Fuji Takahashi had had enough. He put the letter from Ryosuke to Mirai down the table beside the bed of his Ojousama. He gazed at the young woman with jumbled feelings. He could not bear to see the trace of pain on her cheeks that still managed to leak out even when she was asleep.

He heaved a big sigh.

When he returned home a few hours ago, he was startled as he saw her in the middle of the living room alone, staring blankly at a paper in her hands. He called out to her many times, but she didn’t respond. Only when he put a hand on her hand that eventually she looked up, but he had to hold his breath when he saw the sorrow clearly shown by her eyes. And before he could say something, she cried all of a sudden. He exchanged look with his wife, but quickly took action to comfort their princess by enclosing her in his embrace. He only saw her cried so hard like that in her mother’s funeral, and it broke his heart to see that again.

“I can’t see her like this,” he was pulled from the daze as he heard his wife muttered from beside him. “Why can’t they be together even though they love each other?”

“Ojousama,” He muttered. “She still loves Ryosuke, but she hates him as well. Which feeling is stronger... it seems to me that she herself doesn’t even understand her feeling.”

“What should we do then?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know,” then he sighed. “I’ll think about a way, but for tonight, let her rest. She has had so much for today.”

His gaze lingered on the sleeping Mirai, hoping to find a solution before the court of the divorce started tomorrow. Previously, he had thought that the divorce was for the better, but after seeing her sorrow, he wasn’t sure anymore. His princess was delicate, and he would want someone to look after her. Moreover, he himself was already an oldman, that he might meet his end sooner than later. He started considering, while closing the door of Mirai’s bedroom, whether Ryosuke, after all his sacrifices, had deserved the place at her side.

Yes, he does.

That’s the conclusion he came to, and that’s the conscience he wanted to talk into both his princess and Ryosuke’s mind. Both of them were too consumed with their own hatred and self-loathing that they disregarded the feeling of love they had for each other. Even when Ryosuke had hurt her in the past, Fuji Takahashi had to admit, that a little part of that was also his fault, also her father’s and his parents’ fault. If only they did not keep the secret from Ryosuke, then Ryosuke might never had any inferiority which caused him to refuse marrying her, and all the subsequent sorrows would have never happened. But, again, regret always comes late.

That night he decided he would talk to his Ojousama the first thing in the morning. However when the sun rises the next day, the deafening voice of his wife startled him to wake up...

“MIRAI-CHAN! Anata! COME HERE QUICKLY! MIRAI-CHAN!”

He abruptly got up from his bed once the frantic voice of his wife reached his ear. He was sleeping when the scream started.

Dashing to the master bedroom, he found himself frozen on the door, eyes wide, and heart almost stopped. There, on the floor, Shida Mirai-sama lying unconscious in his wife’s arms, blood stained both their dress.

Did Ojousama...

He shook his head to stop his thought. His princess was not a weakling. She would not be so foolish to.... commit suicide?

Not wanting to entertain his thought and realized the dire situation they were in, he acted quickly. He carried the petite woman in his arms once he made sure it was alright to move her. He told his wife to wait at home so that when Sora-chan woke up, she would not be alone. He also did not wish for the little one to see her mother in this state.

Driving to the hospital like crazy, he straightly brought her to the emergency unit. He was not allowed inside. While waiting, he struggled to calm down himself.

Maybe it is the way Kamisama answer my prayer...

The state Mirai was in would postpone the court, again, and it would give her time to rethink about her decision. He tried to think positively.

A quarter hour later, the door of the emergency room was opened. He rushed to approach the doctor once she came out.

“How is she?”

The female doctor stared at him for a moment before asking back, “What is your relation to Yamada Mirai-san?”

“I’m his uncle,” he said.

The doctor slightly frowned, “Can I meet her husband?”

“Her husband is not in the town . You can tell me,” he lied.

The doctor let out a mild sigh, then agreeing, “She is stable now, and fortunately we could save the baby, but she has a weak womb. She  is prone to miscarriage. So, please be careful around her, and keep her away from anything stressful. We don’t wish this mishap repeated for it may put both the mother and the baby in danger.”

He needed time to absorb the explanation.

“Is my explanation can be understood?” the doctor asked to confirm.

Instead of answering, he stuttered, “Wh...wh-what baby?”

“Do you by any chance didn’t know that Yamada Mirai-san is pregnant?” the doctor looked surprised.

He widened his eyes, gasping, “She is pregnant?!”

**********

I blinked away the effect of the anesthetic. The room was quiet. I even could hear the shallow breaths I inhaled and exhaled. I tried to regain my senses, to understand the circumstance I was currently in. I realized I was wearing an oxigen mask, and my left hand was connected with an intravenous. What happened?

“You’re already awake, Ojousama?”

I saw Uncle Fuji Takahashi aproached the bed.

I tried sitting up, but I felt a pain in my lower abdomen. Gasping in fear, my eyes widened while my heart beating violently.

“The baby is fine,” suddenly he spoke.

My head snapped to Uncle Takahashi’s direction. When I met his gaze, he looked at me with concern.

“So... you already knew,” I stated, turning away from him.

He sat on the stool beside my bed, but I refused facing him.

“Ojou-sama, you are four months pregnant,” he half stated half asked.

I nodded.

“Who is the father?”

I didn’t want to answer.

“Is it... Ryosuke?”

My heart clenched painfully, but nevertheless I nodded.

“How did that happen? I mean, he promised to never touch you,” he was agitated.

I didn’t say anything. It was painful just to remember.

“Ojousama, did he... did he force himself on you when I was not around? Did he–“

“NO!” I sh