As Manami sits completely immobile on the floor, overwhelmed by Karma's suave exit, Kaede rushes over and shakes her by the shoulders.
"Hey! What's up? What happened? Something bad?" Kaede looks at her, her face riddled with concern. Manami snaps out of it and stands back up, using Kaede's arm as support.
"N-no, well maybe a little bad… But nothing too out of the ordinary. I've been dispatched for a wyvern expedition and I have to set off tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?! That's so short notice! Surely they should've told you beforehand…" Kaede looks at her shocked, and a little disgusted by the disrespect they've shown Manami. Manami quietly contemplates whether or not it was that short notice, thinking about how all the knights seem to have been informed beforehand and she was the only one in the dark.
"I guess it's because I only just arrived at the royal palace…"
"They should've told you whilst they moved you to the palace!"
"I don't know… Everything has been a blur recently to be honest." Manami laughs lightly, scratching her face.
"...Also, what happened to make you fall down to your knees? Was it Lord Akabane?" Kaede grips her by the shoulders, still concerned. Manami's face twitches, threatening to grin.
"I-I…He told me that His Majesty didn't specifically ask for me to be dispatched… Which I think was because I asked him earlier why he asked for me and not Kotaro… D-Do you think he was the one who wanted me to be dispatched?"
Kaede looks at her sceptically, arching an eyebrow.
"Even if that were true, would that be a good thing? Who likes being dispatched!?"
Manami flushes and stammers,
"I-It's not that I want to be dispatched! I'm just saying…" Manami looks up at Kaede with a sheepish grin, still blushing. Starting to come around to Manami's energy, Kaede looks at her coyly and says in a sickly sweet tone of voice,
"He picked you…He wants you to be his healer." Manami squeals at Kaede's teasing, pushing her away but smiling nonetheless. Kaede looks at her excitedly and with a wide grin. "He only wants you to tend to his wounds!
"S-Stop! Don't make me get excited over nothing! You know he's obviously been healed by other people in the past. A-Also…I told Kotaro I'm not in love with him, but look at us! Well…look at me! I'm hopeless…" Manami sighs, feeling disheartened by how easily her heart swells around Karma.
"You don't have to lie to yourself to suit Kotaro! He doesn't know anything about romance! Follow your heart." In a poetic and theatrical fashion that suited Kaede to a tee, she clasped her hands and sighed dramatically with a poignant expression, "Love..!"
"K-Kaede! You know what! W-why don't we continue talking about your love story instead?" Manami stumbles, quickly getting up and leading Kaede to sit back on the chair, trying to deflect the topic of conversation off of her. Manami wobbles around as she continues sorting files, reaching the last few papers to sift through.
"Eh… But I want to talk about you!" Kaede pouts, but Manami quietly and shyly finishes up organising. "Fine… Where did I get up to?"
"You got dinner with him." Manami begins to pull out a rack of test tubes and a measuring scale, beginning some research as they talk.
"Yes..! Dinner… Oh my goddess, he was so cute the whole time! I couldn't believe how polite and nice he was… And at the end of the night, he even walked me home and kissed me on the cheek..!"
"H-He did?! T-That's…Wow." Manami looks up from her research in disbelief, flustered just by the idea of it. Kaede gushes and wriggles just thinking about the dinner date. Kaede says, looking at her expectantly and fluttering her eyelashes in a pleading manner,
"So now that I've said my piece… You should say yours." Manami looks at her, furrowing her brows and blushing.
"I've only talked to him a few times. I don't really have anything to say."
"What about when you were kids! You haven't told me that yet."
"Oh…Well we knew each other for a few months. His father was off on a military expedition and he left him in my father's care since…Well I never really knew why, but I don't think there were any caretakers at the Akabane household for him."
"Oh really? That's a bit strange."
"I never thought about it…but I guess it was a bit strange he didn't leave him with his relatives. Maybe it was a political issue."
"Sounds annoying…Anyways, continue! How old were you guys? How did you start crushing on him?" Kaede asks eagerly, leaning forward in her chair.
"U-Uhm… We were both 6 at the time. I didn't know any kids my age so he was my first friend… I don't think it was anything special, but I just thought he was really… pretty… as a kid! I-I mean it's more apt to say handsome now… A-anyways, we would read together and go running around the garden. I just…They're very fond memories of mine. I was very attached to him...I asked my father if I could wed him and he actually wrote up a wedding certificate with Lord Akabane's father, but it never went through. I think those papers are collecting dust in the depths of his desk now." Manami laughs lightly, reminiscing tenderly on her childhood memories.
"W-wait…And you're telling me Lord Akabane doesn't remember you? You spent months together and he doesn't even have the slightest recollection of your time together?"
"T-that's what he said, yes." Manami looks startled as Kaede stands up abruptly, slamming her hands on the table.
"There's no way! Even I remember- Well… maybe not really… But still! Months together! Everyday! He must remember you!"
"I-I…I don't know. I don't want to pry though. M-Maybe they weren't very fond memories for him." Manami suggests, but becomes a bit dejected by the idea and starts to circle the measuring scale with her finger. Kaede sits back down, rests her head on her hand and thinks quietly to herself.
"I mean…he still picked you to go on the expedition. So it's not like he hates you, right?"
Manami perks up and eagerly nods, "Y-Yeah! And…he's been very nice to me these few days, so…"
"He has? I hope he's not just playing with you… You know his band of knights… a lot come from a mercenary background. They don't exactly have the cleanest reputation around. Not to say other knights are much better." Kaede scoffs, thinking about some of the rude knights she's seen at her plays.
"I…I don't think he would do that. I don't know why, but he seems…sincere." Manami mutters, quietly finishing up her experiment and recording the results, her ears reddened. Kaede smiles content and kicks off the chair.
"Is that so? Well, I should be leaving. I had a great time seeing you and best wishes on the expedition!" Kaede kisses Manami on the forehead as a blessing before hugging her tightly. Manami smiles tenderly and sees Kaede out of the office. A thought comes to her mind as she closes the door of the office.
"Wait Kaede…How did you get into the palace in the first place?"
"You know that blue-haired guy? He works here. He brought me here." Kaede smirks and waves goodbye to Manami as Manami's jaw drops in surprise. "Anyways! Come see me at my place once you're back! Getting entry into the palace is not easy!"
"R-Right! Goodbye Kaede!" Manami smiles, a bit weary at the whirlwind that is her friend but happy to have seen her. She waves energetically until she is out of sight. Scratching her face, Manami checks her watch
"It's rather late…I should probably head home if I want to wake up early for the expedition." Manami mumbles to herself. She locks the office and quickly makes her way to the gates to call for a carriage home. Karma comes out of the stables on a horse, spotting her near the entrance.
"Miss Witch?" She yelps in surprise and nearly bolts out the gates. She looks behind her and makes out Karma's imposing figure on the horse in the dark. Karma gives a subtly amused smile at her timid reaction. Manami adjusts herself and clears her throat before speaking to him.
"L-Lord Akabane! Y-You're still here as well?"
"I was checking on some of the horses that will be used for the expedition, but I was just about to head home on my steed. What about you?"
"I-I was going to call for a carriage." Manami stutters and says a bit slowly, looking at him in awe of his graceful riding position.
"Hmm…Usually nobles call for servants to do that…But I suppose you're not just a usual noble, are you Miss Witch?" Karma elegantly jumps off the horse and makes his way towards Manami. Manami's heart begins to beat a little faster as he approaches.
"I…I am not accustomed to servants to be honest...Despite being part of a marquess household." Manami looks down, a little abashed at her lack of nobility, and fiddles with her fingers nervously.
"Well, I find that this is quite a fortunate opportunity for me. May I escort you home?"
Manami's eyes darted up to meet his cold, golden eyes and her cheeks reddened. His signature foxy smile still plastered on his face.
"Y-You would like to escort me home?"