After their audience with the king was over, Yui and Layce momentarily parted. She had planned to go home with him right after their meeting, but apparently, he had some tasks left to complete. So he’s actually doing his work, Yui rudely thought as she watched him go. In contrast with his normal, sweet expression, he had a dignified look on his face, one appropriate for his position as prime minister.
As Yui returned to the room she was staying in, she heard someone running toward her from behind. She turned around, and when she saw Filiel, she grinned.
“Yui, I’m glad you’re still here.”
“Hi, El.”
“When I heard you were going back home, I rushed around looking for you. Do you have time to talk for a bit?” he asked. Yui nodded, and he began walking, leading her by the hand.
They arrived on a third-floor balcony that overlooked a beautiful garden. There was no one else around; it seemed like they would have plenty of time to talk.
“Thanks for everything, Yui,” Filiel began. “I want to show my gratitude for you in some way, but I can’t think of anything. Is there something you want?”
“His Majesty asked me the same thing, but I didn’t do that research because I was looking for a reward. I don’t need anything.”
“Yeah, I heard that father didn’t give you anything. You only asked him to keep things a secret.”
“If you’re happy, then I am too. Are you happy?”
“Of course I am,” Filiel said, smiling bashfully.
His smile was the best reward Yui could ask for. “Then that’s all I need.” She smiled broadly, which was something she rarely did around other people.
Filiel gazed lovingly at her, then hugged her tightly. “You know, it was always tough, because of my magic energy. I thought that I’d live a lonely life, afraid of myself and feared by everyone around me. But when I first met you, when you talked to me normally without being afraid... I can’t even put it into words how happy I was.”
“Was I able to be of help to you?”
Filiel smiled. “I don’t know how many times I’ve been saved by your smile. Thank you for being in my life. Whenever I’m with you, I can forget my power and my responsibilities—I can just relax.”
Yui didn’t know how to react, and she smiled, looking embarrassed. Filiel took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, then immediately stared at Yui with a serious look on his face.
“And that’s why I want you to stay by my side from now on. Yui, I love you.”
“Yeah, thanks. I’m glad I met you too,” Yui replied, smiling at Filiel’s somewhat tense demeanor.
That must not have been the response Filiel was looking for because he looked disappointed. “No... Yeah. That’s what I thought. I expected something like this...” he mumbled.
Yui tilted her head, puzzled. “El?”
“That isn’t it. When I said ‘I love you,’ I didn’t mean it in the way you thought.” Filiel took her hand and kissed the back of it.
Not used to that kind of physical contact, Yui turned bright red. “E-El!” she said, her voice squeaking.
Filiel kissed the palm of her hand too. Then, just as her discomposure and embarrassment was about to reach its highest point, he said, “I love you. Not as a friend, but as a man.”
With such a clear confession, even Yui understood what he was saying. But, confused as she was, she tried to play it off as a joke. “You can’t love me, El. You shouldn’t say something like that, even as a joke!” She averted her eyes and tried to speak in a playful voice. She expected him to quickly apologize for joking, but then she glanced back at him and instantly regretted what she’d said. His eyes were intensely serious—there was not a single hint that he had been joking or teasing her.
“I’m not joking. I want you. I’ve always wanted you by my side, as my wife,” Filiel said. He put his hand on her cheek and brushed his thumb on her lips.
Yui’s mind was racing, and she couldn’t think of anything else. “Wife?” she repeated.
“Of course. When royalty or nobility start courtship, everyone understands that it means they’re looking for a partner in marriage. You’re a noble, so you should know that.”
“That’s...right.” Naturally, Yui was aware, but she had been so shaken by what Filiel was saying that something so obvious had completely slipped her mind. “But I’m a Liefe, and a lot of people will object to it, won’t they? Even your family...”
“Both father and mother have said that they’ll let me choose my partner, and grandfather is more enthusiastic about you than anyone, so if anyone tries to oppose it, he’ll use all his power to clamp down on them. And, of course, you can touch me, so I can’t imagine that too many will complain about you being a Liefe.”
“Grandpa Theo...” Yui said. She knew that he treated her like his own granddaughter, but now she understood that he really had intended to make her family. She had no clue what to say.
“On top of that, you’re the prime minister’s daughter, which means that even fewer people will complain. So there’s no need to worry about anything. Well, if I had to list one person, I think His Excellency might be the biggest issue.”
“Papa does seem like he could commit the perfect crime without leaving behind a trace of evidence behind,” Yui teased. She had said it jokingly, but it felt too real, and both of them fell silent for a time.
“Putting him aside for the moment,” Filiel said after a pause, “you’re the daughter of a count, and with grandfather’s support, you should be able to marry into the royal family without any issues. Of course, I’ll do what I can to help too.”
“But I could never be royalty. You know, I—”
Filiel silenced her with a finger to her lips. “None of that matters now. I want to know how you feel. What do you think of me?”
“About you? I...” Yui hesitated. She had never really thought about it deeply before. Filiel had mentally and emotionally supported her in the midst of her hard life in the O’Brian household. He was like an older brother to her, but at the same time, he wasn’t her brother. He was a friend, but he was a bit different. If she had to choose whether she liked or disliked him, she would, of course, say that she liked him. He was someone special, someone she could never replace, and there was no one else like him. “I... I...” She gripped his clothes, and their eyes spontaneously met. Each of their gazes told the other all they needed to know.
“Yui,” Filiel said.
He put his hand to her cheek and stared passionately into her eyes. He slowly brought his face closer to hers. She stared silently at him. Within moments, their lips were close enough to touch, and then...
Something flew between their faces so quickly that all they saw was a blur.
They abruptly fell silent, then timidly looked to see what had flashed past. It was an ordinary pen. However, it had been thrown with quite a lot of force—its tip was embedded in the stone railing. They looked to see where the pen had come from, wondering who in the world would do such a thing.
Their faces stiffened. Filiel’s especially.
“Papa...” Yui said.
Standing there was the Prince of Darkness, clad in a shadowy aura. “What are you doing?” he asked. Filiel felt threatened by his deep voice; it sounded as if it had echoed from the pits of hell. “I could’ve sworn that I warned you time and again not to try anything disgraceful with my precious daughter. I knew I never should have let her stay here.” He came up to them. “How long are you two going to cling to each other?!” he said, and he pulled them apart. Then, grabbing Yui’s arm, he began walking. “All right, let’s go home, Yui. This place isn’t good for your health!”
“Huh? Just one second!” Yui said. She hadn’t yet said goodbye. She turned around to look at Filiel, and he was standing there waving at her with an awkward smile on his face.
“We’ll continue at camp, Yui,” Filiel said.
When he said that, Yui felt her cheeks suddenly flush bright red. From there, Layce took her to a carriage and made her get inside, and they headed to Layce’s house.
In the middle of the ride, Layce spoke. “Yui, you won’t be attending that camp,” he said, obviously in a bad mood. Apparently, he’d heard what Filiel had said to her.
“No, I want to go. I’ve been looking forward to shopping in Bahal.”
“I can take you there myself sometime.”
“Aren’t you busy?” Yui said. She knew that, as prime minister, he didn’t have the free time for a vacation. However, he seemed like he was even willing to neglect his job if it meant keeping her away from Filiel. But if she couldn’t go, her plans with Filiel would disappear. She was looking forward to going around town with him, so she had to come up with something to prevent Layce from interfering. “Papa, if you try to pressure me, I’ll hate you.”
“Hate?!” Layce said, looking horrified.
Yui felt no sympathy for him. Still, she wondered what would have happened if Layce hadn’t interfered back then. She could have avoided Filiel if she had put her mind to it, but she’d been transfixed by his eyes, and she hadn’t been able to move. If things had kept going, then I’m sure... Her thoughts trailed off. “What expression should I make when I see him next...?” Embarrassed, she covered her face with both hands.