He would die, too, wouldn't he? There is no doubt about it. Rhys wanted to convey those words to her, but the girl's fingers lingered on his lips. Rhys recalled it then, how she often had the habit of doing this in the past. Before, when he asked why, Rhys recalled her telling him that she liked being close to him. Lyn bent down and said something in his ear. It was faint, but, Rhys heard it loud and clear.

' I cannot go to him even if my feelings change. But...if I were to belong to somebody, it would be Rhys.'

The words from back then and now overlap.

Even now, Lyn is quite foolish, but that's fine.

Because Lyn said those words back then too, do you know? He's quite a persistence guy. No matter what you say, he won't care and does whatever he wants. Despite his personality, something has changed.

It appears as though he respects her decisions now. Ah, it seems like he does become a mess when it comes to her.

So belonging and love aren't the same for her, huh? Or maybe it is. Lyn is far too stubborn, sticking to your convictions like that. But perhaps he can change it. No, he will.

Rhys took her hand and gently kissed it.

"Rhys?"

He watched her with forced indifference as she looked up at him with her jewel-like eyes. Rhys wanted to see what her next move was after saying such words to him.

The next thing Rhys knew Lyn stood on her tiptoes, and her lips gently brushed against his, time seemed to stop. It was brief and not really a kiss, but the fact that she got close made him feel...happy.

"I don't....hate you...and...I've said...it before already...That I treat everyone equally. ....that's still the case now....."

Hmm, Rhys recovered from the initial shock at her boldness from just a few minutes ago. " I see, guess I'm just the same as everyone else... though it seems like your especially cold to me."

"T--that's because you're a pervert."

Says the one who just kissed me."

"Ah, your only saying that because we're not compatible right?"

"Wait a second... You aren't influenced by fortune-telling, are you?"

His gaze darkened, "Yeah, that must be why..." Rhys was only pretending of course, but Lyn wouldn't know that.

"Are you an idiot?"

"We can't be together hmm."

As he said that he feels her reach over and tug on the corner of his robe.

"So are you going to leave me just because of this?"

That comment caught both of them off guard it seemed like. Since as he stared down at the girl's face, it beat red. A faint blush too had appeared on his cheeks. Ah, she does like to contradict herself a lot, doesn't she? " No umm....." Yet Rhys didn't give her a chance to finish her sentence at all. As he pulled the girl into a deep embrace, arms firmly wrapped around her waist.

"You've gone ahead and done it now. Take responsibility, yeah?" he murmurs in Lyn's ear.

That's right.

Take responsibility, responsibility for making him completely crazy about her.

"....yes..."

Despite the feeble and quiet response, Rhys felt a lot more rea.s.sured than before.

.....

Two days later

"You know, can't you move my quarters? Or at least take walks somewhere else," Ayah exclaimed, "Do you know how much PDA I witness on a daily bases? Don't you feel bad for me."

"I thought you liked that kind of thing."

"If it's mine sure, and others okay. But you and Queen Lyn?" Ayah had a disturbed expression on her face. Only two days had pa.s.sed; for some reason, Ayah's wounds weren't healing. The pain seems to have vanished, but the physical injury is still there. No matter how much he racked his brains, he didn't understand.

"Did you offend anyone? I think somebody placed another curse on you," Rhys mumbled. That's the only other reason he could think off.

Ayah frowned, "Who would I offend? Besides the only people who could successfully place a curse on me are you, that mage of yours and Luke."

Must be that guy then. But it made little sense to him why Knight Luke would curse her. Rhys knew that the challenge Luke gave Ayah to prove herself was just to keep her away from the Snow Kingdom main castle. The first Knight has been brainwashed; there is no doubt about that.

"I'll run a quick check, and then you go back to your room."

The girl nodded, "Alright."

She's surprisingly obedient lately. Then again, in this situation, all she can do is obey anyway.

After he finished tending to her, Rhys made his way down the hallway.

'No matter what you call out

The noise of the city swallows it

I can't hear it clearly

You won't get your feelings across like that.'

A long time ago, somebody said those words to him. Who was it?

Recently, it feels as though his feelings towards the girl have grown even stronger than before. Rhys wondered if it was even possible for that to happen. For him to become even more in love with her, then he already has done.

'It's because the things behind me are all gone now. Now that nothing is holding me back. I can honestly say I love her.' For sure, the words he said to Luxin were no lie at all. However, as for his next course of action towards the girl, he wasn't sure. Now that he knows exactly how hard he has fallen for her, he can't turn back now.

Rhys opened the door to his study and was surprised to find surrounded by the usual dusty books - was a certain black haired girl. At first, he blinked and rubbed his eyes, believing he saw things, but indeed to confirm it was her.

"Oh, Rhys, there you are."

"….."

He was far too stunned to see her.

Lyn made her way over towards him, "What's with that look? It's like your not happy at all to see me."

No, he's very happy.

In fact, almost too happy to see her. But right now he is having a severe battle inside his head. He is conflicted by the fact that she's here before him and the fact that this is someone's idea of a joke.

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Why is she here, when she knows full well what will happen when the two of them are behind closed doors. In a secluded room and all alone with n.o.body else in the building, "Perhaps, you can take a wild guess since you did examine me the other day."

Huh, so it's because of that.

Indeed, when he gave the girl a quick check-up, Rhys noticed it. That's why he was praising his self-control about not touching her then - especially when he could have easily done so, and the excuse would have been valid. Rhys placed his hand on top of hers, "You're a cruel woman like usual, huh? For your benefit, you intend to use me."

"If we are speaking of righteousness, you have no right to talk about that. After all, your the one who forced this contract on me in a rather barbaric manner.

"Hmm, fair enough."

By this point, Rhys had his arms looped aground the girl's waist, and her arms were wrapped around his neck as she took a step forward.

...…..

"So Ayah spends a lot of time in a place like this? I'm surprised; I can't pin her as the type who would stay here for long."

Rhys had to flinch at her words, "You knew?"

How long did she know about Ayah being here?