In the game, Cou Vangh Os was Prince Lilith's personal Royal knight.
Descending from the Os family whose line contained a faint strain of Doronian royalty, Cou was set to inherit the [only] Archduke title in the kingdom of Dorono.
Due to this, he grew up closely with the two princes and considered them family.
Thus, Cou was devastated hearing about the deaths of Prince Lilith's mother and Prince Rosen's parents, even more so when he learned about Prince Lilith's newfound panic attacks.
And so, out of familial loyalty and love, Cou devoted his sword to the youngest and most vulnerable of the princes, Prince Lilith.
Guarding Prince Lilith wherever the prince went, Cou accompanied the prince whenever the prince visited the heroine. Thus…Cou fell in love while observing how deeply the heroine cared for the prince.
And thus, love and duty warred within Cou as he attempted to restrain his feelings for the heroine for the sake of Prince Lilith, his family and future King…
=====
Regarding Cou's feelings towards the villainess who very much hurt the heroine and Prince Lilith…
He despised her and was enraged she was exiled instead of executed for her despicable crimes.
…
I'd be wise to avoid Cou since he was extremely attached to the princes.
Yet…
I was hesitating.
He was part of the Os family, after all, meaning he was related to the great General Os—the person my entire purpose revolved around.
…
Should I grab this opportunity despite its risks…? Or wisely let it slip…?
║║║║║║║║║║
"Good effort!" fifteen-year-old Cou grinned in the present, extending his hand for me to grab.
[…]
I accepted it, and the six-feet-tall Cou easily pulled me to my feet.
…
Perhaps our relationship was salvageable…? Then, I should grab this opportunity—
"Though you'll have to get stronger if you want to beat me, [half-ear]," Cou smirked, and I stiffened.
"…Don't call me that, please," I said politely, refraining from squeezing his hand into a pulp.
"Why not?" he asked, releasing my hand to tug on my scarred earlobe. "But it's true?"
I pulled his hand away, uttering, "Even if it's true, we're not close enough for that. And don't touch me."
"OHH??" Evan's voice boomed, reminding me we were still in the arena. "ARE OUR CONTENDERS BRAWLING FOR THE CHAMPION TITLE?!! HOW EXXCIIIITTINGG!!"
I glowered at Evan for fanning the flames.
Brawling with Cou…I would surely lose considering my bruised state and his bigger build.
"There won't be another fight!" Cou shouted, causing the crowd to clamor with disapproval. "Instead…"
He turned towards me mischievously, and—in one smooth motion—hoisted me over his shoulder, declaring, "…I'm taking your beloved champ! Good luck with the tournaments for the next two weeks, Evan!" Cou laughed before hopping out of the arena and striding away with me.
"Hey, why're you so quiet?" Cou asked over his shoulder as we left the arenas behind. "Don't tell me you fainted—"
I pulled on a chunk of his long hair, making him shout as his head jerked backwards.
"NO—WAIT!! NOT MY HAIR—NO!! STOPP!! OW—OOOWWWW—STOOOPP—!!!" he hollered, but I clung to his neck and continued yanking his hair, retribution for kidnapping me.
"STOOPP!! I MEAN IT—STOOOOPPP!!" Cou roared with pain, tugging at my arms and the back of my shirt, attempting to fling me off.
Laughter exploded around us, and I froze when a group of hooded figures encircled us.
"HA HA! LOOK AT YOU, [C]!!" one of the hooded figures howled, pointing at Cou. "YOUR ASS IS GETTING WHOOPED BY A KID!"
"Shut up…!" Cou growled, flushing.
"Hey kid, how much hair did you obtain?" another of them asked, and I unclenched my fist to reveal a ball of loose strands.
A shrill sound of horror erupted from Cou, and he threw me off him, brows furrowing as he anxiously patted the rest of his hair and scalp.
The group of hooded figures hooted with laughter, and I stumbled to my feet as Cou glared at me.
"You started this," I stated somewhat guiltily, raising my hands in alarm as Cou stormed towards me.
Someone tugged me back while stepping in front of me, and I was surprised to see it was Winston.
[He's here as well?]
"Move, kid," Cou growled, shoving Winston away with one hand while reaching for me with the other.
"I'm not a kid," was all the warning Winston gave before tackling Cou to the ground.
And just like that—Cou and Winston began grappling on the dirt floor, each trying to obtain the higher ground while elbowing the other.
Any amicable relationship I envisioned between Cou and me disappeared as I stepped forward to help Winston. But before I could, Winston shot me a glare, warning me not to intervene.
[...Fine.]
"Greetings, I am called Second," one of the hooded figures introduced themselves while the rest cheered around Winston and Cou. "I apologize on behalf of [C]. We just wanted to chat with you and your friend [peacefully], but that idiotic brute carried you off without explaining…" they said, referring to Cou. "Again, our apologies."
"…What do you want with us?" I asked, eyes on the match as Cou straddled and punched Winston, causing Winston to rear up and punch back.
"Train with us," Second said straightforwardly. "Instead of wasting your time fighting against weaker opponents in Evan's and Every's tournaments, improve your skills by training with us. Your loss to [C] in the sword tournament and your friend's loss to [Third]," they said, referring to another of their members, "can attest to how much you two can learn from us."
"And what does your group gain?" I asked.
"…We'll soon join the ranks of the royal knights," Second divulged after pausing. "Thus…we're merely curious about those who'll stand opposite of us in the Branch Sect," they said, referring to Winston and me. Noticing my increase in wariness, they added, "We know this because we're familiar with Evan and Every; ever since you two joined their tournaments, they've been boasting nonstop about two Trial younglings. We have no ulterior motives, trust us."
[…]
Yeah. That sounded like Evan and Every.
…And regarding Second's reasonings… While the Trial remained undeciphered, training with Cou's group in the meantime would certainly benefit Winston and me.
Perhaps if my identity remained privy…I should indeed grab this opportunity?
…
"STOOPP!!" Cou roared as Winston tugged on his hair. "DOOON'T—!! THAT'S CHEAATTTINGG!!"
The hooded figures howled with laughter, and I smiled to myself.
"…Whether we join or not, my friend will decide," I finally answered, trusting Winston to choose.
"Your friend is feisty," Second chuckled as Cou shouted he would yield only if Winston released his hair.
"He is…" I said quietly as Winston did as Cou asked.
[Stubborn as well], I thought, acknowledging this was the first time Winston had refused my help in a fight.
…
I walked over to the pair sitting on the ground panting and helped Winston to his feet.
"Fool," I said, tapping his bruised cheek.
"But I won!" Winston grinned with exhilaration, using the back of his hand to wipe the blood oozing from his nose.
"No…! You…cheated…!!" Cou huffed, cradling his hair with an upset expression.
"A win's a win!" Second stated with finality, stepping towards Winston and me. "So? Your answer? Do you want to train with us for the next two weeks?"
"What do you think, Winston?" I asked him.
Winston thought for a second before exclaiming, "Sure!"
Thus…
║║║║║║║║║║
We spent the next two weeks training with Cou and his group.
With the condition we continue participating in the tournaments to satisfy the crowds, Evan and Every allowed us to train in an empty lot located nearby.
And so, after the tournaments, we all met at the lot and alternated in sparring with one another.
The group had five members, and all wielded a variety of swords, spears, and polearms. And except for Cou, each member's aliases correlated with their rank: Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth.
"And I'm [C]—ranked first in this group!" Cou introduced himself on the first day we trained together. "But call me Cou!"
"Nice to meet you, little archer, and half-ear," Cou said after Winston and I officially introduced ourselves.
"Don't call us that," I said flatly the same time Winston uttered, "Don't call her that."
"But it's true?" Cou grinned, his canines flashing. "You're quite little," he said, patting the top of Winston's head before telling me, "and you're missing half your—"
I grabbed Cou's fingers before they reached my ear, twisting them.
"Enough teasing, Cou," Second admonished as Cou yanked his fingers back, yowling with pain. "As you two can see, this brute only learns through pain. So, feel free to beat him whenever he crosses the line. Now come, Air. You'll be sparring with me today while Third spars with Winston."
And thus passed a week.
"Hey, you two!" Cou called for us one day while we were resting. "Come here, I want you to meet someone!"
Wiping the sweat from our brows, we approached Cou who was standing beside a cloaked stranger.
The stranger stood as tall as me, and—when they retracted their hood—I immediately noticed their brown hair and their thick, tinted eyeglasses.
"These are our new recruits," Cou was bragging—which was [false] since we had no intention on joining them. "The little one is Winston, and this half-ear is Air."
Winston and I both scowled at our introductions, but we politely greeted the stranger.
"And this is—" Cou began but was interrupted when the stranger hastily said, "I'm—I'm Lily…! Call me…Lily!"
I raised a brow, taken aback by his eagerness.
"Nice…to meet you…Air," Lily muttered, pushing up his eyeglasses before extending his hand.
…
Though Lily seemed reserved and shy…
[…What a forward attitude… I like it!]
"Nice to meet you, Lily!" I grinned, grasping his hand and shaking it firmly.
Lily dipped his head, the highs of his cheeks flushing.
Then he released my hand to shake Winston's as well.
…
[Lily…]
A name Prince Lilith sometimes went by in the game.
…
Was this the second prince?
…
No…'Lily' was a common name, popularized due to its closeness to 'Lilith'. Although…the chances of a 'Lily' hanging around the one and only [Cou] increased the odds of it being the real one.
…
Those tinted eyeglasses…
…Perhaps they were obscuring violet eyes…?
…
No…surely Prince Lilith would have identified me by now if he was indeed this 'Lily'? …Unless my scars made me unrecognizable? Or perhaps he forgot what I looked like in the first place…?
Six years had passed since we last met, after all…
[...For now… Let's use caution.]