Ryosuke stood before the window. The blow of the wind swayed the fire kindled to warm the study chamber. It was getting really cold and he was wondering when the first snow would fall. It had been three days since Ryutaro’s arrival. He replayed the past three days in his mind.

“Ne, Ryo-kun, it seems now I get a neechan for real, fufu,” Ryutaro was being Ryutaro no matter the circumstance. They were just witnessing Mirai frantically approached her brother’s stretcher.

“Don’t start anything Ryutaro. It’s not the time to bicker with you.” He warned him.

“I’m serious, Ryosuke,” the tone had changed. “Seeing her is still with you until now, I’ll really think how stupid you are if you let her go later.”

When Ryutaro saw his raised brow, he added, “Don’t think I can’t read what rolling in your mind. You still try pushing her away as you used to do, don’t you?”

He sighed. That was the first conversation bothering him. He wondered why everyone was so keen on him preserved Mirai by his side, including Yuri. Another scene replayed in his mind.

“Ryosuke, can I ask you something?” Yuri grabbed his arm before he went to the main building for meeting with the Nakayama and Ryutaro the next morning after the arrival.

“What is it?”

“About your marriage… won’t you reconsider your decision?”

“Why should I?”

“Because you’re really unfair to us.”

“Us? Unfair? What do you mean, Chii?”

Yuri gave him a firm look, “You always make the decision by yourself. Have you ever asked me or Mirai what we really want? No. I can bear it because you let me stay, but how about her? She is content just by staying at your side. Can’t you let her stay, too?”

He never saw Yuri being so confrontational with him, but he eventually answered, “I can’t, Chii.”

Yuri narrowed his eyes, “Do you know what I just realized, Ryosuke? You are hesitated to let her go, aren’t you?”

“Why should I hesitate?”

“Because she means something for you, even bigger than I or Yuto means to you. That’s why you push her away so hard so she won’t get hurt. Am I wrong?”

He could not give any response to Yuri yesterday. He left him and walked away, but Yuri’s words lingered in his mind even until he met Yuto after the meeting.

“Say, Yuto-kun, what should I do to her?”

Yuto halted in his steps noticing he had stopped walking, “You mean Mirai?”

He gave Yuto a silent answer.

“She really loves you, and I know you care about her. Why not give your marriage a chance?”

“She will only get hurt.”

“Do you know Ryosuke, the dazzling light pours when you walk alone is scarier than the darkness you walk through with your loved one.”

“What do you want to convey?”

“It’s better for her to suffer beside you than suffering by herself outside there.”

He retorted, “Why should she suffer outside? She will have a freedom and live the life she wants.”

“The life she wants? Have you ever asked her about it?”

Recalling his memories, he answered, “She told me when I met her before our plans ruined by my father. She told me she wanted to travel the world and do many adventures.”

“That’s long time ago, Ryosuke. She may have changed her opinion.”

“That’s her most honest answer for me, without involving unnecessary feeling.”

Yuto shook his head in disagreement. “From my experiences, Ryosuke, calling one’s love as unnecessary feeling is the cruelest thing that hurt one the most.”

He did not respond to it. Second after, Yuto remarked, “The more I think the more I understand what General Shida said about you.”

He turned to him, “What?”

“The part where he said you’re just like a copy of your father. You’re doing the same as he did.”

He raised a brow, and Yuto gave him a small smile before answering, “You have the tendency of protecting people by pushing them away. That’s what I see you’re doing to Mirai.”

Why they insisted that breaking up the marriage was his way to protect Mirai? Yes, he did not want her to get hurt. No, he should say he did not want her to get hurt because of him and added guilt on his mountain of burden. So, he did it more for himself. He did not want to bear another burden of death after his mother and Mariya.

He did not push Yuto and Yuri away because he knew they could defend themselves and not a sentimental being that would end their own lives just because they thought it could save the person they loved. Besides, Yuto and Yuri, their fate as the son of their respective clan had them chained to him. He needed them to win the battle. Mirai had nothing to do with it. She was supposed to be away from him, gathered with the other ladies in the hideout out there until the chaos over or did the world travelling just as she wanted, still away from Hakumei, away from him. But…

“You are not fair to me, Ryosuke! You knew Lady Mariya loved you and you let her stay by your side. But, why you don’t let me?”

“I don’t know her or her feeling, but… that is what I feel. Staying by your side is enough.”

He knew he was really unfair; and after anything she had done for him, it made him felt very bad. It felt like he was ungrateful of what she did. She was too kind for his liking and it frustrated him. She made him owe her and he should pay her back. The duty and the dignity of a prince: never leave a debt unpaid. That was what his mother always taught him and he could not defy it.

That and the fact that he was delaying his schedule just to mull over the decision about Mirai had him turned to the last choice. He made an option that would accommodate both of them. He would let her choose. That way, he would not be bothered by this nagging guilt of being unfair and ungrateful to her and if anything happened she would have herself to blame.

“Prince Ryosuke, Lady Mirai is here to see you.”

His guard bellowed her arrival and halted his train of thought. After this, whatever she chose, he had no other choice but to go along.

Heaving a sigh, he bellowed low, “Let her.”

**********

Mirai did not want to leave Hikaru’s side, but Ryosuke had summoned her. Reluctantly, she ambled her way to the mansion and ascended the stairs to his study chamber. She entered the room after he let her.

She saw Ryosuke stood before the window with his coat swayed slightly by the flow of the cold wind. She wondered why he did not warm himself before the fireplace instead.

“Just sit wherever you want,” he said, still staring at the world outside the window.

She looked around and saw a set of couch near the fireplace on the other side of the room. Taking a seat, she waited and observed Ryosuke’s side profile. Seconds after, Ryosuke turned to her, pausing for a heartbeat before sauntered down toward her direction and sat on the couch across her.

“How is your brother?” He asked.

“No difference,” she answered shortly.

He paused for awhile before asking, “You said that staying by my side is enough for you, didn’t you?”

She was a bit surprised by the sudden question, but she answered, “Yes.”

“I assume you have known about my decision to take the throne?”

She nodded, Miru had told her before.

“Since now I have the power, I’ll give you the last chance to choose, Mirai.”

She was confused, “What should I choose?”

“I offer you two options. Either way you’ll stay by my side.”

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