It was one of those days when Amu spent time with Tadase. She sighed quietly. She wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it, but she wanted to at least try to give him a chance, especially to prevent him from eventually throwing Nagi out.

"You know what I still don't understand?" the pink-haired girl looked at the roses in front of her.

"Hm?" Tadase turned his gaze to Amu and waited for her to continue.

"The sudden change of heart. After that one night, you were suddenly nice to me the next day... Why?" she twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers.

"I spent most of the time trying not to develop any feelings. Eventually, I realized that was impossible and also stupid..." he explained, sighing. He didn't want to play into his parents' hands by seeing something good in the whole coercion, but he had long known that was just childish and dumb. It would be much more sensible to make the best of it.

"Hm... I don't understand how you could fall in love with me only after all these years. Everything could have been so much easier..." her voice was calm, and her hand rested on her belly, which had now taken on a noticeable curve.

"Quite conceited, aren't you?" he laughed briefly. His statement made Amu wave her arms. "That's not how I meant it!" Only now did she realize that her statement sounded as if it were natural and normal for someone to fall in love with her.

"I know." his voice was gentle, and he stroked her head softly. "Even as a child, I was offended and did everything to ensure I wouldn't like you in that way." he scratched his head and looked at the sky.

"You should have just let it be," she sighed. She was still unsure between Nagi and Ikuto, but she knew she was very likely not going to choose Tadase.

"Amu... Even if I probably don't matter, you still have to decide..."

She sighed. "I know... But it's not that simple..." she also looked up at the sky.

"Why is he never here? Are you still not trusting me? I haven't harmed Nagihiko, and he comes and goes as he pleases..." he was still intensely curious about who the other person was. "How can you still be unsure? Shouldn't your feelings for Nagihiko outweigh everything since you've only seen him for months?"

"Then why don't you just let me out? Yes, I don't trust you. I'm afraid something will happen to him. Besides, he might also be the father, Nagi isn't, that's a significant difference." she explained in a sad voice. She had no idea how her feelings for Ikuto stood.

"Because then I lose any chance. You will just run away and never come back…" Of course, the thought that the other might be the father was still a thorn in his side, but the main reason was that he didn't want to risk her leaving for good.

"I've told you so many times… I'm terribly sorry… But I'm pretty sure my feelings for you won't come back. Nagi was there when I was at my lowest, he was balm for my soul. And he… He and I share this indescribable connection. I feel like I've known him forever and at the same time as if he were a stranger. I… I just don't understand it…" She took a deep breath, and her eyes sparkled with memories of the time at the inn. It was lighthearted and fun, and she finally felt free and well taken care of, but that was over. Now she was a bird in a grand, opulent cage.

"I still don't get it… Despite everything, at the beginning, you were convinced it would work, you even took the initiative. How could this love you've had since childhood just disappear?" He ran a hand through his hair and looked at her. He noticed the sparkle in her eyes but observed it silently without commenting.

"Back then, I didn't know what true love was. You were also the only boy I knew, and I was drilled from a young age to love you and be a good wife." She thought back to the countless conversations with her mother, where she only looked at her with large, puzzled eyes, for she had no idea about love or what her parents were demanding of her. She still didn't understand why it was so important to them. Even without the Hotoris, they weren't exactly poor. After all, her family was noble too, but it seemed her parents wanted more, something that such a marriage would enable.

The blonde sighed and hung his head. Why did it have to come to this? Why couldn't he do anything about it now? He hated his parents for putting so much pressure on him and pushing him into his actions. If that hadn't happened, she would never have found that inn and met Nagi. He rubbed his nose bridge and frowned, annoyed. The other would probably have shown up somehow anyway. He was quite sure that he must be the guy from the masked ball. Finally, he rummaged in his jacket for a moment before holding a small box in his hand and handing it to Amu.

"I wanted to give you something more personal. Things that come from my family can only be bad. I personally gave the instructions…" he murmured quietly and scratched his neck a little awkwardly.

Amu's expression changed to a sad one, but she took the small box and opened it. The ring was beautiful. It was made of platinum and surrounded by many small, white diamonds. However, the main stone was shaped like a sparkling star and was colored in a light yellow. "Why a star?"

"Your eyes sparkle like beautiful stars when you are happy… I thought it was fitting…" He had his gaze directed at the floor and nervously tugged at his jacket with one hand. "I… You…" he sighed softly and continued to look down. "I know you don't want this… But I still don't know how you can avoid this wedding… It's not possible…"

The pink-haired girl continued to look at the ring and listened to him in silence. "Maybe I'll be like a princess in a fairy tale, rescued by a hero," she laughed a little at the thought, although it wasn't so far-fetched. "That bad? Rescued, huh?" Tadase couldn't stop sighing. Should he find a way and just let her go? Could he really be that selfless? The other two had it easy; she wouldn't disappear completely from their lives.

"Well… I'm nothing more than a caged bird. Even if you treat me well… and after the wedding, it certainly won't get better. As if you'd continue to tolerate Nagihiko…" her heart grew heavy at the thought.

"I would… He passes as a maid, so no one will notice. If they can handle this weird sharing arrangement, so can I, but I'd have to get a share of that sharing first…"

"You wouldn't if it's not your child." He had already made it clear that this was his limit. With each day closer to the birth, she grew more uneasy; she was scared of what would happen.

"It doesn't matter anyway. You won't love me anymore," he smiled bitterly and stood up to offer her his hand. "We should go inside; it's getting chilly." Amu took her fiancé's hand but paused briefly to switch rings. She handed him back the ring from his family. For a brief moment, the young prince had a glimmer of hope, but he quickly shook it off. As he gently helped her up, she stumbled, and both fell to the ground. Well, more precisely, he did, as she landed on him. He had reacted quickly, wrapping his arms around her to make sure she wouldn't get hurt. "Sorry…" Amu blushed and slowly propped herself up with her arms beside his face.

"Are you okay?" His hand instinctively reached for her belly and rested there for a moment before he looked away and pulled it back. "Sorry…" He had noticed that she didn't like being touched by him, especially there.

"It's okay… I'm fine…" she murmured softly and took his hand to place it back on her belly. After all, she couldn't be sure it wasn't his, and if Tadase was the father, he should have the right to these touches.

Tadase swallowed nervously and wanted to pull his hand away again, but Amu held it in place. "It… is moving…" he murmured gently.

"What you feel are probably kicks…" she knew only what Su had told her from her books. Her mother rarely visited her anymore, and even after it was known that she was pregnant, she didn't seem particularly interested, so she had no one to explain these things to her.

Tadase was both touched and fascinated. Life was truly a miracle, and he smiled a little. However, this smile quickly disappeared, as he was quite certain that he couldn't control his pain and anger if it wasn't his. Moreover, it would confirm that he was apparently incapable of fathering children, if Amu and that guy had allegedly succeeded after only once. Finally, he sighed and looked her in the eyes.

"A little Amu would surely be adorable… If it weren't for my parents and duties…"

"I don't understand why it has to be so urgent… What's the big deal if it's a girl? You just try again," she shook her head. This whole obsession with heirs was silly to her, especially since Tadase was only 20. It would be a long time before it even mattered.

"I could die any day from an assassination or illness, so an heir needs to be secured as early as possible. There have been several times when assassins infiltrated the castle and waited for a chance to strike me or my family," he explained calmly, recalling a moment from his childhood. He had woken up at night wanting a drink, and if Kiseki hadn't been by his side and raised the alarm immediately, those glowing eyes in the darkness might have been the last thing he ever saw.

"That sounds terrible…" She felt sorry that he had to face such dangers and live with that fear. "Tadase… what do you know about the Demon King?"

He furrowed his brow and looked at her questioningly. Why did she want to know that? "The same as everyone else, though I feel like my parents might know more."

Amu was still bent over him, and he placed a hand on her cheek. "I'd like to… well… never mind," he stammered. "We should get up; the ground is cold and dirty." His white clothes were surely now ready for a cleaning.

"It's okay… go ahead…" She probably just felt sorry for him and that's why she was giving him permission, Tadase thought. Nevertheless, he took the opportunity and started to kiss her gently. Amu smiled a little, as it was the first time he had kissed and touched her so softly and lovingly. But the blond soon pulled away, knowing that she actually didn't want it. "You should go inside," he repeated, waiting for her to get up. Amu brushed her lips for a moment before finally standing up and offering him her hand to help him up. He took the help and smiled gently before his smile turned mischievous, and he quickly scooped her up, carrying her in both arms. Surprised by this sudden action, Amu clung to his neck and wiggled a bit before looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You need to take it easy," he shrugged, grinned, and started walking towards the entrance. "I'm way too heavy!" protested the pink-haired girl.

"Nonsense. You're still light even now. Do you want to walk?" he sighed, waiting for her answer, wanting to respect her wishes.

"It's okay…" she murmured, sighing, and let it happen. It was actually quite nice for her feet not to have to walk.

When they arrived at her room, Amu protested that he could put her down now, but Tadase just stuck his tongue out at her with a wink and opened the door, gently setting her on the bed. Of course, her maids were there, including Nagihiko, which was part of why Tadase insisted on carrying her in—he wanted at least a small triumph now and then. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and then left.

"Things are going better, huh?" Nagihiko asked the second Tadase left the room. He couldn't completely hide the hint of jealousy in his voice and also notices the new ring.

"It was just nice not having to walk… And I do feel sorry for him…" she explained, shrugging. "If it weren't for his parents, everything would be different now…" she sighed, holding her belly. If it was his child, she'd be very disappointed in the current situation, but if things had been different, she'd probably be very happy about it. "Oh and the ring..he wanted to give me a more personal one..thinking everything coming from his parents is bad anyways."

"You can still choose him. You just need to find a way for him to get out from under his parents' control," Nagihiko said, sitting next to her and watching her closely.

The pink-haired girl shook her head. "No… I don't want to be with him anymore anyways…"

"Because you want to be with Ikuto," the purple-haired boy added.

"I haven't seen him in seven months… Why are you still convinced I'll choose him? He doesn't even communicate actively with Yoru anymore… He's probably over me…" She sighed, and her eyes filled with incredible sadness at the thought. Nagi seized the moment, rummaged through the bedside table, and held up a mirror to her face. "Because of this." He pointed gently at her eyes.

Amu touched the skin right under her eyes, causing a tear to roll down. She hadn't realized how deeply unhappy she looked in these moments.

"Besides, you often mention him in your sleep. I think your subconscious is further along than your cute, awake mind," he said, rubbing her hair gently and smiling.

Amu blushed and shook her head. "That's not true…" she crossed her arms and vehemently denied his conclusions.

Yoru, who had been listening silently, drooped his ears and made another attempt. \\Ikuto… She misses you… She thinks you're over her… And… And I miss you…\\ His voice was sad and plaintive, but as usual, there was no response. Was Ikuto even still alive? He shook his head, trying to reassure himself that he would feel it through their connection if something had happened to Ikuto, but that was mostly to comfort himself, because when Ikuto overdid it with his training he also didn't notice that it was almost too late for him, he just noticed because Ikuto did still reply back then.

"He's not coming, Nagi… I'm scared for the baby… Who will protect it if he doesn't get us out of here…" Her gaze fell to the ground, and her heart grew heavy.

"Hey, little one, I'm still here. I'll make sure nothing happens to you or the baby," he smiled and wiped the tear from her cheek. "Besides, he will come! Let's give him a little more time, and if he really doesn't come, we'll figure something out ourselves. Who knows, maybe Tadase will even help us."

"As if… He doesn't want to let me go; then he'd have no chance at all…" She sighed, thinking of the conversation earlier with him that could apply to this situation.

"I'm not so sure about that; he loves you a lot… I think his attitude might change over time," Nagi tried to stay positive, knowing they had enough negativity in their lives, and it wouldn't help anyone.

"Definitely not," she maintained her opinion, convinced of it.

"Do you know by now why you're so important to this family?" Yoru finally intervened. He had overheard a conversation a long time ago and had only told Ikuto so far, but now Amu should know, and he was sure she'd believe him now.

Amu furrowed her brow in confusion and looked at the cat questioningly.

"Your powers. They hope your powers will pass on to his child. That would give them immense power, and apparently, one kingdom isn't enough for his parents. They want to conquer other lands." He had only recently overheard the second half of that conversation when he passed by a window where Tadase's parents were talking. "If it's not a boy and doesn't inherit your powers, it's useless, and you'll have to keep having children until it works."

The pink-haired girl held a hand to her chest, trying to process all this. "And he knows about this?" Yoru nodded silently. "Yet he often defies them. I get around a lot as a cat and hear a lot. They've wanted to dispose of you for a long time, but he told you that himself. I think he rarely leaves those discussions unscathed…" This was just a hypothesis based on the sounds of blows he often heard. "He's also often taken the failures upon himself, telling them he can't reach the goal under all the pressure and stress if you understand…" He paused with a sigh. He didn't want to increase sympathy for Tadase but felt she should know. "After that, you often hear belittling voices calling him a disappointment and a failure," and more blows.

Amu swallowed, held her hand to her mouth, and couldn't help but cry. She had no idea and could start to understand why Tadase was the way he was and did what he did.

"I didn't even inherit the powers myself… Who knows if my children ever will…" Her gaze was on her belly.

"Yes, you did, which is why I'm mainly telling you this. You should start training. Apparently, they can test it somehow and have tested it several times. You definitely have stronger powers than others, according to them," Yoru disagreed, also glancing briefly at her belly. If the child was Ikuto's and inherited both powers, it would surely be the most powerful being.

Amu laughed ironically and made some water appear, letting it dance around the room. "This little bit of water magic is supposed to be special?" She knew, of course, that she could master all elements, illusions, and more if she had indeed inherited the abilities.

"What are your powers supposed to be?" Nagi asked, and after being informed, he nodded with a smile. "I might be able to help you with fire. Focus on an extreme heat deep inside you! At first, it might be unbearable, but the more you engage with it, the more pleasant it will become. It will gradually become a comforting warmth within you." The purple-haired boy did his best to explain it to her and help her discover her fire magic.

"My water magic just appeared… I don't feel anything special inside me…" she replied skeptically, causing Nagi to frown. "Maybe it's different for everyone, but it's worth a try." Amu sighed and then nodded, whereupon Nagi took her hands and began to speak in a very gentle, calm, yet focused voice. She followed his instructions but felt no warmth. The purple-haired boy thought for a moment and tried to channel his own fire magic into his hands, imagining it flowing through his hands into hers and spreading through her body. Amu felt Nagi's hands suddenly grow warmer, and soon after, her own hands began to tingle. She swallowed at the strange sensation moving through her body, momentarily worried for the baby, but she trusted Nagi.

Between her chest and her belly, she suddenly felt increasing warmth and tingling. She felt as if two tiny flames were happily dancing deep inside her, but it was really very hot and a little uncomfortable, still she tried her best to not break the connection.

Nagi, who had been holding his breath the whole time, sharply inhaled and withdrew his energy all at once. Transferring his magic to another person was exhausting, and he wasn't sure if he would lose it if he did something wrong. Amu, who had closed her eyes, opened them at his breath and immediately asked about his well-being. Nagi reassured her that everything was fine.

"Now you know how it feels, hopefully, you can train better this way."

Yoru observed the two silently for a while before turning to the window to watch the rising moon. "Ikuto… What are you doing…" he murmured softly, so no one could hear. He also doubted that Ikuto would come, so he thought it wise for Amu to finally learn to control her magic, giving them more options for escape. He then focused on the maids, who were also quietly watching Amu and Nagi practice. "Do any of you have magical abilities? Wind or earth? Amu could use all the help she can get."

"Water…" Miki responded with a shrug.

"Fire," replied Ran, and all eyes turned to Su.

"I… well… theoretically earth, but I've never used my powers; I wouldn't be a suitable teacher…" she sighed and shook her head awkwardly.

"I expected wind," Yoru blinked at her, a bit puzzled. Ran and Miki's elements funnily matched their colors, so he had expected green-themed Su to have wind powers.

"We should try anyway; it's a good exercise for you too," he murmured and noticed how Nagi was becoming increasingly exhausted. He jumped down from the windowsill and stood between them.

"Time for bed." His gaze, particularly directed at Nagi, spoke volumes. The young man scratched his head sheepishly and nodded.

Amu watched their exchange, confused, tilting her head slightly. "What's going on?"

The purple-haired boy waved his hands, laughing a little. "Nothing, everything's fine."

It wasn't as bad as Yoru made it seem; he was just exhausted from constantly holding his breath and concentrating. He began to wonder if this counted as using his magic. If so, he should definitely not do it too often. He sighed.

"Su apparently has earth magic. She will help you as soon as she familiarizes herself more with it," Yoru noted, much to Su's dismay, as she didn't want to teach Amu anything wrong since she had no clue herself. Finally, she sighed and nodded at Amu.

The three of them then said goodnight and left the room. Yoru looked at Nagi and Amu questioningly, but they just shook their heads, meaning he could stay in the room for the night. It had become much rarer, which calmed him down a little for Ikuto. Still, he slept beside her every night when he wasn't working. Unlike Nagi, Yoru was more convinced that things were looking bleak for Ikuto in this love chaos. He sighed and curled up like a cat to sleep. Amu and Nagi also went to bed and soon fell asleep.

The final day was approaching, with only a month left, and Amu grew more restless. However, she used the time wisely, practicing her magic daily with Nagi and Su. Su described her magic more visually, not based on feelings like Nagi's fire. She imagined the shape the earth should take, and then it just happened. She could create large walls or sharp spikes, for example. Amu, however, didn't get much better with Su's instructions than with Nagi's. There were often days when she felt frustrated and wanted to give up, but she pulled herself together and kept going. By now, she could at least create small flames and small shapes from earth, which was a huge progress for her and kept her motivated. Nevertheless, it was exhausting, and her advanced pregnancy was pushing her to her limits.

"We should take it easy in the last few weeks," Nagi smiled gently and stroked her head softly.

"But I can barely do anything… We'll never get out of here like this…" she murmured, disappointed and unwilling to stop practicing.

The purple-haired boy sighed. If it were Tadase's child, they would have time to escape after the birth, but if it was Ikuto's, both their lives could be at risk, and they didn't want to take that chance, hence the urgency.

"I'll find a way. I'm pretty strong," he winked at her confidently. In reality, he didn't know how strong he was, but he imagined his fire magic might be above average, though he had little experience with it. He sighed quietly and looked at Yoru, who just shook his head. What was going on with Ikuto? Nagi couldn't understand how he could leave Amu in the lurch now.

"I need to keep practicing… any help will be worth gold…" Just as she tried to create a small flame, a sharp pain shot through her head, and she sank to the floor, holding her head in agony.

"Amu!" Nagi immediately knelt beside her, looking at her with concern. "What's wrong?"

The pink-haired girl shook her head. "Just a headache, it's okay…" She didn't mention that she had never had such a severe headache before because she didn't want to worry anyone unnecessarily.

"You're terribly pale…" Nagi didn't believe that she only had a simple headache. Her breathing was rapid, and she began to sweat profusely. Suddenly, Amu's face contorted even more, and she clutched her stomach. She had severe cramping pains and made pained noises. "Su, Ran, Miki… someone get help quickly…" he looked at the three of them pleadingly and desperately. He didn't want to leave Amu's side right now.

Ran nodded and immediately ran out of the room to fetch a doctor, while Su ran to the bathroom, wet a cloth, and handed it to Nagi to place on Amu's forehead. Amu's eyes were tightly shut in pain, and her breathing grew faster.

It only took a few minutes for a doctor, assistants, and Tadase to burst into the room, but for Nagi, it felt like an eternity, and he grew increasingly nervous and frightened. He felt so helpless and blamed himself. He should have stopped her from practicing much earlier. Finally, Amu was placed on a stretcher and immediately taken to the castle's infirmary. Nagi nervously bit his lip and looked questioningly at Tadase, who nodded. He wouldn't insist that Amu's most important person couldn't be with her in this critical situation, especially since Nagi was still posing as maid Nadeshiko and wouldn't draw much attention like that.

The doctors examined her as quickly as possible and gave her some medications to calm her. They quickly found that her blood pressure was dangerously high.

"She should go to a specialized hospital… but that's a risk…" the doctor informed Tadase.

"Aren't you already one of the best doctors?! Why did we hire you if you can't do anything in an emergency?!" Tadase's voice rose for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure, not wanting to add to Amu's stress.

"We might need to induce labor earlier; we don't have the necessary resources here. Besides, there are doctors who specialize in this exact situation," he understood Tadase's frustration.

"Then I'll get everything we need and have it brought here…" Tadase looked worriedly at Amu and swallowed. He was deeply concerned about her and feared that things wouldn't turn out well.

"It will be a race against time…" the doctor sighed and started making a list of what was needed so Tadase knew what to procure. It was a race against time either way because transporting her to a hospital would take time and likely stress her further.

Tadase took the list and immediately left to handle it. Nagi held Amu's hand and spoke to her calmly. "You can do it, you're strong," but even though he tried hard, he couldn't completely hide the sadness and worry in his voice. Amu opened her eyes for a brief moment. "Make sure the baby is okay…" she smiled gently, but her eyes were filled with tears, and her voice was weak, her words stammered.

Nagi swallowed at her words. With this request, she placed an incredibly heavy burden on his shoulders, as he didn't feel capable of deciding whether Amu or the baby should survive. That decision, if it came to it, would lie with Tadase, not him. He didn't want to ignore Amu's wish, but he was sure he couldn't give up Amu for the sake of the baby. He would choose her, and he was confident Tadase would do the same unless his parents interfered, but even they should recognize that Amu was more valuable because if the baby was a girl or didn't inherit the abilities, they would have no chance of gaining the abilities without Amu.

"Everything will be fine, Amu… fight! Don't give up!" he responded with a sad expression, but then forced himself to give her a reassuring smile. "Promise me…" her eyes met his, pleading.

Nagi swallowed again. "I promise…" Of course, it was a lie, but he didn't want to upset her further. Even if she ended up hating him, he couldn't just give up her life in exchange for the baby, even if that's what she wanted.

Amu closed her eyes with a relieved smile as the doctor continued to try to stabilize her blood pressure. Since she had already had strong seizures, the whole situation was very critical and dangerous and her blood pressure kept rising.

Nagi kept holding her hand and gently stroking her head, constantly glancing nervously at the clock. Tadase was quick, but it felt like an eternity, just like in their room earlier, until he finally returned with more doctors, nurses, and people bringing additional equipment into the room. Eventually, Nagi and Tadase were sent out so everyone could work in peace.

Meanwhile, Yoru tried once again to contact Ikuto, completely upset and expecting the worst. \\Ikuto… Amu… she…\\ he took a deep breath and tried to compose himself so he wouldn't just stammer. \\There are complications, and it looks serious… they might have to deliver early… maybe not both will make it…\\ The cat fought hard against his tears because after spending so much time with her, he had grown fond of her too. \\Ikuto… say something…\\ No matter how hard he tried, there was no response. Yoru's ears and head drooped, and small tears left his round cat eyes.

"What happened? What did you do? She was fine all this time…" Tadase leaned against the wall and covered his eyes with his hand. He was fighting against despair and tears.

"Nothing… it just happened…" even though he blamed himself, reason told him that it couldn't have been triggered by a little magic practice.

"You might have to decide…"

Tadase took his hand away and looked questioningly at Nagi.

"Amu or the baby… She wants the baby to be saved…" Nagi's voice was heavy, and his heart sank into an endless abyss as he spoke those words.

"I won't let her die…"

"Then she'll probably hate both of us…"

"I don't care." Tadase's words were firm and unwavering; his decision was final.

"I thought as much… I couldn't decide any differently either…" the lilac-haired one admitted with a heavy sigh.

Tadase took a deep breath. The topic was probably inappropriate at the moment, but it might distract them a bit. "Does this other guy even exist? Why doesn't he show up, especially now? Does he care so little about her? Is it after all still you who might be the father?"

"No… it isn't. He exists. We… we don't know what's going on with him either…" a deep sigh escaped the lilac-haired one's lips, and his gaze fell to the floor.

"That doesn't sound very convincing…" Tadase was increasingly convinced his suspicion was correct and clenched his fists. He tried to endure a lot, but if Nagi was truly the father and he had tolerated him here all this time, it was too much for him.

"I'm telling the truth! Calm down! I know it sounds absurd, but that's just how it is." It would be so much easier if he could just say that he had no way to get here, but that would make it obvious who Ikuto was, and he wanted to keep that secret for as long as possible.

"I hope you're enough… I have no idea about your weird relationship, but if she needs him and he's not there for her, I won't forgive you…" His fists were still clenched, and he tightened them even more before finally relaxing them.

Nagi nodded silently. He felt the same. He wasn't sure how Amu really felt after all this time without Ikuto, but if they lost their girl because he was an idiot, he would never forgive him either.

After some time, one of the doctors finally came out, and the men's eyes immediately focused tensely on the man in the coat. "She's stable for now, but there could be setbacks. She needs a lot of rest and should exert herself as little as possible. It's best to keep her here. Transporting her back to her room would be a stress factor we can avoid." His voice was calm, and his eyes expressed sympathy and understanding, even if he didn't quite understand why a maid was so concerned, since this was about the prince's fiancée.

"Good, thank you. I assume one of the doctors will be with her at all times?" Although it was phrased as a question, it was clearly a command from Tadase. "Of course," the doctor replied with a nod.

"What about visitors?" the blonde continued to ask.

"Those closest to her should probably talk to her a lot and be with her, but all other visitors should stay away for now. In my assessment, that would be you two." His gaze shifted between Tadase and the maid before he withdrew for the time being.

"Probably just you…" Tadase muttered with a heavy heart and looked down.

"I think she'd be happy to see you too." Nagi meant it sincerely and didn't just say it to cheer Tadase up. Amu had been increasingly favorable towards the blonde prince in recent weeks. Although she still believed her feelings wouldn't return, she could understand him more and had developed sympathy and compassion for him.

"Go in." The lilac-haired one nodded towards the door and smiled a little.

Tadase hesitated briefly, then approached the door with a nervous swallow. As he entered the room, the doctor assigned to monitor Amu left, but stayed outside the door to intervene immediately if another emergency arose.

"Hey…" Amu smiled weakly and looked at Tadase.

"What are you doing… dummy.." Tadase couldn't hold back his tears and pain, feeling his face grow warm and wet.

"Otherwise, it would be boring…" she joked and laughed briefly before being interrupted by a light coughing fit.

"You're not allowed to laugh anymore…" Amu giggled again a little, but then nodded, not wanting to put herself and the baby in unnecessary danger.

"Tadase… if it comes to a decision, I want you to save the baby…" she had already told Nagi, but she knew Tadase would be the decisive force.

The blonde bit his lip and grimaced. What should he do? Should he lie? He shook his head. "Amu… I can't… I'm sorry…" he wanted to be as honest as possible with her.

"I figured… I hope Nagi makes the right decision. I can't blame you…" she smiled gently and bore no grudge against him, trying to stay positive and hoping it wouldn't come to that.

Tadase sighed and glanced aside, knowing that he and Nagi were in agreement. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Of course…" he smiled softly. It wasn't a lie from his perspective; he believed Nagihiko would make the right decision. They were interrupted by the door opening, and Amu's parents entered.

"Oh, child…" her mother shook her head in disappointment. "You have a simple, carefree life, and even the one task you have is too much for you?" her father also looked at her with disappointment and disdain.

Amu looked sadly to the side. She never understood why her parents treated her this way. After all, she always did everything they wanted. She sighed dejectedly.

"Excuse me, but the doctor explicitly stated that Amu shouldn't be upset. I don't think your presence is helping her right now," Tadase said, boiling with rage inside but trying to remain calm. How could her parents treat their daughter, who had just barely escaped death, like this? He sighed inwardly, knowing his own parents would likely react the same way.

"With all due respect, Prince, we have a right to visit our sick daughter," her father replied haughtily. "Then it's an order. Leave the room, or I will call the guards," the young prince said with a determined look, leaving no room for uncertainty. "Tsk. Unbelievable." With those words, they finally left the hospital room. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Well, it's just the way it is. Talking about it wouldn't change anything," she smiled bitterly and buried her fingers in the blanket. "It seems our parents are good friends since they're so similar," he also smiled bitterly, trying to convey that he understood her very well.

"You never really told me much about your parents. It's about time, isn't it?" Tadase sighed; he didn't want to talk about it either, but right now, he wouldn't contradict her or deny her wishes. "I think, in the end, I'm just a tool for them." He shrugged. "I get derogatory remarks like you just did on a regular basis."

"But that's not all, is it?" she referred to Yoru's story; she wanted to know if it was really true.

Tadase furrowed his brow. Did she know about that? How? He finally sighed again and let his thoughts wander briefly, noticing he often had to sigh during their conversations. "Possibly."

Amu's eyes briefly looked down in sadness. "But… I've seen everything about you and never noticed anything…" she also felt a bit guilty about it. She could have been there for him more. "Magic and makeup," he shrugged and wiped a spot on his cheek, revealing a dark, almost black bruise. "How do you even know about this?"

"I can't tell you… I'm sorry…" she couldn't bother coming up with an excuse right now. "Okay…" he accepted it without further questioning, not wanting to stress her. "I'm sorry it took so long and you had to endure so much… thank you for always being on my side and protecting me…" her voice sounded sad as her hand rested on her belly.

"Oh, it's all right; it's not that bad," he smiled gently and stroked her cheek softly. "You should have told me earlier… then… I would have understood everything…" she sighed softly and exhaled heavily. He smiled bitterly. "I should have done many things differently; now I have to live with the consequences." He gently poked her nose with his finger. "But you should only think about good things right now and not be so down." He smiled gently at her.

"I wish we had more happy memories…" she thought back to her childhood for a moment after his statement, but he had mostly ignored her then. "The town festival was nice… although Nagihiko really didn't need to impose himself there as well." He sighed, as it was the first time he actively thought back to it with the knowledge that his suspicion back then was justified.

"Dancing was fun," his heart beat a little faster as he remembered how Amu beamed that day and how they happily danced close together to the music.

"True, it was a beautiful day, but unfortunately with complications in the evening." The young prince hesitated briefly before asking what had happened. He had already expected it to involve either Nagi or the other. Amu told him about Ikuto's collapse but left out the details of the song and the dance and everything that followed. "Well… I don't know him, but from what you've told me, I have to admit, even I believe him. Why do you keep resisting, Amu?"

She frowned in disbelief. "Because it's absurd. Died and resurrected here?" She shook her head and laughed briefly before quickly covering her mouth to stop laughing. "Yeah, yeah, I'm not supposed to," she stuck out her tongue at him, causing Tadase to just shake his head with a smile. "Enough with the serious topics, you need to rest. You should get some sleep."

"I… don't want to be alone…" the girl murmured sadly, looking at her blanket. She was rarely alone and had gotten used to it. Tadase sighed. "He'll stay with you in the room."

"And… what about you?" she hesitated briefly; she didn't quite know why she also wanted him there, but she had felt more comfortable with him over the past few weeks. "If you want, I'll stay too." The pink-haired girl nodded silently, and Tadase nodded as well. He knew she probably wanted some time with Nagi too, so he left the two alone for a while to talk.

After some time, Nagi finally came out and told him that she had fallen asleep but had mentioned before that he could come back in. The blonde boy nodded silently and entered the room. She looked peaceful in her sleep, and if not for her pale skin, one might think everything was back to normal.

The two boys positioned themselves on either side of her bed, gently holding her hands until both were eventually overcome by fatigue and let their bodies rest on the edge of the bed.