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“How did it come to this?”

As I pressed my lips against Vivian’s, that thought crossed my mind.

I wanted to reject Reina’s suggestion because Vivian was waiting for me.

In her eyes, there was a purity that had been fading lately, and it made it hard to refuse her plea to dance.

We had a bit of a tussle, but it wasn’t enough to create distance between us.

It certainly wasn’t a fight that would ruin Vivian’s 17th birthday.

Besides, I also wanted to spend time with Vivian more than with Reina.

Reina was just a pleasant distraction, nothing more, nothing less.

“I’m sorry, but I…”

But at that moment, Reina tugged on my shoulder.

Then she whispered in my ear,

“…It’s about your father, Kylo. Just go along with it.”

Her words sent my heart racing.

…Father?

Why would father be involved?

Reina and I locked eyes for a moment.

What kind of information did she have that prompted this method of delivery?

It seemed she wanted some time for us alone.

The dancing proposal was probably just a cover for that.

It felt like this might be my last chance.

I would keep staying close to Vivian, while Reina would be with the Prince.

“Huh? Kylo. I’ll teach you how to dance. Let’s do it together.”

Reina, now appearing as if nothing had happened, was acting all bubbly.

I glanced at Vivian.

She was watching me quietly with her lips pursed together.

…Yeah, it’s just dancing.

It’s only a dance; what could possibly go wrong?

I could always dance with Vivian again right after, or later on.

“…Let’s dance a song.”

Eventually, I suggested to Reina.

And while loosening Vivian’s grip on my arm, I headed to the stage with Reina.

Vivian looked flustered for a moment, but I chose to ignore it.

My curiosity about my father was more pressing at the moment.

“…Just so you know, I can’t dance.”

I told Reina as we walked.

Unlike earlier, when she mentioned my father, Reina now giggled as she responded,

“It’s okay. I can dance well.”

Reina looked over at the bards and commented,

“The music is nice.”

I chuckled softly.

“…Vivian must’ve had a hard time.”

As she placed my hand on her waist, Princess Reina said,

“You seem to be getting pretty close to Duke Rondore, huh? Oh, Kylo. Hold me tighter.”

“This feels enough, right? And that I’m close to Vivian? We just spent a lot of time together.”

Reina smiled bittersweetly, then reached up to touch the burn scar on my neck.

“…Did you get this for someone you dislike?”

The tale of Vivian’s assassination was always kept secret. It was surprising that Reina knew about my scar.

“…How did you know?”

“The Delum Royal Family knows a lot, Kylo. Being by the Prince’s side, I hear things.”

With a playful smirk as if looking at a fool, Reina placed her hand on my shoulder.

“Just follow my steps.”

And we began to dance.

Since it was my first time, I simply followed her lead.

As I danced, I began to probe why we started in the first place.

“So? Why is it that… father is…”

Reina let out another bittersweet smile before bluntly replying.

“Why are you so hasty? It’s okay to enjoy it for a while. It’s been ages, Kylo. I can’t believe you’ve gotten this handsome.”

“…I’m sure it’s bad news, so yeah, I’m in a hurry.”

“…That makes sense.”

Reina agreed easily, pressing her body closer to mine.

Her chest brushed against me.

I didn’t dislike it, but I was a little conscious.

I wished she would back off, but Reina’s reason for being close was conveyed in a quiet whisper.

“…Your father isn’t well.”

“…Huh?”

I whispered back to her as well. We were relaying information directly into each other’s ears.

“He’s really not well, Kylo. Ever since Lady Allen left, he’s been struggling. Including you, the guilt of not being able to protect her weighs heavily on him.”

“…

My mind fell blank for a moment.

How could my father, who didn’t yield to any enemy, be sick?

It was unimaginable to me.

My head spun with complicated thoughts, and my feet began to stumble.

The sound of laughter around brought me back to reality.

Reina also shifted to acting cheerful, with a smile that reassured everyone that everything was fine.

“It’s okay. Just follow my lead.”

“…”

“Yeah, like that. You’re doing well, Kylo.”

I took a deep breath and pulled Reina closer again.

“Oh my.”

Reina exclaimed softly, surprised.

I asked,

“You said he’s really not well… what’s his condition? Is he unconscious or something?”

“No. But he’s in no shape to go to war. You know what that implies.”

“…”

When I stretched my thoughts, the answer came to me.

If my father couldn’t go to war, it meant I was without support.

If someone holding a grudge against me learned of my father’s condition, they might come after me.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at all this news.

“…That’s quite a problem.”

As I laughed away the sense of crisis,

“Ka-Kylo, you stepped on my foot.”

Reina chimed in, and I raised my foot.

Then I continued to dance.

Reina said,

“The Delum Royal Family has found out about this news. I tried to keep it from spreading as much as possible, but… it’s just a matter of time. Everyone will soon learn of the fall of the Invincible Knight.”

“Will he not recover…?”

“The chances are slim.”

“…Ah. Father…?”

“…Be careful, Kylo. Those after Vivian Rondore may start targeting you.”

We danced silently for a while.

However, the reality was not sinking into my mind.

I knew it was rude but I couldn’t help it.

Would I really be unable to see father until his last breath in this land?

…I had anticipated this might happen when I was dragged here as a hostage, but I never imagined it would actually be like this.

And then my daze was snapped back to reality as I caught a glimpse of red hair spinning around.

Vivian was glaring at me from a distance.

“…

“…

With Prince Thread positioned next to her, she was the only one focused on me.

That person, that girl.

She’s the one who wouldn’t let me go.

I couldn’t let go of her either.

Though I keep saying I want to return home… maybe that wasn’t my true intention.

If she truly let me go, could I walk away leaving her behind?

That would mean abandoning her, leaving her to die, right?

Could I really do that?

…Probably not.

I was already tied to her, painfully so.

Wanting her to survive was an unwavering truth.

“…We should go home, Kylo.”

“Huh?”

Reading my thoughts, Reina said,

“If Jade Allen falls… you’ll have to lead that family. As the eldest son. You must become the head of the Allen Family. You have younger siblings, don’t you?”

The second is now 17, the same age as Vivian.

The third is 15. Both are girls.

The fourth and fifth are boys, but they’re 10 and 6.

They’re still quite young.

I swallowed hard.

“…If I don’t let go, how can I go back?”

“Do you think there’s any reason for me and Prince Thread to be talking about marriage for no reason?”

“…”

“The East and Delum have shed too much blood for too long. If this continues, both will perish. To survive, we must hold hands and reconcile adequately. And then, all the children of the East Kingdom held hostage will return home.”

“…”

“The reason I’m bringing this up is, Kylo… I’m worried. I’m worried you won’t go back home.”

Just how much does Reina know? How much does the Delum Royal Family know?

I masked my true intentions and grinned as I asked,

“Why do you think that?”

“I was sure after seeing you today.”

“So, what did you take away from—”

-“You love Vivian Rondore.”

Those words pierced my heart in an instant.

My breath caught in my throat.

In my short silence, Reina’s face fell to a sad expression.

“…Haha, you’re not denying it. So it’s true?”

“…”

“…Well, I expected it. Father used to say that the men of the Allen Family have been blindly in love for generations. Your grandfather was the same, and so was Duke Jade Allen. Just look at how he’s struggling after losing his wife.”

Is that so? Is this something running through my blood?

Or is it a witch’s curse? I can’t tell.

Reina spun around confidently.

“Kylo, I’ll clear the path for you. When the opportunity arises, leave.”

…Leave? Leave Vivian?

The image of the lonely girl crying flickered in front of me.

Leave her behind?

I had thought about it constantly, but now that a real opportunity seemed present, it felt entirely surreal.

Why was I only thinking of a future where I was with Vivian?

In my silence, Reina spoke up.

“If that’s hard, at least start contemplating leaving. What do you have to remain here for? Do you think your love will succeed?”

Her sharp words caused me to grip Reina’s hand till it reddened without realizing.

“It hurts, Kylo. Relax.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“…Listen without anger. Your love cannot come to fruition.”

I shook my trembling hands to avoid crushing Reina’s.

The harsh reality hitting me felt so painful.

“You know it too. The Rondore family would never accept it, nor would your family. There’s certainly a lot of blood flowed between your families. You are fully aware of that.”

“…”

“Right now, you are merely confusing temporary feelings with something deeper. Whether you wanted it or not, you’ve grown reliant on each other. But the reality will come knocking eventually. You cannot find happiness by Vivian Rondore’s side, and neither can she.”

With a faint glow of empathy, Reina asked,

“Kylo, the more you love Vivian Rondore, the more you must leave. If a man enters Duke Rondore’s life, can you endure that? Can you stay by her side when they kiss, share a night, and have cute babies?”

“…Let’s stop this.”

The mere thought of it sent shivers down my spine.

“…”

Reina nodded, choosing not to provoke me further.

In truth, her words wouldn’t stray far from reality.

But it seems I wanted to believe otherwise.

At the end of our future, where nothing was visible, I imagined a scene of happiness shared between us.

Holding each other, whispering love, sharing a bed…

Yet, Reina also reminded me that that was a futile dream.

She pushed me to face reality.

Vivian. Father. The Allen Family. My siblings…

“…I’ll handle it myself.”

For now, I just stated that.

 

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