Alluring Secret : Black Vow

Chapter 2 : Part 3 : Seedling

Chapter 2, Part 3 – Seedling

"No."

"You must."

"N-o."

"Y-o-u m-u-s-t."

"Nononono!"

"Youmustyoumustyoumustyoumust!"

"Nononononononononononono!"

"Youmustyoumustyoumustyoumustyoumustyoumu—"

"I said no!! Ugh!!!"

The long-continuing childish replies of "no" and "you must" ended with Rin's final "no." It was yet another "produce" battle between these two as they went through preparations at the Cyrinpt Mansion. The battle between the perfect, high-quality material, Rin, and the one boasted as being the most talented tailor in all of Velcant, Lily, had heated up in a way it never had before in the one year since they had met. This was for certain. The theme for today was—

"Even if I die, I'll never wear such a frilly, black dress! No way!"

"My! What a terrible thing to say! Such an ill omen!"

"That's 'cause I don't like it!"

"Even so, it's going too far to bring up the word 'die' over such a thing!"

"It's a figure of speech! As in, I hate it so much that I'd rather die. In the first place, just how much work do you think an angel has to deal with for the afterlife when a single human dies?! I don't want to be told something like that by someone who doesn't know a thing about ... things like that!"

"Eh .....? The afterlife?"

"......! Ah~ No, it's just .... you know, I'm sure that even after people die, there's a lot to deal with~ That's how much I hate it, is what I mean!"

Normal humans probably wouldn't know how much work that angels have to deal with when a person dies. Moreover, it was probably rare for human to even think about such things. From the viewpoint of the angel who had just said something careless, the human Lily lapsed into thought with a questioning expression on her face.

"If angels existed, I'm sure that it would be a lot of work, but for that to be the reason you would rather die than go through with the fitting ...... But I even went through all the trouble of using the rare material from the Glosse Market~ It was quite difficult to get something like this, you know~? The owner of the shooting gallery was fairly stingy with it."

"I don't like things I don't like!"

"Ohh!"

It would seem that this time, Lily had run out of patience. Up until now, most of her victories had been due to Miku contributing confidential information or sweets to bribe Rin with. However, this time .... Lily sighed in disappointment, and made to leave the dress-up room. The banquet, which was planned a week from now, had a formal dress code. Rin often came to this mansion as a guest, and was already treated like a younger sister by Miku. For that reason, Rin was specifically asked to dress for the banquet, but no matter what, she refused to wear this outfit.

The unique formal dress code of the Kingdom of Alphine is to be dressed in all black. In Alphine, the color black is valued as the royal color, and for gatherings at ceremonies or at the royal palace, nobles and other aristocracy primarily favor black as the formal dress; this custom has continued for the past three hundred years. Three hundred years ago in Velcant, before the current major powers to the east and west had been founded, there was an era where both large and small countries alike were caught in a struggle for supremacy. In the middle of this, Züscheno III, who reigned over the Kingdom of Alphine at the time, thought up various laws in order to strengthen his country and its people. Of those, there was one such law that required everyone to dress in all black in times of war.

Within all of the colors, black is the one color that cannot be tainted by other colors, and can always pierce through inviolability. On the flipside, this black could dye any and all other colors. Züscheno III thought of this as a symbol of his power. In order to raise the morale of his soldiers and people in the prolonged war, he passed this law. This cultural operation that he had thought up had been intended as a mental backup, but because it had been so deeply supported by the people at the time, the custom of black being the most supreme color still remained to this day.

Lily attempted to briefly explain the progression of Alphine's history and culture, but Rin hadn't been listening at all.

A banquet, in which nobles from various countries would be attending, was going to be held at the Cyrinpt Mansion the following week. Miku and the family head, naturally, as well Lily and all other residents of the mansion would need to be formally dressed in all black. No matter how much of a freewheeling noble lady she was, she would not be able to withhold the honor as one of the Cyrinpts in her usual white clothes. Lily sighed with a genuinely troubled expression on her face.

".......... If you're going to be this disobedient, Lady Miku won't like you!"

Twitch.

Rin's ears reacted in such a predictable way in response to hearing the word "Miku," they almost seemed to emit a sound. Lily had only muttered this under her breath as the sore loser, and had not expected her to be able to hear. In the human world, it seemed that this was known as having "hellish ears." The saying merely meant to have exceptionally keen hearing, but because of the word "hell," it didn't hold a very good impression with her.

"In the first place, you're constantly going on about 'production'. Why're you so persis.... I mean, umm ... passionate, about it?"

Although Rin had only asked this off-handedly, Lily's eyes gleamed as if she had been waiting for this question. She cleared her throat in a pompous manner while adjusting glasses that weren't there. By the time Rin realized that she shouldn't have asked this, Lily had already opened her mouth.

"Production .... is the ultimate form of art. In other words, it is the art of creating, Lady Rin."

"Huh~?"

Rin tilted her head in confusion.

"Ah– .... Oh, yes, I know. Lady Rin, I shall explain it simply, plainly, and courteously, in a way in which you will be able to easily understand~ ...."

"....."

Rin looked at Lily, slightly disgruntled. Even though she was the one that had lived longer than this young lady, Lily always acted as if she were really the older one, and spoke down to her like an elder sister.

"Let's see .... Lady Rin, you believe in the existence of 'God,' correct? God created this 'world.' In other words, this is His creation. This world 'began' from the moment God created it. And even now, this world is continuing. In other words, it means that the creation is not yet finished. Which is why, I, too, wish to continue painting the many materials of this world in many colors ... I wish to give them shape. In other words, I wish to paint you—paint the world."

For a moment, the girl's earnest words stuck her heart. She wanted to color a part of the world. Even if, for instance, that was the canvas of her tiny life as a single human being, continuing each day unfulfilling, small, and cramped.

Rin felt somewhat touched by Lily's "human words." She thought about it. Up until now, what have I colored? What color is my heart right now?

For what purpose am I "alive" right now?

A long time ago, she had been asked something similar to this. However, back then, even the meaning of the question had been vague to her, and she hadn't thought about it very deeply.

Rin snapped out of her thoughts and lifted her face. Lily was looking at her with slight concern. She had both of her hands clasped high in tight fists from when she'd been giving her fervent speech; it looked like the manly pose of someone who had just won a fistfight.

"Your world is so wonderful. Your color is ... It's elegant, brilliant, bold, but somehow warm .... Like gold. Even in the decoration part of tailoring, just by putting in a bit of gold, the appearance of the entire thing improves."

"! ..... I-is .... that so ....? That makes me feel embarrassed, somehow. Ah, Lady Rin's color is yellow! Because people are able to cheer up simply by seeing you .... Even on cloudy days, or at night, your mere presence causes the surroundings to shine so brightly."

For the moment, the two of them stared at each other in silence. Because they didn't usually have many serious conversations together, they were unfamiliar to this kind of situation. On the contrary, they'd wound up praising each other quite a bit, so thinking about it calmly, it was rather embarrassing. Unable to withstand this downright unbearable atmosphere any longer, Rin purposely hid her embarrassment by avoiding the subject.

"A-anyway, back to the topic! This doesn't really have anything to do with it .... No matter how much wonderful your production is, I still haven't said one word about becoming your material."

With that small and even face, Rin nodded at her own sound argument.

"And besides,"

Focusing on one point, she looked at Lily with a slightly grim expression.

"I hate the color black."

Those simple words made Lily draw her breath. Simple words that expressed the angel's true feelings. In the face of the intimidation that had changed the atmosphere in mere seconds, Lily seemed completely overwhelmed.

"Ah .... S-sorry. I said too much ....."

Noticing Lily's slightly scared expression, Rin hastily apologized.

"Umm ..... It's not that I hate the outfit that you've prepared or anything ....! I think that this dress is very lovely, really, I do. But, I can't wear it. It ... has to do with some circumstances with my family. You see, in my family, it's a little different~ In this country, black is the color for formal dress, right? But in my country, black is seen as an ominous color. No .... It's more than that; it's almost like taboo. That's why, if I were to wear these clothes and my family were to see me .... Ahh, in particular, if my older brother were to .... Just thinking about it makes me shudder~"

The moment she said this, and imagined her "older brother," Rin hung her head.

"I see .... Lady Rin, I never knew that you had an older brother .... Ah, we'll put that matter aside for now. If that's the case, it's a shame ..... but I suppose it can't be helped."

As if to break the serious atmosphere, a modest knocking could be heard at the door. After saying "come in," there stood the girl that Rin had been waiting for this entire time.

"Miku!"

Rin seemed to completely forget about her conversation with Lily, and skipped over to where Miku was. To begin with, today had been a day off from work in Heaven, so she had come to see Miku for the first time in a while. After waiting all morning, it was difficult to hide her happiness of finally being able to see her.

"I'm sorry, Rin. It seems ... that I've made you wait for quite a while."

As usual, Miku's smile was like a blossoming flower, but somehow, it seemed stiff. Had something happened?

Miku briefly showed them the souvenirs she had brought: for Lily, a lace cloth made from high-quality silk, and for Rin, sweets that had been fashioned into unique shapes. With joyful faces, the two of them rushed to make preparations for tea. Rin had already begun to stuff her cheeks with the special sweets that Miku had brought back.

"Speaking of which, Lady Miku, about the upcoming banquet .... No matter what I've said, Lady Rin has refused to wear the outfit that I've prepared for her ....."

While pouring the tea from the pot, Lily told Miku about today's happenings with a reasoning face. Rin gulped down the sweets that she had stuffed in both of her cheeks, and looked between the two uncomfortably.

"~~~But~ ...."

"Oh, my. Rin, do you not like those clothes?"

".... Yeah. It'd be fine if they weren't black."

"That's troubling .... Although it wouldn't be a problem if it weren't being held here."

If it were a simple, casual reception, normal formal dress would have been acceptable.

".... Alright, then. It's a shame, but .... I won't be going to time, since I don't want to cause any trouble for you, Miku. You'll hold another party again sometime, right?"

Rin muttered this, a little disappointed.

"..... Actually, Rin .... and Lily, too. About the banquet ..... I have ... something important to say."

"Huh?"

The two of them said this at the same time. Miku looked at them both with a slightly perplexed expression.

"Umm .... We wanted to keep a secret from everyone for a while longer, but .... I'm ... to be married to the son of Viscount Iceburg."

"M-marriage .....!?"

In the quiet late afternoon, their surprised voices echoed. The over brewed tea had become lukewarm in its pot, and had turned slightly bitter from the melted tea leaves.



It was evening, the dark blue of night slowly spreading out in the still faintly orange sky. Through the main gate of the Cyrimpt Mansion, one of the most prestigious since the founding of Alphine, many carriages continued to come and go. Ladies dressed in gorgeous clothes exited the luxurious carriages, and gentlemen dressed in fancy tuxedoes escorted them with elegant gestures. As soon as they ascended the stone staircase, a butler would respectfully open the door for them, and bow with perfect posture. This scene had been repeated numerous times by now—The rooms were cleaned and decorated more than they usually were, and the fleet-footed maids were busy working. Today, hundreds of nobles from all over Velcant had gathered in the Cyrimpt Mansion.

After passing through the mansion's entrance hall and ascending the grand staircase in the center, there was the grand hall that was the main venue for the banquet. Many nobles had already gathered there to socialize. If you were to sweep your gaze around the elegant and regal room, you would see that nearly half of the people here were dressed in black clothing. The custom of black being the color in events of high prestige was proving to be true. The people that had come from the east Folle Kingdom and the west Violente Kingdom each had their own colorful outfits, but as if to pay homage to Alphine's customs, black was, without fail, used as an accent color somewhere in their outfit or as an accessory. Without any wars between the three countries for the past fifty tears, all the rulers that were gathered here tonight were all chatting calmly. However, because of the customs and features of their individual countries, each of them could be differentiated by the way they dressed and how they acted.


Watching as people in the distance danced and chatted peacefully, she leaned wearily against the wall. Although they hid them from sight, it couldn't be helped that her wings felt cramped under these human clothes. Touching her back with the back of her hand, she heaved a huge sigh for the umpteenth time today.

"Lady Rin, if you keep sighing like that, it'll ruin your pretty face~ ...."

Cheerful as always, Lily suddenly spoke up from beside her. In just that brief glance, she seemed to return that stare with a somehow thoughtful look.

".... That's not true .... Hm~ Actually, it's kind of .... No, this might be pretty good, actually."

With a straight face, Lily came up close to her, staring. As if taking her in, she was observing her complete from head to toe, and somehow, it made her feel more uncomfortable than usual.

"..... What's with you ...... Is something wrong?"

Lily would always compliment her nonstop no matter she wore, but for some reason, she was staring with a slightly steep expression right now. Was she feeling unwell? Come to think of it, she couldn't help but notice that her face had been red for a while now. She had heard that in the human world, idiots don't catch cold, so she was probably alright, though.

"Umm .... Lily?"

When she reached out for her pink face, for some reason, she flinched briefly and backed away. Just what was going on here?

"What's wrong? You don't look so well. Did you catch a cold or something?"

"N-no. It's nothing. I've just allowed my heart to fall into a bit of disarray."

"?"

Still red, she looked left and right, coughed quietly, and continued.

"Incidentally .... Although it was against your will, your clothes today— ...... They suit you very well."

Speaking of "her clothes today," Rin stared at her reflection in the wall-length glass window. Made from the highest material, the sophisticated, black tuxedo was fitted perfectly to her body. The jacket design was currently in fashion, with a ribbon tied loosely around the neck.

No matter how you looked at her, today, Rin looked like a flawless "pretty boy." Since all the ladies kept turning back to look at her whenever they passed by, this time, it was her turn to blush.

"I guess .... I don't think I look much different than usual, though."'

"Oh, that's not true at all! You look completely different! Ahh .... Although, if possible, I would have liked to have dressed you myself ...."

With an extremely disappointed expression, Lily lamented. For today's banquet, she had been in charge of producing all the members of the Cyrimpt Mansion. Lily had been so busy with dressing Miku and the rest all morning that she hadn't had a change to get to Rin. The outfit had been completed the previous day, but it seemed that, as the producer, she had been the one that most wanted to see it worn perfectly.

"Oh, but still~ ..... I specialize in female clothing, so while I believe princess clothes suit Lady Rin the most .... Today's pretty boy look is also quite nice. Yes, very lovely! As expected, this is thanks to the gift of 'Lily Produce' enhancing the quality of the material to the very finest .... Yes, yes, just as expected."

Seeming to take interest in the workmanship of Rin's transformation into a perfect pretty boy, Lily gradually returned to her usual habits and seemed delighted at the completely finished product.

".... Ah, I'll have this."

As Rin ignored her rambling with half-disgust, a maid came around with alcohol, and taking the glass of wine, she drained it all in one gulp.

".... fuu"

Wiping the bit that had dripped with her hand, Lily stared with a surprised look on her face. She didn't scold her to her unrefined behavior, either.

".... What is it this time?"

"N-no, it's nothing. Um. I just thought, you're quite unique .... Ah! Speaking of which, Lady Rin, I had no idea that know that you drank~"

"When have I ever said that I don't?"

"Ahh, well certainly, you haven't, but .... How should I put this—It's a bit surprising considering the cute face you have~"

"Saying I'm cute is unnecessary!"

Slamming the empty glass down on the table, she cast her gaze towards the crowd of people in the center of the hall. There, today's leading star, Miku, and her new fiancé—the son of Viscount Iceburg, were exchanging greetings with the guests. As usual, Miku received hot gazes from all the gentlemen that were around her. And also as usual, her outfit today was one that Lily had put all of her effort into producing. Accented with a single white lily on the neckline, the black mermaid dress' design complemented the beautiful curves of her body in a mature fashion. The two had announced their engagement during the opening ceremony for the banquet, and all the nobles and mansion residents that were gathered had given their blessing.

Her heart pained with a prickling feeling. She didn't like it, seeing her—Miku, getting along and talking with someone other than herself. And what was more, that someone was neither family nor a friend, but a man that held the title of being her fiancé. Ever since she had met her, and even now, there were often occasions where she would prioritize other people over her. However, she was an angel. She knew that humans had their own relationships, and hadn't particularly paid any attention to it. But still, that day ... when she had suddenly heard the word "marriage" leave her mouth. Ever since then, she had become very interested in the son of Viscount Iceburg, and would go to observe him during her work breaks, and eavesdrop secretly when he was with Miku. All of this was because she couldn't help but feel irritated from seeing the two of them getting along.

Before she'd noticed, the music performance had turned to a relaxed ballad, and everyone hurried to finish their conversation and begin the dance. She remembered hearing about this song from Lily. It was a love waltz written three hundred years prior by a popular composer at the time, Earl Samon d'Doloppe, during the Cultural Revolution that Züscheno III had started during his reign.

Because she had thoroughly studied manners and the minimal knowledge that nobles should know, she was a little happy that she could manage without embarrassing herself. Lily had told her that she would have to dance the contemporary version of the song, arranged by Master Yama Yan Delta, so after copious practice, she was now able to dance it perfectly.

Looking around, she saw, in the center of the hall she had been looking so irritably at earlier, not Miku, but Viscount Iceburg and other surrounding people dancing. It seemed that all of the men were having their hearts stolen by Miku's beauty. With already several wine glasses, they walked up with determination in the hall where everyone was dancing. It was a gentle arrangement with a graceful melody. While swaying in tune with the music, Miku nodded politely to each of her dance partners, and smiled like a flower in bloom.

*

The hand that gently met with hers was surprisingly small. When she looked at her next partner, she saw a young man that was about the same height as her, standing there with a grouchy look on his face. He was so beautiful that it made her breath catch, and her reaction was delayed by a second. Puzzled by this handsome young man, who made no effort to hide his displeasure in this auspicious place, she bowed once, and wondered if there had been something that had offended him. She had not seen him earlier, when she had been greeting the guests with her new fiancé.

"......"

"......"

"......"

"U-um ......"

Not knowing what to say, she tried to find the right words, and while she did, the handsome young man's mood seemed to worsen, and he heaved a huge sigh. With a face that seemed to indicate he'd sighed a year-worth of sighs today, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Why haven't you noticed?"

"......"

"...... Haa~a ......."

"......! Ah .....? C-could you be ...... Rin?"

".................. Not just 'could be,' I am."

Appalled that she had been so slow to notice, the handsome young man before her grumbled complaints with a stunned expression. His discontent gaze was somehow captivating, and she couldn't imagine it coming from the usually cheerful and innocent Rin. Rin's emotions were constantly changing, and it was adorable just to watch. However, today, Rin had her brows furrowed the entire time, giving off an overall displeased aura, and coupled with the slightly loose, ruffled look of her collar, her tiredness had an indescribable attractiveness.

In front of this gorgeous cross dressing, even Miku, who would usually be able to speak without any kind of hesitation, was overwhelmed. Today, Rin was just so ...

"Amazing ......."

"...... Eh? Did you say something?"

As the swaying waltz approached the climax, and the crescendo resounded, it seemed that Rin had not been able to hear her.

"Um .... I-it was ... nothing."

What had she said just now .....? Thinking it over, she started to become embarrassed. But, Rin really did look very attractive today. As she found herself admiring her appearance in fascination, she had forgotten how to even breathe. Rin, who had always been like a cute younger sister to her, had suddenly been transformed into a boy—and what's more, one so beautiful that anyone would turn back to look at twice; it was no wonder that she was so unsettled. Furthermore, because of the fact that she'd been restlessly moving around since this morning what with the preparations for the banquet and tending to the guests, she was a little tired.

For the time being, she simply watched her elegantly dancing partner, but as usual, Rin was looking around in annoyance. Just what had happened? For some reason, she was wearing those black clothes that she so hated in the fashion of a boy.

"Those clothes ... they really suit you. You look wonderful."

"..... Thanks. Although I'm not that pleased to hear that."

As she'd thought, she was wearing it against her will. Although it did make her happy that she had done so to attend the party.

"Um, speaking of which, why are you dressed as a—"

Just as she was about to about to ask about her male appearance, she was suddenly pulled close. The slow song had changed to an intense, passionate melody, as if to match Rin's movements. Startled at the sudden change, she let Rin pull her along and lead the dance.

She's acting ... just like a man would .....

The angel before here had her eyebrows furrowed, and didn't seem likely to start a conversation herself. Because of her flawless face, like that of a sculpture, and her coldness, she looked like an entirely different person.

I have to find something to say .....

The atmosphere was different from usual, and because of that, she felt nervous somehow. As they danced to the intense melody, she frantically tried to find something to talk about. The song had a faster tempo than the one from before, and although she was barely able to keep up with the difficult steps in her current state, "he" was dancing beautifully, with no wasted movements.

"Umm ..... You're very good at dancing. And the male part, too. How unexpected."

"...... I may look this, but I have lived much longer than you, you know."

As she said this, Rin easily lifted Miku's body up and spun her around three times. At that moment, voices of admiration rose up all around them. It was a technique that even strong men had trouble pulling off. As always, Rin was dancing with a calm, disgruntled look, but as for her, her face had grown hot again, started by the sudden move. Rin, cute, cheerful and innocent, who she had thought of as a younger sister. And at times, she was also reliable and able to do anything; a wise and mature angel. It was like an entirely different person. She was convinced that Rin actually had two sides to her. In any case, her increased heartbeat didn't seem like it would be slowing down for a while.

*

The moon had begun to lower, and the banquet was nearing its end. She stood in a small balcony in one of the guest rooms, quite a distance away from the main hall. Taking off her restricting clothes, she relaxed her wings by flapping them lightly. If she kept her wings folded like that, she'd probably have muscle pains tomorrow. After dancing with Miku, several other women had come up to request a dance with her. She was a little tired from being on the receiving end of such passionate gazes the entire time. Other than when she came to hang out with Miku, she'd never directly talked with humans or anything, so she had been a bit bewildered by the unexpected interactions with so many women. She had been surprised to hear from Lily that she'd been taken for a nobleman, and had been received in good favor by the women.

Enjoying the cool night air, she took a drink from her champagne. Even in Heaven, they had alcohol. Angels drank alcohol, as well, but they didn't become intoxicated. No matter how much they drank, angels didn't lose their reason like humans did.

"Rin! There you are."

Hearing a familiar voice, she turned to see Miku standing there with a slightly worried face. The banquet still wasn't over, so had she secretly slipped out here?

".... Good work today. Is it alright for the leading star to be loitering out here like this?"

Even though she wasn't and shouldn't be drunk at all, for some reason, she'd taken on a harsh attitude. Would she think that she was in a bad mood this entire time? But, being already used to it, Miku smiled back at her.

"I've already given my general farewells, and besides, everyone will have more fun without me there. If the hostess is there the entire time, everyone will be too caught up with being courteous to really enjoy themselves."

"Hmm~ ..... I guess so."

Rin gave a vague response, just to show that she was listening. She had little interest in the subtleties of meticulous expressions or conspiracies that humans had. She hadn't gone out of her way to the human world today to mingle with so many humans.

What she wanted to know what something different.

"Are you ... getting married ...... to that person?"

That person. The man that had been by Miku's side for the duration of the banquet. Although it had been her first time talking with him today, he didn't seem like a bad person. In both good ways and bad, he was a normal human. But for some reason, she couldn't ignore the hazy, swirling feelings in her heart. Every time she saw him and Miku getting along, an indescribable discomfort would rise up. In her long life as an angel, it was her first time feeling this way.

Those bitter feelings may have shown in her expression, as Miku was making a slightly puzzled face.

"We're still only engaged ..... so although we're not to be officially married just yet ..... Mother strongly wishes for the marriage, so I believe that after the party is over, we'll be discussing it further."

"..... Do you love that person?"

She asked the thing that she wanted to know the most. Although she wasn't very well-versed on human customs, even a angel understood that marriage was something that took place between two people that loved one another.

"..... I'm not sure."

"You're not sure, and yet you're getting married? With someone you might not even love .......!?"

"That's true ..."

"Wh-why? Don't you find that strange?"

"If I don't ... then I won't be able to live ......"

"...... Eh ......?"

"The truth is ...... I'm adopted. My real parents passed away a long time ago. And the person who is my mother now is my aunt. Mother married into the family by marrying the former family head, and therefore, we aren't related by blood. But, ever since my parents passed, she took me in right away, and raised me as her own."

"I ...... see."

Angels do not reproduce. They are born directly from the Tree of Life. That is why angels have neither parents or siblings. What they have is their mission, and the bonds of their hearts.

However, humans are different. The ones that give birth to humans are other humans. This was why Rin couldn't really understand what Miku was going through by telling her about these circumstances. But even so—

"If Mother hadn't been there for me, I would have been alone this whole time ...... Because ... my parents, my home, everything .... everything I loved, was burned away that night ......"

"......"

"My parents ...... were very wonderful people. I believe they truly loved each other from the bottom of their hearts .... They were wonderful ...... That's why, I dreamed of someday having a wonderful love just like they had."

"If that's the case .... Then don't just rush into a forced marriage ......!"

"But ...... The fact that I'm able to live here this mansion ... is all because of Mother. That's why .... I have to .... meet her expectations ...."

"Expectations ......!? Can you really call that love, then!?"

"Then tell me, Rin, would you betray God!?"

"!"

Staring directly at her with almost accusing eyes, it felt like she'd had her heart caught in her bare hands, and she held her breath.

Betray God? Such a thing had never even crossed her mind.

"The fact that I'm able to live right now is because of Mother. That is why I cannot betray her. Even if, it isn't true love ...... I have ... to meet her expectations ....... her expectations ....."

Up until now, she had never seen Miku with this kind of expression. She would always smile, no matter what. Looking at her now, and seeing her pain and those eyes that seemed ready to burst into tears at any moment ... it made her chest tighten.

"Hey, Miku ...... Do you have someone you love?"

"Eh ......?"

She asked this with her most honest feelings. Miku raised her face at the sudden question, somewhat confused.

"I've ..... never fallen in love before."

"...... I'm an angel, so I don't understand human matters very well. But, Lily told me. About how the happiness you find with the person you love .... is the greatest happiness in your lifetime."

"It's alright, Rin. Up until now, I've been more than happy. Being raised by Mother in this mansion, and being surrounded by so many servants, like Lily and everyone. Always being treated so well by everyone I meet in town. And ...."

Miku softly touched her hand, meeting her gaze.

"And Rin, you've always been by my side, as well."

Behind her truly happy and bright smile, she found the hints of her negative feelings that managed to seep through. Was this the loneliness that she was always hiding?

She had said earlier—"Even if it isn't true love."

After losing her beloved parents at a young age, she had been taken and raised to merely be a tool for continuing the family line, without even being granted true love. Understanding that that was her only value, without complaining, hiding all of her displeasure and painful feelings inside, she still smiled through all of this.

I want to protect her. I want to, forever ......

"......!"

Before she'd realized, she had kissed her on the spur of the moment. For a second, Miku forgot to even blink, and simply stood still.

Finally snapping back to her senses, she pushed her away forcefully. Caught between surprise, confusion, and embarrassment, Miku stared at her.

"U-umm ...."

With her head in a panic, she knew that she had to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. The one that was most shocked was probably not Miku, but herself.

"Nn ....."

"Ah, wait ....!"

Although she stretched out her hand, it didn't reach, and only grasped the air. Unable to catch up to her as she ran into the mansion, she simply stood there, dumbfounded. Just what had she done? What had been going through her mind when she'd seen her on the verge of tears? It had become completely nighttime by now, and although it should have been silent all around her, all she could hear was the noisy beating of her heart.