the past few days.
She didn’t get one detail right though, because he had a visitor already. A black-haired girl stood in one corner of the room. Charlotte remembered seeing her before, she caught glimpses of her on the battlefield. She came from the same country as him, too. Also, she was Yami’s sister.
At least that was what Charlotte had heard. She hadn’t had the opportunity to talk with her yet, but now that she was up close, she could definitely see the resemblance.
Suddenly, she wondered if she’d come at the right time since he wasn’t even conscious. But before she could even think about retreating, the girl had already addressed her.
“Did you come to pay a visit?” Charlotte couldn’t pick up any emotion in her voice.
“I…” There was no turning back now. “Yes.” Charlotte stepped into the room and set her basket down on the nightstand.
Charlotte looked at Yami, who was still asleep and didn’t seem to detect her presence. And as she continued to glance around the room, she noticed that the other woman kept her eyes on her. Charlotte couldn’t blame her, she was probably just looking out for her brother, and she and Charlotte hadn’t even met yet. The atmosphere was stiff, which made Charlotte want to ease the situation a little, and it wouldn’t hurt to get friendly with Yami’s sister. Charlotte just needed to let her know this because she was eyeing her as if she were planning to murder Yami.
“You’re Yami’s sister, right?”
“Yes.”
Silence fell into the room.
“I’m Charlotte Roselei.” She bit her lower lip. “Just in case, he asks about the basket.” Charlotte already knew he wouldn’t bother.
She nodded. Charlotte said nothing, waiting for the other woman to introduce herself.
“Yami Ichika.” Hearing the name, Charlotte knotted her eyebrows together. Ichika probably noticed too since she added, “Or Ichika Yami here, I believe.”
Charlotte found the cultural difference interesting, even small things like switching up the name orders could lead to a misunderstanding… She suspected Yami had a hard time when he got here, and this was only a small thing he had to adapt to…
“Why didn’t you come inside earlier?” Ichika asked when she didn’t say anything.
“What?”
“You lingered outside for a while. Why?” Her tone was wary, Ichika was suspicious of her.
“Ah, I just wanted to spend some time alone,” Charlotte said the half-truth. “You see, I’m quite busy these days and just wanted to have a moment for myself.”
At this, her posture relaxed slightly, but Charlotte knew very well Ichika didn’t put her guard down. Ichika likely wasn’t sure yet if she could trust her.
Charlotte glanced at Yami, who still showed no sign of waking up.
“He’s gotten sleep-inducing tea.” Charlotte drew her eyebrows together in concern. Could it be because his health didn’t improve? “Nothing to worry about, he just had a lot of visitors,” she added. Charlotte blushed, her worry must have been shown on her face.
Charlotte nodded, suddenly not knowing what else to do. Of course, her timing wasn’t right, like usual. But at least he seemed to be in better shape. “How is he doing?”
“He’s recovering.”
Charlotte had to come to the conclusion that the woman before her wasn’t exactly talkative.
Even though it seemed impossible, Ichika examined her even more closely. “Are you his mistress?” She narrowed her eyes.
Charlotte almost choked on nothing. “W-what?!” was all she managed to stammer out.
“Well?”
“No. Just a friend.” She was no doubt already red like a tomato. “Why did you think that?” She didn’t do or say anything improper, right?
Ichika studied her for a few seconds. “Just a guess.”
“Did you ask this from anyone else who visited him?” Charlotte didn’t know what possessed her to ask.
“No. I just sensed a different feeling from you.” Charlotte wasn’t sure what to do with the answer. Even Ichika must have felt bad for her because she added with a gentler tone, “It’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
Charlotte glanced at the bed where Yami was lying, just to confirm he was still asleep.
“I have to admit that I wasn’t entirely honest. I mean, we aren’t together, but I wouldn’t mind if there were something more between us…” Her voice got quieter as she went on, but Charlotte was sure Ichika understood it perfectly. She had to close her eyes in embarrassment for a moment. After the Spade Raid, when she made her confession, she had a bigger audience, and it reached everyone except him, but at that time she was high on adrenaline. Now it felt more intimate, especially because she was telling this to Yami’s sister.
When Charlotte finally looked up, she saw Ichika looking at her curiously. “Does he know it too?”
“I don’t think so…”
“As expected,” she muttered rather to herself. “You should tell him.”
Charlotte nodded, she knew Ichika was right. “I’ve been trying to, but... I wasn’t exactly successful.”
Ichika nodded. “I understand, he could be dense.”
While Charlotte knew a little too well that the statement was true, she understood he wasn’t the only one to blame. “It’s not entirely on him. I didn’t really act like it either.”
The corner of Ichika’s mouth quirked up. “It’s not that hard to figure it out.”
Now Charlotte had to wonder just how many people had guessed her feelings prior to her confession. Regardless, it was nice to have Ichika’s support.
Charlotte glanced out the window and caught the sight of the construction workers, whom she had seen earlier on the roof. It was a reminder for her that her free time was nearing its end, and she had to return to her duties soon.
“I have to go now, I still have work left to do.”
Ichika nodded. “I won’t waste your time any longer.”
“It was nice to meet you.”
A hint of a smile appeared on her lips, only to vanish quickly. “Likewise.”
Charlotte turned her back to her and was almost out of the room when Ichika’s voice reached her. “You should really tell him.”
It made Charlotte stop, but she didn’t turn back. “I will,” she said firmly. Charlotte decided she’d tell him the next time she had the opportunity to speak with him properly.
—
Well, it was easy to settle the idea but reality was different. Since then, she has only seen Yami at Captain’s meetings or when he was busy running errands. In short, he didn’t have the time, nor did she. However, right now they were both free, but she was still hesitating.
It wouldn’t be hard to go up to him, he spoke at least a few words with the people who came in his direction during the evening. She knew because she often found herself glancing at him. But the many people around gave her a good excuse not to do anything yet.
Charlotte turned away from the crowd and looked at the landscape before her. It was already dark, the sun had just set an hour ago. A cool breeze caught in her hair and brushed her shoulders. The noise coming from inside faded as she witnessed the returning nightlife in the Capital.
Earlier, she excused herself for a bit; she said she needed some fresh air and left her girls behind, but she just needed a minute to herself. She needed to think.
Charlotte kept her gaze on the city lights as she raised her glass to her lips to take a sip. However, she was forced to stop midway when a hand stopped on her shoulder. At the same time, a spark ran through her whole body. Another large hand appeared as its owner lowered the glass, not touching her fingers.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” said the voice behind her.
Charlotte furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to ask why, but then she caught a glimpse of her drink. The color didn’t match what she drank earlier.
“Oh, right.” She looked down, confirming her mistake. “I probably shouldn’t.” She put the glass on the railing and looked at the man, although she already knew his identity even before he’d said a word.
Yami scratched the back of his neck. “I wasn’t sure if I should say anything, but I know you don’t handle alcohol well, so…”
“No, it’s fine.” Charlotte must have been a little too distracted to notice that she had taken the wrong glass. She was aware that after the Starfall festival, the word got around that she was a ’lightweight’ to put it nicely. The more embarrassing part was that she missed the announcement because she was knocked out. She’d rather not repeat the incident. “Thanks,” she added.
They settled in silence. Charlotte wasn’t sure what to say. After all, it was better to stay silent than to hide behind insults, so instead she chose to observe the guests inside.
“Lost in your thoughts?”
She looked at him and noticed that his eyes were locked on her.
Charlotte nodded. “I had a lot on my mind recently,” she added because she didn’t want him to think his presence was unwanted.
Even on the poorly lit balcony, she noticed how his face turned grim, but the expression disappeared a moment later. “I can understand that.”
Her heart felt heavy, she knew he lost more people who were closer to him in the past in one way or another. At least he could reconnect with her sister but Charlotte didn’t know for how long will Ichika stay here. This was another reason she wanted to give him some time before she’d dump her feelings on him.
Among the guests, she noticed her with a few Black Bull members. Charlotte hadn’t talked with her since that one time in the infirmary, but she liked to think they had departed on friendly terms. Maybe she should’ve gone up to her tonight to at least say hi.
“She looks like she’s having fun,” noted Yami, who was watching Ichika too.
Truthfully, Charlotte didn’t know the other woman well enough to tell, but she didn’t seem uncomfortable, and although she didn’t talk much, she was engaged with them. Ichika might have indeed been having fun, based on the short time she spent with her.
“It appears so,” Charlotte agreed with a small smile.
“I heard you ran into her when I was still recovering.”
Charlotte nodded. “I made a quick visit but you were asleep, and I didn’t want to intrude further.”
“I feel honored that you find some time in your busy schedule for me.” The words and tone sounded playful, just like his usual teasing, but there was more underneath it this time.
Charlotte shifted a little uncomfortably. “You don’t have to say it like that.”
“After more than a year of avoiding me?”
Charlotte’s face started to heat up. What should she say to this?
“I had… things going on.” She said, not looking at him.
A few seconds had passed in silence. “I see.” She couldn’t tell if he was upset or not. “And you still have?”
She hesitated for a bit before she answered. “I’m trying to sort it out, but it’s more difficult than I expected.”
“I wonder what sort of stuff takes this long to sort out.” She dared to look at him, he was watching her. “Or how long it has been going on.” A pointed stare. He knew . “Do you need any help with it?” he asked, seemingly nonchalantly.
Charlotte felt a prickling feeling on the back of her neck, and her heart suddenly started to beat way faster. She looked away. “I…” She lost her words too many times tonight.
Yami sighed. “If you need to say something, I’ll listen.” His normally rough voice now sounded calm and patient.
He was willing to hear her out. Charlotte closed her eyes and let out a breath. She can do this. When she opened her eyes again, she was determined to keep them on him.
“I should’ve told you this a long time ago…” she started, and her eyes immediately started to stray to his shoulder. “I don’t hate you. I know I acted like it, but that was me not knowing how to handle the situation properly.” She felt silly and more awkward now that she said this out loud. “So, I just wanted to tell you that I don’t hate you. It’s quite the opposite, actually. I like you.” She tried to look at his face, but she was still mostly looking over his shoulder. “I like you, Yami.”
Charlotte saw him opening his mouth but she quickly cut in. “And not just like a comrade or friend, I meant it as a potential romantic partner,” she added because she remembered who she was dealing with and how dense he could be. “I love you.” There, she finally said it. Even if she gets rejected, at least this weight drops off her shoulders.
Yami, without saying anything, fished out a box of cigarettes from his pockets and was halfway through taking out one when he seemingly changed his mind and put everything back.
“And for all these years, I thought you couldn’t stand my guts.” He put his hands in his pockets. “You have an interesting way to show your love, y’know?”
Charlotte looked down at the hem of her dress. She knew she should’ve done things differently from the very beginning. Even when it was obvious he had stopped the curse, she still spent a great deal of time denying the obvious; she’d fallen for him. The next thing she noticed was that the years had passed, and she was still unable to express her feelings to him.
She heard him let out a sigh. “You said ’a long time ago’, then why didn’t you say anything?”
“I was afraid,” she admitted, “and embarrassed. I’ve never confessed to anyone before.”
“Did you think I’d reject you?”
“That was part of it, too.” Charlotte started panicking. Will he reject her? She knew it wouldn’t be undeserved, but if that’s the case, she just hoped she’d be able to hold it together long enough until she’d get home.
Sensing her distress, he reached out and wrapped his fingers around her wrist. “Don’t run yet.” His grip loosened, and maybe she’d just imagined, but Yami’s eyes softened. “I didn’t say no, did I?”
Charlotte’s breath hitched. Hope fluttered inside her, but she needed to be sure. “But will you?”
He let out a nervous laugh. “I don’t know. How long should I make you wait before I answer?”
Charlotte felt foolish. Until now, it hadn’t even occurred to her that she wasn’t the only one who was nervous. She was too occupied with her own feelings and didn’t even consider how the confession might have affected him. The way he acted made it clear he was flustered too. Selfishly, it helped her to calm down.
She straightened her back and looked up at him. “I thought you’re more straightforward than that.”
“I am,” he struggled a bit before he continued, “but sometimes I don’t have quick answers either.”
“Still, I’d like to hear it.”
The hand on her wrist gave her a squeeze. “I think you already know the answer, but I’ll tell you anyway.” She took a sharp breath to brace herself for the answer. “I like you, too.”
Charlotte felt like the world had stopped. From the way her heart pounded in her chest, she still wasn’t sure if she heard him correctly. Above the pink clouds, in the corner of her mind, she noted that he used the word ’like’ but at this moment she was too far gone to care. How many years have passed since she wanted to hear those words in this context? Way too many, for sure.
“Well?”
“Well, what?” jolted out Charlotte.
“Won’t you say something? You’ve been just staring in the air for a while now,” he chuckled. While she lost her confidence, Yami seemed to have regained his.
“I was just…” She blushed. “Processing everything.”
“What’s there to process?” He leaned closer. “I like you. You also like me. Simple as that, no need to overthink it.”
Charlotte knew he was right. Unfortunately for both of them, she was an overthinker. However, at this moment, her thoughts were too focused on him. While they stood on the dimly lit balcony, she could make out almost every detail of his face. His eyes had a mysterious spark in them, which she was still unfamiliar with. And she could see it very well when his eyes wandered down to her lips. Suddenly, her mouth felt dry, but it didn’t stop her from accepting the invitation. Closing the space between them, she pressed her mouth against his.
Her heart pounded, she never imagined she’d be kissing him at the end of the day. A pleasant rush ran through her, it had been a while since she felt this excited. She parted her lips, and his tongue found its way into her mouth. She tasted wine. The sensation made her heady, and she placed a hand on his shoulder and wrapped the other one around the nape of his neck. Yami reacted quickly. With his hand on her waist, he pulled her closer to his body, and she melted into him.
Charlotte felt the world was turning, and that she was dizzy. Her knees almost gave up, but he held her tightly. She wanted the moment to last forever, but eventually, she had to pull back when she felt out of breath.
As they parted, both of them gasping for air, Charlotte tried to gather her thoughts, but it seemed like they all went out the window, or rather, the balcony. But this time, she didn’t mind it. After a few quick breaths, she found her courage and said the first thing that came to her mind. “So, can we have that date finally?”
Yami snorted. “Sure.”
“I hoped so,” Charlotte said rather only to herself, but a moment later she cursed herself for saying it out loudly.
He raised a brow. “Where was this confidence in the past years?”
Charlotte wished she’d known, too. She didn’t know what to answer but she couldn’t stop smiling. At this moment she felt like she could run around the whole Kingdom. Twice. Of course, she won’t, she had faith in herself not to repeat those past… activities which included running away from him.
Her gaze wandered back to the ballroom, where life was still going like nothing had happened. Nobody looked their way.
“Do you want to go back?” he asked.
“Not yet.” She liked the quieter atmosphere here and wanted to spend more time with him alone.
“Alright.” After a few moments, he spoke again. “Y’know, I wanted to ask about your famous confession I missed out on when we’d manage that tea date.”
Her head jerked up. “How do you know about that?”
“Finral finally enlightened me,” he said. “Although I’d have appreciated it more if he did it sooner. Or better, if I’d heard it from you.” He stared at her.
“I’ve tried–”
“Yeah, you tried to run away from me very successfully.”
“I won’t run away from now on.” She won’t. Not anymore. She wasted enough time.
“Good.” A long pause. “But I’d still like to hear about your confession. Also, I’m curious, what made you fall for me?” He asked the last bit in a lighter tone. “It was my charm, wasn’t it? No, no, wait, it was definitely my good looks,” he snickered.
Charlotte giggled, too. “I’ll tell you about it on that promised tea date.” Eventually, she’ll have to tell him how he’d stopped her curse on that fateful day without knowing anything about it.
“Alright, tomorrow then?”
“That soon?”
“Why, are you busy?” he tilted his head. “Or don’t tell me, did you change your mind?” A teasing smirk appeared.
“No.” In her mind, Charlotte ran through her schedule. She left the morning hours free since she estimated a great number of squad members with hangovers. And not only from her squad. They’ll have little to no use for at least a few hours.
“Tomorrow works for me.” She looked up at him. “But you have to wake up early, my afternoon is busy.”
“Okay, so what about a lunch then?” Yami offered the alternative quickly.
“Alright.” She could spend her lunch break with him.
“I’ll pick you up at your base. I know a good place.” He sounded confident. “You’ll love it.”
She bit back a smile. “I’ll take your word on it then.”