When Yui was gone, Filiel let out a small sigh. Cecil and Carlo smiled awkwardly.
“Guessing from that sigh, it doesn’t look like things are going very well,” Cecil said.
“Yeah, it’s tough,” Filiel replied. He hadn’t ever thought it’d be easy, but Yui was more wary than he had expected, and he was at his wit’s end.
“Yui’s smart. She knows very well what could happen in the future. She’s probably thinking she doesn’t want to cause you any trouble.”
“I know.”
Seeing Filiel’s pained expression, Carlo abruptly cut in. “But that can be resolved. The biggest issue is her own feelings. If you two end up getting married, she’ll have to face those feelings, whether she wants to or not.”
“Yeah.” Filiel nodded. “But when you consider everything she’s been through, you’re saying something pretty cruel.” Silence fell. All of them wore grave expressions. They were all thinking the same thing: if at all possible, they wanted Yui to continue living peacefully... However... “But it’s necessary for her future,” Filiel added.
“You’re right,” Cecil said. “Things are still fine now, but those around her won’t leave her alone for much longer, even if it’s against her wishes. When that time comes, our dad’s power won’t be enough on its own. But if she’s married to royalty, the country can protect her.”
Though Cecil and Carlo were great friends with Filiel, that relationship wasn’t the only reason—or even the main reason—why the brothers, who loved their sister more than anyone, were so positive about her going out with him. Even if it was with Filiel, their sister being quickly taken by another man was so irritating that they could hardly stand it. Despite that, they supported Filiel because they had judged that he would be necessary for her.
“So, Filiel, finish everything in the year and a half we have before graduation,” Carlo said. “When you enter the army, you won’t be able to make much time to see her. I couldn’t bear to watch if someone else took her then.”
“Mmngh...” Filiel groaned. “A year and a half... I don’t know if I can do it...” He started mumbling. “Maybe I should use sweets after all. Next time, if I bring a palace chef with me...”
“Pull yourself together, man,” Carlo scolded. Is a wimp like Filiel really cut out for this? he thought.
“It’ll be all right. I’m sure of it,” Cecil said confidently. In contrast with his brother, his conviction came from his memories of the time four years ago when, as a result of the royal succession dispute, Filiel had lost the ability to see Yui.
As more time passed without Filiel coming to see her, Yui had grown extremely depressed. It got to the point that even Cecil and Carlo were hesitant to speak with her. Her normally lacking facial expressions had become even more vacant, and she almost stopped smiling around her family entirely. She not only spoke less, but she slept and ate less frequently too. Their mother, Sherina, mistook this as a result of the new environment after the divorce, but Cecil and Carlo were sure that Filiel was the real reason. Because of this unexpected change in Yui, they considered telling her the truth many times, but they also sympathized with Filiel’s concerns. As long as Filiel didn’t want them to tell her, they couldn’t make a decision that went against his wishes.
Those days continued for a while, but eventually Yui seemed to have come to an understanding within herself. She said, “I’ll make a spell that’ll surprise El—for the next time we see each other.” She cheered up a bit and started to work hard on her research, which made Cecil and Carlo feel relieved.
They were struck by this—Filiel had been both the reason for her depression and the motivation for her to pull herself out of the depths of her despair. Just as Yui was a vital source of strength for Filiel, he was an irreplaceable emotional support for her.
Yui needed Filiel more than anyone. So, they were certain that...