Chapter Text
10
Felt crossed the front courtyard with purposeful strides that kept threatening to slow. Every few paces, she found herself reconsidering what she was about to do. By the next, she stubbornly kept walking anyway.
The afternoon sun bathed the manor grounds in almost painfully bright light. Flowers along the garden paths swayed lazily in the wind. Somewhere beyond the walls, birds sang without a care in the world.
Normally, she'd have liked a day like this.
Today, it only felt insulting.
"Stupid..." she muttered under her breath, unsure whether she meant Reinhard – or herself.
Finding him had never been the problem. That part was easy. Walking up to him without turning around halfway proved considerably harder.
By the time the dragon carriage finally rolled through the manor gates, Felt already considered retreating at least six times. It was too late now. Romy came to a gentle stop, giving its owner a curious glance. Gramps spotted her from the coachman's seat and lifted his hand in a silent greeting. She managed a distracted wave before her attention snapped back to the carriage.
The door opened with a squeak. Reinhard stepped down onto the gravel. The moment he noticed her waiting, surprise flickered across his face before settling into a small, hesitant smile.
Well, retreat was officially impossible.
"– Lady Felt?"
His voice was as calm as ever, but there was the slightest pause before her name, as though he'd expected someone else to be waiting.
“Reinhard.”
Slowly, she marched straight over, until barely any steps remained between them. The smile faded from his face, replaced by quiet concern.
"You seem troubled."
"I'm not." Felt held his gaze. "You don't believe me."
"No."
"Good."
The knight blinked, caught completely off guard by the answer. After a short silence, he tried again.
"If you wish," said Reinhard carefully, "I could give you an update on today's meeting with the Council –"
"This can wait."
"Very well..."
Neither of them moved. Hands on her hips, Felt tried – and failed – to look as though she wandered over on a whim instead of rehearsing this conversation for half the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Reinhard simply waited. Patiently. He was always patient.
"We gotta talk." Before he could answer, she reached out and caught him by the sleeve. "C'mon."
"Lady Felt?"
"The garden."
Without waiting for permission, without giving him a chance to object, she tugged him along.
11
The farther they walked, the quieter the manor became. When they reached the rear gardens, only the rustle of leaves and the distant splash of the fountain disturbed the calm.
It seemed private enough. No one should bother them there.
When Felt finally let go of his sleeve, Reinhard stopped at a respectful distance.
Of course he did. Even now.
His full attention settled on her. That shouldn’t have made her this nervous.
"So..."
She began, but no words followed. She spent long hours preparing for this conversation. Now that she stood in front of him, she had forgotten every single one.
“......”
Reinhard waited. She had to say something.
Rubbing her cheek, she looked anywhere but at him. Until the frustration she'd been bottling up finally broke through.
"You can't just act like nothin' happened!"
The words left her before she could stop them. For a brief moment, Reinhard simply stared at her. Then, his expression softened – not in amusement but rather relief.
"...Oh."
"Oh?!"
"I wasn't trying to ignore it."
"Sure looked like it."
His head lowered. When he spoke again, the quiet confidence he usually carried was nowhere to be found. The uncertainty on his face caught Felt off guard. Reinhard rarely looked unsure of himself. Seeing it now made something in her chest tighten.
"I wasn't certain what you wished from me afterward."
"What...?"
"You kissed me." The knight’s voice stayed even, but his eyes drifted aside as he chose his words carefully. "I didn't know whether you wanted me to acknowledge it... or pretend it never happened."
The anger she carried all morning faltered. Of course. That’s what he was worrying about.
That idiot.
She had been waiting for him to say something. He had been waiting for permission to say anything at all.
"Thought I made myself pretty clear."
Reinhard shifted his weight, his posture loosening. The corner of his mouth twitched.
"You seemed rather determined."
Heat rushed straight into her face.
"Quit sayin' it out loud! You're makin' it sound weirder than it was."
She folded her arms, as if she could physically push the memory away.
"My apologies. I'm not certain there's an ordinary way to describe it."
He said it so earnestly she couldn't even argue.
"Yeah... alright."
Silence stretched between them. Neither rushed to break it. The awkwardness lingered, but it no longer felt volatile. Just two people standing too close, unsure how to bridge the remaining gap.
As if coming to a decision, Reinhard finally spoke.
"May I ask you something?"
Felt glanced up.
"What?"
His blue eyes held hers for a long moment – long enough that she wondered if he’d changed his mind. When he finally spoke, his voice carried the same measured restraint she'd grown to hate.
"Do you regret it?"
The question was so quiet she almost missed it. There wasn't an ounce of accusation in it – just uncertainty. For the first time since all this began, Felt realized she wasn’t the only one unsure what came next. He was nervous, too. She could see it in the way he drew breath before speaking.
Something inside her softened.
"...No."
Reinhard’s shoulders eased. The smallest smile touched his lips.
"No," she repeated more firmly. "I don't."
His smile grew. That same genuine smile she'd always liked best.
"Then neither do I."
Her brow creased.
“Don’t base your answer on mine! What d’you really think?”
Slowly, Reinhard shook his head. His expression became self-conscious.
"What I meant was, if that night was the only time... I would respect your decision. I simply don't believe I would be very happy." He glanced away for an instant before finishing quietly. "I think it would hurt."
For a while, neither of them spoke. The silence shifted. It no longer felt sharp or awkward. Just fragile. Like one wrong movement might break it.
Felt rubbed the back of her neck.
"So." She took a deep breath. "You gonna kiss me or what?"
The question left her mouth – and immediately she wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
Reinhard could only stare, frozen to the spot, his lips parted. The composure he'd been carrying finally gave way. It was oddly fascinating. Felt could practically see his thoughts stumbling into one another.
"What...?"
That was all he managed.
Good. Serves him right.
The girl lifted her chin, pretending she hadn't just said the most embarrassing thing in her life.
"You heard me."
The silence continued until she was convinced she finally broke him. Then, unexpectedly, the corners of Reinhard's mouth lifted. Before he could stop it, a quiet, disbelieving laugh escaped him. It reached his beautiful blue eyes, warm and unguarded.
Despite herself, Felt laughed, too. The tightness in her chest eased, if only slightly.
When the laughter faded, Reinhard looked at her with so much warmth that it made her feel lightheaded. Then, he stepped closer. The distance they'd been measuring for the past week disappeared, replaced by his presence. He was close enough that she could hear his breathing. Close enough that the air between them felt different.
His fingertips brushed against her cheek. He tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. His hand lingered there for a while before easing away. Slowly, he leaned down, giving her every chance to stop him. She didn't move. Didn't look away. That was enough.
Reinhard's lips gently pressed against hers. The contact was light at first, steady rather than hesitant, as if confirming a decision already made. His breath was warm on her skin, close enough that she could feel each quiet exhale. His familiar scent reached her properly now, sharp in a way that made her suddenly aware of how little space remained between them. His hand stayed near her cheek, still and steady.
Felt’s fingers twitched once at her side. She didn’t decide to lean in – didn’t decide to stay still either. She stopped trying to decide anything at all. The thoughts she brought with her began to fall apart: anger, frustration, all of it losing shape until she couldn’t hold onto any of it clearly anymore.
What remained was simpler. Reinhard, very close to her, his lips on hers, his hand touching her cheek. Something in her chest loosened in a way that made it harder to breathe properly. Her eyes closed without her noticing. And all she knew – more clearly than anything she thought all morning – was that she had missed this.
Missed him.
Reinhard lingered for a heartbeat longer. Gently, he pulled back. When they separated, neither stepped away far. For a moment, they simply stood there. Then, Felt sighed.
"...There."
He smiled. "There?"
"Yeah."
The knight's face was bright with amusement.
"Thank you, Lady Felt."
She narrowed her eyes.
"For what?"
"For helping me understand."
Heat crept into her face again. She shoved him. Not too hard, just enough to make a point. The Sword Saint rocked back as if she put real strength behind it. She knew he was humoring her. She appreciated it anyway.
His smile softened. For the first time in days, the silence between them felt familiar once more.
"C'mon." Felt turned toward the manor.
Without hesitation, Reinhard fell into step beside her. She took the hand he offered, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Neither of them spoke. Neither needed to. And this time, when they walked back, there was no careful distance left between them.