Ikuto lay on the hard stone floor when he came to, slowly getting up with a face full of pain. His entire body hurt, likely thanks to the unforgiving ground. Despite Yoru's pleas, he continued to regularly push past his limits, often resulting in his body's collapse and subsequent unconsciousness. He sighed and sat on the floor for a moment. His head was pounding. "I hope she's okay…" His voice was quiet and weak, and his eyes had grown cooler and emptier, more like those of the original Ikuto from this world. This didn't surprise him, as he had been completely isolated and alone for months. The important messages from Yoru never reached him because he wasn't conscious when they came. For the less important ones, he neither took the time nor had the energy to respond, as it was more important to him to focus on his powers.

Reluctantly, he eventually got up and got himself something to eat and drink, for although he considered it a waste of time, his body clearly signaled that it needed nutrients, especially water. While sitting by the window and drinking, he smiled bitterly. "She probably doesn't want to see me anymore anyway. She likely has no feelings for me anymore, after not being able to talk for months, while Nagi was always by her side…" he murmured bitterly to himself. But what else could he have done? No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't reach his goal faster. He shook his head. Had he not focused so intensely on training his powers, he would surely be even further behind with his abilities now. He was sure it wouldn't take much longer to reach the full power of his Wyvern form. He made a few gentle movements with his hand, whereupon black mist appeared from it and finally manifested into a shadow creature in front of him. He had, of course, not only concentrated on his shape-shifting; he had already relearned everything else.

"Sir?" The creature with glowing blue eyes looked at its master and waited for instructions. Ikuto just shook his head. "Just for practice and certainty, just in case." he finally replied, making it disappear again with another wave of his hand.

A deep sigh escaped his lips. How could the shape-shifting take the most time? He thought it would be the easiest of all. Finally, he opened the window, knelt briefly on the windowsill, and then jumped outside. Still in the fall, his shape began to change. From a small wyvern at first to an even larger one. Breathing fire was a complex part on its own, as his body definitely felt different as a wyvern, but he had already mastered that quite well too. Only the final step to the highest level of his Wyvern form was missing, which would provide even more magical power for his attacks with greater size. As he practiced hovering in one spot in the air and simultaneously scanning the surroundings with his sharp, far-reaching eyes, his thoughts drifted. "I can only hope that the day of birth remains unchanged…"

Yoru was lucky; since he appeared to the uninformed as just a cat, he was allowed to see Amu, unlike the other maids. Only Nagi and Tadase were constantly with her. When Tadase wasn't there, Amu looked questioningly at Yoru, who only shook his head. "I hate to say it, but I don't think he's coming anymore… or even alive…" he swallowed and hesitated bitterly at the last words, not wanting to say them, but slowly it seemed the only possibility to him. Amu swallowed too, fighting back tears. "What could have happened to him... He must be okay…" In this context, she didn't care if he didn't care about her anymore; she just wanted him to be safe. She felt her heart ache and her breath quicken. Nagi didn't hesitate and immediately brought in the doctor, throwing a reproachful look at Yoru at the same time. After all, now was definitely not the best moment to discuss such things with her.

The pink-haired girl lost her entire fighting spirit for a moment, barely noticing how the doctor and his nurses buzzed around her like frantic wasps. Her blood pressure was alarmingly high, and she was on the verge of a stroke. "Amu… Don't give up! None of this is certain... Think of the child!" Nagi called out desperately before being escorted out of the room, slamming his fist into the wall outside. "It's only a few more days... I thought she had made it... Damn it!" He leaned against the wall and sank to the floor. Tadase also arrived, surprisingly calm.

"She can do this…" he reassured Nagi. In reality, he was just as scared and panicked, but he tried to stay composed.

"Not if she gives up… and it looked like she was doing just that…" Nagi's voice trembled, and his heart raced as tears streamed from his eyes against his will. He nervously bit his thumbnail.

"Why? Because of him?" That was the only thing that made sense to Tadase, as she had been quite cheerful in recent weeks, and he and Nagihiko had done everything in their power to keep her happy and calm.

The purple-haired boy took a deep breath. "Probably."

The prince clenched his fist, wanting nothing more than to bury it in that guy's face. Why did this girl still cling to him despite everything?

"She'll be alright…" he took a deep breath and extended his hand to Nagihiko, who took it and stood in front of the blonde.

"Don't you have any way to contact him? I just don't understand…"

"He's not responding anymore, and we have no other means…" Nagihiko replied bitterly, looking away.

Tadase shook his head in disbelief. Several long, agonizing minutes filled with fear, worry, and sorrow passed until the door finally opened, and someone came out. Both held their breath and stared at the doctor in front of them.

"She is stable. We have put her into a deeper sleep using magic. She will only wake up for the birth to ensure that there is no further incident," the man in the lab coat explained calmly.

Tadase swallowed briefly. "She will definitely wake up again?" He wasn't entirely comfortable with the situation.

The doctor nodded. "Normally, she will wake up on her own, but we can also break the spell manually. It's the best course of action. If this happens again, we might not be able to do anything. If she gets through the birth well, the complications should also subside."

"I understand..." Tadase looked downcast.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but this is the most likely way to ensure that both the woman and the child will be healthy by your side." The doctor could imagine that the young prince was now even more filled with uncertainty and fear than before. He then returned to the room because she was still under constant observation, and a doctor was always nearby on Tadase's orders.

This time, Nagihiko pulled himself together and placed a hand on Tadase's shoulder. "Just a few more days. It will be fine." The blonde just nodded silently. The day of the birth, however, held another potential challenge for him, and his nerves had already been at their limit the entire time.

The two continued to spend as much time as possible with Amu, encouraging her even though she couldn't respond to them. Nagi occasionally told some stories, cheerful and calm ones, nothing upsetting. He hoped she would somehow hear them and be happy about it because there wasn't much else he could do.

One day, Tadase was called out of the room by his mother. Her expression immediately told him it could only be about how useless he was. He sighed as he left the room.

"You know she's important; how could you let it come to this?" She shook her head in disappointment and looked down at her son disdainfully. "Me? What was I supposed to do? I certainly didn't decide that she would suddenly fall ill…" His voice sounded angry, yet he held himself back as best he could.

"You could have taken better care of her," she shrugged and shook her head again.

"I…" he faltered, stunned. "I did everything within my power, but thanks to you, she sees me as at most a friend…"

His mother raised an eyebrow and laughed incredulously. "Us? Now you're blaming us for your inability to make a woman happy?"

"You practically forced me to spend hours with her every day against her will…" He didn't want to say it and shook his head. "Had I not done that, maybe everything would be different."

"If you hadn't been such a stubborn, bratty, and spoiled child and had just accepted her from the start and tried to love her, this wouldn't have happened." She wrinkled her nose at his insolence.

"I will not force her into anything else if the child doesn't meet your expectations. I also don't want to risk another pregnancy going the same way." His eyes were determined, but his mother just grinned darkly. "We will find ways."

He blinked, confused, and furrowed his brow. What would they do if he refused?

"We have our ways and means, and just because you are our son doesn't mean you'll be spared if you don't obey. I advise you to do it your way, or it will only get worse for the girl." They had a dark spell in mind that would make Tadase a mindless puppet. The blonde clenched his teeth in anger and took a deep breath.

"Fine…" With this confirmation, his mother walked away with a satisfied grin. His father followed her after giving Tadase another contemptuous look. He sighed and looked down. Perhaps the time had come for him to give up on Amu for her own good, even if it would destroy him.

The remaining days passed, with Tadase mostly quiet and downcast. Nagihiko had noticed this, of course, and tried to talk to the prince, but he refused and remained depressed despite all efforts. Only when Nagi mentioned that Amu could probably sense his mood did he try to stay positive.

Now the big day had come, and for the first time since the incident, Amu's maids were allowed back into the room, having prepared potions in advance to support Amu. The three looked at the sleeping princess with concern and exchanged even more worried glances but trusted the assurances that everything was fine.

"I have something that should help with any pain during the birth. Also, something to calm her a bit. And something to stimulate the healing process afterward." Su had several small bottles in her arms and was visibly nervous.

"We're not so skilled in this kind of thing, but we prepared relaxing music and scents... Some books said that could help too..." murmured Ran, rubbing her left arm awkwardly as she stood next to Miki.

"I don't know how long we should wait... When do we need to wake her manually...?" muttered the blonde uneasily, his eyes fixed on Amu.

Just as Nagi was about to respond, the pink-haired girl started making noises and moving a bit. Shortly after, her eyes opened, and she saw everyone gathered around her. "Am I dying?" she joked and giggled a little as her eyes adjusted to the light.

Nagi and Tadase exchanged glances and sighed silently. "Hopefully not. This time, you won't just give up, right?" The purple-haired boy gently ruffled her hair and smiled at her.

"I... I should go... I'm honestly at the end of my rope... I don't know if I can control myself if it..." he didn't finish, but everyone knew what he meant.

"Please stay..." she looked at him sadly.

"It's dangerous..." he shook his head.

"I need both of you right now..." she looked downcast. Was this reasonable? Certainly not. She herself had been afraid for months of what Tadase might do once it was confirmed that the baby wasn't his. Still, there was always the possibility that it was his, and she felt he should be there in that case.

She reached for his hand and squeezed it so tightly that Tadase winced. The first contraction seemed to set in, prompting Su to immediately search for a bottle and administer it to Amu. "This should help," she said with a reassuring smile. "You can do this."

Amu was grateful for the three of them. Su was more of a mother to her than her own, and she was glad to have a kind of family by her side in this situation, even without her real family. Her gaze soon shifted to Tadase, and she apologized for her hand. "It's okay, squeeze as hard as you need to," he smiled, not showing any pain, even though he had to admit she was squeezing quite hard at times, and his hand hurt quite a bit.

Su continued with her potions before she ran out of time. Her voice was hurried and nervous. "Here, this is to keep you calm in general..." she carefully poured the liquid into Amu's mouth, causing the pink-haired girl to cough and grimace. "Sorry, some of these don't taste very good..." muttered the green-haired girl as she rummaged for more. "This one is for later... But here's another one that should help relieve cramps..." she spoke more to herself and quickly poured another potion into Amu's mouth. "Su, it's okay, calm down," Amu said with a slight laugh just before she let out a scream. Another contraction, a strong one.

It wasn't long before the attending doctor and nurses entered the room, and Amu's maids positioned themselves on either side of the bed to continue encouraging her. Nagi held her other hand and occasionally stroked her head.

It felt like endless hours, during which Amu repeatedly screamed in pain, and Su constantly blamed herself for her remedies not being enough. However, everyone was sure that it would have been much worse for Amu without Su's help. Tadase's heart sank with each scream. He didn't want to see her suffer, but he kept holding her hand firmly.

When the crying and screaming of a baby finally filled the room, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, except Tadase and Nagi, who remained focused on Amu. They wanted to make sure she was okay. Nagi had the easier part during the birth, as his hand wasn't being nearly crushed.

The pink-haired girl took a deep breath and opened her eyes with relief when she heard the crying. Only then did the two men also relax. The midwives cleaned the baby and everything related to it thoroughly, and the doctor checked Amu's vitals before leaving the room, allowing everyone some peace and quiet. One of the midwives happily announced that it was a boy and handed the little bundle to the new mother before also leaving the room.

Amu took him with a smile and held him lovingly to her chest before giving everyone a first look at the baby by removing the towel from his head. She swallowed, and her expression changed for a moment. After all these months and everything that had happened recently, she had to admit she would have preferred the baby's hair to be blonde.

"Tadase..." she turned to him, wanting to reassure him, but the young prince was immediately visibly tense, clenching his fists, fighting back tears, and standing up abruptly to leave the room. As he turned, he made a small hand movement, causing blades of wind magic to form and rush toward the baby.

Even though he had tried for months to prepare himself emotionally, his world was collapsing, and he couldn't handle the pain, disappointment, and consequences from his parents. Of course, he acted impulsively and recklessly.

Amu sharply inhaled and closed her eyes, pulling her son close. Nagi, on the other hand, quickly assessed the situation and jumped over the bed to stand protectively in front of Amu and the baby. The painful sound and cough that left Nagi's lips made Amu open her eyes again.

Tadase was already gone, but in front of her now lay an unconscious Nagihiko, with a panicked Su immediately kneeling beside him to examine his wound. "He's losing a lot of blood... and very quickly..." the green-haired girl wailed, completely at a loss for how to save him so quickly.

The blades had narrowly pierced just below his heart, leaving a drastic wound. "Nagi... Please, no..." Amu pleaded as tears welled up in her eyes. Ikuto's son looked at his mommy with wide eyes, then glanced at Nagi and Su. He laughed briefly before his eyes lit up for a moment.

Su, still desperately trying to stop the bleeding, suddenly shook her head in confusion and looked bewilderedly at her hands holding the cloth she had been using to apply pressure. "It's stopped..." she took a deep breath and quickly composed herself; the reason didn't matter now, she had to act. "I... I've only ever sewn fabric..." she lamented as she searched the room for a needle and thread.

"We believe in you, Su!" Amu tried to sound positive, but her voice was panicked and horrified. Her heart was pounding in her throat, and her throat was completely dry. She couldn't bear to lose Nagi.

The maid swallowed nervously and began to stitch the needles through the flesh, doing her best to close the wound. When she thought it should be enough to at least stop it from bleeding too much, she filled his mouth with several potions, hoping they would boost his natural self healing enough, so he would recover from this. Everyone watched Nagihiko anxiously until he finally coughed up blood and woke up. However, he was still too weak to speak.

A weight was lifted off Amu's chest, and only now did she notice that her son looked terribly focused and had been staring at Nagi the whole time. "It stopped bleeding, you said?" she looked at Su, who nodded in confirmation. "You did that, didn't you?" She still couldn't hold back her tears, and now they flowed even more than before as she hugged the boy tightly. "Thank you..." she sniffed, her voice sounding pathetic yet relieved and happy.

"Ikuto controls blood magic?" Ran inquired, looking puzzled at Amu and the baby. "It was rumored everywhere what terrible, evil powers he has." Yoru chimed in, finally joining them as well. He didn't want to upset Amu again and preferred to wait until the birth was over. "Well... I'm not really interested in all that political stuff..." she scratched her head awkwardly, but she still didn't get an answer. "Yes... he does..." Amu sighed, not wanting to talk about Ikuto.

"Do you have a name yet?" Miki smiled cheerfully and gently booped the little boy, who was playing with a few strands of his mother's hair.

Amu sighed heavily again and briefly looked sadly at the ground. When she had come up with the name, she still believed in her bond with Ikuto, but that belief had been lost. "Actually... Aruto..." she murmured softly. Su briefly considered and quickly came up with the origin. "A modified form of your names? That's sweet," she smiled gently, but noticed how downcast her mistress was. "Amuto would have sounded weird, so I swapped the m with an r," she explained, scratching her neck embarrassedly.

"If it makes you so unhappy, you can choose a different name. You still have some time." Su replied, trying to cheer her up a bit.

Amu shook her head. "Let's just leave it at that." Her gaze fell on her son, who was staring at her with his yellow-golden eyes, the same as hers, curious and laughing happily. "Welcome to our world, Aruto. Unfortunately, you probably won't get to meet your daddy... He doesn't seem to like your mommy very much anymore, but I'm sure Uncle Nagi will take good care of you," her eyes reflected her sadness, even though her mouth was accompanied by a smile. Of course, Nagi wouldn't just be the uncle, but that fit better in this context. The maids exchanged sad looks before Su finally helped Nagi up. He sat carefully on the edge of the bed and put a hand on Amu's head.

Aruto reached out a hand to the lilac-haired man, which initially gave Nagi a confused expression, but he gently smiled and offered the boy his little finger, which he joyfully grasped with his tiny hand.

"You need to rest, Nagi..." even a blind person would notice his trembling; it was exhausting for him to sit upright without support. "Later," he ruffled her hair and continued to smile, showing no outward signs of pain.

The brief moment of peace was short-lived as the door opened and Tadase's parents entered. They approached the bed, their gazes fixed on the baby, showing no interest in Amu's condition. The mother grimaced bitterly before laughing ironically. "Useless..." Her eyes reflected the disgust and contempt she felt for Tadase, as the hair spoke volumes for itself.

Nonetheless, she took a small crystal out of her pocket and dangled it in front of the baby. Aruto's eyes sparkled at the sight of the beautiful gem, and his hands reached out for the swaying object. Amu didn't like this at all, but as long as they posed no danger, she decided that staying calm was probably the better choice. The crystal began to glow brightly in various colors. "Interesting..." With these words, she left the room, her husband in tow, and attended to her useless son, who was sitting on the floor against a wall outside the room, crying.

"You are truly good for nothing. How on earth could she cheat on you? Of course, it had to happen to our family, an infertile son." She rolled her eyes. Although she didn't know how often they had actually tried, as he claimed it was often unsuccessful because of him, the fact that it was supposed to happen regularly was enough for her to come to this conclusion. "Or do you have so little control over your wife that other men are regularly jumping over her?"

"Of course not..." At least he knew for sure that the pregnancy was the result of a one-time affair.

"Whatever. The bastard has highly exceptional powers. He must possess the strength of both parents. We'll dye his hair and pass him off as yours."

"You can't expect me to pretend nothing happened and treat him like my son..." Tadase swallowed and hoped his mother would finally show some compassion, but of course, she did not.

"Just convince yourself he's yours. His hair will be blond, and he luckily has her eyes, so it's plausible."

She wouldn't engage in any further discussion and walked away. Shortly afterward, a lady-in-waiting with some supplies entered the room.

"Milady, you must hand over the child briefly, by order of the Queen." The girl was polite and friendly.

"What? No..." Amu shook her head in horror. Who knew what that witch was planning?

"It's alright..." Tadase stood in the doorway and assured her it was nothing bad. He looked emotionally devastated, making it hard for Amu to be angry at him for the earlier incident.

Reluctantly, she handed her son to the lady-in-waiting and watched as she began to lather his head with a mixture. She frowned and looked at Tadase.

"You have to pass him off as my son..." he sighed and looked at the floor. "...we... have to..." he added hesitantly as a correction.

"It's not like I can get out of here anyways... At least he seems valuable enough to be allowed to live..." Her voice was scornful. She hated this royal couple. She would keep it to herself that she and Nagi and the others were still working on an escape plan. It wasn't even about Tadase anymore; she simply felt sorry for him, and a part of her would love to take him with her, but she wanted to get away from the tyrannical rulers.

Tadase sighed silently and looked at Nagi. "I'm sorry..." The lilac-haired man furrowed his eyebrows in a sad expression and nodded silently.

The girl finished, rinsed the baby's head with warm water carefully, and gently dried it with a towel before placing him back in Amu's arms. "It's all natural remedies, nothing artificial that would be dangerous." Amu nodded, and the servant left the room.

Aruto was still upset and cried loudly until his eyes fell on Tadase, and he reached out to him with his arms. His eyes sparkled excitedly. "'Your' son seems to want you." Her voice was negative and still scornful, but then she took a deep breath and decided not to make Tadase's life any harder. After all, it wasn't his fault. She studied him for a moment and noticed the red, swollen eyes. He must have been crying. She could easily imagine his mother had only insulted him after she was here.

"Come on..." Her voice was now gentler.

Tadase shook his head. He just couldn't do it. How could he pretend nothing had happened, as if the child was his own flesh and blood? "You have as little choice as I do." His gaze rested on her silently for a moment before he sighed and walked over to take Aruto in his arms. "He has your eyes... That alone means he'll be incredibly handsome..." murmured the young prince with a downcast smile. Unfortunately, he couldn't identify any resemblance to anyone he might have seen to finally know who the father was, but it was certainly not Nagi, as the baby had none of his traits.

"Oh, they're not that special," she smiled and made a dismissive hand gesture.

"They are to me..." the prince replied as he continued to observe the child in his arms. Aruto beamed at him and laughed as his little hands tugged at the young man's clothing.

"The ceremony will coincide with the announcement of the successful birth of an heir. Knowing my parents, it will be the day after tomorrow at the latest." His gaze remained on the baby. He didn't dare to look at Amu.

"It's okay." She had come to terms with her fate and was now mostly certain that Tadase would treat her well.

"I can't do this... I can't see the child of another man as my own while tolerating you being with Nagihiko right in front of me, while I'm just a friend, if that..." Once again, tears streamed down Tadase's cheeks. He just wanted to disappear forever.

"I..." She paused and looked at Nagi, who already understood and swallowed hard. "Nagi and I will separate... It's probably best for Aruto to grow up without this chaos..." These words came out painfully, tearing her heart into a thousand pieces. Who would have thought she would end up losing both of them? "I... Somewhere inside me..." she hesitated and placed her hand on her heart. "... there must still be some love for you... We'll manage..." Her gaze was fixed on the floor.

Tadase laughed bitterly. "I can't and won't demand that from you. I'll manage somehow..." He looked at Nagihiko, who was keeping his composure but whose eyes revealed how deeply hurt he was. He even forgot his physical pain in that moment. Tadase took a deep breath and looked away, troubled. "Still, he can't take on the role of Aruto's father, it would cause complications as soon as he can speak..."

"Hey, I always expected that my relationship with Amu would end someday. Now is that time," Nagi smiled sadly, his voice calm and composed.

"Not like this." Tadase shook his head. Why should their relationship, which was working well, end because of this? Nagi had spoken of the possibility if Amu chose Ikuto, but that hadn't happened. He carefully handed Aruto back to Amu and left the room. The baby immediately began to cry and reached out towards Tadase.

"Hey, it's alright," she soothed him, rocking him gently, puzzled by his distress.

"I have a bad feeling..." Nagi remarked thoughtfully before grimacing and placing his hand on his wound. "Ah, right..." he muttered with a deep sigh.

Tadase's breathing was calm and steady, and for the first time, he felt a pleasant emptiness and silence inside. He entered his quarters and locked the door behind him. Lying on his back on the bed, he stared silently at the ceiling with empty eyes until he finally swallowed and closed his eyes. A few tears rolled down his cheeks, but his lips were graced with a gentle smile. He raised his right hand and made a movement in front of his face. An invisible barrier of wind magic enveloped his head, blocking out the oxygen and making him cough immediately. His eyes began to tear up and his head throbbed, yet he welcomed the relief he had long awaited. Finally, he wouldn't have to suffer anymore, he would no longer be a burden to anyone. The useless, disappointing being that he was would finally disappear. He felt his life force slowly leaving him, and all the pain gradually faded away. His body became numb and motionless, and he could faintly hear knocking in the distance before closing his eyes and losing consciousness.

Kiseki was finally back. Tadase had sent him on a long vacation, which he had vehemently resisted, but ultimately had to obey. The prince probably didn't want his oldest and most loyal friend and servant to see him becoming more miserable and pathetic. The lilac-haired man was annoyed, as the carriages had taken their time, and he was much later than planned. He had hoped to be on time for the big day. Sighing but happy, he stood in front of Tadase's door and knocked, but there was no answer. "Is he not there?" He pressed the door handle down, but the door didn't open. Kiseki swallowed and felt a sinking feeling. He had spent years trying to drill into Tadase that he should lock the door, but he never did. Not once in all that time. His heart began to race, and nervous sweat broke out on his skin. Should he break down the door? What if he was overreacting? He shook his head. The consequences couldn't be that bad. He made a decision and broke down the door.

He saw the young prince on the bed, his own pulse still racing. Tadase looked peaceful and content. Was he just sleeping? No, he could clearly sense magic in the room. He rushed to Tadase and examined him until he reached his head. "A wind barrier... His wind barrier..." Kiseki also had wind magic and, having been by Tadase's side for years, knew exactly how his magic was constructed and could immediately dissolve the barrier without any problems.

Tadase's body instinctively responded, even without consciousness, causing him to take a sharp breath and cough several times. Kiseki placed a hand on his master's chest and felt his heart racing. "Tadase... Why would you do this..." His expression turned sad, but there was no time for that; he had to get doctors.

After examining him and administering some treatments, the doctors confirmed that the oxygen deprivation hadn't lasted long enough to cause damage, though he might still be unconscious for some time, but that wasn't certain; he could wake up soon.

Kiseki breathed a sigh of relief. "At least no lasting effects..." he murmured as he sat by the prince's bedside.

"We should probably inform his fiancée. The wedding is scheduled for tomorrow after all," the doctor mentioned before leaving the room. Being a messenger was not part of his job.

Kiseki sighed, torn between his duties. He wanted to find Amu and tell her, but he feared Tadase might wake up and do something foolish again. He decided to tie Tadase down before leaving to find Amu. Kiseki had been sent away early by Tadase and had no idea about the chaos that had ensued. Taking a deep breath, he knocked politely on the door of the sickroom and entered.

"Kiseki! We haven't seen you in ages!" Ran exclaimed in surprise.

"We thought you got kicked out," Miki chimed in.

The lilac-haired man raised his eyebrows incredulously and a bit haughtily. "Me? Kicked out? Don't be ridiculous." He shook his head and looked at Amu and the new maid.

"You, on the other hand, have gained reinforcements? Couldn't keep up with the work, I see."

The three maids pouted. "That was for a completely different reason!" Ran crossed her arms indignantly. Of course, they wouldn't blurt out Nagi's secret and the real reason.

"Be that as it may," Kiseki cleared his throat and then looked at Amu, who was holding Aruto. "First, I would like to extend my congratulations." He smiled gently and bowed his head slightly. "Unfortunately, I must inform Milady that the ceremony scheduled for tomorrow has to be postponed indefinitely."

Amu blinked at him in confusion. Not only had she not yet been informed that the wedding was set for tomorrow rather than the day after, but she also couldn't imagine any reason for postponement.

"Why?"

Kiseki looked around the room and cleared his throat again. "Please forgive me, but I would prefer not to discuss this in an open forum. Is Milady able to walk?"

Amu frowned and swallowed nervously. She briefly wondered if she really could and should walk, but then nodded, wanting to know what was going on. "You stay here and look after Aruto." She handed her son to Su, and her instruction was mainly directed at Nagi, as it was obvious that Su, Ran, and Miki weren't coming along. She then stood up, supported by Nagihiko on her wobbly legs. "I'm not sure if this is a good idea..." he said in his feminine voice.

"Milady, if you're not yet able to walk, I must politely ask you to prioritize your health." Simultaneously, he assured her that he would support her. Amu insisted, and they left the room together, heading to Tadase's quarters. Unaware that Tadase would not have wanted Amu to find out immediately, his loyal servant led her to his room. Upon entering, she immediately noticed Tadase lying motionless on the bed, hooked up to tubes and machines. She covered her mouth with her hands. "What happened?" Her whole body trembled, and her voice came out shaky. Kiseki ensured he supported her well and debated whether to tell her the truth or attribute it to an assassination attempt. He took a deep breath and sighed. His fiancée surely deserved the truth, so he explained how he found him and how certain he was that it was Tadase's own barrier.

Amu bit her lower lip, trying to hold back her tears. Today was supposed to be one of the happiest days for her, but it had turned into one tragedy after another. Her heart grew heavy at the thought of what might have happened if Kiseki hadn't returned in time. She didn't want to lose Tadase just as much as she didn't want to lose Nagihiko. She had to admit that deep down, she still had feelings for Tadase, and it was time to accept her fate and give up Nagi. She didn't want to be the reason Tadase would leave this world. She spent a while alone by his bed, speaking softly to him in the hope her words would reach him, but he showed no reaction. After some time, she stood up and returned to the others to report everything. Kiseki, who waited outside, decided to keep vigil by Tadase's side, knowing about the complications with his parents and how important Amu's baby was to them. He could imagine that without Tadase to intervene, things could change drastically, making this the perfect opportunity.

"I almost lost two people dear to me today... I... I just want this day to end... It's too much for me... And now I have to make this terrible decision." She sat on the bed, sobbing into her hands. Nagi placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled gently. "It's alright. I understand. Maybe someday we will be together again, our feelings won't change so easily, and we'll continue trying to get you out of here."

"No, Nagi... I have to stay. I'm afraid of what they might do to him... Or what he might do to himself... if I'm gone..." She continued to sob. Perhaps she could learn to love him again; that wasn't the issue. But they would never have a happy and fulfilling life in this dreadful castle.

"Then we'll just have to take him with us." He shrugged and grinned confidently. "Maybe it'll take a while. Maybe we'll all have to suffer a lot, but I'll do everything to make sure everything turns out well in the end." He gently wiped away a tear with the side of his hand. "I'll knock some sense into Ikuto too if I have to." He laughed briefly and tousled her hair, ignoring Yoru's earlier remark that Ikuto might not even be alive anymore.

"It's alright. I've accepted his decision." She looked at Aruto and sighed softly. "It's sad how things have changed. It would be easier if he were Tadases, but back then I would've done everything to make sure he was Ikuto's child."

Yoru, who had been mostly listening silently, drooped his ears. What was the point of all the effort if it ended like this? Should he stay or return? Since Ikuto never answered or contacted him, he probably wasn't interested in seeing Yoru again. Or had something really happened to him? Sooner or later, he'd have to face this issue and visit the castle.

The cat sighed gloomily and curled up in a corner, feeling down, and it was getting late anyways.

"Since Tadase is out of commission, I'll help you tonight. Get some rest; I'll wake you only if necessary. Even though I've perfected my role, I can't feed him, unfortunately," Nagi winked cheekily at Amu.

The pink-haired girl sighed sadly. "Thank you."

She gently cupped her boyfriends face and kissed his lips one last time as tears streamed down her face again.

He returned the kiss, stroked her head gently, and then kissed away her tears. "Everything will be alright, little one. Trust me."

Amu looked away sadly. She saw no hope for a happy ending but eventually lay down to sleep. She was told to sleep another night in here so that she could get surveillance and instant help if problems occurred.