Soon after lunch ended, the group returned to Aravel. They were free for the rest of the day, meaning that they were once again free to do whatever they wished.
Lunaria and the other princesses seemed occupied by work, hence why they couldn't accompany their friends. This left the human group, along with 2 elves and 1 fox, to their own business. Some of them chose to relax in the palace due to wanting to rest while some headed out together. As for Kaze, he made an appointment with Laevia and headed over to meet her after a quick bath.
"Laevia-sama."
"Please have a seat over there Kaze. I'm almost done."
Back in the familiar room he was once invited to, Kaze sat in a chair by the side as Laevia worked on some documents at her table.
A few minutes of silence later, Laevia looked up from her work with a sigh of relief. Setting aside her writing equipment, she got up from her desk and walked over to where Kaze was.
"It's rare of you to find me for a talk, Kaze," Laevia commented as she sat down opposing him. "What's this about?"
"Thank you for your time, Laevia-sama. I understand that you are busy with work, but I desperately needed a counselling from you," Kaze expressed his gratitude. "It's related to Lucentia."
"Ah, she confessed? Congratulations," Laevia simply smiled. "I suppose you want to ask for my advice on how you should act from now on, is that correct?"
"Yes. After all, the one who confessed to me is your daughter, Laevia-sama," Kaze shuddered in fear as he recalled the events of this afternoon. "I'm already dating Lunaria."
"Mm, I'm sure my daughter has suggested two-timing?"
"It's precisely because of that. Are you against it, Laevia-sama?"
"What if I told you to go ahead and date both of them at the same time?"
"W-Well… I'm worried about the repercussions."
"I believe I have said this before: if it's public backlash, you don't have to worry about it. My daughters are perfectly aware of the impact it would have if your relationship with them becomes public. Even if they aren't, my husband and I would provide them with a thorough lecture."
"It's beyond that. Isn't it taboo for a commoner to date two royalties at once?"
"Oya? Since when has that been law? In the first place, there has never been a past case of a person dating multiple royalties at once, so we have no way of saying yes or no unless it is set as a binding precedent or formal custom."
"B-But… isn't there not a need for such custom or law in the first place because of the royal rulers not wanting to entrust either their sons or daughters over to one person alone?"
"Your concern would be true if we have such concerns. Kaze, when we allowed you and Lunaria to date, I believe that we were not worried that our daughters would choose the wrong person to follow because of whatever happened. With Lucentia, it's the same."
Taking a moment to rest, Laevia doused some tea down her throat before continuing to speak.
"Kaze, do you like Lucentia?"
"I don't know. I have always thought that Lunaria was the one, but now…"
"Then I suggest dating her as well. No harm is done even if dating her results in you realizing that you only like Lunaria. At the same time, it would also provide you a chance to explore your feelings with Lucentia. It is definitely possible that you can fall in love with two people at once, so this is a chance I would treasure."
"… It sounds cruel if it turns out I don't like Lucentia and reject her when she earnestly treats me well…"
"Kaze, think about it. Do you think marriages are necessarily because a person likes their partner? What about arranged marriages? Isn't that a case where two people who might not have met get engaged, but given time will fall in love with each other? What about human nobles who have multiple partners? Is that because of love or the advantage gained from marrying another person? How do you prove that they won't be loyal towards their first partner just because they have a second?"
With whatever Laevia had said, Kaze knew it all boiled down to one answer: let things play out and allow time to settle things. Currently, there were no real detriments to rejecting Laevia's suggestion. Ignoring that he had to be separated from Lucentia during the time he returned to Tristania, it begged the question of when he could see her again if there was no guarantee he could come back to Aravel. Moreover, what would the response be if people found out that he not only dated Lunaria, but also her sister?
Laevia silently observed Kaze, waiting for his answer to her questions. As a mother and Empress, she was perfectly aware of what was going through Kaze's mind now. It might seem like she was pushy and wanted Kaze to date Lunaria and Lucentia, but that really wasn't the case. Laevia was just trying to let Kaze know that even if he wasn't sure, there was no harm in not giving an answer immediately. He could always wait and contemplate the idea, for Laevia herself was fine with two of her daughters dating one person.
It might seem strange to some that a parent was willing to entrust two of their children to one man when the norm was to allow just one pair. That would be the case if Laevia and Reginsleif were any ordinary parent. For now, Laevia could see how Kaze was at a lost to the point he needed to consult her for confirmation.
"Right now, it would be beneficial if I left you to think," Laevia continued. "There's no point in me providing you an answer when you aren't sure of what to do yet. I understand this is a hard decision for you to make, which makes it an even harder decision for me. However, I have stated my reasons that make me feel fine with letting you date Lucentia."
Sinking into the chair, Kaze twiddled with his thumb while staring at Laevia. In response, Laevia gently returned a smile and got up, walking over and sitting by his side.
"Are you that concerned about whether or not you date Lucentia alongside Lunaria? A lot of people would say yes immediately, you know?"
"W-Well… I can't help but contemplate whether or not I am able to keep them happy if I do end up dating them…"
"You mean whether you could provide for them? I understand that Lunaria has already done a lot of things that seem invaluable to you, such as providing you a place to stay for free and giving you her sword."
"It's more of the little things she has done, Laevia-sama. Lunaria has paid for my meals, accompanied me during training, taught me when I struggled in class, looked out for my wellbeing… While Lucentia hasn't done anything as significant as that due to the difference in time spent I have with Lunaria compared to her, I have a feeling that through interacting with her, Lucentia will show off her passion and concern for me in a similar manner."
"… You feel guilty?"
Kaze nodded at Laevia's words. Clenching his fists, Kaze's heart ached at the thought that he received such care and attention. He felt like he didn't deserve it because he hadn't done anything significant enough for such a reward. Kaze thought it too good to be true to have a lover who was practically a goddess.
"I didn't know you have inferiority complex, Kaze."
"I-I just… want there to be some way I could repay their kindness."
With a giggle, Laevia pulled Kaze into a hug and patted his head. This initially caused Kaze to blush at how intimate Laevia was, but he quickly got over it since he understood her intention of consoling him.
"Kaze, Kaze. You are now part of the Rentaria family. Allow me to tell you something you might not have heard of before: Lunaria was the one to convince us to allow her to date you."
"R-Really?"
"She tried so hard to convince us even when we didn't show any sign of resistance or rejection. We were just sitting here one day, my husband and I, when Lunaria came barging in the room and complaining to us. Well, I say complain, when she was really just releasing her emotions."
"Eh? That sounds random. When was this?"
"It was a few days after we returned from Tristania. After Lunaria recovered physically, she was left with emotional scars and thus why we left her alone to heal herself. Both of us got a scare when Lunaria began fussing and commenting about a certain guy. It seemed like Lunaria had given herself some time to think her relationship with you thoroughly and arrived at the conclusion that she was willing to shoulder the costs, no matter the case. As such, she pleaded us to allow her to return to Tristania so she could inform you of her decision and express her feelings, instead giving us the idea to invite you all over."
"Does that mean the whole reason we got invited over was simply because Lunaria wanted to confess?"
"It sounds bad when you put it that way because it makes this whole trip an excuse instead of us genuinely inviting you and your friends over for a tour of the nation. But I can't deny that the primary reason was for you and Lunaria to reach a closure. Even back in Tristania, I could tell that Lunaria meant something to you, just as you were for her. It sounds cheesy for me to conclude this way, but that is honestly how I, as a mother, feel when I see you and my daughter interacting."
Letting go of Kaze from her grasp, Laevia stood up and returned to her desk.
"You can leave, Kaze. I believe we have concluded our business with my final point," Laevia told him casually. "Of course, feel free to stay if you want."
"Ah, Laevia-sama. About Lucentia…"
"Talk it out with her. I'm sure that she would be more than happy to discuss her future with you. My guidance ends here, the rest is up to you."
"… Yes, I will heed your advice. Thank you, Laevia-sama."
"Don't mention it. Please come and talk with me again."
With a polite bow, Kaze left the room. His talk with Laevia had been more fruitful than he expected. Instead of giving him a direct answer, Laevia was leaving him with a choice to decide things for himself. Much like with Lunaria, all she did was guided him to think rationally about his future decisions, something which would come in handy when thinking about Lucentia now.
For the time being, Kaze wanted to take a break from all that has happened and be alone. Lunaria was absent since she had to tend to her duties as a royalty, leaving him with the freedom to do what he wanted.
After Kaze exited the room, Sera, Rena and Shoko showed up from the corner of the hallway. It would appear that they were waiting for him to leave before they entered the room instead.
"Laevia-sama."
"Ah, good job you three. I trust you have it ready?"
Laevia addressed the trio with a smile and received papers from each of them. On it were reports written individually, addressing a summary of their observation in the past few months. Since their goal was originally to protect Lunaria when they were in Tristania, it was only natural that they had to write a report to conclude their current observation and handed it to the Empress. It just so happened that Kaze was in the room before them that they decided to avoid meeting him.
"Hmm… it is awfully well-written," Laevia commented upon simply scanning past the written words. "You three didn't have to make the report that detailed."
"You see? I told you Laevia-sama would be fine," Shoko called her friend out. "Mou… I regret listening to you."
"It's just paperwork, Shoko," Sera sighed, being the culprit who requested her friend to make the report comprehensive. "Besides, the more detailed our report is, the better it would be for Laevia-sama to analyse the past few months of allowing Lunaria some freedom."
"All those hours of recalling the past months were a struggle," Shoko jabbed Sera's side. "I could have just written about the observed changes and my feelings."
"That's on you for not making notes frequently," Rena wryly smiled. "Anyway, Laevia-sama, is there any issue with our report? We can always rewrite it."
"No, this will do. Instead, I would like to hear an oral report as well," Laevia shook her head at Rena's words. "Please, you can start first."
- - - - - -
Upon returning to their shared room, Kaze found Shiro and Akaru sitting on the bed in their human form.
"Papa!" Shiro enthusiastically called out to him.
"Oh, you two were here?" Kaze smiled, addressing them now that he knew they could turn into humans. "What are you doing?"
"We were waiting for you Papa," Shiro ran up to him and hugged his legs tightly due to her small reach. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Unfortunately, I have to go train now," Kaze patted her head. "I will be back soon, maybe for a shower after I'm done. Please accompany Akaru."
"If anything, I'm the one accompanying Shiro," Akaru replied with a sigh from the bed. "Father, please return soon or Shiro will start to whine."
"Since when did you start calling me 'father' too…" Kaze sweatdropped but said nothing more. "Did Lunaria return?"
"Mother wasn't available the whole time," Akaru shook her head. "She is probably busy."
"Ah, that's fine then. I'm taking this with me," Kaze shrugged, picking up Felta from the side of the room where he placed the sword. "See you two soon."
"Mou… return earlier Papa," Shiro unwillingly let Kaze go, feeling reluctant to see him leave already.
"S-Stay safe," Akaru shyly waved at him.
Kaze left the room with a smile on his face, his heart warming up from the cute gestures of Lunaria's 'daughters'. Even though they don't look the part, they certainly acted like Lunaria was their mother and Kaze had become their father. It was something Kaze gave up on correcting upon knowing that Shiro wouldn't budge.
'Just accept being their father now that we're dating,' Lunaria told him. 'Plus, who knows if we truly got married in the future?'
With a sigh, Kaze arrived at the courtyard area where he previously found Lunaria training with Ash. Since it looked like a good place to practice his sword skills without having anyone watching, such as Noel who frequently trained with some of the dragonkin guards, he felt more at ease. It was a little off-putting knowing that he was training in a palace of all places, but he knew it was something he was going to have to get used to.
To start off, Kaze did a quick warm up with stretches and body movements before unsheathing Felta. The feeling of the side of the blade sliding against the metal sheath caused a soft hum to resonate. It sent a shiver down his spine for Kaze could feel the difference in quality of the sword compared to what he was used to. While its weight wasn't as heavy, it certainly felt like it wouldn't break easily even if it struck stone.
Taking a moment to admire the sword itself, Kaze was entranced by it. The detail and effort put into the making of the sword was certainly no easy task. To be able to forge a blade like this required expert skills that no ordinary blacksmith was capable of.
"… Time to test you out," Kaze muttered, as if speaking to the sword.
He started with a few swings first. A simple downward vertical slash followed by a diagonal left-to-right swipe, Kaze began with the base footwork required in his sword training. He adapted to the sword in an instance, treating it like a weapon he had used for years. The hilt was easy to grasp and didn't hurt his finger joints when tilting the sword or switching positions. Moreover, the length of the grip was just right, enough for a double-handed hold and perfect for a single-handed attack.
"Hm," Kaze made an impressed grunt and stopped his movement. "It' surprisingly well-balanced."
"Kaze?"
Turning around at the sound of his name being called, Kaze found himself staring at Lunatea, who stood by the side of the walkway leading to the courtyard.
In her right hand was a sword in its sheath. Along with the outfit she was dressed in, Kaze inferred that she must have come here to train as well when she stumbled upon him. After all, the courtyard was a good open space without any obstacles that would prevent a swordsman from clashing.
A small frown formed on Lunatea's face when it was indeed Kaze who responded to her voice. It wasn't the type of frown that one had when feeling annoyed or disgust, but rather a frown as if she hadn't expected him to be here.
Similarly, Kaze had a surprised look on his face. He knew that Lunatea trained, but he didn't know she would choose this time of the day to show up here.
"Um… hey, Lunatea."
"… Mm."
With a light nod, Lunatea walked past him to a bench at the side of the square area to place her sling bag, presumably containing things essential for training. Kaze stared at Lunatea unpacking for a short bit before he approached her.
"Lunatea, you don't happen to be busy now, do you?"
"…? No."
"Then, can I ask for a spar with you?"
- - - - -
"… and that was what we did," Sera concluded her part of her report with an affirmative nod.
"Hmm, what about Kaze? How did he respond?" Laevia pressed on with a question of her own.
"Err, I believe Kaze wasn't involved?" Sera side-glanced at Shoko and Rena, hoping for some help from them.
"Yes. That time, Kaze had already left with Lunaria before the attack happened," Rena agreed with Sera's part of the story. "While we didn't have much time to confirm the culprit of certain things, we were able to determine that further investigation is needed."
Laevia sighed at this conclusion and glanced back at the reports given. She allowed her mind to quickly process the information given before looking at the trio.
"I would agree with you. We need to ask Sir Ethan for his cooperation regarding this issue."
"Laevia-sama, do you have any idea who could be siding with the devils?" Shoko asked timidly. "B-Because… to have established contact with them is equivalent to supporting their 'faction'."
"I don't know, Shoko. Even now, we find it hard to determine who or why they are doing it," Laevia answered honestly with a difficult smile. "Recent searches have returned with little yield."
"… Laevia-sama, I don't think it is the right decision to return to Tristania," Sera softly voiced her opinion. "Things have taken a turn for the worse."
"Sera!" Rena gasped.
"What are you suggesting, Sera?' Laevia calmly spoke, trying to not sound agitated by the elf's words. "Are you trying to imply we should separate Kaze and Lunaria?"
"Certainly not. I just think that it's not a good idea for any dragonkin royalties to leave the nation right now," Sera continued. "Especially not when Lunaria is being targeted. It's hard to say that the same thing won't happen again."
"Sera, you're not suggesting… for Kaze to move here?" Shoko slowly spoke, as if worried she was stepping on a landmine by doing so.
"It is a possibility, just saying," Sera glared at Shoko, showing hostility that her idea wasn't being supported. "It's much more practical than separating Lunaria with him indefinitely."
At the same time as a rather tense discussion was happening, Kaze and Lunatea trained with each other in the form of a spar. Right now, the one dominating was Lunatea.
"Kuh!!"
With a dropkick, Lunatea dropped Kaze's body to the floor before placing a knee on his back to prevent him from getting up.
"And… that's 7-0. We'll take a short break before continuing." Counting down their scores, Lunatea grinned and helped Kaze stand with a pull of his left arm.
"Damn… you're really strong, Lunatea," Kaze panted, stumbling around for a bit to catch his breath. "How embarrassing, to lose 7 times in a row."
"Hehe, I would say you're doing alright," Lunatea accepted the praise humbly. "It simply isn't fair that I, as a dragonkin, have the physical advantage."
"That's not true. Your sword skills are superb," Kaze disagreed with her. "You think too little of yourself. I mean, you are trying to develop a new sword style and that takes decades of experience."
"Do you want to try a spar without me using the new style? I feel like it would be easier on you that way," Lunatea sweatdropped at Kaze's earnest praising. "It is unfair for me to use such an unorthodox and weird way of fighting to train with you."
"I mean, you could just simply use the sword style you are comfortable with, but I'm fine with anything," Kaze smiled. "Besides, Lunaria managed to take down the top guy from our school who utilized an eastern-influenced sword style like yours with a hand-to-hand combat movement."
"Ah, I was watching that fight. Yu Quan, was it? Lunaria-nee countered him splendidly despite him using an umbrella to fight," Lunatea agreed with Kaze. "The style I'm coming up with does take some inspiration from the east, but Yu Quan's fighting emphasized more on dodging and finding an opportunity to strike. Mine is a more aggressive play, as you would know from personally experiencing it earlier. It is a different take on the eastern approach, but we might have similar origins to our swordplay."
"Lunatea, why did you decide to choose an eastern-oriented sword style to incorporate into your new sword style? I feel like the Aravelean sword style that Lunaria frequently used is already good enough," Kaze questioned Lunatea while he took a gulp of water from his bottle. "If it's out of pure interest, then I won't question it."
"No, you're right to ask. I just wanted to challenge myself to see if it's possible to create an entirely new sword play than what we are used to," Lunatea confirmed Kaze's guess. "Not to say that I don't appreciate the traditional Aravelean style, it just got me curious and interested to create my own technique. For example, Lunaria-nee and Lucentia both utilize the Aravelean style more, including the hand-to-hand combat of the military."
"Did Lunaria once trained with the army? It feels like she was familiar with some of the movements showed the other day we visited the area," Kaze questioned Lunatea. "I'm sorry, but I didn't ask Lunaria this yet."
"Don't apologise. Yes, Lunaria did train with the Aravel army before when she was going through her recovery period a few decades ago. It was also then that she picked up sword fighting compared to simply being a bookworm," Lunatea offered him a sympathetic smile. "I had the advantage since I started with the sword much earlier, as someone who despised studying."
"Ehh, that sounds just like me," Kaze admitted with a relieved grin. "I was never a good student either. Back when I was at the orphanage, I ranked one of the worst on tests but was the only one who took sword training seriously. Some of the other kids saw it as a chance to look cool, but my grandfather taught me that living with the sword was essential to my survival, especially in a world like ours."
"If I remember correctly, you humans have a choice to choose whether or not you want to train with the sword, but most people opt for magic instead because of affinity and the different type of hard work you put into it?" Lunatea sat down next to Kaze while asking him so. "Tell me, what is your opinion on that?"
"You are right in saying that more people choose to focus on magic over sword fighting or any type of sword style. One of it is due to how everyone can use magic, but not everyone is willing to put in the time to build your body physically and learn to fight with a weapon," Kaze nodded. "While it might not seem like it because the curriculum has always placed an emphasis on combat, the number of people who prefer magic over weapons are 3 to 1. This applies in a generalized setting, so the ratio might differ depending on where you're looking at it."
"Heh~ that sounds interesting. I know that humans have this thing called a 'Guild' where they require groups of people called 'adventurers' who help to subjugate and control the population of monsters," Lunatea smiled at this. "For us dragonkins, we don't have that issue since hunting monsters have become a habit that we have for food consumption."
"Yes, that is correct. It is also why combat is focused to ensure that we have a steady flow of new generation of people to protect the nation," Kaze recalled his lessons with Lunaria on the history of adventurers. "Why we call them 'adventurers' is more of a historic reason than the true meaning the name holds. In the past, those adventurers would explore the area and fight of deadly monsters when now most adventurers are simply part of a registered group that help to control the monster population, accept miscellaneous requests and train upcoming students."
"The way you speak, it makes it sound like I was once an 'adventurer' too," Lunatea revealed.
"Heh? I thought you said there were no guilds or adventurers in Aravel?"
"Yes, but the work done by adventurers sound equivalent to what I did back in the days. When I was still less matured, I often went on hunting trips around the Aravel forest and mountain ranges with father and some of the guards. Since we don't have an established job like the adventurers do, we have hunters accompany us and I trained my first knife skills there. Killing monsters aside, I learnt to skin them, harvest their meat, track them down, all the essentials taught to me."
"That sounds super hardcore…"
"… Kaze, do you have a 'type'?"
"A type?"
"Like, a type of girl that attracts you. You know, Lunaria-nee can cook, she has great fashion sense, she is outgoing, she is smart and can fight well. I wonder if someone like that attracts you more than someone like me."
"… Ahhh, so that's what's going on."
"Eh?"
With a triumphant smile on Kaze's face, Lunatea looked lost at his unexpected reaction.
"Lunatea, could you be jealous of Lunaria?"
"!?"
"The way you asked the question sounds like you are worried that Lunaria acts more 'womanly' than you, am I right? Sure, you might not have the same traits as Lunaria, but you have your advantages over her. In the first place, I don't think anyone can compare to Lunaria: she's a genius and an exceptional beauty. I think it's more important to focus on improving yourself than trying to be like that someone. As someone who grew up in the shadow of a genius sister, you must feel inferior to Lunaria that she is so much more capable than you are, hence why people tend to value her more."
With each of Kaze's words hitting the right mark, Lunatea's face gradually turned cramped, as if he was exposing her every bit of worry she had kept. Clenching her fists, she was about ready to sucker-punch Kaze for insulting her until he continued.
"But I think that is precisely what you should focus on. If everyone is focusing on Lunaria, she should need someone to look after her from behind. That's where you sisters come in as family, to look out for her. Lunaria is someone who I know would push herself too far in order to accomplish what she wants to achieve, which is why she needs someone to hold her back and comfort her at times. You know, even a genius struggles at something. Nobody is perfect. As close as Lunaria is to being the perfect person, she struggles mentally, not because of her past, but because of who she is."
"..."
"Meanwhile, you're strong. Sure, you might be a tsundere as Lunaria calls you, but you are definitely mentally stronger than her. Lunaria may look alright from the outside, but she is unable to handle much stress unless she pushes herself through it. It wasn't until I became closer with Lunaria that I realize this fact, especially now that we are dating that she is more open to me about her thoughts. Meanwhile, you might not be the most sociable person I know, but you are calm and composed most of the time. Your outburst of emotions just happened because you act rashly towards whatever thrown at you, but you know to take a step back and analyse the situation. When we were going after Lunaria in Tristania, you were much calmer than the rest of us and you knew to teleport at the crucial timing."
"T-That's not true…"
"I know how you feel Lunatea, because that… was me."
"Eh?"
"I was struggling for a long time about my emotions for Lunaria. In truth, I was already aware of my feelings for her, but I couldn't bring myself to accept it because of who I was. I felt inferior to Lunaria, that she was someone I could never stand beside. She was an elite who deserved a partner way better than who I was. It wasn't until my talk with your mother, Laevia-sama, that made me realize how we value ourselves are reflected differently in the eyes of another. As a commoner, I became too focused on my initial self instead of who I could become. Laevia-sama and Reginsleif-sama had already proven that they accepted me as Lunaria's boyfriend, lover, future husband, whatever you want to call me, because they saw through my exterior appearance and towards how I treated Lunaria. It did not matter that my status was half of the ordinary person or I had a weak background. When it comes to a person, what matters most is how you value them personally. There could be another me with better status, but Lunaria fell in love with 'me' instead of an alternate me. That way, even if I was a better person than I already was with all my weak points gone, Lunaria would still choose to accept me. Just like you, Lunaria and anyone else will accept you as long as you stay true to yourself."
"… Even if I have my so-called tsundere personality?"
"Even that. I mean, personally, I feel that is a charm of yours."
"W-Wha?!"
"You aren't as rough as one would imagine. Sure, you nearly beat me to death the first time we met but that was by chance. You only act that way because you don't know how to deal with your emotions properly. Plus, your other worries are justified because you refer to Lunaria as a role model. What about Lucentia? She has a quiet personality, but she still exudes her strengths easily. Lunatea, I feel like your trademark long red hair easily captures people's attention. During the time you spared with one of the twin sisters at the military base, I was equally captivated by your sword skill. Your dedication is spent towards refining the one thing you love: your sword fighting. I feel like that dedication is enough to show that you are someone who won't give up easily at achieving what you want, even if that meant taking an abnormal way by learning the eastern fighting method to try and create something new."
With Kaze so enthusiastically talking about ways to counter Lunatea's statement and at the same time praising her, Lunatea's face gradually got redder and redder to the point that her blush could match the colour of her hair. With her astonished face morphing into that of a shy girl, her mouth kept opening and closing in a stammer, unsure of how to react to Kaze.
However, this was precisely what Kaze was waiting for. He had been contemplating on ways to dominate in a conversation with Lunatea due to how stubborn she was, and this was the break he needed. Grabbing onto both sides of Lunatea's arms, he leaned forward and spoke in a teaseful manner.
"Believe in yourself more, Lunatea. Otherwise, you might not be able to catch up to your sisters, two of which are trying to secure me for themselves."
At this, Lunatea's eyes went wide open from shock as she knew perfectly well what he was trying to hint at her.
"Y-Y-Y-Y-You…. K-knew?"
"I'm not dense enough to ignore all the signs, Lunatea. I know that you're trying to reach through your feelings to me too, but I just wasn't sure if I needed to give you a push or not. It became obvious to me when you showed up with that bag over there. Even from here, I can see what looks to be chocolates and a letter."
"?!!!"
"You only acted surprised because you didn't expect me to show up here earlier than you did when you were planning to surprise me instead. Was I right?"
Tears began welling up in Lunatea's eyes as she looked away from him. Out of shame, anger, and possibly self-frustration, she admitted her feelings with a slow nod. She didn't know if her actions were that predictable to Kaze, but it felt as though she was pathetic right now. Her plan had failed miserably.
Smiling at Lunatea's dejected state, Kaze pulled her into a tight hug. After all, he had already come to accept that if things were going to progress the way Lunaria had told him, he was going to confront them properly. The only difference he previously had with Lucentia's confession was now, he was the one being direct without hiding anything towards Lunatea.
With a sniff, Lunatea buried her head into his chest and began crying. She felt utterly humiliated and touched that Kaze wasn't going to make fun of her failed confession that she wasn't able to hold herself back.
"Idiot, idiot," Lunatea hit his chest repeatedly. "Y-You could have at least told me that sooner…"
"Whatever the case, I was simply telling the truth. I don't have a proper way to react to this type of situation anyway, so I just spoke my mind," Kaze whispered into her ear while he stroked her head. "Lunaria did say she values honesty more. If anything, I'm glad you tried to convey your feelings to me in a way you thought of properly. Even though… it didn't really work out as planned."
"M-Mou!! You could have at least pretended…"
After some time had passed between Lunatea sobbing and Kaze consoling her, she finally stopped crying and separated from him. Picking up her stuff, she walked over to her bag and began to walk away. Stopping as soon as she was about to turn round the corner, she walked back to him with a bright blush on her face.
"H-Here, for you," Lunatea muttered as she handed out a small white box with her tilting her head sideways. "It's not like I made them for you…"
Kaze simply smiled and accepted it with both hands. Knowing that there was no way she could act honestly now, he was just happy that Lunatea didn't show signs of defeat. After all, that was the Lunatea he knew.
"… So?" Lunatea growled softly.
"So?" Kaze echoed her question.
"S-So! Your answer!"
"Ahh, that. Well, you have to work hard for it. Lucentia's willing to put in the effort."
"So… you're neutral…"
"Something like that. For now, my heart still lies with Lunaria. If you want, maybe I can share a piece of it with you."
"D-Don't you regret saying that! I will make sure you forget about L-Lucentia! You liar!"
Grabbing his cheeks, Lunatea pecked him on the lips before running off.
Chuckling at this, Kaze opened the box to reveal 9 chocolates of different shape and variety. He picked up a heart-shaped one and popped it into his mouth.
"I wasn't lying though," Kaze spoke aloud while chewing on it, even though Lunatea wasn't there anymore. "Hehe… aren't you the one lying since you said you can't cook? From the cuts on your fingers, I suppose you tried."
Kaze placed aside the box and picked up his sword again. As the sound of his grunts filled the air, Lunatea left the area with a satisfied smile on her face. She had heard every word of his since she stayed behind a wall to peek and see what he would do, of which his actions warmed her heart.
"… Idiot."