Chapter 125 - Anxious

"But, now that you know, if you still don't want her here, then tell me honestly and I will make her leave."

Make Emi leave?

Ara felt shocked. Ryuu made it sound like it was so easy to get rid of someone. Then again he was Homura Ryuu, heir of the prominent Homura House. Nothing was impossible for him.

Of course, she didn't want him to do that. As she understood, Emi had nowhere else to go. The poor girl had been taken from her family at birth, raised as a doll to be the master's woman but then discarded like an unwanted toy. This was how it sounded to Ara. It was a harsh life.

Although she felt very happy that Ryuu did that for her, the fact that Emi became somewhat roadkill – an innocent victim of an archaic practice, made her upset for the poor girl.

On the other hand, she also felt conflicted. Looking at it from a wife's point of view, it would be best to remove Emi from the Cedar Palace. Ara knew this based on her palace education. She had been born a princess and a future queen of Kres, as she was engaged to its Emperor. She had been taught to rid of any possible competition. If she wanted to save her bloodline from the possible usurper, she had to be ruthless.

But this was not Ritz…

Ara closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. For Ara, there's only one pair of important questions she needed to be answered before she could give her own.

"How do you feel about her?"

"Nothing."

There was no hesitation in his voice. "How about her? How does she feel about you?"

"If you're asking in general terms, then I'm the Master of the Homura House. She's a vassal, and she's loyal," Ryuu smiled when Ara frowned. "If you're asking me if she feels anything romantic towards my person, then the answer is a big NO."

The certainty in his voice wiped the frown off her face.

"How are you sure?"

She couldn't believe Ryuu could actually answer this question. The fact that he did, made her curious.

"A hundred percent certainty."

He grinned, his blue eyes dancing as if telling her a secret and only Ara then realized the meaning behind his smile. Emi was in love with someone else!

"With who?"

"With Gin-nii," he answered smoothly.

Oh…

Well, Kazehaya Gin was handsome, and he has a cheerful personality – although he's very noisy like a chipmunk.

"How did you know? I thought you rarely saw Emi?"

Ryuu sighed as he took the puppy from Ara's arm. "Why are you suddenly interested in someone else's love life?"

"Just answer me?"Ara batted her lashes, trying to be cute – something she learned from Yashiro and the girls as well. 

Giving in to her request, Ryuu handed the puppy which started wiggling back to her.

"I didn't know because of her. I found out because of Gin-nii," he informed her.

Ara's mouth formed an O. "She confessed to Big Bro Kaze?"

She couldn't believe such a shy girl would be able to do that though.

Ryuu shook his head. "None of them said anything."

"Then?"

With a sigh, Ryuu told her about what happened during the succession ceremony. "Before the ceremony, I heard from servants that Gin-nii had been asking around about a girl he had met. He seemed to like her a lot. He couldn't find her though. Then the day of the ceremony came. It's the tradition to present the Makura to everyone on that day as well. When Emi and Gin-nii saw each other, they were both strange."

"That's it?"

Ryuu coughed. "Gin-nii… He would never normally lie to me. That day he did. I asked him if there's something wrong because he looked stricken when he saw the Makura. He lied to me for the first time. It was then that I knew."

"Oh… Is that why you and Emi didn't…"

Ara was curious. If Ryuu didn't know that Kazehaya Gin liked Emi, would he have a relationship with her then? She was after all technically Ryuu's woman.

"Of course, not. I never had an interest in her."

"I see…"

Ara didn't know why she even asked such a thing. It was as if she was really bothered. She shouldn't, really, since she herself was involved with another man and was even engaged with him before coming here.

What's wrong with me?

Ryuu placed his arms across his chest as he raised a brow at her. "You still haven't answered my question," he reminded her.

"Of course she can stay!" Ara didn't hesitate to answer this time. "Anyone not in love with you can stay here."

In her heart, she apologized to Emi a thousand times. She was petty and selfish and she didn't understand, but the thought of letting the other woman stay when she had feelings for her man made her uncomfortable.

She was glad then that Emi was not. Still, she felt guilty.

"Oh? Is that a requirement?"Ryuu asked in amusement. "We'd be doing a staff reorganization then. I heard I'm well-loved."

EH?

"Just kidding."Ryuu didn't know anyone who was in love with him except for the nutjob he purposely made crazy over him – not that he cared.

"Don't scare me," Ara blurted, and she covered her mouth with her hands, accidentally dropping the pup which ran to sit on Ryuu's lap.

"Why? Were you jealous?"

At the question, Ara looked thoughtful. She felt embarrassed, but she didn't want to lie. "I don't know."

Ryuu raised his brow again. "You don't know?"

"Well," Ara smiled sheepishly. "I don't think I've been jealous before so I can't say. But I felt anxious at the thought of Emi staying here when she likes you so maybe I am?"

Her confusion was so funny, Ryuu had to chuckle.

"Well, you have a lot of time to figure that out," he told her. "We would be spending a lifetime after all."

At his words, Ara felt a warmth spreading in her chest. The thought of growing old together suddenly made her feel happy. But, there was one point she had to make clear though.

"I will. Just don't do anything stupid as to test me and deliberately try to make me jealous or you wouldn't like what I'd do."

"Oh? I wouldn't be that petty, but please do tell me what'll happen," Ryuu was amused.

Ara grinned, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. Instead, there was a hard, cold glint in them that made Ryuu straighten his back.

"I'll make sure your bloodline would end."