To confess the truth to ourselves, is it not bittersweet?
-Ariadne auf Naxos

HARU'S JEALOUSY

"Haru!" shouted Baron and Shizuku as the inebriated girl dropped out of sight. They rushed to the window, knowing there wasn't anything they could do. Their hearts plunged to their doom along with their friend.

As they reached the window, to their surprise there was a cheery and slurred, "Hora, hora, hora! I can fly too, sensei!" Haru came up slowly, horizontal and on all fours, as if being winched by an invisible rope attached to her back. She was lazily flapping her arms and kicking her legs

"Thank you, Shizuku-chan!" Baron fervently exclaimed as Haru continued to rise, out of their reach.

"I'm not doing anything," the writer said.

"What? Then how–?" The Cat stuck his head out the window and looked up.

Shizuku saw him wave, then pull himself back inside. She raised her eyebrows.

"It seems we have someone to thank. Haru is one lucky girl. Come on, upstairs!"

------oOo------

"I was beating the carpet against the wall when I heard the window downstairs open," said the little tom in the servant's uniform. "I knew the Queen's friend was staying there, so when I heard all the noise I looked over the side. I saw her stick her head out. She didn't sound right, so I was ready when she jumped."

"You have my eternal thanks, Master Cameron," Baron said, shaking his hand. "If it weren't for you I'd be devastated right now. But why are you a servant here, if you have magic yourself?"

The short-muzzled, white-whiskered orange cat shrugged. "I've grown used to being here, Your Lordship," he answered. "Don't let my looks fool you. I'm close to a hundred years old."

"Oh?"

"Yessir. I go with the fort, so to speak. I've seen people come and go."

"And you have no ambition to make something of yourself?"

"But I have made something of myself, sir. I'm a good cleaner-upper, if I may be so bold as to say so. I'm just too content here to start life anew outside." Cameron bowed. "If you won't be needing anything, I'll be going back to my duties now, sir."

"Yes. Once again, thank you. I'll put in a good word for you with the Captain and everyone else."

"Pshaw." If Cameron didn't have any fur, Shizuku thought she would've probably seen him color. "It's not a big deal, Baron von Jikkingen."

"You know my name?"

"Of course. I know the names of all the people staying here."

"That should come in handy when making party lists," Shizuku commented.

"It is, mum." The tom looked up at the still-floating Haru, who was now being incarcerated in the air by the irritated writer, who chose this method of expiating her anger—and guilt. "You be a magic-user too, then?"

Shizuku nodded. "I don't know how I got this, but it comes in handy for moments like these."

"Interesting." For a moment Shizuku thought she saw Cameron's eyes gleam with keen interest. "Very interesting. Well, I'll be moving along now." The servant bowed and left, going down the casement stairs.

Baron waited until the cat was out of earshot, then said, "There's something peculiar about him."

"What, the fact that he's a centenarian and looks like a kid, or that he's a magician?" Shizuku asked sardonically.

"Neither of those. I'll wager that if you scratch his surface you'll find a very interesting history underneath."

"If you say so. Sir Cat, can I let Haru down now? She's getting pretty heavy."

"Oh, sorry. Of course."

Shizuku maneuvered Haru into a carrying position in Baron's arms. She sighed in relief as the Cat clamped his hands around his troublesome love interest.

"Miss Yoshioka," he said, "you've caused enough scandal for one day. When you are sober Shizuku and I will have a little talk with you. You've been behaving very irresponsibly."

"G-gomennasai, Baron." Haru apologized. "Please excuse my behavior."

"Sorry isn't good enough this time, Haru," Shizuku said threateningly. "I think there's something you want to tell us."

"Yesh, yesh, I'll tell you anything. I'm very sorry." Haru grabbed Baron's lapel and buried her face in it. "I'm a bad girl. I'm a bad girl."

Baron and Shizuku looked at each other, then descended the stairs with their sobbing burden.

------oOo------

The coffee did nothing to ease Haru's headache, but it did clear her mind enough for Shizuku and the Cat to have a lucid conversation with her.

She held the gray stone mug in her hands, grateful for the warmth of the steaming brown liquid within. It was strong and sweet and a tad buttery, just the way she liked it. She just wished her hands wouldn't tremble so.

Sitting on her bed, she did her best to ignore her pounding skull as she tried to shrink into herself. Standing before her was Shizuku, and seated in her room's solitary full-back chair was Baron. Neither of them looked very friendly just then.

"Oh, please, can't we do this tomorrow?" she pleaded. "Do you have to do this to me at this ungodly hour?"

"Yes," Shizuku said, with no note of sympathy in her voice. "What set you off, Haru?"

"Like I said, I was shocked at hearing Baron speak of Louise like that."

"And that was enough to make you walk out of the room?" asked Baron.

"Alright!" Racked with guilt, Haru couldn't take it any more. They had been pressing her for thirty minutes already, and she was at the end of her endurance. "I don't want to admit it in front of you, sensei. Will you please leave the room and let me have a private word with Baron?"

Shizuku glanced the Cat's way. He gave an almost imperceptible nod, and she departed. As she passed by him, Haru heard her say, "Don't go easy on her."

The door closed, and the anxious girl felt the weight of Baron's gaze settle on her.

"Well? I'm waiting."

Haru gathered her breath. "Baron, I hope you don't become angry with me because of this," she began, without much hope her statement would come true. "W-when I heard you say Louise was to be killed if you couldn't take her alive, I was shocked and tried to think of a way to help you out. Then... oh, Baron... my mind wandered and I thought, 'Well, why should I want Louise to live? If she died, then Baron would be... would be... free and I could stay with him. He'd be all mine, forever and ever.'" Haru swallowed. "Please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of it. I became so afraid of myself I just had to get out of the room, don't you understand? I couldn't believe I was wishing Louise ill just so I could be with you."

The Cat eyed her critically. "Is that all?"

"Yes, that's all," Haru replied, her voice flat. That's all, she thought. And that's all she wrote for this relationship as well. He'll never trust me again after what I just admitted.

"Thank you, Haru."

"Eh? What?"

"I can forgive you for having those thoughts, because you came clean about them. I don't know if I can forgive you for wishing Louise evil, though. That was very unkind of you. And besides, I thought you said this was only temporary."

"I know what I said," Haru replied miserably. "I just don't know what came over me and made me think like that. I'm so sorry, Baron. I know you'll never trust me again, and I deserve that."

"Maybe, maybe not. After all, those were just thoughts, and who among us doesn't think evilly of others now and then? You never acted on them. Search your heart, Haru. Do you really, really wish Louise ill, when you know I'll be unhappy as well if something bad happens to her?"

Haru ruminated. "Of course not, Baron. I was being stupid and selfish."

The Cat stood up and shed his gray tailcoat, then sat down on the bed beside her. "Then believe in yourself, and the good in you," he spoke, looking intently into her eyes. "We are all a mixture of hero and villain. What we choose to let predominate is entirely up to us." He opened his arms, and Haru gladly fell forward into their embrace.

"Baron, I'm still sorry. Let me just say that I'd rather lose you to your real love, than gain you in such an evil manner."

Baron paused. "My real love," he whispered. "Haru, this is what I never wanted to happen to you. I'm sorry this is all I have to pit against such an eager yearning."

Haru spent a moment nuzzling his shoulder. "It's okay, Baron. Just let me set this mug down, will you? It's starting to burn my fingers." When she had done so, she looked him in the eyes. "Now, as you say it, Mach Schnell!" She flung her arms out wide.

The Cat's eyes widened. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. Since I have no other way to prove how sincerely sorry I am, this is all I can give, in exchange for your trust..." Haru's voice trailed away as she looked down at herself.

"Enough! You don't have to do that with me. I believe you. You're not a demimonde who has to offer me sex to keep my affections." Baron hugged her tighter. "Your way of thinking is strange to me, at times."

"It wouldn't be, if you consider it all in the light of my feelings for you."

"Haru, I think you're growing more attached to me than is wise."

"I don't care, Baron. Please, kiss me again, and drive my darkness away."

After they had released each other she asked, "What's a demimonde?" in a voice husky with emotion.

Baron looked at her, a subtle passion showing in his eyes. "I'll let you figure that out for yourself."

------oOo------

The door opened and the Cat emerged from Haru's room, his coat draped over a forearm and his hat in his hands. Shizuku was sitting in the corridor, waiting, a fact that surprised him so much he dug his watch fob out to confirm the time.

"I thought you'd already gone to bed, Shizuku-chan," he said quietly. "It's almost sunrise."

Shizuku shook her head. "It's okay. How is she?"

Baron helped her up and waited as she stretched muscles cramped by the long sitting. "You're a magician in more ways than one. You were exactly right."

"I see." The thought didn't make her happy. "When I first met her I sort of got the impression that she was a shy, sensitive person who was looking for her own place in the world. I think she's found it with you and the cats." They began to walk away. "What are you going to do, Baron? Her feelings for you are much stronger than she realizes. She might unconsciously end up–"

"Enough of that talk," Baron said sharply. "I trust Haru, just as I trust you, Shizuku-chan. Let's not have suspicions and whispers dominate our minds. That's surely the easiest way to wreck our friendships."

"But Baron, about our friendships: you can't deny you're both heading for disaster, the way you two are going on now."

"Not disaster, Shizuku. But we both know this won't last."

"Then why hurt yourselves like this? You know that's what'll happen in the end."

"Because we both wanted to drink from this cup!" Baron's voice rose and echoed off the stone walls. He put a hand to his forehead. "I'm sorry. I know you're concerned about us, but please let us be. We all have our own crosses to bear."

Shizuku looked away from her beloved Sir Cat. "Of course. Well, I'll trust you on that matter, and say no more about it, except that I wish both of you what happiness you can find."

The Cat turned to her and a small smile appeared on his lips. "Thank you, Shizuku-chan. You know, considering that Louise tried to kill me, maybe Haru wasn't so eccentric in wanting her dead herself."

Shizuku did not reply.

Baron escorted her all the way to her room and kissed her fingers before leaving for the accommodation he shared with Muta and Toto.

Shizuku watched him round the corner, then entered the darkened space behind her. She heard the soft breathing of Seiji asleep in bed as she closed the door. She walked up to him, and gazed at him in the dim light provided by the sliver of moon hanging low over the countryside.

So peaceful, and so utterly hers, an emerald in a hollow that sparkled only for her eyes. She lifted the quilted bedcovers and climbed in beside him. He stirred and threw an arm around her. She smiled vaguely as she kissed his forearm and settled back against his comforting body. Then, seconds later, she was asleep, with Seiji's breath warm against her ear.

------oOo------

Baron himself entered the room he shared with the giant cat and crow. Muta was still awake when he entered, seated in a rocking chair (which looked as if it could barely hold his weight), a newspaper in his hands. A pot of coffee lay on the small dining table, and a mug sat beside it. All the lights were on.

The newspaper went down. The Everyday Cat Kingdom Times, its banner logo read. "Well, how'd it go, lover boy?"

"Muta, my friend, if you ever hear me complain again about how boring my existence is, hit me on the head, will you?"

The giant cat chortled. "Gladly. So, is the kid alright?"

"Yes, she is. Poor thing got frightened of her own mind because she thought of killing Louise so she could have me all to herself."

"Ouch." Muta grimaced. "What'd you tell her?"

"I straightened her out. She didn't have that strong a wish, as I feared. Just the sort of evil fantasy we usually indulge ourselves in once in a while, but never do anything about."

"Mind if I ask you something?"

"What? Only one question will I allow. I'm tired."

"Are you really going to let Gabriel and the Stormy Cats kill Louise if it becomes necessary?"

"Don't be daft. Of course not. I just went along with that to keep the peace. I know Gabriel suspects me. You can't blame him, since he's supposed to keep Lune safe and uphold Cat Kingdom law. I shall need your help, Renaldo, if she proves too much for me to handle."

"You got it. Then I won't have to see you moping around or retreating into that shell of yours so often. That is, if we can get her back to the way she was. Are you really going to bring Haru along?"

"Yes. I don't think I could stop the Mighty Princess even if I tried." Baron paused. "I must be worse off than I thought. That was two questions already, Muta."

The large feline smiled insouciantly. "I thought you wouldn't notice."

"I'm going to stay insensible for a while," Baron said, standing beside the bed and fixing himself. On went the tailcoat, on went the gray top hat. "I'll be unavailable for the day. No one is to disturb me, please. I need the rest."

"Not even the couple?" Baron shook his head. "Not even Haru?"

"I suspect she'll be feeling too wretched to look for me. She's going to have one massive hangover, considering the amount of alcohol she consumed. Please keep an eye on her."

"Noted. And by the way, Toto's already gone to sleep," said Muta, pointing towards the balcony. "He said he wanted to forget everything for a while."

That caused Baron to stop arranging himself and look out the windows. It was still dark outside, so the gargoyle remained hidden. "Poor chap. It must be hard on him."

"It is. He told me he knew both for years, and now he's got to be the one to go and tell one crow wife that her husband's not going to be able to spend autumn in Ibaraki-ken with his two children."

Baron shook his head once, then finished fixing himself. Then he stood perfectly still, and by the time Muta looked his way again he was already a statue, and his eyes held the Engel's Zimmer in them once more.

The fat cat lifted the paper and began reading the article that had caught his eye. The title read Baron Humbert von Jikkingen Saves King Lune's Life. It was a short, factual account of the Black Cat's assassination attempt on the Cat King. There was no mention at all of her being Baron's fiancée.

Muta glanced at the statue. "Pleasant dreams, old friend," he muttered.