Chapter Text

Leona: A deadly stampede

“This is as far as we go, brat,” Leona grumbled as he parked the jeep.

“Can‘t we get a bit closer?” Yuu pouted slightly. It wasn't just that she wanted to spoil Cheka and fulfill his wish of getting as close as possible to the other side of the Ivory Springs—the elephant graveyard—he so desperately wanted to see. She was genuinely interested in the place as well, and from this distance, she could barely make out the details the boy had so vividly described to her..

“Sorry, can’t do. If we go any closer, my dear sister-in-law won't let me hear the end of it. And I’m not getting in trouble because of this brat,” Leona said as he turned off the vehicle and signaled for them to get out and enjoy the view.

Everyone in the castle had suggested visiting only the Ivory Springs center itself—the recreational, safe part. But the little boy insisted the steam didn’t allow for a good view of the graveyard section, a place where the elephant skeletons concentration was so high you could barely walk across it. And Yuu could confirm from her only trip to the venue that nothing from the surroundings could be seen, so she vouched for this trip as well. But she still agreed to keep their distance from that place.

Yuu kept the pout on her face but sighed in defeat. She didn’t want to get her boyfriend into trouble, or get into trouble herself. She got out of the car and then opened the door for Cheka, who happily hopped out and grabbed her hand.

“Thanks for driving me here, Unca Leona! I thought I’d never be able to come back until I was an adult!” the kid said cheerfully, with a big smile.

"Tsk. It is not me who you should be thanking," the older beast man answered.

On a recent trip from the Sunset Savanna’s royal family to the Ivory Springs, Cheka and his best friend decided to secretly explore beyond the resort section, venturing further into the graveyard. Unfortunately, they encountered danger there. If it weren't for Falena noticing the children missing and following their tracks, they might have encountered a terrible fate. As a result, Cheka was grounded and not allowed to leave the palace for some time. But now that his favorite uncle and soon-to-be aunt were visiting on vacation, he thought that maybe, with the right company, he could bypass his punishment and use this perfect opportunity to explore the famous graveyard again. After all, who would take better care of him than his own family?

First, he asked the young couple if they could take him, to which Leona quickly declined. He knew Cheka was grounded and the reason behind it. Besides, he didn’t want to have any issues or contact at all with his parents, and he didn’t want to entertain the child.

On top of that, they had come so he could properly show Yuu his kingdom, not to babysit. However, as soon as the little lion involved his partner, the battle was lost, as she had a very soft spot for his nephew in her heart. In addition to that, she wanted to see the site herself because the last time she came with the Bead Brawl team she couldn’t fully appreciate the resort or its amazing surroundings. So, even if Leona didn’t want to spend time with the kid, he could not say no to his beloved significant other’s wishes.

So they went to ask for Falena’s and his wife's authorization. Cheka's mother was totally against the idea, which made Leona hopeful for a moment, thinking she would save him from babysitting her child. But Falena was so full of joy that his grumpy brother was willing to spend time with his son that he did everything in his power to convince his wife to allow it.

It was hard, but in the end, she accepted as long as they didn’t set foot in the actual graveyard. Yuu mentioned a lookout point from which tourists took pictures from afar that came up during her research on places to visit, and that was good enough for the parents to allow the family trip.

Following that train of thought, if the kid wanted to thank someone, it should be Yuu. Without her, he would have never accepted taking him there.

“Thank you too, Unca Yuu!” Cheka said, smiling happily at the magicless human his uncle loved so much.

Her heart melted at the smile and the mention of the word “unca.” Leona was easily irritated by the child, but he at least recognized that it was because of him that he could see a side of her he didn’t often get to see.

The second prince found himself wondering if she would look at their children in that loving way. Not that he wanted to have children at the moment; they were still young and had tons of plans. And to tell the truth, he was not even sure if he wanted children at all, but just seeing that expression transported him into a future dream where maybe bringing someone into the world with his blood wouldn’t be so bad.

She patted Cheka’s head. “Let’s get closer to the canyon so that we can have a better view. But not very close because it’s dangerous, okay?” she proposed.

“Hm hm!” the boy hummed in response.

“Won’t you come with us?” Yuu asked the sullen prince who had his back against the jeep.

“Nah. I’ve seen the place thousands of times. I’ll be here taking care of the car. Just don’t go very close to the edge. We don't want an accident,” he replied.

“Sure. You should take the snacks and the blanket out soon. I’m starting to feel hungry,” she said and winked at Leona. Then she guided Cheka closer to the edge of the canyon.

Leona smiled at the wink and watched them walk farther away from him. He crossed his arms and just enjoyed the view. The elephant graveyard had amazed him when he was a child, but as he grew older, amazement turned into familiarity, and then the place was just boring. Nothing new to see, nothing to do. Just a lot of bones and death. Definitely not a great place to take a nap. For that, the Ivory Springs were better, but still boring for him.

From that side, the resort was very hard to see, hidden behind all the steam coming from the craters around. But the surrounding area was nice enough. The savanna landscape extended far and wide, with a few interesting rocky formations beyond the canyon separating the roads and the wildlands, and a few endemic trees decorating the land. He was always complaining that the Sunset Savanna needed more modernization and technology, but that didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate the natural beauty his nation had to offer. Not that he would admit that aloud to anyone.

But the best part of his view was the strong and beautiful human enjoying his country. She had a pair of binoculars which she lent to the small cub. It seemed they were having fun trying to find cool skulls and bones on the other side of the canyon.

Leona couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Even with Cheka there, he still felt happy.

He started to get hungry as well, but he decided to wait a few more minutes before taking out the picnic basket; he wanted to enjoy the scene a bit longer. He saw Yuu kneeling to show Cheka all the pictures she was taking. Trying not to overhear their conversation, he focused instead on the sounds around him and was surprised when his ears twitched at a strange noise.

There was a stampede coming. Stampedes were not uncommon as there was a lot of wildlife in the Sunset Savanna, but the number of animals he could hear was unsettling . During these occurrences, they usually spotted dozens of animals running, maybe a hundred, but this time he was sure there were at least a few hundred, if not more than a thousand.

He wondered what could have caused such a large number to react that way but tried not to dwell on it. If anything, Yuu and his nephew would have something more interesting to see.

Cheka’s ears started to twitch as well. His hearing was not as developed as Leona's, but the animals were getting closer, and the sound was getting louder.

“What’s going on, Cheka?” Yuu asked.

“I think something’s coming from… that way!” he said, pointing to the east of the canyon. He took a few steps to the right to see if he could spot them coming.

The young woman used her binoculars again and pointed them in the direction Cheka mentioned. All she could see was a huge cloud of dust rising from the canyon. Now the animals were closer, and even she could hear a buzzing sound from afar.

“Is this usua—!” She turned around to ask something to her boyfriend but stopped mid-question when she noticed they were not alone.

Leona noticed the change in her expression, but before he could ask her what was wrong, he heard a voice from his side.

“Ah, what a coincidence to find the second prince of Sunset Savanna here,” a man said. Leona felt the fur on his tail bristle and his muscles tense. He was incredibly upset and startled that he hadn't noticed the man’s approach by sound or smell. He was ready to attack, sensing the stranger's ill intentions, but before he could move, the stranger continued. “Rumors say there is nothing he wishes more than to ascend to the throne, but his brother’s descendancy stands between him and his wish.”

The prince turned to look at the unknown individual. A tall and muscular hyena beastman. How did the man know about his wishes? His complaints were not well-kept secrets, but this man clearly knew more than he should.

“Leona, who’s this man?” Yuu asked, trying to snap her boyfriend out of his confusion and put him on the defensive again, which worked. She was worried Cheka might have heard anything, but it seemed the boy was more focused on the animals. Now, with her raised voice, the boy turned to face the man as well, wondering what was going on.

Leona regained his defensive stance, remembering he had to protect Yuu from this threat. He reached for his magic pen but was once again stopped by the man’s words.

“Wouldn't it be convenient for His Highness if the first in line to the throne suffered an accident that took him out of the picture for good?” the man said alluringly.

The second prince froze in place—his body numb. An accident? Yes, that would be very convenient for him. Without Cheka, he would be next in line for the throne. His brother and sister-in-law couldn't have any more children, which was why his in-law was so overprotective of her little cub. Without his nephew, he would finally become king one day.

“Leona! What the fuck!” At that moment, she didn’t even care about watching her language around the kid. Leona needed to come out of the stupor consuming his thoughts.

He quickly turned to look at her. There was anger and fear in her eyes. He wanted to focus on protecting her, but the man kept whispering into his ear.

“What if the little prince tripped? What if a strong gust of wind made him fall over the edge to his death?” As soon as the last words left his mouth, he extended a hand and cast a wind spell toward his nephew, pushing him violently off the edge of the canyon.

Yuu saw everything happening in slow motion. She saw the man raise his hand with a short wand and knew what was coming next. Leona wasn’t going to do anything, so it was up to her to save Cheka. She ran towards him as fast as she could, but even with her athleticism, she couldn’t reach the child in time. When the spell hit him, he got farther and farther away. Her heart raced, pumping blood faster and faster to her muscles in a desperate attempt to reach him, but it was still not enough. The boy was completely out of her reach.

She saw his confused and scared expression from above as he went further down. She had to think fast. The canyon was not very tall, so he would fall quickly, but it was tall enough to be a deadly fall for anyone.

“USE WIND MAGIC, CHEKA!” she yelled as fast as she could.

The kid reacted quickly and used wind magic to cushion the impact from the fall. He was not well-versed in magic yet, but he was at least able to cast it. The spell had not been perfect, but it had saved his life.

“Oh! Thank The Seven!” she said in relief when she saw the boy rolling and trying to stand up.

But then her anxiety rose again when she noticed the cub falling to his knees.

“My ankle! It hurts!” he complained.

“Goddammit!” she exclaimed. “Leona! We need to go get Cheka!”

Cheka turned to face the direction from which the stampede was coming. The wild animals were really close now. Only a few seconds more and he would be able to see them. He should have started moving, but he was paralyzed, trying to process everything that had just happened to him.

As the kid was trying to regain control over his limbs, the hyena beastman kept filling Leona’s mind with evil thoughts.

“With him off the map, the throne would be yours, wouldn’t it? And how convenient! You didn’t even have to dirty your hands.”

With this, the second prince got completely lost inside his mind. A part of him was still aware of his surroundings, but the image of the throne, so clearly in front of him, kept his head completely busy. The kingdom would finally listen to him. He could finally steer the country as he wished, and he would no longer be a spare.

"LEONA, PLEASE!" Yuu pleaded desperately, angry tears falling down as she yelled at her boyfriend.

"There is no one here except us. No one will know the truth of what happened," the evil beast man said with a wicked smile, poisoning his heart even more.

Yuu clenched her fist hard. She wanted to punch that man. She wanted to punch Leona as well to knock some sense into him. But she couldn’t. The man was clearly a mage, and even if she could handle a physical fight, if he used magic, she would lose—especially since his intentions were clearly to leave no live witnesses of this scene.

She turned and completely panicked when the first few dozen animals came into view. They were dangerously close to Cheka now. She couldn’t wait for Leona, who was still lost in thought and unresponsive; she had to take matters into her own hands immediately or she wouldn’t make it in time.

"Darn it!" she bellowed as she quickly jumped over the edge of the cliff.

"Hmm. I was not expecting that, but it certainly makes my job easier," the hyena man said with a shrug.

The descent was smooth at first, the inclination good enough for her to slide down uninterrupted for a couple of meters. But then the wall became more and more irregular, and rocky formations started to pop up along with some patches of dried vegetation. One of these rocks made her stumble, and while she was able to prevent a messy fall, she couldn’t prioritize carefulness over speed. So, she just went with it and literally rolled down. She covered her face and head as she went, but the rest of her body was unprotected, feeling every hit of the rocks against her body and every scratch of the plants and rocky surface against the bare skin of her arms and legs.

After some rough seconds, the magicless human finally reached the bottom of the canyon. She quickly rose to her feet, ready to sprint towards the child, but as she put her weight on her left foot, she felt an overwhelming pain in her lower leg.

“Fuck!” she cursed under her breath. She had probably sprained her ankle, or worse. But she didn’t have time to lose. The terrifying crowd of animals was now visible and almost over them, and Cheka was struggling with his own injured ankle.

She ran as best she could, the adrenaline viciously pumped by her agitated heart numbing the pain enough for her to continue toward her goal. She reached the boy and, without stopping completely, lifted him from the ground and carried him as she turned around and sprinted back.

“Grab my neck tightly and don’t let go!” she commanded.

The little lion boy did as instructed. He quickly clung to her back, hugging her neck firmly with his arms and wrapping his legs around her waist as best he could.

Yuu frantically started climbing the wall and felt a small amount of relief when the stampede reached their position and they were already roughly a meter above the animal’s level. They had escaped death for the moment, but they needed to reach higher ground. It was hard, but she was making it.

Meanwhile, at the top, Leona was still trapped inside his mind, thinking of all the possibilities in front of him. He daydreamed of himself as the King of the nation. Everyone listened to his advice, no one questioned his decisions. He saw the people thriving under his rule, the country finally on par with the most advanced nations in the world. Poverty was diminished, life expectancy increased, and everyone had access to all sorts of services and commodities. And even if the country was his priority, he couldn’t deny he relished the thought of finally being given the respect he deserved, instead of just being discarded as he always was. He would be taken seriously at last. And best of all, that dumb ball of fur would finally stop bothering him.

But as this last thought crossed his mind, a wave of sadness overcame him. It was as if a huge pressure had been placed on his chest. He thought of Cheka's annoying hugs and dumb calls. He was certain he hated both acts, yet he felt empty and unhappy when thinking of a future without them.

His mind then wandered to a scene of future Falena and his wife receiving the news. Devastated didn’t begin to describe the look on their faces. Leona was not on good terms with his older brother, and if he were completely honest, there were times when he wished him harm. But now that the harm was a real possibility, and so incredibly tragic, he couldn't help but feel extremely guilty.

The act wasn’t finished yet, but he could already feel their pain at losing their only child—their one miraculous child. Cheka's mother couldn't have more children, a well-hidden secret kept within the palace walls. So yes, if Cheka perished, there would be no other heir from Falena. He would never marry again, not with how devoted he was to his wife. Nothing could ever replace his little cub if he was lost. Nothing could ever replace his nephew, the one who told him silly stories, the one he sometimes babysat with Yuu.

It was only then that Leona realized how much he would be affected if Cheka was no more. He had never felt so conflicted in his life before. What did he truly desire more than anything? His lifelong ambition to finally be entitled to the throne so he could guide the country to its full potential? Or saving this snotty brat’s life, who was barely born a couple of years back and had his whole life solved from the moment he breathed into this world?

As the second prince of the kingdom pondered over the conflict in his heart, Yuu kept climbing the canyon wall. She tried to maintain her composure so Cheka could feel at ease, but she was terrified of the danger that loomed beneath them. The stampede seemed never-ending, and the sound was almost deafening.

They were almost at the top, but her ankle was hurting terribly. She knew that if she made any mistake, if she misstepped, if she gave in to the pain in her leg or to her growing exhaustion, they would fall to a certain death.

The hyena man slowly walked to the edge to see if he could spot the corpses of both the kid and the woman and was amused when he saw them alive and closer to him than he had thought.

Yuu placed a hand triumphantly over the top of the edge. She really thought she had made it and was ready to tell Cheka to climb up on her and rest on higher ground as she pulled herself up. But when she saw the enemy there, her hopes were crushed. She was paralyzed for a moment. She hadn’t forgotten about him, but had wished that he was still entertained with Leona and had considered them both dead so Cheka would have a chance to flee while he was distracted. She had been wrong and knew that he was just a spell away from dropping them both down.

“Oh my, I’m really amused by your actions. I can’t believe you’re both still alive. You’re impressive for a mere human,” he said, laughing a little. “It's a shame all your efforts were in vain.”

He raised his boot and placed it over Yuu’s hand. She knew what was coming, so she quickly raised her other hand and placed it on the edge as well. The beastman didn't seem to mind; in fact, he appeared pleased by the action.

“You’re only delaying the inevitable,” he said with a malicious smile, then shifted his full weight onto the foot resting on her hand.

The pain of her right pinky cracking made Yuu jerk her hand back, despite her determination to hold on.

“AAAAAAHHH! Fuck you!” she screamed, trying to suppress her reaction to avoid showing weakness. She needed to stay strong to survive. She planted her feet firmly on the rocks and tightened her grip on the edge with her left hand.

Her pained screams snapped Leona back to his senses, hitting him like a punch to the stomach. Hearing his incredibly tough and brave beloved one crying out in pain made him feel sick.

“ A necessary sacrifice, ” a villainous voice echoed in his head at the same time—his own voice. He was supposed to protect her, yet here he was, contemplating letting her die to get rid of Cheka so that he could sit on that stupid chair . He had never felt more disgusted with himself.

The man continued to laugh and slowly positioned his boot over her other hand.

Yuu evaluated her options. The only thing she could do was hold on as long as possible. Maybe if she endured until the stampede passed, they could fall back into the canyon. She hoped she could at least distract the man long enough for Cheka to escape. But his ankle was injured, and the stampede showed no signs of ending.

She growled, “Hug me from the front!” Cheka complied quickly, shifting from her back to nestle against her chest and belly. Yuu hugged him tightly with her free arm and braced herself for the worst.

“Oh, how noble of you! But believe me, even if the boy survives the fall thanks to your hug, your body won’t be enough to protect him against the weight and strength of hundreds of wild animals.” He looked at her triumphantly from above and suddenly applied crushing pressure to her left hand. This time, it wasn’t just one finger but three. Her index, ring, and middle fingers were broken. Even if she would have tried to hide the pain, it would have been impossible. A wrenching cry erupted from her, each note vibrating with an unbearable agony as her bones were pulverized further. The man kept her hand trapped under his boot, wishing to cause as much harm as possible before finally letting go.

“LEONAAAA!” she cried out, pleading for him to come save them. She had believed she was strong enough, but as she felt her skin starting to break apart, she realized that once the man decided to free her, she wouldn't have the strength to hold on any longer. They would fall immediately.

She thought the man would prolong her pain as long as possible, but she was wrong. In a final act of cruelty, he played with her expectations. He correctly assumed Yuu was hoping he would keep her there, prolonging her pain, delaying their fall and that she would try using that to their advantage in hopes of avoiding the animals. Instead, he abruptly lifted his boot, taking pleasure in Yuu’s teary, confused look as they fell into the canyon.

Despite the unexpected turn, Yuu reacted quickly, wrapping her bloodied and broken hands around Cheka to shield him from the impending impact.

By this moment, Leona had already sprung into action, running towards them. Hearing Yuu scream for him in such agony twisted his insides, sparking him into motion after being paralyzed by indecision. He realized he was on the verge of losing her and Cheka because of his selfishness and greed.

The sight of her hugging Cheka protectively as they both fell made him feel as if someone was forcefully ripping his heart out of his ribcage to tear it to shreds, and that someone was himself, impulsed by the darkness within him. The love of his life and his dear nephew were hurt because of his own actions.

He had supposedly grown as a person since that Spelldrive tournament at NRC, promising to better himself every day to be deserving of Yuu’s affection. He had improved—less insecure, more expressive as a leader, gaining sincere respect from the dorm members he led, and even slightly improving his relationship with Cheka and Falena—all thanks to Yuu’s unwavering support, patience, strength, and love.

And now he was about to lose it all, throwing everything away for this supposed dream of his.

Why was this stranger trying to “help” him? Why would a random beast man conveniently assist him in disposing of the next in line for the throne of Sunset Savanna? There had to be more to it than a mere willingness to help. This stranger had fooled him, and he had fallen right into the trap.

He was an idiot. An idiot who allowed his significant other and the child of his brother to fall to their deaths.

He kept running towards them but knew he wouldn't reach them in time. Little by little, he saw Yuu's body disappearing from his field of view, and a great despair filled his whole being.

He would lose everything because of his own insecurities. Because of the envy in his heart.

No. He wouldn't allow it. He wouldn't lose the light of his life nor the annoying furball that, for some reason, wished to spend time with him despite his clear mean attitude. He wasn't going to cause pain upon his family either.

He would save them. He would rise triumphant over the situation because he was powerful enough to do so. Yuu and Cheka believed in him, so he would believe in himself as well.

The injured woman fell for a few seconds, holding the kid tightly against her chest. She braced herself for the impact, but instead, she felt how the speed of their fall decreased and how they were gently placed on the ground. A big spinning wall of sand formed around them, as a shield for the oncoming animals, which weren't strong enough to cross the violent, thick sand.

“Leona!” she happily yelled, shedding tears of relief as she held onto Cheka, not letting go even when she knew they were safe.

“Tch,” the hyena man clenched his fists. His plan had failed, so he had to leave. He turned and sprinted towards the road, but the emerald-eyed prince raised another sand wall, trapping them both inside.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked cockily. He tried to give off a cool attitude, but anyone looking closely would notice the popped veins in his neck and arms, revealing his angered and stressed state.

“How stupid you are. You still have a chance to get that throne. Just dispel your magic,” the man said in a last attempt to lure Leona into going through with his original plan.

“Yeah, right. As if you were really interested in helping me out of the goodness of your heart. There is surely something you’re not telling me. What is it that you were really after?”

The evil man didn’t answer and instead attacked the prince with magic. Leona swiftly responded with spells of his own.

In any other situation, he would have probably defeated him in a few seconds. But he needed to keep concentrating on his unique magic to protect his loved ones at the bottom of the canyon from the animals and prevent this man from escaping at the first chance he had.

Even with all his skills and vast magic reserves, he had been put through a lot of stress. The blot quickly accumulated, and he could see black ooze starting to spill from his spells and float around his body.

“Fuck.”

The older man noticed his state as well and pressed further. “This plan could still work out, you know? You just need to overblot and kill the child yourself.”

Leona just growled in response as he tried to stop the blot from overflowing.

Yuu was far away from the battle. She could only see parts of the sparks and particles of magic flying above but could imagine what was happening. Her boyfriend was fighting, and she knew he was in danger of overblotting. It had happened once before, and she had dealt with similar situations several times to know that his current circumstances could lead to that awful state.

She finally let go of the little boy and screamed at the top of her lungs. “YOU CAN DO IT, LEONA! KICK THAT ASSHOLE’S BUTT!” She hoped her words reached him and delivered the right message: that he was strong enough to fight both the enemy and the blot accumulation, and that she believed in him.

Cheka felt the need to support his favorite uncle, so he yelled as well. “YOU CAN DO IT, UNCA! DEFEAT THAT GUY!”

There were a lot of loud noises surrounding him—the incessant stampede, the restless sand flowing violently around them, and the spells crashing against one another—but Leona’s senses were keen, and he was able to hear his loved ones rooting for him.

“Guess I can’t let them down now,” he said with a smirk.

He needed to finish the fight soon, or things would get messy. He overexerted his magic to unleash a final powerful spell, knocking his opponent down. The man fell to the floor, nearly losing consciousness. But Leona's victory came at the cost of letting the blot overpower him. With the brakes removed, he felt drunk on power and strength, letting rage flow through his body—a familiar sensation, though it had been a while since he last experienced it. It was as if a yellow flame enveloped him.

Approaching the man with a twisted smile, Leona knelt down and grabbed his head. He cast his Unique Magic again, directing it slowly to the man’s hands, ready to turn them to dust.

“No, please!” The man begged for his life as a few cracks appeared on his skin.

But Leona wouldn't listen. This man had hurt those he loved and tried to blame him for it. He wanted to kill him, but not without hurting him just as much as he had hurt Yuu.

However, as soon as her face appeared in his mind, Leona abruptly stopped. She would be disappointed in him if he gave in to these desires. He was better now, thanks to her, and this murderous man was not who he was. It was just his overflowing emotions, amplified negatively by the blot.

“Tch,” he exclaimed, forcing the violent thoughts out of his head. He still needed to stop the hyena beast man from escaping and help Yuu and Cheka at the bottom of the canyon. He hit his enemy once in the head to knock him out and then used his belt to tie his hands.

He quickly carried the unconscious man and threw him into the trunk of his jeep before calling Falena.

“Leona? Is everything okay?” his older brother asked.

“No. We need medical help at the lookout point. Be quick,” he said and hung up. He knew Falena would be incredibly worried with just that information, but that was good; it would make him panic and send help immediately.

After that, Leona quickly dispelled the sand around him. Fortunately, the animal stampede was finally over as well, and the sound was getting farther away. He leaned over the edge and, confirming that no animals remained, dispelled all of his magic.

Only then did he focus all his energy on controlling the blot. His previous efforts had not been in vain, as his phantom had never fully materialized, but the blot was still wild, fighting to gain control. But he wouldn’t let it win. He wouldn't fully overblot again. He wouldn't lose control, not in front of Yuu. He growled and screamed as his body jerked violently, struggling to keep everything under control. After a hard battle against the black ooze, the prince finally got the upper hand. He felt the lust for power subsiding, making him weak for a moment, but that was a good sign. He also began to feel the pain from his injuries as he regained full control over his body.

He then fell to his knees and vomited black ooze. His whole body ached and he felt nauseous. He was on the verge of fainting, but he needed to hold on. He still had to help his girlfriend and nephew.

At the bottom of the canyon, Yuu and Cheka were relieved when the sounds of the animals faded and the sand around them disappeared. They were safe for now.

“Are you okay?” she asked the cub softly.

The little prince nodded. “I am, but my ankle hurts a lot.”

“Sorry, sweetie. But we’ll see a doctor soon, I promise. My ankle hurts a lot too,” she answered, turning to look at her leg. It was completely swollen. She wanted to take off her shoe, but her hands were in no state to do anything.

As best as they could, they moved to the canyon wall to rest their backs and find some shade.

With the adrenaline fading, she began to feel the excruciating pain coming from all her injuries. She couldn't even bear to look at her left hand: bloodied, fingers deformed, and one bone exposed. She hoped Cheka hadn’t seen; she didn’t want him to be traumatized.

The pain was unbearable. Despite her efforts to suppress it, she began to cry, but quietly to avoid alarming the child.

But Cheka still noticed. “No! Unca! Does it hurt a lot? Are your hands okay?” He asked, trying to see what was causing the pain to his not-yet-aunt.

“Don’t look, Cheka! Please, keep your eyes on the canyon... please.” She pleaded, trying to shield him from the horrific sight. He was curious, but he respected her wish and focused on the opposite wall of the canyon, tears streaming down his face. He was heartbroken to see his Unca so badly injured.

“I’ll be okay, sweetie. All thanks to Unca Leona. He really saved us, right?” She said through her tears, trying to redirect the boy's attention to the fact that they were spared from a worse fate because of his uncle.

“Hmmm!” He nodded, fighting back more tears. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything to help. Sorry I couldn’t protect you. If I could do magic like Unca Leona, your hands…”

“Shhh. Don’t worry about it, honey. You’re a child, and it's my duty to protect you. I will always protect my favorite nephew.”

She wanted to continue comforting him but started to feel light-headed. They had been under the sun for a while, and she had not hydrated herself properly so she was most likely suffering from a sunstroke.

With the severe stress and pain, it was a miracle she hadn’t fainted yet.

After that it didn’t take long before Leona went down with them. He was panting and he was clearly struggling to move properly but he still managed to descend unharmed.

“Herbivore!” He yelled, kneeling beside her to check her condition.

Yuu opened her eyes and saw Leona’s tired face, marked by black stains that remained even after he tried to wipe away the blot.

“Leona… the blot… are you…?” She asked between labored breaths.

“I’m okay,” he replied quickly. He then gently and carefully raised Yuu’s arms to examine her hands and growled at the sight of the damage. This was all his fault.

“I’m… okay too. But it… fucking hurts…” she said, trying to laugh to lighten the mood.

Leona clenched his teeth. He couldn’t laugh, even if he wanted to.

“Unca Leona, thanks for saving us,” the boy said shyly. He might not have heard everything the other beast man said, but he was smart enough to understand that what had happened was related to him. He wasn’t sure if his uncle wanted him close or not.

Normally, Leona would have just scoffed, but this time he sighed and patted the boy’s head.

“Are you okay, fur ball?” he asked.

“My foot hurts, but I’m fine!” Cheka replied, happy to receive affection from one of his favorite people.

“Good. They’ll soon come get us, but we need to go up. I'll carry you both.”

He first lifted the child, positioning him to cling to his back. Then he carried Yuu in his arms like a princess.

He was very careful as he jumped onto the wall. Given their state, any misstep could result in terribly worsening all their conditions, so the ascent took him longer than it normally would.

Once they were at the top, he set Cheka down on the hood of the jeep. It was only then that he realized Yuu was almost completely unresponsive.

“Hey, herbivore, what’s going on?” he asked, a crippling anxiety creeping up his back.

“...the sun, the… pain… the stress… I don't… know. I just… don't … feel…” She couldn’t articulate the last part of her answer and only mumbled unintelligible sounds.

He quickly knelt to lay Yuu on the ground, supporting her head with his hands. “Hey, herbivore, try to stay awake.”

The human tried, she really did, but she couldn’t keep her eyes open or her voice steady.

Luckily, it wasn’t long before a helicopter and a few jeeps arrived at their position.

Falena and his wife got out of the helicopter and rushed to their side.

“Cheka!” Both yelled as they ran to their child.

“Mom! Dad!” the little lion beast man said, hugging his mother as soon as she reached him.

“Sweetie! What happened to you!?” the future queen asked, her voice filled with panic as she noticed his scratched palms, knees, and slightly swollen ankle.

“A bad man attacked us! But Unca Leona protected us!” the child said.

Falena's wife could hardly believe what she was hearing, but she had to take his word for now.

The first prince hugged his child as well and, seeing that he was not in a severe state, went to check on Leona and his girlfriend, who seemed to be unconscious and in terrible condition.

“Leona, what happened?”

“I'll explain later, but please get her help,” he pleaded.

Falena quickly called the paramedics who had come with him on the helicopter. They carefully placed Yuu on a stretcher and took her to the vehicle. They would provide medical attention on their way to the hospital.

“You'll be fine. I promise,” he said, kissing her forehead before watching her leave.

Cheka and his mom also boarded the helicopter. They all agreed to meet at the hospital. Leona would stay behind with Falena and the guards to deal with the criminal who had attacked them.

Once the helicopter was gone, Leona fell to his knees again and vomited more blot. He had clearly tried to tough it out until Yuu and Cheka were safe, and now that they were in good hands, he was free to show his weakness.

“Leona! You need help too! I’ll tell the helicopter to turn back.” Falena said, horrified by the sight of his brother expelling black substance from his body.

“No!” he grabbed Falena's hand. “I’m okay.”

“But you… overblotted! You need medical attention!”

“I’ll be fine!” he growled. “We need to take care of this first.”

Falena wanted to insist, but he knew how stubborn his younger brother was, so he refrained. Leona was strong; if he said he could hold on, he would believe him.

He let Leona deal with his symptoms for a few moments and once he felt well enough to stand up again, he guided the future king towards the trunk of the jeep. The guards handled the prisoner, and as soon as they were done, Falena drove the second prince to the hospital as well.

---------------------------------------------------

Cheka’s injuries were mild. He had some bruises and scratches, and the most severe one was a sprained ankle. They were able to clean the scratches and properly treat and bandage his ankle in the helicopter. His mother asked him what happened, and he answered as best he could.

A hyena man had suddenly appeared and used magic to drop him to the bottom of the canyon. Yuu told him to use magic and then went after him. She carried him and climbed the rocky wall, but the bad man stepped on her fingers, and they were going to fall. Uncle Leona saved them with sand and defeated the villainous foe. Then they were carried to the top again, and not long after that she arrived with her husband.

The concerned mother didn’t doubt her son’s words, but she knew he was surely missing some details. So she decided to wait for her husband so they could get the whole picture together. For the moment, she was just glad to see Cheka alive and safe.

Yuu, unfortunately, had not been so lucky. Her sunstroke, blood loss and dehydration had been treated, but she was kept sedated so she would not feel the pain from her broken fingers.

The doctors informed Falena’s wife about the damage to Yuu’s hands and that if they wanted to save her extremities, they would most likely need to perform surgery. She signed the necessary papers and asked them to do what they needed to do. She had her reservations about Leona, but Yuu had been nothing but kind and loving towards her child, and now she had even saved his life. She would see that the young woman had a full recovery.

“Will Unca be okay, Mom?” the child asked.

“Yes,” his mother answered reassuringly and hugged him. She couldn’t wait to know who had been the culprit so they could get what they deserved.

---------------------------------------------------

Falena drove as fast as he could to get his almost fainted and trembling younger brother to the hospital. When they arrived, they swiftly placed him on a gurney and took him inside for treatment.

Only when he saw that Leona was in good hands did he go to look for his child, who was in a recovery room with his mother by his side.

There, he asked the young prince what had happened. Cheka replied with a very similar answer to the one he had given to the future queen but added more details about how his favorite uncle patted his head and carried him on his back. Still, it wasn’t enough. His spouse asked him if Leona had told him anything else, but in his state, he hadn’t been able to hold a proper conversation, much to her dismay. So they would have to wait until the guards finished interrogating the hyena beast man or until Leona was treated and well enough to give them the whole story.

They didn’t have to wait long, as the man’s confession came only a couple of hours later. It took longer to put him in the interrogation room and prepare all the paperwork than it did for the man to spill the beans. He was sure he would get some kind of deal for his confession, making his punishment less severe. But he had attempted to take the life of the son of the crown prince; no amount of cooperation would save him from a severe sentence.

The interrogation was recorded and sent to the prince regent for him to review, which he did together with his wife. The man confessed his motives, his accomplices, the name of the group he worked for, and the name of the castle service member who leaked secrets and information from the royal family. He also narrated what his plan consisted of and how he would have achieved his goal if it were not for Yuu’s intervention and Leona’s change of heart at the last minute.

Falena’s wife was fuming. She was, of course, infuriated at the man, and she wanted a revision of all the castle personnel after this, but overall, she was enraged at Leona. She wanted the second prince out of their lives, exiled, and as far from Cheka as possible.

But Falena didn’t think the same. He would never fight with her or tell her she was wrong when she wasn’t, but this time he couldn't agree with her about everything. This only infuriated her even more. After a long discussion, they finally reached a middle ground, but she was still angry and would never forgive nor accept her brother-in-law.

It was getting late, so she asked to be allowed to rest for the day. Her husband complied and left her alone so she could return with their child. He still had to talk to his brother, so he went to look for him.

Leona was no longer in the room where they treated him. He woke up about an hour ago and ignored the doctor's instructions to rest. He wanted to see Yuu, so he went to the waiting room outside the operating theater where she was being treated. That’s where Falena found him.

“You took longer than expected,” Leona said without even looking at him, his eyes glued to the door that separated him from the love of his life.

“I was busy,” Falena answered. “We received the man’s confession. Now I want to hear your version.” He was not aggressive, but this was not a request—it was a command.

“I don’t think my version would be much different. He seemed like the type to sell out his friends if threatened. I bet he gave you the whole story,” Leona said without the usual condescension that always decorated his voice.

“So is it all true then? Were you going to let Cheka die?” Falena asked directly.

It took a moment for Leona to answer. The words weighed heavily on his heart. “Yes.”

A little silence went on between them.

“If Yuu had not been there… this might have been a completely different story.” He was not proud. He would never be. But he was not going to lie and pretend that he had acted perfectly. He was flawed. He knew that. It's why he was the spare, why he was never meant to be king. But he was getting better, and accepting his errors was part of bettering himself, even if it was a difficult thing to do.

Falena quickly walked up to him and punched him right across the face.

This took Leona by surprise. He tasted the iron from his now bloodied lip. Falena was slightly bigger and stronger, so that had hurt. And Leona was pissed. He wanted to retaliate, but he couldn’t, he shouldn’t. He deserved that and more. Even if he was furious, even if he was feeling terrible inside, it was only fair that Falena hit him as much as he wanted. After all, he had endangered his child.

“You put my only child's life in danger! You were really thinking of letting him die!” Falena shook him violently as he growled. Then he let go. The brunette lion braced himself for another punch, but instead, he received a very tight hug.

“What the f-”

“Thank you,” Falena said. “Thank you for saving my child.”

“Huh?” Leona said in confusion. “I was about to let Ch…”

“But you didn’t. In the end, you didn’t.” His older brother's voice was broken. Falena was crying.

“But I… if Yuu had not been there…”

“I know. I owe her my son’s life. But I am also indebted to you. You did wrong, Leona. And for that, I am still very angry, but in the end, you made the right decision. You didn’t give in to the darkness inside. You could have easily just saved that girl and tried lying to us about Cheka. But you didn’t. He told us how you saved them, how you protected them and cared for them.”

“Tch.” The younger prince grumbled. His face felt so hot, but he was glad his darker skin didn’t betray him as easily as his girlfriend’s face, always showing her true feelings.

“Thank you, Leona. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, brother.”

Leona's brow furrowed. He felt uneasy but not in a bad way. There was something inside of him that threatened to feel like joy. It was strange; all his life he had wanted to feel that he belonged, that he was not only the disposable member of his family, even if he wouldn't say it out loud. And Falena was making him feel just that. But he was not ready to accept it. Their relationship was very strained, and he swore that there was no way they would ever be close. Yet here he was, feeling his tail move happily from one side to the other when he heard those words coming from him.

He tried to say something, but he couldn’t. It was ironic how the confession of his terrible acts had slipped so easily from his tongue, but words about how his heart really felt were stuck in his throat, even preventing the air from passing to his lungs.

He was glad he was saved from having to say something when someone entered the waiting room they were in.

It was Falena's wife with Cheka by her side, who was wearing a boot to relieve some pressure from his ankle.

“Unca Leona!” the child yelled and walked as he could to his favorite uncle.

Both brothers were confused.

The boy quickly hugged his uncle.

Leona was taken aback, but the only thing he could do after that long day was sigh and pat his head.

“Hey, kid,” he said.

“Cheka wouldn’t let me take him home until I let him see… his uncle.” She explained. She never took her eyes off Leona, daggers coming out of them. She was clearly on edge, just as if she was ready to pounce and rip off his throat if he breathed the wrong way. Both men noticed.

“Is your face ok? You're bleeding,” Cheka said, pointing at his mouth.

“Yeah, it's nothing,” he answered and wiped his bleeding lip.

When the future queen saw this, she relaxed slightly. That was clearly the work of her husband. She still wanted the second prince out of their lives forever, and while Falena would never agree to a penitentiary punishment, this was a small win for her.

“C’mon, Cheka. We need to get going,” she pressed her son to finish his business there.

The boy nodded and let go of Leona’s legs.

“Thank you for saving me, Unca,” he started, and again, the warm and unsettling feeling inside Leona's chest stirred something in his heart. “You’re my hero, and I want to be as strong as you when I grow up!”

His mother tightened her fists. There was nothing else she wanted more than to take Cheka and storm away from there. But she couldn’t do that to her son, so she had to swallow her pride and wait for the child to finish his appraisal of his savior .

Leona sighed and messed up the boy’s hair playfully. “Is that so?” He started, trying to hide the fact that he had actually gotten excited when his nephew told him he looked up to him. “I'll see how close you can get to that goal. But you need to train a lot for starters. How do you expect to be King one day if you can’t protect those close to you?” He told the cub with a smug smile on his face.

He had been serious throughout his whole interaction with his brother, but there was no reason for his nephew to see him showcasing any other attitude than his usual confident self, even if he was loathing himself on the inside.

“Yes! I will train a lot! I will become very strong! And I'll protect you and Unca Yuu! And Mom and Dad and everyone in the kingdom!” Cheka said cheerfully.

Falena was absolutely ecstatic. This was probably the first time that Cheka and Leona had such a wholesome interaction. A real one, where his younger brother was not being fake or trying to please him or his girlfriend.

With this, he could only confirm his assessment of Leona’s true intentions. He really cared for Cheka, even if it was hard for him to admit, even if he had expressed in the past how much sorrow his birth brought him. He was growing as a person, and Falena was very proud—still angry, but proud nonetheless.

His wife couldn't have disagreed more. She was furious. All of her muscles were visibly tense, and she quietly started growling. She couldn’t care less if Leona was being honest about his encouragement or not. She wanted him far away from her son, so far away that the young prince would forget about his existence and his desire to become like such a wicked man.

When Leona heard the growls coming from his sister-in-law, he took his hand off Cheka's red hair and moved a few centimeters back.

With this, the lioness stopped growling. “Let’s go, Cheka. It's time to head home.”

Cheka turned to look at her. She seemed angry, so he knew he couldn’t ask to stay until Yuu woke up. He then turned to look at his father, hoping he could do something. But Falena knew better than to anger his fierce wife even more, so he just sighed and walked toward his son to carry him. “You need to rest, Cheka. And your uncle needs rest as well.”

“Ok…” the child said in defeat. “Can I come visit Unca Yuu when she gets better? I have to thank her properly too.”

The prince regent looked at his partner before answering. There was an unspoken discussion held between the two. Leona and Cheka waited anxiously for the answer. In the end, it was she who gave in, but not completely. “Of course. The three of us will be here. And a couple of guards as well. Do let us know, brother-in-law, when Yuu wakes up,” she said.

She wanted the message to reach Leona: “ You will never be left alone with my child again. ”

And it did. The message was so clear, even Falena got it. The boy was the only one who had missed the whole undertone of her statement. Regardless, the answer was good enough for everyone.

“I will,” the second prince answered.

After that, she left the room. Falena quickly followed behind, but just before exiting, both he and Cheka wished him a good night, to which Leona simply replied, “Same.”

He was finally left alone. He went and sat down again in front of the door. He wouldn’t usually find peace in a hospital, much less when his girlfriend, the woman he loved, was in the room in front of him, on an operating table, with terrible wounds caused by none other than his own actions. But it had been a very long day, and after the blot incident, he was completely exhausted and drained, finding comfort in the white, boring, and quiet walls surrounding him.

His eyes started to feel heavy, so he closed his eyelids, but surprisingly, he was unable to fall asleep immediately, just as he always did. Memories from the day plagued his mind, and a terrible guilt took hold of him.

In moments like this, he found himself wishing he could still be the cold and careless housewarden of Savanaclaw. In his memories, that young man couldn’t care less about consequences; he wouldn't be sulking and would just head directly to sleep, not a single concern plaguing his thoughts. But the truth was, he was mistaken. It was true that past-Leona was ruthless, but he cared. He always did, but pretended not to, so he wouldn't have to deal with his own feelings of impotence. And if he was able to sleep “peacefully,” it was just because he forced himself to forget about the world around him in an attempt to escape from reality.

But he was no longer that angsty young man. And even if he somehow wished he could cope with his mistakes as he used to when younger, he was proud of his own growth and wouldn't have chosen any other path forward that was not the one he was walking on right now.

He slightly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed nowhere in particular, while his mind replayed everything that happened during the day again and again. The small road trip with Yuu and Cheka singing songs, the brief moment of peace under the sun, and the way he had been paralyzed with the mention of just a few words.

How easy it had been to ensnare him. What if the man had acted differently after that? What if he had been bolder towards the child? Or towards Yuu? Would he have acted immediately? Would he have snapped out of the trance he put himself into? What if the hyena man had chosen to attack him instead? In that state, he would have been easy prey.

“ How do you expect to be King one day if you can’t protect those close to you? ” Those had been his words to Cheka, yet he had not been strong enough to keep them from harm. How hypocritical of him. He growled at himself in disgust.

But he couldn't do much now, so he just sighed, knowing damn well he still needed to work a lot on himself.

His mind then went on to think about Falena and their strange relationship. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t bring himself to say that he hated him, but the first prince's presence had certainly made him unhappy for a couple of years now. Did the discomfort start because of the scar he gave him? No, he remembered being angry that day, but it had been an accident after all. Then maybe it started when their mother died. Both suffered equally for their loss, but with her gone, there was no one who backed up his modernization ideas for the country, so everyone around the castle started favoring Falena even more. Even his own father, who had only started modernization because of her.

Everyone in the castle knew how capable, smart, and strong Leona was, but they lived in fear of change. The only reason they went along with the new ideas was that they were too afraid to go against their beloved queen's vision and her husband's backing. But with her gone, they could shove the second prince and his plans for change to the side. However, Leona was stubborn; he was not going to be cast aside so easily. He kept insisting, which was badly received by those around him, and their remarks grew meaner and meaner—a cruel thing to do to a boy younger than ten.

Maybe it was these comparisons during such a vulnerable time that started cultivating his feelings of resentment. Or perhaps it was the fact that his brother never did enough to stop the belittlement when others compared them. Yet somehow, Falena had always shown his concern and appreciation for his younger brother. He was always busy, sure, but he always had a smile to offer him and always expressed his desire to have him by his side. This made Leona feel sick, but it also made him feel warm inside.

His memories took him back to the last time they had hugged before tonight, to the day their mother died, and that was too much for him at the moment. All these thoughts made him feel emotional, so he decided to focus on something else—something that brought him peace. And that was Yuu. He thought of when he first met her, fierce and unyielding. He thought of how they eventually became friends and then a couple. He thought of their first kiss, the naps, the meals, the adventures, and the laughs they had shared together. He thought about how she sometimes scolded him and how he did his best to get her to forgive him.

He thought of this morning. Yuu waking up in his arms, smiling brightly for the day that awaited them—a smile he couldn't protect. “Leona, please!” she yelled again and again, only for him to do nothing. It was not until he saw her getting hurt that he had acted, but by then, the damage done to her both physically and emotionally had been too great.

He needed to apologize; he needed to make it up to her. He had to be better, for her and for himself. He was not sure if she would forgive him this time. He had messed up really badly, and he was afraid she would come to the conclusion that she was better off without him. He would be devastated if she left his side.

He would not only lose his girlfriend but also his best friend, his life partner, his confidant, the reason for his smiles, and his biggest motivation to better himself every day. He would lose half of his life due to his own mistakes. But he still needed to apologize; he couldn't just pretend nothing had happened and that things were all better now.

She deserved everything, she deserved the whole world, and she definitely didn’t deserve this flawed version of him. So he could only hope she would allow him to still be a part of her life.

Without noticing, he had closed his eyes again as he pictured Yuu by his side. The sounds from the other side of the door were mostly imperceptible, but he had good hearing, and he focused his attention on the heart monitor, which kept a steady beat. The pace of her heart through the machine was actually lulling him to sleep, so he held onto this peace of knowing she was alive and stable.

As his consciousness drifted away, he began thinking of how he could apologize to her. In most scenarios, he screwed up and she dumped him, but he gave himself some grace in others and imagined a few instances in which she forgave him and gave him another chance to show her he was going to be better and better. He would give her the whole moon if that’s what she wanted, even if he knew the only thing she wanted from him was his love and maybe a few big roasted meals from time to time.

It was with these sweet thoughts that he actually fell asleep. His senses were ready to wake up again as soon as he heard the door in front of him open to give him the good news that the surgery had been a success.

---------------------------------------------------

The prince was barely awake when his ears started to twitch. He heard the smallest of grunts and sensed a slight shift from the hospital bed sheets, and that could only mean one thing: Yuu was finally waking up.

He yawned, rubbed his eyes, and then patiently waited for his girlfriend to open her eyes.

“Leona?” she weakly said. He wished he could hold her hands, but they were unavailable at the moment. “Where…”

It seemed she was a bit confused. He wondered if she had suffered any memory loss from the trauma.

“We’re in the—”

Before he could finish, she tried to rub her eyes as well, and as soon as she raised her left hand, she felt a lot of pain and saw her bandaged hand.

“Fuck,” she complained, the memories of the incident coming back to her.

“Are you okay?” she quickly asked.

“I am,” Leona shortly answered.

“Was the blot—”

“Nothing serious. I was better only after a few hours.”

“I see,” she said, starting to feel a bit of relief. “Is Cheka okay?”

Leona shouldn't be surprised, but he was. She always puts others before herself. Even when she was the only one in the hospital bed, she was more interested in knowing about his and Cheka’s wellbeing first. “He just has a sprained ankle. Doctors said if he takes proper care of it, they can take the boot and the bandages off in a week.”

“I'm glad.” Her relief grew, but there was still worry on her face. “What about… me? How’s the damage?” she asked, terrified of what she might hear.

Leona held his breath for a moment. She was going to be okay, but it was still hard for him to tell her about the injuries to her body caused by his own uselessness. “Your ankle was not as lucky as Cheka’s. You had a small fracture, and it got a bit worse from all the effort you put in after the bone broke.” The words burned his mouth; it was his fault she had to exert herself. It was his fault she had jumped off the cliff and fractured her ankle in the first place.

“But they say it will heal nicely. You just need to avoid physical activity for a couple of months, and a bit of physical therapy afterward, and it will be as if nothing had happened.”

She had forgotten she hurt her ankle as well, but the blue plastic cast around her leg and the sling holding the extremity up should have been enough to remind her. At least that was going to heal nicely, but she was still worried about her hands. Her leg wasn’t hurting, but her hands were. A lot. She had seen them a few moments ago, but her vision had been blurry, and she had consciously avoided looking at them in detail. She was afraid she would find something missing, especially in her left hand. So she counted her wins before her next question. “And… my hands?”

She pursed her lips inward, waiting for the rest of the news to come. Leona saw this and couldn't help but feel worse. But fortunately, in her current circumstances, he only had good news to relay.

“They’ll be fine as well. It will take them a bit longer to heal, and it will require a more extended and serious regimen of physical therapy, but the doctors said that in less than a year, your hands will be as if nothing had happened to them.”

Her eyes widened in astonishment, and she stood frozen for a moment in complete silence.

He panicked at the silence. Had he misjudged the news? Was this worse than he had imagined? She was going to be unable to carry on with her life as she normally did for a year—so this had to be really bad, right? He was about to spiral into a deeper guilt trip for assuming this would be a blessing after causing all of this, but her voice brought him back to reality.

“So, there isn’t going to be permanent damage?”

“No,” he answered quickly.

“And I didn’t lose any fingers?” she asked, with a mix of expectation and fear in her eyes.

“No. Not a single one. There is still a lot we need to improve in the country, but our medicine is among the best in the world. And you were treated by the finest doctors in the kingdom; they made sure you could have a full recovery.” He said this almost with pride. He knew what his fellow countrymen were capable of, but he still felt too terrible inside to show his usual smugness.

“Oh! For the Sevens! I really thought I’d lost half of my hand and my mobility forever! I'm so glad I didn’t!” she cheered. The young woman finally looked at her hands fully. Her right hand only had a bandage and a splint for her pinky.

Her left hand was heavily bandaged and had a custom white splint holding three of her fingers in place. She tried to move them, but it all hurt, even the unbroken fingers. But she assumed that was a good sign—it seemed like her nerves, tendons, and bones were still working.

A year of recovery time was a lot, but she couldn’t be happier knowing there was no permanent damage.

Leona brightened up a little after seeing her smile.

“How long was I out?” was her next question.

“Two days,” he answered. Now he was getting a bit anxious. He wanted to apologize but was unsure of how to start.

“Is Cheka in the hospital too?”

“No. Falena and his family headed back to the palace the same night everything happened. The boy said to call him once you woke up so he could come visit. But I don’t know if he’ll be allowed to come. His mother will probably try to kill me if I go near him again.”

“I see,” she answered bitterly. “Leona?” She called him.

“Yes?” He turned to face her, and in a split second, he felt a strong slap land right across his cheek, right where Falena had punched him. This took him by surprise just as his brother’s punch had, but at the same time, just as two days before, he somehow saw it coming.

Even with a broken finger and without her full energy, Yuu hit him hard. But not hard enough to give him what he thought he deserved. He deserved worse. He wanted worse. This had not been even a fraction of the pain she had been through.

“Oh, fuuuuuuuuck! That hurt!” she cried out as she held her hand close to her chest. She wanted to use her other hand to rub the pain away. But she couldn’t.

Before Leona could do or say anything, she provided an explanation for her actions. “That’s for considering leaving Cheka, a fucking child , and your nephew , to die! And for putting both of us in danger!” she blurted, tears welling up in her eyes. Leona knew perfectly well that those tears were not from the physical pain she was feeling in her hand. She was frustrated, angry, and sad. But most of all, she was disappointed. And he was completely ashamed.

He didn’t notice, but his ears went down. He avoided looking into her eyes directly, afraid he would find more disappointment or even hate there.

“And this…” she said, and he wondered what could come next. How else could she torment him? How could she make him pay? She would never get physical with him, except for this well-deserved slap, so maybe she would break his heart. He didn’t even have time to think of other possibilities, because she clumsily pulled him towards her with the same hand she had used and gave him a quick peck on his lips. “This is for saving us, for saving me.”

This took him by surprise, just like what had happened with his older brother. Of course, he was content with the fact that things didn't end up going towards the terrible endings he had foreseen, but it all seemed really illogical to him. He almost felt like he was dreaming because there was no way in the whole world he would be treated with such grace after such a big mess-up.

Leona's wide green eyes met hers again. There was no hate there, and he could have sworn there wasn’t even disappointment, just a lot of feelings that were overflowing in the form of tears.

He raised his hand slowly, wondering if Yuu would react adversely, but she didn’t. So he continued, cupping her face and wiping the tear that was running down her cheek.

“Can you hug me, please?” she asked in a slightly broken voice.

He didn’t even answer; he just went in and embraced her tightly and lovingly. It was a great comfort to be close to her, knowing that she still wanted him by her side. Knowing that she was going to be okay, that she was alive and well. She was precious to him, the light of his life, his morning sun.

Yuu tried to embrace him as well, but only her right arm was able to move comfortably. She held on tightly to his back with that arm, while she barely touched his shoulder with the other. He knew that her body was hurt and that she was trying to embrace him just as he was embracing her.

“Herbivore, my love, ” he started. The first one was a pet name they were both very fond of, but at that moment, he decided to continue with a more intimate one. “I am so sorry.”

Anyone acquainted with the prince would be surprised to hear an apology coming from his lips. People always described him as arrogant or haughty, but those who really knew him, who were closer to him, knew that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Yes, he had an attitude and often a prideful and sarcastic demeanor, but he was a man who could see the mistakes in himself and accept them.

“What were you thinking, Leona? Did you really believe that man was just going to help you like that? That there would be no consequences? That everyone would just accept that Cheka ‘suffered’ an accident? And then, what did you suppose was going to happen to me? Did you think that man was going to let me live? Were you going to let me live, even if you knew I would never back up that horrible lie? Or were you going to—”

He didn’t let her finish the question. “Don’t. I wouldn't. I would never.” He wanted to emphasize that he would always keep her safe, but he had already failed at that.

She knew he meant it. But she was still hurt. She needed to let the pain out.

“I know it is not about the throne.” She broke the hug and cupped his face with her right hand as best she could, and he rested softly against it, providing support with his own hand over hers. “I know it has never been about the throne. I know all these twisted thoughts inside you are just a reflection of your wish to improve your people's lives and how your family has very poorly managed your suggestions to do so. But how could you even consider for a second that… killing… Cheka could really work as a means to that end?”

Leona closed his eyes, his expression pained, because he could not deny that he had actually considered a world where his nephew was no more. Where Falena would no longer be in a position to rule, where he could guide the population of Sunset Savanna toward a richer and healthier life, where they would always have access to clean water, a good supply of food, and basic services, among others. Yes, at first, Cheka's sacrifice seemed like something minor for all the benefits the country and he himself would get, because even if his main goal had always been the benefit of his people, he would be lying if he said that finally being listened to and not treated as if he were just inferior for being the second-born would fill him with joy and satisfaction. 

So even if he had realized his mistake by himself, even if he had felt terribly guilty and did things right in the end, the truth was because of his own ambitions, he almost got both Cheka and Yuu killed.

“I… don’t know. That guy just said the right things.” He admitted, not wishing to hide anything from her. “All the possibilities ran through my head. Me, sitting in that chair, elevating this country to its full potential. But when I thought of that brat’s absence… when I thought of Falena’s and my sister-in-law’s pain, when I thought of how I would lose you too…” He frowned even more. “That's when I realized it was not worth it. I would lose everything and ascend to an empty throne. I am sorry it took me so long to realize. I shouldn't have allowed any of this to happen.” He softly turned around to place a gentle kiss on her hand. “I shouldn't have allowed Cheka to get hurt in the first place. If I were a better man, none of it would have happened.”

“You did wrong, Leona, really wrong. I was so afraid when I saw Cheka falling. And the fear only grew when I saw you didn’t do anything. A part of me really thought that maybe I had been mistaken during these past two years… that maybe I had only seen what I wanted to see and that you were not really the person I fell in love with,” she said bluntly. Just as Leona, she wasn’t going to keep her thoughts hidden from him. “But deep in my heart, I saw the confusion on your face and clung to the possibility that you were going to do the right thing. And you did. A bit late, it's true, but at least not too late.”

“You are not a bad man. You just need to keep working on yourself.”

The prince sighed. She was right about the fact that he needed to work on himself. But he wanted to disagree with her assessment of him. He had improved his self-esteem over the last few years, but after this, he felt as he did during all those years he spent in the castle, as the rotten prince in his family, as the villain .

But he didn’t want to sulk. He wanted to be better. For her, for himself. Still, he let some of his self-doubt slip from his mouth. “I think you're being far too gracious with me.”

“You want me to dump you or something?” she asked.

“I wouldn't be surprised if you decided to not want me in your life after this,” he said, his eyes now wide open and in expectation.

“I would have if you hadn't tried to save us, or if you hadn’t apologized, or if you had tried to excuse yourself. But none of that happened. Listen to me, Leona, you are good, you are not evil. You are just flawed, as every one of us is. The important thing is that you're working on yourself, and as long as you strive to be a better version of yourself, I will be happy to remain by your side,” she said as she put her forehead against his, as if trying to engrave her words deep into his mind.

Yuu was always getting herself into a lot of trouble, but she was incredibly smart, and best of all, she knew her boyfriend incredibly well. She always knew what to say to him to keep him on the right path or whenever he was feeling down. This was only one of the many reasons he loved her so much. She soothed his heart, even if he still felt he didn't deserve it.

“Does that mean everything is forgiven and all is well?” he asked playfully, finally able to muster a small smile.

“Of course not! You almost got us killed! I am still very, very angry at you! And look at my hands! I won’t be able to do a lot of stuff by myself all because of you! So the least I expect from you is to compensate me properly from here until the time I am completely healed! Then and only then will I forgive you.” Another tear fell down her cheek, but this time it was accompanied by a sincere smile and all the usual bright energy that characterized her.

He was not going to get the repentance he was looking for, but he was at least glad she had such a strong personality and that she was not going to let him off the hook so easily.

“What if I don't cooperate?” he asked cynically.

“Then I can dump you right here, right now. Your call.”

“I think I can bless you with my company for as long as you need recovery. I'm sure it will be very healing for you,” he said with a smug face.

“You’re a jerk, you know that?” she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“But I'm your jerk. Isn't that right?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I guess.” She sighed in defeat.

Then, they both started laughing. Leona hugged her again. “My love, I’m sorry. I swear that from this day on, I’d rather turn myself to sand than allow anything to happen to you again. I will be better, and I will demonstrate that it was worth your time to place your trust in me. I promise nothing like this will happen ever again, and that I will take care of you for as long as you need.” He promised softly as he held her.

“I know, my love ,” she answered with a soft smile painting her lips as she rested her head in the crook of Leona’s neck.

They stayed like that for a long moment, just getting comfort in each other's presence and warmth. It helped Yuu’s mood to see Leona’s tail swinging from one side to the other, an usual indicator he was feeling some sort of happiness.

“You know you still need to apologize to Cheka and Grim, right?” she asked.

He broke the hug and watched her in confusion. “Cheka is just a child, he wouldn't even understand.”

“Oh, but he would. Because you would put it in terms he can understand at his age,” she insisted.

“Hmpf,” he complained.

“I… can do that,” he agreed. “But why should I apologize to your fur ball? He was not even there when it happened.”

“Because you failed to protect his hench-human after all!” she laughed.

They continued their small discussion about who Leona should properly apologize to. Anyone who didn’t know them might think their bickering would quickly lead them to get angry at each other, but those who were close to them could confirm that this was usual for them. It was clear by seeing how Leona’s tail kept softly wiggling and how Yuu’s smile never really left her face that they were happily interacting as they always did.

The prince indeed had a lot of apologizing to do, but that would have to wait a bit longer until he had a proper chance. For now, he just enjoyed her company—the company she had so graciously given him, and which he would do absolutely everything to deserve. No one in the world made him as happy as she did, and he was determined to take proper care of her and make her happy as well, even if he was flawed, even if he was a bit twisted inside.

Chapter Text

Vil: A poisoned apple

“We’re not even members of the Film Research Club. Remind me again, why do we have to buy all this stuff for Vil?”

“Because we’re his friends, and friends help each other out,” Yuu answered with a smile on their face.

“What a marveilleux answer, Trickster! You have such a kind heart! Our dear friend needed some help, and of course, we answered the call.” Rook’s smile was even bigger than Yuu’s, but Epel was not moved in the slightest.

“You’re his vice warden, and you’re more than just Vil’s friend, so you both might feel inclined to help him with every request he has. But I'm just a poor junior being exploited by him.”

Both Yuu and Rook laughed.

“C’mon, Epel, you’ve become one of Vil’s dearest friends, so you’re not just some junior to him,” Yuu stated cheerfully.

“That’s right, Monsieur Pommette—you’re Vil’s finest and only protégé, so you’re of course as close to Vil as we are.”

The short young man just shrugged. “I’m not sure about the protégé part, but I guess? Still, I haven’t had a proper night’s sleep for two days because of these random requests of his! I’m starting to feel exhausted. And I still don’t understand why we have to come buy all these materials? Ortho can clearly come faster and carry more stuff! And he is part of the club.”

“Yes, but Ortho is helping him build the scenography for their film right now, so he couldn’t come. But cheer up! If we hadn’t come, we couldn’t have bought these ice creams! The school barely has any dessert outside of special occasions, and they don’t have these flavors!” Yuu said, showcasing their big, multicolored dessert.

“I’ll give you that. These things are incredible!” Epel said as he grabbed another scoop of the bright red ice cream in front of him. But just as the spoon was about to reach his mouth, a pigeon flew between the trio, almost crashing into him and making him drop the ice cream all over himself.

“Cornsarn it! It fell on my uniform! Vil’s gonna kill me if he sees me like this!” He was desperately trying to clean the red off his shirt and vest, but he was only making the stain bigger and messier.

“ Oh non ! That won’t do, dear Epel. Let me help you—I have a few tricks for these kinds of situations. Let’s go to a washroom to get some soap and water. Yuu, would you kindly take care of all the bags while I help my dear junior?”

“Of course, Rook! I don’t know if I’ll be able to protect your ice creams from all the birds, though,” Yuu said with a little giggle while taking a scoop out of their own frozen treat.

“That’s fine. We can go buy more to make up for the amount Epel already lost.”

“Hey! Don’t treat me like a child!” the purple-haired youngling complained as he was taken to the nearest public restroom.

Yuu smiled. This was a nice day—the weather was pleasant, their stroll around Sage Island had been lovely, and now they even had a funny anecdote to tell Vil about when they got back to NRC.

Besides, the ice cream really was delicious. They took out their camera to take a picture of the dessert so they could show it off to Grim. They would make sure he regretted not coming to help out, all because of pure laziness.

The picture came out great. Cater would probably be proud of them and urge them to post it to Magicam—except that, upon further inspection, they noticed someone in the background that Yuu hadn’t seen before taking the picture.

They turned to look in that direction and found the photobomber: an old person in a black robe carrying a basket filled with bright red apples. They figured they'd just wait a few moments for the stranger to walk past so they could take another picture, but the old person suddenly tripped on a step and dropped the basket, sending all the juicy red jewels scattering across the ground.

“Oh no!” Yuu exclaimed, leaving the table and the bags alone for a second. After all, the poor robed figure was just a couple of steps away, and they could still keep an eye on their things from that distance.

“Hey, are you okay?” Yuu kindly asked as they helped the old person to stand up again.

“Oh! How clumsy of me! I dropped all of my apples!” the person answered in a shaky voice.

“Don’t worry about that! I can help pick them up for you!”

Yuu was fast and dexterous, so in just a few seconds, they had gathered all the fallen apples.

“I think those were all!”

“Oh my! What a kind and skilled youngling! Thank you kindly for helping me in my time of need! I bought these apples to make a pie for my grandchildren. I had no more money with me, so it would have been a shame to return home empty-handed.”

That sounded a bit dramatic, considering the apples had only fallen a few steps away, but sometimes older people made comments like that. “It’s a good thing I was close to lend a hand!” They answered cheerfully.

“It was indeed! Please, take one as a reward for your help!” they offered.

“Oh, I couldn’t! It’s for your pie.”

“Oh, such a well-mannered youngling! But one apple won’t make a difference! It’s a warm day today, so I’m sure a fresh apple will help you with the heat. These are especially juicy and sweet! C’mon, don’t make your elders sad, accept my humble thanks.”

“Well, if you insist.”

Yuu took one apple. They planned to save it for later, but the individual in front of them looked at them expectantly with their wrinkled eyes.

“Is everything okay?”

“It is, sweetie! I just hoped you would take a bite and let me know if they’re as fresh and juicy as I promised.”

There was such sweetness and expectation in their eyes that Yuu couldn’t help but feel compelled to concede the request. Just a bite to make an old person happy—it wouldn’t take much. Besides, they were right: even if it wasn’t the sweetest apple in the world, with the heat, it would surely feel refreshing.

“Oh, sure.” They took the apple and examined its bright red skin. It looked fresh and beautiful. It would never be as good as the ones from Harveston that Epel shared with them, but this apple had its own charm.

They took a bite. At first, it was fine. Not great, not bad. But after chewing and swallowing, they noticed a strange flavor, something they couldn’t quite recognize.

“It is great,” Yuu said, turning to face the old person to offer this small white lie. But instead of the kind visage that had urged them to taste the fruit, they were met with a malicious smile and eyes brimming with contempt and satisfaction.

Yuu instinctively stepped back in fear, but their body began to feel numb and hot. Their muscles tensed to the point where movement became impossible.

The Ramshackle Prefect lost their grip on the apple as the air in their lungs began to vanish. Their throat constricted… their head swam with dizziness.

The world spun violently. A burning pain flooded every inch of their body—every muscle, every joint, every cell screamed in agony.

In an instant, their perspective shifted. Yuu was on the ground. They hadn’t felt the fall; the searing pain had numbed every external stimuli.

They needed air. They needed to scream. But they couldn’t. Their body began to convulse, shaking uncontrollably.

Panic set in. It was all happening too fast. One thing they felt thought, was the apple that had caused all lying right next to their torso. With the last of their strength, they reached for the fruit. They didn’t know why, but they clung to it, as if it were a lifeline.

“Please,” they begged internally. “ Someone… anyone…”

Just before their mind completely disconnected from consciousness, a voice drifted down from above: “ I hope your dear boyfriend finds this gesture as beautiful as his deeds. ”

---------------------------------------------------

“Thanks for helping me, Rook! I must admit I was a bit skeptical at first, but the stain is really gone!”

“My pleasure, Epel! Ever since I transferred to Pomefiore, I’ve learned a lot of tricks to keep one’s clothing tidy and—”

The hunter abruptly stopped mid-sentence and sprinted in the direction of the table where they had been seated.

“Rook? What is going on?” Epel called out, startled by the sudden shift in Rook's expression and his rapid departure.

“It’s Yuu! They’re having a seizure!” Rook shouted from Yuu’s position on the ground.

Epel ran after him and froze at the horrific sight before him. Their friend was lying on the ground, their body convulsing uncontrollably. Yellow foam dripped from their mouth, and a nosebleed had already stained the ground below them.

Without hesitation, Epel raised his magic pen. “Close your eyes, your breath will still… Crimson Slumber!” he chanted, casting his unique magic.

A crystalline coffin encased Yuu, halting all movement. The foam and blood remained, but at least they were no longer flowing. Time was now frozen within the magical shell.

“What in tarnation happened, Rook?” Epel demanded, his voice shaking as he stared at his frozen friend.

“I… I’m not sure. But I think this might give us a clue,” Rook replied, holding out a letter.

“What’s that?”

“It was left next to Yuu’s body,” he answered bitterly, glancing down at the envelope.

It was adorned with elegant handwriting that read For Vil Schoenheit . It wasn’t sealed, so even though it was addressed to someone specific, Rook assumed its contents weren’t meant to be private. Whoever had done this clearly had no good intentions, and he needed to know what they were dealing with.

He quickly read through the letter, his expression growing darker with each line. When he finished, he stood up swiftly, scanning the area with narrowed eyes in search of anyone suspicious—but the surroundings were empty.

“Rook?” Epel asked again, his heart still pounding from the shock.

“We need to go to Vil. Immediately.”

---------------------------------------------------

Dearest Vil Schoenheit,
the foulest of them all,

For the longest time, I’ve been an avid admirer of your persona.
You have an impressive career and a wonderful set of abilities.
And even though you were always eclipsed by the infinite brilliance of the one and only Neige LeBlanche, I somehow still rooted for you and appreciated your work.

That said, my heart has always belonged entirely to Neige. But it was… commendable, seeing you strive to be even a fraction as beautiful as he is in every regard. You were the epitome of hard work, and I respected that.

Oh, Vil. I know you like to think of yourself as the fairest of them all, but you and I both know that’s just a lie.
I’ve seen your true self. I know how ugly you are on the inside.

I was there, at the VDC. I know what you tried to do to Neige. I watched how his innocent life was spared only thanks to those close to you, and I saw the monster you became. I saw the real you—the darkness festering in your soul.

I tried to speak up, to tell the authorities about the villain on stage, but fate was kind to you, undeserving fiend, and the curtains rose again as if nothing had happened. How you managed that, I don’t know.

And even though fate stole victory from your hands that day, it wasn’t justice. Oh no. That wasn’t nearly enough, you would-be murderer. I know you would try again. As long as Neige exists, your rotten heart will still crave his crown. And I had to stop you.

But I couldn’t target you myself. As much as I hate to admit it, you’re too smart, too powerful. Still, you have a weakness—something you don’t deserve. Someone you care about.

How is it that life rewards you with love and happiness, when your soul is so vile? The answer it’s beyond me. That’s why I took it upon myself to bring balance to this unfair world. You tried to poison Neige, but life intervened. So I thought it only fair to poison your beloved, just as you tried to poison mine.

And if you’re reading this, it means the universe finally decided to give you what you deserve.

I hope you enjoy this little gift I’ve sent to both of you.

After all, I did them a favor by removing them from your life. There was no way they could be happy with someone as narcissistic and selfish as you. I simply completed the murder you attempted.

By all means, take this letter to the authorities. Let them try to track me down. My mission is complete. I’m satisfied.

I wonder what excuse you’ll give them for the attempt on the most beautiful soul in this world. You’ll probably lie, of course, but with a dead body in the middle of the investigation and my detailed alibi I doubt that you will escape unscathed.

I also wonder how this will affect your precious image… your precious career.

Perhaps in prison, you’ll finally get the chance to show the world who you really are inside.

Or maybe you’ll choose to hide the body and the incident altogether. After all, who would miss a magic-less human with no family?

I wouldn’t be surprised if you did. Why throw away your entire future for someone you probably never even loved?

That path is open to you, if you’re heartless enough to take it. Which I know you are. And who knows? Maybe I’ll leave you alone for good and let you continue your shallow little life.

I bet you’d still sleep soundly, even with a dark shadow looming in your past, ready to surface at any moment.

After all, you have a hideous heart and must truly believe life is on your side.

But I’ve said enough. I’ll say a prayer for the innocent, and I do hope you feel guilt. None of this would have happened if you hadn’t tried to poison Neige with that apple juice only because you knew you’d never surpass him.

Best wishes,
Neige’s Guardian Angel

Vil remained almost frozen, his trembling hands crunching the nefarious letter the only thing preventing him from looking like a marble statue. His eyes were glued to the piece of paper as his heart stopped and his consciousness became lost in a sea of guilt and fury.

He knew he was not the fairest of them all; his inner demons constantly reminded him. That’s why he worked so hard, that’s why he always strived to be better. He also knew, after the incident at the VDC, that his soul was much uglier than he liked to admit. But whatever hopes he had of redeeming himself by trying to be a better person had just been thrown in the trash, because the hideousness inside his soul had brought harm to an innocent… to the person closest to his heart.

Yuu, who always had a kind ear for him. Who understood his quest for beauty. Who saw the best in him—and the worst.

Yuu, who had given him their unwavering support, who had believed in him, and who had always challenged his ideas whenever they thought Vil was in the wrong.

Yuu, who also strived to be better, who helped him get better. 

Yuu, who was so silly, and so lovely, so mischievous, and so smart. Who had given him their whole heart, and who had so carefully taken care of his own pretentious heart.

Yuu, who had become his best friend, his confidant, his most avid critic, his lover…

“Vil?” His vice warden called, interrupting his spiraling thoughts. “What should we do?”

Pomefiore’s housewarden crunched the letter even more. He wanted vengeance, punishment . But that was not an option he had at the moment. Yuu’s life was in danger and the options were extremely limited.

His career and his future were also in danger. Even if he had tried not to, he inevitably considered the alternative of letting Ramshackle’s perfect pass. It would be such an easy option, and his future would be protected. There would be no proof of this—not even of what happened at the VDC. He could handle everything. He could continue to be the perfect star.

The Vil from the VDC would have taken that route. That Vil would have probably used any means necessary to achieve his goal. He would’ve just gotten rid of any loose ends.

But not today’s Vil. Not the Vil who had already grown as a person. The one who had helped teach both Idia and Malleus a lesson. Who had friends that had his back. Not the Vil who had a wonderful partner at his side.

No. He wouldn’t do that. He felt sickened just by having had those thoughts. He knew what he had to do.

“Let’s search for Professor Trein. He should be able to communicate with Crowley and Crewel. They’ll certainly know what to do,” he finally said.

Even if he knew this was the right choice, he was still terrified, for he understood the possible consequences. Crowley valued discretion as much as he did, but that still didn’t guarantee everything would play in his favor. Yet there was a chance—and most of all, he had to prioritize Yuu’s life.

Rook took a deep breath and directed a hint of a smile at him. He was proud of Vil for picking the right option. He had always believed in the goodness of his heart, so it was reassuring to see he wasn’t wrong.

Both men nodded, ready to give Epel instructions to stay behind, but the young man stomped his foot on the ground and raised his voice.

“Huh!? Go get Professor Trein? Are you bad in the head or something?!”

Epel was furious.

Both Vil and Rook were taken aback by his explosive reaction. They knew about his temper, and they knew how much Yuu meant to him, so they were genuinely confused about why he didn’t agree with involving the school personnel.

“Aren’t you the King of Poisons?! Didn’t you win your position as Housewarden for creating the most powerful poison here?! Yuu was poisoned, were they not?! Then use your stupid poison knowledge to create a stupid antidote! I thought you didn’t give up on things and you’re giving up right now! And look at you, giving up against an asshole who wasn’t even brave enough to face you directly! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!”

The first year was yelling at Vil furiously. He was so loud that Vil doubted the closed door of his room could contain the sound. But he was so shaken by his junior’s words that he couldn’t even focus on privacy.

He was so taken aback he actually took a step back and instinctively raised his hand, the same way he did when caught off guard.

Rook, just as stunned as his dorm leader, had both hands up as well, as if Epel had been yelling at him too.

After a few moments of heavy silence, Epel finally caught his breath—and that’s when the weight of what he’d just done came crashing down on him.

“Oh shoot!”

He had just yelled at his Housewarden. At Vil. At THE Vil Schoenheit.

The consequences would surely be dire.

“I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have—”

“Epel,” The model interrupted him.

For a moment the poor freshman stood frozen thinking he was about to receive the lecture of his life, so he braced himself.

“Don’t apologize.” Vil finally said. “You’re right. I should be ashamed for giving up so easily. No one better than me knows what I'm capable of, and if someone can create an antidote to save Yuu’s life before your Unique Magic runs off, it’s certainly me .” He said with confidence.

The freshman was glad to hear that, but he was more happy because Vil hadn’t berated him.

“Ah! What a beautiful display of bravery Epel! Your heart-spoken words reached the deepest parts of our dear Vil’s core! And look at you, Roi de Poison ! Shining with newfound resolve! Such a marvelous display of passion from both of you.” Rook said, almost sharing a tear from joy.

Neither of the other two were unfazed but they were still glad all three of them were on the same page.

“I know I can create an antidote, but for this to work, I'm gonna need some help. Can I count with you two?” The actor asked.

“Of course! / But of course!” Rook and Epel answered at the same time. 

“I’m sure that if we work together we will be able to save our dear Monsieur Trickster’s life.”

Vil was still feeling desperate, but it was comforting knowing he had his friends' support. He took a deep breath and very quickly traced a plan of everything they needed to do. 

“First thing we need to do is get a sample of the poison. Which I assume is coming from that apple in their hand.”

“Oui,” Rook answered somberly. “It has a bite on it. I tried to take it off their hand when I found them, but their grip was stronger than mine.”

Vil closed his fist strongly. He didn’t want to imagine what Yuu had gone through. “Epel.”

“Yes!” The youngest of them stood up straight.

“Are you able to cast your Unique Magic again? I need a piece of that apple, so we need you to stop your spell for a while. As soon as we get it, you’ll need to cast the spell again to keep the poison from spreading.”

“I sure can!” he answered without hesitation.

“Epel, I need you to think this through, and to be completely honest with me. I know you haven’t been sleeping properly for at least two days. Your magic is the only thing keeping Yuu alive. I need time to work on the antidote, and I know casting Unique Magic consumes a lot of energy. I can’t afford for you to lose concentration or run out of magic while I’m working.”

Epel knew Vil was right. He was exhausted, but he was certain he could pull this off, just like when he protected Riddle and kept fighting during the Noble Bell College incident. And even if he couldn’t… he had to. Yuu’s life was on the line. He’d find a way, because what was the alternative? They had already searched the scene and found nothing. This was their best shot.

“I can do it. I won’t fail you, or Yuu.”

The Housewarden trusted his freshman, even knowing how tired he was. But if Epel said he could do it, then he’d hold him to that promise.

“Rook, can you lend me your knife?”

“Of course,” his second in command swiftly took off his pocketknife and handed it to him ready to be used.

Vil took a deep breath as he considered the options. It would be ideal to retrieve the whole apple, but he couldn’t afford to waste precious seconds trying to pry it from a grip that had given even Rook trouble.

So, cutting a chunk without injuring Yuu’s fingers seemed like the best option.

“Ready, Epel?”

“Yes,” the young man answered.

“At the count of three. One, two, three.”

As soon as Vil finished counting, Epel dispelled his magic.

The actor swiftly pulled out a handkerchief and, as quickly and carefully as he could, sliced off a piece of the apple.

As soon as he was done, he noticed Yuu’s fingers beginning to twitch again. A clear sign that the poison was once more flowing freely.

“I’m done,” he said, signaling to the purple-haired student to recast his Unique Magic.

What a terrible sight it was—his beloved in such a state, and he, unable to help. For a moment, panic threatened to overwhelm him. But he had to remain calm. He had to, if he was going to pull this off.

He rose to see Yuu’s face through the crystal lid, and found the foam and blood were gone.

Rook stood at their side, smiling sadly, a handkerchief of his own in hand. That was just like him, and Vil was grateful.

Neither of them said a word but they both looked at each other and nodded.

“How are you feeling, Epel?” Vil asked. 

“Good enough, but I’d appreciate it very much if you came up with an antidote quickly,“ He seemed tired, but not exhausted yet.

The head of Pomefiore looked down at the piece of apple in his hand and felt nauseated. What an irony , he thought. He had once tried to poison Neige with apple juice, and now an apple had poisoned the love of his life. If this wasn’t retribution, he didn’t know what was.

Despite his disgust, he brought the fruit closer and carefully inspected it. He took a cautious sniff. The skin seemed normal, but the inside had a strange odor, nothing he could immediately recognize.

“I’ll work as fast as I can, but I need you to buy me as much time as possible.”

“So what’s next?” Epel asked. 

“You are to stay here. We can’t risk someone seeing Yuu in a coffin. We were lucky enough half the school was out on an exchange visit. Keep yourself busy and awake. If you need anything from your room, let us know and will bring it for you.”

“I’ll go tell the film club members activities are postponed until later, and I’ll ask Ortho to come with me so he can help me with the antidote. We’ll then go to Pomefiore’s lab.”

“And Rook, I’m going to have you run errands for me to procure ingredients. Can I count on you for that?”

“Of course Vil! I’m happy to be of service!”

“Thanks. I think we have a plan then.”

“Hey, is it ok if I call Grim?”

Vil looked at Epel slightly worried. He wanted to keep this in utmost secrecy and with how loud and volatile Grim was, it would be hard to keep things discreet, even in the privacy of his own room.

“I know what you must be thinking, but I think he has a right to know… after all, he and Yuu are one student, and I think it will be nice if he is at Yuu’s side at this moment. Besides, it would be good for me to have company so I can stay awake,” He proposed.

Vil didn’t love the idea, but Epel was right about everything. Grim was a very important part of Yuu’s life, and the odds of Epel falling asleep would decrease by a lot if he had someone to keep him company.

“Alright. Just make sure he doesn’t exhaust you more.”

“Yes!”

They all knew what they needed to do, and they were determined to save Yuu’s life, so without a moment's hesitation, they got on the move. 

Epel got his phone out so he could get Grim; Rook dashed towards the lab to prepare everything for his housewarden, and Vil quickly gathered his club members to tell them they were dismissed, except for Ortho who was crucial in his plans to save the love of his life.

---------------------------------------------------

Several hours went by, and each of the Pomefiore students involved in saving Yuu was completely focused on their tasks. Epel remained in Vil’s room, just as instructed—saving as much energy as he could while maintaining his Unique Magic, the only thing keeping Yuu from the clutches of death.

Rook had been coming and going from Sam’s store, to various places across Sage Island, and even covertly around the world using his family’s transportation doors, doing everything he could to provide the ingredients his queen needed. Of course, he was also using his scarce spare time to follow leads on who the perpetrator might be.

Meanwhile, the King of Poisons had spent countless sleepless hours in the lab alongside Ortho, the two of them tirelessly creating and testing potions and elixirs to counter the poison flowing through Ramshackle’s prefect’s body.

The work had been grueling, and even with his mind fully occupied, Vil couldn’t stop worrying—about Yuu, about what to do next, and what the consequences would be with the authorities. But he had to keep going. He couldn’t break down. There was only one way and it was forward, even if it seemed almost impossible.

“Ortho, you can stop now.” Vil said. It was well past midnight now.

“Hm? Why? We are still at a 67% chance of success, if we continue a couple more hours I'm sure we’ll raise it up to 85% at least.”

“It’s getting late. I know you haven’t been recharging as you should because of the work from the club.”

The humanoid was surprised that Vil actually paid attention to that. He was right. His energy levels were low, but he could ask Idia for a portable battery.

“Besides, even if you found a way to get an infinite amount of energy, I doubt Epel can go for much longer.”

“If that’s the issue, I can always keep Epel awake with very mild electric shocks.” Ortho said with a cheerful expression.

Vil sighed. “It is appreciated, but I don’t think any of us can keep at this much longer,” he said with an almost perfectly composed expression. If someone could fake everything was fine, it was him.

“Go rest. I will finish this. I’ll certainly do it.”

Vil was tired, and even if he had maintained his composure in front of the freshman, he was actually on edge. If he could give himself more time, he would. But he would certainly drive himself to madness and would probably overblot, and Yuu had had enough of that

“If that’s what you wish, I can leave you alone. I’ll probably not head to rest yet. I am worried about Yuu too. And I’d like to go with the Mickey gang while they are watching over them.”

“The Mickey gang ? Ah, yes, that’s what you first-grade spudlings who hang around Ramshackle call yourselves.” Vil remembered Yuu mentioning that nickname before. “But what do you mean they’re watching over Yuu? Epel was only supposed to call Grim. Don’t tell me he called everyone else as well,” he said, annoyed.

For a moment, the humanoid flinched. It seemed he had said something he shouldn’t have.

“He didn’t! He tried to get in touch with Grim, but since he doesn’t have a phone—because Yuu’s the one who carries it—he called Deuce to track Grim down and tell him the news. But Deuce was with Jack, and Jack overheard and said he wanted to check on Yuu as well.

“They called Ace afterward since he and Grim were together looking for Riddle to help with a project. On the way back, they ran into Sebek leaving the stables. While they were walking in the same direction, Ace got the call, told Grim, Sebek overheard, and the three of them rushed to Pomefiore too. But nobody else knows!” he added quickly, trying to defend his fellow first years.

Vil massaged his temples with a sigh. Honestly, he should have expected this. And while part of him was worried they’d create a mess, another part of him was quietly relieved. It was comforting to know his dear Yuu was so loved, surrounded by friends who cared so deeply.

“I see. Well, you’re free to go with the rest of the potato gang. I’ll join you soon.”

“I believe in you, Vil! See you in your room.”

Ortho flew out of the lab and left Pomefiore’s housewarden alone for the first time since he received the news of Yuu’s poisoning. Once he considered the humanoid was far enough he allowed himself to take his mask off. He locked the door, and with his back on the wall he let his weight fall to the floor and started to cry.

At first he tried to keep it as contained as possible, but there were so many emotions inside him that it became impossible. His sobs rapidly evolved into wailing. He hugged his knees as he let it all out. He hadn’t cried like that since their experience on the Island of Woe.

He was so tired, and the guilt was eating him up. He had confidence in his talents with poison, but even if it worked, he could never forgive himself for putting his dear partner through this horrible situation. Nothing had tainted his beauty more than hurting his loved ones because of his hideous acts.

Even with all his confidence, with all the strain and stress, he was heavily doubting himself. They had been here for at least 10 hours, and they hadn’t even reached a 75% chance of success.

If he could, he would remain awake and try for a hundred hours more until he knew, with 100% certainty, that the antidote would work. But he knew that was impossible in their current condition. He knew that with all the overwork from the past days and the stress, even if he kept on trying, it wouldn’t make much of a difference, and would certainly make things worse with the blot accumulation. At this point, his brain wasn’t thinking straight anymore, and he also knew Epel couldn’t keep going for much longer.

He cried for a bit more, and then gracefully wiped away his tears. There was still a lot of turmoil inside his heart, but he had no more time to lose. He had to make the most out of the brainpower he still had, and that he would do.

He stood up, returned to his worktable, and resumed his work. He was going to raise that success percentage as much as he could. He was going to save Yuu. He had to. And so, he put the last of his ideas to the test before the blot accumulation in his body reached a point of no return.

An hour went by before he finally reached that point. The antidote had improved considerably but still wasn’t perfect. But he couldn’t continue any longer. He took a very big breath and then called Rook as he prepared everything.

“Meet me at the lab. It’s time.”

---------------------------------------------------

When Vil and Rook were close to reaching the former’s room, they heard a lot of yelling coming through the hallway.

“YOU. HAVE. NO. RIGHT. TO. COMPLAIN! You are also crying dude!” That was Ace.

“IF I’M CRYING, IT’S BECAUSE MY LIEGE IS ATTACHED TO THIS HUMAN, AND WITH HIS MAGNANIMITY, HE IS GOING TO BE SAD WHEN HE FINDS OUT THEIR FATE!” This time, it was Sebek’s voice that replied. With him in the room, it wasn’t surprising that they had all reached a point where yelling at each other felt inevitable.

“Hey! DON’T YOU DARE SAY YUU IS GOING TO DIE! BESIDES, WE ALL KNOW YOU CONSIDER YUU A FRIEND TOO!” And now Deuce had joined the shouting as well. Knowing them, Ace was probably holding him back to keep him from going straight at Sebek.

“SILENCE! THESE TEARS ARE ONLY FOR M-MY LIEGE!” Sebek yelled, but despite what he was saying, his voice was cracking because of the sadness.

“ALL OF YOU! SHUT UP! Vil told Epel that we should be discreet, and if you all continue crying and yelling like that, somebody is going to catch on to the situation!” Jack yelled. He at least diminished slightly the volume of his voice.

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO TELL ME TO SHUT UP?! I’M THE ONE WHO HAS THE MOST RIGHT TO BE CRYING! AND LOOK AT YOU—TAIL BETWEEN YOUR LEGS AND YOUR NOSE ALL SNOTTY! YOUR CRYING IS THE LOUDEST OF ALL, NEXT TO SEBEK’S!” Grim snapped back at Jack without hesitation.

“SILENCE! I–IF YOU D–DON’T LOW–E–R Y–YOUR VOICES, I’LL NEUT–TRALIZE YOU!” Ortho’s voice cracked as well. Vil had never heard him like that. Hadn’t even thought it possible for him to cry. But after learning he now had a heart, it all made sense.

“ARE YOU CRAZY?! IF YOU USE THAT BEAM, YUU’S GONNA DIE! EVERYBODY STOP!” Epel shouted. “I know I needed to stay awake… but can you FUCKING KEEP IT DOWN!? We need to be discreet until Vil returns with the antidote so that he can save… s-save…”
His voice faltered, cracking with emotion, the last word trapped painfully in his throat.

Before anyone could say anything else, Vil finally entered the room.

They all froze—flabbergasted, like they’d been caught red-handed.

But even then, none of them stopped crying.

 “Vil… I-I-” Epel tried to excuse them but Vil stopped him.

“No need to explain,” Right after him, Rook followed.

Grim quickly climbed on Ace’s shoulder. “You’re gonna save my hench-human, right?” He asked. Pleaded.

“Of course. If someone could save Yuu’s life, it’s me,” he said with the last bit of confidence he could muster. He was trying to convince himself—clinging to the belief that he was capable—so he wouldn’t crumble in front of everyone from nerves, from guilt.

He held onto that thought like a lifeline: that he could save Yuu. Then, he called out to Epel. “It’s time to break the spell.”

The purple-haired young man nodded and wiped his eyes. He was extremely nervous, but he needed to stay composed in case something went wrong and he had to cast his Unique Magic again. Even if his body was clearly giving him signs that the blot accumulation was dangerously high.

“Do you want me to run a few tests on the antidote before you inject it?” Ortho offered, his voice almost faltering.

“No. We don’t have that much time,” He and Eepel were tired and he knew perfectly that if any of them heard anything other than 100% success rate, panic would take hold of them.

“Ok, ”The student from Ignyhide answered.

Everyone else remained silent—the only sounds in the room were everyone’s quiet sobs. They all waited, holding their breath, afraid that any movement or noise might shatter the fragile hope clinging to the air like a prayer.

Rook placed a comforting hand on Vil’s shoulders. “Yuu will be fine. You’re the Roi du Poison for a reason.”

“Then I’ll prove to myself I’m still deserving of that title,” Vil replied, more to steel his own heart than to answer Rook.

The housewarden took a step forward and all the first years took a step back so he and Rook had space to act. Vil handed Rook the antidote and the latter masterfully placed the content inside a syringe. Then each of them took a side by Vil’s Bed. Rook on the left side of Yuu, and Vill on their right. Once there, Vil looked directly at Epel and nodded. That was the sign.

Epel gulped but followed his Majesty’s orders. He dispelled his magic, and though the weight of the spell lifted from his body, he felt anything but relieved. They had all heard the tale of glass coffins popular in the Shaftlands—how those placed inside were said to return to life. To the students, it had always been just that: a fairytale. But this time, they silently prayed to The Seven that it might end like one.

The crystal coffin faded, and though it had been placed close to the bed, Vil swiftly caught Yuu and gently laid them down with utmost care.

As soon as the Ramshackle prefect was laying perfectly still on the bed, Rook masterfully grabbed Yuu’s arm and, in a swift movement, cut open their jacket and shirt so he could find their forearm and quickly inject the antidote. He then placed a piece of cotton and a bandaid, and softly folded Yuu’s arm so their hand was resting on their chest.

The only thing they could do now was wait.

Vil seated by his partner’ side softly caressing the hand holding on to the apple and gently moving their hair behind their ear.

No one in the room dared say anything. They were all just waiting in silence, expectantly. 

The prefect looked so beautiful, almost ethereal. It was as if they had been put into a deep slumber. But the reality of it turned this charming scene into a haunting one. Yuu’s life was hanging by a thread, and if that thread were to snap, this ‘peaceful’ sleep would reveal itself for what it truly was: a coma that would rapidly evolve into convulsions, and then, death.

And even though Vil held onto hope, he was terrified he had failed, that he would lose his love forever. He thought of the pain, the funeral, the never-ending tears, the hatred… and possibly, prison. But he wouldn't go there without revenge. He would take whoever did this to the afterlife—not before making them suffer. And maybe, if he followed that path, there could be a way to escape the law. After all, if the only one with a desire to see him behind bars disappeared… it would all be fine, right?

For a moment, it sounded like a great plan… until a light in his thoughts reminded him: he was trying to be better. That this wouldn't make Yuu happy, nor his father… nor himself.

“Can you wake me up with a kiss?” Vil’s spiraling mind momentarily drifted somewhere else. To a better moment,  when everything seemed perfect. 

Yuu, waking up at his side during a quick trip to the Shaftlands. A moment shared just by the two of them.

“Hm? But you’re already awake,” He had been confused at their request and had looked at them with a puzzled expression.

“I mean next time, it would be a dream come true being woken up by a kiss from THE Vil Schoenheit. But it would be 100 times better to get a sweet good morning kiss from my beloved boyfriend, Vil,” Even in their sleepy state, they were always playful and adorable.

He couldn’t remember the rest of the conversation as it happened but he remembered he kept telling You how lucky they were to be able to share a morning with the most famous model in all of Twisted Wonderland.

“I was the lucky one…” he murmured, almost imperceptibly. He felt like an idiot for not making the most out of his time with Yuu. Yuu had never asked for more time than what he could give, and always made the most of it. Meanwhile, Vil had always been preoccupied with the next item on their schedule.

They never cared for his fame or money, yet learned to admire and appreciate all his work.

Yuu always listened—to his rambling, his struggles, his self-gloating—yet never judged him. They always lent a sympathetic ear, offered sincere praise and kind words, or promptly challenged his ideas when they disagreed.

Without a doubt, Vil felt incredibly loved, truly cherished, by the wonderful human who now lay poisoned on his bed, no longer under Epel’s crystal protection. And he felt that he had not loved Yuu enough. Not as they deserved. Not as much as he knew he actually could.

The only thing he could do now was pray that his antidote would work—and maybe, just maybe, give Yuu what they had asked for on that sunny morning a few weeks ago. A wake-up kiss. Maybe, just maybe, a true love’s kiss would wake his beloved, just as the fairytales from his homeland promised.

This was reality, he knew better than anyone else. But still, he leaned forward. For a moment, everything around him disappeared—Rook, the first-years sniffling softly in the room—gone. There were only Yuu and him.

He gently caressed the prefect’s cheek. After brushing their hair behind their ear, he pressed a soft kiss on Yuu’s lips.

He was so absorbed in his prayers that he didn’t even notice all the first years except for Epel—who was used to seeing them kissing—shrieked as they became all flustered between tears.

He then placed his forehead on theirs. “Please wake up.” He pleaded quietly with his left hand still squeezing Yuu’s.

“Vil…?” A weak voice called for him from beneath. 

He rapidly opened his eyes and found a pair of barely opened eyes looking at him.

Tears rolled down from his cheeks falling directly on Yuu’s cheeks. And a smile formed on his lips.

Everyone cheered behind him but he was not listening to them.

“Good morning, love,” He said and hugged you.

“…Morning?” you asked, confused, glancing around at everyone in the room. “What...?!”

Suddenly, with a surge of strength, you broke free from Vil’s embrace, pushing him away and dropping to the floor to reach the trash bin he kept close to his bed. A moment later, your body convulsed violently as they began to vomit, the effort contorting them painfully. The red apple—the one that had caused all of this—rolled across the floor.

Everyone rushed to your side to help.

“I’ll cast my Unique Magic again and take them to the hospital!” Epel shouted, reaching for his pen.

His housewarden quickly stopped him. “There’s no need. This is how the antidote was supposed to work. It’s fighting the poison and helping them expel it from their system. I still need to take them to the infirmary, but you can rest now.”

Relief washed over Epel, and the tension that had gripped him for hours finally lifted. He sank to the floor, leaning against the wall, completely exhausted and on the verge of passing out.

Yuu continued to purge the poison from their body as Ace, Deuce, and Grim helped support their weight, kept their hair back, and gently patted and rubbed their back in comfort.

Yuu was so exhausted and in so much pain that they couldn’t hear all the encouraging words from everyone in the room and soon they realized their consciousness was fading.

“Hench-human! You have to stay awake!” Grim yelled.

Sebek was also yelling, something about weakness while Ortho was saying number that seemed random to them.

Vil was also calling for them, but as much as they tried searching for his face in the room, everything was hazy. The last thing they saw was Epel completely passed out on the wall as Jack tried to carry him to take him to the infirmary as well.

---------------------------------------------------

When Yuu woke up, the first they felt was how both their hands were sore. in their right hand, they felt in their fingertips the aftermath of a burn and at the same time, some sort of bandages around them. On their left side, in the back of his hand, there was a small but constant pinch, as if there was a needle stationed inside their skin. 

By opening their eyes, he noticed a couple bags with fluids to their side and figured that he had probably been right about the needles.

Where were they? In the hospital? No. Yuu had been here before a couple times. It was the school’s infirmary. 

They groaned a little and raised their right hand to rub their eyes. They indeed had a bandage on it. What had happened?

“Yuu!” A familiar voice said. 

“Vil?” The prefect asked. As soon as they saw their boyfriend by their side a quick memory passed by their mind: “ I hope your  dear boyfriend finds this gesture as beautiful as his deeds ”. This triggered a bunch of other memories to return to them. The old person, the apple and the terrible pain and feelings.

Yuu became startled and rose too quickly which made them feel dizzy. 

“Hey, you need to take it slowly,” Vi said and guided Yuu back to the pillow but reclined the bed slightly so Yuu could talk more comfortably with him.

“Are you ok? There was someone out there, I don’t know who, but they wanted to hurt you!” Yuu said, their voice full of worry.

The housewarden looked at them slightly disappointed as he put his book on the table beside the bed.

“You really need to start worrying more about yourself, you know?” he sighed, but then gently held Yuu’s bandaged hand in his own. Even through the layers of fabric, he could feel the coolness of Vil’s comforting touch.

“Well, given the fact that I’m awake now—and that despite everything that could’ve happened to me, I survived—I’d say I’m okay. But I don’t know if you are.”

Vil almost laughed at the kind of logic Yuu was always so fond of, but with everything that had just happened, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he simply held his breath for a moment, letting the silence stretch between them.

“Well, I'm fine now,”

“Now? What did they do?” Yuu asked, still worried.

“They poisoned you,” He said somberly.

“Oh,” Yuu remember. Now their memories were clearer. They grabbed a bite of that horrible apple and then they held onto that apple for dear life. Probably why their fingertips were bandaged and hurting.

“I'm sorry. I should have been more careful,” They said, feeling down.

“You should have. Seriously, has no one taught you can’t take food from strangers just like that?” Now he was lecturing them. It was not his intention, but seriously what had Yuu been thinking?

“It was an old person! They didn’t seem like someone evil! Besides, from my perspective, it was a token of gratitude. And… it was free…” Yuu added, their cheeks slightly flushed.

This kind of silly thought process was exactly why the prefect of Ramshackle got along so well with the other potatoes who called themselves the “Mickey gang.” So unserious, so chaotic—it drove Vil absolutely mad. Even more maddening was the fact that he couldn’t quite understand why he was so attracted to this part of Yuu in the first place.

“Can you be serious for a moment? Please promise you won’t take food from strangers like that again. Swear it.”

Yuu wanted to complain, but there was a mix of anger and uneasiness in Vil’s expression that helped him understand all the worry he went through.

“I promise,” Yuu said and turned his hand to squeeze Vil's hands as a means to be reassuring.

And it was. After a brief moment, Vil was able to breathe again and relaxed in his chair.

“It is me who should be apologizing. I'm sorry, it was my own ugliness that brought this upon you. The non beautiful part of my soul. 

“Huh? What do you mean? You’re nothing but beautiful, Vil. Both on the outside and on the inside,” Yuu said and gently caressed his face with the bandaged hand. 

“You say that because you’re in love with me.” He said almost sarcastically but not with malicious intentions. 

“I am in love with you. That’s true. But I am not blind. I know the person you are. The person you’re striving to be.”

“Don’t try to sugarcoat this. I tried to… harm someone. Beyond repair. If you ask me, that is very un-beautiful,” he said bitterly, defeated and disappointed in himself. Because of that moment of weakness, he had jeopardized the life of the person he loved most.

“You did. I was there. And truly, that was un-beautiful, as you say.”

Vil was finally satisfied. He was finally hearing the truth he thought he needed from Yuu. An acknowledgment that he wasn’t the most beautiful.

“But you’re here now. You changed. You’re trying to be better. And you are better. In the end, nothing happened to Neige. He was actually none the wiser that he was ever in danger.”

“That was only possible because you all went to stop me.”

“And tell me, my fairest Vil, what is more beautiful than having trustworthy friends who stand by us in our darkest moments? What’s more beautiful than forming bonds strong enough to pull us back when we begin to stray from who we want to be?”

“Every member of the VDC team respects you. In case you think some didn’t act out of friendship, Rook, Epel, and I all care for you deeply.”

“Yes, what you did was terrible. I won’t try to sugarcoat that. But you rose above it. You learned from it. You grew as a person and deepened your connections with everyone involved. You’re learning to stop comparing yourself to Neige, and to see your own beauty—without needing to prove it to anyone else.”

Vil was about to speak, but Yuu gently placed a bandaged finger on his lips.

“And no saying that you can’t be beautiful because you still have ‘evil thoughts.’ If I do say so myself, my beloved, you’re more beautiful than anyone who only harbors ‘pure’ ones. Not to say that pureness doesn’t have its own charm, but even with those darker thoughts in mind, you still choose to do the right thing. You make a constant, conscious decision. You know both worlds, and you still choose the right path, over and over.”

“The ‘pure’ only know one side. But who knows what they’d do if they were ever truly faced with the ugliness and hardship of the human heart? They do what they’re used to. You , on the other hand, know what it’s like, and still choose the light. That daily decision, that hard work, that fierce conviction, Vil… that’s what makes you the fairest of them all.”

Vil was left speechless. He wanted to cry, but more than that, he felt overwhelmed by calm. Overjoyed that it was Yuu who had said all this. He softly smiled and leaned his head against the palm of their recovering hand.

“Besides,” Yuu added, “none of this is your fault. Whatever you did in the past, that asshole acted of his own will. He chose to hurt someone. And not just anyone but an innocent. You had nothing to do with that.”

“You’re right. I’m surprised by your sudden display of wisdom, you know,” he said, finally allowing himself a laugh.

“Hey!”

“But that’s one of the reasons I fell in love with you,” he said endearingly, gazing at his beloved. “Such a tidy, pristine, and clean appearance… contrasting so intensely with that rowdy attitude you display most of the time. You’re full of surprises, my little beautiful and wise potato.”

“ Potato??? I thought the day I stole your heart I got promoted from potato to bright red apple,” Yuu protested weakly, a small pout tugging at their lips despite the exhaustion in their body.

The mention of an apple—the very thing that had nearly stolen Yuu from him—twisted Vil’s insides. But he pushed the thought aside for now.

“You were,” he replied gently. “But you used the ‘a’ word , and with it… a bit of your potato self resurfaced.”

His brow lifted in amusement, but then a small laugh slipped from his lips.

“But I’ll still love you, every part of you. Even the potato bits. You know that, right?”

He leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to their forehead and gently brushing his fingers through their hair.

“Of course, my queen. The great Vil Schoenheit has no need to maintain any relationship that isn’t useful to him. So why would you be here, caring for me, stroking my hair, and looking at me with those crystalline, beautiful eyes if not because I’ve been granted a place in your heart?” Yuu smiled warmly as they spoke.

Despite the lingering paleness from the poisoning, a soft, rosy hue painted their cheeks.

They were exhausted, their body still recovering, but in that moment, they couldn’t have been happier. They were right where they wanted to be, beside the one they loved most in the world. The fairest of them all. The owner of their heart.

Vil’s heart fluttered at the sight. The way Yuu looked at him—so full of love, so certain in his affection—filled him with warmth and peace. And for the first time in a long while, he felt truly happy.

“Thank you Seven, ” he thought to himself, “ For allowing me to save this one life, this beautiful life. ”

“Were you able to find out who did this?” Yuu asked bringing Vil back to the current moment.

“We were. Rook and Ortho are certainly a team of amazing trackers.”

Yuu felt a chill down his spine, they would never want to get on their bad side.

“And what happened to them? Were they apprehended?”

Vil knew perfectly Yuu was asking for him. He was more worried he had targeted Vil than by what the perpetrator had done to them. “He was. You should not worry about them.”

Yuu didn’t have context on everything that happened, nor about the contents of the letter. They didn’t know how his goal was to get Vil to the authorities after the VDC incident. And Vil didn’t plan to hide this from Yuu, but he would share it with them once they had more energy and were recovered. So for the moment he kept his answer short. 

He omitted the small psychological punishment his dear hunter and his best Reasearch Film Club member inflicted on the one who dared layed a finger on the love of his life, or how Rook had a talk with Neige, omitting a few critical details, so that he helped him talk down to this criminal into guilt and making him confess his crime without dirtying Vil’s name.

A gesture Vil had to thank yet. And he would with a heart to heart to Neige where he would apologize. But that too, he would tell later, once he felt ready.

“They won’t be hurting you, nor me, nor anyone else. I promise.”

“I see,” Yuu said relieved.

Vil gentry grabbed Yuu’s hand and placed a soft kiss on it. The they just kept on talking hours, about what things or actions would demote Yuu into a potato again and about how Vil could sometimes be a potato as well, even if he wouldn't want to admit it. And Vil telling Yuu about how all of his spudling friends were there with them during their darkest hours.

“Thanks The Seven Yuu is so loved, and thanks The Seven I can be part of one of those people, ” He thought. 

They talked about other unrelated topics. Vil was just happy to be able to spend time with his beloved, and from that moment on he promised he would almost make the most out of his time with Yuu.