Watching A Daughter's Hopeful Reunion

by Reactionist

My WHDAAA spinoff. Warden gets dropped into an alternate world where he meets a little princess. The consequences of this interaction are far more destructive than he could've ever anticipated. Now the theater is on a new path. Special credits to Evon for the cover art. Archer for Hopeful Reunion. And Twisted and Pidgie for the beta reads.

3. Chapter 2B

Chapter 2B: Hopeful Reunion Chapter 1: Theater B:

---

(Re:Zero is owned by Tappei, not me. Hopeful Reunion is ArcherfromArnor's fanfic.)

---

The situation escalated far beyond what Otto could conceive would happen after the Warden's warning. The threatening standoff that happened between Emilia and Priscilla was akin to a frenzy of fire that raged on to punish all those who dared come near it. Thankfully, this entity chose to take one of the two candidates out of the picture and to wherever Subaru has been moved.

So when the entity proposed a challenge of sorts to continue with a different subject of viewings to get Subaru back, Otto immediately dictated that this was all planned from the start. The Warden wanted Emilia and Priscilla to clash, and he placed Priscilla away from everyone so there could be a sense of urgency within Emilia's mind.

It was quite genius. A masterful move from a dirty bastard such as this man that held them all here.

And Otto couldn't but grip his seat harder when he noticed how focused Emilia started to become as the screen played the first set of scenes regarding this new subject of viewings.

Should he intervene and let her know that this was all a scheme? Was it too late anyways? She was sitting in her seat with a serious expression, filled with determination.

Needless to say, the minister of the interior didn't know what to do, and from the looks of things, it wouldn't matter. Every other candidate in the room, including Anastasia who hasn't been close to Emilia's camp at all, decided to back the half-elf princess.

"We could at least ask what will be shown to us," he says quietly, trying to make himself heard even though there had been a silence of anticipation throughout the room. "Wouldn't it be unwise if we just started watching something without prior knowledge? Natsuki-san's story has been replaced by this!"

"Otto-san is kinda right…" Petra perked up once she heard someone else defying the silence. "Why don't we ask the voice-sama guy for an explanation first?"

Emilia looked at Otto and then at Petra with surprise. "You two are right… It's unwise to ignore that fact. We know nothing about this."

"It doesn't matter 'nymore though," Anastasia hums above her. "The show's aboutta start soon. Better get with it before it leaves ya behind~"

Otto, Petra, and Emilia looked disappointed and startled by Anastasia's words and the screen change above them.

"Welp… Guess we figure dis out once as we go along, Otto-bro." Garfiel patted Otto's back as the minister looked at the screen wearily.

Emilia looked guilty for a second. "I apologize, my haste to get Subaru back caused us another disadvantage…"

"It's not a war, I suppose." Beatrice answers before Otto, Rem, or Crusch could respond to the princess. "Betty's contract with Subaru remains intact. He's very close to us, in fact."

"You can still sense Subaru-kun through the contract, Spirit-sama?!" Rem asked before Emilia could. Both girls looked at the librarian with hopeful gazes. "Is he alright?!"

"How close is he?!" Emilia asked.

Beatrice shakes her head at the two, leaning backward in her seat. "Betty's contract with him doesn't showcase if he's in good condition or not," she pauses in order to give them time to think. "As for the distance… Yes. Subaru's presence is like a foggy cloud hovering around us. I can touch his aura but can't pinpoint where exactly he is."

"...That's not helpful at all…" Petra grumbles in disappointment at the description. Much to the agreement of many in the theater that heard what Beatrice said.

"Amazingly, this shouldn't be possible even with magic," Julius noted. "Spirit arts users cannot be sabotaged by any normal spells that I know of."

"How'd ya even know if that's the case?" Felt asked the knight apprehensively. "Shouldn't spirit arts be a different type of magic? Big sis should know more about this stuff since she had Puck."

"No no, what Julius-san said was right on point, Felt-chan." Emilia frowned in disappointment. "There is something hiding him…"

"Huh?"

"Did you forget, Felt-sama?" Reinhard asked with confusion. "Julius is a spirit knight himself… Just like Subaru."

"Oh… I forgot about that." Felt rubbed the back of her head. "That guy's so forgettable…"

"Please don't be mean to my friends, Felt-sama." Reinhard's laugh was a little nervous. "Julius was instrumental in helping Subaru beat Sloth—"

"Yeah, we get it!" She sighed and brought a hand to her temple. "I still don't see why we're not focusing on Big bro's location right now!"

It was Crusch that answered Felt's grumbling with a firm tone of voice.

"I'd suppose it is because we have nothing else to do but watch. The location of Natsuki Subaru and Priscilla Barialle will remain ever a mystery until we answer to the prison owner's demands. Frankly, I find it shocking that Emilia-sama's effort to do just that has been ignored."

At this set of statements, Otto's eyes had a widened expression of befuddlement in them. He looked around to find that nearly half of the people in the room were nodding with Crusch's words, meaning that people caught on to this fact way before he did. Included in the people were Frederica and Ram, who were giving their own respectful nods to Emilia, and of course, Anastasia who was looking at the half-elf with a bit of endearment and conciliation.

There was also the lord setting atop the rows with his signature eccentric grin aimed fully at the silver-haired girl.

"Emilia-sama has become quite ad~~eee~~pt at leading these situations. Very well done." Roswaal gave a nod to his candidate, irking some other candidates in the room including Otto as well with his smug attitude.

"Yes… Well, Emilia-sama's effort is not mundane, for it is her knight that was taken away." Crusch continues the explanation after her pause. All in the room leaned to hear her, even Emilia. "This prison will continue to hold us in it, whether we want to or not. There will be no explanation given to the powers at play here. No magic or spirit arts could come into play to explain things more clearly."

Otto and Felt both looked down after that explanation.

"S-Sorry for doubting you, Emilia-sama," Otto said in guilt. "I'll do better to trust your judgment."

"... Thank you?" Emilia seemed stunned at the odd apology from her Interior minister. "C-Can we start watching again? Subaru must still be asleep wherever he is right now…"

"Ya just miss the feeling of his hand in yours," Anastasia chirps from the second row, making Emilia flush.

"Don't worry, Emilia-sama," Al commented cheerfully, hoping he was providing support. "Princess will take good care of our Pal. He's got the best help in the world."

While the man with the jet-black helmet received glares and annoyed looks from the mercenary team and the four maids in the room, he didn't expect the scowls on Crusch's and Felt's faces.

"... I hope so, Al-dono," Emilia brings herself to give a smile to the knight in the back. Al was taken aback by her kind answer, as were many who were scrutinizing him for what he said. "Priscilla-sama is a reeeeally lonely person… I believed you when you said she grew closer to Subaru because she wanted a friend."

Al and nearly everyone around Emilia was staring at her with astonished and surprised expressions.

"Priscilla-sama is equally stuck like Subaru. I know it must've been hard for you but I promise to get her back as soon as possible."

"No need to put such a responsibility on your shoulders, Emilia-sama." Rem injected herself, seeing the dangerous way Emilia was handling this.

"Y-Yeah," Al stuttered, looking at the floor. "No need to promise that when I'm enjoying this break… Thank you though."

Emilia seemed to want to say more, but one look from Crusch and Rem made her feel like she'd be inadequate at furthering the conversation more than this.

"You're welcome." That was all she said as she turned from the knight to take a better position on her seat.

"Big sis needs to have a better outlook on things… That spoiled bitch doesn't deserve this kindness." Felt fumed in her seat as the screen began to play. Reinhard looked worried between Felt and Emilia.

Hopeful Reunion CH 1: 9 Years

Begin.

The screen opened on the face of a woman, laying in her bed with an arm wrapped around her beneath the covers.

Her expression was tired and weary, she's had her eyes opened since the screen activated and her blinks were very slow and melancholic.

"Ah…It's true…" As rare as it was, a smile formed on her face as she seemed to remember. A smile so faint it could hardly be seen.

Still, under the blankets of her bed, the woman turned her head to her right to see the back of the head of a black-haired man, still sound asleep.

"Why is it showing these random civilians?" Reinhard asks, not recognizing any of the two.

"I do not think questioning it will get us closer to any answers yet, Reinhard-sama." Crusch gave her opinion to which the knight nodded in respect.

"Apologies. It just struck me as very odd."

Everyone in the theater was watching with curiosity as to who these two were.

"That woman has similar eyes to Subaru's." Emilia points at the screen with a bit of hesitation in her voice.

"That's true, though it could be unrelated to Subaru himself," Julius says.

"Dunno, that man also has a very familiar hairstyle," Anastasia comments with an observant look. Nearly everyone in the theater focused on the hair of the husband on the bed.

"That's… Subaru-kun's way of doing his hair…" Rem stuttered out as a look of shock overcame her.

"Hm… Then this should mean one thing." Roswaal comments from above. "This is getting far more interesting than we th~~oo~~ught." The lord had a widened gaze.

"This won't stop being vague unless we continue watching, I suppose." Beatrice bites with a hint of frustration.

Emilia and Rem both nod their heads but still own frowns on their lips.

The rest of the camps watched, collectively thinking the same thing about the two people's identities.

"You rest, dear…" she spoke in a barely audible voice, "I will…Go and prepare…" And thus, removing her blanket, the brown-haired woman went ahead to the kitchen and sorted several ingredients, one by one, on the table.

Milk, eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla.

Then, she grabbed her apron. The essential uniform of any housewife worthy of this name, and tied her hair into a ponytail before she began her work.

"Never before have I seen such utensils and weird wrappings for ingredients," Crusch comments while inspecting all the plastic and generally foreign things that the woman was cooking with.

"Of course… These two are not anywhere near where we're from." Anastasia looked to Crusch with acknowledgment. "I think it's safe to say that we are correct."

Crusch looks away in uncomfortableness.

"What's goin' on over ther'?" Garfiel asks Otto and Emilia, pointing at the two candidates above them. "What're they talking about?"

"I think…" Otto pauses with difficulty to answer his friend, "I uh…"

"We should just watch this and see for ourselves, Garf-san," Emilia interjects, saving Otto the trouble. Rem and Garfiel gave her a look of surprise. "We know nothing… But these two are people I'd like to learn more about. So let's do that together, ok?"

Emilia gave him a look that made Garfiel shrug his shoulders.

"Aight, I'll leave 't alone."

"Thank you." Emilia smiled in appreciation, turning her head away so she can frown once more at the sight of the man and woman.

The screen cuts to show the sun rising, singling hours of work had been done by the woman. The scene cuts back to her as she was still in the middle of her cooking, she heard footsteps coming closer, and slowly she raised her head to meet with the black-haired man.

"Good morning dear. I hope you slept well." She softly told him, his eyes widening as he perceived the slight, bright tone in her voice.

"Ah…It's this day of the year isn't it…" He sighed as he smiled, looking at the calendar.

"I see you're already on it." He laughed, trying to hide his pain, "still an early bird aren't you."

"They look like a happy pair." Felt gave a small smile at the two.

"I'm happy they have a peaceful life," Tivey says from the side. "They seem like humble folks."

"Argh, ya growing sappy over two lovebirds wakin' up together?" Ricardo ruffles his hair and chuckles. "This kid's growing into a softie!"

Mimi laughed at her brother's predicament while Tivey glared at the beastman.

"You feeling alright, Old Man Wil?" Felix turned away from the trio of mercenaries and looked to his side with a small frown.

The old man gave him a slight nod. "Thank you for thinking about me. However, I assure you that this sight brings me only comfort."

"You're not kind of sad when seeing these two together, Wilhelm-sama?" Petra asks from above the old man, making Felix nod his head as he wanted to ask this too.

"A little forward you are, little one." Wilhelm gave a small chuckle in reply.

"I must apologize for my student's forwardness," Frederica interjects Petra's reply with a firm apology. The petite maid beside her looked disappointed as she thought her mentor would admonish her for asking such a question.

But the demihuman maid surprised her when she gave Wilhelm a smile.

"I apologize for her question, even if it was one you still need to deal with yourself." Frederica smiles at the surprised duo of Wilhelm and Felix. Petra brightens at her mentor's mischievousness.

"Wilhelm," Crusch gives the old man a tiny smile from the side. "Be appreciative that this is reminding you of Theresia-sama. It's a memory to be cherished not hidden behind a wall of grief."

"Yep!" Petra gained the old man's attention with her cheerful interjection. "She looked like a good person who loved you very much, Knight-sama!"

"Well said, Petra-chan." Frederica ruffled the girl's hair.

The Sword Demon was caught speechless by the support of the girls and Felix. He didn't expect these words from his master and a kind-hearted girl like Petra. The transparent vision of his wife's face started becoming a blazing image that shined within his memory like the sun itself. He couldn't remember anything else when looking at the pair on the screen. And thanks to the support of the people around him, Wilhelm was able to accept that he can be happy when he remembers the moments he's had with his own wife, as well as the moments that could've been.

"... Ain't ya gonna say anything to the guy?" Felt said to Reinhard as the young man appeared conflicted on watching his grandfather and hearing the others cheer him up.

"Hm," the guilt-ridden knight found himself focusing on the smile his grandfather had. "No." Reinhard smiles as well, giving Felt a small shrug. "I think my grandfather is on a path that doesn't need me complicating things yet."

Felt sighed and nudged his shoulder with hers. "Got it. You need time as he did."

Walking toward his wife, he gently took her hand into his as he caressed her back in a reassuring, soothing manner.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked her.

"I have already done most of it," she replied as she turned to him. "It should be ready in any minute now."

And just as she pronounced those words, the distinct sound resonated from the oven, noticing them that the preparation was over.

Turning around with a rare humming, she bent over as she opened the hot oven before she was stopped in her tracks by her husband.

"Hey…!" He grabbed her arm, pulling her away.

Noticing her troubled eyes before his alarming expression, he quickly continued.

"Gloves…You forgot to put on your gloves…"

"Ah…You are right." She replied without fear, putting on the big kitchen glove.

As he watched over his wife getting ready to grab her cooking, he couldn't help but wince in pain again.

"He's quite supportive of her," Emilia said with a bright smile, "this man is very kind."

"Indeed, Emilia-sama." Rem speaks with a smile. "He's gentle and loving toward his wife. Rem wouldn't be surprised because of who this man appears to be."

"You two are falling in love with a man that strikingly resembles Betty's contractor, what an angering sight, I suppose." Beatrice makes both girls stutter out panicked replies.

"Th-That's not nice, Beatrice!" "Please don't make such assumptions, Beatrice-sama!"

"I don't doubt that anyone related to this man is going to be an exemplary person," Crusch said with a grin at Emilia and Rem.

"Supposing we are right about our theory, Crusch-sama." Anastasia intervenes with her own grin.

"Don't waste our time, I suppose." Beatrice rolls her eyes while Crusch gave a raised brow in reaction to the merchant queen's statement.

"I still don't get it." Felt sighs, glancing at her knight. "Why is it that Bro's parents seem so lovely… yet there's a lot of baggage under their eyes?"

Reinhard blinked. "You noticed such a thing, Felt-sama?"

"'Course ya idiot. Anyone can see that they are going through some tough times right now…"

Felt falls to silence suddenly as she stares off in thought. "Ya realize that this might be…"

"It is." Reinhard nods his head to her, frowning grimly.

Above the knight and his little master, a maid was eyeing the man sitting beside her. A jet-black helmet covered his head and face so she wouldn't be inspecting him for long since it was futile.

"Al," Ram calls on him, her voice firm. "Have you lost your tongue? Shouldn't a man from Barusu's world be delighted to see this?"

The one-armed knight gave a short sigh in response, shoulders slumping.

"I dunno, maid-san." He shakes his head. "I wouldn't even know if this place was the same as where I came from…"

"Pardon?"

"I don't remember a lot from my home," Al reveals casually, making the maid look at him with a small amount of pity. "I used to, but I have lost grip on those memories a while ago. I barely remember a few old stories, traditions, and a bit about my culture. It's why I can read the Japanese language just as our Pal did. Not to mention tell the differences in accents and carried traditions that translated their way over to your world."

"That's about it, really." Al shrugs.

"Ah… That must be vexing for you."

"Not really," Al chuckles at Ram's reserved sympathy. "You know I'd rather have what I do now than remember a terrible home environment for the rest of my life."

"Is this because you don't wish to move on or trouble yourself?" Ram asked, raising a brow.

"Nope! Not for me, thanks." Al laughs this time. "I'd fail to move on. It would probably have killed me when I got transported here for the first time."

Ram hears a slight amount of pain in the man's cheerful voice. She didn't know what he's been through, but looking at his scars and missing arm could tell her that he's never had adequate rest since he came to this world.

"It seems like I was mistaken. Barusu's terrible luck wasn't the only factor that determined his hardships." Ram crossed her legs and rested back in a position of disinterest. "It was my world that was unkind to the both of you."

Al becomes rigid for a moment.

"Hearing that in your cold tone is not assuring, I thought you were about to apologize in place of the world there."

"I have no interest in such a waste of breath." Ram's answer was immediate. "Rem needed a wise older sister to save her from a terrible fate, similar to Barusu."

"Ah… the attack on the Oni clan people, eh?" Al received a silent nod from the maid. "... I don't think that's as comforting as you think," he comments with a grimace under his helmet.

"There was no such attempt to comfort your whines." Ram's instant rebuke made the knight chuckle.

"I do appreciate it though," Al affirmed honestly, "thanks for trying to relate with me, and our Pal."

"Ram doesn't appreciate such a disgusting connection to dogs."

"Awe…"

"It is ready." She said in a gentle voice, a voice he heard so little, it nearly sounded like a melody.

Pulling him out of his thoughts, she had in her hands a perfectly cut slice of a vanilla cake with a strawberry on top…And a candle.

"It looks really good." He said in a weak, broken voice. His respiration became hoarse as he battled to keep his tears in.

Smiling, his wife began to slowly walk towards the living room, to go into another room situated opposite, followed by her husband, to a shelf on which were several familial pictures, golden medals, and drawings.

Slowly, she placed the plate on the shelf before the most prominent photo, showing the woman on the left, her husband on the right…And a young black-haired boy in the middle.

As he began to cry, he slowly wrapped his arms around his wife, who leaned closer in his embrace, both looking towards the shelf and the photo.

"Happy birthday…Subaru."

"Wha…?! I KNEW IT!" Garfiel slapped his knee and glared at Otto, for which the merchant took offense.

"What did I do?!"

"Ya couldn't pin tha' these two were Cap'n's mom and dad! Ya should be smarter than 'tis, Otto-bro!"

"The hell are you acting so disappointed in me for?! I already knew beforehand, it was you that failed to see—"

"Man, these two are really good parents if they made a cake like that for their son. Cap'n's lucky."

"DON'T JUST IGNORE ME AFTER YOUR ACCUSATION THAT'S RUDE!" Otto looked outraged as Garfiel turned to the screen and talked to himself. The merchant boy let it go, seeing as to how focused the tiger-warrior has become on analyzing every fiber of Subaru's home.

Otto himself was busy doing the same from the start of this viewing. Since he realized the identities of Subaru's parents right away.

"Natsuki is the spitting image of his father and mother. It is astounding that you couldn't tell from the first look, Otto-dono." Julius spoke down to the boy in the front-row seat.

To which Otto responded by clenching his fists in pure rage and testament of discipline.

"You're the greatest comedians alive, both of you." Otto mocked and brandished the self-satisfied Julius and the ignorant Garfiel with a look of underlined displeasure.

It was only when Garfiel spoke that Otto and Julius started taking things more seriously.

"Wait… If Cap'n's been with us the 'ole time… and these two 'r celebratin' his birthday…" Garfiel's expression dropped slowly to one of realization and defeat. "Ah, shit…"

Julius and Otto exchanged glances with more dreading expressions than Garfiel.

"Oh my… Subaru-sama has a humble and beautiful family… Poor thing." Frederica couldn't contain the frown that came from her heart as the circumstances of the birthday were clear to her already.

"And Subaru never talked about them to me, Frederica-sensei." Petra dejectedly commented, giving a heartbroken frown at the sight of the souvenirs the parents have prepared for their son.

"Oh, Petra. I'm sure he was not keeping them away from you specifically—"

"That's not something I'd fault Subaru for! No, it's a lot more than this." Petra kicks her foot against the chair in front of her, looking away from her mentor. "He's giving up on seeing them a long time ago! That's why he doesn't seem sad about being far away…"

Frederica showed the little girl a look of helpless sympathy.

"It's really them, I suppose," Beatrice whispered forlornly. "These are Subaru's parents… Betty's heard so little about them…"

"From Subaru… right?" Emilia kept her eyes on the two parents, her tone was calm and collected.

"Yes, I suppose."

"Subaru never told me about his parents. It was very rare… I thought he wasn't open about his relatives because he missed his home." Emilia's frown was quivering as her eyes watered at the scene. "Yet I've never seen him saddened when he would talk about his town."

"His tears would always be hidden from us, Emilia-sama." Rem interjected swiftly, "You know how he is."

"I do know, Rem," Emilia gives a shake of her head, unable to look at Beatrice's seat since Subaru used to lay there. "I know… He didn't say anything to us because he dislikes showing weakness…"

Rem and Beatrice fell to silence at the defeated look on Emilia's face. Both didn't understand what's gotten the half-elf so bothered by the sight of Subaru's parents.

"Emilia-sama," Crusch voices from behind the princess. "Do you think that Natsuki Subaru hid away his pain because he knew he wouldn't be able to see them again?"

While Rem and Beatrice looked crushed by such a notion, Emilia was simply nodding to the Duchess.

"Why of course, it's his prominent habit after all." Emilia was discontent and very upset, giving the floor a sad glare.

"Thought so… I don't suppose that you've missed the tragedy on the Natsuki family's faces, have you?" Crusch questions the upset half-elf calmly.

"Yes. I did."

"They are celebrating what could've been his birthday with them if he wasn't with…" Rem struggled to finish as her head fell in the same manner as Emilia's shoulders slumped.

"If Subaru wasn't transported to us, I suppose." Beatrice firmly addresses the last part with a brave calm expression.

Crusch nods her head and repeats one final time while staring at Emilia. "This was made to show us what happened to Subaru's parents after his transport. He must've been missing them for over a year now."

"Hmm, a year and a half precisely, if ya care about exact details~" Anastasia showcases a level of insensitivity by cutting into the conversation with a cheer that irked the Duchess.

"They've both been dealing with the disappearance of their son… for a year and a half." Emilia ducks her head in shame. "And Subaru's been suffering… so many horrible things happening to him while being away from such kind-hearted parents… I…" She paused, clenching her robes and turning away from everyone so she can hold in her tears.

"Ahem," Crusch coughs while aiming a glare at the merchant queen beside her. "Please do not place yourself in guilt for this, Emilia-sama. It wasn't your doing that separated the family."

"Yes. Subaru-kun's always said he was happy to spend his life with us. He told you about his promise to me." Rem spoke with conviction, keeping her eyes away from the screen. "He contracted with Beatrice-sama strictly to keep her happy for as long as he could."

"Don't use Betty's contract in this, I suppose, hmph!" Beatrice turns to the maid with a furious look. "Betty would've joined Subaru wherever he wished, in fact. Whether it was Lugunica or in his own world."

"I think the point Crusch-san and Rem-san are trying to make is clear." Anastasia sighed at the rash outburst from the entity. "Why don't ya stop actin' like the world's only damage comes from yer arrogant self, Emilia-san, hm?"

"That's a bit too forward, Hoshin-sama!" Rem warns the merchant queen without regard for status.

"Spare it," the western girl waves at Rem. "She knows what I mean."

"I do." Emilia hoarsely admits. She turns to them with her teary eyes now cleared. "I just needed a minute to myself. Please pardon that."

"Of course Emilia-sama." Rem smiled loyally.

"Good. Ya look like there's some change within ya." Anastasia nodded approvingly.

"I'm sure Emilia-sama's strength wasn't your top priority, Anastasia-sama." Crusch hums without any amusement in her tone.

The foxy girl wasn't offered any benefit of the doubt from the duchess. Some would say, Anastasia enjoyed this.

"Watching is our top priority, Crusch-san. I merely help where I can."

Crusch rolled her eyes and focused back on the parents before her rather than the shrewd devil beside her.

"Hm?" Felt looked behind her, feeling someone nudging her hair. "Whatcha doin'?"

Gaining the attention of her knight, Felt smiled at the adorable-looking cat girl that was Mimi.

"Nothing! I'm here to admire that cake, hehe!"

"Why are ya not sitting by your bros over there?" Felt asked, pointing to Tivey and Ricardo.

"I just wanted to take a closer look. Wanted to see all the deliciousness up close." Mimi laughed cheerfully which warmed Felt and Reinhard inside.

"Ah, enjoy yourself then." Felt turns away from Mimi with a smile.

Until she hears the little one whisper to herself.

"... A cake made by a loving mama and papa… hope Big Brother can come back to his parents and eat it. He's so lucky to have them."

Felt looked down at her lap with an expressed frown of dejection.

"Felt-sama?" Reinhard whispered to his master, seeing her look sad all of a sudden.

"It doesn't matter much, Rein," she shakes her head. "I'm good… Just thinking about… cake."

Reinhard didn't seem to believe her. There was something else to his mistress' tortured look and he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"Naoko." Taking a seat in front of his wife, Kenichi called her, "I need…To talk with you.

Staying silent, Naoko stared at her husband, waiting for him to continue.

"So that is her name. Naoko Natsuki." Crusch repeated the mother's name again.

"Why are you interested in the mother's name if I may ask," Tivey found himself interested in the mundane detail Crusch had caught.

Crusch wasn't troubled by the question as she replied, "I would like to give these two enough respect to learn their names and call them by such. These are the parents of a hero, after all."

"Ah, thank you for the answer, Karsten-san." The boy exchanged respectful nods with the Duchess and turned to the screen again.

"It's a fitting name… I hope to learn the meaning of it once I see Subaru waking up again." Emilia whispered to herself with a small tragic smile that hurt her heart to maintain. She had a small pat on the back from Crusch while Rem nodded from beside Beatrice. The spirit girl was focused on the window above them so she didn't react to Emilia's whispers.

"This seems very distressing…" Felix comments from his silence, gaining Wilhelm's ears. "Ever since they made that cake, there's been a certain air hovering over them."

"Is there a chance you think the same as I, Felix?"

The cat-demi nodded to the old man.

"We'll definitely see their tension blow up in this scene. These poor people have been dealing with Subaru-kyun's disappearance by themselves." Felix looked at Wilhelm with pity and compassion filling his eyes. "I hope Subaru-kyun's last day with them was a happy one at least… Not everyone can have parents like these."

"Indeed. These are wise words, Felix." Wilhelm placed a supportive hand on the healer's shoulder. The old man resonated a comfortable air of understanding that led Felix to smile sadly at his lap.

"…This year…I…We need to do it." He firmly announced, clenching his own fists at the thought.

"Do what?" She asked in a low voice, tilting her head.

"You know very well what I'm talking about…" He said as he teared up, taking his glasses off.

"H-his funera-"

"NO!" A shout resonated, still echoing in the room.

"Oh…" Rem blanched at the realization that came from the man's words. "Subaru's father…"

"It would make sense wouldn't it?" Anastasia commented with a small glare aimed solely at the screen. "They can't keep hoping for a lost cause."

"Subaru is not a lost cause, in fact! He will get back to them one day!" Beatrice looked outraged at the escalation from Subaru's father.

"But Spirit-sama… They couldn't find anything to tell if their son is alive or not… Not to mention the time period Natsuki's been missing from his world." Julius reasoned but received a scathing glare from Beatrice as he did so. The Knight was looking at the floor with a cold stare, unable to show his emotions toward the scene in full form.

"I don't understand." As the rest of the theater began taking the news in their own ways, Mimi was the only outlier left behind. "What did big bro's daddy say?"

"Uh… It's a bit too depressing t' explain…" Ricardo looked solemn as Mimi questioned him. She noticed that he wouldn't look her in the eye.

Once she turned to her brother, Tivey would also put his glasses down and rub his eyes with a frown.

Mimi realized that he also didn't want to look at her.

Her gaze fell on the group beside her own, she saw Ram glaring incessantly at the chair before her while the knight in the jet-black helmet was shaking his head. Mimi didn't understand the reason behind these two's visible upset so she looked at the clown lord sitting above them for more information.

The small sympathetic frown on Roswaal L. Mathers' face was incredibly heartbreaking for Mimi, especially since the man seemed to always be smiling… even if it was creepy. The Lord showed incredible sadness for whatever it was that Subaru's father meant. Mimi continued searching through the reactions in the room.

Felix would frown and look to the floor bewilderingly. His expression was that of a child that didn't know what to do, yet felt an extreme need to commit an action. Mimi found it kind of funny that the healer was so expressive when the old man beside him sat like a stone statue, unmoving and unexpressive.

Mimi's eyes caught a certain movement.

"It's alright, Garfiel. It needs to be done." Mimi heard Otto speaking to the tiger boy sitting beside him. Her interest was demanded immediately when she saw the tough expression on Garfiel's face.

"I know," she heard him say to his friend. "Mine amazin' selfs don't need ya t' tell. 'Tis a tough job to be a parent, much less the parent of my Cap'n."

She watched as Otto rubbed his back in a comforting manner.

"Yeah… It's just a depressing, ugly, completely unfair part of life…" Otto seemed like he was holding back some sniffles.

When it came time for Mimi to inspect the five girls sitting in the middle of the theater around where Subaru used to be, her sleeve was being pulled so she gave away her attention to the person calling for her.

"Psst, hey." Petra was the one that caught her sleeve. "You should just watch this before asking any questions, it will answer things clearly for you."

Mimi found comfort in the childish way Petra spoke to her. It didn't feel like an adult was admonishing her curiosity.

"Ok!" The wind user nodded her head cheerfully, making Petra give her a pleased smile and a nod.

Mimi had to wonder why Petra seemed to hold back her tears when she talked with her though. Was she sad because of what Subaru's father was talking about doing?

Interested more than ever because of the people's reactions around her, Mimi watched the screen, hoping it would unpause and bring an answer.

"Naoko…!" He got up from his chair, coming closer to her as she got up as well.

"He is not dead!" She shouted, tears running down her cheeks, "my son is not dead! He is here, out there! He is alive! And he will come back!"

"It's been nine years already!" He shouted back, hitting the table with this hand, "Subaru would never disappear like that without leaving a trace!"

"Nine… What… Nine years?!" Anastasia stared, like many around her, flabbergasted by such a fact. "Have we been moved through time or somethin'?! Why's this inconsistent with our Natsuki-kun's time?!"

Following the Kiraragi company head, Crusch glared at the ceiling in protest as well. "We've had enough of this farce! Putting the pieces together has brought us nowhere and this tragedy isn't useful to us!"

"Crusch-sama!" Felix tried to calm his lady but the duchess was too fired on the entity she spat her words at. Wilhelm wisely held the healer's shoulder to make Felix understand, there was no reasoning with Crusch right now.

"Crusch-sama is right!" Petra decreases the number of calmer minds in the room with her shout. "I… I don't like watching this either! Subaru's parents shouldn't have their privacy and misery shown in the open like this… We can't feel guilty for taking him away… O-Otherwise, he's just going to feel like he failed both us and his parents!"

Beatrice and Rem were the ones to outwardly react at the words from Petra. Both girls looked towards each other and at the little maid with surprise and hopelessness.

Frederica calmly hugged her student and let Petra shed a few tears on her uniform, not that the clothes didn't get enough of the maid's tears because of this theater.

"You shouldn't keep these thoughts hidden, Petra-chan," she whispered to the little girl in pity. "They stone your heart and make you wilder and unruly."

"While the little maid's words are thoughtful and important for us to consider, this has gone long enough," Julius interjected with a glare of discontent. "Nine years into their future isn't just breaking things, it's obscene that we should go along with such a distant part of people's lives."

"Y-Yeah!" Garfiel nodded in agreement while Reinhard looked at his friend with an apprehensive expression.

"There isn't any argument to be made, this theater will keep us trapped here until we watch, I suggest we don't cut the viewing again or else we will get nowhere." Ram had an annoyed glare aimed toward everyone that sat below her, not caring if she insulted a candidate or two with her attitude.

But strangely enough, she found an unlikely ally in Otto as he talked to Garfiel and Julius.

"Both of you need to calm down! Natsuki-san's parents deserve to be acknowledged! Someone's got to see what they are going through from our side!"

"I still don't understand what's happening…" Mimi frowned, feeling inadequate and small as everyone's energy matched Crusch's in chaos and negativity. "Why is big sir talking like Bro's dead? Why are you guys angry when the answer might come to us…?"

But the screen continued to play, unpausing even though everyone in the room still had things to say.

"Why is this happening, I wonder?" Beatrice grimaces as the tensions flaring behind her cause a distant feeling of worry to creep into her mind. She wondered if the prison master was playing another game with them by forcing things to move incoherently.

"He is not dead! He will come back!" She shouted again, her voice becoming hoarse, her entire body shaking, trembling, as a feeling of fear and pain took her mind over.

"Naoko!" Kenichi began to cry, grabbing his wife's wrists, "It is time you accept it…"

Mimi winced and fell into fright. "Big miss too? What's going on?" The girl grew quiet as she watched.

Rem looked away from this, gaining attention from Beatrice as she did so. "Shouldn't you be watching, I wonder?"

"I'm sorry Beatrice-sama… I refuse to undignify Subaru's mother like that." Rem's reply was firm. "She's a woman I wish to meet and impress with all that I am."

"Betty knows you're merely acting, I suppose." Rem was shocked to have the spirit huff at her words.

"Crusch-sama," Felix called to his mistress with full readiness to be rejected. It's not that he expected much from her after what he's done to put a rift between them.

To his surprise, Crusch seemed inclined to give him time as she glanced from the screen and to him.

Felix's eyes widened much as Rem's. He realized something once the ambers of his mistress were clear to him.

"No!" She screamed.

"HE IS GONE!"

At the shout of Subaru's father, Mimi found herself huddling with her ears covered unconsciously by her arms hugging her head.

"Just ignore everything sis. This isn't important for you or us anyways." Tivey soothed his sister by shakily rubbing her back. His hands were unstable due to how affected he became by the heartbreaking scenes between the two loving parents.

Mimi nodded her head, putting the mystery she's been seeking an answer for to the background of her mind as she hugged her twin tightly.

"There there," Tivey sighed and patted his sister's head.

"…"

"Our boy…Our son…Is gone…"

"…"

Petra pushed herself into Frederica more as the older maid hugged her back. The beast tigress protectively started to cover Petra's ears.

"Betty knows that you merely pretend this is about respect for Subaru's parents, in fact." Beatrice astonished Rem with her words. The maid looked disturbed as the tension oozed into the room from the scene above them and the harsh tone from Beatrice forced her to feel accused.

Rem would've offered an adequate answer but she wasn't ready for the next few words… from Felix.

"Crusch-sama… Do you hide any guilt for Subaru-kyun's parents?" The healer asked his master in front of everyone. Crusch acknowledged his seriousness but she still turned away from him.

"I harbor no such guilt." She answered. "Why would you ask such a thing, Ferris?"

Felix didn't hesitate to answer. "Because I think… Crusch-sama doesn't want Subaru to get back to his parents, nyan…"

…

"C-Crusch-sama?" Rem was compelled to call the duchess out of pure horror.

Crusch offered a thin-lipped expression and a tired look aimed only at the screen. Silence for everyone else.

"And he will n-not… Come back…"

Upon saying his last words, the man's legs lost their strength. Making him fall to his knees as tears wouldn't stop pouring from his eyes. Soon, his wife followed, burying her face in her hands as her loud cries did nothing but amplify their pain.

The grieving mother refused to answer her husband and chose to glare at the ceiling instead, her eyes flashing with rage. "Give him back…" She whimpered, crying onto her husband's shoulder, "Give me my son back!"

Felix and Rem continued to look at Crusch with bafflement and fear, though it seemed no one else shared the two's feelings of disturbance in the room.

"Damn… can't say I don't respect the honesty from the lady." Al whistled in his helmet while watching both scenes playing across from the theater screen and inside it.

"Crusch-sama merely said what Rem couldn't. We all want Barusu to stay." Ram emotionlessly swings a leg while staring into the screen.

"Poor mommy and daddy though… Nine years later and they still have gotten no clue where he's at. You gotta have pity for them." Al revealed a minuscule hint of sadness in his voice. The tragedy got to the offishly casual man.

Though he wasn't alone as Ram turned her gaze away from the screen and onto the empty seat beside her.

"I do pity them. Barusu's parents are exceptional… to stay at hope for this long a time… These two deserve the world."

Al was honestly shocked to have such high-ended compliments thrown from Ram.

Doesn't make her next set of words less crushing.

"But Barusu is with us. Nine years from now or not. He will stay no matter what we do." Ram affirmed her position. "I won't have it any other way."

Al watched silently as Ram handled her skirt's hem with roughness.

"I told you, I suppose. This Karsten girl is more truthful in her admittance and with herself, in fact." Beatrice pulled Rem from her staring activity towards Crusch.

"..." Rem couldn't find the words to refute Beatrice. Something that was noticed by the spirit and the duchess as well.

"I… I didn't…" She failed to say anything. Rem looked away from Beatrice out of shame. Realizing that the spirit was right about her deflection.

"I apologize… Crusch-sama. I seem to have judged you before myself." Rem bowed to the duchess with a sorry expression.

The duchess just nods toward the maid with an uncomfortable expression. "No need to fret, Rem."

Rem looked away once again, feeling that nothing was alright between her and the duchess still. Urging herself to face the consequences of what she thought, Rem's eyes forced themselves onto the screen again to watch the dreaded scene. It was one she hated so much.

"No matter if they suffer… I still wish that Subaru-kun doesn't leave us… I'm sorry, Naoko-sama." Rem's whisper was barely hearable even to the spirit to her side.

"Hmph!" Beatrice looked up at Rem with a glare of condescendence and distaste.

"Naoko…"

"My boy! My baby boy…!" with tears falling, she yelled in distress, "Give him back!"

"I'm sorry…" He whispered as he hugged her as tight as he could, "I'm so sorry…Naoko."

And when the sun was finally up high in the sky, still in the darkness they remained. In each other's embrace, as cries and tears would fall. And a question that burdened them, which would remain forever unanswered.

"What a sad sight…" Felt comments offhandedly with a frown. "These guys didn't deserve this."

"They did not… I think Subaru will appreciate your kind-hearted response, Felt-sama." Reinhard nodded and tries his best to lighten the mood of his liege. Earning a small short-tempered response of Felt trying to punch his shoulder.

"It ain't about him this time!" Felt huffed and turned back to the screen. "I can't just ignore what these two are going through just 'cuz I wanna hog big bro in my world instead of theirs."

Reinhard grew silent once his mistress said this. Her expression was a stone-like, thin-lipped stare of recognition yet emotionlessness at the same time.

"At least you're being clear to yourself, Felt-sama… But I disagree… I wish for them to be just as happy as we are going to make Subaru in the future."

Felt chuckles at this. "O'course ya would. But that don't mean I'll stop ya if there's a chance. Who knows, maybe there will be a chance these two will find happiness in the viewing we're watching and everyone is being over dramatic for no reason."

Reinhard takes his lady's words to heart and feels energized enough to grin. "I hope so, Felt-sama. I really hope so."

Felt patted the shoulder she punched, this time, making her knight feel the comfort through her touch rather than the hurt of her hit.

While Felt was done with Reinhard, Wilhelm swiftly pulled Felix back into his seat, letting the silence hang over the both of them.

"I'm proud of you, Felix." Wilhelm surprised the young healer with his sincere words.

"Eh? I dunno why you are, nyan… I embarrassed Crusch-sama and made her look like a hypocrite!" Felix gritted his teeth out of frustration.

"She was." Wilhelm firmed without a second of thought. "And you called it. It is your duty to ring her in if things get too far."

Felix chose not to answer to this, having his head bowed so he can glare at his knees instead.

"I still think this is unnecessary," Julius declares bravely, even though most of the resistance in the room had been reserved to be quiet except for him. "... But I wouldn't lie if I said this is partly due to my bias of wanting Natsuki to stay with us and not have his parents suffering such pain."

"You can't just ignore this to bury the guilt. Natsuki-san wouldn't blame us, nor should we blame ourselves." Otto said to him with a small smile.

"Do ya not feel any differently towards Cap'n's mom and dad, Otto-bro?" Garfiel looked at the interior head minister with a need to understand. The blonde tiger-demi was also of the same thought process as Julius but he was a lot more guilty about it.

Otto looked at the screen with a frown replacing his smile.

"That's the thing, Garfiel-san… I don't think I can do anything to help or acknowledge their pain in any meaningful way."

Garfiel deflated at the answer from his wise friend. "I expected a better 'olution than 'dis."

"As I said, this is useless," Julius comments once he sees Otto's shrug.

Finding comfort that Julius also calmed down, Anastasia quit watching the screen for a few seconds to bump her shoulder into Crusch's.

"Ya doin' good, princess?" Anastasia's words were sarcastic as well as endearing as Crusch found herself smiling fondly at her counterpart.

"I'll live."

"Yer knight's getting pretty ballsy, calling ya out like that… Want me to send Julius after 'em like he did with Natsuki-kun at the Royal selection ceremony?" Anastasia looked delighted to have Crusch laugh and grin at her joke.

"Maybe…" Crusch's reply was one of playfulness and gratitude, as Anastasia noticed that the princess was in need of a break and an easy-going repertoire. "I don't suppose you disagree with my stance, Hoshin-sama."

"I do not," Anastasia said with a firm tone, though not killing the fun one she was using. "A western gal such as myself needs to evaluate what's truly important at any given situation."

"And the pain of the Natsukis?" Crusch questioned with a guilty expression as she stares at the chair in front of her vacantly.

"Unimportant." Anastasia's reply was hushed, yet clear to her. "Natsuki-kun stays in our world. We don' even have the power to send him back."

Crusch nodded her head, finding comfort that someone else was willing to stand with her on the matter.

"Though I still would like t' see what they both are goin' through, Crusch-san."

"I understand," she responded guiltily. "There won't be any more attempts to stop this from my end."

Anastasia gives Crusch a thankful smile.

After a while, it was time for Kenichi to leave for work. Still, with the funeral in mind, he decided that even without the full consent of his wife, this was something that had to be done.

Not bringing up the subject anymore, he kissed his wife's forehead before putting on his coat and leaving the house. Slowly resolving himself of what he will soon have to do.

"Have a safe trip…" Naoko whispered, with a frail and broken voice.

Going back to her daily tasks, Naoko began to clean around the living room, at a much slower pace, always glancing towards the table where the cake she made was placed.

"Mh…There isn't much left for tonight…" She thought as she opened the fridge and checked the remaining food in the house, "I have to go to the store…Kenichi will certainly be tired when he comes home…" Looking out, she noticed gray clouds making their way to monopolize the blue sky, and took an umbrella along with her coat as she went out.

As she walked in and out of the store with her groceries, she met with several people along the way, all smiling at her as they recognized the lady of the Natsuki family, even though they all bore nothing but pity and sadness for her.

While everyone had begun to calm down because of the simple life Naoko was shown to be living, one person in the room was still huddled into a ball since the start of the fight between Naoko and her husband.

"I'm sorry, Naoko-san…" A squeaking voice moused from between the person's knees as they were hugging their legs and looking at the screen with incredible levels of shame and self-loathing clear on their face.

"For nine years… I can't imagine the unbearable feelings you must've dealt with alone…" Emilia spoke with such reverence and respect for the woman on the screen. She showed nothing but horrified faces and feelings all throughout the fight, and she's still reeling from the shocking life her knight's parents and guardians were living far into the future.

The half-elf wished that her knight can never ever see his parents in such a state, and if he does, she wished she could be there with him when he breaks down. She knew how devastating this reality would be on her knight.

Yet she couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself because she couldn't think of a way to help the kind woman and the good husband she had. Not in a way that wouldn't demand she give away Subaru.

Would Subaru even want to stay by her side if he witnessed what was happening to his parents? That thought curled through Emilia's heart like a worm.

"I'm sorry…" Without any real answers, Emilia gave her best bow of respect to the paused screen. Apologizing because she didn't know how to help or what to do. Wishing she had a hand to hold but finding nothing to her side.

And after her apology, Emilia and the rest of the cast watched as Naoko walked through her city, with familiar buildings and cars being shown same as the ones they've seen at the very start of this when Subaru's life in their world started. Petra and Mimi left the embraces they were hiding in, having calmed down.

Anastasia wanted to comment on how similar a lot of the buildings around Naoko looked compared to Kiraragi's structures, but she wasn't all that surprised when considering all that she found out about her nation's founder. The mood of the room wasn't open to such a discussion yet, so Anastasia kept to herself, observing everything in the world around Naoko.

And her eyes widened to dinner plates when Naoko pumped into someone.

"Ow!"

"Ah…" The brown-haired woman gasped, looking down as she saw a young girl holding her forehead, "I am sorry, I did not see you."

Crouching down to put herself on the same level as the little girl, she tried to approach her and see where she might have hurt her.

She was a young little girl with soft, long black hair going down her back, and a little side-swept bang nearly covered her left eye, which was a beautiful ruby color. On top of that, she was wearing very extravagant clothes, a blue and white dress that seemed to be very expensive…And also dirtied.

"Do not worry about it, madam. T-this is nothing…" The little girl said as she rubbed her forehead, raising her eyes to the lady.

"Awe… She looks adorable." Rem whispers softly, finding the girl to be familiar but cute at the same time.

"Her clothing isn't at all appropriate for the area she's in," Crusch spoke analytically, "the people around her don't dress this fancy."

"Yeah but… Her dress is dirtied already, Crusch-sama," Rem felt happy that the duchess was still speaking to her.

While the two talked about the state of the girl's dress, Anastasia found herself amazed that both girls couldn't see what she saw. She looked at the small spirit at the front, hoping that she would.

"I don't get why this girl's important I suppose," Beatrice sighed and leaned back in her seat, wishing that her contractor was back on it so she can be close to him again. "She's not important to Betty's contractor so she doesn't need attention, I suppose."

Nope, Anastasia moved her eyes away from Beatrice and towards the side, wishing that Felt and her highly observant knight could offer her some allies for her theory.

"Huh?!" Felt shouts in indignation. "Why is she dressed so royally when she's walk'n 'round a busy street like this? Do her parents know how easy it would be to kidnap her for ransom money?! Big Bro's world really needs some common criminal class to bring everyone to shape."

"Please don't say such blasphemous plans out loud, Felt-sama. It's highly unethical."

"That's what he focuses on?" Anastasia shook her head, Felt camp was worthless.

She looked to her side, hoping her highly logical and charming knight would be her help as he always was.

"I don't understand why you two don't just start over," Julius looked on as Otto and Garfiel played a game of rock paper scissors to pass the time and relieve their stress. "And are you not interested in the royal girl on the screen?"

"We watch as we play, Julius-san. It's a little moment of relief for us though so we are taking advantage." Otto spoke before beating Garfiel once again.

"That is incredibly mundane and stupid." Julius snorts at the answer…

"Why the hell are ya focused on their games so thoroughly then?!" Anastasia inwardly sighed at her knight's inability to convey his true feelings on things. Welp, Julius was useless for the first time in a while.

Maybe her mercenary family?

"Hey that kid looks kinda like Mimi."

"In what way?!" Tivey called on Ricardo to explain himself, not finding a single thread of resemblance like the beastman called out so confidently.

"Easy, little man! Mimi and that tiny one are both super small! Hahaha!" Ricardo bellows a big laugh that makes Tivey slam a hand to his face. Anastasia was happy to see that Mimi was also giggling from the side.

"Glad she's alright but… why can't ya guys be less useless right now…"

Finding no other choice, Anastasia looked up at the only person who might offer her the same idea she was thinking about.

Only to find him laughing alongside a suspiciously grinning Ram.

"Again? What a useless bunch these lot are…" She sighed outwardly this time and turned away from the two.

"Hey, that little one looks like a tiny version of princess, don't ya think?" Al came up to Ram's shoulder and whispered to her his theory. "I have seen my princess when she was young, not as young as this one seems to be but… They look like copies of each other if not for little differences."

"I don't suppose that's accurate… But she does resemble the matriarch of house Barielle decently." Ram reluctantly agreed with the knight, seeing a lot of similarities.

Al chuckled to himself. "Wouldn't it be funny if she also was as arrogant as princess too? Just imagine, a tiny princess walking around and shouting at people."

"Pffft…"

"Hahahaha…"

Anastasia couldn't hear this conversation and only looked at them when they were laughing together. Though Ram hid her guffaws behind a solid grin.

The merchant queen didn't see any need to look at Roswaal, she was sure he had some valid opinion… but she could care less about that creep. Frankly, she would rather be alone than have him as her ally, so she disallowed herself to look in his direction and stared upfront at the one person in the room she also didn't care about all that much.

"Ahhh… It seems you see it too, Emilia-sama~" Anastasia felt an incredible amount of vindication at the half-elf's posture and widened eyes.

"Uh?"

"…" Naoko stayed silent as she waited for the girl to continue. She seemed surprised about something.

"Is there anything?" The brown-haired woman ended up asking.

"You…Do not seem well at all…" The girl worriedly voiced, staring at Naoko's face, "What happened to you? Are you alright?"

Naoko widened her eyes in surprise, before trying her hardest to have a reassuring smile to show.

"Yes, don't worry. I am just a bit tired." She waved off, "thank you for caring for such a stranger like me, little one."

"What a kind girl," Felix looked like he was overwhelmed with a sweet tooth with how big his smile was. "She's an angel, nyan."

Wilhelm gave a little chuckle at that, finding the sight of the girl comforting Naoko one to be fond of. "She is indeed an angel."

"I hope she helps Naoko-sama…" Petra whispered hoarsely, emotionally distraught and barely holding on to keep herself from falling asleep. "She looks really fun to play games with too…"

"You can't keep thinking about games at such an age," Frederica patted her head endearingly. "She looks to be younger than you as well… It's very strange."

As the older girl turned her attention from Petra to the screen, she had to wonder why such a young girl was walking around in royal clothing.

"I don't think this is a customary thing in this w~ooo~rld." Even though he hasn't spoken at all through out this entire time, Roswaal seemingly read Frederica's mind.

Though he was more talking to himself than answering the maid's thought process.

He kept his lips thinned and his expression cold of any smiles. Roswaal stared at the screen with a certain degree of hate.

The black-haired girl didn't have any particular reaction to Naoko's explanation. Rather, she kept staring at her with a curious gaze, something that even managed to make Naoko uncomfortable.

"Ah! I am sorry auntie! It's just that…Are you sure that we never met…?" Tilting her head, she asked in a bright voice, coming closer to the lady.

"Hm…If auntie ever met such a lovely little girl, she would certainly remember it." Naoko replied.

"So…You don't recognize me…? Hum…" the girl began to wonder, putting a hand under her chin.

"Oh, do we really know each other?" Naoko said in a worried tone, not wanting to be so rude as to forget such a cute child.

"Well…I suppose we don't." She concluded, her tone surprisingly more serious as she lifted her face towards the sky and buildings around her. It seemed like she came to a certain conclusion in her mind.

"You seem troubled now." Naoko continued, bringing her hands to caress the girl's hair in an attempt to calm her and check her forehead while she was at it.

As she was doing so, a wave of nostalgia softly took her over. This little girl's hair oddly reminds her of her own son's. They were as soft and as pleasant to caress. Just doing so gave her a soothing feeling she didn't feel for a long time now…A feeling…She craved for.

However, as she came closer to her face, she noticed some traces of dirt on her cheek, something that bothered her enough to lick her thumb and slowly rub it.

"Auntie?"

"Ah, apologies. It was stronger than me…" Naoko replied gently…Smiling.

"Ah! This one suits you better, auntie!" The girl commented.

"Uh?"

"This smile." She replied, chuckling, "This one is much better than the fake ones you did earlier. When someone smiles, it must be genuine. It's a lady's best attire after all!"

Naoko widened her eyes in sheer shock at the words of this girl. As she did nothing but interact with her for less than a minute, she already noticed the façade she created.

"Is it…" Naoko replied, fondly looking at the girl, "these are some very wise words."

"They really are," Crusch found herself smiling at the entire interaction. "This little one is very endearing and special." Rem nodded her head at that statement.

"She's healing Naoko-sama a small amount… I can see it." Rem earned a chuckle from Otto and Frederica.

"Hopefully! She deserves the best after what she's gone through." Tivey shouted his support for Subaru's mother from the background.

"Don't tell me ya got a crush on the big lady, man." Ricardo laughed as Tivey looked at him with disgust.

Anastasia smiled also, but not just for the interaction. She had to admit that this little one seemed to have much potential and a more impressive frame of speaking and etiquette for someone her age. But Anastasia would rather die than compliment the mother for raising this child.

Depending on whether she is correct or not, Anastasia already knew who the mother and possibly the father are. So she kept to herself, wiping her hand on the scarf that remains motionless on her shoulders.

And kept her eye on the half-elf to the front… The only other person to know what she knew.

"Man! She talks just like princess too!" Al sounded blown away. While Ram snorted from his side.

"I suppose she'd be related to your liege then?" Ram mocked pleasantly, leaning on her knuckle.

"... I am not sure there's much reason to doubt that…"

"Other than this little one seemingly finding her way into another world?"

"..." Al was silent as he didn't know how to refute this fact from Ram.

"Hehe! It's all from my father! He's always good when it comes to words! I like to believe I inherited that from him!" The girl voiced with pride and glee, earning a chuckle from the lady.

"Anyways, now that you are already speaking to me, can you please tell me where we are?" Looking around her, the little girl asked as she observed her surroundings, "I don't remember a place matching a description such as this in either one of the 4 kingdoms."

"The kingdoms…?" Naoko questioned, glancing at her dusty clothes one more time "I…Don't know what you are talking about but…Are you lost, little girl?"

"Hm, has Natsuki every spoken about his world having more than four countries?" Julius asked the only person who knew the answer, receiving a shake of the head from Beatrice.

"I told you once before in this theater, in fact. Subaru's home has many cultures and societies that outnumber our own many times."

"So… This world has more than four…" Otto looked at Julius and both quickly grew serious expressions.

Garfiel was glaring at the screen in thought on his own. "No way…"

Anastasia began grinning from ear to ear as everyone around her started to think. Even Crusch and Rem looked at each other with half-serious, half-angry expressions.

"... I don't think you can tell me anything to refute this?" Al desperately looked at Ram.

The maid herself looked shocked by this revelation.

"No way… She's from our world?!" Tivey was the one to break out the theory, earning shocked glances from Mimi and Petra, the only ones that still didn't put two and two together.

"Well…" Trying to come up with a different answer in vain, the girl gave up, "I am…"

"I see." Naoko replied with a smile, standing up as she lent the black-haired girl her hand, "shall auntie help you then?"

"T-thank you…Auntie…" As she raised her hand and took the lady's hand in hers, smiling.

"Mh…" the lady warmly hummed, "And what is your name?"

"Na-" hesitating on her answer as she realized again the situation she was in, the black-haired girl cleared her throat just before going too far, "Helena. My name is Helena."

"Helena…What a beautiful name." the lady commented, "while I am not usually a fan of foreign names, this one somehow…Seems to fit you a lot."

"Hehe! Mother said the same when father came out with it!" Helena stated, looking up to the lady, "And what's yours, auntie?"

"Naoko." She warmly replied, "Natsuki Naoko."

And upon hearing this name, the little girl froze in place. "N-natsuki…?" Helena repeated, slowly going up to the lady and meeting her eyes.

"Helena-chan?"

"Why is her reaction to Big bro's family name… suspicious?" Felt narrowed her eyes at the screen, catching on to what most of the theater already realized.

"Maybe… If she was from our world… Then she would've heard about Subaru?" Reinhard tried to explain on his own.

"No, that reaction was one of genuine connection. This little one knows Natsuki Subaru personally." Crusch said in a loud fashion to make everyone hear what she said.

Beside her, Emilia turned away from the screen. A hand covered her mouth as she tearfully glared at the walls of the room.

"Is this…Is this why…" the little girl uttered as the realization slowly came to her mind, "auntie, where are we?!"

"Where are we?" Naoko asked with a raised eyebrow, "we are…In Japan?"

"At the east of the map?!" the little girl continued, showing her insistence.

Not knowing how to react to such questions, Naoko simply decided to go along with it for now and keep answering.

"Indeed, Japan is the furthest country at the east of the map." She told her, surprised to see her eyes grow wider.

"T-then…I am really…And you are…-"

Before she could say another word, Naoko and Helena felt droplets of water fall on their faces and all around them. As Naoko looked up, she saw the clouds in the sky fully occupied the entire sky just like she expected, and promptly opened her umbrella under which she put the little black-haired girl with her.

"Hm, something really is up with that Helena gal." Anastasia kept a close eye on the ever-silent Emilia, negating her reactions to every little word Helena said on the screen. The half-elf no doubt realized why the little girl spoke the way she did. The resemblance was uncanny.

"I don't think you can deny it any longer! This gal might be actually related to princess!" Al shook Ram's shoulder with his one good arm, earning an annoyed look.

"I'm not refuting it any longer, I agree!" Ram slapped his hand away.

"My, it is going to be heavy uh…Maybe we should go back home, for now, it would be difficult to find your parents under a tempest…" The brown-haired lady thought out loud, glancing towards the direction of her house.

"Oh no… She's lost alone and without a spare set of clothes…" Petra looked at the girl with pity, imagining herself in Helena's place and getting transported into Subaru's world. It was a cruel idea and even more brutal to watch when Petra realized that Helena already looked dirty…

"That little girl has been suffering on her own this whole time… " Felix sounded compassionate when he spoke what was on everyone's mind. "I wish I could help, nyan."

"In this rain, I think Naoko-sama would not let such a youngling alone to fend for herself." Frederica sounded unsure but still hopeful as ever, making Petra nod alongside her.

"Would you like to come to my home, Helena-chan? Maybe it is not appropriate, bu-"

"Please…!" Helena answered, something akin to eagerness on her face, "I don't mind, I even think it's a good idea! We can't search under the heavy rain right?"

Upon seeing the strangely excited little girl, Naoko giggled in fondness as she gently led the way, still holding Helena's hand as she sheltered her from the rain becoming heavier and heavier.

"Ah, we should hurry." Going a bit faster, they finally reached Naoko's house.

Opening the door, she quickly brought the black-haired girl inside who was half-drenched because of their last run to the house.

"Ugh…Mother won't like this…" Helena said in a worried tone as she raised her arms and looked at her dirtied dress.

Frederica and Petra smiled with relief.

"Don't worry little one," Frederica laughed delightfully, "Such a thing isn't as important right now… What a brave little thing."

As Frederica fonded over Helena, Garfiel couldn't help but laugh at his sister's weakness for adorable kids.

"Yer jus' like mom at heart, sis."

Frederica didn't deny him, only smiled in embarrassment.

Otto found himself smiling also as the mood began to uplift once Helena took over everyone's attention. He was beginning to think that maybe it wasn't so bad for the little girl that she met with Naoko in this new world.

"Don't worry about any of this." Naoko reassured her as she took off her coat, "auntie will wash your dress, for now, you need to get in the bath. I would feel bad if you would catch a cold."

"Ah, yes…" Helena nodded, following Naoko to the bathroom.

"I'm glad big bro's mom is such a kind woman!" Felt wipes her forehead. "This situation was depressing as hell for a minute there."

"Helena's situation… is still not over, Felt-sama." Reinhard spoke solemnly. "She's still stuc—"

"I'd rather not hear." Felt shook her head and looked at the screen, ignoring him. Reinhard sighed, understanding that his lady was too tired to think about the consequences of ignoring the true situation at hand.

In his mind, Reinhard was swiftly going through the list of details he noticed about Helena, trying his best to figure out who she might be, and if he could pinpoint why she was close to Subaru in such a faraway future.

He couldn't realize what Anastasia and Emilia both already did. Even Roswaal had an inkling of an answer but he was too dissatisfied with this viewing to comment.

Meanwhile, Emilia was back to hugging her long legs in an effort to close herself off.

"Are you ok, Emilia-sama?" Rem asked, noticing the half-elf's movements. "Helena-chan is safe and sound. I'm sure we will learn more about who she is sooner or later. She's a special girl."

But as Rem tried to be supportive and comforting, her words had the opposite effect as Emilia sunk deeper into her knees.

"How old are you, Helena-chan?" Naoko asked, realizing that she failed to ask that question earlier.

"I'm 5 years old." Helena promptly answered, earning a gasp from Naoko.

"5?!" She exclaimed, looking at her as she tilted her head in confusion.

"I'm not lying! I'm 5 years old!" Helena answered, pouting as if she heard what Naoko was thinking.

"I'm not saying you lied, it was just…Surprising. I never met a 5-year-old that seemed so grown up inside."

Helena simply smiled as she accepted this compliment, "Father says the same often…I guess I got this from Mother though."

Naoko chuckled as she somehow expected her to mention her father once again.

"A parent always wants to have this attachment from their children." Frederica continued to coo at the little girl's mannerisms and topics. "Her father must be someone who offers kindness and commands respect."

Petra giggled a small amount, even though she was tired, she was enjoying Helena's effect on both, Naoko and the room watching this part of Naoko's life.

"She's lit up the room's mood, eh?" Ricardo nudged Julius from the back, seeing Mimi bully Tivey to get a confession out of him for his crush on Naoko. Which the boy disagreed with since it was gross.

Julius brought a hand through his lavender hair. "I suppose… Though I cannot but detest the fact that we've ignored this girl's situation completely."

"Ah, don't be such a knight, Julius." Ricardo grins down at the young man, showing his sharp teeth. "You can't keep being gloomy foreve' eh! Just enjoy what we get and let the people inside that window worry about 'er."

"Even though you say that to comfort me, friend. I find my knightly duty stronger than my need for relief." Julius told him with a steeled look.

Ricardo merely shrugged and continued to laugh at Tivey finally standing up for himself against his sister yet failing to hit her out of gentlemanly ethics.

"This is a joke…" Rem heard Emilia speak against her leg. It was muffled but still understandable enough.

"Emilia-sama?"

"..."

"What's wrong? Do you not like Helena-chan?" Rem continued to question why the half-elf princess was suddenly acting in this way, especially when the little girl speaks about her parents.

"It's alright, Rem. I'm not petty enough to dislike H… Helena for anything she's done." Emilia tapped the ground of the theater with her heels, lowering each leg and bringing her hands to wipe away the small number of tears that fell. This extremely surprised Rem as there hadn't been anything warranting such a strong reaction from Emilia yet.

"I'm worried about my friend here, Emilia-sama. You should trust me if something keeps bothering you." Rem tried her best to be supportive and kind, expecting the princess to give in and help herself by airing out her worries.

She did not expect the broken, tragic stare that Emilia sent her.

"It's already over and done with, Rem… I can't look at Helena without thinking of… It doesn't matter."

"No, it does matter!" The maid hurries to stop Emilia from reverting back into silence. "Please tell Rem what this is about."

Emilia bit her lip and looked down tiredly.

"Can you… just watch this to the end? You'll get your answer… I'm sure of it."

Rem let go of Emilia's arm, disappointment flashing across her face.

Emilia simply fell into silence and sat limply without any attempt to hide her devastation.

Others like Crusch, Beatrice, and Felt that were around Emilia noticed this and chose to leave the girl alone, not really understanding why she would act in such a way.

Anastasia was the one and only of the people around Emilia to give her current state a lot of thought.

"How are ya gonna take the grand reveal, I wonder… I don't suppose ye're jus' gonna give up. Hmmm."

After approximately half an hour where Naoko helped Helena to bathe and dry her, she went ahead and found an old pajama belonging to her son when he was much younger. Thankfully, this one fit her just right.

"Mh…" Helena looked at the clothes she wore with awe.

"I'm glad those fit you. Even though they are a bit more boyish, I hope you won't mind." Naoko told her as she looked at the clothes with a pain in her chest.

"Auntie?" the black-haired girl came closer as she tugged the shirt of the lady, "to who belongs these clothes?"

Mustering enough strength to speak without choking on her tears, Naoko caressed the little girl's head as she softly spoke.

"To my son, when he had your age…"

"And...Where is he?" Helena continued, showing eagerness to obtain an answer.

"He...has yet to come home. But I believe he should soon...Come back."

"The clothes Subaru-kun wore when he was a child?" Rem said without trying to hide how creepy that sounded, which inclined Beatrice to glare at the maid. "I wish we could see Subaru-kun when he wore them." Again, she didn't hide how disturbing that sounded even though Rem's intentions were pure-hearted and she just wanted to enjoy seeing her beloved as a kid and wondering how funny he would be.

"You're disgusting, I suppose." Beatrice blurted out of necessity.

Giving one last pat on the little girl's head, Naoko went behind the counter to fetch her cooking utensils.

"Please make yourself comfortable, I will prepare us some dinner and then we will begin to look for your parents."

"…Alright…" Helena said as she gazed upon her going to the kitchen.

As Naoko began to prepare dinner, Helena looked around the house a little bit, trying to find something.

"Mh?" After a few minutes, Naoko lifted her head in search of the little girl she couldn't find anywhere. "Helena?"

"Uh oh! She's gone snooping 'round the house!" Mimi giggled childishly.

"Will she be in trouble for this?" Petra asked, looking worried for the girl.

"I do not think so, not unless she does something to a prized possession… But even then, Naoko-sama has been a most generous woman." Frederica reassured her pupil.

"Subaru really is lucky… I hope he meets his mom again one day." Petra sighed as a sad frown placed itself on her face.

But the black-haired girl was nowhere to be seen. Intrigued, Naoko began to search for her, calling her multiple times, until she noticed the door of a very special room be open.

Widening her eyes, the brown-haired lady walked with hesitant footsteps towards the handle of the door…Before opening it, she found Helena holding a picture in her hands.

"There she 's! The little rascal!" Garfiel laughed, enjoying the sight of the weird toys in the room surrounding Helena. "Hey, maybe she just wanted to play with these toys!"

"They look kinda weird though," Otto narrowsed his eyes at what seemed to be a collection of… White-haired women statues?

"They are strangely reminiscent of Emilia-sama, pardon my interjection." Julius commented with increased interest.

"Hm, that is true…" Otto put a hand on his chin.

"Oi, princess! 'Tis seems like it's Cap'n's room! He's been crushing on ya since before ya met with 'em, hahaha! How cool is that?!"

Julius and Otto both glared at the blonde tiger boy as he laughed without care. "We were close to getting it right." "I personally believe we could've gotten it alone."

"Stop bein' so salty!" Garfiel grinned mockingly at them both.

While the boys were busy, Crusch and Rem looked at Emilia to gage her reaction.

"Big sis?" Felt called her in worry. "Why are ya cryin'?"

"Emilia-sama…" Rem bites a lip, not knowing what to do.

Crusch looked at the back of Emilia's head, unable to say anything to comfort the girl even though she didn't even know what was bothering Emilia so much.

"...It's fine. P-Please just ignore me for the next few minutes… I just…" Emilia wiped her tears but couldn't stop the trails from renewing on her cheeks. "Just let me be for now… Please."

Hearing her choke out in between sniffles, most of the boys became rigid as well as the maids of Emilia's camp.

The half-elf's pain also became clear to Al, who was wondering why she's been so depressed since Helena arrived.

"Is she maybe jealous of princess for having such a wonderful kid? Or is it because of Pal's room revealing his sketchy obsession with figurines that look like her?"

"Al, muzzle your snout." Ram suddenly ordered him with a most serious voice and expression.

Of course, the one-armed man refused to do so. "Hey, I'm just sayin'... It must be heartbreaking to know your knight and future lover is a turbo virgi—"

"This isn't a joke!" Ignoring the weird phrases he spoke that weren't familiar to her, Ram urged the man to see the intensity of the situation.

"What is this about…? I don't know why the princess down there is feeling troubled." Al said in a confused voice.

"That's not your fault… It's… Helena. Emilia-sama figured out who the father was…" Ram revealed in a disgusted voice which further baffled the man.

"Huh? I don't even know who this father is myself… All I know is that he's a poor dumbass…"

"Oh, he's more than a dumbass, Al." Ram gritted her teeth in rage. "He's a goddamn destructive buffoon with a ground dragon's feces for brains!"

"What… the hell?" Al was clueless, needless to say.

"Helena…?" Naoko called her, her voice choking in worry as she noticed the tears in the little girl's eyes. What happened to her? Why was she holding this picture?

"I-Is this…" Helena raised her eyes filled with tears to her, stuttering in her words.

"…He is my son." Naoko sighed in pity, not being able to fight her tears coming. Though, she wondered what led Helena to share her sadness.

Naoko knelt as she tried to soothe the crying girl. She didn't know why she was crying, but she couldn't bear to see her in this state.

"Why is she crying over Subaru-kyun's… picture frame?" Felix asked with confusion and fascination.

"Those pictures look so high quality! What kind of artist drew them?!" Tivey found himself gushing unconsciously about the minuscule advancement in Subaru's world rather than what worried many in the theater.

"A gal is cryin' man. Not the right time to be a bookworm." Ricardo patted Tivey's head and advised calmly. The beastman had a worried expression himself as he saw how toned in nearly all the candidates became.

"Does… Helena-chan knows Subaru-kun this well?" Rem asked herself, earning a shrug from Beatrice and Felt.

"He might've saved her in the future? I dunno."

"It's not that… Please just watch." Emilia pleaded with Felt and the others as her tears began drying on her cheeks after she gave up wiping them away. She could feel the next set of trails coming down her face anyway.

Helena jumped in her arms, clenching onto the woman's clothes harder than ever as she couldn't stop her tears. Both felt each other's warmth, both felt the comfort of being into this embrace, enough for Naoko to not being able to hold herself back anymore and cry as well.

It was an odd feeling. She didn't know why she was crying, she didn't know why she felt so good, so appeased...Like somehow, she felt that she knew why, while still being clueless. As they slowly let go of one another, Naoko held her hand on the black-haired's girls cheek, slowly stroking her hair at the same time in an attempt to soothe her...And suddenly...The black-haired girl began to smile.

She was smiling, as she laughed, and cried. She tried to wipe her tears away, but she couldn't stop them.

"Natsuki…" Helena said as she looked up to the woman, "Subaru Natsuki…" And Naoko froze in place. Her eyes wide and her breath taken away, her hands began to shake as she heard that little girl pronounce the name of her son like that...Before Helena stepped a bit back, wiping her tears with her finger as she held the photo with the black-haired boy in evidence to the woman, smiling with brightness.

"No…" Otto was the first to put the pieces together once he focused on the picture and Helena's face. "B-By the spirits! It is! It's—"

"That's Natsuki Subaru's daughter… no wonder it's nine years in the future." Julius interrupted out of sheer shock, his face looked aghast at the revelation.

"She's who's daughter?! No freakin' way!" Felt looked back at the screen after glaring at Otto and Julius. Her eyes widened to saucer size as she noticed the uncanny resemblance between the picture frame and the girl. "HOLY SHIT—"

"Whatever, I suppose." Beatrice huffed openly as if the information didn't disturb her a single bit. "She better not replace Betty as Subaru's number three, in fact."

"I think you sh~~ooo~~uld focus on a lot more than just that, Beatrice-sama." Roswaal spoke for the first time since the start of this viewing, appearing to have a grimace on his face as if the reveal was a rough pill to swallow for him.

"That explains why she's crying then! Oh, how cruel of this demon to do to the daughter what she's done to Subaru-sama a year ago!" Frederica found herself in outrage over what she perceived as Helena's transport into Subaru's world. "No doubt, that Witch wanted to hurt Subaru-sama somehow, and so she took away Helena-chan!"

"What an evil WITCH!" Petra squeezed the armrests with her small hands as hard as she could, wishing she could help Helena and Subaru through this future.

"... Helena Natsuki… That's truly a good name, Subaru." Crusch didn't let the news affect her negatively, instead, the duchess found happiness in the fact that the boy she had started to love managed to raise such a wonderful ball of light and happiness. "No wonder she was so fond of her father… He's the biggest timewaster on our maps."

"Don't ya mean goofball, Crusch-san?" Anastasia cements her presence by commenting slyly. "Those are a lover's eyes you got 'ere, Crusch-san. Don't tell me ya think you're the mother of Helena-chan, hehe~"

The foxy western lady giggled delightfully once Crusch's face tinted with rosy pink at the mere mention of such a fact.

"I—I…" Crusch coughed to stabalize herself. "...I wouldn't mind…" She admitted passionately.

"I know." Anastasia smiled truthfully. "It's why I said them's a lover's eyes ya got."

But then someone interjected on their moment…

"Who is Helena-chan's mother then?" Rem asked. She looked heartbroken once she noticed Helena's crimson eyes. She immediately understood that this girl wasn't hers. It crushed the maid completely. "W-Who… Did he choose?"

"It doesn't matter, in fact." Beatrice shrugged her shoulders.

"Yes, it does. It matters a lot to me, Beatrice-sama." Rem started tearing up on her own as she glared at the spirit. "I love Subaru-kun with all my heart… I'll give my all to love Helena-chan as well."

"Then it shouldn't matter who was the girl's second creator, I suppose." Beatrice looked into Rem's soul when she said this. But the maid wasn't as twisted as the spirit. The maid felt the hurt, the betrayal, and the burn of being left behind.

"No—!"

"Rem. Watch and I'll tell you." Emilia seethed in her chair, unable to do anything but emphasize her point by pulling Rem's arm without strength.

The maid was seated by the force of Emilia's voice alone, however.

"I guess...I have to do it all over again," Helena said as she bowed her head a bit.

"My name is Helena Natsuki."

And as she raised her head, she met with Naoko's twinkling eyes. Who only needed a split of a second to understand herself who she was.

"It is my pleasure to finally meet you...Grandmother."

The little girl's final statement before Naoko was gasping and sobbing in her hand, the stream of tears now appearing to be a waterfall gracing her cheeks. The old woman's heart never felt more alive as it beat against her very soul from a myriad of confusing emotions.

"This is insane! THIS IS FUCKING INSANE!" Al was hyperventilating on the spot as he held Ram's hand with his good one. "It's fucking out of this world! It's impossible!"

"... She's the daughter of them both." Ram affirmed the fact that the knight was having trouble coming to terms with by coldly stating it while squeezing his arm. She looked unimpressed but still a little miffed and disgusted.

"NO WAY! NA-UH! There must be another explanation somewhere! Crimson eyes? It's the Felt gal. She got together with him—"

"While Felt-sama is of age to marry, she's too young for Barusu's perverted tastes."

"THEN THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER RED-EYED GIRL IN YOUR CAMP SOMEWHERE BECAUSE BY GOD—"

"You're deluding yourself from what we both know is true." Ram let go of his arm and crossed her leg again to waste some energy kicking the chair infront of her rather than seeth in place.

"I… No way… No freaking way… Princess?!" Al held on to his helmet and stared Helena's frozen frame down from top to bottom. "Holy shit… Pal really did it… Holy fucking sh—"

"Will your yapping and howling ever cease you dog?" Ram huffed in annoyance.

"I'm sorry… BUT COME ON!"

She sighed and fell into her palm as Al continued his meltdown.

Helena remained beaming with a smile, holding the picture of Subaru to her chest dearly.

Naoko's tongue had been filled with so many questions that no one can answer for nine years. For nine years she held on to these heart-aching inquiries.

But at this moment, out of all of them, only one seemed to shine through and break out of the decade-old dam placed on her soul.

"P-Please... "she begged the little one with her heartbreaking, "tell me he's alive and well… Please! "

As the mother looked at her unmistakable young granddaughter, Helena's eyes twinkled in happiness as her little lips parted to provide an answer to this age-old question.

Before another voice broke into the room, "Naoko, dear, who's this?"

Helena and the broken-down Naoko looked back to find a confused, worried-looking Kenichi, standing at the doorway. It took him a simple second of observation to notice the sight of Helena with his son's picture in her grasp.

His jaw fell as Helena giggled happily.

"Well… I did not expect this…" Reinhard commented with a small smile aimed at the frozen image of Helena's happy face. "She's wonderful, I can't help but hope to be there and share your happiness… Good on you, Subaru."

"Maybe someday, you'll make one of your own and stop being a spineless idiot." Felt laughed at the knight's flushed face when she said that.

"I'm really happy she provided some comfort to Subaru's mother and father. These two have had it rough… Though Helena was taken away from Subaru-kyun…" Felix looked conflicted at this issue, not wanting to feel what Subaru could be going through right now.

"It's not impossible to traverse these worlds, Felix." Wilhelm patted the healer on the back in comfort. "Believe in Subaru's determination. He will not let his daughter down."

Felix smiled at the comforting thought, only reinvigorated when Petra and Mimi cheered from behind him.

"Yeah!" "Subaru won't leave them be, he's going to find a way to get Helena and both his parents back! Just you wait!"

But before any more could be said by each group in the room, a loud voice boomed.

"NO! I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU!"

Rem was the in the spotlight as she stood from her seat and faced Emilia with a scathing glare of disgust and anguish.

Al and Ram looked down at the blue twin from their seats above, the older sister could tell why this was happening. The two maids and mercenary twins along with Ricardo watched with shocked expressions at the audacity of Rem's outburst. Otto, Garfiel, and Julius looked on with alarm, and curiosity spread across their expressions. While Reinhard and Felt watched from the other side with the intent to intervene similarly to Wilhelm and Felix.

Crusch came between Emilia and Rem by walking over Rem's seat.

"There has to be a better explanation for this. Do not make a mistake." She said to Rem, sternly warning the maid.

"Careful now~, Oni's have a tendency to go wild when they're emotionally unstable as this one." Anastasia ruffled her scarf as she cautioned Crusch. The merchant queen looked just about upset as Beatrice who was glaring at Emilia from the side.

"I do not intend on treating my friend as a wild animal," Crusch reprimands the western candidate by shaking her head. She faced Rem with a disappointed frown.

But the blue-haired maid didn't see any of them. She only cared for the half-elf sitting in her seat behind Crusch.

"I don't understand why you're so upset with me, Rem." Emilia's voice tore through the room even though it was hoarse and tired, not at all like the usual soothing voice of the kind princess. "I have done nothing but tell you what you wanted."

Rem was forced to take a moment to calm down once Emilia had stood up and faced her alongside Crusch.

The half-elf had tired features and untidy hair as she came in close contact with Rem's personal space.

"Like it or not, the reason why I disliked hearing Helena speak about her parents was because of that. So don't blame me for not telling or saying anything to you. No one would've believed me."

"Emilia-sama, please tell us what this is about!" Otto, having enough of Emilia's towering over Rem, decided to intervene so he can understand the situation better.

But Emilia simply didn't answer. She merely glared at Rem's frozen face of withdrawal for a few seconds. She stared at the ground for a few seconds more before slowly glaring upwards at the happy face of the midnight-haired princess.

Emilia's lips quivered before she turned away from Rem and the screen and walked out of the theater room, hair waving behind her smoothly.

Everyone was confused except for a select small number who guessed what the conversation was about and heard it.

"Do you agree to the same theory, Hoshin-sama?" Crusch turned to face the western lady with a stern look.

"Of course. I would say I came to the same conclusion before Emilia-san." Anastasia answered confidently, making Crusch narrow her eyes in distrust. "What? Angry that I didn't share anythin' with ya?"

Crusch shakes her head and lets her glare drop into a tired look. "I shouldn't be. But it would've done me a lot of favors to mitigate this damage."

"It's only an outburst, no one was hurt." Anastasia waved Crusch's worry without a second thought. "This one's gotta keep her emotions in check though." She eyed Rem as she said this, to which the maid flinched with guilt and shame.

"It doesn't matter now… I'll go talk to Emilia-sama—" Crusch was cut off from defending Rem by deflecting subjects.

"OI! What the hell's all this about?!" Felt shouted at them both, ready to fight for her answer as this was all getting on her nerves. "Answer that weird-looking boy's question!" She pointed at Otto even though she didn't mean to offend him.

He very much was but chose to let it go since the answers were more important.

"Please, Crusch-sama, Rem-san… What did Emilia-sama say?" Otto looked at the two girls with a pleading look. Everyone in the room looked at them with anticipation. Though Al and Ram remained concealed from this situation as they already guessed what this was all about.

One other person, however, took no time to answer Otto before Crusch or Rem could agree to spill the truth.

"It's about the mother of that girl, dear Otto-kun."

The boy flinched when he heard the booming, self-entitled voice of the lord in the back.

Roswaal commanded everyone's attention with his intervention and so he gave his most serious face as he explained, "Natsuki-kun's beautiful daughter is also… the future daughter of Priscilla Barielle-sama."

Several eyes widened at this notion from the Lord, and loud protests erupted a second after, none louder than Felt's.

"Oh, you have to be kiddin' me!" Felt used part of her speed to disappear from the room and run straight out, Reinhard deduced it was to comfort Emilia.

And the rest of the theater was left to deal with this revelation by themselves.

To be continued in 3B…

---

Well this was a chore. Sorry if this one seemed off and less detailed. I had a bad time writing it. It's also very hard to make these characters care about the same thing in different ways when they aren't that well connected to the story of Helena lol. I made it as interesting as I could currently. Hope you enjoyed yourselves! And I promise better quality next time because next time is where these cunts actually start to care about what they are watching.

Chapter 2 of Hopeful, here we go.

No beta readers, we die like men.