The next morning, Rei found that his cupcake wasn't in bed with him. He typically woke up with his arm over her waist and her small hands grabbing at his bed. She was so clingy to him almost every day, sometimes attempting to coerce him into staying with her by giving him small kisses. If he could have, he would have enjoyed being in bed with her all day, cuddling her, and keeping her all to himself.

However, in that situation, the blonde was overly concerned with her absence. He had made sure that guards would be around her at all times whether she was aware of it or not. That being said, he was lost on where she could have gone so early in the morning. It wasn't like her to stray from his side or leave without him. Pulling himself out of his bed, he stretched his arms behind his back and let out a faint yawn, looking at himself in the newly replaced mirror for the one he'd broken.

He appeared far less stressed and as handsome as he typically was. No more were there any bags under his eyes or overly pale skin. Rei was the charismatic royal he had always been, fascinating his subjects with his handsome appearance. He smirked. Surely (Y/n) admired his good looks as well. They were all hers, after all. She must have been the luckiest girl in the world to have him at her feet.

The blonde had his servants change him into something simple so he could find the younger girl. While he would have been concerned and panicking, running around the place like a chicken with its head cut off, he wasn't worried. Rather, he just wanted to know if she was stressed from being without him. It would have been flattering, surely, but he wanted her cheerful and satisfied in his home, always and forever.

As he made his way through the halls, his assistant trailed behind him, holding a clipboard for the day's agenda. He said nothing, knowing that the blonde's focus was on finding the younger girl, and would have despised being interrupted. Still, he was calm, asking if anyone had seen her. When a maid showed him the way, he was further relaxed, holding his head high as he walked into the area he knew all too well.

There, the (h/c) haired girl was baking some kind of sweet breakfast with waffles and raspberries. It was awfully appealing to the male, smiling happily as he dismissed both the maid and his assistant, wanting some alone time with her. He rarely got any, so it was only fair that he got to experience a bit more romance than his typical life consisted of. As he moved forward, he threw his arms around the younger girl's waist, nuzzling his cheek against her.

"Good morning, cupcake!" he giggled, "Were you cooking for me? Oh, I just love you so much."

It was more than obvious that the male was in his lovely dovey mood, unafraid to show any emotion or thoughts he had on his mind. As he hugged her tightly, his heart began to escalate quickly, his cheeks rosy, and his head in the clouds. There was nothing better than waking up to her doing something for him. It was made even better by her shy response to his affections, the cute squeals and chuckles she made that only made him pepper her face with kisses. Oh, how he loved her!

"Come on, come on!" he giggled, nuzzling his nose into her neck, "Tell me you love me, too! I know you do~!"

"I love you!" she responded, unable to control her laughter when he began to tickle her, "I love you! Stop it, Rei!"

"I don't know...I don't think I believe you yet."

Despite his teasing, the blonde could hear the affection in her voice. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't control it, escaping her lips and gracing his ears with the pleasure sheer fondness brought. Either way, he was bound to love her, attached to her addicting presence like a moth to a flame. He might have been burned alive, but he found he enjoyed the feeling. It was not a fleeting love, one that he would have taken to his grave, and yet, it stirred such purpose in him. How strange it all was.

The male began to participate with the younger girl in cooking, despite her protests. She had wanted to surprise him with breakfast in bed, but he preferred simply joining in the action. He couldn't have cared less about the food, itself, but the meaning it had when he enjoyed both creating and eating it with (Y/n). It seemed only right for them to do everything together. In his eyes, it made everything better. From simply sleeping to playing music, it was a boon to everyday life.

As the younger girl kissed him shyly, he let out a satisfied smile, joining the younger girl in cutting some strawberries. It was a shame they couldn't cook all day, but there were plenty of other things to do. In fact, Rei was planning to show her a day of relaxation and fun. She surely needed it. After all of the tense situations she had been in, the blonde couldn't bear to see the fear in her eyes. Whether looking at him in such a way or another, he found he despised it all the same.

He continued contemplating the effect that being away from him might have had on her. It wasn't a pleasant thought, clearly, but he needed to figure out something to erase what had already been done. His eyes narrowed at Ichiro's uncooperativeness. It was a spit in the face, really. The bluenette refused to admit he had done anything wrong, believing, wholeheartedly, that Rei was responsible. That in itself may not have been much of a problem, but he had sworn he wouldn't reverse what he had done. Without his cooperation, it might have been impossible.

Rei huffed, scowling as he began to flip over a pancake, ignoring the fact they were making more than was needed for two people. It was unbelievable how selfish and cruel the older male was being to (Y/n). She could have been hurt from his actions, and he certainly posed a risk to her mental wellbeing. This was where the blonde paused, stopping his actions altogether and losing himself in his mind.

Ichiro had never hurt so much as a fly. He had always been pacifistic, taking any harm with a few sobs, but never retaliating. So why had he killed two guards? And what was with his strange mannerisms? He had fallen asleep for nearly two days before being forcibly woken up. Something was clearly wrong, and the blonde had a bad feeling about why that could have been. It seemed all too similar to another he knew all too well.

"We're going to have leftovers at this rate," (Y/n) hummed, undoing her apron and setting it aside, "Why don't we eat with everyone else? It would be nice, wouldn't it?"

Again, Rei's eyes narrowed at the thought of sharing their morning with others, especially his own family. Only his father had slipped by his rage, being supportive of whatever he wanted to do, and even that may not have lasted for any longer. The blonde was quickly becoming more agitated with everyone around him. Even if she was with him, it didn't mean she couldn't vanish again, and it didn't sit well with him.

"If you insist," he agreed forcibly, his entire demeanor changing quickly.

The blonde felt jealousy stir in him, and pouting, he moved to grab the younger girl's hand quickly, bringing it to his side. He didn't say a word, only looked away with discontent despite the fact his cheeks were pink from holding (Y/n)'s hand. It wasn't as if his feelings for her disappeared simply because he was jealous. No, on the contrary, it only served to make them stronger, pushing him to do things he wouldn't have done normally.

Sensing his envy over bringing up sharing their morning with others, the younger girl gave a bashful smile. She hugged the jealous male, snuggling into his chest as she heard his breath hitch in his throat. Rei whined, uncertain if he should remain upset or indulge in the affection she gave to him. Ultimately, he caved in, smiling again as he enthused about how much he loved her.

Servants helped to bring the plates to the table, setting them down and escorting both families to the table. Reluctantly, the blonde allowed Ichiro to join though he ensured the younger girl was seated far away from him. The male then placed the younger girl on his lap, coddling her as he kept her to himself. Her cheeks became red when others poured into the room, but he kept her with him despite that. He couldn't have cared less if his father snickered at him for his display of affection.

"You two are so cute," he chuckled, munching on a raspberry, "and you make the best food."

Sooner or later, Kazuki entered the room, his shoulders tensing when he saw his baby brother with (Y/n). It pained him, jealousy being an emotion he'd rather do without. Still, he kept his words inside of him, restraining them from exiting. Still, it wasn't because he wanted his brother to enjoy the company of the younger girl. It was because he wanted to act as a perfect gentleman. Restraining himself would benefit him in the long run.

"Are you hungry, Zuki? Rei and I made a little too much breakfast. I'd appreciate it if you'd eat some so we don't have leftovers."

"Ah, you cooked?" the blonde asked a little too eagerly, "I-I suppose I should eat something. Starting the day without something to eat would make me fatigued."

The older male ate a few waffles. It was true that his younger brother was a wonderful cook, but he preferred (Y/n)'s cooking. There was no sizable difference, having more similarities than differences. It was Vethelan styled no matter how one sliced it, but the sheer fact that the younger girl made it herself made the blonde believe it was specially made for him. If only that were the case, yet, somehow, the blonde still managed to make himself firmly believe it was. It was paradise, truly.

Losing himself in a fantasy, the male imagined having a life with the younger girl. They would reside in a country home where Kazuki could work from home, if at all. He had more than enough to live out the rest of his life in luxury with a family of his own. His cheeks flared at the thought, a drunk smile working its way onto his lips. Yes, he would like his own family. Some children, a warm and hospitable home in nature, and a loving wife. All of those things would be some kind of haven.

Perhaps he and the younger girl would have two children. There would definitely be at least one sweet one, clinging to at least one of their parents. (Y/n) would make breakfast and Kazuki would clean the house while their kids played. At the end of the day, they would all watch the sun set while they snuggled together. That would have been a real family, far from the peering eyes being royalty came with.

As the blonde looked up at the table he was at, he noticed the grim reality of his situation. His mother was absent, all of his brothers wanted to kill him or the other, his great uncle was under some strange influence, and his grandmother and cousin were dead. The only good thing about the table he sat at was that the (h/c) haired girl was there. Although considering she was not with him, he found it positive yet stingingly cruel.

Rei's nerves stood on end, his eyes darting over to his older brother. It was beyond obvious he was staring at the younger girl, thinking of her despite the fact she was in someone else's arms. He gritted his teeth and pulled her tight against him, refusing to let any slack between them. He wanted her to be flush against him to show the blonde who had her heart, and to add further insult to injury, he engaged her in a passionate kiss.

At first, it was about showing his dominance over her and proving that he, and not any other male, made her blush. However, as she clutched onto his shoulders in surprise, he let a purr escape him. The male's motivations changed into the desire to please her and see more of her conflicted expression. She was just precious when she was embarrassed. He smiled brightly as he kissed her, giggling when she pulled away and hid her face in his neck.

"(Y/n)," Kazuki grinned softly, "I wanted to compliment you on - "

"Cupcake!" the younger male called loudly to drown out his elder brother's voice, "I want you to look over how our wedding is coming along."

Rei narrowed his eyes as he took (Y/n) away from the table, watching as his elder brother's eyebrow twitched. Anyone could see the jealousy he was experiencing. His father took special note of it, watching as both of his sons were engaged in a glaring war. There was sure to be a confrontation between the two of them, one that would result in something deadly. This was even more true as Ichiro was becoming his own wild card.

. . .

Rei had found any excuse in order to keep the (h/c) haired girl by his side during the day. She looked over his shoulder during some of the meetings he had. The male was more than simply amused at the interest she had in the subject of ruling a nation. If she had only told him she wanted to help, he would have passed her some things to do. The thought was enticing. She was going to be a queen consort, after all. It was only right for a queen to do some ruling herself.

Still, there was more to do than simply dragging her around all day with little point. Although his assistant was unused to dealing with matters that the blonde wasn't interested in, Rei had insisted that they help the younger girl. The first matter on the agenda was to introduce her to the noble lifestyle. Before, he had tried to give the younger girl an idea of how noblewomen operated. It might not have gone over well, but there was another alternative.

As (Y/n) was escorted by the blonde into a tea room, she was surrounded by optimistic noble ladies. She tensed, hiding behind Rei before he chuckled and pushed her forward. He had ensured to compare the younger girl's hobbies and interests to particular nobles, taking note of how kind and accepting they were. It took quite some time before finding the best he could. Hopefully, she would be less frightened of others. It was also his hope for the noble ladies to lower her stress.

"It's my pleasure to meet you, majesty," a noble lady smiled, clapping her hands with delight as she addressed the (h/c) haired girl.

As the younger girl mumbled a nervous greeting, she felt herself getting dizzy, pulling on the blonde's jacket. She wished to leave, wanting desperately to tell him that, but he insisted that she stay. (Y/n) was in desperate need of conversation with other people. It was rare that she ever mingled with anyone except for him. Clearly, it was time for a change. Not too big of one, obviously. Rei still very much wanted her to need him in some shape or form, but he worried for her mental wellbeing over his monopoly on her.

"They don't bite, sweetie pie," he chuckled, nuzzling her affectionately, "It's just an opportunity to make some new friends. You don't want to be with me all day, do you?"

The male squealed in joy as she nodded quickly, clinging onto him with an almost desperate attitude. Of course, he enjoyed it, his pride filling his heart as he rewarded her with a kiss. However, he continued to push her forward to the noble ladies. He took joy in watching as she made the transition from uncomfortable to hopeful. Her little eyes peered up with a sparkling (e/c) hue. As the male gazed over at her, he gave a chuckle, leaving her to make her much-needed friends.

He closed the door behind him quietly, ensuring he didn't bother the group. Rei had a lot to do, but it was nice to at least know (Y/n) had someone to make her smile when he wasn't there. It was especially pleasing that she was in the company of women and not men. That being said, it was difficult to keep his brothers away from her, and it only looked like it would be getting worse. Then again, Rei did have an ace up his sleeve.