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The gardens were one of the few places in the Royal Capital where nobody bothered them. A wide field of white and blue flowers stretched beneath the afternoon sky, swaying gently in the wind. Their scent was subtle, carried across the paths and between the trees.
Felt had long since kicked off her shoes. She sat in the grass with her legs stretched out, absently twisting a flower stem between her fingers. Reinhard stood beside her, like he always did. At least, he’d started standing – until Felt had gotten tired of looking up at him and forced him to join her. He sat right next to her, his flaming red hair glowing gold in the sun.
The sight was irritatingly pretty. Felt hated that she noticed.
Inside, the royal residence was unusually busy. The servants were still tidying up the mansion after today’s sequence of official meetings. In recent times, Felt had to conduct many similar audiences. This one was no different, but for some reason she couldn’t get it out of her head.
"Y’know," Felt said to Reinhard, dropping the crumpled flower, "more people keep askin' me about marriage lately."
His expression didn’t change. That was to be expected. The slight stiffness in his shoulders was not. It’s a subtle thing – something most people wouldn't have noticed. Yet, she always did.
“I imagine that is a common question for a royal candidate.”
“Oh, I bet.” She leaned back on her hands. “And I think it’s funny.”
The knight blinked. “Funny?”
“Because somebody gets weird every time I bring it up.”
His brows furrowed in thought. “I can’t say I noticed.”
“It’s ‘cause you’re that somebody.”
Reinhard said nothing. Felt flopped backward into the grass and stared at the clouds. She thought that, if she looked at the sky instead of him, then maybe this would be easier. But it wasn’t.
“So, what did you tell them?” he asked.
She groaned. “You’re really gonna make me say it?!”
“...I don’t know what you’re referring to.”
Of course he didn’t.
Because the strongest knight in Lugunica could battle impossible monsters but couldn’t navigate a conversation to save his life. In frustration, Felt rubbed her hand over her face.
“I didn’t answer.” The words came out quieter than she intended. Uneasy, she sat up and picked at the grass. “’Cause I got no idea what to say.”
He offered no response. When she finally glanced over, he wasn’t looking at her. Instead, Reinhard's blue eyes moved across the flowers. For some reason, that made her chest tighten.
The trees rustled around them. For a while, they simply watched the wind move through the field. Years ago, silence between them would have been uncomfortable. It wasn’t anymore. Somehow, Reinhard had become one of the few people Felt could sit beside without feeling the need to fill every moment with noise. This felt reassuring – but also dangerous. Because quiet left room for thoughts. And lately, her thoughts always seemed to drift back to him.
"Y’know, back when you dragged me outta the slums?” she said conversationally. “I thought you were the strangest guy I'd ever met."
A slow, reminiscent smile spread over Reinhard’s face.
"I remember."
"I also hated you a little."
He closed his eyes and nodded. "I remember that, too."
The corners of his mouth lifted, and Felt looked away before she could start smiling, too. That had become a problem. Somewhere along the way, she'd started wanting to see him smile. It used to annoy the hell out of her.
"You seemed almost inhuman."
The words slipped out before she could stop them. Reinhard's expression changed. Felt regretted saying it immediately. Because they both knew better now.
The strongest man in the kingdom. The Sword Saint from the revered Astrea family. The hero carrying responsibilities that should’ve crushed him. The knight among knights, always hiding behind a polite mask. And one of the loneliest people she'd ever known.
“What do you think of me now?”
The question was simple. The answer wasn’t. She scratched the back of her neck. A strong wind tugged at her hair.
"I think you're just a guy."
Reinhard blinked. "A guy?"
"Yeah." Felt met his gaze. "A guy who acts tough all the time even when he’s not.”
His smile faded. He wasn’t offended. She just had hit too close to the truth.
"You always see more than people expect."
"Comes from growin' up where I did."
Sitting motionless, Reinhard looked exhausted. Felt hated seeing that look. Maybe that was how she'd known. Not now, but a long time ago. The moment she'd started caring more about whether he was hurting than whether he was winning.
The birds chirping in the tree branches were loud to her ears. The sun was hiding behind the clouds now, painting a shadow over the gardens. Reinhard’s gaze lingered on the horizon.
“I’ve thought about it, too.”
Felt’s heart skipped a beat. Her voice sounded higher than usual.
“…Thought about what?”
The knight’s head slowly turned. He looked directly at her.
“Us.”
The word settled heavily between them. There was no escaping it now. Briefly, Reinhard lowered his eyes and stared at his fidgeting fingers.
“I have for quite some time.”
His reply echoed in her ears. Felt was suddenly grateful for the cool breeze. Otherwise, her face would have been unbearably warm.
"How long?"
Reinhard was silent for several seconds. His response was unhurried but confident.
"Long enough that I stopped counting."
This answer stole her breath. Because it matched hers. Neither of them were children anymore. There was no point in pretending. No point to keep dancing around it.
“You idiot.”
This sounded like an accusation. His eyebrows lifted.
“Pardon me?”
"You should've said something!"
All he did was stare back at her, his eyes wide.
“I... wasn’t certain how you felt.”
Suddenly, Felt barked out a laugh, causing the birds to take off from the nearby branches. Everything felt strangely lighter. Like some knot she’d been carrying around for years had finally loosened.
Years..., she thought in disbelief. The two biggest idiots in the kingdom. Maybe that was fitting.
Without really thinking about it, she reached over and caught Reinhard’s hand. His fingers tensed before carefully wrapping around hers. They stayed like this for a moment, no talking necessary. Just living in the moment.
"I'm not gonna make some grand confession."
Felt leaned closer, resting her head against his shoulder.
"I wasn't expecting one."
She looked up at the sky, thinking about the kingdom they were both trying to change. The future neither of them could predict. Then, she smirked.
"But if some noble asks me about marriage again... I'm probably gonna point at you and tell 'em they're too late."
For the first time all afternoon, Reinhard looked genuinely happy. He beamed at her – with a real smile, not the polite smile he showed the world. Something only a handful of people ever got to see. At that moment, Felt decided it was worth every second of waiting. Even if it had taken them years to get there.