A slender figure of a man walked behind a royal guard to a beautiful royal garden where the king of Heiwa spending his time in a certain afternoon. Once they reached the gazebo, the guard reported their arrival and the king dismissed the guard after that.

He bowed in reverence, “Greeting, Your Majesty.”

The king beckoned him to come closer, “Come Hikaru.”

Hikaru did as the king wished and sat down before him.

“What do you think?” The king asked while showing him the painting lied on the table between them. It was an orchid ink-painting with a short poem written beside the orchid. The king used to ask him to evaluate his painting all this time.

“It’s lovely as always, Your Majesty,” he answered honestly. “Though, the painting would look better if the in this part were thinner.” He said while pointing at certain spot on the parchment.

The king chuckled lightly, before rising to stand up and walking to the rails. He got the sign and followed to stand a few steps behind the king. A short silence engulfed them while the warm breeze flowed through.

“The council is discussing about Hakumei,” the king suddenly spoke.

He perked up hearing this. It had been a long time he did not heard anything ever since Hakumei was isolated. The last was when King Nishimura Youji of Heiwa told him that they would send a squad to Hakumei two months ago.

He waited until the king spoke more.

“There are so many changes beyond our expectation happened in your homeland,” King Youji said and his heart started to pick up, anticipating.

“Tell me, Hikaru. Were you close with your brother in-law?”

He tried to read where the conversation headed to while answering, “Not quite close, Your Majesty, but I respect him.”

“I see. He was a reserved person, wasn’t he? I only met him twice before. First in his official visit to Heiwa, and the second was when I visited Hakumei due to King Shohei’s funeral. Prince Ryosuke was an interesting figure, don’t you think? I saw a great potential in him, so when I knew your crown prince died in the rebellion and he took the lead, I was looking forward to his reign. Turned out, he was indeed a great king.”

He noticed the words King Youji used. “Pardon, Your Majesty, but… ‘was’?”

King Youji turned to look at him, “It’s almost become a natural law that a great king usually doesn’t live long, Hikaru. Your brother in-law, the Great King Yamada Ryosuke had passed away two years ago because of illness. Please accept my condolence.”

His feeling jumbled up. What was that supposed to mean? Ryosuke… died?

“Your Majesty, is that true?”

“Yes, according to the report. Hakumei has completely changed after King Ryosuke passed away.”

“How about the queen, Your Majesty?” he grew anxious.

King Youji gave him another look of sympathy, “No one knows about your sister.”

He as though swallowed a lump.

“My son reported that in the coronation of King Ryosuke, the queen was crowned in-absentia. She never showed up even until the king died.”

He was at loss. Mirai… his beloved sister… what happened to her? Shouldn’t she be with Ryosuke?

“I understand it’s hard to absorb the news, Hikaru,” King Youji said. “If you want to know more about it, you can visit Hakumei’s squad in the Croissant Bungalow.”

“Hakumei’s squad?”

“Yes, they are sent to carry out initial assessment over the refugees.”

“Then, may I excuse myself now, Your Majesty?”

“Wait,” the king signed him to listen more. “My offer is still valid, Hikaru. Anytime, if you change your mind, just tell me.”

It had been a while since he was offered to be a permanent resident in Heiwa to work as the kingdom’s royal chronicler for the king was impressed by his painting and writing, but he had refused politely.

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s kindness,” he said before bowing and excusing himself to leave the king.

He strode towards the Croissant Bungalow right away. The building was one of the official guest houses located outside the palace. Soon after he met the officer leading Hakumei’s squad and found out that the officer was one of his peers, he extracted whatever information he could get from him.

He had been confused and anxious when he heard the news from King Youji, and hoped with all his might that even if everything was true, he would find a bit light about Mirai. His father’s death saddened him a lot, but it was not unexpected that he had seen that coming. Even he was sure his mother would understand and cope with it with the course of time. But… Mirai… his baby sister, the one he loved the most in his family… was lost.

He could not bring himself to return to the residence where Hakumei’s ladies under his responsibility, including his mother and Ami, were staying. He took a detour and headed to a river near the residence. Slouching in the river bank, he could not help but blame himself. If only he did after Mirai when she ran away back then and forced her to go with him, he might not have to hear this dreadful news. He thought he had done her good by letting her be with Ryosuke, but then… Ryosuke died? Hakumei was no longer a kingdom? He was a noble no more?

“Mi-chan…,” he muttered the endearment he used to call his sister with while tears started to swarm his eyes. He could not forgive himself if something did happen to her.

“Hikaru-niichan!” the bubbly sister of his came greeting him with a wide smile whenever he returned to Shida manor.

“Niichan, stop that!” she always protested when he started teasing her.

“Niichan, what did I say? Be careful, okay?!” she always lectured him every time he got hurt from training.

Seven years apart in age… he had adored Mirai, making her his priority after the kingdom. She could be careless sometimes that he could not help but want to protect her always. Between him and Mirai there actually were two sisters and a brother, but all of them died in their childhood with various reasons. He had been on the age where he had been able to understand how much it hurt to be left by his siblings when they were gone. Thus he became so protective over Mirai.

“Niichan, I love Ryosuke so much that it hurts,” she said after King Shohei visited their manor.

And being involved in the plan of forcing her into the arranged marriage was the worst deed he had ever done to her, and he had hated himself for it. But then, when he woke up from his coma back then in the Nakayama castle and found her so radiance with her smiles, he started learning to forgive himself. She was so happy with Ryosuke even though their circumstance was no one would ever hope to be in.

“Niichan, will I be able to see Ryosuke again? I’m worried. How if something happen to him? I can’t live without him, Niichan,” she said during their trip to Heiwa, eyes teary.

And then the separation happened. He knew she cried almost every night during their trip from the ground base to the border, and it broke his heart. There was sort of jealousy knowing that he could no longer be her source of happiness. Ryosuke had taken most of her heart, but he would not mind as long as she was happy. Thus when she ran away that night with Umika, he decided to let her be. He had received confirmation from Yuto that she had safely arrived at the camp, and he proceeded with the escaping caravan more light-heartedly.

He thought that was the best choice he made, but then the news arrived today… what had he done? He had let his sister marched into the dangerous zone… he had sworn to protect her, but he failed…

“Mi-chan… what has happened with you?” He looked up to the twilight sky, tears rolling down his cheeks.

He was drowned in his own world until he felt a gentle squeeze at his shoulder. He knew in the back of his mind whose hand it was.

“I’ve been looking for you for hours,” Ami’s soothing voice echoed in his ears.

He did not turn to look at her. He told her about what he had just found out instead, and she was patiently listening to him, as always. Ever since they left the palace upon Okamoto’s rebellion, she had been his second, helping him in shouldering the responsibility of guarding the ladies.

Her petite form nestled to his side, head resting on his shoulder while her arms wrapped around his. “If something bad indeed happened, I believe Ryosuke would take precautionary actions to protect Mirai.”

“He wasn’t flawless. He could possibly miss it and…”

Her index finger was on his lip, silencing him. “Don’t say anything bad. It might become true.”

He lowered his head and leaned onto her. He did not want anything bad happened to Mirai…

“How should I tell Mother about this?” He spoke after a time of silence.

“I’ll do it. Don’t worry.”

“I always bother you while I should do otherwise. Sorry, Ami.”

“Hey, that’s what a wife for, you know, to alleviate her husband’s burden.”

“Really? Never learn that.”

“Gee, I wonder how you could be a council member, Hikaru. But then, if you know it you would have proposed sooner, I think.”

His heart was a bit lighter. “I wonder how your devil brother would see us.”

“He is my sweet little brother, not a devil, mind you.”

He smiled at her outburst. They were just the same, having sibling complex. That’s the reason why he fell for her, because she could tolerate his over attention towards Mirai. While the other ladies would be so jealous over his sister, Ami adored her instead.

Holding his hand, Ami said after a moment of silence, “Hey, how about returning to Hakumei?”

“The isolation hasn’t been lifted yet.”

“I mean, only you. His Majesty is fond of you. You may be able to persuade him to allow you to return to Hakumei and do some investigation about this.”

He perked up. “Why I didn’t think about that?”

“Because thinking is my job, I guess,” there was mischief in her tone.

“Oi!”

She chuckled before suggesting, “Let’s go back. Our mothers must have been worried because you haven’t return since morning.”

Heaving a sigh, he stood up and held out a hand to Ami. They rode back to their residence soon.

**********

“Father!”

Ainosuke’s voice bellowed from outside the bedroom before Mirai felt a tender and warm pressure on her cheek, so close to the corner of . It ended so quickly even before she savored the feeling. Opening her eyes, Ryosuke’s crooked smile was the first thing she saw.

“I’ll go get Ainosuke,” he said.

She mustered a smile and nodded. Ryosuke left the room soon after that. As the door closed, her smile faltered. Touching the spot which was kissed by Ryosuke just now, she sighed, a bit disappointed. Before they heard Ainosuke’s voice, she was almost sure that Ryosuke would give her a kiss on the lips, but then he changed his mind at the last seconds and kissed her cheek instead.

Sighing once again and noticing the time, she decided to prepare for their sleep. She was setting the mattress on the floor for her family to sleep on while she believed Ryosuke was helping Ainosuke to brush his teeth in the bathroom by now.

It had been a week since Ryosuke’s arrival and they were still sleeping with the same arrangement, the three of them on the floor mattress. In the morning she and Ryosuke would walk Ainosuke to school then they would turn and head to the clinic, walking hand in hand. Doctor Hayato and his wife congratulated her on Ryosuke’s return and sent a pack of herb tea. The couple also curiously though carefully asked about him. It was understandable, because they knew that Ryosuke should be in Hakumei, and now the relationship with Hakumei had not been restored. Ryosuke just answered shortly that he was having an official task on behalf of Hakumei’s government. To her, he explained a bit more that he was in a squad for assessing the refugees’ condition in Ryuusei.

As far as she knew, Ryosuke would go to the downtown once every two days. She had been so tempted to ask many questions about Hakumei, why he was here and doing a low officer’s tasks, but then he would answer that it had not been the right time to explain things. She felt unsettling feeling about his reluctance, yet the sadness she felt from his tone when he answered had her forced herself to be patient.

Ryosuke was close but somehow felt distant. It was like there was something holding him back. Just like what happened a moment ago. It was not the first time he did it. He would see her with that look that made her stomach fluttered and approached her only to retreat in the last seconds. Then there was time, in the last day of the spring, two days after his arrival, when they were alone in the house while Ainosuke was going to the market with Umika, and Yuri had not come home yet, and the rain poured lightly. She accidentally spilled her tea on him and stained his shirt. She asked him to take off the shirt to be washed, but he politely excused himself to Yuri’s bedroom, changed into a clean shirt then handed her the dirty one. That time she just realized that Ryosuke never moved his belongings from Yuri’s bedroom to theirs, and never took off his shirt while bathing Ainosuke despite it always got wet in the end of the session.