“—Why did you come back?”

Emilia, looking at me with a seriously intense expression, asked that question.

In her calm, deep purple eyes, I could see my own reflection. It was as if the light reflecting off the surface of a lake was piercing straight through to my innermost being.

Naturally, a shiver-inducing sentiment washed over me entirely.

Whether it stemmed from the positivity or negativity triggered by her penetrating gaze, I couldn’t quite grasp it at that moment.

Only one thing: I had a response to that question.

“—Why did you come back?”

The question echoed again.

It was thrown at me again, not to hasten my reply but rather as a gentle push. I took a breath and lightly wet my lips with my tongue.

Then, I lightly closed my eyes and said—

“Hey.”

“———”

Silence returned. Yet, it wasn’t a silence intended to postpone an answer but rather a prompt urging me to continue speaking. Knowing this, I wasn’t flustered and shaped my next words.

Facing each other, despite our tangled emotions, we now had a chance to exchange words—

“After all that chaos just now, isn’t it kind of tough to keep up this atmosphere?”

“…Hearing that from you, Subaru, feels wildly inconsistent.”

With a heavy sigh, Emilia let her shoulders droop, looking incredibly weary and somewhat resigned, her lips loosening just slightly.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

—Subaru’s lucky mishap, guided by Ram, had concluded with a flamboyant display thanks to Pack’s paternal education.

Afterward, with Ram’s assistance, Subaru, thrown into the garden, maintained a lopsided grin until Ram helped him up, acquiring an eerily creepy impression from her. As a result, this embarrassing display eventually made its way to Emilia—

“Did you hit your head hard? You were upside down, but did you hurt your neck? Ah, dirt is in your ears… Why is your clothing so stained with blood and mud? Are you okay? Are you hurt? If you are, hurry up and take it off…”

“W-wait… No, come on, there are people around, and it’s still noon, so to undress…”

“You really did hit your head a lot…”

“I’m like this by default! I appreciate your concern, but that look in your eyes hurts!”

Pushing away Emilia, who kept reaching out worriedly, I shook my head, twisted my neck to dislodge the dirt in my ear, and lightly brushed off the stains on my clothing, pretending I was still okay while doing some leg lifts on the spot as I entered the parlor again.

Inside, a small round table divided two contributors to the earlier ruckus—Pack and Ram—who were enjoying tea.

“Pretty nice tea.”

“Oh, it’s nothing to be praised by you, Great Spirit.”

“What the hell are you guys chatting so happily about?”

I broke into the typical pleasantries exchanged by the two, leaning on the table to glare at them. However, the two remained unfazed by my fierce demeanor, calmly pouring their tea. Pack’s small cup painted an amusing scene.

I gulped down the tea. After a breath, they both looked up at me.

“Thanks to Ram’s mishap, you got to see some amusing things, right? Let’s call it even.”

“Why do you sound so superior? Are you the king?”

“Even just having a head on my shoulders makes you appreciate my benevolence. Thinking of the unspeakable embarrassment only a girl like Ria could express makes me lament my own inadequacies.”

“You surprised me with how you seemed to want me dead! Never in history has someone’s cause of death been ‘luck gone wrong’!”

The world is wide; there surely are those who have met that kind of end. However, I definitely don’t want to experience it myself.

Anyway, after all that—

“As long as you’re unscathed, that’s good. There are many things we need to discuss…”

Frowning at their nonchalant responses, I walked past them when Emilia, in a quiet voice, murmured.

Her silver hair flowed as she moved, sparkling as she turned to look at me. Sitting on the bed, she gazed up at me.

“—Why did you come back?”

And thus, we returned to the initial question.

As I finished recalling all this, it was indeed difficult to maintain a serious demeanor.

I hadn’t intended to make light of the situation, but it had inadvertently turned into that, and I scratched my head. Amidst it all, Emilia pouted, her lips protruding.

“This is all Ram and Pack’s fault! It wasn’t supposed to be like this… It shouldn’t be like this. Ugh!”

“I do apologize, Lady Emilia. If you’re still upset, I’m prepared to accept any reprimand or punishment. —It’s Balus.”

“Don’t you realize you’re the culprit too!?”

“I’ve always thought of myself as disadvantaged in a world full of flaws compared to Balus.”

“Bully! You’re a bully! This is the first time I’ve seen a maid so far removed from such compliance, dangling a level of utter traitorousness!”

Given Ram’s perfect facade and appearance, her boldness was shocking when I last saw her. While engaged in an utterly stagnant conversation reminiscent of those days, Ram suddenly squinted and inspected me closely.

“W-what is it…?”

“You look a little less anxious than before. Just a hair’s breadth better than earlier.”

“———”

That merciless concern caused me to hold my breath.

Indeed, moments ago, my limbs felt like lead, and while facing Emilia again, my heart tightened rather than soared.

Yet now, that sense of impatience and insecurity had eased to some extent, and I felt no pain on my parched tongue.

Realizing that it was Ram’s consideration, trying to ease my anxiety, I was enveloped in a complicated sense of gratitude. Therefore,

“You’re really too hard to read in that way.”

“Women consistently play men with their unanswerable riddles. If they could be easily solved and thus lose interest, men would evaporate without a trace.”

“What you just said was merely a stylish excuse, I’m not impressed. —But I appreciate it.”

“Lady Emilia, thank you for allowing Balus a peek at your changing just now. Such a terrible pervert this man is!”

“I wouldn’t pull such a high-level sexual harassment! You were quite raw just earlier, right!?”

As the feelings of gratitude drifted away, I was suddenly interrupted by Ram’s blatant refusal to listen, covering her ears. Her audaciously casual demeanor left me at a loss for words.

However, seeing their interaction, Emilia couldn’t contain herself with

“—Heh.”

“Oh?”

Holding her mouth, Emilia gave in to an unstoppable burst of laughter. She tried to hold it back, but upon seeing me raise an eyebrow, she seemed to surrender further.

“You both teasingly joke like that… It makes me feel dumb trying to hold back.”

“That’s fine. Isn’t it better to talk and laugh rather than be angry and pouty? A lot has happened, but it’s better to smile and chat about it. For that, I’d be willing to show all my embarrassing antics. Right, Ram?”

“—Phew.”

“Hey, not joining in on that!?”

I was genuinely happy when Emilia replied in such a way; my mood lifted, causing me to uncontrollably ramble on. Ram glanced at me with a contemptuous look, and as I reacted, Emilia’s smile brightened even more in a looping phenomenon.

“You two never change. It really feels like I haven’t smiled like this in ages.”

“Yes indeed. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen Lady Emilia smiling like this.”

Ram quietly remarked as she bent at the waist, dabbing away a tear at the corner of Emilia’s eye.

Seeing that, Emilia’s expression momentarily stiffened, but Ram noticed this and declared, having accomplished her task.

“Balus, from here on, it’s up to you, so manage well.”

“Hey, what about you? What about this weird atmosphere?”

“I’ve set the tone for easy conversation. The rest is Balus’s worry. Ram has plenty to prepare for, so busy with what Balus brought in.”

Under Ram’s piercing gaze, I had no choice but to fall silent.

Confirming that I had no rebuttal, Ram deeply bowed to Emilia and said.

“Lady Emilia, I have preparations, so excuse me for a moment. Balus will convey the situation… I will comply with your judgement and direction, Lady Emilia.”

“Ram… but I…”

“I’ll follow any decisions you make, Lady Emilia. That is the order of Roswaal.”

Cutting off Emilia’s hesitations, Ram simply stated that before leaving the room. Just as the door was about to close behind her, her gaze towards me was sharply pointed, planting a strong sense of urgency within me. Even until the very end, I seemed to be burdening her.

Looking at the table, I noticed that Pack was now absent.

He might have slipped into Emilia’s hair or, more likely, dispersed into magic and fled this place; at least, on some level, this room now belonged to just two people.

Me and Emilia, just the two of us.

“Talking like this with you, Subaru, feels like it’s been forever.”

The first words to break the lingering silence that I couldn’t find a way to start, came from Emilia.

As I lifted my gaze, Emilia relaxed on the bed, her eyes gentle, devoid of that turbulent emotion from earlier.

First off, I felt I could overcome the initial awkwardness thanks to that reality. It was less about overcoming it and more about being allowed to move past it.

“Yeah, I’ve been on pins and needles since we parted, longing for Emilia-chan. Each passing day, the Emilia-ness inside me diminished, and I thought I’d suffocate from withdrawal.”

Emilia-ness is the term for the filling quality of talking with Emilia, staring into her eyes, and even catching and reveling in her scent; my personal slang.

When the symptoms reach their terminal stage, it leads to desperate acts or despair, demanding quick replenishment.

“Is that your reason for coming back?”

“—Naw, that’s one reason, but there’s more to it.”

With a light jest, Emilia’s response remained flat.

I processed it as a transition, thinking calmly.

I had to revisit those moments when I had crossed paths with her, confirming the answers from back then.

“Wanting to see you again is my primary reason, but there are certainly other reasons. A secondary reason? It’s to be of help to you, you see.”

“———!”

I saw Emilia hold her breath, tightly grabbing the sheets beneath her. Her expression stiffened, and a deep unease spread across her purple eyes.

Nevertheless, she quickly concealed that shock beneath a mask of feigned calm, plastering a superficial smile coincidentally visible to me.

“What do you mean? You say you’ll help, but there’s nothing I need from you, really…? You need to stop worrying about me.”

“You’re not good at hiding things, Emilia-chan. I came through the village to get here. I have a pretty good idea of what’s going on.”

“…I see. Right.”

Emilia’s smile transformed from its earlier brightness into something lifeless at my acknowledgment.

Still lowering her gaze, she struggled to lift her face up to maintain my gaze. She was impressive in that, refusing to let herself succumb to her weakness.

“You see, Subaru, I’m… well, a half-elf.”

“Yeah, I know. You were at the Royal Selection venue, and I’ve had opportunities to hear from various people. I likely know more about you being a half-elf than you think.”

I moved closer, approaching Emilia seated on the bed. Lowering myself to meet her eye level, I reflected my own figure in those purple eyes.

“Being a half-elf isn’t something I resent. It doesn’t help to compare myself with others, pointing out differences. I don’t want to demean myself for being different—I hold that sentiment about my bloodline.”

“Right. That’s incredibly admirable.”

“However, from the perspective of others surrounding me, it seems it’s not so simple. Just by being a half-elf, I bring unease and fear to many people.”

Quietly, Emilia spoke now, trying her best to suppress her emotions. In response, I struggled to contain the overwhelming affection writhing in my heart.

That image of her struggling against her weak heart amidst the troubles surrounding her was beautiful, noble, and fragile as if it might disappear.

“Ram had informed me that there’s something rather ominous going on in the forest. The elementals sense something repugnant and have been trembling in fear every morning. I’m sure something dreadful is about to occur. Something I wish to look away from.”

“———”

“Right now, with the situation as it stands, it’s dangerous here, even for you. So, I think it’d be best for you to leave the residence as soon as possible… and with treatments likely still unfinished, you should.”

“If I leave under those conditions, what about you, Emilia? You’re just as much in danger as the villagers, right? Do I seem like the type to leave without hearing that?”

With her pleas echoing back, I shook my head vigorously. In response, Emilia lightly bit her lip and then hesitated a moment.

“Of course, I plan to leave as soon as I’m prepared. I have much to discuss with Roswaal after reconvening. The villagers will come along too. There’s a lot to talk about in the village…”

“But you weren’t heard, were you? That was the preamble, right? You’re not being your usual self, Emilia-chan.”

“Ah…”

Realizing the absurdity of her own words, Emilia grew quiet, almost sheepish.

Seeing her flustered demeanor felt strangely fresh to me, yet I didn’t wish for it to be anything less than upbeat, and thus I turned my head toward the door leading to the village.

“—I took action to prepare for the villagers and you to escape.”

“…Huh?”

“I bowed my head to various people in the Royal Capital and gathered several merchant carts to the village. It’s plenty enough to whisk everyone away. You and Ram will have proper spots too. It’s not first-class comfort, but it’s not unrideable either.”

As I blustered through my words without haste, Emilia looked bewildered, her eyes darting around.

Sensing urgency, I conveyed that I would manage everything somehow while projecting assurance.

“Most of the shady black figures hiding in the forest have already been dealt with thanks to the strong allies pulled over from the Royal Capital. The rest will be tightly wrapped up after everyone has escaped. I’ll make it all happen.”

“Wait, how do you know all this…?”

“Everyone has given me their advice, warnings, corrections to learn from, support, trust, and inspired beliefs towards me… It may sound cliché, but that’s how I managed to come this far.”

Emilia lost her words in response—she couldn’t respond to that.

Nevertheless, that was all my genuine feelings. What I had gained from being apart from Emilia during the days I stayed in the Royal Capital couldn’t be put into words. I’d lost things, but I came back to get them. The lessons gained during those times were overwhelmingly more significant than what I had lost.

“I… said harsh things to you, Subaru.”

“It’s fine. If I said I didn’t care, that’d be a massive lie. To say it honestly, I went through nightmarish thoughts over worrying about it—it almost drove me insane at one point.”

“I’m really sorry, I…”

“Don’t make me feel even more stranded by glossing over everything. But hey, look where we are now—I don’t want you to worry about it. To remember how stupid I felt, I will keep worrying about it.”

Emilia’s eyes widened at my words. I nodded, fully aware of the events of that day and the preceding hours spent in the Royal Castle.

I wouldn’t forget. I couldn’t forget. The humiliation, the rejection I deserved.

I never wanted to make her say things she wouldn’t want to say, but I was deeply selfish then—trapped within my own folly. Hence,

“Right now, I want to help you. I came prepared for it. Although it’s not perfect, I’ll do what I can. So, I want you to take my hand.”

“But I… can’t be that weak…”

“It’s perfectly fine to be weak, Emilia-chan.”

I said, grinning irresponsibly as she hesitated to grasp my outstretched hand.

She had a position, a role, and a future forging strong expectations. I understood that much was accurate. Seeing Crusch’s virtues, Anastasia’s shrewdness, and Priscilla’s arrogant strength, I believed that was the quality of a king.

Yet I thought this.

“I’m incredibly weak and helpless too, but various people have extended their hands to me, allowing me to keep going. And moving forward, I want to keep asking people for help—it’s a wishful kind of dependency. Of course, I don’t plan on just borrowing forever. What I’ve borrowed, I intend to return, and with those hands that pulled me up, I want to give those hands a pull back.”

“Ah…”

“So, it’s okay if you’re just being pulled along for now. If you’re weak now, then one day you can be strong. To do so, let’s rely on each other and take our backs against the wall; it works perfectly right now.”

There’s no requirement to be perfect from the start.

It’s a childish notion that a king must be strong, noble, and always correct. Even so, I understand perfectly well that everyone harbors this fantasy about such existence.

Thus, the one aiming to become a king cannot be allowed to be weak.

—But is being weak really such a bad thing? Subaru pondered.

Even when weak, one can still look up and walk forward.

So it’s just fine to be side by side with someone who thinks that way, who believes that.

“Many people have pulled my hands toward where I am right now. I want to be a person who can extend that hand to you, too.”

“Sub, aru…”

“So please, take my hand, Emilia-chan. If you think it’s alright for someone like me to be by your side, witnessing your journey to become a king.”

I saw her hesitant hand reach out, and it made me curl the corners of my mouth upward.

Then, without delay, as our fingers touched, I squeezed her hand firmly, and her small voice called out as I pulled her up; we both stood.

Standing while holding hands, we gazed deeply into each other’s eyes.

My heart raced. I could feel emotions threatening to overflow. Hiding that turmoil, I twisted my mouth into a playful smile and asked,

“Did you find it a bit easier to stand up?”

“…You idiot, Subaru.”

In response to my question, Emilia lowered her eyes lightly and murmured in a soft voice.

Seeing her attitude made me feel the smile vanish, wondering if I had said something uncomfortable.

“You idiot, Subaru. Idiot. Really, such an idiot. Idiot, idiot, idiot.”

“You’re overdoing it! Well, yes, I’m aware that I’m an idiot, thanks for bringing that up!”

“I’ve been giving it lots of thought too. About becoming a king, how much there is to study and how many things I have to manage. I can’t be dependent on others, and relying on people isn’t good; I’ve thought about this endlessly!”

Putting her hand on her waist, Emilia unleashed her frustration upon me, her voice filled with energy.

With my free hand clutching my head, I could only grit my teeth against the sudden storm of Emilia-ness raging at me.

“The villagers refuse to listen to me, and Ram will obey but won’t offer opinions. Pack? It’s a waste to even ask, and Roswaal has gone somewhere… I’ve had to think alone this entire time.”

In those crucial moments, I hadn’t been with her. If I had been by her side, I surely could’ve helped her through it somehow.

“I thought about pretending to be a bad wizard and making it rain ice to force everyone to evacuate.”

“That’s probably a good call to avoid. Let’s stay cool-headed?”

“Before I could, you came back! Even that was overwhelming for my brain, and now you come back saying a bunch of things… this is really troublesome!”

A small, pleading exhale escaped her lips, and a brief silence blanketed the room.

Feeling awkward, I found myself overwhelmed, struggle to comprehend her emotions. With so many self-indulgent comments recently, I wished to turn back and smack my prior self.

It would be great if I could just turn back time to refocus and prepare far better pickup lines for a second attempt, yet fate wouldn’t allow it. Natsuki Subaru—the man who couldn’t even seize a perfect chance for revenge—was helplessly foolish beyond redemption.

“Subaru, you’re making a hundred faces.”

“I never hear that phrase anymore… It’s been a while since I had this exchange.”

Placing my hand on my face to calm my expressions, I looked at Emilia.

At that moment, she was also glancing up at me. Our eyes met, and time seemed to halt.

Stuck, Emilia’s expression was calm. Just like that, her lips parted slightly, and she said,

“I think I said horrible things to you, but I don’t think I said anything wrong.”

“—Yeah, I think that’s fine. I believe my feelings back then weren’t wrong either. The way I expressed myself and the process, and the outcome were what was wrong.”

“Wouldn’t all that make it quite problematic?”

“I’m sincerely reflecting on it! But I still believe that my feelings weren’t wrong then,”

I promised, holding to that one truth without deceit.

Watching my stubbornness, Emilia let out a soft chuckle. Then,

“Our hands are still joined! Your hands are super warm, Subaru.”

“I think my face and ears are equally hot, but… wait, you’re not gonna say to let go, are you?”

“Now that I’m firmly grabbed, I have to deal with the consequences.”

Raising the still clasped hands, Emilia swayed them at her side, overlapping the warmth of her smile with my hand, which washed over me with a passionate warmth in my heart.

“Will you help me again, Subaru?”

“Only if you’ll allow me too.”

Emilia closed her eyes at my answer, sinking the response deep within her, searching for the corresponding reply within herself.

Then she opened her eyes, locking her purple gaze firmly onto me,

“Tell me about the various people and things you prepared, Subaru.”

“Yeah, listen up. If you find it awesome, you can praise it.”

“Don’t get cocky.”

I received a light bop on the head with her free hand.

It didn’t hurt at all, yet being touched by her caused the unshed tears in my eyes to gather at the corners, which I desperately averted to conceal.

“Alright, so let’s discuss everything with Ram. Honestly, there’s so much I want to share that it could fill a thousand volumes, but I’ll save that for after we clear this mountain first.”

“Yeah, got it. I’m super curious, but let’s postpone that for now.”

Pulling Emilia by the hand, I felt good knowing she didn’t resist, so I walked towards the door.

I had to join with Ram who had left first and help prepare our belongings from the residence. I assumed that Julius and Wilhelm were efficiently managing the evacuation of the villagers.

The resolution regarding my heart and my stance toward Emilia could be made, although a perfect answer could wait for another time. That sense of burden dropped from my shoulders brought about a moment of unexpected lightfootedness.

Suddenly, I felt a pull on my hand.

“Subaru, I absolutely need to say this right now.”

“Hmm?”

Stopping my feet, I turned back to face Emilia, who had come to a halt.

Then, with a question mark floating on my face, Emilia inhaled sharply, followed by a blooming smile that blossomed like a flower, saying,

“Welcome back!”

—I strongly felt that I had come back for that very smile.