Disclaimer: I do not own Servamp or any of the characters


"Lichtan, I know you're in there! Unlock this door or else I'm going to break it open!" Hyde threatened and scowled at the door but he knew that it was pointless with how stubborn Licht was. He was Licht's tutor but he felt more like an abused personal assistant sometimes. They butted heads more times than he could count because Licht was more interested in his piano than his duty as the future king.

"That's it, I'm coming in!" He screamed when Licht refused to answer him and continued to play his piano. Hyde used his magic to unlock the door and pushed it open. Unfortunately, he was met with a wall of furniture blocking the door. Muttering countless curses, he forced his way through them and made his way to the angel in the center of the room.

"Licht Jekylland Todoroki, it's time for your magic lesson! After that, we need to talk politics. Are you even listening to me?" Hyde groaned and rubbed his temple. "Angel Cakes, you're going to be king soon so I need to teach you everything about your new duties. I can't do that when you're stuck at your piano."

"What does a demon know about running a kingdom?" Licht scoffed but he stopped playing to face Hyde. "Let me play my piano in peace. I never asked to be a king and I certainly don't want to be one!"

"Licht, you know this marriage is for your people and the kingdom." He reminded him and Licht bit his lip. He couldn't argue with what he said.

Licht was the second son of the king but he never expected the responsibility of being king to be thrust upon him. Earlier that year, his older brother had eloped with a common knight and left the kingdom reeling. No one knew where he was now. While his family was worried about their missing son, they also had a kingdom to provide for. The mines, the kingdom's main trade, were in ruins after an attack.

In the aftermath, his parents decided that marrying Licht off for a dowry would be best. The marriage would also provide stability because his fiancé was the king of a wealthy, neighbouring country. But the union meant that Licht would have to give up the freedom he thrived in to become a ruler. He was never trained to be a king so he was scurrying to learn everything about his new role.

"I don't want to waste a beautiful afternoon in one of your boring lessons. I'm already proficient with my wings and my piano. Those are the only two things I need." Licht stood and strode onto the balcony. He stared up at the wide open sky and thought of all the places he hadn't visited and the people he hadn't played his piano for.

He had planned to leave his kingdom and explore the world on his twentieth birthday. That was only a few months away but he would soon be shackled to his castle. He loved his people and his kingdom but he also wanted his freedom. Caught between love, duty, and his dreams, Licht didn't know what the right choice was. "I don't want to marry a complete stranger."

"Licht, I know this isn't the future you wanted but think about your people." Hyde moved to stand next to him. He had been his tutor for the past three years so he knew Licht well. "It won't be that bad. Sleepy Ash likes music so he won't forbid you from playing your piano. Arranged marriages are common and most of them end up happy. I'm sure you'll learn to love him."

"I'm already in love." Licht whispered and there was a longing in his eyes that clawed at Hyde's heart. It was rare for him to appear vulnerable. In all the years they've known each other, he never told him that he was in love with someone. The thought made him feel a little jealous.

"Do I know this person?" He asked.

"Idiot, I'm in love with this." Licht climbed onto the balcony rail and gestured to the blue sky.

He balanced on the railing and let the wind wash over him. He unfolded his wings to let them breathe. A rare smile played on his lips. "I love the wind, the birds and playing my piano for the world. I can see it all in front of me and I can reach out my hand to them. But, if I marry Sleepy Ash, I'll be trapped. I know it's my duty but I wish I could've experienced the world more. I've never even been outside the castle…"

Hyde watched him silently. He did sympathize with Licht and he wondered if there was anything he could do to help him. An idea came to him but he didn't know if Licht would agree to a kidnapping. He snapped his fingers and made a cloak appear over Licht's head. While he was still struggling with the cloak, Hyde swept Licht off the balcony and into his arms.

"What are you doing, Shit Rat?" Licht screamed and pushed the cloak's hood off his eyes to glare at Hyde. He held him securely against his chest as he went back into the room. He started to fight him but paused when Hyde walked to the dresser. His curiosity got the better of him and he waited to see what Hyde would do. With his feet, Hyde pushed aside the dresser and revealed a hidden door.

He had never seen the door before and he wondered if Hyde summoned it with his magic. Licht pushed at his shoulder and he was glad that Hyde gently placed him on his feet. He went to examine the door. He didn't feel any magic around the door and wondered where it led. A key was dangled in front of him and he turned to see Hyde's sly smile.

He placed a finger on Licht's lips and whispered. "I'm sneaking you out so you need to be quiet. This is a secret passageway to outside the castle. Only the most trusted servants know of it in case we need to evacuate you quickly. No one ever told you because we know you'd use it to fly off. I'm willing to take you out for an afternoon of fun in the kingdom as long you promise that this stays between us."

"Okay." Licht reached out to take the key but Hyde stealthily wrapped his pinky around his. He pulled him closer and kissed his little finger with a grin. He chuckled at his bright blush and moved around him to unlock the door. He should've known better than to turn his back to Licht. The moment he opened the door, Licht kicked him through the passageway. "That was for kissing me without permission, Shit Rat."

"I was only sealing our promise. That kiss had a spell to keep you from telling anyone about the door." He groaned and rubbed his back. He closed the door behind them, pitching them into darkness. Despite the fact that it was hard to see ahead of them, he could hear Licht rushing forward and tripping on rocks occasionally. Hyde shook his head with a wry smile.

"Slow down, Lichtan, the kingdom isn't going anywhere." He knew that Licht was excited to leave the castle and he was running through the dark without thinking. When Licht would've tripped again, Hyde caught his arm. He summoned a small flame to help them see their way through the tunnel. Hyde led them through the underground maze using the marking on the walls.

They stopped in front of a stone wall and Hyde placed his ear against it. Once he was certain that it was safe, he opened the hidden door and gestured for Licht to follow him. Licht walked into a secluded alley and winced at the bright sun. He could hear the bustling marketplace outside the alley and bounded forward. His expression was like a child's and Hyde chuckled at his enthusiasm.

"Just wait a minute, Lichtan." Hyde wrapped his arm around his waist. He stepped in front of him and adjusted the robe around him more. "Your angel wings are beautiful but we need to hide them while we're out here. We'll cause a scene if the people knew that their prince and future king escaped the castle. You don't want to return early, do you?"

"Fine," Licht folded his wings behind him and hid them beneath his cloak. "Let's go now!"

"I'm coming." He followed him into the marketplace. Licht stopped at every stall to examine the wares for sale. While the castle held more luxury and exotic items, he was still fascinated with the simple plaza. Hyde loved watching his expression and curiosity as he asked him about the town.

Hyde bought a bouquet of dahlias from a vendor and handed it to Licht. "Lesson time, Lichtan. These are dahlias and its scientific name is dahlia pinnata. Flowers have a lot meaning. Even a single flower like a dahlia has multiple meanings but I think they fit you pretty well; elegance, inner strength, creativity, and dignity. They are also known to represent an everlasting bond so these flowers are used in wedding."

Hyde took one of the flowers from the bouquet and tucked it behind his ear. Licht tilted his head at him but he didn't take out the flower. Though, he did touch the dahlia in his dark hair and asked: "Why do I need to learn about flowers to be a king?"

"I think that it's pretty useless too but figure heads are expected to know about these things. You don't want to accidentally send an ally some roses that means love and cause a bunch of confusion. How about we talk politics next?" He held out his arm to Licht who placed his hand in the crook of his arm. Licht let him guide him through the street. He held the bouquet to his nose as he half listened to his lesson about taxes.

He heard a commotion behind him and Licht looked over his shoulder. The man running towards them shoved Licht aside and Hyde quickly steadied him before he could fall. Guards ran past them and from their yelling, he knew that the man must've been a bandit. Licht handed the flowers back to Hyde before he ran to chase the man as well. "Wait, Lichtan!"

His voice faded behind Licht as he ran after the man. Licht was an angel so he was compelled to catch the man to keep his people safe. He quickly passed the guards and he could see the bandit in front of him. He swore when the bandit scaled a wall and Licht struggled to follow him. Licht wished that he could've used his wings to fly but he remembered Hyde's warning.

A black rope snaked out of the wall and wrapped around the bandit's feet, keeping him in place. At first, Licht thought that it was Hyde's magic so he was surprised when he saw a witch on a broom floating at the top of the wall instead. With a whispered spell, the witch forced the bandit to the ground by changing the gravity around them. He casted another spell and restrained the man with a rope.

The witch descended to the ground. He landed next to the bandit and took the bandit's weapons. Once the man was unarmed, the witch turned to Licht. "We should stay with this thief and wait for the guards to catch up. My name's Mahiru. I saw you chasing him and it looked like you needed help. Did he take anything from you? I'm guessing that was why you were chasing this man."

"He didn't steal from me but I had to bring him to justice. Why? It's because I'm an angel." Licht said proudly and made a pose. Mahiru didn't know if he was joking or not but decided to shrug off his claims with a smile. "My name is Licht. That was an impressive gravity spell you casted. Are you traveling witch or do you have a shop in the village?"

"Well, neither. I'm working as an apprentice at Carp's Potions and Spells. I practise my witchcraft as often as I can though." He answered in a small voice. "I still have a lot of work to do before I can leave the shop. Then I can use my magic to help people. It has always been my dream to leave and use my magic for good instead of money. Just a few more years and I'll be able to do that."

"It seems like you already know some powerful spells. You can leave."

"I wish leaving was so simple but I can't abandon my friends there and I still need to pay off my debt to Carp. Anyways, it isn't entirely bad. I've learned a lot of spells from his books." Mahiru didn't add that he would often be punished for reading the spell books without permission. But he loved magic and wanted to learn spells that could help people.

"What other spells can you use?" Licht asked excitedly and Mahiru decided to humour him. He waved his hand above his head and wrapped a shadow around himself. The shadow dispersed and Licht was staring at himself. He knew that Mahiru must've cast an imitation spell and he was astonished with the likeness. They only just met yet his magic was powerful enough to replicate his image.

"I know a lot of spells aside from illusion and creation spells." Mahiru opened his hand and summoned a bunny made of ice. "Do you know how to use magic as well?"

Before Licht could answer, he heard someone call his name. He turned around and saw Hyde running towards them, out of breath. Hyde's eyes widened when he saw the two and staggered. "There's two now? One of you was already going to send me to an early grave, Lichtan."

Licht kicked him for that comment and Hyde held up his hands in surrender. "Well, at least I know who the real one is now. Who's your look alike friend? His spell is remarkable but it still needs work. The white strand in your hair is a little short and your eyes are a different shade of blue. Also, you look pretty calm while the real Licht here is ready to kick me again."

"Because you're being an insufferable demon!" Licht screamed and Hyde dodged his next attack. It surprised him that Hyde could point out minor differences between them that most wouldn't notice. He watched the two men banter and then Mahiru laughed good naturedly.

"You two look like you get along well." He commented and they, predictably, tried to deny that fact. Even if they said otherwise, Mahiru could tell that they were close. He heard the guards approach them and said, "I'll stay and talk to the guards. They'll most likely keep us here for hours with questions and you two probably want to enjoy your date."

"I would never date this demon." The bite his voice usually had was lost when Licht remembered that he didn't have a choice in who he was with. He was engaged to a king he never met before.

"I think it's time for us to go home, Lichtan. If the guards see us, your parents will know that we left the castle." Hyde whispered into his ear and gently tugged on his hand. He pulled away and spoke to Mahiru. "Thank you. We'll be leaving now."

"The next time I'm able to sneak out, I'll visit you at Carp's shop! Bye, Mahiru." Licht called to him as they walked away. Deep inside, he knew that it was unlikely that he would meet his new friend again.


"Now, remember you can't tell anyone about today." Hyde reminded him as he escorted Licht back to his room. It was late when they returned but they were able to evade the guards patrolling the halls. They stopped in front of his door and Hyde handed the bouquet to Licht. "This has to be my favourite lesson so far. It's just too bad that we can't do this more often."

"I had a lot of fun today. Hyde, I…" Licht trailed off as he tried to decide what he wanted to say. In the end, he sighed. "Never mind. Goodnight."

"Sweet dreams, Lil' Angel." Hyde whispered back to him and Licht entered his room. He closed the door, leaned against it and sank to the ground. He hugged the flowers to his chest and listened to Hyde's footsteps disappear into the distance. A thousand different emotions turned his stomach and confused him but he couldn't ignore them.

Hyde, I want you to stay by my side, was what Licht wanted to say. For years, he had wanted to say those words to him. He held himself back because he knew that he had to stay faithful to his engagement— an engagement he only accepted out of duty. He breathed in the sweet scent of the flowers and wondered what he should do next.

He heard something drumming softly on the glass door of his balcony and looked up. Licht saw a bird tapping on the glass and it was as if it was beckoning him to it. He stood with the flowers still in his arms and he walked to the balcony. He opened the door and the bird landed on his finger. "What is it, Mr. Bird? Do you want to come in and sing along with my piano?"

Licht tried to walk to his piano but he was jerked outside by thin, almost invisible stings. He realized that the bird must've tied them around his wrist and cursed. He dropped the flowers and tried to break free. "Hyde!"

His scream was cut off when someone's hand clapped over his mouth. He strained out of the person's grip but his body suddenly felt weak. Soon, he couldn't fight anymore and lost consciousness.


The next morning, Hyde was looking over every detail for their guests' arrival. Sleepy Ash's advisors were scheduled to arrive that afternoon to finalize the arrangement. A week after that, the wedding ceremony would commence and then Licht would leave with Sleepy Ash. Licht would be gone from his life. Hyde feet slowed with that thought and he looked down at his list of duties.

He looked up when he heard a panic from Licht's room. His heart stopped and he ran to the room. Hyde saw that his parents, their advisor, and a few guards crowded in the room. What worried him most was the fact that he didn't see Licht inside. He pushed his way into the room and asked. "Did something happen to Licht? Is he hurt?"

"Hyde, do you know anything about this?" His mother broke away from the group and held out a letter to him. "I came to check on Licht but all I found was this letter. It says that he ran away because he doesn't want to marry Sleepy Ash. I searched every room for him so please tell me you know where he is."

"I don't know…" His mind was racing as he read the letter. Hyde knew that Licht had reservation about the engagement but he didn't think that he would run away.

The letter had his handwriting but something about the letter seemed wrong to him. He scanned the room and walked to the closet and threw it open. Nothing was missing and his brows furrowed. Licht wouldn't leave without being prepared. While he was rash and reckless, he wasn't stupid. If he didn't run away, where was he? Then, he went to the balcony and saw the flowers he bought Licht scattered on the ground. There were other signs of a struggle. Had he been kidnapped?

"The advisors are arriving at noon. What are we going to do?" Tsubaki said, earning a glare from Hyde.

"You're worried about the engagement when Licht's missing? He could be hurt or lost. We need to send out a search party for him. I doubt he went far when he barely knows his way around the kingdom." Hyde said. Tsubaki's words laid heavy on his mind. The only reason one would kidnapped Licht would be to interfere with the wedding. "I think I know where he is. I'll have him home by noon."


Mahiru tapped his quill against his chin as he counted the inventory and then marked them on his scroll. He hopped off the small step ladder and stretched his arms. He winced a little because his sore body protested against every little movement he made. Carp worked him to the bone most days and he couldn't remember the last time he was given a break.

"Are you okay, Mahiru? You've been working since dawn." Sakuya said worriedly.

"I'm alright." Mahiru forced himself to smile to reassure his friend. Sakuya and Tsurugi were the two small blessing he found in his exhausting work. They were his best friends and he wished that there was something he could do to help them but he was as trapped as they were. "Can you check on Tsurugi for me? I'll finish up here by myself."

Sakuya hesitated to leave but Mahiru pushed him out of the basement. "Are you sure that you're fine on your own?"

"I've been working here longer than you Sakuya. The only thing I need you to do is make sure Tsurugi doesn't throw up his medicine." Mahiru was glad that Sakuya relented and walked up the stairs.

There was a commotion on the floor above him and a large thump caused dust to fall onto him. Mahiru swore beneath his breath and he threw open the basement window. It didn't let a lot of fresh air into the room but it was better than nothing. He placed a box beneath the window so he could rest his head on the window sill. He breathed in the air and watched people walk by.

He saw a variety of people throughout the year; poor and rich. He saw the plait of everyone and he wanted to help them all. Every night, he would think of solutions to their problems. Mahiru knew that he would have to leave Carp's magic shop first but he was trapped. When his parents died, they had a lot of debt to the wizard and it fell on Mahiru to pay it back. He worked for Carp ever since.

It started to rain and Mahiru went to close the window. A carriage caught his eyes as he did so. The wheel was broken and a man was struggling to fix it in the rain. He was quickly becoming soaked but nobody stopped to help him. Mahiru knew that he should return to his work but he also knew that he wouldn't be able to concentrate if he left the man in the rain.

He jumped off the box but only so he could get an umbrella. Mahiru sneaked out of the shop, hoping that Carp wouldn't catch him leaving. He opened his umbrella and quickly walked around the building to where he saw the man. He stood next to the man and held the umbrella over him. "Excuse me, do you need help?"

"I need to fix this stupid thing. I'm already late for my appointment." The man groaned as he gestured to the wagon wheel. The wood was split and splintered so it would be difficult to mend it without supplies. Mahiru nudged him aside and handed him the umbrella with the order.

"Hold this for me while I fix the wheel for you. I know a spell that can reattach the broken pieces but it will take a moment for it to mend and set in place. But let me dry you first. If your appointment is important, you can't arrive looking like a wet cat." Mahiru ran his finger through the man's ghostly, blue bangs and drew the raindrop from his hair and clothes. Then he made a warm breeze to help dry him further.

"My name's Mahiru. Do you mind if I ask where you're heading?" He asked. "I've lived here most of my life but I've never seen you before."

"I'm from the neighbouring country. My name's Kuro." He took the hand Mahiru held out to him. Out of habit, Kuro kiss the back of his hand as he was trained to do from a young age. Mahiru knew that it was a customary greeting but he had to pull his hand back with a blush. "I came with the order to negotiate a stupid marriage contract."

"I'll make sure to fix this quickly so you can head to the castle then. That negotiation must be important." Mahiru began to work on the wheel.

"Take your time and let me be lazy for a few more minutes. It's not often that I get to relax." Kuro leaned against the carriage and watched him fix the wheel. He caught Mahiru rolling his eyes before he placed his hands on his hips.

"Your king trusted you enough to send you to our kingdom with a very important task so don't slack off. You don't want to abuse that trust, do you?" He lectured him and Kuro couldn't remember the last time someone chastised him. His tone was slightly amusing to him. Mahiru smiled after a moment and wiped his hands on his pants. "That should do it. Good luck on your job."

"Thanks, Mahiru. Take this." Kuro dropped a few gold coins into his hand. At first, Mahiru wanted to return the money because he helped him out of kindness and nothing else. Then he remembered his massive debt and knew that the coin could help buy his freedom. He was conflicted about taking the money and Kuro must've sensed that because he added. "I'm just paying a witch for his work so keep it."

Being called a witch and having his work be acknowledge warmed Mahiru's heart. He nodded and tucked the money into his pocket. He looked up at Kuro and noticed that his shoulder was wet. Kuro had held the umbrella over Mahiru more as he worked. While the gesture did touch Mahiru, he had to say, "I just dried you but here you wet again. Hold still."

"Do you fret over every wet cat you find like this?" From Mahiru's guilty smile, he knew that it must've been true. Kuro groaned but he stood still for Mahiru to cast another spell on him. He finished and Kuro thanked him against before entering the carriage. He watched the carriage leave.

Almost immediately afterwards, he felt someone take his witch hat and hit him with it. He turned around and swallowed his tongue when he was faced with Carp. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Sir." Mahiru quickly apologized. He took back his hat and followed the old wizard back to the shop. He knew that there would be a lecture once they were inside and Carp would give him a slew of new chores. Even though he knew arguing wouldn't help, Mahiru said: "I saw someone who needed help. I was only gone for ten minutes."

"A customer came asking for you. You're costing me money if you're only playing at being a witch. Unless you stop wasting time, you'll be working here for the next thirty years." He roughly pushed Mahiru into the shop. "This entire situation is your parents' fault. They shouldn't have borrowed so much if they couldn't pay me back."

"They did it to feed me! Don't you dare speak about my mother like that!" He couldn't stop himself from yelling. He refused to flinch when the wizard raised his hand. Someone came between them, stopping the man. Mahiru was a little surprised to see that it was the man he met the previous day.

"A highly regarded establishment like this shouldn't abuse their workers." Hyde said slowly and a silent warning laced his voice. From the corner of his eyes, he saw how relieved Mahiru was. He wanted to help him but he had to focus on finding Licht. "I would like to hire your witch, Mahiru. Is there somewhere we can discuss the details in private."

"We can talk in my room." Mahiru gestured for him to follow him. He guided him up the stairs to a small room that was barely large enough for one person. He closed the door and he could see how serious Hyde was. Furthermore, he casted a spell around the room to keep their voices from leaving the room. "You said you wanted to hire me as a witch?"

"Licht is missing. Are you able to create a locator spell?" Hyde told him but Mahiru could tell that there was more he wanted to say.

"I know a spell that can find a person if they're no further than 500km from their home. I only need his full name and something like a hair." It was a difficult spell but other wizards or witches could perform it so Mahiru didn't know why he came to him for help.

"Licht Jekylland Todoroki. I have one of his feathers." Hyde took out the feather from his pocket and Mahiru's was stunned. He did say he was an angel but Mahiru didn't believe him. Licht was the future king of their country and he spoke so casually with him. The rest of Hyde's words dawned on him. The king was missing.

"I'd love to help but shouldn't you hire a more experienced witch for something so important?" Mahiru asked.

"There's one more spell I want you to cast." Hyde's next request couldn't be more impossible. "I want you to pretend to be Licht while I search for him. I suspect that someone kidnapped him to interfere with the wedding but I don't have proof. The wedding will be cancelled if Licht isn't there to greet Sleepy Ash's advisors today. I've seen how well you can imitate Licht."

"You're asking me to impersonate royalty?" Mahiru sat down on his straw bed. "I can't do that. If they discover me, I'll be put to death. It's simply impossible. An imitation spell is difficult to maintain for a long period of time. Aside from that, I don't know a single thing about being a king."

"Neither does Licht. He's still studying and he's a slow learner. I'll give you a list of his mannerism for you to imitate too. It won't take more than a day or two for me to find and rescue Licht. All you have to do is entertain the advisors. Please, Mahiru, the kingdom needs this marriage." Hyde pleaded. "Licht and I will pay you for your work, no matter what the cost is."

"There's a lot at stake." He thought of Licht in danger and felt compelled to help. He wouldn't have hesitated if Hyde only asked him to perform a locator spell. Mahiru closed his eyes and debated what he should do. "If I do this, I want freedom in return. Not just for me but also for my friends, Sakuya and Tsurugi. The castle will repay the debt we owe."

"I'll pay whatever it takes to find Licht."


Mahiru dropped the feather into the bowl with a few gems and twigs. He recited the spell and blended everything together until it took the form of a dove. He whistled and the bird came to life. "This little guy will take you to Licht. Please come back as quickly as you can."

"I'll be back by sunset tomorrow." Hyde promised. He could see that Mahiru's resolve was faltering now that he was inside the castle. They already spoke to his parents but Mahiru had been quiet the entire time. He said that it was because he was tired but he knew that excuse could only last so long. "Licht doesn't bother with politics so you won't have to discuss much at dinner. Just go directly back to this room."

"Okay. I just wish that I had someone to help me so I won't say the wrong thing." Mahiru sighed.

"If all else fails, just say: 'An angel doesn't need to explain himself. I'm going back to my room to play my piano.'" Hyde ruffled his hair before he left. He pulled his cape around him and whistled for the bird to guide him. Mahiru watched him leave with a sigh.

Once he disappeared from sight, he collapsed onto the bed. It was softer than anything he had experienced before but it only punctuate his situation more. What was he thinking when he agreed to Hyde's outrageous plan? He thought of his friends and, even if it was near impossible, this was their best chance of leaving that shop. Hopefully, he wouldn't be discovered before Licht returned.

There was a knock on his door and Mahiru stiffened. He forced himself off the bed and went to the door. He stopped at the mirror first and he didn't recognize himself in the mirror. Mahiru took a deep breath and opened the door. A man with dark hair and red eyes stood on the other side so Mahiru did his best to look intimidating. "I thought I said I didn't want to be disturbed."

"Your mother sent me to escort you to dinner." Tsubaki told him.

"Oh, I'm sorry for being so rude when you were only doing your duty. Thank you for coming all this way." Mahiru said with a kind smile, forgetting that he had to act like Licht. He walked next to Tsubaki and tried to think of something to say so they wouldn't have to walk in silence. "What are we having tonight? I can smell something wonderful. I haven't been able to eat today."

"Where did you disappear that you couldn't eat? How were you able to leave the castle without anyone seeing you?" Tsubaki asked and Mahiru's eyes dropped to the ground as he searched for an answer. He had rehearsed the story many times but he was never a good actor. He could feel Tsubaki's gaze bore into him as if he knew the truth.

"Licht!" At first, Mahiru didn't remember to answer to the name. Then a woman hugged him unexpectedly and Mahiru awkwardly hugged her back when he realized that it was Licht's mother. It felt a little strange but Mahiru thought of his own mother. "I was worried that you would want to eat in your room alone after everything that happened."

"Why would I miss a dinner with my family?" He said.

Even though he felt a little nervous, Mahiru walked into the dinning room. Most of the guests were already seated and his eyes fell on someone. He recognized Kuro, the person he helped earlier that day, sitting at the table. Seeing someone familiar, he sat next to Kuro and not Licht's usual seat. But Mahiru made sure to place a napkin on his lap and appear dignified.

"Thank you for waiting, everyone." He said and then beamed a nervous smile. "Please enjoy your meal. I'm certain the cook worked hard to make it."

Everyone was silent and Mahiru wondered if he said something wrong. He bit his lip and hoped that no one suspected him yet. Mahiru decided that it would be best if he tried not to overthink things and ate his food in silence. While the nobles and advisors spoke among themselves, none of them asked him anything. That was a relief to Mahiru until the topic shifted to the wedding. They were discussing his marriage as if he wasn't sitting in front of them and it felt as if he were some cattle being sold.

Mahiru was pushing his food around his plate when he heard one of the advisors' comment. "I say the solution to the fruit bats destroying the fruit farm is to exterminate them all. We should burn down the trees they live in and force them to relocate.

"You can't do something so short sighted." Mahiru said and then covered his mouth. Everyone's eyes were on him and he lost his confidence for a moment. He continued in a small voice. "Firstly, we can't afford to cut down fruit trees and lose another source of income. Secondly, fruit bats do have their benefits. They eat smaller pests and they don't eat seeds so the seeds they leave behind—"

"And what would you suggest we do? Let them destroy our fruit trees?" The man shot back and everyone expected Licht to attack the man for interrupting him.

Mahiru leveled his gaze with him and his back straightened. "I read of a containment spell that could be of use. We set aside some of the fruit trees and place the bats in there. If we regulate them, they won't be a problem. A bat sanctuary will provide more jobs for our people and the seeds they collect will become a source of income. It'll take a while for it to make a profit though."

People continued to gawk at him and he wanted nothing more than to leave. He quickly stood and screamed, "I know this is the best action. Why? Because I am an angel."

Mahiru did his best to imitate the pose he saw Licht make the day before. He never felt so embarrassed in his life and sank into his seat. Next to him, he heard Kuro chuckle softly. The entire dinner, he had been silent but now he was more expressive. Kuro leaned forward and there was a hint of a smile on his lips. "If the issue is resolved now, lets discuss something else. Sleepy Ash is going to arrive in a week but if Licht has reservation about him…"

"I came back because I realized that I was wrong to run from my duties. I'll marry the king." Mahiru reassured him. "Being outside the castle and seeing how much people need help, I can't run away."

"Then the marriage shall continue as planned," Tsubaki said into his cup with an icy smile. He had been watching Licht for a while now. "Licht, how about you play a song for us? We haven't heard you play since you returned. Shouldn't you play for our guest so they know how talented you are?"

"I… I…" Mahiru's eyes darted from the piano to the guests. He couldn't play the piano. He never so much as touched a piano before! Of all the spells he knew, not one let him play the piano. But, with everyone watching him, he felt compelled to tread to the piano. He sat down and placed his fingers over the keys. They were trembling slightly and Mahiru said shakily, "I don't know what to play."

"The music sheets are right in front of you." Tsubaki pointed out and Mahiru looked at them as if they were a foreign language. They might as well be. Mahiru pressed a random key repeatedly, hoping that he could think of a spell to help him.

A hand lightly rested over his and gentle guided his fingers through the motions. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Kuro was standing behind him, helping him play. Kuro let go of his hand and sat next to him on the piano bench. "I'll play for you. You look too tired to play the piano."

"Thank you, Kuro." Mahiru relaxed and smiled at him. He didn't want to return to the dinner table so he stayed seated next to Kuro and listened to him play.


Man, this is looooooong. I knew I would only be able to make one chapter of this so I tried to cram all of my ideas into it xD