Against the odds, I'm here! Well, this chapter would be divided in two, but I changed my mind and here it is, from here the story will go faster since a certain event in Nozel's family has already happened (I won't talk about it here now, because it may be a spoiler for some people), and Mereoleona finally showed up, I love her! But anyway, I'm very satisfied with this chapter and hope you like it!

[Black Clover characters' belongs to Yūki Tabata]

[I'm also on AO3 with the same username]

CHAPTER 7

The Lioness

Fuegoleon P.O.V.

- You didn't have to bring me here - Corinna said as soon as we walked through the portal. All the music from the festival, the smells from the food stalls, the voices of the people, all of that was gone in a second.

- But I promised your father - I replied, holding Leopold carefully since he was already asleep in my arms - that by the way is right there at the window, staring at us in silence.

Corinna looked back for a moment, then smiled sadly at me. She looked nervous, almost distressed, and I don't think it was because of the strange sight of her father at the window, watching over us like we were animals.

- Well, he saw me - Corinna sighed - do you want to sit down for a moment?

She didn't let me answer, just walked over to the rose bushes and sat down by the flowers, so I did the same. Corinna's black pearl necklace was well hidden by the collar of her golden dress, but it was still there. I didn't understand, she liked Nozel more than she liked me, didn't she? Shouldn't she be happy now?

- We're growing too fast, don't you think? - She asked me.

I didn't know whether to respond or not, so I contented myself with watching Corinna in the moonlight, with the curls of her hair falling over her shoulders. She hummed some song she'd probably heard at the festival, and swung her feet to the beat of the song.

Leopold yawned in my arms, which felt more like a growl than a baby's snores. I would have worried a little if it hadn't made Corinna smile. She kissed Leo's cheek, and he soon went back to sleep normally.

I started to think about what Nozel had said to her, who had mentioned marriage for the first time in front of her. I didn't think he was going to act so fast. Perhaps that was what Corinna was referring to, that our times of games and secret explorations would soon be over. The fun would soon be over.

I felt worse when I realized that Nozel had kissed Corinna's hands and I barely had the courage to move next to her.

Behind us we noticed some lights coming on inside the mansion, Corinna's father was coming to get her.

- I'll make a portal for you - she said. Without even needing to reach her hand out, Corinna made the portal to Clover Castle open in front of us.

I just wish I had the courage to tell her not to be sad.

The first thing I heard in the morning was the screams coming from the courtyard. They weren't screams of fright, but the screams of someone who seemed to be giving orders to anyone who passed by.

"My sister is at home", I thought; because I would recognize her voice anywhere, in any situation, like when we sat down to breakfast or she tried to kill our little brother like in any other family.

I turned around under the blankets trying to avoid hearing her, because if she realized I was awake, and she knew when that happened, she would come after me and I didn't want to fight now, or do anything other than lie in the bed as I thought about how much I wish I had said something to Corinna the night of the festival, before Nozel made his extravagant and petty proposal.

- Well done, Leo! - She yelled, from the floor below - Apparently you're not as weak as you used to be!

I jumped out of bed immediately, pulling on my boots as I ran to the castle courtyard while avoiding some servants, who threw themselves against the walls trying not to bump into me. Luckily I had slept last night in my training clothes as I was too tired to change them, so by the time I got to the castle's ground floor I was fully dressed.

But of course Mereoleona couldn't let me sleep. If she wasn't going to come wake me up, then she would take Leo hostage to get me out of bed. The perfect plan.

- What are you doing? - I asked, rubbing my eyes as the sunlight that made the bricks in the Vermillion Estate of the castle with a reddish appearance.

- Oh, so here you are! - Mereoleona smiled at the sight of me, holding out her arms as if she wanted to give me a hug, but I wouldn't fall into that trap again.

Mereoleona had grown a little since the last time we saw each other, but her vermilion hair looked a little messier. She should have cleaned up by now, as her clothes looked new and clean, she probably should have gotten new ones from her old room since grandma kept it intact for when she came to visit.

Leo was beside her, upside down, using his little hands to support his body weight.

- Enough of that, Leo, come here - I called him, much to my sister's dismay, of course.

Luckily she let Leo come at once. He looked tired, still in his pajamas, his eyes could barely stay open, so I put him on my back, and I felt him collapse instantly.

- You spoil this boy too much.

- This boy is our younger brother - I replied, feeling ridiculous for stating the obvious - and he's still a child!

- The truth is that you don't trust leaving him with me even for five minutes, that's why you came running, or do you think I didn't hear your steps?

- I came running because the last time you were here you thought it would be a good idea to throw him into a volcano!

- That would be good for his stamina! - Leona insisted.

I rolled my eyes; I wouldn't have that argument again, especially with an empty stomach.

I saw one of Leon's maids skulking around the courtyard, probably ordered to keep her distance by my sister, but I called out to her and delivered Leon into her arms.

- That's why you're still far from being the Magic Emperor, you don't know death, pain or sacrifice... That mark on your forehead is just a mark.

I looked at her angrily. It was the first time we saw each other in what, almost a year? And was that what she had to say to me?

Leona walked in circles, looking more agitated than usual. We had the same red markings around our eyes, but Leona looked more like Leo than me.

My stomach growled, it was inevitable, so she took a piece of bread out of her pocket and tossed it to me.

- Why did you even come? - I asked, trying to swallow the piece of dry bread she handed me. Is this how she ate in the woods?

My question was pure teasing, but Mereoleona's expression seemed to change, and I already knew why.

- Acier is sick, don't you know? - She rummaged in the dirt of the patio with the soles of her shoes.

I sat in silence. The news that Nozel's mother had a difficult birth and that she was now bedridden had already spread across the Clover Kingdom, and of course Mereoleona would come to visit since she was trained by her.

- But I don't think the Steel War Princess will be defeated by something as natural as bringing a child into the world - Leona sniffed - anyway I'm here to visit her, and you'll go with me of course.

I ate another piece of bread. I hadn't seen Nozel since the Star Awards Festival when he deliberately proposed to Corinna. I hadn't heard her answer, and now that his family was struggling I didn't know how things were going on between them because I was afraid of being a nuisance in the midst of so many problems.

- What are you thinking? - I almost choked on the bread when I realized that Leona was staring at me fervently, and I hated that look from her. She was analyzing me, but I don't think there was any way for her to know that... - So you're in trouble with a girl?

- HOW CAN YOU KNOW THAT? - I yelled, too bothered by the exaggerated attention and by her ability to know how to decipher people with such precision.

I tore off another piece of the bread, eyes on the floor, while Leona laughed in my face.

- You are very easy to read Leon, you need to change that if you want to become someone important someday - Leona sat next to me, she didn't seem to mind the sun - just imagine, when you become captain or the Magic Emperor your family will become a target, the people you love will become a target, including this girl.

- She will not become a target - I replied, giving up eating - Corinna is being raised to put targets on people.

- And it's the daughter of the Alstroemeria family, this couldn't be worse...! - Leona stifled a laugh. Corinna and Leona knew each other, of course, and Corinna found Leona's life away from the capital admirable, but Leona didn't think the Alstroemeria family's way of life pleasant at all. - But that's not why you're here, eating stale bread with me instead of being with her...

- Is that stale bread?

- Anyway... - Leona sighed - what's stopping you from telling her your true feelings?

I hesitated at first, but I couldn't avoid this conversation with her for much long.

- She doesn't like me, not the way I like her.

- You're fifteen, things change.

- And Nozel likes her, I mean, he even proposed to her... Don't you think that in this situation he deserves more happiness than I do?

I felt the mana around Leona stir and become even more aggressive than usual. Her expression was a mixture of shock and anger as she looked at me.

- You idiot - she said - how can you think like that?

- Don't tell me how to live my life.

- I'm the oldest, so I'm always right - Leona said. She pointed her finger in my face - write to her, now.

- What? - I couldn't keep my voice steady for a long time, it was scary when Leona got angry - I won't do that!

- Well, let's play a game, if you don't tell this girl how you really feel then we face each other again, but this time I'll throw you into a volcano and Leo will be in my care forever, what do you think?

I couldn't defeat that threat, so I had no choice but to do what Leona wanted, but I went beyond, instead of just writing to Corinna I decided to go to her house. I knew her dad wasn't at home in the mornings, so it would be the perfect setting to talk about everything that's been tucked away in my chest for the last couple of years, the years I've been aware of my feelings for her. And most importantly, Corinna's house was far enough from the castle, and from Nozel... I didn't want to hurt him and I knew that if he knew what I was about to do he would either kill me or throw me into a mercury cage.

I was so deep in my thoughts and imagining what life would be like for Leo with Mereoleona as his guardian that I barely noticed when I arrived at the Alstroemeria residence, which looked as silent and empty of human warmth as ever.

I'd always imagined Corinna here, alone, and I soon understood why she enjoyed traveling and going on adventures with Nozel and me so much. Anything seemed better than staring at the cold walls of this mansion.

- She should be in her room, but she didn't answer me - one of the maids said, looking slightly confused and worried - wait a little longer, Miss Corinna must be sleeping.

"Or she sneaked out," I thought. Which must have been the right answer, hence the maid's concern.

Alsius Alstroemeria wasn't home either, as I'd imagined, so the maids let me roam around the place while I waited for Corinna. I walked the halls until I found her late mother portrait, and then I wondered if Nozel would be in the same situation soon.

I found the mansion's staircase that would lead to the upper floors with ease. I looked from side to side, no one seemed to come to stop me from going up, so that's what I did, still with Mereoleona's words in mind, that I knew nothing of the world, that my promise to become the Magic Emperor was an empty promise.

Corinna's room was the first door on the left, she'd always told me that, that she liked to be close to the stairs so she could run faster out into the garden when she didn't have the ability to make portals yet. I waited for her door to be locked, but it wasn't, so I went inside after knocking a few times.

The maid was right when she said that Corinna didn't respond, but it was for the simple fact that she wasn't in the mansion at the moment. There was a huge portal right in the middle of the room, and that was the first thing I noticed, besides the open books scattered in every corner reached by my sight.

I shouldn't approach the portal, it was dangerous to mess with space magic for those who didn't master it. I could be trapped or ripped in half if Corinna closed the portal, but I knew that place...

The place where Corinna was now was dark and oval-shaped, actually a small dusty tower, the same one we'd visited the last time, months ago.

I wouldn't have thought it was strange that she'd come back there, after all it was a place Corinna should have marked for future trips, but the fact that I heard voices coming from the second floor made me worried and it sent shivers down my spine. Corinna wasn't alone there.

I was one step away from going through the portal when it suddenly closed, making me jump back in fear of losing a hand or half my face. Suddenly another portal opened and Corinna stepped out of it, walking towards me.

- Were you spying on me? - She asked, looking grumpy and making my heart stop at the same time, which wasn't fair.

- I was not! - I lied, because that was really spying - I was just worried because you didn't show up and...

Corinna wore pants and a cape which covered her chest and the necklace that for the first time made me uncomfortable to look at it, and seemed to be waiting for the full answer, panting and still upset. Her green hair was tied back and there was dust in it.

I ended up getting distracted one more time by the books on the floor, curses again, what was she doing so much reading about it?

- Let's go outside - Corinna said, pushing me away.

- But I...

- Out!

She led me by the hand into the garden, ignoring all the maids who asked if we wanted something to eat, again placing me near the rose bushes, as if this was a special place, our special place.

- Why are you here? - Corinna asked, for the first time looking unhappy to see me and I couldn't stop thinking if Nozel were here in my place she would treat him the same way.

- You disappeared for a few days - I said - didn't send any letters, didn't even show up by surprise... And Nozel's mother is sick, so...

Corinna's expression softened a little, but she still looked uncomfortable about something as she crossed her arms and shivered.

- I intended to visit him soon, but in the last letter he said he didn't have time to see me.

I nodded. So she wrote to him... That was the right thing to do, wasn't?

- You don't have to look at me like that, I would visit him because of lady Acier and as for me I just... - She took a deep breath - I think I was scared by his proposal, at the festival... I know you heard him.

Corinna took another deep breath, but this time I held her hands, which seemed to help, as she smiled slightly.

- I think we have to stay by his side right now, don't you think? I don't remember what it was like to lose my mother...

- Me neither.

- So I think we have to stay strong for him, and try to help.

I nodded, and Corinna took my hands back, her face returning to her usual color, almost flushed.

I wanted to tell her that I loved that gesture, loved it when she approached me without asking, loved it when her cheeks suddenly flushed because she couldn't hide what she felt, loved her brown eyes in the sun...

-What were you doing in the tower? - I asked.

- What?

- I recognized the place, what were you doing there?

- I was just... - Corinna smiled, but I knew that smile, and it was a smile she used to distract anyone - Bored.

I stared at Corinna for a moment, she didn't lie to me, she never did, and I believed her.

-When you feel bored you can look for me, my sister is at home, you will feel anything but bored in the Vermillion residence.

- I know that, thanks for the invitation - Corinna kissed my hand the same way Nozel kissed hers at the festival. Just the feeling of having her lips on my skin made me dizzy for a couple of seconds, but I managed to stay on my feet - but did you come here to tell me something, or am I wrong? What is it?

- I just... - I swallowed hard all the words I wanted to say to her, I couldn't do that, not now that Nozel was at home with his sick mother - I just wanted to say that everything will be fine and that I will always be here, watching over you and Nozel.

Corinna smiled again, the real smile this time, the one that made me fall in love with her.

- Thank you - she said, then looked out the window into the mansion - I think the food is ready, let's eat.

I nodded, brushing the dust flakes out of Corinna's hair as we walked toward the kitchen, the place she considered the best to eat, so she could talk to the maids and have company.

I sat next to Corinna and waited for the food, I intended to eat everything, anything they put in front of me, as I would be thrown into a volcano as soon as I got home by the Vermillion lioness.