Reason I Love to Fly
Chapter 8
"Yuri darling," her mother called outside the door, "Are you ready? The guests are waiting already."
"Yes, I'm almost done," Yuri replied as she combed her long hair.
"Yuri, can I come in?" her mother knocked on the door. A second later Yuri unlocked the door and Rikada saw her marvelous daughter in an elegant white dress.
"We need to change this," the motherly figure guided Yuri from the door to the dressing table. She placed a red box on the table and went behind Yuri. "This must be off for tonight," she said as she removed the star pendant from Yuri's neck.
"But Mother," the young lady protested, "I've never parted with it."
"It's just for one night, Darling," her mother persuaded, "And besides, this gift is from the young Baron himself. He is a potential business partner with your father and if he invests in our business, we'll be more successful than we already are!"
"Alright," Yuri answered and looked at the heart shaped red box. 'It looks like a jewellery box,' Yuri thought. She gasped when her mother opened the box to reveal a magnificent silver necklace with hundreds of diamonds that were set perfectly to form shapes that resembled two lilies.
"There!" her mother exclaimed as she clasped the necklace around Yuri, "You are ready to go now."
Krad watched as Yuri danced with every male guest including the perverted phantom thief. Sure, Krad was jealous when he saw Yuri danced with every man in the room but he became furious when he realized that Yuri was smiling and blushed when Dark said something to her. As he watched the two danced, he didn't realize that Dark was trying to get Yuri closer to him.
"Your turn," Dark said to Krad.
"Huh?" Krad exclaimed as he looked at Dark, who had his smirk plastered on his face.
"Your turn for a dance," Dark repeated.
"Shall we?" Yuri asked. Krad smiled nervously and led Yuri to the middle of the dance floor.
As Krad rested his hand on her slender waist, he felt her tensed up and saw a blush rose up her face. Yuri hid her blush from Krad by looking at their feet as they danced.
"I haven't wished you 'Happy Birthday' today, Yuri-sama," Krad said and Yuri looked up at him. "Happy 18th Birthday, Yuri-sama," he wished her with a smile.
"Thank you," Yuri answered.
"No presents from me though," Krad lied.
"It's alright," Yuri said, and she continued in a very soft voice, "Just be by Yuri's side."
"Huh?" Krad asked.
"N-Nothing!" Yuri blushed and focused her attention back to the floor.
"I wonder what Dark is up to," Krad tried to draw his attention to something else to avoid the blush that threaten to creep up his face. He looked around for the purple haired thief and failed to find him in the crowd. That was when he realized that everyone was watching him and Yuri.
"Yuri hate the attention," he heard Yuri whispered.
The lights were suddenly turned off and Krad's arms instinctively went around Yuri. He looked around as shouts and whispers were heard in the ballroom. He felt Yuri's body trembled in fear.
"What's happening?" she asked.
"Don't worry. I'll protect you," Krad whispered to her ears and he felt her nodded to his chest.
"Take the chance and go! We'll take care of your disappearances," both of them heard Daisuke's voice. Krad was overcome with relief when he knew that this was all a trick of the phantom thief and he quickly led Yuri out of the ballroom.
"Oops! I'm so sorry!" a voice said as soon as the lights were turned back on. Everyone turned their attention to the purple haired young man as he spoke next, "I tripped on the wires on my way back from the restroom."
Both Krad and Yuri panted as they reached the secluded part of the garden that overlooked the ocean. Yuri sat down on the ground gracefully and caught her breath while Krad leant on a nearby tree, trying to regain his breath.
"What was that?" Yuri asked.
"That Dark sure have a lot of tricks up his sleeves," Krad answered.
"That's great to hear," Yuri breathed, "For a while there, Yuri thought…"
"Don't worry," Krad said, "I'll protect you."
"Thank you!" Yuri thanked with a nod and looked up at the full moon. "What a beautiful night," she sighed.
"Yes, perfect for a moonlit dance," Krad answered and he bent down to offer Yuri his hand, "May I have this dance, fair maiden?"
Yuri giggled as she accepted his hand. They swayed to the music that only both of them heard. Slowly both of them began to lean onto one another not realizing that they were actually embracing one another like lovers do.
'Why do I feel like this around you?' Krad asked himself as he looked down at the girl who had her arms around his neck and was leaning her face on his chest. 'I don't want this to end,' he said to his himself as he slowly tightened his embrace around her waist, 'I want to stay like this with you forever.'
'Krad-san is warm,' Yuri said to himself, 'Yuri's happy. Yuri wants to stay in Krad-san's safe arms forever. Does…does this mean Yuri loves Krad-san?'
Yuri looked up at Krad with shock on her face but upon seeing the serene and angelic face on him, she softened. Golden eyes opened and looked warmly down into Yuri's hazel eyes. If emotions could be read through the eyes and if Yuri was able to read them, then she would know that Krad loved her. But Yuri was too distracted to read those feelings as she felt a hand traced down her jaw and stopped below her chin.
'Should I be doing this?' Krad asked himself as he lowered his face to hers, 'This is wrong but…once, just once…' His face drew closer to hers and she still showed no sign of resisting, 'I…I shouldn't be doing this!'
Krad pulled away from Yuri as their lips were about to connect but his arms were still secured about her. Yuri still hadn't recovered from the shock of realizing what Krad almost did and so, she just stared at the man in front of her.
"I'm sorry," his voice made her awakened and she momentarily lost her balance as she took a step back. Krad managed to hold her tightly to him to prevent her from falling but sadness crept into his heart. "I'm really sorry," he repeated.
"Krad-sa-" Yuri couldn't finish what she wanted to say as the burglar alarm broke out.
"What!" Krad looked around as he held her tight to him.
"Krad-san! There!" Yuri pointed at the wall of the mansion where they saw a black figure jumped from one balcony to another and disappeared from their view.
"What happened?" Krad asked Dark when they appeared in the foyer.
"Thieves," Dark answered, "In Yuri-sama's room. It seems they've taken away her precious pendant."
"My star pendant!" Yuri gasped.
"Exactly," the violet haired man answered, "Why is it their target?"
"My lucky pendant," Yuri mumbled, "It's gone."
"Lucky?" Dark shouted at the name, "Wait. It all fits. The pendant was done on the day you were born and you are eighteen today and it brought you luck. I should have known!"
"Dark, what are you talking about?" Krad looked at the phantom thief whose face still bore some effects from the name 'Lucky'.
"Long story short," Dark began, "Lucky charms are harmful."
"In other words," Krad said in a low voice, "You want to steal it."
"Someone got to it sooner than I," he laughed and turned away.
"We're sorry, Darling," both angels heard Rikada's voice, "We'll make another one for you."
"It's alright," Yuri smiled, "It's lost. I'll just take it that I gave someone else the luck that he needed."
"Yuri-sama sure is very generous," Dark commented and Krad nodded in agreement.
"At least he didn't steal Shiro-chan and Kuma-chan," Yuri smiled at the two.
"It is an honour to know that my gift rests in good hands," Dark bowed like a gentleman.
"You're welcome," Yuri replied with a curtsy.
