The cold, bitter wind bit into Rin's exposed skin. It was true she was used to colder weather, but that didn't make her immune to the gust howling outside as the frigid air tried to freeze her from the outside in. Even as she wrapped the coat Miku had leant her tighter around her body and lifted the scarf higher on her face, Rin shivered from the cold.
While Miku spent her Christmas dining with the Shion family, Rin requested having the time to herself. Miku seemed disappointed Rin would not be joining her, but she said nothing about it. Not that Rin would be welcomed to dine at the table and converse with the Shion family, anyway. Rin was still a Juliet. To them, she was nothing more than property that could talk and had to be fed. Higher than furniture, but less than a pet.
Finding someplace quiet to sit, Rin lowered herself to the ground and stared at the pond in the Shion garden. Despite the winter month, the garden was still a pleasant place to be. Plants that didn't lose their leaves for the winter were nice like that, but it wasn't as if Rin wanted to be alone to look at the plants.
Rin held out her pendent and ran her thumb over the jewel.
"Hey, Nero," she said aloud. For a moment she felt foolish and considered stopping, but then she remembered why she went outside in the first place. It was far too cold for anyone else to be out here. Odds were nobody was going to hear Rin talk to her dead lover.
"Merry Christmas," she said, her throat already closing up. "I miss you. Every day, I miss you. Although I'm not sure you believe me since I haven't been spending as much time with you as I used to. Well, it was definitely easier when I could visit your grave. Ever since . . . I haven't forgotten about you, but you do remember Dad sold me to the Cinderella Academy. You do remember, do you? Let's be honest, you were never the best at remembering things.
"Anyway, it's been . . . fine, I guess. It was different at first, and I missed my freedom, but adjusting wasn't too awful. I made a couple friends day one. I really should tell you about Gumi some time, but first, a general update."
Rin smiled to herself. "I know you care far more about how I've been doing than to hear about some girl named Gumi, but Gumi's my dearest friend so do know you will be hearing something eventually. First, everything else."
Clutching the pendent like a lifeline, Rin talked about life after she arrived at the academy, about dressing up as a boy, and about finally feeling like she belonged somewhere. Then she started to discuss how she saved Miku from drowning.
"If only I could have saved you that day like I saved her," Rin said, tears streaming down her face. Occasionally she would shove her fist into her mouth to muffle her screams. "Your death is the reason I learned to swim, and being unable to save you was what motivated me to save her. I suppose when put that way, you died so she could live. You were always so selfless, Nero, and would have been okay if you knew why you died young and happily accepted the fate. Except I'm selfish. I want you here with me. No matter the cost. Does that make me a terrible person? I think so, but I know you would try to tell me that being human doesn't mean I'm terrible. Well, agree to disagree. Deal?"
Crying as she spoke, Rin talked about life after becoming Miku's shadow. As much as Rin insisted she hated the position and was constantly annoyed with Miku for her easy, sheltered life, Rin knew that the only person she was trying to fool was herself. She was failing. It wasn't Miku Rin tolerated, but the fact Miku was a Cinderella while Rin was a Juliet. That alone was the issue. Everything else was minor compared to that.
"The worst part is . . ." Rin trailed off and started again as she stared at the pond as it reflected the moonlight. "The worst part is I know I'm developing feelings for her. Stupid, right? She's my mistress, she's a Cinderella, and she's courting a lord for crying out loud. How pathetic do I have to be?"
Holding the pendent close to her heart, Rin slowly continued, "Nobody could ever take your place, Nero. I mean nobody. I never felt for anyone else what I felt for you and for what I wish could have been. But time keeps marching forward, and I'm being dragged along with it whether I like it or not. You wouldn't want me dwelling on the past and what will never be, anyway. I don't know if you can hear me from Heaven, or if God is even allowing my message to get through, but I do know this: If you could, you would tell me that it's okay to move on and be happy. I'm not arguing that. However, I am arguing with myself to have this stupid crush on this girl who forgets all about me the moment Lord Shion enters the room."
Rin laughed without humor. It would have hurt far less for a knife to be plunged into her chest. "I'm so stupid. Even now I wish Miku would come out here to check on me, but she won't. That's fine. I won't disappoint myself by hoping for the impossible. Though that doesn't mean I still don't feel this way all the same."
Tired, Rin rubbed her eyes. The tears had long since froze to her eyelashes. "I still don't understand myself. I know I can have crushes and fall in love, but these feelings stop at exactly that: Feelings. Am I broken? Maybe. Perhaps that's my curse of being a Juliet, to fall in love but be disgusted by it. I'm sorry I never talked to you about this when you were alive. The chance never really came up. I'm sorry, I'm rambling now. I must have been out here for over an hour, and I'm freezing. Mind if we continue another time, preferably when it's not as cold?"
As she stood to her feet, Rin couldn't help but smile a little. Maybe talking to those who had passed on was considered a little crazy, but it helped her to get everything off her chest, to feel as Nero wasn't really gone but just somewhere else she couldn't go yet.
"I'll talk to you later, Nero. Thanks for listening." Softly, as if sending the words on their way to Nero, Rin whispered, "I love you."
The holidays were everything Miku dreamed of and more. Evening rides with Kaito, time spent getting to know his family, delicious holiday food at the parties the Shion family hosted – Miku could not have asked for a better Christmas and New Year's. Days were spent with a family she slowly grew to love as her own, and nights were spent with Juliet CV02.
Miku wrapped layers of blankets around her before she waddled towards the loveseat in her room, where Juliet CV02 was reading. Plopping on the seat, Miku leaned her head on the Juliet's shoulder. She grinned to herself when Juliet CV02 let out an irritated, "ma'am."
"I'm going to miss being able to speak with you so openly," Miku admitted, sitting upright. "Nobody isn't afraid to scold me or argue with me like you do."
"How dare you say such a thing. I don't scold or argue with you!" Seeing Miku's told-you-so smirk, Juliet CV02 muttered her apology and returned to her book.
"It's just . . ." Miku leaned her head back. "It's nice being treated like a person and not like a Cinderella."
"And it's nice to be treated like a person instead of a Juliet," the other girl muttered so quietly Miku assumed she wasn't meant to hear.
Ignoring Juliet CV02's further protests, Miku leaned her head on her shoulder. Soon the Juliet gave up, huffing and returning to her book. As they sat so closely together, Miku couldn't stop herself from thinking that, in ways she couldn't understand, being so close to this girl felt right somehow.
Break was ending, and Miku would have to be back at the academy in three days. Kaito knew he was pushing things by keeping Miku till the last minute, but he didn't want the magic of the holidays to end. Not with the girl he wanted to bring home to stay with his family forever.
"Okay, now close your eyes," Kaito said as he lead Miku by hand through the halls.
"I don't know," Miku mused, smile upon her face, "closing my eyes means trusting you to not lead me off a balcony. Are we in that step in our relationship where we can trust we will not lead the other off a balcony?"
Kaito returned the smile. "I guess you're going to have to close your eyes and find out."
Lifting up a corner of her mouth in a half smile, Miku closed her eyes and followed Kaito where he lead her. She didn't follow wordlessly, choosing to ask all sorts of questions such as, "Are we there yet?" "Can I open my eyes now?" and "Will I like the surprise?"
"My, my, such impatience," Kaito teased, earning a giggle from Miku. When he entered the library, a man with long purple hair tied back into a ponytail standing by the window turned around. This is her, Kaito mouthed.
Kamui Gakupo grinned, eyes on the girl whose hand Kaito held.
"How about now?" Miku asked, laughing as she extended her free hand in search of anything to help her figure out Kaito's surprise.
"Just a little more," Kaito answered. He then took her by the shoulders and had her stand in the middle of the room. Covering her eyes as he stood behind her, he whispered, "There's someone here I want you to meet."
Her whole body went tense. Kaito knew immediately that Miku had not forgotten his promise. "Kaito, you didn't."
At this point, Kaito removed his hands. Miku gasped and covered her mouth. Gakupo smiled at Miku and bowed at the waist.
"He did," Gakupo told the Cinderella.
Miku was quick to drop to a curtsy. "You have no idea what an honor it is to make your acquaintance, Master Kamui."
"No, please, call me Gakupo." Said man stood upright. "Kaito had told me so much about you. He says you're a fan of my art."
"Yes, I am." Miku turned her attention to Kaito, and she threw her arms around him. "I can't believe you would do this for me!"
"It wasn't anything," Kaito said, using one arm to hug her back. "I told you Gakupo and I are childhood friends."
"Oh, but still!" Miku broke the hug and scurried close to Gakupo. "If you wouldn't mind, Mr. Gakupo, you must show me some of your technique. I admire your use of watercolor, but I'm afraid my skill in the paint is a little lacking."
Kaito watched as Miku happily chatted with Gakupo. Just as he was happy his family liked Miku, Kaito was thrilled to see she and Gakupo were clicking as well. With his friends and family supportive of the pair, Kaito asked himself what the next step was. The answer came instantly. Smiling, Kaito decided on one last errand before he and Miku departed from the Idun District.
Although she was more than happy to have the chance to meet and learn from her favorite painter, Miku was still disappointed when Kaito excused himself for the afternoon. Gakupo noticed and promised that Kaito adored her and must have another surprise planned.
"He better," were the words that fell out of Miku's mouth.
For the next hour, Gakupo and Miku painted together. It was nice to have company as she painted. Painting could often be a lonely task, and Miku was glad for this time to be an exception.
"Do you care for him?" Gakupo asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
Miku looked to him then back to her painting. "Yes, I do. Very much."
"Do you love him?"
This got Miku to thoroughly think her response through. "Yes, I do love Mr. Kaito."
"But are you in love with him?" When Miku looked at him again, Gakupo laughed and said, "Kaito is like a brother to me, and I only want the best for him. Of course, the best for him involves marrying a woman who's in love with him."
"I believe both parties being in love should be a requirement for any marriage," Miku replied. She set down her paintbrush. "Am I in love with Mr. Kaito? . . . I know I'm falling in love, but I don't think I'm quite there yet."
Gakupo nodded. "I appreciate your honesty."
"You do?" Miku exhaled in relief. "Please tell me Mr. Kaito didn't ask you to interview me to see if there was any reason we wouldn't make a fine pair."
"No, no," Gakupo promised, "I'm acting of my own free will. Nothing said between us has to be repeated to Kaito. Besides, you're only eighteen, right?"
"Yes."
"Not of marriageable age yet then. You and Kaito have plenty of time to learn life as a couple without all the commitment just yet. I think it's fortunate to find someone while you're still young enough to not feel the pressure of society."
"Pressure?" Miku frowned.
"Married by the time you're twenty-one and two or three kids by the time you're twenty-five. That sort of pressure." Gakupo shrugged, then smiled. "You feel it a lot more at Kaito's and my age, that's for sure."
Returning the smile, Miku picked her paintbrush back up. A reply was on her lips when Kaiko entered.
"Gakupo!" Kaiko beamed as she approached the man. "I didn't know you were here."
"Only for today," Gakupo said, standing so he may take Kaiko's hand and kiss it. "Kaito asked if I would be willing to stop by and visit a fan of mine."
"How sweet of you to do so." Kaiko turned to Miku and curtsied. "Ms. Miku."
"Ms. Kaiko." Miku bowed her head.
"There is something I have been needing to ask you, but maybe now is not the time."
"No, you two talk." Gakupo stretched his arms out in front of him. "I'll go stretch my legs. Ms. Miku, I'll be back in half an hour. Wait for me if you desire, but feel no pressure to do so."
After Gakupo had left, Kaiko sat on the stool he used. "I'm sorry if I ruined your painting time."
"It's all right." Miku again set down the paintbrush. "What do you want to talk about?"
Kaiko chewed on her lower lip before she said, "In the past few weeks, I have grown to care about you as a dear friend, Ms. Miku."
"As have I," Miku replied. She smiled at Kaiko, but Kaiko did not return the smile.
"I noticed how you care for that Juliet who came with you, and how you show respect to the Juliets who serve here," Kaiko began. "You view them as people."
Furrowing her brows, Miku asked, "Are they not people?"
"Of course, they are," Kaiko answered, "but we're not supposed to treat them as such. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I can tell how you don't see other girls by their caste alone. You see them. Even the knowledge that in the Summer Continent skin color and caste are too heavily connected makes you uncomfortable. It's a social injustice to you."
"Because I was raised to believe it's wrong," Miku pointed out, speaking firmly.
"As it is," Kaiko quietly agreed. "That's why, as someone who cares for you as a friend, I have to ask: Do you think you could marry Kaito?"
The question hit Miku so hard, she was stunned silent for a moment and a half. "What does marrying Kaito have to do with everything you just said?"
"I don't know if you noticed that Kaito is a little . . . old fashioned. He sees Juliets as those who need to know their place and stay there, and he thinks nothing of our continent being the only one with no pale Juliets or brown-skinned Cinderellas." Kaiko shook her head. "My cousin is by no means a bad guy, but even some of the greatest people have beliefs we can never agree with."
"I'm still confused," Miku said. "What do Kaito's beliefs have to do with my potentially marrying him?"
"More than you realize, apparently," Kaiko replied. "If you two get married, you're agreeing to love, encourage, and support each other no matter what. As lord, Kaito has a lot of power and influence over the Idun District, and I know this about my cousin: he won't be the first in the Summer District to encourage change. He likes for things to remain just the way they are. He believes in the history and customs in Artemis."
"But you don't," Miku pointed out.
"Neither do you, it seems," Kaiko countered. "I see you're questioning what you believe more than actually knowing it, but that doesn't change how you view people. Kaito wants to keep things the way they are. Keeping things the way they are doesn't include bettering life for Juliets and giving brown-skinned Alices more opportunities than their pale counterparts. As Kaito's wife, would you be able to support that? Is that something you can go to bed every night knowing it's something you have chosen to encourage?"
Kaiko stood, walked towards Miku, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Marrying for love is easy," she said slowly. "However, many people believe that love is all you need. They're wrong. My mother made a mistake marrying my father; she thought love was enough when that was never the case. If you're going to be with someone, it's also important you have the same core beliefs and want the same things out of life. I don't want to see either Kaito or you make a mistake. Can you compromise your beliefs for his sake, or will they always nag at you whenever you, as his wife, encourage and support the decisions he makes for the people of the Idun District?"
Without giving Miku a chance to reply, Kaiko added, "Just something to think about," before she walked out of the room, leaving Miku to silently watch her retreating figure.
After Rin packed all of her and Miku's things, she tried to find something to do. She didn't want to start another Shion book when she knew she would be unable to finish it before they departed that night, and she didn't want to reread the books she brought just yet, if at all. Perhaps she could try going into town for a second time.
Don't be ridiculous, Rin told herself even as she wandered the halls in search of Maika, the Alice from before. She thought after she told Master Tonio about her kidnapping, he would quickly find her another mission. Yet he contacted her only once since, and that was to thank her for her massive help.
At least he thanked me, was all Rin could think of it.
"Oh, it's the white Juliet." This was Maika speaking as she passed Rin in the halls. "You seem lost."
"Only bored," Rin corrected. "Packing Ms. Hatsune's stuff wasn't as long a chore as I thought it would be."
"Now you need something else to do to past the time?"
Rin didn't want to admit it, but "yes" came out of her mouth just the same.
Lifting one corner of her lips ever so slightly, Maika said, "Come with me. I have an errand to run, and I would very much enjoy the company."
I should let Miku know where I'm going, Rin thought, but then she discarded the very idea. She's with Lord Shion today and won't notice my absence. What I should be doing is taking advantage of this temporary freedom.
Grinning at Maika, Rin kept her response short and sweet. "When do we leave?"
Kaito tried not to look at the brothel as he walked past it. Galaco had not been as generous with her information as he had hoped she would be, but she still gave him a lot to work with. It took well over an hour to type out all the information and send it to Master Tonio.
The Thorns definitely were forming, but unlike in the Equinox Continent, they were no real threat. They were still too small and didn't have any plans to strike. It was questionable if this spark would ignite a fire or go out just as quickly as it appeared.
She could have been lying, Kaito reminded himself. Galaco seemed to be honest with the information she gave, but she also could have been a very talented actress. The Thorns could have been larger than she suggested and had the biggest attack of the century planned, and Kaito had no way of knowing.
He pushed all thoughts of Galaco and the Thorns from his mind. His whole purpose for being out wasn't to do anymore digging for this potential rebellion. The reason he was out was to find a precious gift for Miku.
"Nobody is going to punish you."
Kaito froze. The words came from a distance, but Kaito recognized the speaker instantly. That was Maika's voice.
Resuming his stride, he turned his head toward Maika's direction to see her and Juliet CV02 walking together down the street. He didn't know Maika had errands to run this morning lest he would have waited after her return to go out. Although her seeing him now was the least of his concerns.
Juliet CV02 wore a blue skirt, a cream-colored blouse, and a black headband in her short hair. She was wearing Alice apparel. Going against the rules, she wore the uniform of the Shion Alice servants. Maika was wrong; somebody was going to punish Juliet CV02. Maika would suffer punishment as well for allowing this to happen.
Juliet CV02's response was too soft for Kaito to hear. Instead of waiting for the three of them to all return to the Shion manor, he decided to confront the pair now. With that in mind, he changed courses and approached the women.
When they saw him, Juliet CV02 noticeably stiffened. That's right, Kaito thought, know and understand that you're done for. Maika, on the other hand, had the nerve to smile.
"Lord Shion," she greeted as she switched which arm carried her basket. She tilted her head downwards ever so slightly. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Don't play innocent," Kaito curtly replied. He waved his hand over Juliet CV02. "What is the meaning of this?"
"The meaning of this—" Juliet CV02 began, but Kaito cut her off.
"I wasn't addressing you." To Maika, "Why is she in Alice apparel?"
Maika smiled in that knowing way of hers, the smile she was fully aware Kaito did not like.
"After what happened the day she arrived," Maika began, "we didn't want to take any more chances attracting the wrong kind of attention. I spoke with Lady Shion, and she agreed a disguise was necessary if Ms. Hatsune's Juliet was to go out in public. After all, a white Juliet is a cause for attention in these parts."
Not liking that his mother seemed to approve of the disguise, Kaito said, "That doesn't change the fact it's illegal for a woman of any caste to hide her tattoo."
"It's not hidden," Maika replied. "Those sleeves aren't nearly long enough to reach her wrists."
Maika was right, as much as Kaito didn't want to admit it. However, Juliet CV02 did carry the basket so that it covered her tattoo. For a moment, Kaito considered calling her out on such tricks, but then he thought better of it. He wasn't going to be that guy.
Before anymore could be said, Juliet CV02 shouted, "Get down!" and ducked.
Acting first and thinking second, Kaito followed her example. Maika and the surrounding people did the same. A shout of surprise, and Kaito looked up to see an arrow sticking straight out of an apple cart.
"Archer. On the roof," Juliet CV02 quickly explained, pointing behind Kaito.
He turned just in time to see the retreating figure. An assassination attempt? Whoever it was would be long gone before Kaito would even have the chance to order a search for the culprit.
"Look," Maika said, plucking the arrow out of the cart like a feather off a dead goose. She pulled something off the wood and opened it. A note. Reading it, Maika's face paled. Juliet CV02 looked over Maika's shoulder, and she covered her mouth. Wordlessly, Maika handed Kaito the letter.
Death to the Shion family. Death to the old ways. The Idun District shall be burned with fire, and only ashes will remain.
The only other thing on the note was the blood rose tattoo with its added thorns, just like Galaco's altered caste tattoo. Kaito swore. Galaco seemed to have lied to him after all, and considering how much he paid her, she was already long gone.
It was while Miku and Gakupo were still in the middle of their paintings that Kaito burst into the room. "Are you all right?" she asked just as Gakupo asked, "What happened?"
Kaito answered neither of them. "Gather your most valuable belongings and get on a hovercraft now. Someone had just attempted to assassinate me, and I'm not going to take any chances by letting the people I love stay here."
The words did not immediately register in Miku's mind. It wasn't until Juliet CV02 ran into the room, took Miku by the wrist, and shouted, "We need to hurry!" that Miku began to process what Kaito had said. She let Juliet CV02 drag her away even though she wanted to stay with Kaito.
"Where are we going?" Miku asked when they left the room and Juliet CV02 led her in the opposite direction of Miku's room.
"We're boarding the hovercraft," Juliet CV02 answered. "I packed your belongings earlier, and Maika had an Alice put them on the hovercraft before we left."
"But Mr. Kaito—!"
"Will meet us onboard after he makes sure his family escapes safely. You won't do him any good if you stay where he has to worry about you."
Knowing Juliet CV02 was right, Miku let the smaller girl pull her away. Everything from there was a blur. The next thing Miku knew, she and Juliet CV02 were on the hovercraft.
Juliet CV02 kept her eyes on the window, watching for anything she needed to worry about. Anxious, Miku paced the aisle. Her arms were tightly crossed, and she couldn't tell if she wanted to be left alone or hugged while she cried her eyes out.
Kaito will be here soon, she told herself. Everything is going to be okay.
"Miku!"
"What?" Based on the look Juliet CV02 was giving Miku, the Juliet had been trying for a while to get her attention.
"There's no reason to lose your head," Juliet CV02 said, tone soft and even. "I don't think rebels are prepared to storm the manor at any second. As far as I can figure out, the assassination, had it been successful, was supposed to spark a revolt of sorts. A full-on assault this soon was likely not planned. Now that Lord Shion is still alive and relocating his family, I think these possible rebels are more frustrated about today's outcome than we are."
"You're right. I'm sure you're right." Miku collapsed in the nearest chair. "This is insanity. An assassination attempt, in broad daylight?"
"We're clearly not working with experts," Juliet CV02 muttered, probably intending to be unheard. Louder, "Lord Shion will be fine. I don't know how, but I promise everything will be okay."
"Sure. Yeah, sure." Miku closed her eyes and used one hand to rub the tears from her face. Her eyelids fluttered open again when she felt something warm against her hand. Juliet CV02's fingers were interlacing with Miku's.
Miku didn't question or think about the contact. She wrapped her fingers around the Juliet's and squeezed. Juliet CV02 returned the gesture.
"Everything is going to be okay," Juliet CV02 promised.
Not having words to say, Miku lurched forward and wrapped her free arm around Juliet CV02. A moment later, Juliet CV02 used her free arm to hug back. The girls sat like this for a moment before Miku pulled away.
Something about Juliet CV02's hug warmed Miku from the inside out. She tried to swallow and realized she couldn't. Her heart took a slight break in its pounding to flutter, even just a little.
"Juliet, I—" What Miku intended to say was lost when Kaito walked in. "Kaito!" Miku exclaimed, bolting to her feet.
It could have been the moment or the adrenaline or a combination of the two, but Kaito ran to Miku, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her right there. Losing her senses, Miku fell into the kiss, her hands pressing against his shoulder blades as his ran down her waist. She didn't know if he noticed how soft her body was, and she didn't care if he did. Not with the way his hands rested on her hips and pulled her that much closer to him. When the kiss broke, it was far too soon.
"Is everyone all right?" she asked, breathless.
Kaito was just as winded as he answered, "They're safe. Mother, Kaiko, and Akaito are boarding another hovercraft and are retreating to the Persephone District. Once things settle a bit, they will meet us at the academy."
"What about the Juliets and the Alices?"
Furrowing his brows, Kaito questioned. "What about them? They will be fine. What about you? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Miku said. "It's you I'm concerned about. You were nearly assassinated!"
"Yes," Kaito replied, "but I saw the archer just in time to duck out of the way. Oh goddess." He pressed his mouth against Miku's again. "I still can't believe that happened," he whispered, his lips brushing hers.
"Everything will be okay." Miku repeated Juliet CV02's words, trying to draw strength from them. How the Juliet could be calm in a moment such as this, Miku didn't understand. Yet she still craved the comfort only the small blonde could give her.
Resisting the urge to shake her head, Miku thought, I'm in the arms of the man I'm falling in love with. Why is it Juliet I want to cry onto? Why is she the one I want to whisper comforting words to me?
"What's wrong?" Kaito asked, kissing Miku's forehead. "Tell me, my heart, what's wrong? You're upset. Are you more scared than you want to admit to me? It's okay to be scared. I'm scared too."
"I am scared," Miku admitted. But not for the reason you think, she silently added. Somehow, as she was developing these feelings for Shion Kaito, Miku also found herself developing something else for the Juliet.
Miku turned to look at Juliet CV02, hoping sight of her small face would help Miku figure out what she was feeling. Blinking, Miku saw that Juliet CV02 was no longer by Miku's chair. As she pulled away from Kaito and ignored him as he asked what she was so concerned about, Miku saw just in time that Juliet CV02 was retreating to the servants' sleeping quarters.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Rin scolded herself for most of the flight. She expected this to happen. She knew she would be forgotten about the moment Miku saw Lord Shion. Too bad that didn't stop Rin from being hurt as she witnessed the whole thing.
After she spent half an hour crying in the servants' quarters, Rin washed her face and returned to her place by Miku's side. Miku looked at Rin with concern but asked no questions. Taking it a step further, Rin didn't speak to Miku either unless it was absolutely necessary.
That night, she excused herself before the weight of the day could finally sink into Miku and Lord Shion. She didn't want to be there when the excitement from the day struck their hearts again. The kiss they shared earlier nearly killed Rin, and she was not about to subject herself to anything beyond that.
However, Miku retired early. She claimed she was too exhausted to stay up for much longer, but then she spent the next few hours speaking with Rin, too wound up to sleep. To make herself feel better, Rin convinced herself that Miku only claimed to be tired when in reality she wanted to spend her time with Rin instead.
Everyone was silent the next day, and when they arrived at the academy, only necessary words were spoken. Now that she was back at the academy, the no talking rule again applied to Rin. After nearly a month being allowed to speak freely, the old rule fit Rin like a childhood glove.
While Miku and Lord Shion dealt with whatever it was waiting for them, Rin carried Miku's bags to her rooms. She would unpack then draw Miku's bath. After those tasks were done, Rin wondered if she could find her friends.
It was while she was thinking this Cul approached her. "Rin," she said, and it was the first time she spoke to Rin since she was tasked to follow Miku.
Instead of keeping the hurt Cul inflicted upon her in the back of her mind, Rin smiled as she greeted, "Cul." The smile fell when she beheld Cul's pinched brows and wobbly lips. Rin's own brows furrowed. "Cul, what's wrong?"
Both Juliets stopped in the middle of the otherwise empty halls and stared at each other. This was when Cul began crying. Rin didn't know strong, steel-spine Cul could shed tears.
"It's Gumi," Cul managed between sobs. "Sh-she was caught wi-with Ms. Meguri-rine. It's absolutely aw-awful!"
All the color drained from Rin's face. Miku's suitcase fell out of her hands, crashing onto the floor.
"No," Rin whispered. She didn't want to know. The last thing Rin wanted was confirmation of the worst, but she still heard herself asking, "What's going to happen to Gumi?"
Cul violently shook her head before the answer tumbled out of her mouth. "On the first day students are back in school, Gumi is going to be executed!"