"I'm powerless, I'm dumb, I'm so weak, I can't do a single thing myself! God, I'm so useless! No wonder Emilia and the others never came to rescue me." Subaru had said with tears rolling down his cheeks and blood flowing down his wrists. "They hate me, don't they? Why wouldn't they? I hate me! I wish I could just die!"

Priscilla was reminded of his words on that fateful night… the night in Glarasia, as his scars showed themselves when she had finally taken off his shirt.

The memory brought up bitter feelings inside her. She glared at him in indignation, and Subaru, noticing where she was staring, immediately tried to cover himself up.

It was a futile attempt. She snatched his shirt from his hands and tossed it aside. And then, without a moment's delay, Subaru found himself pinned on the bed under Priscilla.

"...Prisca-tan?" Subaru called out her name nervously. But Priscilla wasn't paying attention to it.

"I'm a terrible person. I am unworthy of being loved."

All she had in mind was an extreme desire to prove him wrong. Because he couldn't have been any more off with his assessment.

With her eyes closed, she leaned down towards him, and following her example, he leaned up as well. Their lips met in the middle in a needy kiss, one they had been deprived of for the past few days, since their first time together.

Feeling her soft lips against his, he held her even more closer to him, not wishing to let go for even a single second. It never failed to amaze him just how easily she had managed to occupy his heart and become so precious to him in the last one year.

He raised his hands to cup her cheeks, deepening their kiss as she attempted to explore every corner of his mouth with her tongue, in a desire to know everything about him. He reciprocated, and their tongues danced in harmony.

After a while, with neither of them being the first to pull away, their lips parted, a thin strand of saliva connecting them. As she panted, trying to catch her breath, Subaru latched his lips onto hers once again. He continued to taste the inside of her mouth for a while, until finally—

"Is kissing all you can do?" Priscilla complained, feeling unsatisfied by their lack of progress.

"Don't test me, Pris. I can do so much more than that." At her complaint, Subaru flipped her onto the bed, and in a show of control, he declared so, now reversing their positions and pinning her underneath him against the bed.

Her eyes widened. The intense gaze with which he stared down at her felt like electricity. He gave her a devilish smile, sending shivers down her spine. He was usually so passive and gentle, so seeing this side of him amused her greatly. And it made her want him more, just to discover what other sides of him exist that she has yet to know.

He leaned down, to give her another kiss, before slowly moving his lips away from her lips and across her collarbone, to her neck, leaving small bites in its wake. His hands had gotten rid of the towel that had previously hidden herself from him.

He stared still for a while in almost a trance, taking the time to admire the beautiful goddess underneath him. No, even the word beautiful was insufficient to describe the sight of her as she lay in anticipation for him. Her orange hair reminiscent of the sun, her glistening crimson eyes, like a fire that would scorch away everything it touched, her porcelain skin, her striking features, all of it was like a drug. No matter how many times he saw her, it was like he was falling in love with her all over again.

After being subjected to the worst luck in the world for so long, just how did he get so lucky?

"How long are you going to simply stare, fool?" Priscilla called out to him, breaking him out of his trance. Despite the cool facade she was trying to wear, it was getting harder for her to not show any signs of embarrassment at his staring.

"I can't help it. You're just so beautiful, it's impossible not to admire you." His reply only served to make her blush even harder.

"...O-Of course! It is natural for you to be enchanted by a godde—Ahh~!" Just as she was attempting to regain her control over her emotions, Subaru who had let his fingers wander the smooth curves of her body, before finally landing on her breasts.

"Ah…. I'm sorry. Is it alright if I…." He paused for a second, waiting for her approval, and she nodded her head in excitement, encouraging him to do as he pleased. He fondled her chest to his heart's content, their softness making him nearly lose his mind.

His kisses trailed further down, marking her porcelain skin with his teeth. He soon caught one of her breasts between his lips and sucked it hungrily. Priscilla's body trembled in pleasure, as Subaru swirled his tongue around her nipple. Priscilla was in complete bliss, the only thing on her mind was how the man she was in love was here with her right now, making her melt under his touch.

And then, his mouth released her breast, his head traversing even lower, until finally he reached his destination. He spread her legs apart, to admire her wet slit. With his head between her thighs, he gave her lower lips a lick. Priscilla shuddered. "Subaru~! Please… *hah* ...don't stop!" She moaned out his name, and he smirked, satisfied with her reaction.

Running his wet and hot tongue over her clit, Subaru explored every nook and cranny of her folds. Her body spasmed, while she screamed his name over and over. The needy screams of his name filled him with immense pride, encouraging him to do as he pleased. He sucked and nibbled and licked at her clit with no mercy, intoxicated by her taste.

Priscilla's body was on fire. Each lick was bringing her closer to the sensation she had been yearning for since the beginning.

"Don't *hah* stop…." Her breathing was heavy and her fingers dug into his scalp, her hands pushed his head further into herself, and her legs had closed up around him, leaving him no escape. Not that he wanted to. He was in heaven, happily engrossed in pleasing his goddess. His hands had begun to massage her ass, hoping to bring her more pleasure.

"Subaru~…." Subaru's efforts bore fruit as her intensifying screams reached an all time peak. Her body shook violently, ravaged by an untold pleasure and her mind drowned in euphoria, while he silently admired her body bathed in her afterglow.

Slowly, the waves of pleasure died down, and a dazed Priscilla, in her ecstasy, mumbled, "Subaru… please *hah* do that again… *Hah* ….That felt so good," before finally regaining her senses and quickly covering her mouth with her hands. A smug smile formed on his face, covered with her juices, while a red hot blush formed on her face.

"...Don't worry! I'll make you feel even better." He whispered cheerfully into her ear. The proud Priscilla was squirming under his control, needily screaming his name and begging him for more. And that proved to be the greatest confidence booster for him, than anything else in the world.

He brought his hands down to free his erection, which felt painful inside his layers of clothing. His partner, however, had other plans. "That is my job!" She pushed him back and snaked her hands down to swiftly remove his pants, whipping out his stone-hard member. And as she did, she gave a light gasp.

Despite having already had sex with him once, she had never truly taken the time to truly take this situation all in. The last time, desperate to be with the other, they had not wasted a single moment to get right into the act, fucking like animals in the heat. But now that she was actually taking the time to admire it, she could not believe his giant cock, large enough to reach her belly button, had actually fit inside her.

But she remembers how good it had felt when he had gone inside of her, even if her memories were a bit hazy. And it made her want him more. She wanted him to take her. She wanted him to complete her. She wanted him to mark her as his.

But before that, there was something important that needed to be done. She pushed Subaru onto the bed and stroked his shaft delicately with her fingers, while carefully observing his reactions to figure out what brought out the most satisfaction in him.

"...Prisca… *hah* ….you're doing… *hah* ...really good but—Ahh~!" Subaru groaned at her expert touch. It was hard to believe she had no experience with this.

"I don't want to hear any buts! I cannot have you forgetting your place and let it get to your head! It is my turn to have you moan and beg for mineself!" She responded, as she straddled his lap without ceasing her actions.

"You say *hah* that as if *hah* you didn't like it." Subaru teased her, while sitting up and pecking her on her lips.

She leaned into the kiss, and then, "Shut up and let me do what I want or I'll have you tied up!" She retorted.

He laughed. If she wanted to please him, who was he to stop her? He was just happy she wanted to be with him in the first place. "Alright! Go ahead and do whatever you like!" He responded and her hands stopped immediately, both in shock and happiness.

"I can tie you up while I have my way with you?" She asked, her eyes sparkling in excitement.

"I was talking about what you said earlier, not about tying me up!" Subaru let out a shriek. It did concern him though, how he was not entirely against the idea, despite not having too many good experiences being tied up.

Seeing her disappointed expression, "...I'll think—mmn~!" Before he could continue saying anything more, Priscilla silenced him with another kiss. There was no need for him to agree to anything he didn't want to do.

Letting go of his lips, she resumed her handjob when, "Prisca…." He called out to her.

"What is it? Is there something you would like?" She asked, curious to know what he wanted her to do.

"Could you…." He trailed off as his eyes drifted to her breasts, and she gave a prideful smirk at his request.

Obliging his request, she crawled back and kneeled in front of the raven-haired knight's crotch. She enveloped his dick between her giant tits, leaving only the tip exposed outside her cleavage.

Subaru's eyes went wide and his face flushed red, while Priscilla grinned with satisfaction. Grabbing her breasts with her hands, she moved them up and down his length. His mind became hazy and his head pressed against the mattress, the only thing he could feel was the delightful sensation of the hot flesh of her silken mounds sliding up and down his cock.

"Prisca~…. You're so~..." Watching him squirm and moan as he lost himself to the pleasure made her feel so much better. She brought her mouth to the tip and started to suck and lick it, while she used one hand to gently massage his ball sack in an attempt to maximize the amount of pleasure she could offer him. His sweet moans sounded like music to her ears.

Before she knew it, Subaru had begun to thrust his hips to match her movements, and Priscilla, wasting no time, pumped her breasts faster, while taking his penis further into her mouth, and continuing to caress it with her tongue.

"Pris…. I'm gonna…." His hand found her head and he instinctively pushed her even further down his length.

For a moment, Subaru's thoughts had come to a halt, his head now filled with nothing but the waves of pleasure and his lovely girl that had delivered it to him as promised. Having reached his limit, he blasted a large amount of cum, straight into her mouth. She happily gulped it all down without any hesitation, ensuring not a single drop of his precious liquid went to waste.

Slowly, Priscilla felt the strength in the hand that was holding her down subside, and she released his tip from her mouth, taking in a deep breath of air. And then, she turned to meet her partner's eyes, smiling proudly at the sight of him panting while he lay on the mattress.

"How was it?" She asked him, even though she knew exactly what Subaru's answer would be. Subaru smiled at her, as she crawled over to him and laid down beside him, resting his head comfortably on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, and kissed her forehead.

"...It felt amazing." He answered honestly. "I thought you'd never done something like this before."

"I haven't. But…." She gave him a teasing smile. "I love you, so it is expected that I know everything about you." Not missing the opportunity, she slipped in her confession to him once again.

"Is that so?" He smiled. And then flipping her back onto the bed beneath him, he leaned down into her ears and whispered, "It's the same for me too. ….I love you. So, I know exactly what you want as well." And then, Priscilla was assaulted by pleasure as his thumb rubbed her wet clit and he inserted two of his digits into her folds, satisfying the growing itch between her legs she had been feeling for a while now.

"It must have been painful, right? Let me fix that for you." And then, to her absolute delight, he broke apart from their contact, and aligned himself against her entrance.

He looked at her one last time, asking for her consent, but all he got as a reply was, "What are you waiting for, you idiot?"

Having received her approval, he slowly drove his hips forward. The tightness and warmth of her insides threatened to drive him mad, and her reaction of pressing further against him was no more helpful to him. And while he pulled out slowly, he could feel every part of her resisting him, however for her, it was a losing battle.

He pulled back until only his tip remained within her, and then he slammed back into her, making her let out a loud moan. She felt herself drowning in his love, while he pumped away at her, fuelled by his own love and lust. He held her in his embrace and fucked her like there was nothing in this world he would rather do.

He loved her with all his being, and at that point, there was nothing on his mind besides letting her know how he felt. Her screams of his name, the tightness of her walls against his cock, the red-hot blush on her face, the taste of lips, the softness of her breasts, all of the incredible sensations she was offering him were driving him insane.

"You're mine, Prisca-tan!" He declared resolutely.

He loved her so much. And it made him want her more, and just drove him to work even harder for her.

The bed creaked violently with each thrust, as he moaned out her name over and over again, and she convulsed from the strong pleasure she was attaining, each time he rammed into her.

"I'm yours, Subaru!" She responded, as she dragged her nails across his back.

It was a sickness really, her love for him. Just as everything about her was so radiant to him, he was the same to her. And she realised how she was not being herself when she was with him.

She buried her head in his neck, laying down kisses, while rocking her hips in sync with his, returning his thrusts, as his pace became faster.

"Pris, I'm gonna…." He tried to pull out but found himself locked in place by her legs wrapped around his waist.

"Inside!"

"But-"

"Inside!"

Subaru was too drowned in pleasure to be capable of protesting against her wishes. He obliged her request, slamming himself deeper and harder. With a single powerful thrust, they came together with moans of pleasure from the both of them, as he released his seed inside her.

Slowly, but surely, their trembling subsided and Subaru began pulling himself out, much to Priscilla's dismay.

He lay down on the bed beside her, panting, and turned to face her. Lifting his hand to her face, he brushed aside a few strands of hair falling on her face, and then caressed her cheeks. She came closer to him, burying her face in his chest.

"Prisca-tan…. are you sure that was a good idea?"

"...There is no need to worry. The world exists for my sake, does it not? Whatever I wish for will happen."

"So, you're really just leaving it to luck, aren't you?" He sighed.

"Stop complaining! Is it so bad to have a child with me?" She pouted and asked in irritation.

And Subaru in reply, put his hand on her chin and brought her face closer to his, kissing her gently.

"...I'm just worried about what it would mean for you in the royal selection." He said, stroking her head, while she frowned.

"...In that case, Subaru," Priscilla began. "I want to-" But before she could say anything, Subaru placed his index finger on her lips, silencing her.

"If you're gonna say you'll drop out of the royal selection, I won't hear it! I won't accept you dropping out for someone like me—ow!"

Now it was Priscilla's turn to silence him as she pinched his cheek in annoyance. "What do you mean someone like you?" She scolded him, staring down at him in anger. "I don't care what you or anyone else thinks. Mineself has decided you are worthy of being loved." She declared, tracing her fingers along the scars on his hands. "...Otherwise, why else would I have given you my time of the day after that pathetic display in Glarasia." She muttered, and Subaru's eyes went wide open.

A bright red blush grew on his face upon hearing her words. Did she really like him that long ago? Was that why she had helped him that night?

That night was one of the worst moments in his life. They were celebrating their victory in the Gladiator Island Ginunhive, when their happiness was overturned by Todd and his group of men attacking them. The night had ended with Louis giving up her life to save Subaru and Flop, earning Rem's hatred for him. Unfortunately, the save point had moved and he was forced to hear Rem's hatred for him a second time.

"I hate you!" The anguish had left him wanting to kill himself a thousand times over…. No, a million times over…. Until there was no more of him left. He wanted to die. He wanted to disappear.

He had given up hope on Emilia ever coming to rescue him.

—But then, Priscilla had found him.

She had taken him inside her room, treated his wounds and let him cry on her chest throughout the entire night. Before then, he would have never believed that Priscilla, of all people, would do something like that for him. That night had completely changed how he viewed her.

He wanted to repay the favor, so he had taken every opportunity he got to spend time with her, trying to make her smile. If she was in a bad mood, he wanted to make her laugh. If she was happy, he wanted to join in on her happiness.

As he spent more and more time with her, her arrogance, which was a source of irritation to him before, had become endearing. He found her confidence inspiring. He admired how cool she was even in the direst of situations, even though he knew how worried she was on the inside. He found it adorable how she giggled whenever he showed her a little magic trick. He loved how gentle she was with him whenever he was sad.

—Before he knew it, he had fallen in love with her.

"Prisca-tan, thank you." He smiled with tears in his eyes, intertwining his fingers in hers.

She patted his head as she reiterated what she had said before. "Subaru, you are worthy of being loved."

"...I know." He answered, to her pleasant surprise.

"You do?"

"Yeah…. I'm loved by you after all."

She beamed at his words with a mix of pride and delight. "Of course! The honour of being loved by me is not just for anyone to receive. You are the only one, Subaru." She pulled him in for another brief kiss.

Breaking away, she laid her head on his arm, and he lovingly patted her head. They laid in silence for a while, enjoying each other's warmth.

"...Subaru," All of a sudden, Priscilla called out to him in a surprisingly meek voice, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?"

"...I have a request for our…. next round." She asked, making him raise his brows.

His hands stopped caressing her head, and he gave her a questioning glance. "What is it?"

"Actually…." She leaned closer and whispered her request into his ear. Her fingers fidgeted as she immediately buried her face in his chest, trying to hide her blush from him.

Subaru froze. Slowly turning to her, he gave her a troubled smile.

What is this girl trying to make me do!?, he exclaimed internally, part of him terrified and a part of him excited to oblige the sun princess's request, as they prepared themselves for another round of their love-making.


"What are the two of you doing in Betty's room and disturbing her peace, I suppose?" Beatrice asked the two uninvited guests in her room in vexation.

"...Beatrice, do you know where Subaru goes off to?" Emilia inquired.

"Why do you want to know, I suppose?" Beatrice questioned Emilia back, her eyebrows raised.

And Emilia wasn't the only one. Ram was there as well, with a similar curiosity in their eyes. The pink-haired maid had comfortably settled herself down on the bed, while silently sipping tea from a cup.

"...Please, Beatrice-sama. We are just worried." Emilia answered.

"Betty has no reason to answer you." Her words made Beatrice more angry than she had expected. Where was this concern for him when they were leaving him alone right after he had come back? "You don't have any business prying into what Betty's contractor did at his own time, I suppose." Well, there was also the fact that she herself did not know where he had gone to. But she definitely wasn't going to let the others know about it.

"But…." Emilia held her hands clasped together in front of her chest, and sadness flashed across her face. "For some reason…. it feels like Subaru is angry at us." She did not like the idea of Subaru being angry at her. "Did we do something wrong?"

"Please don't pick a fight with anyone. I'm completely OK! I'm just happy to be here! So, it's not really a problem!" Despite everything Subaru had said, she knew how hurt he was when everyone, especially Emilia, kept neglecting him, even though he was absent for an entire year.

Beatrice really wanted to give all of them a piece of her mind, but Subaru had requested she not say anything. So, she had very reluctantly obliged.

"There is nothing to worry about." She grumbled out a response in a soft voice. It was extremely hard for Beatrice to simply brush off this matter so easily. But she did, and wanted this to end before they could ask any more questions. "Now, stop bothering Betty and go on with your business as usual, I suppose."

"But Beatrice…." Even with Beatrice's reassurance, Emilia still couldn't let go of the unease that had begun to occupy her heart. "Ram, say something!" Finding herself unable to convince Beatrice on her own, she turned to Ram for support.

Unfortunately, Ram was lost in her own thoughts about what had happened earlier that day.


That morning—

"Uhh…. Nee-sama? I have somewhere I need to be, so could you please get whatever you want over with quickly?" Subaru fidgeted on his chair, trying his best not to pay attention to Ram's unrelenting stare.

His words served to only make her even more irritated and she glared at him in annoyance. "Ram, you're staring is a bit…." He hesitated, before asking, "Is there something wrong?"

"You know exactly what is wrong, Barusu." Ram stated, glaring at him in anger. Subaru's recent behaviour with her sister comforted her to no degree. For the last few days, his attitude had become a constant source of frustration.

"I can't understand if you don't tell me."

"Rem." She answered curtly, making his eyes widen. "Why have you been ignoring Ram's little sister?" She interrogated him.

"So that's what this is about." Subaru mumbled. "You don't have to have to worry, Ram. I'm just doing what she asked." He explained, and it made no sense to her. Why would Rem want Subaru to ignore her, when it so obviously hurt her?

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ram asked, but then, "No, nevermind." She sighed and immediately stopped him from answering, not wanting to hear his answer. Instead, she simply requested, "Your attitude towards Rem is an eyesore to Ram. Kindly repair your relationship with Rem immediately."

Despite Ram's attitude, the truth was that the sour relations between Subaru and Rem brought her no happiness. She did not like the fact that two people she cared about greatly were not getting along, especially after she knew the lengths to which Subaru had gone through to protect her little sister.

And as much as she hated to admit it, she was almost entirely certain that this was Rem's fault. Subaru was not the kind of person who would get angry at anyone without a good reason. He had even forgiven Meili and Roswaal.

So, she had come here to convince him to have a talk with Rem. Subaru was reasonable, and he was the person who loved Rem the most, second only to her obviously. So, with a little push, she was sure she could convince him to fix this situation. But instead—

"...Yeah sure…. Maybe later. Right now, I've to go somewhere-" He replied, trying to get up, almost completely ignoring her words.

"Hold it right there, Barusu!" Ram flared and she pushed him right back onto the chair again, not letting him leave.

"Ram, what are you doing? Didn't you hear? I want to-"

"And didn't you hear what Ram said just now? Kindly have a talk with Rem immediately."

He looked away from her, clicking his tongue. "Ram, I don't have time to waste right now on a pointless endeavour. If she wants to talk, I'm willing to listen, but I'm not going to talk to her of my own accord and have my mood ruined again. Let me go."

"What do you mean by pointless?" Subaru's words struck a nerve with Ram and she glared angrily at him. "Do you think talking with Ram's sister is pointless?"

"Yes!" He answered without hesitation, and Ram was taken aback by his answer. "Glad we're on the same page. Now that that's done with, I'm in a hurry so I'm leaving."

He got up and began walking away, when Ram grabbed his hand, once again stopping him in his tracks.

"Where do you think you're leaving? First and foremost, you're Emilia-sama's knight. And yet, you're neglecting your duties and running off somewhere all throughout the day, not coming back until late at night. Do you realise how long Ram and the others had waited for you to come back yesterday?" She reprimanded him. "And now, when I'm trying to get you to get along with Rem, this is your behaviour?"

The truth was that Ram wasn't angry, she was disappointed. She did not know the complete story of what had happened in Vollachia, but she had at least expected Subaru to put some effort into getting along with Rem. But he wasn't even attempting it. It looked like he had completely given up on it.

"...I'm neglecting my duties?" To her surprise, he let out a small sarcastic laugh.

"...Barusu?"

"My duties are to escort Emilia to her meetings and protect her, Ram!" He emphasized each and every word as he spoke out bitterly. "To support her as she tries her hardest to succeed. ….She herself is the one keeping me from performing my duties."

Ram was taken aback by his reaction. She had not expected him to suddenly vent out his emotions. She wanted to say something to argue back, but couldn't find the words.

"Just admit it! Neither she nor any of you want me here in the first place. It became obvious the day I came back here! If you did, you would have at least tried to spend some time with me!"

His words made Ram's eyes widen. Was that really what he believed? Of course, only an idiot like Subaru would believe that they didn't want him with them.

That was what Ram kept trying to tell herself. Didn't he see how much they cared about….

Ram's thoughts came to a halt. Maybe it wasn't entirely Subaru's fault that he felt that way. All of them were so absorbed with their own work and worries, they had completely neglected Subaru.

"You're all too busy to spend with me, so what's wrong with me doing whatever the hell I want?" The raven-haired boy shouted.

Ram stared at him in a shocked silence at his outburst. It was the first time Subaru had shouted at her. He really was angry at her. And it made her feel guilty.

"And if you're lecturing me about my behaviour, you should really save some words for your sister!" He pointed his index finger behind her. She turned back in that direction, to find her sister peeking from behind the door, listening in on their conversation.

"I have tried to talk to her for the past one year. But all she did was ignore me, hurt me or try to run away from me with the Sin Archbishop, every chance she got!"

"W-What?" Ram had never heard of this before. Rem tried to run away? With a Sin Archbishop? She looked at Rem for answers, but Rem herself was shocked. The blue-haired oni vigorously shook her head, denying his claims.

And from the distress Ram could feel through her synesthesia, she understood there must have been some kind of misunderstanding.

"That time in Vollachia was literally hell for me, and your sister didn't exactly do anything to make it easier for me! So forgive me for being angry at her!"

"Barusu, you-"

"….I can't use Cor Leonis on Rem." He told her sadly, and Ram as usual failed to understand what he was trying to tell her with his unusual words. "I don't know if it's because of her or because of me, but I really don't want to end up hating Rem."

He turned his gaze back to Ram and declared. "—That's why we're better off this way. She was the one who wanted to cut off all ties with me in the first place. We're both happier this way."

Rem had disappeared behind the doorway, but Ram knew she was crying. It was at that point, Ram realised just how much they had managed to mess up their relationship with Subaru.


"-am?"

As proud as Ram was, she knew if she continued to behave the way she always did with Subaru, she would not be able to salvage their friendship, especially when he was angry at her.

"Ram!" Emilia exclaimed, trying to get Ram's attention.

"...There's something Ram must inform you regarding Barusu, Emilia-sama." Ram admitted reluctantly, making both Beatrice and Emilia look at her with surprise. "If that is what he feels…." Ram muttered to herself, "...we need to talk, Emilia-sama."

"But Ram-"

"Emilia-sama, please follow Ram. Ram will explain everything." She got up and gave Beatrice a small bow before walking out of the room, dragging the confused silver-haired princess behind her.

Beatrice watched incredulously as the two left her room just as abruptly as they had entered. Although, it seemed the pink-haired maid may have finally realised how they had hurt her contractor. Perhaps, Ram did deserve more credit than Beatrice gave her.

She sighed. She hoped that at least now, they would try to make amends with him when he finally came back.

When he came back….

There was something she needed to ask as well.

Just as she had prepared herself to interrogate him when he came back, there was a knock on the window of their room. Startled by the sudden noise, her gaze shifted to the direction of the noise and she found her contractor trying to crawl back in through the window.

She walked up to the window, and helped him step inside.

"Is it that hard for you to use the door like a normal person, I suppose?" She asked, watching him dust himself off.

"Sorry, can't do that right now. I probably picked a fight with too many people today." He sighed. There was Ram and Rem, and later on, Emilia, Otto and Frederica. He definitely couldn't walk in the front door and face them for sometime.

"What did you do?" Beatrice asked curiously.

"Nothing too bad." He gave a short reply, while he kicked off his boots and plopped flat onto the bed. Then he raised his hand and offered it to her, and she initiated their daily mana drain session.

"You're back rather early today, I suppose." Beatrice commented, considering his return timings for the past few days.

"Yeah well, something came up and Pri-" Subaru stopped himself. "The friend I was meeting left early so I came back."

Beatrice felt disappointed by his answer. With great sadness, she asked, "Do you not trust Betty, I suppose?"

Subaru's eyes shot wide open in shock. "What kind of a question is that? Of course, I trust you. Why would you even ask me that?"

"Then, why would you not tell Betty where you are going off to everyday?" She questioned him with a dejected expression.

"That's…." Subaru paused for a bit, trying to think of the best way to tell her.

"Betty knows she is wrong to ask this of you, but she still wants to know." With a guilty expression, "Did Betty do something wrong, I suppose? Are you angry at Betty?" She urged him for an answer.

"Beako, how could I possibly be angry at you?"

"Then why don't you tell Betty how you got your wrist injured so badly that day? Why you return back so late? Who is this "friend" you keep talking about?"

"It's not that I don't trust you. The thing is…." Subaru was trying his hardest to keep a straight face, but proved to be harder than he thought. His face was burning with embarrassment.

"Subaru, are you alright, I suppose?"

His face was completely red, making Beatrice extremely worried.

"Ahhhh! I can't say it!" He exclaimed in a loud voice, hitting his free hand on the bed. "There's no way I can say it to a little girl!"

"Who are you calling a little girl, I suppose!?" Beatrice snapped back angrily. "Betty will have you know she is four hundred years old, in fact!"

"Doesn't change the fact that you look like a little girl!"

"What does Betty's appearance have to do with answering the question?" Beatrice asked in frustration.

"I'm in love with Prisca Benedict!" He shouted out the answer, and realising what he had just said, both of them immediately fell silent.

Beatrice thought she had heard incorrectly.

"Prisca…. Priscilla Barielle. I love her." He explained, much more calmly this time.

Beatrice couldn't believe her ears. "Priscilla Barielle…. Isn't she one of Emilia's rivals for the throne, I suppose? The arrogant one?"

Subaru nodded. "That's why I couldn't tell anyone where I was going off to." He replied, a light blush covering his cheeks. "We've been in love for almost half a year, but couldn't do anything about it until."

"...What about Emilia, I suppose?"

"I…." Subaru placed a hand on his chest with a solemn expression.

Emilia was his first love. He was so scared when he realised he couldn't feel the same warmth he used to whenever he thought of her. It was like he had lost my life's purpose. But then, Priscilla had been ever present in his life and he found it harder to look away from her.

It just made him even more terrified. How was he supposed to deal with his change of feelings once he returned to the Emilia camp? Priscilla was Emilia's rival. He couldn't be in love with her. But his mind kept drifting to her. He thought maybe spending time with Emilia would fix this situation, but Emilia wasn't even interested in him in the first place.

"...Emilia's already rejected me, so it's fine, isn't it?"

Beatrice's breath caught in her throat. Emilia rejecting Subaru? When did that happen? Did Subaru take Emilia's refusal to take him with her anywhere and her refusal to spend time with him as a rejection?

If that was the case, she felt sorry for Emilia. But in the end, she had no one else to blame but herself. Even someone as patient as Subaru couldn't keep waiting forever.

In the end, what was most important to Beatrice was Subaru's happiness. And this girl that Subaru sneaked off to meet everyday bothered her. It was really hard for her to believe that someone like that arrogant princess could really make him happy, and not hurt him.

"Pris loves me. She would never hurt me." He said, aware of her concerns simply from reading the expression on her face. "...So, please let me be with her?" He requested.

Beatrice let out a sigh. "...If it makes you happy, Betty has no right to complain, I suppose."

Subaru smiled at her. "My Beako is the best!" He exclaimed. With the mana drain over, he got up and placed her on his lap, playing with her drill hair. "I'm sorry I made you feel like you'd done something. I promise I'll tell you everything from now on."

Beatrice, satisfied with his response, asked him, "Is there anything else you have not told Betty yet, I suppose?"

"I…." A bright blush returned to his face. Taking a deep breath, he spoke out, "I have slept with her twice."

Beatrice straightened up upon hearing his words.

"I know I said I would tell you everything but…. Please don't make me say any more than that!"

"You don't have to tell Betty everything, I suppose!"

Subaru breathed out a sigh of relief. "I'll properly introduce you to her at the awards ceremony." He said joyfully. "I really hope the two of you can get along, considering your personalities." He mumbled under his breath.

He grinned and played with hair more, all while she protested him to stop. They continued to tease and play with each other until a very amused Frederica, surprised at Subaru's return, summoned them for dinner, and Subaru very reluctantly followed behind the two.


Hello again! This took a while to update. I had a writer's block with this chapter, but I honestly hope it's not too bad.

Next chapter, the awards ceremony.