Chapter 156 - Happiness

Hmmmnnnn…

Homura Ryuu's ice-blue gaze squinted at his fiancée, taking note of her jumpiness and the deep blush of her skin than was almost the same color as baboon's buttocks. She was fanning herself like crazy, saying she was hot, but of course he didn't buy that. It was obvious she was not telling the truth.

But it's okay. He already had an inkling what she and her friends had been talking about anyway.

Also…

His gaze swept the hall where the servants sat waiting to be called and saw their faces were red and they were not able to meet his eyes while they fought hard to keep a smile from breaking on their faces. So yeah, Ara definitely talked about something naughty towards his person.

Homura Ryuu, Koutaishidenka of the Homura House approved.

"Are my brother and Big Bro Kaze not here yet?" she asked after a while, and he gave her a knowing look, saying he knew that she was trying to divert his attention but he humored her.

"Not yet, but they are on the way," he informed her. The IBEC's venue wasn't that far so the two older brothers were expected in around half an hour. "Are you all hungry? We can eat first."

Ara turned to the others. "Do you want to eat now?" she prompted, and Ryuu smiled.

Instead of answering him with her own wish, she prioritized her friends' answers. He turned to the others, waiting for their reply but they shook their heads to say no.

"Are you sure?" They did a lot of activities today. The last time they all ate was before going to Ginza. They must be famished already.

"Yeah, we can eat later when the older Prince and Ara's brother arrive," Rin answered and the prince was not able to do anything but agree.

"It'll take around twenty more minutes before they arrive," he informed them, and they nodded in acknowledgment. He then turned to his fiancée who was still having a hard time looking at him. "May I borrow Ara from you guys for now?" he asked the group who didn't mind and shooed the couple away with mischievous grins on their faces.

He held out his hand which Ara shyly took. His grip tightened on their entwined fingers as he pulled his fiancée out of the room into the engawa and trudged its length like they did the other night when Ryuu proposed to her. They walked silently side by side with Ryuu looking down on Ara's serene face caressed by the moonlight, then down to the diamond ring resting on her finger that glittered in the night.

The Homura Prince couldn't understand why, but he felt happy seeing that ring on her finger. He realized he's also looking forward to putting the other one there tomorrow morning.

"What are you thinking about?"Ara asked softly.

"You," he answered almost immediately, making Ara stop and look up at him in amusement.

"But I'm here. Why do you have to think about me?"

Ryuu chuckled. "Why not? Can't I think of you even if we're together?"

Ara just smiled at him but did not reply. Whether she found his answer weird or funny, he had no idea.

"What about you? What are you thinking about?" he asked, totally curious about her answer.

He was disappointed.

"Nothing."

Huh?

"Nothing?" he prompted. "You're so quiet but not thinking about anything?"

TSK!

The Koutaishidenka had this huge urge to sulk until she spoke.

"Yeah, nothing. I'm just savoring the peaceful feeling of walking like this here with you…"

Well, if she put it like that, he wouldn't brood anymore, he thought as the hand holding hers became firmer. The two of them were now at an empty wing of the house, and Ryuu helped her sit on the floor, at the edge of the engawa, and he sat next to her.

The winter night sky was very clear now in spite of the bit of snow just earlier. The two of them gazed at the moon above as the soft breeze touched their skin. Ara then turned towards his direction and he noted her audible intake of breath as her silver-grey pools stared at his face.

"What?"

Ara was silent for a while with her just looking at him, her soft lips slightly parted as if inviting him for a kiss. Homura Ryuu raised a brow. "What? You find me very handsome?" he teased.

"Yeah," she suddenly answered, taking him by surprise with her honesty.

This woman…

This woman was full of contradictions. She was shy, yet she was bold at the same time. She got so terrified with simple things such as lightning and spiders, and yet, she was brave to face danger. She could be so mature, and at the same time naughty and mischievous like a little child. She even ruined the floor at the dojo today – her first day at the Cedar Palace!

Also…

She could be so exasperating with her stubbornness, and yet, so adorable in his eyes.

Huh?

Homura Ryuu was suddenly startled with his train of thoughts.

Adorable?

His blue gaze swept the pretty one who was still looking boldly at him and he inhaled. She totally looked so cute. Like a kitten.

With this thought, his lips twitched into a smile. He reached out and brushed his hand on the side of Ara's cheeks, and almost instantly, she closed her eyes, leaned against his shoulder, and even rubbed against his hand.

Yep, she's a kitten.

He continued to caress her cheek for a while, wondering if she'd also purr.

She didn't.

"Kou?" she called to him softly.

"Yes?"

"This marriage registration tomorrow…" her voice trailed off as if she was considering her words. She lifted her head and turned to him again, and he stopped touching her face. "Are you happy?"

Homura Ryuu was surprised again.

Happy?

The returner to ancestry had never considered this question before. It was honestly the first time anyone had asked this of him. "What is happiness?" he asked back instead.

Ara slightly frowned as she too couldn't answer. He chuckled.

"If happiness is contentment or satisfaction of what is happening in this life is, then the answer is yes."

Ara was quiet for a while as if considering his answer.

"I see," she commented after. "Then that means I'm happy too," she declared as she stared up at the sky again, smiling like a little girl, but then she sighed heavily, and Ryuu wondered what happened.

"What's wrong?"

Ara shrugged. "I'm just thinking about Big Bro Kaze and Emi," she answered honestly.

"Oho, how dare you think about other people's love troubles when you're with me?" he teased as he pressed her nose. 

"What? I just feel sorry for them. Because we're both so happy, don't you feel like you want the people you care about to be happy too?"

Homura Ryuu then sighed, his face becoming serious as he too stared at the sky.

"Ara, it's all good to think like that. But sometimes, you can only do so much to help. The people themselves need to realize what they truly want and use their own power to achieve their own happiness."