When (Y/n) woke up, an irritating beam of sun shining right over her eyes, she gave a dramatic gasp, remembering everything that happened. Orion, Cadmus, the kiss, and the lingering feeling of dread that encompassed her all flooded back to her. Truth be told, she felt little remorse for the kiss, despite the betrayal against Haru. After all, only when she kissed the orange-haired prince did she finally gain relief from the strange atmosphere that had been present. Still, she was deeply unnerved by it nonetheless.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Sona hummed, prompting the girl to dart her eyes over to the motionless android, "You've been out for 3 days, 1 hour, 22 minutes, and 52 seconds. I advise you to eat and drink."

The male placed some fruit in front of her, telling her he would order her a decent meal. As he left the room for a bit, she took the time to take out the IV drip from her arm. No doubt she had given Orion an immense scare, along with everyone else. She wondered if Haru had been alerted. Then again, it would be in Vethela's best interest to keep the incident quiet. They were still at odds with Echal after what Haru had been through. If news came out of her falling into a sudden coma, war came another step closer to being a possibility. She expected a talk from Mica, along with bribes. She supposed she wouldn't mind that.

Thus, also judging from the way Sona reacted, Haru was not there. She grabbed her phone and looked at the text log, but nothing had popped up except an almost gibberish message Bastien had sent her. Sighing, she dialed up the brunette, not at all surprised when he picked up before the first ring even started. The hologram projection of him showed he was working at his desk with a very focused face. For a moment, as he presumably noticed her hologram, he paused, his eyes softening, but he turned around shortly thereafter.

"Are you okay?" he mumbled quietly, "Or did you need something?"

"What if I say I missed you?"

The male didn't respond to that. He merely started typing quickly on his computer, giving a huff when the program didn't run perfectly. Proceeding to look for any errors, he scrolled through the code, only giving another sound of disgust when he found the issue. Then he tried again. All the while, she watched him. Amidst the program running a second time, she noticed he was subconsciously touching his eye, flinching when he noticed it himself.

"Haru," she sighed, raising her voice just a bit, "How are things going?"

"Fine."

"I don't believe that. Did Enmei move out?" Silence. "Have you talked to your mother?" Silence. "Are you angry at me?"

Haru paused, glancing sadly over his shoulder to stare at her likeness. It was like he was trying to figure that out. On one hand, he wanted very much to be angry. She had left to go to a country he hated and was taking care of another male. But, on the other hand, it was Orion she was caring for. The prince was dying, so there was a kind of unfounded selfishness in being mad about her generosity. In the end, he ended up nodding, though he did develop a kind of guilt about the feeling.

"Maybe it might help if you come back here with me. You can get away from your new brother - "

"Not my brother."

"Right. Then, you can get away from Enmei, we can negotiate to make peace with Vethela and form an attack against Umayena, and we can go on dates again."

"Why can't you just come back here?"

"Actually, I have some questions I need answered, and I can only get them here. I'll leave once I find what I'm looking for, but, until then, I have to stay, but - "

Without another word, the brunette hung up. He did not pick up the phone when she dialed him again, so there was nothing she could do. On the contrary, she sighed, focusing, instead, on the food that Sona set in front of her. He chastised her about pulling out the IV drip, but she didn't listen to him. As she ate, he informed her of everything that happened, including the major panic of her collapse. He then mentioned that Kazuya was informed though he speculated the man didn't tell his son. Haru had enough worries without her medical emergency.

"He has asked you to call him as soon as possible. Should I schedule a call later today?"

"Sure."

"Done. Then, I'd also like to remind you that the Akahito family reunion date is nearing. All other arrangements are finalized, but the issue of the location remains."

"Well, I wanted to see how Eloise was coming along. If she was better, I wanted to try having it abroad, but...she won't be getting better, so I guess I'm at an impasse."

"Right. It's regrettable to say, but perhaps you should host the party without her."

"But then Kazuya would want to stay with her. He has to be there since he's the head of the family, so I guess we have to have it in Abali."

"Then I'll make the arrangements for - Oh, Mr. Akahito is calling you now."

Immediately as the android said that, her phone started ringing. Hesitantly, she picked up, mumbling a faint greeting. The man rapidly asked question after question, clearly panicked about her state of being. Though he was overreacting and she constantly stated she was fine, it did put a subconscious smile on her face. Kazuya really was a great man. She wasn't even his daughter and he treated her like she was some kind of national treasure. No doubt he had even put his work as president aside just so he could see if she was alright.

"That's a relief!" the man murmured, giving a prolonged sigh, "There are so many things I have to ask you, but - Oh, Sona has just forwarded me your concerns about the reunion."

"Did you seriously do that in the middle of our conversation?" the girl huffed, resulting in the android shrugging, "Well, I'm glad you did anyway. I just wasn't sure where it would be appropriate to have it...because of...Eloise."

"Was there a place you had in mind?"

"I think, with everything going on," A pause. "It might be best to have it in Vethela. I realize you're angry. I'm pissed, too. But, in the long run, we can't keep ignoring this country. They're too powerful."

"I know. But all I want to do is be petulant. I don't want to give them the satisfaction of letting the issue slide."

"I'm not suggesting letting it go. They'll pay for what they did. I will make sure of it. But, at the same time, let's take the moral high ground, if only to squeeze them for everything they're worth."

"I understand. No matter how much I dislike it, I will have to return in order to speak about Umayena anyway. For the time being, please find a location in Vethela and - I'm sorry, (Y/n). Duty calls. If you need anything, you must send me a message. Then, take care."

There was a kind of bittersweet feeling that remained when the man hung up. She would have liked to speak to him for a bit longer, if only to feel that kind of rare affection. Still, she understood he was busy, so she didn't let the bitter feeling remain for long. Instead, she began thinking about the reunion. The theme and everything else had been decided, so the location was a pressing matter. It needed to be elegant, expensive, and exclusive, enough for a bunch of self-important people to brag about.

Sighing, she massaged the side of her head, only for a knock at the door to sound. As expected, someone with a hyacinth pin on their chest invited her to meet with Mica. They led her silently, walking slowly in case she was still out of it, but, as they continued, they realized she was the same as always. As a result, they quickly reached the area, the servant opening the door and bowing to the regent, announcing the girl. 

Two things shocked her, the first being that the room was not Mica's study. It must have been the monarch's study. Secondly, the room was not as empty as she thought it would be. On the contrary, sitting on the right couch, there were two others - one with gold hair and one with blue. Orion was also there, standing up suddenly at the sight of the girl and running over to embrace her tightly, tears in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry!" he bawled, burying himself in her neck, "You were probably in so much pain, and I-I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"

"Orion, please take a seat," the boy's great-uncle sighed, motioning to the desk.

The boy listened obediently, hooking his arm with hers and gently leading her to the seat. All the while, he instructed her of anything potentially harmful, telling her in a panic to watch out for the edge of the table. Nonetheless, even when they sat down, he still seemed quite paranoid. The boy fidgeted and held tightly onto her, gazing at her in concern. She occasionally patted his head to get him to calm down, but the tears in the corners of his eyes did not go away so easily. The two across from them stared relentlessly, one slightly surprised and the other obviously curious. Sona watched from behind the couch, arms behind his back obediently.

"Before we start," the girl snapped to the point, "I don't want you pretending this is about anything other than buying my silence."

"I understand," Mica nodded, "but, if you'll allow it, I will not be the one leading this discussion."

"Then who..."

(Y/n) trailed off as she suddenly made a connection, staring down at the boy sniffling for her. At times, it was easy to forget, but he was the crown prince of Vethela - the one with the strongest claim to the throne. She couldn't really see him leading a country, but a monarchy was not built off of the person most capable for the job. Still, in that case, Orion might have been the best choice to negotiate. She had a close relationship with him, meaning that he would find it easier to get her silence than Mica ever would.

"After you collapsed, the doctors did a mandatory check-up on Orion, too. We've noticed he's been making a recovery, but we didn't understand the scope of it until then. It may not be permanent, but somehow, all of his symptoms have disappeared. He's not sick anymore. So, we have been introducing him to his royal duties. As the future king, it is essential he learns negotiations. I hope you indulge us in this."

"Well - "

"Furthermore, I understand you have a poor relationship with Count Alaric, so I have seen to it that he was not a part of this discussion."

"But you did invite two strangers to watch me bully your nephew."

The blue-haired individual pointed to himself in confusion before the male beside him gave an embarrassed expression and slowly helped him lower his hand. Mica then began to introduce the two, claiming they were there to support the younger prince. Kazuki, the older of the two - the golden-haired male - was the firstborn to Meridian, the second princess. Ichiro, the one next to him - the blue-haired one - was the second born to the princess. That meant they were Orion's cousins and Rei's brothers. Why the older one wasn't taking over for Mica, she didn't know, but it wasn't her place to ask, nor did she particularly care. Sona did contemplate it though.

"Fine. I'll play along," she agreed, giving a shrug.

"Thank you. Then, Orion, please take your seat at the table like a king."

Unexpectedly, to the utter disbelief of the man, the boy refused. Shyly, he squeezed tighter on the girl's arm, giving a groan of displeasure. He wanted to do the negotiation like that, wrapped around the older girl. There were a number of problems with that, namely that it was obvious he wanted her approval, so she had an upper-hand to the proceedings. Moreover, it wasn't realistic for other negotiations the male would encounter if he were to rule the powerful nation. On that note, the boy's elder cousin peeped up.

"Would you sit like that with Emperor Hiramatsu?"

"No. I don't want to kiss him."

Everyone else dropped their face into their palm, knowing just about how well the negotiation would go. Not only was he hanging off of her like an accessory, he was trying to flirt with her, too. If she were someone else, the outcome would have been disastrous. Still, they supposed they were grateful she was so lenient when it came to him, especially as she asked him to sit in his chair. At her request, he went, albeit like a scorned puppy. He rather disliked sitting in the chair, longingly staring over at the girl and giving a dramatic sigh. Sona's brow twitched.

"Etiquette," his eldest cousin gently reminded him, demonstrating proper posture for the boy to mimic, "Well done."

"Really, Zuki?!"

"Now you need to say what you want," Mica guided, "In this case, we would like to keep her collapse a secret. Can you ask her that?"

"But it was our fault. It happened on palace grounds. Shouldn't we be responsible for that?"

"Wow. If only you were doing this when Haru was hurt," the girl chuckled maliciously, prompting the regent to flinch, "Anyway, you didn't deliberately poison me. You shouldn't feel any guilt for it."

The prince gave a guilty expression, slumping a bit at the notion. He didn't reply to the statement, mostly because he knew she was joking, but he still felt quite upset about his responsibility in the matter. After all, in the end, because he used the strange "love potion", she ended up collapsing. If he hadn't, she wouldn't have. So, obviously, he thought that she should be given something for that, though it was still superficial.

"(Y/n)," he started, still getting antsy at the sound of her name, "Um, we'll compensate you for this, so would it be alright if you kept this silent? If you'd like, we can negotiate some terms."

"I suppose we can do that. Neither of us really want for a war to break out between Echal and Vethela. I'm sure the rest of the world would be caught up in it, too, so let's do our best."

Orion's heart fluttered at the way she talked. She already knew what she wanted to say, and it flowed out naturally and with a mature and knowledgeable distinction. No doubt her time in business helped with that, her skilled words having multiple meanings whichever way they were deciphered. She was so cool! As his great-uncle coughed, he snapped back to attention, noticing the girl was smiling at him affectionately for the cute pause. He flared pink, hoping she thought positively of his attempts.

"Yes, I'd like that, too! Um, so what do you want?"

"You should start out offering something, your highness," the boy's uncle gently reminded him, "The goal is to start as small as possible and end as small as possible. For example, if you offer Miss Shiratori a house in exchange, it will be harder for her to work up the negotiation enough to request something as big as an island. Do you understand?"

"Do you like land, (Y/n)?!" the boy asked excitedly, even standing up abruptly from his chair.

"Well...strictly speaking, yes. Its value is always increasing the longer time goes on, so it's a great investment. The Akahito's are in the business of land, you know. They've got more than a country's worth all over the world, so it's always been fascinating - "

"Then, you do like land! Do you want Vethela?!"

At once, everyone stood up in shock, trying to explain to the male that he was, beyond a reasonable shadow of a doubt, incorrect for the offer. Sona remained quiet. Of course, as the King of Vethela, he had the right to offer the land up to anyone he wanted. However, he had not yet ascended, and giving away the entire country just to cover up a small secret was an insane notion. Besides, it wasn't just land. There were countless resources on it and an entire tradition and religion relied on its stable presence.

"I-I wasn't offering it for no reason!" the boy blushed, wondering just how his family thought of him, "I-It's a negotiation. If I offer her something like that, don't you think I'd get something out of it, too?"

"There is nothing that you could trade the country for!" Ichiro gasped, tugging on his brother's sleeve as if asking if he had heard the same thing he had.

"Well, I more so meant that she would have to share with me - "

"You'll be the king! You don't share with anyone!"

"Listen!" Orion shouted in a pout, rendering everyone silent, "(Y/n) is really close to Mister - President Akahito! She's a big figure in Echal! So, don't you think, if she came to Vethela, it would help solve all of the fighting we've been having?! I want our countries to be friends again!"

"I'm sorry," (Y/n) chuckled, picking up one of the mini cakes on the table, "Are you proposing marriage?"

The male blushed and stared down at the table, slowly nodding with great embarrassment. In response, she burst out laughing, apologizing for the reaction. It just was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. Obviously, Orion had a crush on her. He couldn't hide it even if his life depended on it, but she didn't think it was so bad he would try and use an insanely illogical political marriage. Then again, that was one of the sweetest things about him. He was very clear about his wants.

"I'm afraid that wouldn't work," Sona grumbled, receiving an obvious glare from the prince, "In the first place, President Akahito is a president. The next president would have no obligation to fulfill the peace treaty you think this marriage will bring. Secondly, even if it were to work like that, (Y/n) is not, by blood, related to President Akahito. Thirdly, there is the issue you keep forgetting in that Haru Akahito is - "

"So, she's not a princess, Oreo," Ichiro summed up, "A political marriage in this case would only work if she were."

Defeated, the orange-haired male slumped back in his chair, everyone else letting out a sigh of relief before sitting down as well. The (h/c) haired girl continued to chuckle, her cheeks a pale pink. Mica took the time to show the boy other things he could start offering, on the subject of land. He circled a few places on the map, explaining the areas and how he could use them to negotiate, but obviously, Orion was still upset that his proposition didn't work out. For some reason, he decided it was Sona's fault.

"Actually, I think that I might have a suggestion of my own that may do something similar as to what Orion wanted," the girl said, clearing her throat, "To host the Akahito family reunion, I'm in need of a location. If you can offer one in Vethela, it may be easier to form peace with President Kazuya. It would show the rest of the world camaraderie."

"That is a wonderful suggestion," the golden-haired male smiled amiably, "What do you think, Orion?"

"Of course. What kind of party will it be?"

"I believe the name we gave the theme was 'early spring'. There will be a lot of flowers, in particular, but Vethela does green well. About two hundred or so people will be attending, all high-ranking people. Some children will be in attendance, but the majority will be adults. We want a location that is somewhere out of the way, but still elaborate."

"Then, you can use the gift grandmother gave me!" the boy beamed, pointing to the window, "It's an island a few miles away from here. There is lots of exotic flora and its climate is perfect for any kind of flower. Plus, there's a big mansion there with plenty of rooms for all your guests, and, outside, there is a large, open ballroom for everyone. The beach is pretty, too!"

"Is that really alright?"

"It would make me happy if you used it! We can even lend you the palace chef and - "

"No, the island and a few servants' help are more than enough. Then, in exchange, I will keep my collapse a secret. Hopefully, this can help repair our countries' relationship. It was a pleasure doing business with you, Orion."

The prince blushed, watching her carefully as she left the room with Sona trailing behind her. He had not, by any means, done a good job at the negotiation. In fact, she led him exactly where she wanted him to go. Thankfully, for everyone else, she was not - in this one instance - being greedy. She didn't ask for any land, just the opportunity to use a special area for one party. Moreover, she made the effort of bringing a potential peace treaty discussion right to their backyard. She was a fantastic businesswoman.

"It was a good first start," Mica smiled, petting the boy on the head only to be surprised at how soft his hair was, "How do you think you did?"

"I...wanted to keep negotiating."

"Why?"

"...kiss."

Mumbling so quietly, the prince said something the regent could not make out. Nonetheless, Orion bolted out of the room, rushing to find Satoru. As he left, the silvery-blue-haired man turned to his other nephews. Kazuki blushed, turning his head away, but his brother gave a big smile. He was no doubt proud of his cousin. Seeing this, Mica inquired about what the male had said, only for Ichiro to snicker.

"He wanted to try and get a kiss out of the negotiation."

"Oh my. If Miss Shiratori ever does decide that she wants Vethela, it will be quite easy for her to accomplish it. Let's keep a close eye on Orion."