Says Emilia timidly, and says Petra back intimidatingly. Subaru can't quite get a grasp on the
situation, but going off what she's saying and how she's acting, it doesn't seem like Petra dislikes Emilia or anything.
It's probably just a result of his playful relationship with Petra. But being that
Emilia is not used to children, her concern is nothing to laugh about.
Subaru: "Don't take what she says too seriously, Emilia-tan. Things kids say, y'know? You gotta smile, grin, sourire back and ignore most of it."
Emilia: "I couldn't be such a charlatan, just because I'm talking with someone young."
Subaru: "Who says charlatan anymore?"
Emilia: "Mmpf, you're teasing me like that again."
Emilia pouts, dissatisfied, and Subaru gives an easy apology while his face breaks into a smile.
Petra tugs Subaru's sleeve disapprovingly, indicating that she also must get her attention.
Seated between two beautiful girls, Subaru has been blessed with an uncommon happening for Subaru.
With one girl being in love confession standby mode, and the other one being worth having
some expectations for in three years time—but really.
—Right now, Subaru's carriage is headed from Liafus Highway to the Royal Capital.
This carriage, which is not the one that had been installed with the bomb, is being driven by one of the youths of Arlam Village's young men's brigade. Inside are Subaru and Emilia, and also the children.
At first the everybody had given their quiet consideration by leaving Subaru and Emilia to
themselves, but then Petra happily shoved herself in and now here we are.
Complaining at children for intruding on together time was of course something Subaru would not —quite do, but that said Petra's incursion did have its benefits.
After all, he only just got done saying a bunch of embarrassing stuff to Emilia.
He gave the onconfession-response-standby-mode Emilia that smooth "I'll wait", but the flame of love is still blazing in his chest with combustive ferocity.
Couple that with the achievement he felt about getting here, and all breaks are off.
Worst case, he'd end up pre-emptively demanding something more than a lap pillow.
Subaru: "Ah man, that really was pretty risky there. Acting that cool about things and then that, hell that'd be mortifying."
Petra: "What would?"
ARC 3 INTERLUDES
Subaru: "Just talking about how you saved me, Petra. Ah, that's right, you kept your promise not to leave Emilia-tan alone. You're amazing, amazing."
Petra: "Ehehehee."
Subaru gently pats Petra's hair as he gives his double thanks. If Petra and the other kids had let go of Emilia's hands, she might have pushed herself again and gotten hurt.
That that hadn't happened, and that all of Subaru's toiling had procured the results he wanted, was unmistakably thanks to everybody, including Petra's, help.
Seriously, blessed. Too blessed.
Subaru: "There's so many people I have to thank once this's calmed down..."
Crusch, Felis, and Wilhelm from Crusch's faction. Loathe to admit it but Julius, and the members of Iron Fang from Anastasia's faction. Have to speak to barely-memorable Russell too, and make good on that promise to give him the cellphone.
Kinda inexcusable that that exchange would end in Russell being gypped, but considering the happiness Subaru had gained as a result, it was better he ignore that and put it aside as something trivial.
Sorry Russell.
Subaru: "There's a mountain of things I gotta think over, too..."
First, he absolutely has to look into what the fuck Roswaal was doing this whole time. And he
probably needs to discuss with Crusch and Anastasia as to how to divvy things up from the White Whale and SLOTH fights.
Especially regarding the White Whale. If what Crusch said can be believed, Subaru was in a position to claim a fraction of the glory.
It wasn't that he was lusting for prestige, but if he—being part of Emilia's faction—could get even some slight fame, that would surely help Emilia.
You could call it shameless, but Subaru would rather be proactive here.
And then after sorting out the immediate affairs, there's securing Arlam Village and getting things in order there.
The future looks laden with difficulties. —And, before addressing any of that, there is
still one mountain that Subaru has to scale.
Subaru: "Uhm, err, Emilia-tan... I have something, extremely important to tell you."
Emilia: "Mmhm, whaaat is it?"
Emilia twines her fingers in her silver hair as she turns to face Subaru properly, her amethyst eyes full of trust. Every time Subaru sees that light in her eyes, he can feel the success that his own actions have brought. Can feel it, but just how will Emilia respond to what he is about to tell her?
Just thinking about it is honestly terrifying.
ARC 3 INTERLUDES
Subaru is going to tell Emilia about an unavoidable issue—That is, of course, about Rem.
If we're going back to the topic of who Subaru's giving his thanks to, there is unmistakably no one
who saved Subaru as much as Rem.
Her intense love and devotion mended Subaru's broken spirit, and restored his will to stand up and
challenge fate.
If she hadn't been there then, Subaru would not be standing here now. Without her presence, he
never would have escaped from the hell called surrender.
When Subaru was most in suffering, in pain, and hopeless, Rem was the one who stood with him
and supported him.
Was it truly so strange that Subaru felt intense love for this girl?
Until now, Subaru had wholeheartedly believed that his feelings would only be devoted to one
single person. And in truth, there was only one sweetheart in the world out there for Subaru, and
that was Emilia.
However, without any change in his feelings towards Emilia, Rem's presence had evoked something
of identical size inside Subaru's heart.
So, Subaru had decided. It might be tasteless, but being that he can't abandon his love for either of
them,
—He will take both Rem and Emilia.
Rem had already permitted him to have such an unseemly idea. The remaining problem is
persuading Emilia, and although Rem proposed that they convince her together,
Subaru: "If I keep relying on Rem even for that, I'm really crossing the limit for awful."
Even if opportunity comes to bring Rem in so that she can contribute to the talk, Subaru's the one
with the responsibility to first broach the topic. He is trying to get two girls to love him, so this is
the minimum tier of hurdle he needs to cross.
Subaru takes a breath, his heartbeat slamming in his chest, as he considers what to say. He looks at
Emilia. She's staring at him. Mega cute.
Subaru: "This's something incredibly hard to say, but I want you to listen. Of course, I'm sure we'll
have to tell her sister at some point too, but... first, to Emilia-tan."
Emilia: "...Mhm?"
Emilia looks perplexed at Subaru's unneeded and stumbling preface. Anguishing over his own
ARC 3 INTERLUDES
weakness for prolonging issue, Subaru frantically forces the wheels in his head to turn. In neverbefore-seen, full brainpower. Forcing his synapses to fire so hot they might spark, finding the
absolute best answer—!
Subaru: "Honestly, it's about Rem. Rem kinda, told me she l... you, you can get what I'm saying,
right? So, with that confession there, where this's going's I guess sorta selfish but..."
Subaru feels sweat rise on his brow as he frantically gets to cutting the ice. He's already entered
some kind of excuse-scented direction on this, but he figures that Emilia, being not bad at
conjecture, will understand what he's saying. Emilia raises her hands.
Emilia: "Hold on,"
Emilia: "Subaru, calm down. I'm starting to lose what you're trying to say, but I can tell that you're
trying sooo hard. You're a good boy, take it slowly."
Subaru: "You're a good boy is a crazy depressing thing to hear! Or no, I really wasn't being a man.
Yeah, let's just go straight for it. Alright so well, actually Rem told me she loves me, and once you
love me too it's sorta... like, you'll both be mine, or something!?"
A momentum-propelled confession of two-timing.
Even Subaru is repulsed by what the fuck he actually just said. Emilia's reaction would surely be
something similar, or maybe she'd look at Subaru with eyes hosting disappointment and scorn.
Under those pessimistic abstractions, Subaru timidly looks at Emilia, and,
Emilia: "—"
Her reaction is nothing that Subaru envisioned.
Her brows scrunch up as she silently puts her finger to her lip, in thought. Perhaps she's meditating
over Subaru's comment, thinking up a suitable punishment for him—and, with an atmosphere that
leaves no room for jokes,
Emilia: "Subaru."
Subaru: "Yes."
Hearing his name, Subaru looks Emilia straight-on.
Emilia, too, faces Subaru's resolved gaze straight-on. However, there's some confusion in her eyes,
and with Subaru unable to comprehend what would make her react like that,
Her next words, which in the truest of meanings, transcend Subaru's comprehension, are—
"Who's Rem?"