Chapter 15

The day after the incident

Subaru and Shaula were sitting in the dining room with the rest of the Emilia Camp.

Everyone was looking at them with looks of disdain.

Emilia had returned from a meeting with the Lords in Costuul. During the meeting, Lord Brandt had informed her that a brown-haired maid with green eyes by had broken his daughter's nose and two of her teeth.

The gathering of all the Emilia camp had been awkward for both Subaru and Shaula.

Shaula was the first to speak.

Shaula: "I'm sorry Emilia-"

Emilia: "It's fine."

Emilia cut her off, turning to look at the brown-haired maid.

Emilia: "Lord Brandt said that Anne has been badly behaved for a reeeeally long time. He was angry, he was veeeery understanding as well."

Otto: "Seriously Emilia-sama?"

Frederica: "Lord Brandt-sama was willing to let Shaula-san off?"

Emilia shook her head, her amethyst eyes still cold and empty.

Emilia: "Not entirely. He's still upset Shaula struck his daughter."

Most of the people in the room flinched. William Brandt of Costuul was one of the most powerful people in the domain. Emilia would definitely need his support if she wanted to secure the throne. And Shaula had attacked his daughter.

So everyone was on edge about what could happen to Emilia's campaign.

Emilia: "But he's willing to overlook this issue if Shaula apologises to Anne."

Shaula flinched, then gritted her teeth.

Emilia then turned her gaze to her knight who had been sat next to Shaula and listening the entire time.

Emilia: "Subaru"

Subaru perked up and listened to Emilia.

Emilia: "The fact that Lord Brandt is willing to let this incident go puts me at ease about my position in the Royal Selection. But...why did you agree to meet his daughter?"

Subaru felt a sense of nervousness well up inside. He knew the answer, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her.

Subaru: "Well...Emilia-tan...I...uh"

Emilia: "Were you planning to marry Anne?"

Emilia was gritting her teeth.

Subaru immediately responded.

Subaru: "No! Of course not! I would never marry someone I've never met, much less a woman like Anne! I told Lord Brandt I wasn't interested in marrying her!"

Emilia then looked up at her, her cold empty eyes were boring holes in him.

Emilia: "Then why were you meeting with her?"

Subaru had no idea how to explain to Emilia that he thought about talking to other women without sounding like a jerk. Unable to give her an honest answer, he stayed silent.

Emilia on the other hand had turbulent emotions. Many times in the past, the Lord's had tried to marry their daughters off to him. But every time Subaru had turned them down, because he loved her.

But now he had chosen to meet one of these women. Although Subaru stressed that he didn't agree to marry her, that didn't do anything to ease the pain she felt in her heart.

Subaru: "I had nothing to do since everyone was busy. And I didn't think it would hurt to just meet one of these women."

Subaru painfully answered honestly how he felt. Telling the truth hurt. And looking at Emilia's face, he could tell that what he did wasn't really smart.

He really shouldn't have listened to Wilhelm's advice.

Subaru sighed

Subaru: "In hindsight, I was pretty stupid to meet her"

Emilia: "You said you loved me."

Subaru was caught off guard

Emilia: "You promised you'd wait for an answer. So why were you spending time with another woman?"

Subaru: "I, uh...I don't"

Subaru panicked when he was put on the spot by Emilia.

Beatrice: "Leave him alone I suppose! He doesn't have to explain anything to you in fact!"

Emilia flinched at Beatrice defending Subaru.

Emilia: "Stay out of this Beatrice. This has nothing to do with you."

Beatrice: "How dare you in fact! This is-"

Subaru: "It's alright Beako!"

Subaru placed a reassuring hand on Beatrice's shoulder.

Subaru: "I can handle this."

Beatrice gritted her teeth and reluctantly backed down.

Subaru: "E-Emilia-tan. I was wrong. I do love you, and I got a little-"

Emilia: "Do you really mean that?"

Emilia looked upon Subaru with sad eyes.

Subaru: "Yes. I do. I-"

Shaula: "Who are you to say that?"

Subaru was caught off guard by what Shaula had said under her breath.

Emilia turned to the brown-haired girl sitting next to her knight.

Emilia: "I'm sorry Shaula. What did you just say?"

Shaula immediately stood up.

Shaula: "I SAID WHO ARE YOU TO SAY THAT?!"

Everyone was caught off guard by Shaula yelling.

Frederica: "Shaula-san! Calm down! Do not talk to Emilia-sama like that!"

Shaula looked at the big blonde maid briefly, but she turned back to Emilia.

Shaula: "So just because Subaru loves you, he's not allowed to talk to any other woman besides you? Is that what you're implying here Emilia-sama?"

Emilia immediately tried to refute what Shaula said.

Emilia: "No that's not it at all! But Subaru said-"

Shaula: "So?"

Emilia flinched at what Shaula had said. The other maids were shocked by how Shaula was talking to Emilia.

Subaru: "Shaula please. It's ok. You don't need to-"

Shaula held her hand up, silencing Subaru.

Shaula: "It's a knight's job to support their lady in their goals right? Well as your knight, it's Subaru's job to support you in the Royal Selection."

Shaula steeled herself towards Emilia.

Shaula: "It's NOT his job to spoil you and have his entire life revolve around you!"

Emilia flinched. Shaula's words had brought up some uncomfortable feelings in her heart which she couldn't explain.

Ram: "Enough! Frederica told you to mind your tone Shaula-san."

Shaula turned to Ram who was defending Emilia.

Emilia: "Ram please. I can deal with this

Shaula: "Subaru said nothing happened with Anne-sama and that he wasn't interested in marrying her."

Emilia: "I know Shaula-san. But I-"

Shaula: "But you don't trust him around other women do you?"

Emilia flinched. Then immediately responded.

Emilia: "Why would you so that? Of course I trust him! Subaru is my knight!"

Shaula: "EXACTLY! HE'S YOUR KNIGHT! NOT YOUR PROPERTY! SO WHO ARE YOU TO SAY HE CAN'T TALK TO OTHER WOMEN?! DO YOU DISTRUST HIM THAT MUCH?!"

Ram: "STOP THIS RIGHT NOW SHAULA-SAN! YOU ARE OUT OF LINE!"

Everyone was shocked when Shaula yelled at Emilia. People were looking at Shaula with awkward looks on their faces.

Shaula saw how they were looking at her and then realised what was happening.

When she turned to look at Emilia, she could see her face was downcast.

Before Shaula could say anything, Emilia turned her back and walked out of the room

Frederica: "Emilia-sama! Please wait!"

Frederica tried to stop her, but Emilia didn't want to listen.

She opened the door and then slammed the door behind her, leaving the rest of the camp in an awkward silence.

After the heated arguement between Emilia and Shaula, with Emilia storming out the room, everyone had left the room in an awkward silence. Afterwards, Frederica and Ram had completely lost it and scolded Shaula mercilessly.

Subaru was sitting in his room and staring absentmindedly out his window, until he heard a knock on the door.

?: "I'm sorry. Do you mind if I come in?"

Subaru recognised Shaula's voice and allowed her to enter.

Shaula came into the room. Her eyes were cast downwards as she took a seat at his desk.

The two sat in an awkward silence. Until Shaula broke it.

Shaula: "I'm sorry. For what happened, I mean. I'm sorry."

Subarus was surprised when Shaula spoke up suddenly. He immediately tried to dismiss her apology.

Subaru: "No, Shaula. You don't need to-"

Shaula: "I WAS WRONG! ALRIGHT?"

Subaru got cut off by Shaula yelling at him. He decided it would be best if he just stayed quiet and allowed her to speak.

Shaula: "I know. I lost my temper. Both here and in Costuul. It's just...I saw how you looked when you were with that awful woman in Costuul."

Shaula remembered back to when she met Anne in Costuul.

Shaula: "And when she hit you, I...I just lost it. And I did the exact same thing with Emilia-san. I've only been here a week and I'm already causing problems."

Shaula had tears leaking from her eyes. The Emilia camp had given her so much, especially Subaru. Who'd been unconditionally supportive ever since she first met him in Crusch's manor. And already, she's struck a nobleman's daughter and argued with a royal candidate.

To Shaula's surprise, Subaru patted her on the head.

Subaru: "Don't be so hard on yourself."

Shaula looked down and blushed slightly at the sudden contact and Subaru's words.

Subaru: "Yeah, what you did was...pretty stupid, but I appreciate how you stood up for me Shaula."

Shaula looked up at Subaru.

Subaru: "I was wrong. I thought it would be nice to meet someone outside of our camp. But it really backfired."

Subaru cast his gaze down.

Subaru: "This is my fault. If I hadn't been with Anne in the first place, you never would've punched her. Man, I'm stupid and selfish. Wanting to talk to other girls when I'm already in love with Emilia-tan."

Shaula immediately responded to Subaru's self-deprecation.

Shaula: "Don't say that! You shouldn't do that to yourself. Just because you love Emilia-san, doesn't mean you should restrict yourself."

Subaru was surprised by Shaula's sudden retort.

Shaula: "You shouldn't let people control how you want to live your life."

Shaula looked down.

Shaula: "Not even, a selfish person like me with no control of her emotions"

Shaula felt guilty. Because she'd lost her temper, she'd caused problems for Subaru. Maybe it would be better if-

Shaula felt a warm sensation around her body. She opened her eyes to see Subaru hugging her.

Shaula was surprised by the sudden action from Subaru, which made her blush.

Subaru: "Don't be so hard on yourself. You're not the only one who loses their temper every now and then."

Subaru remembered back at the beginning of the Royal Selection. His fight with Julius and Emilia. And the times where he let his emotions get the better of him.

Then he remembered when Shaula punched Anne back in Costuul and how she stood against Emilia a while ago.

Subaru broke the hug and smiled at the maid.

Subaru: "I get angry at times. And it's good that you realise you lost control and you want to make amends. But you shouldn't think less of yourself because you felt anger."

Shaula looked at Subaru, her cheeks reddening slightly.

Shaula: "You really think so?"

Subaru: "Yes"

Shaula dried her eyes with her sleeve and smiled.

Shaula: "Thanks Subaru. I really needed that."

Subaru laughed softly.

Subaru: "Don't worry about it. If you need anything, I'm happy to help you in anyway."

Shaula nodded. She then turned to leave Subaru's room and give him some privacy.

She then stopped before she turned the door handle.

Shaula: "Hey...Subaru?"

Subaru turned back to see Shaula blushing lightly.

Subaru: "What is it Shaula?"

Shaula: "I...you know what never mind."

Shaula decided not to say anything. But Subaru decided to press her.

Subaru: "No, seriously. If something's on your mind, I'll help you how I can."

Shaula took a deep breath and said what she wanted to say.

Shaula: "Could you...teach me to read and write?"

Subaru was caught off guard a bit by Shaula's question.

Subaru: "I thought Ram was giving you lessons."

Shaula: "Yeah, she is but..."

Shaula then pouted.

Shaula: "She's such a meanie! She said that my being able to read would make her workload less! Meaning that Rem wouldn't have to do as much! That leaves me with tons of work!"

Subaru was surprised at Shaula's tantrum. But she was more cute angry than 'angry' angry.

Shaula: "And on top of that, she fell asleep on my bed mid-lesson!"

The pouting Shaula took a breath in and then calmed down from her adorable tantrum.

Shaula: "So...can you please teach me instead of Ram-san?"

Subaru: "I don't know Shaula."

Subaru rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

Subaru: "I don't think I'd be a very good teacher."

Shaula smiled.

Shaula: "Well...I'd prefer you over Ram-san, Subaru."

Subaru blushed slightly at Shaula's compliment.

Subaru: "Well...if you insist, I'll see you later."

Shaula: "Sure. I'll see you later Subaru."

Subaru and Shaula left the room. Subaru left his room to go spend time with Beatrice, while Shaula went to finish her remaining duties.

Both of them felt a lot better after that talk.