Miyako dreamt.
“Hmph. How can you justify trying to become Reinhardt-sama’s bride when you don’t even know that? You don’t have what it takes, Miyako Florence!” came a dignified voice.
Miyako was taking part in one of the many balls held during the bridal wars. Next to her was Fuuka Hamilton. With her impeccable manners and perfect, elegant clothing, she stood out from the other ladies.
Fuuka’s behavior in high society was faultless, and her endeavors in politics cold and calculating. In everyone’s eyes, she was a noble; she was the villainess. Fuuka Hamilton was always the strongest, the most beautiful... the loneliest.
That was why Miyako wished to make her happy. The time limit was fourteen days, and this was the morning of the fourteenth day.
Miyako awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling. I think I read that trope somewhere, in my old life.
After I fell from the cliff, I thought I was a goner. But I’m alive enough to know one ceiling from another.
Where’s Fuuka-chan? What about the decapitation fever? What happened to everybody?
All that swirled around in Miyako’s mind as she opened her eyes.
“Ugh, ouch.”
My arms feel heavy. And my legs. My whole body feels like a lump... Which means, I’m still alive.
The first thing to enter Miyako’s blurred vision—
“Miyako!”
“F-Fuuka... chan?”
—was a worried look from Fuuka.
Fuuka wrapped her arms around Miyako. The sweet fragrance from her black hair caught Miyako off guard. You smell so lovely!
“Wh-Whoa, Fuuka-chan, are you all right?! Are you hurt? And the decapitation fever?!”
“I should be asking you!!”
Miyako took in her surroundings. She realized that they were in the Florence family’s second home in the capital. Something warm and fluffy rested on her lap.
“Umi!”
“Oh, you’re awake, master. You can thank my healing powers as a water spirit.”
“Oh, right. Somebody knocked me off the cliff, and...”
“Nyahaha, you should thank Fuuka as well.”
“Oh yeah! It was the butler. But why did he...”
“She really was a sight to behold.”
“Please, Umi... that’s enough!”
Fuuka blushed. Though hesitant at first, she began to tell Miyako bit by bit about the commotion at the Enot River.
“I sent the Reinhardts’ head butler flying.”
“You did what?!”
“After what he did to you, I slightly lost control and... beat the hell out of him.”
“You didn’t!”
Her behavior in high society was faultless, and her endeavours in politics cold and calculating. And she beat the hell out of him.
“And nothing happened to you?!”
“No. Fortunately, at that point I hadn’t finished treating Fath... Dan Hamilton’s and Klaus Reinhardt’s decapitation fever. I dangled the moonlight grass treatment in front of them to get my way until they wept and begged for my forgiveness. Of course, I had them scrap that weird marriage arrangement as well. Also, they handed the head butler over to the palatial courts. There are a few influential people at the court who owe me a favor or two, so I put it in the right ears to have the punishment be on the heavier side.”
“Yeesh, so cold and calculating!”
“You never know when the faces you meet in high society will come in useful. I made the right choice never forgetting to send seasonal greeting cards.”
“Ohh, faultless behavior!!”
“...You’re the one that taught me to press on headlong, true to the way I feel and what I believe in.”
Fuuka lowered her face and locked eyes with Miyako, tears welling up.
“I couldn’t help it... I thought you’d died.”
“Fuuka-chan... Oh, that’s right! I fell from the riverbank, how did I...”
“Nyaa. You landed in a river. I’m a very dependable Undine, a great spirit of water. I’ll let you figure out the rest,” said Umi, wagging her fluffy tail.
Oh, that’s how. Umi used her control over all the water to save me.
Fuuka went on.
“After that, we finished the treatment... Then we brought you here in Shan Li-san’s carriage. The head maid Susie-san was very accommodating as well.”
“So you’ve met Susie too.”
“You didn’t look like you’d wake up. We were really worried, you know.”
“Right... Fuuka-chan, thanks for saving me.”
“Fuuka looked after you all nyight without sleeping.”
“U-Umi!!”
“You didn’t have to! After all you’d been through...”
In the downpour at the Enot River, Fuuka had the role of sacrificial prayer giver foisted on her. She must have been tired enough to collapse from that already, but she still...
“But I...”
Fuuka spoke as though her actions were the most natural thing in the world.
“But I had to tell you. When you barged into my mansion. When we lived together in Atika. When you showed me different kinds of warmth and taught me how happy you can feel helping others. When you chased after me to the other side of the kingdom... When you held your hand out to me one more time.”
Fuuka gently stroked Miyako’s cheek.
“You know, Miyako, all of that made me realize... I love you.”
On the fourteenth day, the last morning of the promise.
If I can make you say ‘I’m happy’ in fourteen days, I want you to stay with me forever.
On that promised morning, Fuuka Hamilton whispered to Miyako.
“Right now, I really am happy.”
In other words, this was Fuuka’s confession to Miyako: she would stay by her side forever after.
To hide the tears welling up in her eyes—
“Fuuka-chan, let’s be happy together. The two of us can live happily, always.”
—Miyako pressed her lips against Fuuka’s.
Let’s go on a journey to the ends of the world. Let’s go for a picnic among the flowers in a springtime field. Let’s make lovely food and spend nights doing nothing. Let’s live happily together.
The curtains danced in the morning light as they whispered their love to each other.