Part I — Shizuo
Why pink, Hana? — I asked, trying not to sound as uncomfortable as I still felt talking to Hana.
What do you mean?
Whenever we go to choose clothes, you always get happy when we look at any pink piece.
Well, it's cute. And it's not just pink, I also like highlighter green, baby blue... There are some shades of lilac that are wonderful too.
I was finally able to function correctly, again.
I went back to talking more casually with Hana after that day with Lucian, even though the hurt still insisted on lingering.
She seemed sincerely remorseful. Well, not about creating me, never that. Hana was sorry for making me suffer, even though she had no way of predicting any of this madness.
"My lady?"
I looked up at the mirror in front of me and saw Abigail standing behind me, holding two ribbons, one in each hand, waiting for my answer.
"The one on the right," I said, pointing to the hot pink ribbon in her hand.
Abigail analyzed my choice, and didn't need to make any face or give any physical indication, because I was sure she found the choice exotic.
Efficiently, she tied the ornament in my hair, pinning only the front strands at the back.
I looked at myself in the mirror again.
A dress still black, but now I paired it with a white embroidered shawl and that vibrant ribbon that looked like it belonged to a Barbie doll.
It was... flashy.
We look perfect, relax.
Right...
Shizuo... If you're against it, we can change...
No, it's fine, I would probably choose something boring and practical.
I nodded, decided.
"I'm ready, Abi."
The maid nodded, turned, and went to the door. She opened it and, when I stepped out, I came face to face with a tall man, dressed in military clothes in black and silver with blue details, the colors of the Vane family.
It was Captain Vincent, one of the main antagonists of the game... well, now I knew he was one of the antagonists of Hana's manga.
He gave a formal salute upon seeing me and, in silence, positioned himself behind me and Abigail.
A shiver ran down my spine. Even though Lucian guaranteed me he wouldn't harm anyone unless ordered, he still emanated a frightening aura of coldness.
We walked down the corridor to Lucian's office, where Orestes was waiting for us at the door.
"Welcome, my lady."
I smiled at him.
"Orestes. How are you?"
"Splendid, my lady. More so now that I see you more spirited."
He then turned and went in to announce my arrival. Almost immediately, he opened the door completely, motioning for me to enter.
"Miss Abigail and the Captain will remain with me out here, please make yourself comfortable."
I agreed and went in. Lucian was sitting in his chair, immersed in a mountain of papers, while Evelyn sat on the edge of the desk, with her ever-present smile, now friendlier and less sarcastic.
I looked confusedly at her and then back at Lucian. I thought the meeting would be to discuss our strategy for the event in the capital.
"Sit down, make yourself comfortable," he said, looking up and seeing me.
He put the papers aside while I closed the door behind me and sat in front of him, slightly to the side so as not to be too close to Evelyn.
"I reflected, Livia, and came to the conclusion that we will need allies who know about our... situation."
"And I would be grateful to be that ally, if you decide to trust me and tell me once and for all what the hell is wrong with you two."
Evelyn was perceptive; she had undoubtedly noticed the sudden change in her brother's behavior.
"The decision is yours, do we tell her?"
Lucian must have known that having Evelyn present while asking me that was a terrible idea, but it showed that he indeed trusted Evelyn.
I knew she wasn't some hidden villain as I initially thought; in so many saves I played, she always helped me, but still...
Go ahead. She is originally the most reliable character.
Well, you wrote her so I'll trust.
Hmm, well I gave her a personality, but 90% of her creation was down to my editor.
"Right, you can tell her," I said, finally.
Lucian looked at Evelyn who stared back, full of expectation.
"First, I must warn you that if you cause a scene, I will be forced to lock you in a dungeon, am I clear?"
"Crystal, brother."
Lucian nodded and then spoke.
"During the funeral, do you remember..."
"Of course I do, the entire United Kingdom of Briana and Eria remembers."
He ignored her, used to her interruptions.
"That day, when I looked Livia in the eyes, something happened. In my head appeared... memories."
"Memories?"
"Yes, memories of a past life, lived in a world different from here."
He paused, I believe partly to catch his breath, and partly to organize his ideas before continuing his account.
"In that world, we existed as characters in a book... A book I knew well. It was a story that narrated the life of a woman promised to an evil duke. The heroine was a woman who possessed the soul of a previous life, and because of that, she knew what would happen in the future and used this knowledge to fight against the psychopaths who wanted to hurt her."
"And this woman, this 'heroine', is Livia," Evelyn finally interrupted, unable to contain herself any longer.
"Exactly."
"And you the evil duke, of course."
"Naturally," replied Lucian.
Evelyn remained silent, looking from me to Lucian for a good few seconds until finally exploding in laughter.
"Livia, you are incredible! Making my brother agree to a prank like this..."
We didn't laugh, we continued there, looking at her, waiting for reality to sink in.
She wiped her tears and gradually the laughter stopped.
"Evelyn, all this is real. Didn't you notice the change in me?" asked Lucian, calm and rational.
She looked at him and frowned.
"You seem less... Closed off." She looked at me. "And you seem to have completely changed your mind regarding her."
Lucian agreed.
"The me as you knew him, would he be capable of accepting this marriage?"
She looked at me thoughtfully.
"Yeah, I guess not..."
I looked at Lucian and made a decision. Although we decided together, he always forgets and calls me Shizuo when we are alone, better to put this card on the table.
"Evelyn, besides Livia, I also answer to Shizuo."
Evelyn arched her eyebrows, the smile becoming a thin line of incredulidade.
"Shizuo?" She repeated, like someone tasting a foreign word. "My beautiful future sister-in-law is, in fact, a reincarnated soul. With a name like that which seems to come from the distant east. Okay, you two have certainly gone mad."
"I know it seems absurd, Evelyn," I spoke, trying to keep my voice steady. "But it is the truth. And Lucian is not just Lucian either. He remembers another life, another world. We both know things no one here should know."
Evelyn looked at us for a long moment, as if weighing every word. The silence stretched, loaded with doubt and a hint of curiosity.
"You two really believe this, don't you?" She finally said, without irony. "Well, if you are so convinced, who am I to argue? I won't go around spreading that the duke and the bride have lost their wits." She smiled, now with a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes. "If we are playing this game, I'll play along."
Lucian sighed, relieved. I also relaxed a little, feeling that, even without believing, Evelyn was on our side.
"Great," said Lucian. "Now that we are aligned, we need to talk about the festival schedule. I received this early today."
He opened a sealed envelope and spread the paper on the table. Evelyn leaned in, curious, and I approached to read the title: Official Court Schedule: The Festival of the Dual Alliance.
Lucian scanned the text, highlighting the main points:
"Ten days of festivities in the capital. The arrival, the investiture, end of mourning, the wedding... All planned. The King wants everything to be perfect."
Evelyn analyzed each phase, picking up the paper and examining it.
"The arrival procession, the private audience, the restricted dinner..." She murmured, reading in a low voice. "The rite of cleansing the mourning, the tea of roses... Interesting. I can see why you are asking for my help. This is going to be a rat's nest."
"The Council of Lords, the public investiture..." I added. "Then, royal hunt, masquerade ball, religious blessing, wedding contract..."
Lucian pointed to the end of the schedule.
"And, of course, the grand wedding itself, followed by the banquet, the gifts, and finally the departure. Ten days to survive the court and ensure that no one here gets caught amidst gossip, threats... something worse."
Evelyn smiled, now more animated.
"Well, you definitely didn't need the whole story about reincarnated souls to convince an eagle to enter a snake pit."
I laughed, feeling for the first time that maybe, just maybe, we could face all that together.
Part II – Lucian
Why pink, Shizuo? — I thought, unable to divert my eyes from that jarring aberration pinned to her hair.
Memories of my time in Japan shone brightly in my head. Hana.
It was her favorite color.
A smile formed on my lips despite myself.
"What is it?" Asked Shizuo, catching me smiling at her like a fool.
"It's nothing, just remembered something."
I sank my Ryuuji side to the back of my consciousness. I have been Lucian Vane for the last thirty years, and I had no intention of going back to being Ryuuji.
"Right," said Evelyn, getting off the table. "Then our objective is defined. Survive the ten days in His Highness's lair."
"Exactly. Sage Nathaniel will go with us to the capital. Apparently, that was the official reason for his visit, to accompany us as the crown's emissary," I completed.
Evelyn and Shizuo nodded and became thoughtful.
My eyes were again instinctively guided to the pink ribbon.
Totally improper for a lady, much more for my future wife, but...
I found myself thinking it was charming.
"I am particularly worried about the hunt."
Shizuo spoke, making my gaze return to her blue eyes.
"Be careful, Lucian, he will certainly try something."
"I know. Let's think of security measures for the three of us."
"I am not going to the hunt, brother. I leave the opportunity to sweat and get exhausted, exposing oneself to the risk of being lacerated by a wild boar, to you and Livia."
"I know well. But that doesn't mean you won't be in danger staying behind."
Evelyn nodded, seeing the logic behind my words.
"Good. We have a long journey ahead. I will keep in mind what we discussed. I'm going to take a relaxing bath and rest. I'll leave the lovebirds alone to debate more about their past and present lives."
She curtsied and withdrew.
I looked at Shizuo and stood up. I walked to the counter where the tea set was steaming despite having been served some time ago.
I picked up the teapot and started pouring two mugs.
When I turned to hand the mug, I caught Shizuo staring at me with wide eyes.
"Don't worry," I said, understanding the reason for her discomfort. "This time I made sure there are no sedatives in it."
She composed herself and nodded, graciously accepting the steaming cup.
She tasted it and seemed to approve.
I took a sip of my own and frowned. It was ridiculously sweet.
"Forgive me, I didn't know they had exaggerated so much on the sugar."
"Ah, don't worry, I recently acquired a taste for very sweet drinks..."
"I understand. I prefer something more complex, more bitter."
She looked at me for a long time before answering.
"Coffee?"
"No. Coffee is a commoner's drink, not proper for someone of nobility."
She seemed disappointed.
"Well, if one day you change your mind, I would love to try a coffee. Maybe it would help kill the longing for Earth."
Ah, so that's what it was about.
My "self" from the past loved coffee. I, Lucian, always detested it.
"Well, you don't need me to change my mind, if you want I can order it for you."
She smiled, took another small sip, and nodded.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
We drank our teas in silence, and then, she looked at me fixedly.
"Lucian..."
"Yes?"
"What was your name? Before all this?"
I looked at her, unsure how to answer. I decided to be sincere:
"I don't think it's necessary. Who I was no longer matters in this world. I am me, Lucian."
She hesitated for a moment, but accepted my answer.
"Well, if that's how you prefer, so be it. Now I must withdraw."
I stood up and went to the door and opened it for her. We greeted each other formally and I watched her walk away accompanied by her maid and the captain.
Of all my fiancée's charms, I found it curious that my gaze always ended up fixing on that improper and flashy pink ribbon.