(Yukito side)
Hearing Vern-san's words, I left the hall and went to the garden.
At this moment, my body already felt rather tired, since the sky had turned dark.
Usually, I would spend my night lying on my bed, doing something until I fell asleep.
But this time, I went out of the building just to fulfill the request of a girl younger than me.
In my previous life, let alone having a girlfriend, finding a friend already felt like making a new discovery.
I turned and looked out the palace corridor's window again and again; the moon was shining brightly tonight once more.
Just like a few days ago, when I told Rosa-chan that I was a man.
Tonight felt the same as that night, although the circumstances were different.
——
When I stepped out of the palace building, the cold air instantly made my body shiver.
Even though I was wearing fairly thick clothes under this coat, the cold still reached my whole body.
Right... I wonder if Rosa-chan isn't cold? I'm already freezing, so she must be even colder.
The dress she wore didn't cover her entire body, maybe only half of it.
She wasn't wearing a skirt or gown that reached her feet, so she must be feeling the chill on her legs.
—
But maybe, because I'm still not used to the night air in this world, I'm just overreacting.
Maybe what I think is something big, in the eyes of others, is only like an ant.
——
In the garden, I saw Rosa-chan gazing at the moon.
As if she had noticed, she turned toward me when I arrived in front of her.
Maybe she could hear the sound of my footsteps, which let her know that I had come.
I couldn't hear my own footsteps because the sound of my breathing was louder.
I wiped my slightly sweaty chin in the middle of this cold weather, then looked at her.
Her figure, wearing a white dress and illuminated by the moonlight—the light made her gown appear even more radiant.
Like the glow of countless stars decorating the sky above.
Her gaze at me was filled with emotions I couldn't read.
The cold breeze that blew made her hair sway here and there, as did mine.
Her gown was repeatedly lifted by the wind, almost making me see the inside of it.
Maybe she didn't realize that tonight's wind was stronger than she expected.
"Yukito-san... there's something I want to ask you..." said Rosa-chan.
I swallowed my saliva, hoping that what she wanted to say would be something pleasant to my ears.
"My..." said Rosa-chan, without finishing her next word.
"My?" I asked back.
Why did she suddenly stop her words?
"My feet are cold..." she continued.
Just as I suspected earlier, she must have been cold.
"Want to go back inside?" I asked, hoping her legs would feel warm again.
"No need, this much isn't a problem," she said.
Huh, what exactly is Rosa-chan trying to do right now?
Usually, if someone wants to talk to another person, they'll look for a comfortable place, right?
Why does Rosa-chan insist that she's fine?
—
"Yukito-san, why did I see you hugging Vern-san earlier?" asked Rosa-chan with a gaze that felt very cold.
Why is she curious about that? I thought she was going to say something more important.
"T-that..." after that, I told her what happened between me and Vern-san during the ceremony earlier.
Rosa-chan listened to every word I said without saying anything.
As if she wanted to listen in detail without missing a single thing.
Looks like this is going to lead to a new problem.
——
"Oh, I see..." said Rosa-chan after hearing my words.
"I-I thought you had that kind of relationship with Vern-san..." she continued, turning her face away.
Well, I wouldn't be surprised if she thought of me that way.
Besides, I really can't deny that I hugged a girl earlier.
"Relax, I don't have that kind of relationship with her... anyway, why are you curious about this?" I asked, already feeling very curious myself.
A strong wind blew against Rosa-chan, making her face momentarily covered by her hair.
"Yukito-san, if someone were to tell you they liked you right now... what would your reaction be?" asked Rosa-chan as she looked up at the sky.
My eyes widened in surprise at her words.
Rosa-chan was asking something that sounded ordinary, but to me, that question was very complicated.
I had to give an answer that would make her feel satisfied, even though I had no obligation to do so.
"I don't know... maybe I'd think about my feelings for them. If I had feelings too, I'd return them," I replied.
Honestly, I didn't know what else to say. My mind was in chaos.
It made it hard for my brain and mouth to form the right words.
"In that case... what if I said I like you... what then?"
Rosa-chan turned and looked at me, her cheeks and ears already red.
Hearing what she said, my body immediately reacted, making my cheeks heat up slightly.
Even though Rosa-chan said 'what if,' to me, her words felt like more than that.
And from the look in her eyes, that wasn't the gaze of someone lying.
Tonight, the wedding ceremony was over, yet here I was, being cornered by Rosa-chan like this.
——
(Vern side)
I felt worried—why did the princess suddenly want to take Lotte to the garden?
It wasn't like her to want to be alone with a man. Most of the time, she would avoid things like that.
Because I was curious and worried, I quietly followed Lotte from behind.
I wanted to know why the princess wanted to meet him in the garden.
If the princess wanted to tell Lotte how she truly felt... I hope that doesn't happen.
Lotte just saw you kissing another man, and if you confessed to him now, do you want to break him even more?
I know... how you feel, princess, but it's already too late to say all that.
When you kissed him earlier, I could already tell—you didn't kiss him sincerely.
Your expression was too easy for me to read.
Fate cannot be changed. Everything will always move as it has been destined.
We can only keep moving, keep living, so that fate doesn't feel too painful.
Please, princess, hold back your emotions for now.
——
I stood behind one of the pillars, very close to where Lotte and the princess were standing.
I had to listen carefully to what they were saying. I couldn't afford to miss a single thing.
Maybe I wasn't ready to see you get married... but still, I want to stay by your side, princess.
——
"In that case... what if I said I like you... what then?" I never expected the princess to actually say that.
The princess seemed very bold tonight.
And when I heard those words, I couldn't stop myself from blushing.
It was the first time I had ever seen the princess say the word "like" to a man.
Could it be... that I'll cry again?
——
(Yukito side)
"Rosa-chan, do you mean..." I continued, wanting to make sure what she said was real or just a joke.
I shouldn't immediately assume that she really liked me.
Besides, I had never seen her act in a way that showed she had feelings for me.
"J-just kidding~ Made your heart skip a beat, didn't it?" said Rosa-chan.
I looked at her face, and she looked like someone who was lying.
Her expression couldn't hide what she was really feeling.
What she said made my heart ache a little. I didn't expect her to toy with me like that.
Toyed with... maybe that sounds strange. Maybe she was just joking around with me.
Rosa-chan immediately walked past me, as if she was done talking.
"I-it's getting colder here... let's go back inside..." she said.
I turned around and started following her from behind.
Honestly, I really didn't understand why I went to the garden or what had just happened.
Everything felt so fast that I couldn't think clearly.
Before entering the palace building, Rosa-chan stopped walking. But she didn't look at me; she just bowed her head.
"Yukito-san..." she said before finally looking back up at me.
She smiled, her eyes closed—that smile felt so deep, as if it came from her heart.
"Right now... the moon is beautiful, isn't it?" said Rosa-chan.
I froze. My feet felt like they turned to ice, and so did my entire body.
I turned my head and looked up at the sky; at this moment, the moon was already covered by clouds.
And what Rosa-chan said meant she wasn't complimenting the moon, because right now, it was hidden behind the clouds.
I let her go inside first, while I leaned my body against the wall.
I covered my face with my right hand. Right now, I felt so full of regret.
Why... didn't I say it earlier? Why?
"Rosa-chan... was that what you wanted to say from the start..." I muttered.
The moon that once shone so brightly was now dark and hidden behind the clouds.
As if a sign that its dim light carried so much regret.