In Sickness And In Health (Yandere M. Genius x F. Reader x Yandere M. Prince)

Chapter 67: Hint

(Y/n) had promised to come and visit Orion the day after the party. Though she had been spending all of her time with Haru, the prince was overjoyed to hear that he would get attention, too. As a result, like always, he spent ages making sure that he looked attractive. Thankfully, since his great uncle had been quick to find him some new assistants, the work was not as burdensome. It was the only reason he had the time to spare for her. But, if that was not the case, he would have been livid he had to miss out on her company.

Nonetheless, he waited eagerly in the garden she specified, admiring the flowers. Presley kept him company, listening to the boy prattle on and on about how much he loved the (h/c) haired girl. Really, Orion could come up with just about anything to say if it was about her. Sometimes, he just devolved into endless blabbering about one tiny detail about her. That time, he was very interested in talking about how she held his hand. The knight was somewhat relieved to see the girl arrive, mainly because he was then forced to stand away from earshot.

The prince jumped up from his seat on the bench, running straight into a hug. Though he, at first, surprised her, she nonetheless gently wrapped her arms around him, too. He giggled. It was always amazing hugging her. Somehow, she knew everything he wanted and provided it, making him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Even when they sat next to each other, he didn't feel any less warm. In fact, though he was not hugging her, he was getting to hold her hand and lean on her shoulder.

"I'm so glad you asked to see me today," the male confessed, blushing at the tips of his ears, "I was actually pretty jealous of Mister Haru, you know. You gave him a lot of love and stayed with him and even went to a party with him."

"I did. He's just...in a bad place right now."

"And I feel so bad for him. He's lost so many things so quickly, a-and I couldn't even imagine what it would feel like if my mother died. I'm sure he's very sad, and I'm prepared to do anything I can to make him happy again!" A pause followed as the prince snuggled a bit more into her. "But I'm your lover, right?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk about - "

"Oh! I almost forgot! I know how much you love sweets, so I had the kitchen make some. Here!"

The prince held up a picnic basket with all kinds of desserts. He first placed a lemon raspberry tart in her mouth, the girl flinching but melting at the taste nonetheless. It was crispy and gooey, but, most importantly, it was deliciously sweet. She didn't mind Orion nuzzling her arm while she ate it. In fact, the dessert distracted her long enough for him to amuse himself. That was probably his intent. It was a common tactic in the courting game.

"Actually," the boy paused, his cheeks becoming flush, "I...I really love you. I-I can't stop thinking about you and I'm always looking forward to holding your hand or getting...a k-kiss. And, well, I'm going to have my coronation soon."

Orion fiddled with a wooden box on his lap, shyly darting his eyes away as he rubbed it nervously. She took the time to munch on another tart while observing the thing. It seemed strangely inconspicuous despite the fact it appeared to be a gift. She was sure the wood was high quality, but it was the emblem of the royal family seared onto the wood that made her lift a brow. Nothing else about it gave away its contents.

"I don't...I don't know if I'm ready to be king. I'm not smart like Zuki or good with people like Rei. I don't even have the motivation Ichiro has. These things would have come easy to them."

"You just started. It doesn't really have to do with intelligence alone. No one could understand it all right away."

"But that's what everyone expects. Grandmother was incredible and she was a lot younger than me. I have a lot to live up to. No, but that's not what I wanted to talk about! I - "