Yuuichi had finished eating and was changing into his normal clothes. He wondered if he had to buy new garments, seeing as his coat was tattered and torn. Perhaps he would ask his mother for more, and she would likely chastise him for being so reckless.

He was just about finished dressing up when he heard the sound of wood on wood. He had grown accustomed to listening for the sound, for some reason, expecting who was coming. He made no motion to open the door, and just stood there in the middle of his room.

Lady Watanabe opened the door. Her brow was furrowed in an odd mix of concern and guilt. Something caught in her throat, but it did not cause her to cough. She burst forward, throwing her arms around Yuuichi. “You’re alright… you’re alright… you’re alright…” she repeated, squeezing him, as if confirming that he was really there.

Yuuichi stopped his impulse short. He was about to wrap his arms around her as well, but he stopped, thinking it would be inappropriate. He resisted the urge to touch her. “I’m glad you are too, Princess.”

The “you’re alright” she kept on repeating turned into sobbing. She buried her face into his clothes, wetting them with her tears. “I’m sorry”, she cried. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Miri had heard the sobbing and entered the room. “Lady Watanabe, your brother would be very cross with Lord Morimoto if he found out he made you cry.”

Lady Watanabe let go of Yuuichi. “I’m… I’m okay," She took a deep breath and started coughing once more. “I heard from Lord Hyakuya that you have awoken. I came to express my gratitude to you," she said, bowing deeply.

Yuuichi returned the gesture. “I should apologize to you. I let you out of my sight, and I used excessive force to rescue you," Yuuichi went on his knees, kowtowing.

Lady Watanabe grabbed his hands, pulling him upright. “Please, there’s no need to. You did what you must," She was beaming at him. “As you promised.”

Yuuichi didn’t respond. The Princess stood up, and bowed to Miri. “Thank you for tending to him, Lady Fujimori. I should be leaving now," She bowed once again to Lord Morimoto and left.

Yuuichi stood up. “Thank you, Miri.”

“For what?”

“You’ve always worked for my good. Even when it inconvenienced you.”

She raised her eyebrow, albeit with a smile on her face. This was new. “Implying saving you from being choked to death was ‘for your good’?”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t have treated my wounds, then," Yuuichi’s mouth formed a half-smile. “Thanks for that, as well.”

Miri huffed with pride. “The House of Morimoto is eternally indebted to the House of Fujimori.”

“House Morimoto...isn’t really a House anymore.”

“It would if you manage to marry Miss ‘you’re alright…you’re alright… you’re alright…’ over there,” she teased.

“Sorry, I’m not interested.”

Miri pouted. She appreciated that Yuuichi was developing a functioning, albeit dry, sense of humor.

“Speaking of her,” Yuuichi’s voice became deadly serious once again. “She’s not sick, is she?”

“No, I’m sure she’s not. How can you tell?”

“She doesn’t have trouble breathing when she’s unconscious.”

“So you look at pretty little girls when they’re unconscious, huh? You creep.”

“She’s not faking it, either." Yuuichi ignored her comment. “She coughs when she thinks there’s no one around. But she doesn’t when she’s preoccupied with something.”

“So you’re suggesting she only thinks she’s sick, and her body acts accordingly. Some form of Mind Control?”

“It’s possible, but the one who cast it on her must have known her well. Otherwise that would violate the Second Rule of Magic.”

“So you came to the same conclusion as I have, then," Miri noted, “the Watanabe Family is trying to hide her Awakening.”

“Why would they, though?”

Miri shrugged. “His Majesty inherited both his parents’ Awakenings: The Affinity to Fire from the Great King, and the ability to channel spirits from the Godtamer. That is incredibly remarkable. It is possible that Lady Watanabe would be similar.”

Yuuichi nodded gravely. Watanabe Akira’s Awakening, dubbed “Hellfire”, is considered to be the stuff of legend. Only the King himself knows the true nature of this ability. Yuuichi was bothered with the thought that the sweet Lady Watanabe had a similar power. While Awakenings are typically hereditary, it is not uncommon for a person to have an Awakening dissimilar to their ancestors’. His own father, Morimoto Soushi, is proof of that. The second of the three disgraces of the Morimoto House was to sire a Thaumaturgist – Thaumaturgy as taboo as it is in Shin Rikoku - as an heir. The third, of course, was to sire a bastard with an exiled criminal as another heir.

“Is that even possible, for them to share such unique Awakenings?”

“I don’t know. It’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility, but it would be completely unheard of," She studied Yuuichi, his fingers pinching his chin in thought. “This is exciting you, isn’t it?” She teased.

“A little bit." It was a lie. It excited Yuuichi like nothing has in the three years since he returned to the palace.

“You know," she said, her voice returning to seriousness. She wore a pained expression. “I’m glad you’re like this. It’s like you’re finally alive. But at the same time, I’m scared I won’t be able to heal you. I can only do so much. First Rule of Magic, and whatnot.”

“What is done, is done," He intoned. Miri completed the sentence with him. “Magic can make or unmake, but not undo.”

“I can’t bring you back from the dead. You know that," She continued.

Yuuichi appeared crestfallen. He was almost killed by someone three quarters his age, after all. “I’ll be careful.”

Miri bit her lip. She didn’t want to say what she wanted to say. She wanted to say that ‘being careful’ might not be enough.

Yuuichi’s urge to put his arms around another human being, one he quelled when the Princess was in close proximity to him, surfaced again. He embraced Miri.

“I’m sorry for troubling you. I’m scared, too.”

“Look at you!” she said, “You’re not like this at all.”

“It’s thanks to you. But please don’t feel responsible if I get hurt. I get hurt because I choose to be. It’s not your fault.”

Miri was beginning to sob. “I’m scared. You’re scared. Kazuma, Emi, Rai… everyone’s scared. I shouldn’t have asked His Majesty to get you a Royal Office if it meant you getting almost killed.”

“Well, it just means that His Majesty gave you a taste of your own medicine," Kazuma interrupted, apparently hearing the sobbing through the walls and coming over to investigate. He, too, wrapped his arms around Miri, and by extension, Yuuichi.

“You’re squishing me!” Miri Protested.

“Hold her tighter, Yuuichi!” Kazuma retorted. “Then all we need to do is hide the body, say it was a freak accident, then get one of her relatives to fill her seat. Imagine… She won’t bother us anymore!”

Yuuichi laughed. This caused Miri to panic and push him away.

“Yuuichi is laughing!” Kazuma gasped. “What sort of foul magic did you cast upon him, woman?” he wagged his finger at Miri.

Miri crossed her arms. “But seriously… Things are going to get more and more dangerous from now on.”

“Then why don’t we start being proactive about it?” Kazuma quipped. “Yuuichi doesn’t have to do everything. He’s fighting for all of us. So we all should fight with him.”

He put his hand on Lord Morimoto’s shoulder. “It’s time Shin Rikoku’s nobility finally stood up for something.”

Yuuichi smiled. “I’m in your debt. To all of you. I’m sorry for not acknowledging it earlier.”

“Take me, Kazuma, and Emi out to dinner at that new place near the King’s road one time. Then we’re even," Miri teased. “You’re finally getting a stipend, better get it to good use.”

“I’ll consider it.”

Miri flashed him one of her trademark smiles, and left with Kazuma. Yuuichi attached the glass cylinder to his arm underneath his sleeve, and left as well, headed to the Royal Constabulary Office.