"I am sure he won't be gone long, not if your making a face like that and leaking your thoughts with magic."
At Kazuya's remark, Lyn felt her cheeks flush. Oh no, did she let those thoughts slip out? How embarrassing. It's embarrassing being caught but, she wonders how Kazuya feels-
"I am relieved to see you two getting along. This way, I can finally be reassured."
Lyn tightened her grip on his hand and Kazuya yelped in pain again.
"Lyn, are you angry? Sorry, I won't say that again."
"It's true we are getting along well. But, you have to understand something Kazuya. Right now you are still my husband. Although we no longer have a couple relationship, you're still formally my partner."
"I understand, so when do we break it off?"
How is he able to ask these questions? It shouldn't be any easier for him. Behind that bright and cheerful smile that is like the sun, how much pain is hidden? She clenched her fists. Kazuya has always been very good at hiding what he is thinking.
However, right now she understood. Kazuya is in a lot of pain. When they reunited again, she understood that more than anybody. The love he has for her has only grown stronger.
"B efore we even discuss that. I need you to get better. I can't leave you like this."
"I see." Kazuya nodded. "Alright, but I will leave you alone with Rhys as much as I can."
"Aren't you upset?" Lyn wondered.
"It would be a lie to say I am not hurt. Because this hurts me, it hurts so badly. However Lyn, your happiness is more important for me. I no longer want to see you cry or have that expression on your face like there is nothing left for you in this world."
So it's not that Kazuya isn't hurt, it's simply because the pro's outweigh the negative. For Kazuya, what is most important is her happiness. If she is happy, he can ignore his own pain. It seems illy and she doesn't understand it very well. But, perhaps it's similar to her wanting to see him healthy before they part ways.
If it is a feeling similar to that then she understands.
"So we can't be a couple anymore? I can't kiss you?"
H-huh? Her thoughts break off, realising that Kazuya had sat up and was leaning slightly closer. Wait-wait-?
Lyn desperately shut her eyes but she didn't feel his lips on hers at all, instead when she opened her eyes. She found Kazuya with his head down and mumbling.
"Impossible. How does Rhys do it? I can't just kiss you randomly. The mood isn't good, and this place isn't exactly romantic."
Lyn blinked a few times before bursting into laughter.
"H-hey, I am serious."
"I didn't know you considered that stuff."
Kazuya looked away with flushed cheeks. "I didn't at first, but when we were married. I decided to be more sensible."
"So, what about before then? When we first dated."
"My timings were bad then, and actually I focused on making sure I knew how to kiss you. I read all sorts of books but actually kissing was different."
He read books on how to kiss? For some reason she could imagine it, Kazuya in a random library with piles of books on romance. Probably gaining many stares in the process.
This person has always cared so deeply for her. Sometimes when she is intimate with Rhys she feels a pang of guilt. 'What about Kazuya? How can I leave him when he is at his weakest?' But those guilty emotions fade whenever I see Rhys smile.'
Her thoughts break off when Kazuya brushed his hands across her cheeks. In the past whenever he did this, her heart beat would increase. But now, there is nothing there. Nothing but lingering feelings of what was there. Even though they had that talk not too long ago that she still had feelings for him. It's fading away so fast.
"I'm so fickle." Lyn mumbled.
Kazuya shakes his head. "The truth is Lyn, I have always known about your past with Rhys."
"Eh"
"Well, I say that but it's more like I overheard a story about you two when I was still travelling alone."
"A story?" Lyn repeated.
"A story about a young prince with dark magic who fell in love with a goddess from the western Kingdom. She didn't wear grand clothes on their first meeting, and yet the young Prince was smitten with her from the very beginning."
Lyn felt her heart beat increase at those words. Oh, this story is about Rhys and her.
"The story interested me only because back then I was searching for opponents who could stand as my equal. When I first met Rhys, I challenged him to a fight not understanding that he was ten times my league." Kazuya laughed. "It was the first time I had lost a fight."
"Huh?" Lyn looked at Kazuya with wide eyes. "Y-you lost against-"
Kazuya lost? Kazuya of all people? Kazuya who is supposedly the strongest warrior in this Empire?
"Rhys behaves all nonchalantly. But he has a little more magic and strength then people realise."
"No, no, no. It's definitely not just a little."
But if that is truly the case, then it makes sense why sister Lethia was always wary of Rhys and why sister Lethia recruited Aya to keep Rhys away from her. All the missing pieces are falling to place now. How could she not have realised sooner?
"Rhys and you were meant to be. I just got in the way."
"Kazuya-I-" Lyn struggled to reply.
Kazuya shakes her head. "After all this fighting has ended, the three of us can have talk. A proper one, but until then settle everything you have to, okay Lyn?"
Lyn slowly nodded her head. "Close your eyes and get some rest. I need to keep healing you."
It did not take long before she sees Kazuya fall asleep. Kazuya, she is truly thankful to him. Had it not been for Kazuya, she probably wouldn't have made it this far. The throne is a heavy burden to bare. She thought she had resolved herself when she was a Princess, but she underestimated the situation too much.
*Unedited*