Snow Coloured Love

He looks furious.

Ayah had never seen this angry before. Perhaps the fool has grown even more in love with Lyn. How stupid, why would his feelings for Lyn have grown stronger? Didn't he spend years apart from her? Ayah actually went looking for him before the plan was formulated. She wanted to hear his opinion; Ayah thought she could convince him to join their side. Surely he has a grudge against her for falling in love with Kazuya and losing her memories of their time together? That's what she thought if she knew he would be so stubborn. Ayah would not have bothered with him at all.

It made little sense to her; why did she bother with him in the first place? A man like this, she shouldn't have wasted her time on him in the first place.

Why did she stray her eyes away from the person who was most important to her?

...

40XX Snow Kingdom

Things like the scenery have never interested her before. But for some reason, tonight's night scenery seemed exceptionally beautiful at the sight before her.

"It's so pretty."

"This place is just beyond the slope. It's decent, is it not?"

Ayah nodded, the man standing beside her is the First Knight Luke.

"So this kind of place was here," Ayah murmured. Although she has always gone around the town for surveillance duty. Ayah has never seen this place before. It's in a visible area, but she's pretty sure that people won't come here since they have to climb the slope first. It would indeed be seen as troublesome to others.

"That area over there is always very festive." Luke pointed to the south. "I've wondered how wide the world is from my dreams. It got me excited just thinking about it. And when I was younger, I ended up running away from home often and coming here."

"You walked all the way? How was it?" Ayah said, surprised. The walk here is not simple at all.

"It was the same," Luke said with a burst of light laughter. Oh his smile, for some reason it seems to be more refreshing than before. The previous him, he was embarrassingly awkward. Uncertain. He always seemed to be fumbling his way through everything, But... she really loved him back then as empty as she was. "The houses that I have always seen, the outdoor lamps, the nameplates. The roads, the plain road stalls, everything is the same. That's just reality."

Reality huh? "The things I don't know from far away are things I don't see because they're not the things I want to see. There are a lot of things we can't solve, no matter how much we wrack our heads. And you can't help but think that there's no helping it. Ah, sorry I've been saying all of these things acting like I know everything."

"I don't mind. Your words sound very wise to me," Ayah commented.

More than saying it badly, Ayah thinks his way of saying things isn't wrong. Rather than Luke saying it badly, it's better to say it more realistically.

"But sometimes when I hear the words 'sorry,' 'Thank you,' 'that saved me', I feel at a loss."

. . . Why is it, that Luke is always able to say these things so easily. He's always able to say his own feelings so naturally without a single ounce of hesitation.

...

Even though Ayah failed to realize the changes at first, Luke noticed the changes in her life. Casually they are sitting next to each other like this. Even though she told me to stop, she is still gradually falling in love with him more and more. As Ayah thought she does still like him. It doesn't matter if that woman wants him.

Her heart is prepared to continue loving him, even if he does not return her feelings. Since last night she has been purged with so many thoughts. But after thinking it through, Ayah decided.

"It appears to be a snowstorm. It's really coming down. Let's go under the bridge that we passed by."

Ayah's thoughts broke off when she found her hand clasped against Luke's. Her gaze turned soft, even though she understands that he has no affections for her whatsoever.

"Run! What's with this sudden downpour?"

Ah, it's getting stronger and stronger. Getting even stronger and stronger. More and more. The more they ran, the more the storm seemed to increase.

"I apologize, but we must speed up," Luke said, and Ayah immediately understood.

In the end, she found herself under the bridge way leaning against the wall alongside Luke. A boy's hand is not as soft as a girls hand. Obviously, that's the case, this isn't the first time and yet her hearts pounding incredibly just from this much contact.

"Snowstorms, huh? I've always disliked them," Luke wiped away the droplets of snow from his cloak.

"Well, to an extent, so do I," Ayah trailed off. There is no need for him to know about it.

"The old man met with Yue mom on a rainy day. I remember it quite clearly. I got a message from the old man that day, it was not actually my dad but from Yue. I was called out to a place, which I had no idea about. Yue and her mom, my dad was there. It was a coincidence for Yue too. She ended up running into them. She dropped the amulet she had broken it. She was in trouble."

The woman Knight Luke is talking about is his former lover, the woman who was to be his fiance. Lady Yue, people used to refer to her as the divine enchantress.

"On the day I intended to propose properly, and finally decided to say it... well, let's just say it was safe that I didn't. Or we wouldn't have been able to become family it was close."

Lady Yue became his sister.

Her bodyguard had looked up the rest of the details for her, and she was certainly surprised. She didn't want to make it seem like she was investigating in secret, so she asked them both about it. Ayah had yet to speak to that woman about the matter since she's been avoiding her.

"Do you still like her?" Ayah asked. Even though she asked, it might be something that cannot be questioned, was what she thought when she asked.

"I do not know."

'I do not know,' even though it's not true. That's the only thing he can say. Ayah immediately regretted it.

"I don't want the fact that we've become siblings to be ruined. I don't have a brother anymore after all," Luke mumbled. That's right; his eldest brother passed away during the last fight.

When Ayah saw his shoulders hunch over, Ayah bent over and handed her handkerchief over. "Please take this."

"Foolish woman, I am not upset."

Upset? No, "You're in despair, you seem to be confused and lost. I'm surprised."

"Don't tell me that's the sort of impression you've had of me this entire time?" Luke seemed half-amused, half curious.

Ayah said nothing in reply and glanced up at the skies. "I always thought that you and Lady Yue are people I can't reach."

"After spending time with me, did you realize you were wrong?"

"I apologize," Ayah trailed off when she saw his puzzled expression. Before adding, "For making you speak of things you didn't want to. The thoughts you kept in your heart are happening beyond your control. Things that you would rather keep a secret," Ayah glanced down.

That's right, she of all people should understand it, those sorts of feelings. Not wanting to say the hidden secrets buried inside her heart.

Her thoughts broke off when Ayah felt Luke's hands inter winded in her hair. Oh, "They are things I have said on my own. You don't have to worry about anything. You don't need to apologize." Your wrong, she didn't stay here and listen to you for that.

A light smile plastered on to his face. Knight Luke rarely smiled; he had quite the poker face and ice like expression as did many men in this Kingdom. So, when he smiled, it would look like a wry smile. For Ayah that was more than enough, "I haven't told anybody of this up until now. This is actually my first time speaking of this. It feels like a heavyweight has been lifted from my shoulders," he extended out one of his fingers, "Because this is my secret. Don't tell anybody about it. Promise?"

She doesn't say anything and yet lifted a single one of her fingers too.