Arc 3 - Chapter 27: Poison in the Heart (2/3)

They left their warm tents and stepped out onto the cold plain where they had set up camp. As they were in an important position, their tents were pitched in a good spot and they could see the sea from here. The ground was white and the half moon was above their heads.

"You didn't go?"

Outside the tent, under a tree some distance away, he found Sivina and Ana chatting. Ana was quite cheerful while Sivina was reserved.

"I can't sleep tonight," Ana said.

This could have been a problem because they had to get up early in the morning. They had to maintain their sleep patterns.

"Out for some air?" Sivina asked.

"I was going to take some air and think, because Leoral really pissed me off. If he tries to separate Yurine and me..."

"I told you, Yu. Nothing will keep us apart!" Yurine raised her arms and waited for Yu to pick her up. She was yawning the whole time.

"If you're sleepy, we can go in."

Yurine spoke again before Yu picked her up.

"I'm not sleepy."

"But, my lady, you will get cold if you stay here," Ana said. Yu had lifted her up to hold her, but when Ana spoke, he put her back down.

"Right. Yurine, go inside with Ana and get some clothes."

They didn't wear very thick clothes because it was hot inside the tent. Yu didn't feel the need to wear anything extra since he was just going to get some air and come back, but if they started chatting with the girls they would soon shiver.

"I want to stay here!"

"Don't worry, I promise I won't hit on Sivina."

Yurine narrowed her eyes and glanced at Yu and Sivina, then sighed and walked with Ana back to the tent. Yu and Sivina were left alone. There was an awkward silence as Yu had nothing to talk about.

"I don't like these moments."

Yu was looking for topics to talk about, but most of the things he could think of they had already talked about during the day. While he was looking for something different to talk about, Sivina spoke.

"Mr. Valarfin, have you noticed?"

"What?"

"Luna is watching us."

Yu did not turn his head and look around. He kept his eyes on Sivina so as not to frighten whoever was watching them.

"Who's Luna?"

"The half-elf servant of Duke Vermilia."

"Uh, was her name Luna?"

It had been on his mind to learn it, but then he had forgotten about it and it hadn't occurred to him to learn it again because he hadn't encountered her much.

"Now I'm being watched. He's really exaggerating."

Luna was the blonde half-elf they first saw in the Andromeda Church.

"Where?"

"She went into the woods behind your tent. She must have seen me spot her."

Coming out of the tent, Yurine and Ana were coming towards them. Yurine had also bought a coat for Yu.

"Go into the tent with Yurine and I will come," he told Sivina.

"You're going after her? I'll go with you."

"No need."

"Mr. Valarfin, I would like to go with you for your safety."

Sivina was about to go with Yu when Yurine and Ana came and stood in front of them. Yurine was wearing a coat, and after giving him the coat she had brought for Yu, she lifted her arms to climb back into his lap.

"Ana, wait with Yurine. Sivina and I will look for someone and come back," Yu said, who was immediately convinced by Sivina's offer.

He was easily convinced because the security issue was serious and when Sivina mentioned it, he had no arguments to counter it.

"Yu, why are you going with her? I should go with you." Yurine didn't even ask where he was going.

"I'll tell you when I come, I promise."

"I might be a little jealous too."

Yurine was very serious while Ana was sarcastic. Yu had thought she would be more shy after what had happened, but now she was flirting with Sivina even when she was with Yu.

Of course, Sivina was shy around Ana, which he hadn't expected from her, and didn't seem pleased with her flirtatious attempts.

"Have I misunderstood something?" he thought, but the sight he saw that they explained everything to him.

"No hitting, Yu," Yurine said.

"Didn't I already promise?" He patted Yurine's head and started walking, not wanting to miss Luna. "Stay together."

Yu and Sivina proceeded to the wooded area where Leoral's maid had disappeared. It wasn't big enough to be called a forest, but the trunk and branches of the trees covered a large area, making what would normally be a garden look like a forest.

If they crossed the area of these trees, they would enter the area where Vermilia's entourage had their tents.

"Thank you for letting me come."

Sivina's right hand was on the sword hanging from his waist.

"Maybe they have set a trap for me and will kill me when I enter the forest. Then it would be good to bring Sivina. Maybe Sivina is part of the trap? No, I trust her."

Every move Sivina made reassured Yu. The way she dressed, her face, the way she spoke, the tone of her voice and everything else was reassuring.

"You don't always have to be formal with me. I would prefer you to call me by my name, at least when we are friends."

"You are my superior."

"Please don't be like that, as much as I like your respect for me, you were very warm when we came to the Virgo Cathedral. Something like that would be nice. As long as we're not in an official place, there's no need to be formal."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sivina blushing. She bit her lip and clenched the hilt of her sword.

With a sigh, Yu kept walking, and when they reached the Vermilia tents, they saw Luna. She was talking to one of Leoral's guards.

Yu and Sivina hid behind the trees and watched them. They could not hear what they were saying because of their distance.

"Keep your distance, if something happens, come out."

"What are you going to do?"

Yu did not answer her. When the guard left Luna's side and Luna started to walk to another tent, he whistled. Her whistle sounded like the song of a bird.

Since he was good at whistling, his voice reached Luna clearly and caught her attention. When Luna turned her head towards the approaching Yu, she was startled at first and took a few steps back, clasping her hands to her chest.

When Luna froze in her tracks, Yu approached her with a smile, not intending to frighten her. When they were close enough to hear each other clearly, he spoke.

"Hello, Luna."

"H-hello?"

Luna hesitated to speak, trembling as she averted her blue eyes from Yu.

"Honestly, I'm glad you feel the same way I do. Do you want to take a walk?"

He got straight to the point and, without waiting for Luna's answer, he approached her face. Luna stopped being scared and blushed when Yu's face was right in front of her. Taking advantage of her letting her guard down, Yu grabbed her hands and pulled her to himself.

Luna gasped as she felt Yu's warm breath and looked into his amethyst eyes. She couldn't answer, she could only try to understand Yu.

"Today was a beautiful day and now it's a beautiful night." He looked up at the stars. "But it makes me jealous that so many stars climb up into the sky to look at you, I wouldn't want anyone else to look at you but me."

Grabbing Luna by both hands, Yu dragged her into the trees. Meanwhile, the half-elf's face was still red. She couldn't understand what was happening.

"W-what are you talking about? I don't understand."

"You've been watching me, haven't you? Don't worry Luna, it's only natural that you can't take your eyes off me. After all, it's not every day you meet a handsome guy like me." Yu chuckled. "And I'd feel bad if you weren't watching me too, since I can't take my eyes off you either."

"Mister..."

"Shh... Wouldn't it be unfair if only one side loved, Luna?"

He leaned Luna against a tree. He put his right hand on the tree and put the half-elf between him and the tree. He held her waist with his left hand to prevent her from escaping.

"You are..."

"Luna..."

Yu's voice was as sexy as an airplane pilot's. Yu hadn't expected it to have that tone, but when the redness in Luna's cheeks reached his pointed ears, he knew he was on the right track.

He stroked Luna's waist with his left hand and brought her face close to his again. With her cute little nose, pink lips, blue eyes and blonde hair, she had the ideal elf face in Yu's mind.

Luna was about fifteen or twenty centimeters shorter than Yu. As they felt each other's breath, Yu leaned close to Luna's left ear and whispered.

"I love you."