(Y/n) had returned, finding herself stepping out of the limousine after waiting quite some time. All of the guests had arrived, no doubt all gathered in the ballroom or walking in the gardens. Either way, that meant she alone was entering, and by no means was she properly dressed for the occasion. Though she hardly wanted to dress up for Shota either, she had to get his present either way, so she sulked upstairs, noting the way the maids coming to and fro stared at her with shock.

Though she didn't respond to the glowers verbally, she did give a frown herself. It seemed they all knew the atmosphere of the situation well. Perhaps suspecting her more than their master was, the maids and other staff adjusted appropriately. No doubt spying on her every move and reporting even on how long she had spent sipping a cup of water, she couldn't help but develop a distaste for them. So much for the naive thought that she used to go on "girl's nights" with some of them.

An hour late, she extended the time by getting herself dressed. Regardless, she was somewhat surprised an outfit had been laid out for her, no doubt instructed by Shota. Red in color, she could only assume it was to match with her would-be fiance. She had put it on without much issue before grabbing the already wrapped gift and walking through the halls, receiving the same glowers. She continued to ignore them, knowing she would have been given more once she was inside the ballroom.

The announcers were surprised when the (h/c) haired girl arrived, both giving quick looks to one another. While one opened the two large doors, the other one entered, clearing his throat. With a noble display, the man began to introduce her with a loud and clear voice, drawing the attention of everyone. Though it was not at all ideal for the girl who simply wanted to hide in the shadows, she had no choice but to walk down the stairs, given the attention of everyone in the massive and elaborately decorated room.

As she looked around, she only recognized a handful of people, most of them servants in the mansion who walked around, providing drinks to the attendees. Nami was there as well, dancing with a slightly older girl she seemed to be fast friends with. Then there was Okura and Narcissa, though the latter appeared exhausted and detached. And though (Y/n) didn't know the nobles well, she could recognize a few of them. However, of all people, her eyes could not draw away from the doll-like being that sat at the table reserved for the hosts.

With lavender-white hair, she breathed, but gave no other signs of life. She had dull eyes, and though she was dressed in an elaborate gown and wore a radiant crown upon her head, no one paid her any mind. The beautiful young woman just remained still. There was no food in front of her nor any drink, unlike everyone else around her. Instead, a formally dressed man stood by her side, occasionally checking up on her.

"(Y/n)!" a voice called out excitedly, prompting the girl to see Shota beaming from ear to ear, "You've finally come."

The red-haired male extended his hand to the younger girl, pulling her in to a warm hug. Though there were signs of confusion on his face, he mostly portrayed his happiness to see her and his curiosity about what she held in her hands. With a forced smile, the girl handed the present to him, watching as he lit up red. He took a while to admire it, but didn't open it at first, placing it down himself on a nearby table filled with other presents. The male then made sure to arrange it so hers was at the forefront, separating it from others.

"I'm happy to see you made it," he sighed, placing his hand on his heart, "Whatever were you doing? I was worried."

"I know. I'm so sorry for coming late, but I was really nervous. Between having to be with all these people and practicing my etiquette...and especially your birthday present...I had a lot on my mind."

"What would you have to be nervous for? I'm here, darling. I don't care if your etiquette is lacking. I fell in love with you before you'd ever been in high society. And as for them, I'll always protect you. But...the gift...I'm sure I love it."

"It's really embarrassing...but I wanted to give it to you to show you what you mean to me."

Getting obviously excited over what she had planned to give him, the male snuck a few more peeks at the wrapped present. She couldn't tell if he was trying to be sneaky about it or not, but it was clear that he wanted to open it right away. Regardless, he he held himself back and extended his hand to her. The live orchestra began playing slow music, allowing the two to make their way to the center of the floor.

With dimmed lights and silence from all attendees, Shota could finally feel her in his arms in a loving dance. It was better than any gift, a long-time dream of his to be with her in such a romantic way. Swaying with her and holding her hands in time with the soft chorus playing behind them, he couldn't help but melt. His love for her was more than she would ever know, and though he could only embrace her in select moments like those, it was worth waiting for years.

"I wanted to wish you a happy birthday," she spoke up, surprising him just a bit, "It's definitely a little late, but - "

"No! No, I'm grateful! It's...very sweet of you. I hope you'll let me do the same for you when your birthday comes shortly."

"You're not going to throw a big party for it, are you?"

"No, of course not. I was hoping I could take you out for something nice like a vacation. I know you're not fond of this kind of thing, and I'm regretful for making you come to this one, but...Well, I can't deny I really wanted to brag."

"No one here really understands that, you know. Why you're proud of your infatuation with a no-name."

The red-haired male paused before tilting his head and giving a smirk. It was as if he took entertainment out of her confusion. She had just imagined he wanted to be seen as her savior and be treated by her like some sort of deity. There was also his lack of regard for any others. It was a trait of some psychopaths, and truth be told, she'd be hard-pressed to say he wasn't one. His intense levels of manipulation and desire for control were far from normal. Then again, he was poor at it, leading her to wonder if something other element had led to his insanity.

"You were far from a no-name when we met for the first time. I fell in love then, and I've only fallen deeper into it since then."

"Love at first sight?"

"Something like that. But, I must confess, my interest in you had started before I even stepped foot into the school," Shota chuckled, starting to spin her around before holding her closer, "A friend of mine actually owned the school. He didn't have any interest in it because it wasn't '2D', but a distant relative of his ran it, and after an incident at a sister school, he did everything he could to get as many of its students to join. It seemed to work on another friend of mine who proceeded to drag everyone else there. But I was hesitant to go."

"Why? Did you think it was lesser than your previous school?"

"No, not at all. Do you remember Kazuki Hoshino? Or Hirasi, or Satoru, or Trewin, or whatever the hell he and his siblings decided on? Honestly, their bipolar mother...Well, his youngest brother was someone I wanted to avoid, if at all possible. We didn't get along."

"Rivals?"

The male paused, looking up as he mused himself in thought. Though the term did seem to suit their odd relationship, it wasn't entirely something Shota wanted to label them as. In truth, they could have never been summed up like that. Even if the redhead believed him to be his rival, it was more than he was crushed in every way by that spoiled brat of a prince. Though, thinking back on it, that prince was probably the most hated by the (h/c) haired girl, if not the most pitied.

"For now, we can call it that. Since he was going, I had no desire to, and I probably would have chosen to come to Afrua with...with a close friend of mine," the male murmured in a saddened tone, darting his eyes over to the lavender-white-haired girl, "The schools here are top notch. But, it was because of you that I went."

"Me? But you hadn't met me?"

"No, but I'd heard of you. It was hard not to. Well, regardless, the principal reached out to me. In a school filled with rich brats, it was no surprise he wanted to raise the average using me. He had sent over a few other promising students, most of them who had gotten in by their own abilities."

"So you got excited when you had a rival to square off in academics?"

"Academics?"

With a surprised look, Shota burst out into joyful laughter. He drew over the attention of a few nearby dancers, but quieted himself, wiping a tear from his eye. His reaction was certainly confusing to the (h/c) haired girl. It was not one he faked, at least from what she could tell. Rather, he had been caught off guard and reacted in a way that only exhibited his pure affection for her. The drunk look he gave her afterward signified such a thing as well, his eyes filled with adoration alone. Her face lit up, and out of stubbornness, she looked away, refusing to see him as human after what he had done.

"You did not get in on academics, darling. Still, you were one of the smartest students in the school."

"Then...did I get sponsored by some rich family?"

"Not quite. There was a certain...someone...that did recommend you though. You didn't even apply to the school. They extended a tuition-free education to you and you decided to join."

"Are you just teasing me now?" she pouted, debating whether the male would ever give her useful information about her past life.

"Of course not, but you are being very...well, cute right now," Shota blushed, becoming a bit bashful at the realization, "You got in because of martial arts."

Freezing, and almost forgetting to keep up with the dance, (Y/n) tripped over her own feet, leading the male to quickly support her. As she tried to put a bit of distance between the two, she could only see the very concerned frown of the male. He must have thought she could have sprained her ankle, but regardless, they continued to dance, her curiosity growing with each sway they made.

"You're messing with me."

"I wouldn't. You really did get in on martial arts. You were a prodigy. I can show you later. To the best of my knowledge, you officially started when you were five years old. Then, for ten-ish years, you participated nationally and, at one point, you won gold in the worldwide open martial arts tournament."

"And I didn't know?"

"Your trophies are displayed in the living room, my dear," he laughed, giving her a kiss on the cheek, "I remember telling you that when you woke up from your coma."

Flaring up in embarrassment, the (h/c) haired girl did recall he said something along those lines. However, at the time, she was too stunned by everything around her and the confusion of her amnesia to really hear him or take it to heart. And, of course, she never really did go around the manor just for the sake of exploring. Although, with her newly acquired goal of bringing Shota to justice, she probably should have done so. It would be easy to make a believable excuse for it, too.

"Then there's definitely news or something about me winning?"

"Well, sure. I have a few clippings of that particular win, but if you'd like more, you can look it up online. Nami would have a few pictures of you in action, too."

"Sorry? Nami? Why would she - "

"It's definitely not common knowledge. She's learned to hide it since when she was smaller, she used to scare her friends by showing them wrestling. Most noble girls tend to be sheltered that way. But Nami has always been the biggest fan of competitive fighting. So, wrestling, boxing, martial arts, you name it. She has favorites in each category, and you happened to be a 'crush' of hers for a long time. I'm sure she still feels the same way. Why don't you ask her?"

"This...is not how I expected the night to go..."

Shota chuckled again, adoringly caressing the side of her face. He knew she would be surprised, but he really had thought she knew, even if just instinctually. Regardless, it was a blessing to see the expression she made, allowing him to further see the gears in her head turning. As long as she did so, he couldn't stop smiling. It was absolutely precious whether she knew it or not, but he was fairly certain she had a good idea. 

"If you'd like, why don't you go look at your trophies for a bit? It might make you feel a bit less confused."

"I'm allowed? I thought it was rude for the host to leave the main area without other guests."

"Trust me, if anyone brings it up, I'll shut them up. Technically, I'm the host here, and though you are my fiancee, we're not yet together, meaning that you are free to do whatever you'd like. And I'd like you to have some fun. Take a break every once in a while, alright?"

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, the redhead smiled sincerely before bowing, allowing their dance to end. Confused at why he had let her go, (Y/n) curtseyed, trying to figure out what it was she really wanted to do. Granted, he could have probably been pushing her to go to the living room for another sinister reason, but, doing it in the middle of his birthday party seemed odd.

"I know how suffocating it can be in high society," he finally remarked, giving a somber expression, "but if I can spare you by using myself as a distraction, I'll gladly put up with it."

For a moment, the younger girl had the strangest desire to ask him to come along but quickly covered her mouth. She rebuked herself for unconsciously aligning herself with him or feeling a shred of sympathy. Instead of facing it, she practically ran out of the ballroom to find the living room, but not before she stole a last glimpse at him. Her heart skipped a beat at the look he gave her, more hesitance building up within her. She cursed herself for it.

Shota cursed himself as well, knowing he didn't deserve the relationship he'd been able to enjoy. After all of his sins, he knew she held some kind of fear for him, even if in her subconscious. Thinking on it, he began to shiver, the air uncomfortably cold around him. He wondered if there was a way he could make up for it all, and though many he would be unable to make it up to, his most recent shame was not one of those. Rather, he had already taken a step to repent for.

Walking to the other side of the ballroom, he extended a hand to a young woman who sat completely still. Though hushed murmurs surrounded them, he focused on the task at hand, giving a smile filled with guilt before taking her hand gently. The lavender-whitish-haired girl seemed out of it, as she usually was, but she gave a rare glimpse of consciousness, a tear slipping from her opaque eyes. Following the male's gentle pull, she stood up, her bare feet walking along the pleasantly cold marble floor.

As the music started up again, a new song echoing through the grandiose chamber, the red-haired male gave a soft look to the girl. Though she still retained her empty gaze, a look of doll-like nothingness placed on her regal features, there was a trace of something that flashed in her eyes at the music. And when he began to engage her in the almost forgotten Afruan dance of ancient times, another tear slipped past her ceramic cheeks.

Her body began to shift, her rusted joints almost unused to the feeling of being moved. And yet, despite that, her body remembered. Though she had been sitting on a shelf, waiting to be loved and held, she remembered more than anyone else. Pulling at her own strings, she danced as she used to, tears streaming down like a waterfall, and though she knew it would attract more rust, she danced regardless.

With one step, a twirl, arms reaching to the sky, showing her utter devotion to Zyias; the flame, the passion, the power, the first-born. Lost in her own world, finding herself dancing on stars in the explosion of color before her, she dismissed everything around her, all except for the fire that danced beside her. He had blessed her before, and it seemed he wanted to do so again, his hand reaching out to her.

His eyes flickered with affection as she sparked with passion, dancing as though she were no longer a doll. Beside her, he watched, finally able to see the sight he'd longed for. Though but a brief moment in the grand scheme of things, it was enough, and even when she had finished her dance, coming back to the real world, she was grateful. Passing out, she would have collapsed on the ground if it weren't for Shota. Before gently passing her to her head guard, he noticed the mark on her chest, his eyes widening. He hadn't thought it was true. Regardless, he gave a somber smile. This was the first step to him redeeming himself.