Chapter 118 - For Love

"Oh lord…"

Aki had a bewildered look on his face. "That happened?"

Kazehaya Gin had just finished informing him about the event there at the Cedar Palace during the school trip, and he was scandalized.

"Yep!" Kazehaya answered with a grin.

Aki still couldn't believe it. He already knew the Okada girl was a scheming wench, but he had never expected she'd do something to expose herself so easily. It's just so out of the blue.

"That's weird."

"Why do you say so?"

"Because why would someone who had painstakingly tried to keep her image squeaky clean to the point of framing other people for her evil deeds suddenly act like an unhinged banshee? If her target is a person who has a nice standing in the society shouldn't she behave more than do crazy things like that?"

"Well…"Kazehaya Gin's voice trailed off as he glanced at the Koutaishidenka.

Suzuki had some seriously good observation skills. But he also couldn't very well say that the Homura prince had used his divine powers to charm the girl into insanity, right?

Or not…

With a nonchalant shrug, Kazehaya Gin pointed at Ryuu. "Just look at that face. With that lethal weapon coupled with his famous name and status, who wouldn't go crazy for him?"

This made Aki study the Koutaishidenka's face for a few seconds looking thoughtful before nodding as if convinced.

"Well, yeah…"Aki agreed as if just by looking at his brother-in-law's face would make everything make sense.

"See? He's so handsome he could charm just about anyone," Gin added before laughing so hard.

Koutaishidenka on the other hand, as usual, didn't care.

"Yeah, he could charm off panties of schoolgirls," a female voice sounded, and they all turned to see Ara by the door.

"Oh, you're awake!"

All three men looked happy to see her. Even Ryuu looked up from his tea. He didn't smile, but there was a warm kind of glint in his eyes as he watched her join them in the room.

"Yeah," Ara answered as she plopped down on the tatami next to Ryuu.

Aki and Gin watched with secret smiles as the mighty Koutaishidenka immediately scooted to the side, and shifted to give Ara his pillow seat so she wouldn't have to sit directly on the tatami.

"Oh, thanks, but we can share."Ara sat on half and she patted the other half so Ryuu would sit on it.

It was actually big enough to fit them if they sat close enough.

The two men watched as the mighty prince turned into an obedient pup and sat unabashedly close to Ara.

"Princess, what do you mean by Ryuu charming panties off of school girls?" Gin asked. He was very curious as usual.

"When he came to pick me up today, my female schoolmates went crazy and were going to donate their underwear to Kou," Ara said with a chuckle.

Aki, the bad, bully of a brother, however, scrutinized his sister's face. "Oh and you won't donate yours?" he asked mischievously which made the other two men pause in anticipation.

However, this Ara couldn't be bullied. Ever. "Oh, of course, I will," she deadpanned, shocking all three men.

Kazehaya Gin whistled while the Koutaishidenka turned to her as if waiting, only for his hopes to be dashed.

"Of course, I won't. Which stupid girl would give her panties to a guy just like that?" she asked in disbelief, her expression stating how so fatuous she thought of the idea.

"Your classmates," Aki countered smugly, and Ara rolled her eyes, before turning to the slightly pouting Ryuu.

"So, who did you charm again?"

Kazehaya Gin chuckled. "Ara, we were just talking about that Okada girl before you came."

"Oh? Oh yeah, what happened to her after I called?" she asked, and the others told her.

"Jeez, she's finally totally nuts she didn't care about what people would think of her anymore."

A deep eleven formed in the middle of her forehead and Ryuu reached out to soothe the lines. The action was so intimate that Kazehaya and the older Suzuki had to turn away and pretend they didn't see anything.

"Where's my pup?"

Kazehaya Gin then arched his brow. "Princess, isn't the pup sitting right next to you?"

He was referring to the Koutaishidenka of course.

"Ye –"Ara almost instantly agreed but stopped herself in time as she turned to Kazehaya with a surprised look.

Did the chipmunk know she thought of Ryuu as a husky? She wondered as her silver gaze met the other's dancing hazel ones.

"I'm talking about the Siberian husky."

Huh?

"What Siberian hus –"

"You will see it later," Ryuu interrupted Kazehaya who looked at him in shock.

"Wait – what? We have a dog?"

Ara almost laughed as her guess was right. Ryuu just took the dog for her. She decided to give him face though and ignored the chipmunk. She gave Ryuu a megawatt smile.

"Okay," she said as she settled by his side. "Where are my things?" she asked as her eyes wandered around the room and spotted her luggage and shopping bags at a corner.

Aki stood up and brought them to her. She excitedly rummaged through her bags as she asked all three men to gather around her. Well, at least Kazehaya since he was the only one far from the table.

Different snacks and Hakone delicacies filled the table and Ara pushed the packages in front of each person she bought them for.

"Wow Ara, thank you so much!"

As expected Kazehaya had a sweet tooth and so he was so happy to see the snacks she got him. Aki was the same.

"Hmph! I was supposed to not give you and Kou anything because you tricked me," she told them with a little scowl.

Kazehaya dramatically placed his hand on his chest. "Of course not! I just didn't want to hurt your feelings. Besides, Ryuu and I haven't been to Hakone in…"

He was supposed to tell Ara they hadn't been to Hakone for a while but remembered they were just there the other night for beast extermination and he cleared his throat.

"I mean we haven't eaten snacks from Hakone for a while," Kazehaya said instead.

Ara was silent for a moment as she squinted her eyes at Gin and Ryuu.

"Did you buy it? The one I asked you to?"Suzuki Aki then asked, and Ara happily said yes as she fished out the three boxes of black eggs with a dozen eggs each inside.

"Oh wow, you got a lot," Aki crowed happily, while Kazehaya Gin and Ryuu froze as they stared at the hated eggs.

"Yeah," Ara answered proudly as she gave one of them a box each. "I got you, three hardworking men, a dozen each so you'll have plenty to eat. It's good for your health."

She was so excited she immediately picked up one egg and began to peel it for Ryuu, not noticing the horrified look on Kazehaya's face. When she's done and placed it under her fiancé's nose, it was the only moment she realized something was off. She saw Kou and Gin were not moving as they stared at the eggs.

"Oh…"Ara finally understood something. "You dislike… the eggs?" She didn't think about that when she got them the delicacies. 

When her question was met with several seconds of silence, Ara felt disheartened. "It's okay. Sorry, I didn't ask first if you like it or not," she said hurriedly as she took the egg away from Kou.

But before she could really take it farther away, Kou reached out and held her wrist firmly, stopping her from moving. She watched in surprise as the prince pulled her arm so he could lean over and took a bite of the black egg.

Aki almost whistled in admiration, while Gin looked horrified as they looked on at the scene.

"Oh, what one does for love…"