Here is the next chapter :D
This turned out longer than I anticipated. Oh well.
Fuyuki- arigato for the advices you gave me the other night and awakening my wretched memories and the almost-forgotten plot of this frigging story.
pen's outburst & scaltra serpente - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE AWESOME FICS YOU DEDICATED TO ME :3 I'M SO TOUCHED TO THE EXTREME!
Hmmm… Since a lot of people liked Chapter 5.5, I won't be deleting it anymore. Haixst.
I don't own KHR!
Chapter 6 – The Mission
It was almost 3 am when the party ended. Xanxus slept early, leaving the guests for Squalo and Cherrie to attend. It was a hard, yet fun night. Most of the bosses of different families didn't gave Cherrie the cold shoulder since she's the exact opposite of Xanxus, being cheery and lively and all. Tsuna even ask her to dance with him, gaining her trust in the process. Cherrie smiled all night, no worries at all. It's because it was her brother's birthday. It's because this is the first time she met different mafia families. It's because she finally saw the prince smile.
She doesn't like him, but she doesn't hate him either. She's just annoyed that their room needs daily cleaning and it tires her to do it every single day. She tells him to be more responsible by taking care of his knives, wires and his clothes. It pisses her off when she sees him regularly polishing his tiaras, but not taking care of his own weapons. Plus, there's that insane cackle of his that scares the daylights out of her every time she hears it. Creepy perverted prince. After their dance, she never saw him again. For the first time, she smiled with the prince. She never expected something like that to happen since they've been on each other's nerves the day they met. The aura he emitted earlier was totally different. It had no murderous intent to it, just a peaceful mood. That helped her relaxed a bit. She giggled so much when she saw him blush when he said, "You're very beautiful tonight." Blushing Bel, how cute. The morning after, the same routine: Cherrie cleans the base; Lussuria cooks food, Mammon and Fran training, Squalo and Levi discussing job requests with Xanxus, and Bel still sleeping in his room.
Three days after the party, Bel and Cherrie set out on their mission. Their destination is Geneva, Switzerland. The tyrant sovereign named Lord Portezzio just sent an invitation to all nobles. The king is celebrating his wife's birthday and only accepts guests if they have the proper seal of their royal family. Luckily, embedded on Bel's tiara is his family crest and Cherrie has her family heirloom (a ring) to prove her status. Geneva is near the border of France, a good 1 hour flight from Italy. If all else fails, Cherrie could always use her illusions.
On the flight, Bel couldn't stop thinking of the new found emotion he has for Cherrie and couldn't control his feelings when Cherrie fell asleep on his shoulder. A deity she was, peacefully resting her head, not knowing doing so made Bel's heart beat faster. He kissed her head, caressing her hair with his left hand. She awoke, blinking her eyes and yawning. The prince blushed at what he did and turned away, pretending to be gazing through the window, trying hard to hide the redness of his cheeks. She's so cute. He thought. Cherrie looked at the window, seeing the darkness of the night sky, asking where they are right now. He didn't answer, making the girl assume he was asleep. She wiggled in her seat, finding the comfort she needed to resume her slumber earlier. Again her head rested on the prince's shoulder, but this time, both of them are asleep.
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
"Welcome to the House of Jorentile, Mr. and Ms. …? Excuse me, but who are you two?" An old man of late 30s greeted the prince and princess. The party will be held two days onward and all of the guests are required to stay in the Guest house named Jorentile. Bel and Cherrie wore clothes Pierre made for them (he was cramming up luxurious garments when he heard about the mission and knowing that the two has no clothes suited enough for social parties).
"Forgive us, Sir. I am Prince Belphegor of Fiore. This," he motioned towards Cherrie, "is Princess Cherrie de Calligenia of Nhite, my fiancée. We're here to attend your master's party, obviously…" He tried his best not to let out his laugh; Cherrie told him it might scare the guests and ruin their low profile. The same old man asked for their family crests and the two showed him the tiara and the ring. A second man of mid-forties nodded, approving of their family emblems.
He gestured them to follow him, leading them to a room at the end of the corridor. He opened the room and said, "This is where the both of you will stay. Please do feel at home Your Highnesses. If there is anything you would need, please just ring the bell near the window." He excused himself. Bel scanned the room, grinning. Now this is how a prince should be treated! Almost immediately, he sank himself on the bed, which was smaller than the on in his room back in Italy. Cherrie was busy checking out the room: admiring the details of the curtains, checking out the carpet, glancing at the bathroom, and yelling at Bel.
"Why on earth did you have to tell them that I'm your fiancée?" The prince snickered. He got up and sat on the couch, waving his hands up and down, then, patting it on the seat beside him. Cherrie sat beside him (if that was the meaning of his gesture). Grinning, he inched his lips to her ear, muttering his creepiest, quietest laugh. "Ushishishi." Cherrie instantly froze, her whole body shivering at the maniacal cackle she heard. That was the only thing she hates the most.
"Wa-why did you do that?" She stood up, her legs still shivering.
"Because I never got the opportunity to play with you." He winked. (Wait, what?) "Ushishishi."
"P-play? What are you talkin—" Bel didn't let finish her sentence since he immediately covered her mouth with his hand. He grinned more, and his heart thumped like crazy. He hoped she didn't hear it.
"Listen, if it weren't for Boss' punishment, you'd be dead by now." He threatened, whispering every word in her ear.
"Whatever! I can take you on anytime." She pushed him away, blushing hard. Never has a guy done that to her before and it was really a heart throbbing moment. He smells nice.
"Eeh~? Ushishis—"
"And don't you dare laugh like that! It gives me goose bumps!" She shouted, creating a dagger with her Mist flames. Pointing it at Bel, she swore, "When we get back to Italy, I'm telling my brother on you!"
Suddenly, the door opened and the older butler entered. Instantly, Cherrie extinguished the illusion. The couple looked at the butler.
"Is there something the matter, Your Highnesses?" The man asked, shifting his gaze from the grinning prince to the annoyed princess.
"The-there's nothing wrong, sir. W-we're just…"
"We're just having lover's quarrel, that's all." Bel finished Cherrie's sentence.
"Oh, forgive me for intruding your conversation."
"Do you need something?" Cherrie asked.
"Dinner is served. Please follow me. Oh, your belongings will be delivered here soon." The butler said and motioned his right arm towards the corridor. The two soon followed.
When they got to the dining room, what struck them first was its empty of guests. Only a handful of maids, butlers, chefs and waiters awaited them. There were 5 long tables, good enough for a dozen people per table. In chorus, the servants welcomed the two royalties. "A pleasant evening, Your Highnesses." The couple seated at the nearest table, the waiters immediately serving the dishes. Moments later, Lord Portezzio arrived.
"Welcome!" was what he said, the doors abruptly opening. Cherrie almost dropped her glass. There stood the sovereign, eyeing the two. He was wearing a linen white polo shirt and black slacks. His boots were made from croc skin and his crown is shining furiously. "Oh? Pardon me. Both of you are already eating."
"It's fine, Your Majesty." Cherrie answered. Forcing a smile on her face, she stood up, greeted him and curtsied.
"Thank you so much for coming this early to my party! I believe this is the first time we met, yes?" The king asked, observing the blonde prince in front of him.
"Yes, so it is. I am Princess Cherrie de Calligenia of Nhite. And this is my fiancé, Prince Belphegor of Fiore." She twitched when she mentioned fiancé. "Please forgive his attitude. He was raised as a spoiled, ignorant brat, you see. And I'm the only one who can tame him. Hyahaha." There go her social skills. Her smile never wavered, even when she forced it to come out.
"Hmm~ What a cute couple you are. Please don't let my presence disrupt your peaceful meal. Let's continue our talk later after dinner, okay?" The king winked, leaving the room, not even waiting for the response of either of the two. After that, the prince and princess never spoke a word again until they came to their room.
Almost immediately after they arrived to their room, a servant came to inform them that the king wanted the presence of Prince Belphegor. Cherrie gave Bel a shove and he went out of the room. All alone now, Cherrie took a nice long bath.
Cherrie filled the bathtub with warm water and sprinkled rose petals. There were even floating candles available. Being the girly-girl she is, she took three candles and lit them up. She turned off the lights and locked the bathroom door. Enjoying the relaxing bath, she mused over everything that happened to her recently. At one point, she recalled Xanxus saying, "… and I thought you hated women…" Remembering correctly, it was to Bel he was talking to. So, Bel hates women? A grin was implanted on her face. She's not that type of girl to bully others, especially boys, but that prince has gotten way too far when he said, "… to play with you…"
It's payback time.
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
Bel entered the room where the butler led him. He saw the king loafing around on the couch, drinking his wine more lavishly than Xanxus. He acknowledged Bel's presence and bowed. Bel did the same.
"You are Prince Belphegor of Fiore, if I remember correctly." The man said. They were alone in the room, no butler, servant, nothing.
"I am. What is it that you want with me? Ush—" He controlled himself not to laugh, only staring at the target to distract him.
"From what I learned, Fiore was taken under the control of Nhite a few years ago. I never heard of any surviving royal blood from Fiore before." Lord Portezzio's voice was silky, almost like he knew something was up. He studied Bel's attire; he certainly looked like a prince, with a matching tiara too. His butler told him that the twin princes of Fiore died 15 years ago, but from what he's seen, one of them must have survived.
"Really? I never knew." Bel grinned.
"…"
"Is there something wrong?" The young prince asked the king.
"That princess, she's your fiancée, am I correct? A rare beauty she is. The Nhite kingdom's power is rising these past months. I want a share of that power too. Let's have a trade, boy." He raised a brow. Bel stared. A trade?
"Cancel your engagement to that girl and let her marry my son. Once she and my son are married, I'll give you Fiore back. What do you say?" The king grinned devilishly. Bel was taken aback. What on earth?
Deep inside, he would like to have Fiore back and rule as king. But, exchanging it for Cherrie…
"Denied." Even if their engagement is just a little act, there's no way he'll hand over Cherrie. He loves her. And besides, we're just going to kill him in the end.
"You're denying my proposal?"
"Isn't it obvious enough that I want to marry her because of that reason too? I don't need your son to help me get back my kingdom. And besides, my fiancée will never marry your son because she loves me too much. Good night, your majesty." He stormed out of the door, heading towards his room, laughing at his lie.
The king, being a tyrant he is, will do anything to lay his hands on the Nhite princess. He'll use any process possible to have control over the Nhite kingdom and have that power. Laughing to himself, he plots out his plan.
"Let's see how strong your love is for each other… mwuhahaha."
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
Strolling along the corridor, Bel thought of what he said. My fiancée will never marry your son because she loves me too much. He'll have to discuss that with Cherrie. Suddenly, he blushed. Weird thoughts entered his mind. Even if their engagement is a fake, they would still have to act like one. And acting like one means that they have to smooch, hold hands, smile together, and other disgusting stuff couples do, all for the sake of deceiving the king. I should have just killed him then and there.
"BAKA! It's a good thing you didn't! If you killed him now, then our countries' names are at stake! You could have caused a scandal out of something so stupid!" The apple blonde barked, yelling so loud at the prince who was loosening his undershirt. He rested on the bed, arms behind his head. He turned around in annoyance, facing the open window and stared at the stars.
"By the way, he said something foolish." Bel said.
"What?" Cherrie asked, sitting on the opposite side of the bed, combing her hair with a brush. She was wearing a light pink night gown only stopping at her knees. "Well, what is it? What did he say?"
Bel told her everything Lord Portezzio said, from Nhite's conquering Fiore to the trade he proposed. When he finished explaining, he sat back up and watched her reaction. She was rather quiet. Moments later she burst out laughing like crazy.
"And you told him, haha, I can't, haha, marry his son, haha, because I love you too much? Haha! Belphegor, you make up the funniest lies! Why would I love you?" She rolled on the bed, laughing. Her smiling face was priceless, her tears of joy were like pearls, her giggling voice was like angels singing and her last sentence broke his heart. Why would I love you? He felt an invisible hand squeeze his chest with no plans of letting go. Not knowing how to answer her, he collapsed beside Cherrie, laughing with her. "Ushishishi~ a-re? Gomen ne. I didn't mean to laugh." He apologized, sighing deeply for he's having the best time of his life. Him only a few inches away from the woman he loves.
"Belphegor, what, haha, did you ate tonight? This is not like you." Finally, the girl calmed down a bit when she realized her companion was acting awkward. She was smiling still. Belphegor would always answer back an insult or a joke or anything but never an apology.
"Bel." The prince said as his voice abruptly turned serious.
"What?"
"Call me Bel." His face was in front of Cherrie's face, only they were mirrored. (What I mean, well, imagine the ying and yang symbol and the points in each of the colors are their heads.)
"I want you to call me Bel. It irritates me to hear 'Belphegor' over and over from your lips."
"Alright then. Call me Cherrie, or a simple Chei will be fine, but you can only call me that when we're alone." The girl said, making eye contact to the prince. His hair was messed up and his bangs were here and there. His eyes were almost visible now. Out of curiosity, she parted his bangs and saw his eyes. They were a pair of beautiful deep sea orbs, shimmering like the stars on a cloudless night. She kept on staring at his eyes and ended up blushing. "You have the prettiest eyes I've ever seen, Bel." She caught him off guard and she watched as his face was burning up with embarrassment. Again, she laughed. "I never knew you could be so cute, Bel~"
"Shu-shut up!" The prince shot upwards, adjusting his bangs where Cherrie parted it. "I'm going to sleep now." Cherrie turned off the lights and turned on the bedside lamp. She took Bel's tiara from his head and placed it on top of the bedside table along with her family heirloom. "So, we only have to act as a sweet lovey-dovey couple for the next two days, right?"
"Hn."
"That'll be easy, seeing as how close we are already."
"Shut up. Let's just kill that king tomorrow and go home."
"We can't since we're still the only guests around here and doing that will make us look suspicious."
"So you're telling me to stay at the party? Jeez, you women know nothing but gossip."
"Baka. We females know a whole lot more than that." Cherrie grinned and turned off the lamp. She tucked in the blankets and recalled of her bullying plan earlier.
"Nee, Bel~"
"What?"
"Nothing. Good night." She wanted to kiss him 'good night' but only his back was in front of her. So, she decided to kiss his head instead.
The prince twitched. He turned around to face her and returned the kiss. Then he wrapped his free arm around her, saying, "Good night, my beloved fiancée." With a huge grin on his face.
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
The following morning, the two had breakfast in the dining room, and again, they were alone. After eating, a butler suggested that they'd take a walk and breathe in fresh air. The same butler also boasted the king's Paradise Garden which they could visit while on their stroll. The royal couple agreed and immediately took a saunter outside the Jorentile House.
Bel, seizing the moment, held Cherrie's hand as they walked, hiding his blush under his bangs. Cherrie didn't mind since she said to him earlier that they have to act like the perfect couple so that the king will terminate his trade with Belphegor. They walked towards the king's royal garden and there they saw an eternal spring paradise. It was almost fall then yet the trees, flowers and everything else were frozen in time of spring. A pond was there, having a cute little bridge standing above it. Immediately, Cherrie ran towards the bridge and climbed to the top, inhaling and exhaling the air around her. Bel followed her and laughed (no, not his usual 'Ushishishi' laugh but more of a 'fufufu' laugh).
"What on earth are you doing?" He asked, snaking his arms around her waist, releasing every word close to her ears. He rested his chin on her left shoulder and bit the lobe of her left ear.
"It's the first time I saw a garden as beautiful as this. It's so refreshing." She inhaled again, heavily this time. She held Bel's hands and enveloped them with hers. She started to think that the rumor about Bel hating women is untrue.
"But you're more beautiful, Chei." Both of them blush. Something's wrong with Bel today, Cherrie thought.
"Anyways, what's the plan? When will we kill him?" Bel immediately changed the topic, considering seeing her blush made him blush even more. He moved back, leaning on the bridge's ledge. His heart beat faster and he was afraid she might feel it when he was still so close to her.
"I've been thinking about that as well. I planned out everything when we were eating breakfast. I want you to lure him into some place private while I create a fake king and a fake you at the party to lessen suspicion. Once you're alone with him, kill him there, and contact me immediately. Move his dead body to his room. I'll maneuver the fake king making him look like he'll turn in early and leave the impression that he was killed while sleeping. Agree?"
"Fine. As long as I do the killing. Ushishi—"
"I told you to stop laughing like that! Bel~!" She pounded his head. He pinched her cheeks. And they laughed together again like last night. Sometimes, Bel forgets that all of these lovey-dovey scenes are just acts to fool the king. And it hurts him.
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
"Bel~ What if we fail our mission?" Suddenly, Cherrie asked. Bel was already ready to sleep and she was polishing Bel's tiaras. The thought came to her when her mind realized what will happen if everything didn't follow their plan. If that may occur, Bel told her to use her illusions. But, what if they fail their mission? Aside from dirtying the names of their home countries, what kind of punishment will they receive from Xanxus?
"I dunno. Boss' punishments are unpredictable, especially now that the price is $50 million. He'll be enraged of course, and you being his sister won't reduce the pain whatsoever." Bel answered lazily, also thinking the possible outcome of their mission.
"Hey, Bel. I realized now that you're not that creepy and perverted at all. You're just someone who needs understanding. Sorry for everything." She apologized.
"Eeh?"
"I realized that you're a good guy underneath."
"I'm a good guy? Heh. You really don't know me that well yet, princess. I'm Prince the Ripper for heaven's sake."
"I know. Sorry in everything wrong I've done to you." She placed the tiara she was polishing on top of the bedside table and tucked herself in. Bel tucked himself in as well.
"Apology accepted." He turned around when Cherrie poked his back. "What is it this time?"
"I had a great time with you today. I've never blushed like that in my whole life. I almost forgot that we were only acting. Thanks for making me smile, Bel~" she grinned and kissed him 'good night'. She fell asleep afterwards.
Stop. Please, stop. Please stop smiling at me. Please stop holding my hand. Please stop giggling. Please stop being so kind. Please stop doing everything, because everything you do makes me fall further in love with you and it's hurting me so much inside. Do you know how painful it is to know that you and I can never be together?
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
"Ahh! Princess Cherrie de Calligenia! Oh, and Prince Belphegor of course. Welcome to my party!" Lord Portezzio welcomed the two as they entered the castle. It was only a short walk from the Jorentile house and dozens of nobles were already at the ballroom, enjoying the party. Before the party started, the two double checked their plans and Bel sharpened his knives and wires.
"Welcome, dears. Have you met my son, Prince Philip?" The queen gestured towards a young man in early twenties, his clothing matches the king. It was obvious that this was the son King Portezzio mentioned to Bel. He has striking features, his hair was rather messy, but spiked up to look just fine. His emerald eyes sparkle like fire crackers in the night sky and his gazes never averted from Cherrie.
"A pleasure to meet you, milady." Philip kissed Cherrie's hand in a very gentlemanly manner (I imagined Usui Takumi as Prince Philip -_- gomen. We all know Bel's no match for his good looks). A quick blush was seen in Cherrie's cheeks and a smirk in Lord Portezzio's mouth. At once, Bel took Cherrie's hand and led her to the dance floor. He offered to dance and Cherrie quickly accepted.
"What's wrong, Bel?" She asked as she noticed he's not making eye contact.
"Well, you said to act like a real couple so I acted like I was jealous or something…" He blushed and still avoided eye contact.
"Oh? I learned one thing about you today. You're very good in acting." She smiled again, searching for his eyes under his bangs. She wanted to see a change in emotion in him, since he was always serious whenever they're in large crowds.
"I am a prince after all. Ushish— A~re? I did it again." He grinned now, finally looking into his partner's face. "It's alright. I'm not anymore terrified of your cackle I find it amusing to have a signature laugh to express your happiness with."
An hour after the start of the party, the two assassins set out their plan. Underneath their blonde hair are small earphones and embedded on their rings are microphones they will use to contact each other. At first, Bel tried to talk to other nobles and inched his way to the king. Cherrie watched him closely and concentrated hard to time the switch. Once Bel started to talk to the king, Cherrie commenced the illusion. Using her ring, she told Bel to quickly move him away from the party, stating that hiding their presence while maneuvering fake ones take up too much stamina.
It was easy for Bel to lure the king out of the party and into his office two stories above the festivity. One look from Bel and the king knew it was to talk about the trade he proposed. Bel couldn't stop grinning as he was about to eradicate someone again.
"Is there something wrong, Prince Belphegor? I can't possibly assume that you're happy on trading your future wife to my son?" Portezzio said as entering the room, sitting on his chair the same way Xanxus do. He lit up a small lamp and that was the only source of light in the vicinity.
"I never said I was agreeing to that stupid offer of yours." The prince snapped, eyeing his prey like the hungry wolf he is. His blood started to boil as he came to the apprehension that the one in front of him is of royal blood, like himself. His ripper's personality is beginning to awaken.
"And why did you came here, little boy?"
"To take that smirk out of your face. I will never hand over the love of my life to the likes of you." He declared, readying to grab his knives from god-knows-where when…
"Oh? I shall take her by force, then. By this time, my son is wooing your fiancée, if she really is your fiancée. My men gathered information about you two and we found out that both of you are part of an assassination group called the Varia. Am I right?" He smugly smiled on his chair. He can see well from the dimly-lit room that he hit jackpot.
"You've done your research old man. You should also know that the Varia never accepts missions unless we are 90% sure we'll succeed. Ushishishi." Ah, it felt great to laugh evilly again. "And you should also know that it was me who killed my family 15 years ago."
"I know. I took safety precautions and hired assassins as well. I've learned that that princess of yours is the daughter of the boss of the notorious Vongola family. If she and my son marry, then I'll have the ultimate power to rule the world! But of course, I need to kill you first for that to happen. Fufufu!" Out of the blue, three men appeared, hiding their faces under masks Bel couldn't identify. One of them shot Bel with his gun and made a scratch on Bel's cheeks. Blood started to pour out.
Prince the Ripper was fully awakened now as he dunked his head, laughing maniacally. "Ushishishi! Ushishishi! Die!" Instantly, the room was covered in Bel's wires and the four adversaries were trapped.
"What the hell?" The king exclaimed, carefully removing the wires from all over his body. The three assassins did the same, but Bel wouldn't let them go that easy. "A monster!" One of the hired killers cried, panicking and accidentally, he cut off his head along the wires. The other three howled in fear. "Ushishishi. Time for the curtains to close."
"Wait! Wait! You can have your fiancée! You can have everything! Just let me live!" The king bellowed, begging for mercy. His shivering eyes look so innocent now, pitying himself for doing so.
"Ka-ching! Ushishishi. You think that will stop me, eh? We are paid to do this kind of stuff and the pleasure when hearing my victims cry for mercy are music to my ears and they are irreplaceably delightful. Material items can never, no, should never be compared to things like that. Ushishishi. Sayonara, king." Bel used his infamous Cutting Knives Waltz and ended the life of three men then and there. Almost forgetting, he contacted Cherrie and reported to her everything.
XXXXXXXXXX
After Bel left the party with the king, she skillfully adjusted the fake royalties and put them on 'auto-pilot' mode so she can enjoy the merrymaking. She sighed with relief that in a couple of minutes, their mission would be over and they can finally go home to Italy.
She became conscious that she was alone now. Bel was the only person she talked to since arriving at the party. Again, she sighed, remembering how boring parties like this are and how grown-ups only used social gatherings for tittle-tattle tales. Although, it would be nice to live in a castle again, seeing as she's used to this kind of surroundings.
The music change to a beautiful song fitted for waltzing. Out of nowhere, Prince Philip appeared and asked for the lone princess' hand. Being bored as she is, she danced with him, talking all the while.
"You are Prince Philip, am I correct?" She asked, feeling silly to forget his name in a short while.
"And you are the lovely Princess Cherrie. It's an honor to meet you." He said, his eyes staring into hers and mutually they danced to the music. He smiled most of the time, getting Cherrie's heart to go 'doki-doki' with every smile (Usui Takumi! Kyaaa~). They chatted like normal people, talking about life and its hardships. Talking about their parents and their nonsense. Talking about the evening's party and how fun would it be if they followed the modern style of partying. Once the music stopped, Cherrie excused herself to the ladies' room, blushing all the way (who wouldn't be if Usui was the one talking to you? XD).
Inside the comfort room, Cherrie waited for Bel's report and immediately she told him to let the king and his assassins stay like that. She ordered him to go to the men's room while she maneuvers the illusions to do their tasks. After the small talk, she went back to the party and started moving her pieces. The fake king left, explaining to the queen that he forgot something upstairs. Bel's imitation started to walk to the opposite direction, the men's room.
Cherrie met Bel along the hallway, as the fake Bel vanished. The prince's clothing was stained in oozing red blots and his cheek was bleeding. Immediately, she took out a bottle of alcohol, a cotton ball and a band aid from god-knows-where. "It's a good thing you weren't hurt bad." She said as cleansing his wound.
"Were you worried?"He grinned, twitching as the princess dabbed the cotton to his cheeks. He was happy she was the one doing this and not Lussuria. The gay lord would just squeal whenever Bel jerks.
"Why would I worry? I can tell that this was an easy job for you. Either way, you can't go back to the party looking like this." She glanced at his bloody attire. A light bulb popped out and she used her illusions to hide the blood marks. "There. Good as new." The couple resumed to the party, acting like nothing happened.
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
On the flight back to Italy, the two had a small conversation about their mission, exchanging smiles and sighs of relief that they didn't fail.
"Hey, Bel. Say for example that you and I are betrothed and no other relationship whatsoever, would you hand me over to the king?" She asked, playing with the curls of her hair. It was a trick question to test the prince of what matters most to him: someone he held close or his lost kingdom.
"Why did you ask that? … I would never hand you over to that filthy old man." He said, his left arm grabbed hold of the maiden's head and he drew her closer, making Cherrie lean on his right shoulder. "What would a prince be without his princess?" he grinned and kissed her forehead.
"Oh. Then I'm lucky to have a prince like you with me. Although, that was just a question. Hyahaha." She giggled.
"Stop teasing me, pest. Consider yourself lucky that me, the prince, has been taking good care of you, or else, you're dead." He really thought that she liked him, but he just had his hopes up way too much.
"You wouldn't kill me because if you did, Onii-kun will kill you. Hyahaha." She laughed. The prince presently clicked his tongue and pushed her head away from his shoulder, showing his annoyance to the girl.
The mission was over, and so was their 'engagement'. Bel was enjoying having her all to himself, showing his real emotions towards her. But deep inside, he was aching to tell her and himself that he was just acting. Only acting. After this, Bel will never have the opportunity to hug or kiss her again, as Xanxus was too overprotective of her.
"Bel~" She said, adding a playful tone to his name, "Can I see your eyes again?"
"No." He said and forcefully tried to sleep. You have the prettiest eyes I've ever seen, Bel. He remembered her saying and how cute she was blushing. She was the first one to see his eyes and she was the first one to say they were pretty.
"Awwe. And they were so charming too."
Her words made him blush again. Baka! Stop it already! If you only knew how hurt I am right now. If you only knew how every smile you give makes me want to hug you and never let you go. If you only knew how those words of yours makes my heart beat faster. Just stop it, will you? Stop hurting me.
:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:
"We're back!" The regal couple entered the Varia HQ as the group of assassins was eating lunch. Lussuria (being the motherly figure he is), greeted the two and hug them in the process.
"How'd the mission go?" He asked, motioning the two to sit down and join them in eating. Xanxus sighed and continued eating.
"Aside from successfully killing that king, I learned that Bel would make a good actor." The princess said but the prince covered her mouth with his hands. "Ushishishi. Don't spoil any other stuff, little punk, especially that, or else."
"Fine, fine." She said, removing Bel's hand from the mouth. Fran stared at them, irritating Bel and making him throw knives at his hat. "Itai! Senpai that hurt. By the way, there's something wrong with this atmosphere. Something's off."
Mammon felt the change too. "Cherrie's not yelling at Bel anymore."
"Of course not. Bel's my friend now, right?" Cherrie said in as-a-matter-of-fact tone. She glanced at Bel whose face was emotionless. "Iie. You're the prince's princess." Bel said, kissing her head and walking away, saying "I'm not hungry."
"Anyway, Bel and I are in good terms now." She smiled and Xanxus paused. Guess his punishment didn't work.
Hours later, Xanxus called Bel and Cherrie to his office/room. He told them that his punishment is over and he told Cherrie to move out of Bel's room and move in to Mammon's since there's no available rooms for her to use. Bel asked why and Xanxus explained that his punishment was to torture them mentally and emotionally whereas Bel hates women and Cherrie is scared of Bel. But after the mission, the two aspects faded and it the fun in the punishment was gone too. He also told Cherrie to stop cleaning the house all the time since it annoys him to hear her say, "Onii-kun! After drinking your wine, please throw away the bottles and put the used glasses in the sink." After saying everything he wanted to say, he dismissed the two.
Immediately, Cherrie packed her things from Bel's room. Bel just rested on his bed and watched her. He remembered her Mickey Mouse hoodie and made a grab for it. He returned it to her, saying sorry for keeping it for so long. She smiled and thanked him. When she was finished packing, she asked for the last time, now with a bit of pleading and desperateness. "Bel, can I see your eyes again?" And again, he said 'no'. She left the room, quite disappointed to fail seeing those beautiful blue orbs again. The prince regretted what he did. She's not anymore gonna sleep with him, not anymore gonna clean his room, not anymore acting like the perfect couple. It hurts, damn. He sulked in his room for the rest of the afternoon, skipping dinner as well.
After peacefully moving into Mammon's room, Cherrie consulted her brother. He was busy drinking wine (as usual) and he didn't even glance at his visitor. "What is it?" A small growl was heard from his lips. "Something's bothering me these past few hours." She said, walking to the huge window behind Xanxus. The trees were starting to change colors now, one by one falling off the branches. "Nee, Onii-kun, what do call this feeling when you long for someone whom you want to be together with?" Xanxus was taken a back; he turned his chair around to face her. He saw her eyes were filled with anguish, pain and misery.
"What?" He asked, amused to see the once jolly sister he has suddenly change personalities.
"I don't know. My heart suddenly beats faster and my face blushes more frequently now. I should be happy of having these feelings since they're proof that I'm human, but after feeling these emotions, sorrow, longing and pain follows. It hurts me hard whenever those negative emotions come to me. What's happening to me, Xanxus?" The apple blonde asked, her eyes at the verge of crying. He has never seen her this forlorn before. He sighed and answered her question. "That emotion is what we call 'love'."
"I guess I'm in love then."
FINALLY! FINALLY! FINALLY!
I'M FINISHED! I'M FINISHED!
Wooooh! *sweatdrop*
Finaaaaaally, this chapter is over. Thank God!
~gomen. I realized I'm not really good in writing fluff scenes and actions scenes.
Oh, and I apologize for not having Cherrie use her combat skills. All she did here was use her illusions.
Thank you so much for reading! It's over, finally! After a week of writing, Chapter 6 is over! Oh, and thank you to those who greeted me on my birthday =))
Sneak Peek:
Chapter 7 – The Wedding
^Kyaaaaa~ hahaha! Can you tell me your opinions about the next chapter? Review please! XD
