Chapter 90: Heartstrings Entangled

Ray stepped onto the terrace, his heart pounding. Nino's eyes, filled with fresh tears, met his as she whispered, "Ray…"

Taking a deep breath, Ray closed the distance between them. "Nino, I heard everything," he said softly. Nino lowered her head, clutching to her dress. "I am sorry...," her voice, as tears fell down on the floor.

Just then, she felt a hand on her shoulder, as she looked up. There, stood Ray in front of her, smiling. "You don't have to be scared anymore. We can face whatever comes together." Ray's voice calm, bringing a warm light to Nino.

Nino's tears welled up again, but this time, they were tears of relief. "Ray, I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. Back then... I-I.. I just thought, if..."

At the same time, back at Kai, who was wheeling away from the grand hall-

"Man... the slap sure did hurt," he thought to himself, rubbing his left cheek. Just then, Eva's voice came to him, asking if he needed an ice pack to which Kai agreed. In an instant, the ice pack materialized in his hand, which he applied on his left cheek. Looking out the window, he recalled back to when he read Nino's diary.

Flashback:

In his room, in the mansion, Eva displayed few pages of Nino's diary that was recorded when Kai got it from Mono. Scanning each of the pages, Kai was able to make the scenario of what happened between the two, as he thought to himself.

"So, this is the situation huh. Well, she was also a kid back then, so it can't be helped..." Laying on his bed, Kai sighed as he looked at one particular line on the screen.

"Now, Ray will be back with me."

Back to the Present:

Kai smiled to himself, looking at the twin moons, as he wondered. "So, all of this was because Ray wasn't able to play with Nino when he started the academy huh. And she thought that he will start to care for her again if she hurt him once, by calling him a 'Fake Prince'."

Kai sighs, wheeling ahead in the corridor. "Well, whatever. Everything is fine now, so I will go and sleep."

Back to Ray and Nino standing on the terrace, looking at each other.

Ray shook his head, his eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and determination. "I understand, Nino. It hurt me too. But... I always felt like it wasn't true. I kept telling myself... that there was a misunderstanding between us, and we'd find our way back to each other."

As Ray spoke, tears welled up in his eyes, but he smiled through them. "And maybe, I could finally confess my feelings to you…"

Nino's heart raced as she stepped closer to Ray, her voice trembling. "I-I love you, Ray. I've loved you since the day we met... b-but I only realized it when I lost you."

Ray's breath caught, and he reached out, gently cupping her face in his hands. "Me too, Nino. I love you too. You've always been the most important person in my life."

Tears streamed down Nino's cheeks, as she felt the weight of her fears lifting. Holding onto Ray's hand on her face, she leaned forward to Ray's touch, their foreheads touching gently. "I'm sorry... I'll never push you away again. I promise..."

Ray smiled, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "And I promise to always be by your side, no matter what."

They stood there, the moonlight casting a soft glow around them, as if the world had come to a standstill just for them. The two stood back, looking at each other, smiling, as Ray slowly leaned in, pressing his lips gently to Nino's, as she too held onto Ray, kissing him back. Their love and relief pouring into the tender moment.

The the entrance door, inside, the group watched the two, careful not to be seen. They wore expressions of pride and happiness. Maximus, however, looked conflicted, his eyes filled with mixed emotions as he tried to rush in to stop them.

"No, Max. Let them be," Hiro whispered, holding him back.

"But he's stealing my daughter!" Maximus whispered fiercely, though a hint of a smile played on his lips. "Yet, I've never seen her this happy."

Mono smiled, as Sakura and Celestina quietly clapped their hands together in happiness. They watched Ray and Nino, beaming, before slowly closing the door behind them, to give the new couple some space. But, Hiro still had dragged Maximus away, asking him to give them some space as Maximus kept glancing back at the terrace, wishing to rush in, but his love for his daughter and desire for her happiness evident in his eyes.

As the music and chatter from the banquet hall floated onto the terrace, Ray and Nino remained in their private bubble of happiness. They laughed, reminiscing about old times, and savoring the newfound closeness between them.

Ray's eyes twinkled with mischief as he leaned in. "By the way, Nino, you owe Kai an apology in the morning."

Nino's smile faltered, confusion written across her face. "Why? What do you mean?"

Ray chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "It turns out, the whole thing he said to you was a setup. He orchestrated everything to get us to finally talk. So, technically, you slapped the guy who played matchmaker."

Nino's eyes widened in panic. "What? ...But, I slapped him because I thought he was being... ugh!" She covered her face with her hands, mortified.

Ray gently pulled her hands away, his smile reassuring. "Hey, it's alright. He doesn't mind it. Kai's tougher than he looks, and he did it because he cares about us."

Nino took a deep breath, relief washing over her. "Okay, I'll apologize. But seriously, Kai is so sneaky."

Ray laughed, pulling her into a warm embrace. "That he is. But he's also a good friend."

Meanwhile, in a guest room down the hall, Kai sat on the bed, applying the ice pack on his cheek where Nino's hand had made its mark. Just as he was applying the ice pact, a knock on the door made him look up. The ice pack in his hand vanished in thin air, as he quickly put back on his wig and pulled out a small bell that he kept in his pocket and rang it.

The door creaked open, and Mono slipped in with a bowl of warm water and a towel. She smiled gently. "Thought you might need this for your face."

Kai looked at her in surprise, as a smile slowly formed in his face. "Why the special treatment?" He asked through the projection, floating next to him.

Mono walked in, as she placed the bowl on the bedside table and dipped the towel into the warm water. "Because you took one hit for the team," she said, dabbing the towel on Kai's cheek. "And because Nino's slap was pretty hard. The sound did echo through the banquet hall." Mono laughed, as she slowly pressed the towel on Kai's face.

Kai chuckled, wincing slightly. "Yeah, she didn't hold back."

Mono smiled, continuing her gentle ministrations. "Well, at least it worked. You should have seem them now. They are so happy together. You did a great thing."

Kai sighed, looking out the window at the moonlit night. "Yeah, I suppose I did. Even if it means taking a few hits."

Mono's smile widened. "You're a good friend, Kai."

Kai leaned back, feeling a sense of satisfaction despite the sting on his cheek. "Thanks, Mono. And thank you for this," he said, gesturing to the bowl.

"Anytime," she replied, her smile warm and comforting.

And so on, the banquet continued. Ray and Nino, holding hands, laughing and smiling greeted the guest together. A surprise for all the nobles; "The cold couple are being affectionate to one another?" Whispers spread among them, and was soon heard throughout the empire as the banquet ended.

The moon had long set, and the sun was beginning to paint the sky with hues of dawn. The grand hall had gradually emptied as the banquet concluded, yet the memory of Ray and Nino entering hand-in-hand lingered like a sweet aftertaste.

Noble whispers floated around, eyes widening with surprise and curiosity. "Did you see how close they were?" one noblewoman gasped. "When did this happen?" another inquired. The air buzzed with speculation, the latest topic being none other than the crown prince and the crown princess being all affectionate to each other.

But as dawn broke over the city, another rumor started to add on to it. The commoners in the market swapped tales. "I heard it was the young duke's doing," a merchant whispered to a customer. "They say he's got a unique skill to make people fall in love." The customer's eyes widened, intrigued.

Meanwhile, within the palace, maids exchanged knowing smiles and hushed secrets. "He's like Cupid, isn't he?" one giggled, while another added, "Imagine if he used that on us!"

Whispers filled in the palace, everyone talking about Kai's unique skill, making their own idea about it. But in the guest room, unaware of what's happening outside, Kai was awake, staring at the ceiling. His eyes were sleepless, his wig fallen by the pillow, as he sighs, turning to see Ray seated nearby, a dreamy smile on his face.

Kai activated his comms, directing his voice to Ray. "You can't sleep, that's fine. But why do I have to be awake till morning with you?"

Ray, still lost in thought about Nino, chuckled softly. "Ever since we parted ways after the banquet, I feel like I lost something very precious to me. I just keep thinking about her."

Kai groaned, rubbing his temples. "And why am I dragged into this?"

Ray's smile grew warmer. "Well, it's not every day you fall back in love. Plus, you're my best friend. I needed someone to share the excitement with."

Kai sits up, as he looked at Ray raising an eyebrow. "But why in the middle of my sleep? You could have come in the morning."

To this, Ray leans in front of Kai, as he replies with a voice filled with excitement. "But I had to! I needed someone to talk to about my feelings, or I might have lost myself!!"

Kai sighed again, though a small smile played on his lips. "Fine, fine. Next time, bring coffee along."

Ray laughed, the sound light and filled with contentment. "Deal."

Just then, a soft knock echoed through the room. Before either could react, the door creaked open, revealing Nino standing shyly at the entrance.

"Morning, boys," she greeted softly. "May I come in?"

Ray's face lit up. "Nino! Of course."

Kai raised an eyebrow, curious. Eva's screen projected, as the words formed in it. "What brings you here so early?"

Nino walked in; a bit surprised as her eyes met Kai's. "I wanted to apologize and thank you, Kai. For everything."

Kai waved it off, though a smile tugged at his lips. "No need for that, Nino. I'm just glad it all worked out."

Nino shook her head, stepping closer. "No, really. If it wasn't for your plan, Ray and I might still be dancing around our feelings. You made it happen."

Ray watched Nino with a proud smile, next looking at Kai who just smiled lightly.

"Alright, alright. Apology accepted. And, you're welcome." Kai replied, stretching his arms.

Nino's expression softened; relief evident in her eyes. "And, I'm sorry for the slap," she added, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kai looked at her in surprise, slowly rubbing his cheek theatrically, as the words changed in the projection. "I've survived worse. But maybe next time, hit a bit less hard?"

They all laughed, the tension easing into warmth and camaraderie.

Just then, Ray's stomach growled loudly, Nino and Kai looking at him in surprise.

"Guess we should head down for breakfast, shall we?" Ray suggested, as he looked at the two, laughing awkwardly making both Kai and Nino laugh again.

-To be Continued