The castle was a dull place without the livelieness of the younger girl. Rei felt like he was slowly starving for her touch, and that he would die sometime along the way. That being said, he wasn't going to curl up and die because he didn't have what he so desperately wanted. Rather, he held his head up high, taking off his mask. Of course, it wasn't an actual mask, it was the personality he developed to deal with those he despised or looked down upon.

The blonde had made a promise to himself to not wear it around the (h/c) haired girl because she accepted him that way. However, others weren't so caring. He frightened people far more often while walking around with a terrifying scowl. His eyes glared at servants he found were far too close to him, and refused to do anything but growl. It took all he had just to bite back harsh insults or resist resorting to violence. But how badly he wanted to break someone's skull open just to satisfy his bloodlust.

Then, of course, there was something he was putting off and had been putting it off for quite some time. He had limited patience and only wanted to blame someone, determined to do so. Although he was wary of Ichiro, knowing he was the most likely to be trusted by the palace staff and have it out for him, his mother was at fault as well. If it weren't for her lies, (Y/n) would still be with him.

The blonde made his way towards her room. She had been purposefully avoiding him for the past few weeks, knowing that he was furious with her, but he wouldn't let her off the hook just for evading him. In fact, it only made him more insistent towards giving the woman her just desserts. It didn't matter she gave birth to him. He would choose (Y/n) over his mother any day. It wasn't like the latter held a candle to the former.

Rei found himself subconsciously touching his lips, letting out a sigh as he closed his eyes, tilting his head in almost satisfaction. His hands were nothing compared to hers, that much was true, but he far preferred imagining than having pure nothingness embrace his form. Still, it was lacking in some form, not having enough presence behind it. Compared to the younger girl, he felt cold and wispy. It wasn't enough.

Such a thing led the male to throw the doors to his mother's room open. It wasn't as lavish a room as Rei possessed, but it was by no means anything but luxury. His mother wouldn't have accepted anything less than that. In the process of being measured by her tailor, the blonde gave a grimace as he watched her make remarks about the dress she wanted. It seemed sickening to be indulging in a new dress when she was on thin ice already. Who did she think held her purse strings? She had divorced his father and her only form of income was an allowance given to her by her son - the king - whom she'd angered.

"You may leave," the blonde spoke uncaringly, prompting the tailor to freeze up and scurry out of the room with all due haste, keeping her head down as to not make eye contact with the younger male.

His mother stepped down from the elevated platform she was standing on, giving a look that was more akin to one frustrated than one that felt guilty. Her arms were crossed over her chest, not amused by the blonde's sudden appearance. However, she didn't say anything against his presence in her room, simply keeping her lips in a fine line that refused to open until she decided it was necessary to do away with the silence in the atmosphere.

"Have I done something wrong?" she asked, tilting her head and letting her half-done-up hair droop over her left shoulder, "You seem to be in a foul mood."

"Of course I am," the blonde spat.

His mother gave a look of mild surprise, her arms still crossed over her chest without the slightest bit of understanding. It wasn't that she was being disrespectful to the male, it was that she was more wary of his presence. Rei could be a handful, after all. That being said, his mother wasn't going to show submission to him even if it was her best bet. He didn't seem to take kindly to it, however.

"Am I to assume you are here to blame me?" she asked with the slightest huff in her voice.

"Are you not at fault for telling me that my cupcake was safe and sound?"

"Ah, that. Yes, I understand your anger, but you didn't need to make a fool of yourself on television if you learned she was gone, especially not on your coronation of all days. You must forgive me."

The blonde gave a scoff. It wasn't like he believed his mother's words, mainly because she was never sincere when it came to the (h/c) haired girl. Thinking of it only made the younger male seeth in anger. The countless ways his mother subtly put her down right under his nose, things he'd only learned after (Y/n) disappeared - it all sickened him. She'd make snarky remarks to lower her reputation in noble circles of ladies and criticize her foreign appearance, picking at the smallest things she did.

The blonde's mother of all people was never one to accept others into her life. Perhaps it was the reason she never approved of any of her sons' relationships. If they were to become king with their significant other, she wouldn't be the most important female royal even if it was her birthright. And further was the fact that (Y/n) and Moriko were from foreign countries, the former from Athain and the latter from Afrua. It was insulting to have a foreigner be so idolized when, if it wasn't for her mother and older sister, she would have been queen.

"Why would you have remorse for harming (Y/n) now? To avoid a punishment?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not fond of your little toy, but I don't wish to be on your bad side," the woman stated calmly, finding that the younger male was scowling at her, "Obviously, you don't care for my style of apologizing, so I'll do you one better. Follow me then, Rei."

The woman gave a sigh and uncrossed her arms, making her way through the door. Her son wasn't far behind her, not that he thought of forgiving her just because she gave him some kind of gift. He didn't prefer to be shown love in such a way. He preferred quality time, something his mother didn't often allow him. Thus, he was in disbelief about what his mother thought would let the whole ordeal slide.

She wandered through hallways, holding her dress elegantly as she passed servants and whoever else was lingering around. Upon arriving at the dining room, the blonde noticed people scurrying around, particularly the kitchen maids and servants. They were making ready the table with preparations that were typically used when other royalty visited. Everything was being examined carefully as if something large was staked on the visitors.

"Is this a political thing?" the male groaned, dreading the idea of having to appease some stuck-up and pompous old man.

"It can be if you view it that way, but these guests of yours are special. I'm sure you would agree."

The blonde's expression of discontent and disgust contradicted her statement. That being said, he continued to observe what was in the dining room. The tablecloth was a pure white color with golden embroidery of flowers and forest animals such as deer and birds, and fine china was placed upon it. Unblemished porcelain lined with pure gold and precious gems were placed around the table in symmetrical ways. At the same time, golden candelabras were lit with red candles, their flames dancing on the wick as if a ball was occurring.

Napkins were folded into the shapes of unique flowers, placed gently on the silver plates. The chairs were all tucked under the tables, lined with freshly dusted and polished velvet and smooth ebony wood. As well as the essentials of dining, rare and exotic flowers known only to grow in Vethela were placed into polished and masterfully crafted vases of stunning colors. Among the flora was the blonde's favorite lisianthus flowers, cross-bred to be intermixed with purple and white petals.

"I smell some kind of breaded food," the blonde stated, turning to a nearby servant, "What on earth is cooking?"

"Your majesty," the kitchen maid bowed, "For the menu tonight, we're constructing a five-course meal with an Athain inspiration. The appetizer shall be vegetable tempura with a salted sauce in addition to yakitori, and the soup will be miso as is typically custom. For the salad, it will be spring-based vegetables and lettuce with refreshing sweet miso dressing. The entrée will consist of a rich sukiyaki, followed by a dessert of green tea mousse cheesecake, and ice cream. Shall I assist with anything else?"

"What is this?!"

Both the servant and the blonde's mother were shocked by his outburst, tensing in fear. His eyes radiated hatred as if he had been wronged or disrespected somehow. He resisted the urge to tear apart the perfectly constructed banquet hall. Instead, he pressed down his urge to destroy what he saw and turned around to face his mother. She would have been in charge of getting the staff to decorate the hall with their best things.

"Don't you have any shame, mother?" he growled, "Who is so important that we have to eat meat on a day like this?!"

"I doubt you would let religion get in the way of this meeting, Rei," the woman sighed, almost in relief, "Haven't you grasped the situation yet? The decoration, the choice of food, even our previous conversation. It should all be inherently obvious."

"Enlighten me," the male rolled his eyes.

Of course, there were few people that Rei would ever forgive preparing meat for on certain days. Exactly like when the humans living with Ezdia in the forest, it was believed in Vethela that meat should be eaten sparingly. On four days out of seven, it was forbidden to eat meat by those that followed the religion. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays were meant to give thanks to the goddess for her protection. Thus, the idea that one would eat a meal of chicken in the royal castle on a Saturday was unthinkable.

"Is it the princess from Afrua? Or the president of Echal? Or did Zuki finally decide to stay home with us?!"

"Dear boy, I've invited two peasants to the castle and put on this elaborate show in 'honor' of them for your sake," his mother groaned, rolling her eyes, "Your dear (Y/n)'s parents are on their way as we speak."

Rei froze up. He didn't say a word. The blonde didn't move a muscle, but his mind was far from staying stationary. The very thought that the (h/c) haired girl's parents - the people who brought her into the world and placed her in his view - would be coming to his home...It was unthinkable that he wasn't alerted to it beforehand! Although he wasn't the same kind of frustrated that he was before, it didn't mean his anger completely went away.

There was so much to prepare! He had to truly impress them. They were his darling cupcake's parents and she loved them very much. If he made a bad impression, they wouldn't give him their blessing to marry her. Would he be able to marry her at all? If the answer was no, he couldn't bear it. There was no question about it; he had to pull out all the stops in order to succeed in his introduction.

"So? Would you like to take meat off the menu, your royal majesty?" the kitchen maid inquired hesitantly, being careful not to push her question onto him.

"D-Don't be ridiculous!" the blonde stuttered, his face pure red, "In Athain they eat it all the time. I want them to be comfortable! What else can I do? What else?"

The male began pacing around the room, muttering to himself as if debating what to do to earn more points with the younger girl's parents. It wasn't like he had to do anything special before. He only had to show his face to any of his previous test drive's parents and they would bow down in utter respect. They were the ones treating him with their best things, spoiling him and attempting to please him.

As others in the castle saw the blonde's worried state of mind, it only made them think how special (Y/n) was to him. He was worrying over appeasing two people who hadn't ever seen luxury in their lives. All he had to do was treat them to a meal and show off his talents. That being said, he didn't want to be just "acceptable" or "passable" to the duo. He wanted to be above all others that they had ever seen, especially that blue-haired freak the younger girl called her best friend.

"Rei, calm yourself," his mother spoke eloquently, "You have nothing to worry over. I've already ensured everything is perfect. All you have to do is converse with them as the esteemed host."

"No, no, that's not good enough," the blonde whined, "I want to be involved with them. They will be my parents-in-law when the time comes, and perhaps they could share stories of (Y/n) with me. Or pictures! Yes, pictures! I just have to impress them!"

Rei was blushing profusely, hugging himself at the thought of the (h/c) haired girl's reaction when she comes back to the castle. To see him having bonded so well with her parents, it would fill her with pride and relief. All of the people she ever needed were waiting for her return. He couldn't wait! Thus, his mind spun on how to arrange the scenario he pictured together in his mind.

It was then that he came up with an ingenious idea. He gave a look of ecstatic joy and bounced off towards one of his favorite rooms in the entire palace. It was a kitchen just for him, one he always had in every home. No servants were allowed in there as he despised anyone involving themselves in his cooking. Of course, (Y/n) was an exception. Yes, she was. A beautiful woman in a flowing evening dress right by his side in the kitchen; he'd told it to her before. He absolutely adored the idea.

The blonde set to work baking sweets he hoped to present to the younger girl's parents. He was a top-notch chef, having loved all creative outlets he could get his hands on. From cooking to sports all the way to musical instruments, he loved them all. His passion was enough to allow him to master any number of things that he saw potential in. Of course, these things made him all the more perfect in the eyes of the public, something he hoped would be equally true for his cupcake's parents.

Rei put everything he had into making the best set of sweets he could. Baking was something he truly enjoyed, but it wasn't the reason he was putting in all of the effort. That much was obvious. He wanted to show off his talents in every possible way, but since he only had limited time to do so, he had to make do with cooking. Perhaps if he finished early, he could freshen up his appearance and place the piano in the greeting room. If he did that, he had no doubts he would greatly impress them with his musical ability.

The boy's mother watched him put far too much effort for the sake of the (h/c) haired girl's parents. It prompted her to roll his eyes, but she didn't say anything about it. She was on thin ice and did not wish to crack it. Drowning was a fate she'd rather not incur, especially not at the hands of her own son which had only recently risen to the throne. Instead, she made her way to her room, picking out a dress she thought would be pleasing to the eye.

Well, that was how she would have put it, but it was more along the fact that she wanted the younger girl's parents to see the drastic difference in wealth and power. Gold, silver, gems, and luxuries they could never afford should show them they should be bowing at her feet instead of the other way around. She had no doubts Rei would make her act humbly and respectful to them. If she could not directly insult them, she would do it more subtly. One way or another, she was going to be the one to impress.

When the blonde finished creating his sweets, he gave them to the servants to ready for the dinner, warning them not to drop or smudge them. He then made his way to his room, freshening up with a shower and brushing his teeth. The male quickly dried then combed through his hair, and placed on his best set of attire, straightening it out as he walked quickly along the halls.

And when the time had finally come for the (h/c) haired girl's parents to arrive, the blonde was becoming increasingly nervous. Much of the staff waited at the entrance of the palace for them as was done for any royal visitors. Although the younger girl was hardly from a royal family, she would be once married to the blonde. However, it didn't stop the male from pulling out all the stops. Still, his breath sucked in once he saw the limo arrive.