"Okayyy…" I exhaled slowly, trying to sound braver than I felt. "If that's my choice to make, then I get to decide whether I marry Selene or not. It's my choice!."
I stared at her sitting there, her silhouette framed by the dim light of the hall. She didn't move, didn't blink. It was like trying to guess what a statue was thinking.
Her lips curved, but it wasn't a smile. "What do you mean it's your choice?" she hissed. "You have to marry Queen Selene. No matter what."
Before I could respond, she vanished from the seat—gone, like smoke sucked out of a candle flame. My eyes darted around the hall, my heart thudding like a drum.
Then I felt it. A breath against my neck.
"Holy—!" I spun around so fast I almost dropped the jar in my hands.
She was there. Right behind me.
I clutched the jar tighter. "I get it—you people here in Kaida have powers. But you don't have to use them to scare the living daylight out of me!" My voice cracked on the last word.
She didn't even blink. Her face was pale and her voice low, like a villainess from a horror film. "You have to marry Queen Selene, Lady Kisaragi. No matter what."
My knees felt weak. "Wh…why? Why do you want me to marry Selene no matter what?" My voice trembled despite myself.
She stepped closer. I stepped back. The jar nearly slipped from my hands as my palms grew damp.
"Because…" she whispered, still moving closer. Her eyes glinted. "Because if you marry Queen Selene, then I will be the only one Lady Shion sees."
The moment she said it, everything about her shifted. The scary aura melted. Her voice softened into something almost girlish, like an anime heroine suddenly breaking character. Even her face changed—gone was the villainess mask, replaced by a shy, almost puppy-like expression.
"You have to marry her," she said again, this time sounding almost pleading. "I've been in love with Lady Shion for as long as I can remember, but she's never once looked at me. Only you." Her hands trembled slightly.
I blinked. "Only…me?"
"Yes!" Her words spilled out faster now, desperate and breathless. "That day at the engagement ceremony, it was supposed to be about you and Queen Selene. But it felt like it was you and Lady Shion. The way she held you… the way she looked at you… I wished I had been the one she danced with instead."
Her eyes glistened now, no longer sharp but glassy with emotion. "I want her to see only me. And the only way that can happen is if you belong to someone else—if you're tied to Queen Selene. That's the only way I can have her."
I stood frozen, gripping the jar so tightly I thought it might shatter. My head was spinning. More secret crushes, more tangled feelings—and somehow, I was in the middle of all of them.
Too much.
This was way, way too much.
"How are you even sure," I began slowly, my voice trembling, "that if I marry Selene, Cousin Shion will suddenly look at you? The only thing I know about that girl is how much she tries to please her father first. I don't even think…" My words trailed off as my thoughts spun. The only reason Shion hadn't pursued Rin Kisaragi was because she always put duty above everything. Even when Selene asked for my hand in marriage, Shion hadn't said a word. It was only after she returned that she started making moves on me openly…
"I don't care!" she snapped, cutting through my thoughts like a blade. "Lady Shion and I are meant to be together forever. The only thing standing in our way is you. You are the reason she can't see straight. I love her so much I would die for her—kill for her! Do you hear me?"
Her forehead pressed against mine. Her eyes locked on me with a wild, feverish glint, as if she was trying to brand her threat straight into my skull. For a heartbeat, I couldn't tell if she was warning me or promising to kill me herself. My breath caught in my throat. What kind of obsession is this? I didn't even know who this character really was.
"So if you want approval to sell in Kaida," she hissed, drawing back slightly, "you have to make me a promise. You will give me my Shion."
She dashed back to her seat, her movements sharp and fast, like a predator retreating to pounce again.
"I—" My hands were shaking as I clutched the jar tighter. "I can't make such a promise. I don't own Cousin Shion. I don't even have feelings for her. If you want her, she's yours. She was never mine in the first place. But your obsession…" I swallowed hard. "Your obsession is really, really psychotic. I think you should—"
"You can call my love for Lady Shion any names you want," she interrupted, her voice rising like a storm. "But don't think I will ever give up on her. I love her, and I will love her until my last breath. Do you hear me?"
"Yes! Yes, Young Lord—whatever you say," I blurted out, my words tumbling over each other. My heart pounded so loudly it drowned everything else out. I just wanted this moment to end. I couldn't take it anymore.
...
"Okay, here is your badge. You are officially a merchant," Blossom said, finally handing it to me. Relief flooded through me. Finally, I could start selling all the honeydew without any more delays.
"Thank you, Young Lord. Thank you very much…" I said, my fingers brushing over the smooth surface of the badge. My eyes widened. "It's purple!"
"That's the color that's available. Lucky you, huh?" she teased, a faint smirk on her lips.
"Thank you. Okay, I will take my leave now," I said, bowing politely.
"Don't forget your promise," she said, her tone oddly insistent, almost playful.
"I didn't make a promise…" I replied, beginning to turn away.
Before I could take another step, she was in front of me again. This time, her hand formed a delicate shape—a flower, red like a rose.
"Here. Give this to Lady Akari to pass to my beloved," she said, her expression unexpectedly soft, almost cute.
I stared at the flower in her hand, then carefully took it. My mind buzzed. Why do I have a feeling this is going to create some kind of mess or confusion later?
"You know," I said, letting my voice soften as memories surfaced, "sometimes you just have to show up. No matter how much they push you away, even if it hurts, you just have to show."
"What do you mean by that?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, curious.
"If you want Cousin Shion to see only you, maybe you should keep showing up… even with flowers," I said, bowing one last time before stepping back. The grand hall felt enormous as I turned toward the exit, the weight of her gaze on me still lingering.
With that, I left, clutching the flower carefully in my hand, wondering just how complicated things were about to get.