"Huh! Liya, the hairpin on your head…"
At the dining table, Betty observed quietly.
Emilia descended the stairs, her joyful aura radiating through the room, yet the small pink hairpin on her head caught everyone's attention immediately.
Natsuki Subaru, arranging the table, stared at Emilia with bitterness surging in his chest.
Over the past few days, she had completely ignored him.
Whenever he tried to approach, she turned away.
He had attempted to expose Uranus An's true colors, yet every time he opened his mouth, Emilia would leave before a single word escaped his lips.
This constant rejection cut deeply.
Her cold indifference was like a thousand blades stabbing at his heart.
Nights were the hardest.
The image of Emilia and Uranus An together, sharing smiles and glances full of intimacy, tormented him endlessly.
He tried to suppress these thoughts, but every attempt failed.
Holding hands?
A kiss?
Or perhaps something more…
Natsuki Subaru felt his sanity teetering.
His eyes were bloodshot, exhaustion pressing down on him.
Emilia had not spoken a word to him in days.
"Good morning, everyone!"
Just then, Uranus An descended the stairs, greeting everyone warmly as he took his seat.
Under Subaru's furious gaze, Emilia rose gracefully and sat beside Uranus An, a soft, radiant sweetness enveloping her.
---
That afternoon, the sky was clear and cloudless.
In the shade of the mansion's lawn, Uranus An and Emilia rested after flying a kite.
Natsuki Subaru observed silently from the window, seething.
When Emilia rested her head on Uranus An's lap, and he leaned slightly forward, her flushed, embarrassed, and uneasy expression only intensified Subaru's frustration, stabbing him like a sword.
Uranus An, on the other hand, was enjoying himself thoroughly.
Emilia's long, fair legs brushed softly against him.
Her hands rested on his shoulders, fingers entwined in his hair, her face flushed, her breaths coming faster.
"An, don't face this way," she murmured, embarrassed.
"What's wrong?" Uranus An feigned innocence, deliberately teasing her, making Subaru's fists clench further.
"That… that…" Emilia stammered, at a loss for words.
"Alright," Uranus An said with mock disappointment, then, in a swift, deliberate motion, leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.
Time seemed to stop.
Emilia froze, eyes wide, her entire body stiffening under the kiss.
From the window, Natsuki Subaru's face twisted with horror.
Veins bulged on his neck as he watched her reciprocate.
Why?
Why would she respond to him, who had caused so much pain?
The betrayal struck him like a knife to the heart.
He had fought, suffered, and sacrificed everything, only to see her embrace another.
On the lawn, Lucien noticed Emilia's shy but responsive movements and could feel Subaru's despairing, lost gaze from the window.
The smile on Uranus An's face was deliberate, a small, private triumph.
If roles were reversed, he would have killed anyone violating such an intimate bond.
But Subaru lacked that courage.
"Hmph…"
After a full minute, Emilia could barely breathe.
She lifted her head, saliva glistening on her lips, her cheeks flushed, eyes clouded with daze.
"An, you…" she whispered, cheeks crimson.
Before she could finish, Uranus An kissed her again, then flipped her gently onto the grass, holding her close.
At the window, Subaru ground his teeth, his face twisted, hands trembling and bleeding from clenching so tightly.
Unable to endure any longer, he stormed off, fearing his own uncontrolled rage.
---
"Oh my, how bold!"
Emilia's voice carried a mix of embarrassment and amusement.
Lucien looked slightly flushed but amused, watching her reaction.
Emilia, startled, pushed him away and glared at Puck, who had been watching with an almost mischievous smile.
Her cheeks burned with a strange mix of anger and flustered delight.
"Puck, you did that on purpose!" she accused, hopping away like a startled rabbit.
Uranus An chuckled, sitting cross-legged on the grass, a faint smirk on his face.
"Liya is my daughter, and I don't like seeing her bullied like this," Puck said, arms crossed seriously.
"Puck, are you envious, jealous, or just wishing to fall in love too?" Uranus An teased, wrapping an arm around him playfully.
"This…" Puck fidgeted, flustered under Uranus An's sharp gaze.
"Don't leave!
Tell me—who do you like?
Is she like you or another kind of spirit?
Is she pretty?
Does she have nice features?" Uranus An prodded with mischievous curiosity.
Puck scrambled, trying to flee the conversation.
Uranus An merely shrugged, lying back on the grass with legs crossed, gazing at the clear, cloudless sky.
---
Emilia did not reappear all afternoon or evening.
Uranus An knocked on her door several times, but it remained shut.
She finally emerged the following evening.
She avoided his gaze, keeping her distance.
"I'm full," she muttered, eating only a few bites before retreating upstairs, overwhelmed by his burning eyes.
Lucien followed quietly.
Ram, Betty, and Rem shivered from the sheer intensity of the scene they had just witnessed.
"Next time, if these two are together, don't call me," Betty muttered.
"Agreed," Rem nodded.
Ram also nodded silently.
Puck looked slightly displeased but chose not to interfere.
The sheer sweetness of the moment had overwhelmed them.
---
Uranus gently blocked her retreat, pinning her lightly against the wall.
Her face flushed instantly at the warmth of his breath.
"An… An, what do you want to do?" she whispered, soft and trembling, eyes darting nervously.
Her heart raced, and she dared not meet his gaze.
Uranus An's amethyst eyes sparkled with a mixture of affection and mischief, holding her in place just long enough to make her pulse race faster.
___
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