When (Y/n) brought up heading back to Vethela, Haru did not disagree. Though he normally would have thrown a temper tantrum and demanded she stay with him at home, on the contrary, he just silently nodded. She imagined he hadn't forgotten what happened in Vethela, especially since he always held grudges, but it was obvious the animosity towards him there was far better than what was going on at home. He was being defensive, refusing to acknowledge the new sibling that had appeared out of nowhere. And yet, despite his eagerness to return to the country he despised, his father stopped him.

Kazuya tried to get through to the brunette, but he didn't want to hear anything he had to say. The same went for his mother. In fact, despite the fact she was coming out of her room frequently to talk to him, he treated her like she didn't exist. That was beyond abnormal for him. He usually would have done anything to put a smile on his mother's face. Still, it didn't matter whether Enmei was there or not. He didn't set one foot downstairs. Kazuya had expressed his concern to the younger girl, asking her to talk to him. That didn't fare much better.

"He won't listen," Sona murmured, rotating his arm just to check that it was functional, "He hasn't said a word to me all this time."

"At least you're better. I was getting anxious without you."

The two of them stared at Haru. He was sitting at his desk, not really doing much of anything. Usually, he would be typing away or designing something, but he was just still. At least, he was until Enmei peeked his head into the room, giving a shy gaze. At that, the brunette stood up immediately, protectively standing between the grey-haired male and his room. Though he tried to get the younger male's name out in an attempt to foster some kind of kindness between them, it had the opposite effect, Haru snapping at him.

"You're not my friend. You're not my brother. You're not anything."

The door then slammed on the poor individual, prompting the younger girl to put her hands on Haru's shoulders. He gave a soft look but his expression immediately turned back to one of boredom. The same thing happened when she hugged him, the brunette leaning into it but giving no smile. She had never seen him hate anyone as much as he hated Enmei. Then again, to Haru, he was like a virus. It was better for him to be eradicated.

"Why aren't we going?" he mumbled, resting his head against her shoulder, "You said we would leave today."

"It might be better if you stay for a bit; work things out."

"There's nothing to work out. He'll leave my family alone."

"It...seems like you're the one leaving."

"No."

"No?"

"No."

Haru didn't explain or elaborate, but it seemed like he still understood why he wasn't the one leaving. In truth, he saw it as something temporary. Though he hated waiting and was never any good at patience, he did get the concept. If he left to Vethela for a bit, before he returned back, Enmei would be gone and things would go back to normal. Besides, it didn't matter where he went; his family was always going to be his family. That was what he thought the difference between him and Enmei was. Haru had been with them his entire life. Enmei just showed up. It was obvious to him that one of them was an Akahito and the other was a liar.

"Well, okay," she accepted, petting him on the head supportively, "But why aren't you talking to your mother?"

"She's not my mère anymore."

The statement was preposterous. Haru was undoubtably Eloise's son. She had given birth to him, raised him, taught him, and loved him more than anything, undoubtably. A blood test could prove that scientifically, too. But Haru meant something else. He didn't reveal why exactly he thought that yet, but it was ingrained deeply in his mind and his heart. There wasn't really much anyone could say yet because he refused to open up about it, so, instead, he started packing up again to go back to Vethela.

He became impassable again, making her incredibly frustrated. She decided, instead, to figure out why he was so upset with his mother. Obviously, she was easily found in her room, staring longingly outside, as she always was. When she heard the door open, she gave a curious glance over to the younger girl before smiling. It didn't really matter who came to visit her. She was always glad for the company, but with (Y/n), she was even happier to see her. After all, she was going to be an Akahito, too.

"I'll get to the point. Where did Enmei come from?"

A bitter smile appeared on the woman's face. She probably expected the question, though perhaps she expected it first from Haru, or even Bastien. There was a kind of guilt in her body language, but, more so, for some reason, there was a lot of affection. The younger girl wondered how long she had gone without seeing Enmei, or if Kazuya even knew about him in the first place. Based on the grey-haired male's age, he had been born before they had been married, but, considering their relationship, she wouldn't have been surprised if Kazuya knew all along.

"Well," A pause. "When a man and a woman love each other very much, they have a child - "

"I'm not really in the joking mood. I'm sorry. I just want Haru to be alright again, so please be straight with me."

"...I was going to say...it doesn't always work that way. You can hate someone and you can still have their child. In my case, it's fairly obvious."

"Kazuya - "

"I love Kazuya," the woman spoke rushedly, as if she thought the younger girl was about to argue differently, "I've always loved him. It was Enmei's father I hated - still hate - will always hate. But Kazuya left, and in my anger, I made a stupid, stupid mistake, and I fell into a hole I couldn't get myself out of."

"You became...flirtatious...?"

"I'm afraid it was a little worse than that. If I have to say it directly, then I chose to sell my body."

If that came out, the rumors surrounding Eloise would be made true. People said all the time that she was a gold digger, having married wealthy only for the money. And while it wasn't true, it would only add more evidence to support that thought; more fuel to the fire. The person that would probably take it the worst was Haru. Maybe that was why she was so hesitant to explain everything. That being said, it was not the (h/c) haired girl's intention to run off and tell Haru. She only wanted to find a way to make him stop running away from the issue.

"It was a stupid thing to do. I couldn't get out of it either, but by the time I realized that, it was already too late. They pretty much owned me, and before long, I came to have regulars. Enmei's father was probably the most insistent. I probably saw him at least once a week; that bastard. That was probably why I ended up getting pregnant. It was horrible, and when I finally gave birth to him, I heard Kazuya was returning to Echal. I panicked, and I ended up giving Enmei away before he could find out."

"Where?"

"I entrusted him to a young woman that was in a similar situation as me. I don't remember her name. She might not have had one. But she was being sent away, so I thought he would be safe with her. She had a child a bit older than him, too."

"You say that like it was another mistake."

"...It was. She managed to escape that place, but she was sent to a worse one. They both ended up as property of the Gensai Group. The last thing I heard for a long, long time was that they were separated...and then she died. From what I heard, Enmei was lucky enough to make himself useful, become friends with a girl and boy around his age that protected him. He spoke highly about them. They were the ones that helped him find his way here."

"Why didn't you tell Haru?"

The orange-haired woman began to tear up, clenching at the bedsheets. She could barely get the words out as she elaborated her fears. Everything turned out the way she expected. Haru hated her, hated him, even hated his father. He felt betrayed, abandoned, and she was beginning to suspect he thought she didn't love him. And though she tried to tell him otherwise, if he wouldn't even listen to her, he wouldn't believe her either.

"I still love Enmei. It killed me to give him away. But now I have to send him away again because Haru will hurt him."

(Y/n) tried her hardest not to correct her. It wasn't just that the brunette wanted to hurt the older male. He wanted him dead. Though, perhaps Eloise misunderstood when Haru failed to kill him after one blow. Still, it was best not to tell her that. If she thought that things were worse, her health would have started to suffer, too. As she thought about that, she froze in place, realizing something before her eyes trailed over to the woman. And as she gave a shameful gaze, it shed light on the truth. The younger girl let out a shaky breath.

"You can't tell Haru."

"I know."

"He cannot find out."

"I know."

"Does Kazuya have - "

"No. We haven't...He pledged abstinence."

"But the medication - "

" - doesn't work for everyone. I'm allergic. I've only lived this long because of Kazuya's efforts. All the hospitals have special equipment, but it can only do so much. He's kept it confidential, but..."

"You can't...tell Haru."

"I...know. But I...was given a date."

That, she should have told Haru. He would not take it well. He would cry. He would break down, and he wouldn't recover from it. But he needed to know. Otherwise, he would regret running away to Vethela when he only had so long with her. Bastien knew very little about his mother. He didn't even know she existed, really. Enmei had only just met her. But, for Haru, who had known nothing else but her his entire life, for him to suddenly realize she didn't exist was too cruel. She had to give him as much time as possible to understand what it meant for her to die. Otherwise, he might never have recovered.

"How do I tell him? He won't even look at me."

The (h/c) haired girl heard Sona walking away, meaning he was going to grab the brunette. She, instead, focused primarily on trying to calm the woman. In her own head, she was questioning whether or not she should tell him at all, with her pathetic state. However, as Haru was dragged into the room, aggressively trying to shove the android off of him, she suddenly bottled up all her tears. Kazuya, hearing the racket, had also entered the room silently, sitting down beside his wife and squeezing her hand. Still, hiding her tears from Haru was impossible. Guilt seemed to take a hold of him, yet, still, he tried to run away.

"Sit down," (Y/n) snapped, getting his attention a bit, but not enough, making her forcibly shove him down on the bed, "I don't care what you're thinking. This is important."

"I'm still leaving."

"I don't think you'll want to if you hear this. Let your mother - "

"She's not my mère."

Eloise recoiled at that, turning into her husband to cry. He held her lovingly, somberly observing her while still trying to gently reassure her. Despite what had happened, he didn't care. He just wanted to be with his childhood love and wanted her to smile. Maybe that was where Haru got his loyalty from. At times, it could be overwhelming and bizarre, but, in the end, both Eloise and (Y/n) relied heavily on that kind of affection.

"Let's put a pin in that," Kazuya sighed, rubbing his wife's back reassuringly.

"I know you hate me, Haru," A flinch. "But please listen. I want you to know something about my...illness. It's important, so please stay."

The brunette remained silent, turning his head away, but he didn't make any effort to leave. That was probably the most proof that he was willing to listen; that he stayed despite his clear aversion to confrontation. As if to reward him for that, the younger girl held his hand. His head was turned so no one could see his expression, but she knew he was, at least, glad for her physical touch. She could tell since he started squeezing her intermittently, perhaps just for amusement or some kind of distraction.

"I'm sick," the woman mumbled, pausing shortly after every word, "You know that. And I'm so sorry, but I can't be cured. I won't be getting better."

Kazuya bit back the urge to snap at his son. It bothered him deeply that he refused to even look at his mother, as if she had stabbed him in the heart. He understood Enmei was not a pleasant topic for him nor was Eloise's health, but it wasn't like it was easy for her either. She was shivering in his arms, trying not to burst into tears. More than anyone, she was terrified; scared to die and leave her family alone. He just wanted Haru to look at her, instead of staring off into the far distance. But he said nothing.

"I'm not going to live. I'm sorry. I'm not leaving because I want to. I promise. If I could stay here for the rest of your life, I would. You are so precious, Haru."

It took him a bit to realize what she was saying, at which point, he tensed up and jolted forward. If the younger girl hadn't had a strong hold on his shirt, he would have tried to run away. Instead, she kept him on a tight leash, forcing him to stay regardless of how he was being affected. It would be worse if he was allowed to run off. It would be so much worse. Everyone knew that.

"We just found out, but I'll...die just before spring."

Eloise wanted to say "pass away" or "be gone", but, with Haru, he wouldn't understand. In order for him to get something as it was intended, she had to say it directly. Even though, this time, he succeeded in bolting away, slamming the door behind him, he did understand. That was why no one made an effort to drag him back. Even Sona stood motionless, staring, instead at his ward, who gave a blank look.

"For what it's worth," Eloise started, placing her hand on the younger girl's, "I think it would have been worse without you."

"Thank you," Kazuya sighed on her behalf before placing his forehead on his wife's with sorrow.

Haru rushed through the halls to get back to his room, back to his bed, and back to the comfort of solitude, despite his former distaste for it. He had thought Enmei's existence was the worst thing that had ever happened to him. But now, he was going to have a brother and no mother. The brunette didn't know who had made that decision. Everyone was perfectly happy without the grey-haired male; much happier than they were going to be without Eloise.

"Ah? Haru?" a gentle voice called, the brunette stopping as he noticed the prince in front of him, "What are you doing? Going for a walk? Me, too! Are you coming back to Vethela with us?"

The brunette flinched, prompting the orange-haired male to give a small, curious hum. He tilted his head before stepping forward, assessing the older male thoroughly. No one said anything for a while, one of the two blinking in surprise and the other staring at the ground with some kind of guilt. Orion wondered why he wasn't looking directly at him, but it became clear soon enough when he let a small cough slip past his lips and Haru flinched, tearing up. The boy hid a smirk behind his sleeve.

"I'd love it if you came back with me and Miss Shiratori. Then we could talk all about technology, and you could teach me a bunch. Ah! I've always wanted to show you - "

"Not going," a mumble uttered.

"Hm? Did you say something?"

"I'm not going."

"What? Are you sure? But then Miss Shiratori will be all alone," A flinch. "Ah, you're right! She'll be with me. I'll keep her safe and sound for you, okay? 'Cuz we're friends! Right?"

Haru nodded slowly as his arms came up to hug his shoulders. He fully trusted that Orion would take care of her. Besides, if she really wanted to go back to the country, nothing he could say would stop her. He had tried before. He had failed before. No matter what, he had to stay in Echal. With anger and shame and a bunch of other emotions he couldn't put a name to, he clenched onto his shirt.

"That makes me so happy! Don't worry! I'll take real good care of Miss Shiratori. After all, I just love her so much."

Haru flinched, having to fight the urge to tackle the male to the ground. Despite his leniency with the prince, no one was allowed to take (Y/n) away from him. He didn't plan on lending her to someone else or sharing her, or even letting someone else harbor feelings so blatantly. The brunette only held back his immediate urge to hurt the prince, but he did start stalking towards him with the intent to harm him nonetheless. That was when Orion accidentally stumbled forward, clumsily falling on the brunette's wrist.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" the male whined, picking himself up from the floor before gazing at the tablet, "Mm? What's that?"

Choosing to look away, the brunette held his arm up, staring curiously at what had popped up from the momentary slip. "Don't take things so literally" it read. It was one of the many things that the (h/c) haired girl had taught him. He paused. Did Orion mean that he loved (Y/n)? Or did he mean that he liked her as a person? Confused, he looked back towards where he had come from, perhaps in fear that she would scold him for misinterpreting the prince. Giving a strained look, he looked back at the prince who was getting himself off from the floor.

"Love?" he questioned, watching as the younger male gave a bright smile.

"Yeah! I love Presley and my mother and - "

"...Okay."

The brunette still had his doubts. He didn't like it when people said they loved (Y/n). Though she and his parents had long since taught him that people could exaggerate and use "like" and "love" interchangeably, he still didn't like it. But he wanted (Y/n) to be proud of him. He wanted her to see he was a better person; that he would get better and better and that she could love him. So he just walked away.

He dismissed Orion's comment as a hyperbole despite how much he hated it. Because he genuinely believed he was becoming the kind of good person she wanted him to be. But there's a difference between being a good person and being a pushover, and, unfortunately, that was the one thing she never taught him. So it left Orion whole, in one piece, and grinning, because he knew he had valuable information, fiddling with a USB behind his back.

"Thank you so much for teaching me about your tablet, Mister Haru."