Chapter 10
Yuu or Shinoa
The next morning, a crowd has gathered at the palace gates to read the royal proclamation, saying that if anyone knows of the location of Lady Mahiru's residence is to report to the king and prince immediately. Having to have read the proclamation herself while she was out earlier, Mahiru searches the chateau for Yuu. "Yuichiro? Yuichiro! Where is that boy?" Mahiru is just climbing the stairs when one door swings open with Yuu revealing himself, having been doing his usual cleaning.
"Yes, Mahiru? I'm here." Yuu catches his older stepsister's attention.
"Have you seen Shinoa this morning?"
"I believe she's still in bed. You guys were out late last night after all."
"Well, don't just stand there, boy. Bring up her breakfast tray at once." Mahiru orders him as she went up the stairs to wake up Shinoa.
Wondering what is going on, Yuu gets right to bringing Shinoa's breakfast up while Tomoe and Yoichi take care of Kouta and Narumi has already left to gather more wood. Watching how Mahiru is behaving, Kimizuki and Mirai become suspicious of what she's up to so the two siblings decide to follow her and discover what is going on.
In Shinoa's room, Mahiru says, "Shinoa, my dear, it's time to get up." Mahiru opens the curtains, allowing sunlight into the dark room with Shinoa stirring from her peaceful sleep.
"Mahiru? What's going on? Is mom home yet?" Shinoa asks sleepily, rubbing at her eyes as she sits up in bed.
"No, mother won't be home for a few hours. But I came to bring you news." to hear of the news, Shinoa watches her sister with Mahiru sitting on the edge of her bed. "The king has made a new proclamation. Anyone that knows where we live is to report to their royal majesties at once. From what I had read, the prince is searching for the boy he had danced with last night."
"But Mahiru, what does this have to do with me?" Shinoa asks, wondering what she is planning.
"If the prince comes here himself, I'll make certain that he takes you as a bride instead."
This had shocked the younger Hiragi sister. "But Mahiru, Prince Mikaela is searching for the boy from last night, unless you know who it is he wants."
"I do know. It's that lying brat Yuichiro. I do not know how he still managed to attend the masquerade ball last night, but I will not allow him to steal your chance at happiness."
Shinoa is about to tell her sister off when Yuu came into her room, bringing her breakfast. Once he had given his sister the tray, Mahiru ushers him to follow her. With one eyebrow arched in confusion, Yuu follows Mahiru out of the room.
Once in the hallway as Shinoa starts to eat, Mahiru then forcefully grabs Yuu's arm and just as he is about to retaliate, Mahiru silences him. "Not a word out of you." she whispers harshly. Opening the door that leads up to his tower room, Yuu tries to fight back while Mahiru drags him up the stairs, Kimizuki and Mirai watching. Standing in front of his bedroom, Mahiru opens the door, pushes Yuu into his room, shutting the door tight on him and locking the door, trapping Yuu inside his room.
Placing the key in her pocket, Mahiru says in a low, evil voice, "Now you won't interfere with my plan to make my little sister happy." With that she turns and descends down the stairs to help prepare Shinoa for the prince's arrival while Kimizuki and Mirai get the others to find a spare key to Yuu's room.
Some time later, one woman that once visited the chateau when Yuu's parents were alive had informed the king and prince where they can find the chateau. With the information he needed, Mika at once leaves the palace, mounted on Krul and hurries to the chateau. Once there, Mika is greeted by Mahiru who has been waiting for him to arrive. Curtsying in greeting, Mahiru says in a rather sweet voice, "Welcome, my prince. To what honor do I owe for you to come to my humble home yourself?"
"Lady Mahiru," Mika gives her a small bow of his head only to be polite. This woman is the one trying to keep him and Yuichiro from being together. "You know full well why I am here."
"I am, but I have a proposition for you." Standing aside, she allows him inside before she follows him back in. In the lobby, Mika sees Shinoa having to be standing in the center of the room, her face angled down, her eyes looking up at him. "I believe it would be better if you take my sweet sister Shinoa as your bride instead of you marrying that worthless, lying brat Yuu."
This woman also has the guts to have him marry a girl he knows so little about when he's spent his time with Yuu by choice. "Lady Mahiru, Shinoa may be beautiful, but my heart only belongs to Yuu. I won't marry anyone that isn't him."
That isn't what she had wanted to hear. "Well then, it seems I'll need to make some adjustments." With that, she leaves the room to get the one thing she knows that will persuade him to make Shinoa his bride.
In his tower room, Yuu cries his heart out. Then he hears footsteps, dreading that it is Mahiru coming back. Now aware that someone stands on the other side of his door and hearing the lock clicking, the door opens to reveal four of his friends standing there, Yoichi offering a hand to him. Thinking that they managed to find the spare key to his room, Yuu takes the offered hand and the brunette helps him to his feet. "Yuu, we need to get to the lobby. The prince is here for you." Kimizuki explains what is going on.
"Mahiru is trying to persuade him to marry Shinoa instead." Mirai finishes.
"Let's get down there now." With that the five hurry down the tower stairs and as they make their way to the lobby, a hand sticks out from a room and grabs Yuu's arm, Mahiru emerging from the room and in her other hand is a very sharp knife from the kitchen.
Before any of them could say anything, Mahiru orders them sharply, "Not a sound out of any of you or your lives will pay the price." Being forced into silence, the four servants stay in the current room with Mahiru leading Yuu into the lobby, the blade at his throat.
At the sight of Mahiru having a knife to Yuu's neck shocked Mika and Shinoa, making them realize that this woman will do anything to get her way. "Mahiru, please don't do this!" Shinoa begs but her sister ignores her.
"Now then, my prince, it's time to make your choice. Choose Shinoa as your bride and I'll let Yuu live without a single scratch. Or if you don't choose her, I'll slit his throat." to prove that she will do it, Mahiru sets the blade right against one side of his neck, not cutting the skin quite yet. To see that she really will kill him, Mika loses himself in his thoughts, trying to figure out what he can do.
Mahiru really will do anything to ensure everything goes her way.
