A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing (decreasing, but I'm still glad). Thank you for liking this story! Sorry for not giving any clue of pairing.. I'm also confused..

But PLEASE..

Whichever (?) pairing in the end, either ConradWolfram or WolframYuuri, just accept and don't flame me, alright?

Thank you, it's a long way ahead..

CHAPTER 4

'What is this all about?'

"Losing Conrad.. Forever..?" Yuuri repeated the sentence. Gunter nodded with a stern expression on his beautiful face. The Maou looked at him for a while, and then placed his gaze at Conrad. The brunette's gaze was empty and a little bit concerned. Yuuri closed his eyes and finally looked at his advisor with a serious expression

"Tell me everything.." He asked. The rest looked at him, especially Gunter. He had the obligation to tell the Maou, and he surely a bit hesitated. Yuuri's expression was very serious, but his voice was half pleading. The lavender haired advisor finally nodded

"As you wish, Heika.." He said, half sighing. Conrad stood up from his previous position beside Cheri, offering him to sit. He genuinely smiled at Yuuri. The Maou could get whatever he wants if he truly wished for it.

"Heika.." Cheri looked down as Yuuri sat beside her. The Maou smiled at his predecessor

"I still don't know what's going on, but I'm sure everything will be alright" he assured the former queen. But somehow Yuuri noticed that his word didn't help in improving Cheri's concern. That made him had his doubts too

'Could I really be a help this time?'

"Please, Gunter" Yuuri asked him to begin. Gunter stepped backward until the Maou could see his full feature. He cleared his throat

"All of this started from the core problem in every commotion that happened in Shin Makoku, the hatred towards human. To most mazoku, especially the nobles and some aristocrats, humans are just lowlife creatures. That's why that time they against Cheri-sama's wedding with Dan Hiri, and use every way they could afford to eliminate the undesirable child" The word 'undesirable' sent Yuuri's eyes to Conrad, but the brunette seemed just fine with that

'Conrad must have gone through hearing this words many times..'

"As you know Heika, half-mazokus are worse than humans in their eyes. But their existences increased from time to time as many mazokus had found their ways to humans. This sudden change in the people only brought a temporary peace since there're so many who against that kind of relation. Two groups of people with different ideas may cause internal chaos in Shin Makoku. At that time, the 16th Maou with 10 aristocrats declared a new absolute rule in Shin Makoku regarding the half-mazoku existence. It stated that the only way for a half-mazoku to have a relation with a current family they had or in the future, is by marriage" Gunter stopped for a while. Yuuri seemed understand halfway through, but still had no idea where's this going to

'So.. Only marriage can unite half mazoku with mazoku?'

"And as for Conrad, it really helped that no one ever questioned his status as the Maou's legal heir. He has an exact direct lineage to confirm his existence as half-mazoku. But now.. Things are getting very complicated because news of Conrad is not Cheri-sama's son spread to the entire kingdom.." Gunter sighed

"Why is that?" Yuuri asked unknowingly

"Because that means, they break the absolute rule. Conrad already stayed for years with Cheri who was a mazoku queen without a confirmed legal bind" Gunter stopped again for a while, looking at both Conrad and the former Queen. Yuuri looked at him questioningly now

"W-what then? What happened if a half-mazoku stayed with a mazoku without a legal confirmation?" Yuuri asked again. Gunter inhaled deeply

"Heika.. Lineage or bloodline is the most important thing in the mazoku, especially for the nobles. And those who tainted the blood rule shall either be exiled or.. executed.." The atmosphere changed again. Yuuri's eyes widened

"No way.." he shook his head in disbelief. Conrad opened his mouth this time

"But this is the real Shin Makoku, Yuuri.." he said, forcing a smile. Yuuri almost cry, looking at his god-father and Cheri. It broke his heart to see people sad, and it pained him more to know he became a ruler and didn't know anything about rules in his own country at all. And now the rule will take away the people he loved around him..

'That's why they were always looked down at whatever effort I did to unite both human and mazoku..'

"What about Yozak? What about the other half-mazoku?" Yuuri asked. Gwendal frowned at his naïve mind

"Yozak is not tied to any mazoku family and none ever questioned it, Heika" he stated coldly. Yuuri looked obviously still didn't understand. Finally Wolfram started to speak. Yuuri turned his face to him. He felt his heart skipped again, waiting for whatever he might say

"That's because Yozak is not a noble and so are other people out there, no one even cared to know what they might become" he stated harshly. Gwendal frowned at the truth he said, but let him continue. Yuuri could see Wolfram's altered expression

'Wolfram..'

"But things are different with Conrad, since he's a son of a queen. Everyone looked at him and mother" Wolfram gritted his teeth. "You never know, every second in your life you must face concerns about many people who wanted to take you down, people who were willing to see you suffer and die. Many people have unspoken grudges to things you never do. And you have to face nights when you never sure you will wake up the other day, either be killed or simply never wanted to continue you painful life.." he ended bitterly. Conrad stunned at his side

"Wolfram.." The brunette looked at his younger brother but the blond stared at the floor, hiding his face. Just how much his younger brother understood how he felt in his entire life that time. Yuuri didn't know whether he should feel happy that Wolfram cared about Conrad's life. He felt really guilty that he got a slightest feeling in his heart expected Wolfram would stated he never cared about Conrad.

'What am I thinking at a time like this?'

"And now the time is come when they could finally bring us down together" Cheri sighed helplessly, looking at his second son "I'm very sorry Conrad, you must live through this all" She finally stood up and hugged her son. Conrad smiled

"Whether you're my real mother or not, I still cared about you, Gwendal, and Wolfram. I never regret a single day that I lived until now. I'm more than fortunate to have you all by my side.." he told her. Wolfram didn't object to this statement. Gwendal chose to place his eyes somewhere else. Yuuri shook his head frustratingly

"What can we do to save Cheri and Conrad from the punishment?" he asked. None answered.

Silence and tense filled the room once more.

"I can give suggestion to that" a familiar voice heard from the door. The black haired Sage came in and smiled at them. Yuuri felt hope finally rose brightly

"Murata!" he exclaimed. The Maou looked very happy to see his friend, forgetting his anger earlier. "So what can we do to save them?" he asked. The Sage lifted his face and looked at Conrad

"All this time we knew that Conrad is Cheri-sama's son, one of the princes we might say. Even Conrad is not the real son he already stayed that way for couple of years. In order to escape punishment, the only thing we can do is make Conrad as Cheri's legal son" he stated. All eyes fixed on him now

"But we can't do half Mazoku adoption!" Gunter stated. Murata smiled again

"There's another way, you all know what.." he said. Gwendal suddenly stood up

"That can't be.." he stated in a shocked tone. Gunter, Wolfram, and Conrad also reacted as they finally realized what the Sage mean. Yuuri, as always was the only one who left clueless and the last to comprehend each thing

"W-what is it?" He asked innocently, feeling uncomfortable at this following tense. Murata fixed his glasses position, staring at him before answering

"That means.. Conrad must either marry Gwendal or Wolfram.."


A/N: Right now, just enjoy the story. I will explain why the rule is absolute. Don't bother about DNA test and everything else. They will take place eventually, if I want it of course (evil laugh). The proofs will be collected and the truth will be revealed. Well, of course you know that depends on what the truth I made here (run from readers!)

Just take it easy, I tried my best to not left things unexplained. But tell me if I missed something, and give suggestions please, I need that..

One more thing, thank you for reading and.. Please review minna-san!