Reinhard has never known the feeling that's called "love." Ever since he was a little kid when he was "blessed" with the powers of his grandmother and indirectly killing her, his family have distanced themselves from him and only saw him as a tool.

This lack of kinship was probably the reason he was paranoid about his friendships he held with everyone. Julius and Felix always hung around him but did they actually like him? Was it because he was the Sword Saint? Was it out of pity? Reinhard would never ask these questions in fear of losing friends.

Which is why Natsumi Subaru always struck him differently. She was the first person. And yes he definitely knew she was the first, to just see him as Reinhard, not the Sword Saint.

She always initiated causal talk with him, she never tried to be formal with him. Any time she tried she gave up and went back to talking with him like a normal person.

He always felt comfortable around her.

That was the first sign that something was up with his mind.

His day always gets better he sees her, even if it was at meetings where they don't even interact with each other just seeing that smiling face of hers made his head and chest feel some sort of way.

Natsumi really was some sort of anomaly always getting into life threatening and impossible to win situations and some how coming out on top. Sloth, Elsa the Gut Hunter, The Sizeable Hare, and the White Whale which brought peace to his grandfather.

According to himself and any other sources he could get info from Natsumi has no divine blessings or magic to her name. Her accomplishments have garnered her attention all across the nation.

Natsumi was a strange girl, a strange girl that he really liked.

The archbishop of Greed is dead. The city of Priestilla was saved from a complete onslaught of forces from the Witch Cult.

Natsumi once again came out on top of it all.

It's been a while since that catastrophe happened but that day was all he could think about. It wasn't because of the Witch Cult or even slaying Greed. It was about what Natsumi said to him that day.

She told him how he needs to be himself. That was gist of it but that's what stuck with him. And it's effecting him every time he sees her now and it's taking some sort of toll on him.

When he sees her his heart rate speeds up and when they both talk to each other. As their banter and other shenanigans in conversation continued he felt like he was getting lightheaded. Seeing her smile and laughing when he was with her was having that affect on him.

Reinhard needed to talk to someone about this, but who would it be is the question.

In the Astrea manor a red eyed girl was "studying" to be a proper candidate for the upcoming election. By studying she was really just sitting around and staring at her book and thinking about other things, like what was she going to eat today.

Suddenly the door in front of her opens and her knight sort of just shuffles in, and by shuffles in he really just stumbles into the room and walks towards her awkwardly. It was quite a site to see.

Something was definitely up.

"Um Reinhard? What are you doing?"

"Greetings Felt-sama, I-I just wanted to ask you about something."

Did he just stutter?

"What is it?"

"Well you see Felt-sama I've been having this strange feeling lately."

"Strange feeling? Are you sick?"

"No! It's just, when I'm around a certain person all I can feel is joy or happiness you see. Just every time I'm talking to them I just want to be around them more and it's making feel dizzy in my head and my chest."

Felt was just trying her absolute hardest not laugh. Was her knight falling in love with somebody?

"I see, I see Reinhard, keep going on about them." Felt said trying her best to keep a straight face.

"Well it's just that these new things I'm feeling its driving me crazy and all I want is to be around them because they make me so... happy? Or at least I think that's what it is? Have you ever had feelings like this before Felt-sama?"

Forming a growing smug grin on her face Felt responded to him in the most appropriate way she can.

"I can't say I have Reinhard, but I'm pretty sure you're describing what it's like to fall in love with somebody."

"I'm in... love?"

"That's what it sounds like to me! You always want to be around them, they make you feel all bubbly inside, just seeing them makes your day better, you know the works!"

"I see..."

"So who's the lucky girl that my knight has fallin' head over heels for? Or guy I won't judge."

"Well it's Natsumi you see and-"

"Wait big sis?!" She gasped.

"Yes but-" Reinhard tried to continue.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?! This is great!"

Of course she was excited, how can she not be? If her knight and big sis got together she would definitely get to see her more often! Hanging around big sis is always fun and it now has the potential to be endless!

"Reinhard you have to approach her and let her know how you feel about her!"

"Of course Felt-sama, but as I was trying to say before is what if Natsumi doesn't have these feelings for me in return?"

"Hmmm that is a possibility but I highly doubt it."

"What do you mean?" He questioned.

"Well you see every time the two of you are around each other you both seem really happy you know? And she seems to go out of her way to talk to you when the royal candidates all meet up even if she can't. Big sis always looks happy around you too you know so I think there's a chance she might feel the same way."

The Sword Saint stood and pondered on his chances. Should he go over to the Roswaal domain and tell the other knight how he feels? And hope that she feels the same way?

Felt watched as her knight stood there thinking about his chances with her big sis. She got a sinister set of words to say to him get his ass moving to that girl.

"Reinhard?"

"Yes Felt-sama?"

"I say that you should make your move now to woo her before it's too late y'know?"

"Too late, Felt-sama?"

"You know what if some other man manages to sweep her off her feet? Big sis has been pretty popular lately, revered as a hero and all. I wonder how many marriage proposals she has gotten mailed to her the last couple of months?"

The little candidate kept her plain face on but inside she was completely smug on the inside. Watching her knight looking like he was losing his composure was pretty amusing when they aren't in a life threatening situation.

"Felt-sama?"

"Yes Reinhard?"

"Thank you, may I have your permission to head over to the Mathers domain to speak to someone?"

"Of course you do, I'll be waiting fight here for what happens next."

Reinhard nodded and walk towards the door, as he was about to leave he turned to his liege and gave one of his trademark smiles.

"Thank you Felt-sama."

Natsumi has been feeling weird lately.

Things have been getting better within the last year for her. More high echelons of the Witch Cult are dead, Rem is awake and her full memories are restored, overall it's been relatively peaceful.

But despite things being better and nothing catastrophic having to her and the rest of the Emilia camp she has yet to get this strange feeling out of her stomach.

Her best friends Emilia and Rem have noticed it too and have started to ask question.

'Natsumi have you've been feeling well?'

'Natsumi-kun are you okay?'

She couldn't answer them because she can't figure it out as well. But she has one idea, probably the only one.

Reinhard. Her mind keeps drifting back to the red haired Sword Saint. For the last couple of months actually she's been thinking about him.

She couldn't understand why though.

Reinhard was a good friend. He was actually the first one to truly save her when Elsa was about to get her at the loot house that fateful night.

She knew the red haired man looked at her as a friend as well, always was he happy to see her whenever the two would meet during this selection.

It was always nice to see that handsome smile of his.

Handsome.

Yeah Reinhard was pretty handsome.

Wait... was she blushing now? Natsumi felt her face heating up as she thought that.

Oh no.

'I think I might just have a little, just and itsy bitsy crush on the sword saint.' She thought.

Romantic love was something that Natsumi was not used to. She familiar with love like a family, Hell the Emilia camp is practically her new family. The maids are her sisters, Emilia also counting, Garfiel and Otto are her brothers. She's technically a mother to an adopted daughter for her contracted spirit Beatrice and former assassin Meili.

Speaking of Beatrice...

"What are you thinking about, I suppose?"

"Oh what?! I'm thinking about nothing Betty, nothing to worry about!"

That's right she was in the middle of studying knightlyhood and the language some more so her own writing can get better. Her little Betty was sitting in her lap reading her own book, she probably noticed how she just stopped writing to stare at the wall in front of her.

"Nothing? Betty's contractor has been staring at the wall for a good couple minutes now so don't lie, in fact."

"Oh Beatrice, you can just see right through me can't you?" Natsumi said now rubbing her little spirits head for keeping an eye on her.

"Keep praising Betty, I suppose."

The young woman giggled as she kept rubbing her hands through the small girls hair and cute drills.

"Yes its true Beatrice I have been thinking about someon- something! Something!" Natsumi said erratically trying to correct herself.

"Thinking about someone, I suppose? Who are you thinking about?"

"You know... a..." Her voice kept getting more and more silent as she tried to drag the words out. "Justthinkingaboutaboyyouknow!"

"What? You spoke to quick for Betty to get a good listen, in fact."

Natsumi sighed, she had to Beatrice the truth or it will lead to some sort of disaster..

"I've been thinking about a boy, Beatrice." She said honestly.

It was quiet but Natsumi can just hear her little spirit's eyes widening.

"A boy, in fact? As far as Betty knows you've never shown an interest in any man before, I suppose."

"Yeah, I've been so busy doing and thinking about other things the whole time since I started working here that little things like boys and other stuff like that have never got my attention."

"So is Betty's contractor in love?"

"That's my question, I don't know yet but my mind keeps drifting back to him for these last couple of months."

The little spirit kept nodding her head as her dear contractor spoke about her feelings towards romance. "Betty see's, but who is this boy you keep thinking about, I suppose?"

"It's well, he's uh..."

Beatrice knowing her contractor was thinking about the only males she ever interacts with here.

"Is it the merchant boy you always tease?"

"Otto? No, I just like teasing him."

"The shield of the Sanctuary?"

"Garfiel and I can never have a relationship like that, he's like a little brother."

"Are you thinking about the Marg-"

"Absolutely not Beatrice I would never in a million years hold some sort of romantic interest for Roswaal." Natsumi frowned as the little girl tried to finish that sentence.

"Who is that one with the purple hair, I suppose?"

Natsumi raised her eyebrow in amusement. "Julius? Well, while Julius is indeed a good looking man he too pompous for me to get really interested in him, he's still a good friend though."

"Betty has no more possible guesses, in fact."

"Well that's okay Beatrice, I don't talk to that much boys nor' do I bring you around them."

"So who is the one you show interest in?"

"Well uh..." Did her face just get a little flush again? Does she seriously have some sort of schoolyard crush on him? "It's... the Reinhard..." She really struggled to get out that last part eh?

Beatrice's eyes widened this time. "The Sword Saint? You've garnered feelings for him?"

"I guess so Beatrice, I have been thinking about him for the last couple of months, only now I have been getting flustered about him."

"Betty see's, I suppose." Her contractor was falling for the current Sword Saint. Doesn't matter who she falls for Betty will always be by her side.

"If I were to pursue these feelings Beatrice what do you think will happen? I don't want to ruin my friendship with Reinhard because he doesn't feel the same way."

"Betty understands hee contractors concerns about her current relationship with the Sword Saint." Natsumi swears that her little spirit started sparkling as she said the next words. "Betty believes that her contractor has the power to woo the heart of any man, in fact!"

The sharp eyes woman smiled at her adorable spirit. "I can always count on you to make me feel better can't I Beako?" She said as she now patted her head.

"Indeed you can. Betty supports trying to get with the Sword Saint more than random nobles who keep begging for her hand in marriage."

Oh that.

Natsumi looked at the small pile of letters that sat on her nightstand, half of them opened. She tried her best to ignore them.

But who cares about that. Now is the time for something potentially wonderful.

"Thank you for talking to me about this Beako, but I think I'm going to ask the other residents about this."

Natsumi got up from her seat and went to seek out people who were probably knowledgeable in romance.

First up Ram.

The pink haired maid seemed to be the best one so far to ask about romance, the girl did declare her love to that disgusting man Roswaal and it did seem to be genuine. Rem doesn't seem to know much about love and Emilia is completely oblivious to it entirely.

Walking down the hallways and into the kitchen she found her cutting into some tatoes.

"Hey Ram."

The maid stabbed the knife down into the cutting board below. "Is there something you need so badly that you had to interrupt my work Barusu?"

"Oh nothing, nothing... just... you got any advice for trying to get with someone you might be falling for?"

Ram didn't expect that, not did she actually have an answer to a question she never expected to hear from her. "You are falling for someone Barusu?"

"It seems that I have!"

"And who would this be?"

"Oh you know, just Reinhard."

"The Sword Saint...?"

"I know right!" She said excitedly.

Ram rolled her eyes. "As if the sword saint would fall for someone such as Barusu."

"We'll just have to see about that first Ram." She beamed. "But do you have any advice for me on how to pursue these feelings?"

The maid sighed as she tried to look for some sort of answer for her. "Declare your love for them, don't stop pursuing until they say they have no interest in you."

Natsumi raised an eyebrow at her response, Ram probably wasn't the best choice to got to in the end it seems. "I see, we'll thank you Ram I'll try to keep that in mind."

"Also try not to annoy them."

"Thank you, I guess." She said as the girl walked out of the kitchen.

Ram was crossed out from the list for eternity when it comes to questions like this in the future. Who was the next best possible person now? Maybe...

Frederica! That's it!

Natsumi made her way down the hallways and found Frederica's room. Knocking on the door she asked if she was available. "Frederica are you busy?"

On the other side of the door she heard a small shuffling noise and some other noises then the doorknob started turning.

"Natsumi-sama? Is there something you need?" Said the beast maid only peaking her head out the door.

If there was something that Natsumi noticed is that the senior maid was panting like she was working out, was sweaty, hair disheveled then... ignoring Frederica's question Natsumi noticed the grayish mop of hair that was attempting to hide in the woman's bed.

Oh shit.

Was that Otto? Were Frederica and Otto just?

"Natsumi-sama?"

"Frederica! Sorry, sorry, sorry! I didn't know that- um- uh!" Natsumi just turned tail and quickly walked away from maid's door. As she walked away she heard the door quickly slam shut.

Future interactions with the beast maid were going to be awkward for a while. But on the other hand...

"Nice job Otto, I knew you had it in you." She said aloud like the proud sister she is. She was going to tease the poor merchant into oblivion after this was over.

Well with both "viable" people to ask for advice now crossed out she was probably going to wing it in good ol' Natsumi fashion.

As she walked through the floors of the manor, lost in her thoughts as usual she randomly got a pat on her shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Natsumi-kun!"

"Oh Rem! Where have you've been?"

"Rem was doing chores! But that's not the important thing here."

Her voice sounded urgent, Natsumi's mind was immediately set to high alert. "Rem, what's happening?"

"A guest is here to see you."

Oh. That's it?"

"Who's here to see me? We have no scheduled meetings with anybody for the next two weeks?"

"The Sword Saint, Reinhard-sama is here to see you, he wanted to talk to you about something urgent."

The fuck? That's all she had to say in her mind at the moment. All day she's been talking about her supposed feelings for him and now he just shows up at her doorstep out of the blue. Does that man have some sort of divine protction that detects when someone is talking about him?

"I'll be on my way there t-thank you Rem."

"Is something wrong Natsumi-kun?"

"It's nothing, just thinking about something."

Reinhard stood and waited nervously at the steps of the Roswaal manor. He just arrived as quickly as he could to see her. He can't back out of this, he needs to confront Natsumi on how he feels about her and hopes that she will accept him.

Standing by his dragon carriages he stood still and waited for her to arrive.

As he admired the bright blue sky he sees the front doors to the manor open. Walking slowly down the steps was her, and now he's getting nervous and a pink tint has appeared on his cheeks.

Natsumi was wearing that same outfit that he almost always sees her in. She calls it a "tracksuit" and says it's a style from her home.

He wonders what she would look like in a proper dress...

No! Don't think about stuff like that now! He snapped out of it quickly.

"Hey Reinhard!" She called out to him.

Here goes nothing.

"Natsumi, it's nice to see you again."

"It's awesome to see you Reinhard! So why did you come by? Did you miss me that much, ha!"

"Well, um yes... no I apologize."

Nailed it.

Slightly shaking his head to steady himself he didn't notice how the girl in front of him seemed to freeze in place. "Natsumi I did come to see you, I actually have to speak to you about something that's very important to me."

"Something important to you? What do you need from me?"

"Natsumi for the last few months I've been thinking about you a lot, more often than I would like to admit."

"You've been thinking about me?" She said.

"Indeed, because of these thoughts I have been getting about you as of late I sought out advice on it and it turns out that..." He paused, the next couple of words can either make or break everything down. His relationship with her will change no matter what.

It's now or never.

"Natsumi."

"Yes Reinhard?" She silently said being just as nervous as the sword saint.

"I may have grown feelings towards you."

...

...

...

The silence was awkward to say the least the two of them were just staring at each other. The red on each of their faces apparent.

"Reinhard."

"Y-Yes Natsumi?"

"I've been thinking about you in the same way."

The young man felt his world stop. She felt the same way about him? Natsumi was thinking about him in a romantic way as well?

"You have?"

"Yes, and funny enough I was just asking for advice on how to approach you and myself on how to confront these new things I'm feeling."

He smiled. "I was in the same predicament like you as well before I mustered the courage to come to you in person."

"Wait really?"

"Why yes, I asked Felt-sama on these things I've been feeling about you and she gave me the confidence to see you and ask directly."

"Well remind me to thank her later! Maybe I'll sew her a doll or something."

The both of them laugh in unison praising the former thief for somewhat getting them together today. As the laughter died down they got back to the subject at hand.

"So where do we go from here Reinhard? We both are developing these new thoughts towards each other and now were both here sooo..."

"Oh yes! Why I'm here." The knight got down on one knee and looked up towards the spiked haired girl. She blushed hard as he took her hand in his. "Natsumi Subaru, would you accept my invitation to court you around the capital within this coming week?"

The girl had to cover half her face in embarrassment with her free hand. This is the first time in her life that a boy has ever asked her out on a date and she's literally in a fantasy like setting.

How could she deny this?

"Reinhard Van Astrea, I accept your invitation for an outing with you." She mused.

Natsumi practically saw the boy glowing when she took his offer. She's never seen him this happy before.

"Thank you Natsumi I will be picking you up at the end of the week." With that the two of them smiled warmly at each other and Reinhard got back in to his carriage as she walked back up the manor stairs.

Closing the door behind her as she made it back in Natsumi found a crowd of people staring back at her.

Were they all watching her?!

"What the?! What are all of you doing here?!"

"We live here Barusu." Said Ram.

"Natsumi what happened? Why was Reinhard here?" Emilia asked.

"Natsumi-kun what did Reinhard-sama need from you?" Rem asked urgently.

The girl blushed as she had to tell them what transpired down the stairs.

"Reinhard asked to court me and take me on a date."

Before she knew it her body was wrapped around tightly by several of the maids, and Emilia as Ram just stood to the side. The all seemed to squeal in excitement and started to bombarded her with questions.

She couldn't help but squeal too.