The carriage rattled over the stone path, leaving the Barielle estate behind. Up front, Otto sat with the driver, his back stiff and his mind likely racing with a thousand questions he was too polite to ask. Inside the cabin, the air was thick with the scent of jasmine perfume and the heavy, metallic silence of things left unsaid.
Subaru sat across from Emilia, his eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep. He looked at her, and his heart ached. Beneath his track jacket, which she clutched tightly around her chest, the black lace of the garter stockings peeked out against her pale thighs. The contrast was jarring—the delicate, scandalous black silk against the pure, silver-haired girl he had spent his life protecting.
"Emilia..." Subaru started, his voice barely a whisper. "Are you... are you really okay? Did she hurt you?"
Emilia looked out the window, watching the Barielle towers disappear into the distance. "I'm okay, Subaru. I'm just... sorry."
"Sorry? For what?"
"For ruining everything," she sighed, her voice small. "You and Otto worked so hard on the preparations for these talks. But Priscilla... she tried to force me into a contract I couldn't accept. She wanted things I couldn't give. In the end, I had to destroy the dress just to show her I wasn't her doll."
Subaru let out a long, shaky breath and leaned forward, resting his hand near hers but not touching it yet. "Emilia, listen to me. Otto and I told you from the start—don't agree to anything you aren't comfortable with. We don't care about the 'hard work' if it means you're being cornered. Your safety is worth more than any alliance."
Emilia turned her gaze back to him, her violet eyes swimming with a complicated grief. "I really tried, Subaru. I thought if I was kind enough, if I was patient, I could find the good person inside her. I was willing to agree to so much... I wanted us to be friends. I really did."
She paused, her knuckles whitening as she gripped his jacket. "But then she saw you. She saw Otto. And the way she spoke to you... the way she looked down on the people who mean everything to me... I couldn't do it. Her pride is so high, Subaru. She demands everything and gives nothing back."
Inside, Emilia's heart was hammering a different rhythm. She was thankful—deeply, painfully thankful—that Priscilla had kept her promise not to reveal why Emilia had come to her room in the first place. If Priscilla had spoken, Emilia would have had to admit to the "filthy desires" Priscilla mocked. She couldn't bring herself to hate Priscilla entirely, and that was the most terrifying part.
She looked at Subaru's face—his kind, fierce, loyal eyes. After that night in the mansion, she had finally begun to understand the "heat" people talked about. And when Priscilla had been gentle with her, when she had kissed her... it had felt so much like the fluttering she felt when Subaru held her hand.
I'm the worst kind of person, Emilia thought, her throat tightening. Subaru has given me everything, he relies on me, he stayed for me... and I let another woman brand me like this.
"Subaru," she said suddenly, her voice urgent.
"Yeah?"
"I... I'm so glad you came for me. You're so important to me. Please don't ever think I'd choose someone like her over you."
Subaru blinked, surprised by the intensity in her voice. He reached out and finally took her hand, squeezing it. "I know, Emilia. I know."
The carriage slowed to a halt.
"We're here," Otto called out from the front, his voice sounding weary. "The inn. Let's get inside before anyone else sees... well, sees the 'negotiation' results."
The door to the inn room clicked shut, muffling the sounds of the street. Otto let out a weary sigh. "I'll head down and see if the innkeeper's wife has a spare dress or even a traveling cloak you can borrow, Emilia-sama. We can't have you walking around in... well, in that."
Subaru, trying his best to keep the mood light and act like his usual, boisterous self, gave a thumbs-up. "Take your time, Otto! Though, I gotta say, even in 'Barielle-style' lace and my jacket, Emilia-tan is still the most beautiful girl in the world! It's a bold look, but you pull it off with 100 points!"
Emilia gave a weak, shaky smile. "Thank you, Subaru. You're always so kind." As Otto left the room, her expression turned serious. "Otto-kun, wait... Subaru, could I talk to you? Just for a moment, while Otto is gone?"
Otto nodded and ducked out, leaving the two of them alone.
Emilia sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the edges of Subaru's jacket. "Subaru... are you mad at me? Because I haven't accepted your confession yet?"
Subaru blinked, his playful mask slipping. "Mad? Emilia, never. I told you, I'm willing to wait as long as it takes. I'm the persistent type, remember?"
"I know," she whispered. "But these last two months... I've been trying so hard to move us forward, but I've been scared. Accepting your love feels like such a big commitment. I'm afraid that if I say yes, and things change, I'll lose the person I rely on most."
She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering. "I'm afraid you'll break your promises. I know you love Rem, too. The idea of competing for your attention... of sharing that place in your heart... it makes me feel so small and confused. How would you feel, Subaru, if I told you I loved someone else just like you love her?"
Subaru opened his mouth to speak, but Emilia shook her head.
This continues the emotional momentum of the scene perfectly. It captures Emilia's growth into a more decisive, mature leader while addressing the complex feelings within the trio.
Here is the corrected and polished version:
"I know you, Subaru. I've known you for two years now. You'd laugh it off. You'd make a joke and pretend it didn't hurt, acting tough while you cried inside. You're too good to me, and it makes me feel like a horrible person."
Emilia took a deep breath. Her hands moved to the zipper of his jacket. Slowly, she pulled it down, revealing the black lace garters and the scandalous silk Priscilla had forced upon her. She didn't look away this time; she forced herself to meet his eyes.
"Everyone tells me different things about love," she said, her voice growing steadier. "And I think I agree with all of them. I care about everyone. I know there are different types of love... but what I know for sure is that the person I want next to me—the one I want near me when I'm scared or happy—is you."
Subaru's breath hitched. "Emilia..."
"I accept your love, Subaru. But... I don't want just words anymore. I want to be with you, physically. I want to make love with you." She stepped closer, her bare feet silent on the floorboards. "I won't make you swear an eternal oath. If we love each other tomorrow, we will figure it out. And if one day the feelings change, or if you change your mind... I want you to respect that, just as I will respect it for you. Can we just... be together? Right now?"
Subaru looked at her—really looked at her—seeing the vulnerability and the newfound maturity in her gaze. The shadow of Priscilla's mansion was still there, but in this moment, she was choosing him.
"Emilia," Subaru said, his voice thick with emotion as he took her hands. "I don't need a contract to tell you that you're the only one I want to be with. If this is what you want... if you're sure... then I'm yours. Always."
The atmosphere in the small inn room shifted from heavy guilt to a raw, trembling honesty. Emilia took Subaru's hand, her fingers small but firm as she guided it beneath the open zipper of the jacket, pressing his palm against the soft curve of her breast.
Subaru's heart nearly stopped. The warmth of her skin and the frantic beat of her heart beneath his hand were overwhelming. He leaned in, his eyes fluttering shut as their lips met in a kiss that tasted of salt and desperation. For a second, the memory of Priscilla's cold, dominant touch was drowned out by Subaru's heat.
But then, Emilia gently pulled back.
"Wait, Subaru," she whispered, her breath hitching. "We have to wait for Otto-kun. I need to tell him how I feel, too."
Subaru's face fell. A flash of hurt and confusion crossed his eyes—the look of a man who feared he was being sidelined again.
Emilia saw it and immediately puffed out her cheeks in a small, determined pout. "Don't make that face! I already told you that I love you. I'm not changing my mind." She reached up and poked his nose gently. "But Otto-kun has been through so much for me, too. I can't do this—I can't give myself to you—while things are still unsettled in my heart. You can stay and listen, okay? I want you to hear it."
A few minutes later, a hesitant knock sounded at the door. "Emilia-sama? I've... I've found a traveling outfit. It's a bit plain, but it's clean."
"Come in, Otto-kun," Emilia called out.
The door creaked open. Otto stepped in, clutching a bundle of fabric. He kept his eyes glued to the floorboards, trying desperately not to look at Emilia in her state of undress. "Here, I'll just leave these on the chair and—"
He was cut off as Emilia stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight, sincere hug. Otto froze, his arms hovering awkwardly in the air. He looked over Emilia's shoulder to see Subaru standing there, looking both protective and deeply confused.
"E-Emilia-sama?! What is—"
As she pressed against him in the sincere, desperate embrace, Otto's entire body went rigid. He was acutely, painfully aware of the lack of fabric between them. The thin, scratchy texture of Priscilla's black lace garters and the cool silk of the lingerie pressed directly against his traveling trousers. It was an intimacy he had never asked for and felt he had no right to witness. His face turned a shade of crimson that rivaled Priscilla's dress, and he held his breath, terrified that even a slight movement would be a disrespect to the girl he considered his liege.
"E-Emilia-sama... please, you really don't have to..." Otto stammered, his eyes darting toward a fuming Subaru for help.
"Listen to me, Otto-kun," Emilia said, her voice steadying as she held him. "First, I know about you and Frederica. I would never come between you. But I need to say this."
She took a breath, her violet eyes shining with a clarity that had been missing all morning. "For the last two years, you and Subaru have carried me. I admire you both so much. There are moments when I am with you, Otto, where I feel a warmth so familiar... it's the same love I feel for the family I lost in the forest. And it's the same love I feel for Subaru."
Subaru's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat at the comparison.
"I realized today that I love you both," Emilia continued, her grip on Otto's arms tightening slightly. "But I have decided. I am accepting Subaru's feelings. I'm going to be with him. So, I promise you, Otto-kun, I am not going to act on those feelings toward you. I won't let things become confusing."
She looked down for a moment, a shadow of her deep-seated fear of abandonment crossing her face. "But... I want you to know that you are my family. If Subaru ever decided he didn't want to be with me anymore... even then, I promise I wouldn't try to force a different relationship on you. I value our bond too much to ruin it."
"THAT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!" Subaru suddenly roared, his voice cracking the heavy atmosphere like a lightning bolt. He lunged forward, his face a mask of determined, protective jealousy. "I'm never letting you go, and I'm sure as hell never giving you a reason to look for someone else! So stop hugging my bro and get over here!"
Subaru reached out, firmly but gently prying Emilia away from a very relieved Otto. He pulled her back into his own space, his arm looping protectively around her waist as if marking his territory.
Emilia let out a small, airy giggle—the first real sound of joy she'd made since entering the Barielle lands. She looked at Otto, who was wiping sweat from his forehead. "Thank you for everything, big brother," she said softly.
Then, her expression shifted into something more private, more mature. She looked at the bundle of clothes Otto had brought, then back to the door. "Otto-kun... could you please go into town for the rest of the day? I want to be alone with Subaru now. We have a lot to figure out."
Otto didn't need to be told twice. He dropped the clothes on the chair, gave Subaru a look that said, 'You better handle this with respect,' and scrambled out the door.
The click of the lock signaled the end of the outside world. Emilia turned in Subaru's arms, the track jacket sliding further down her shoulders, revealing the lace that Priscilla had meant as a cage—but which Emilia was about to turn into a gift.
"Now," Emilia whispered, her eyes locked on Subaru's. "No more talk of other people. Just us."
The moment Otto's footsteps faded, the atmosphere in the room ignited. Emilia stood before Subaru, the oversized track jacket hanging open, exposing the dark lace of the garters against her pale skin. Her eyes, usually soft and gentle, were wide and filled with a desperate, silver fire.
Subaru sat on the edge of the bed, his breath catching in his throat. He looked at her, overwhelmed by the intensity in her gaze and the scandalous way she was dressed. "Emilia... wait, we should talk about—"
Emilia didn't let him finish. She stepped forward, her bare feet silent on the floor, and placed her hands on his shoulders. She gave him a firm, authoritative push that sent him falling back onto the pillows.
"I'm done talking, Subaru," she whispered, her voice trembling but certain. She crawled onto the bed, looming over him. She looked down at him with a look he had never seen before—one of total, unyielding claim.
"I've made my choice. I told you I want to do this," she said, her chest heaving. "And I meant what I said. I want you. But if you try to stop me now... if you reject me..." She paused, a flash of that desperate fear of loneliness crossing her face. "Then I'll just go and do it with Otto instead. I won't be alone tonight."
Subaru's heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird. The thought of her going to Otto—the raw jealousy and the realization of how much Priscilla had pushed her to the brink—snapped his hesitation. He reached up, grabbing her waist, his fingers digging into the silk of the garters.
"You aren't going to Otto," Subaru growled, his voice thick with possessive heat. "You're staying right here. With me."
"Then show me," Emilia challenged.
She reached down, her fingers trembling as she grabbed the hem of his shirt. With a sharp, decisive tug, she pulled it up and over his head, tossing it onto the floor. She wanted to see him—all of him. She wanted his skin against hers to burn away the phantom sensation of the Barielle mansion.
Emilia leaned down and captured his lips in a deep, hungry kiss. It was a collision of teeth and tongues, a raw exchange of the love and fear they had both been carrying. As she pressed her body against his chest, the scratchy black lace and the heat of her skin became a brand of her own making.
In that small inn room, the "Sun" was forgotten. There was only the silver light of the moon and the two of them, finally crossing the line they had stood before for two long years.
"There is no going back, Subaru," she whispered, her voice a fragile thread of silver. "I want you. And if you try to stop me... if you reject me now... I'll just go to Otto. I won't be alone tonight."
Subaru's breath hitched. The raw honesty in her voice—the mix of love and shattered pride—made his heart ache. He reached up, his large, calloused hands cupping her face before sliding down to her neck, his thumbs tracing her jawline with a reverent touch. "You're not going anywhere," he growled softly. "I'm right here."
He pulled her down into a deep, soul-searing kiss. His hands migrated lower, his fingers tangling in the delicate black lace of her garters before spreading wide across her back, pulling her flush against his bare chest. Emilia let out a small, jagged moan, her own hands roaming over the muscles of his shoulders and arms, memorizing the strength she had relied on for so long.
She broke the kiss, breathless, and took his right hand. She guided it beneath the open jacket, pressing his palm firmly against the soft, aching curve of her breast. Subaru's touch was different from Priscilla's; it was shaky, filled with a frantic sort of devotion. She then slid his hand lower, guiding his fingers past the silk edge of the panties to the heat between her thighs.
"Subaru... please," she whimpered, her eyes fluttering shut.
Subaru's movements were clumsy but filled with a desperate passion. He managed to discard the rest of his clothes, his breath hot against her neck as he showered her skin with kisses. Emilia lay back on the pillows, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. She opened her legs, inviting him in, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
He moved over her, his weight a heavy, comforting presence. As he guided himself to her entrance and pushed forward, Emilia's eyes snapped open.
A sharp, searing bolt of pain shot through her. It wasn't the fluid, overwhelming heat she had felt with Priscilla; this was a blunt, invasive ache. She felt a warm trickle—the sting of blood as he breached her—and her breath caught in a silent scream.
Subaru began to move, his rhythm irregular and rough, consumed by the intensity of the moment and his own long-denied desire. Emilia clutched at the bedsheets, her knuckles white. She tried to find the pleasure, tried to sink into the feeling of being "his," but the pain was a constant, throbbing wall. Every thrust felt too deep, too heavy. It wasn't the "grace" Priscilla had promised; it felt like a collision.
She tried to endure it, whispering his name, but the discomfort grew until it was all she could feel. The friction was raw, and the emotional weight of the night began to crash down on her.
"Subaru... wait," she gasped, her hands moving to his chest to push him back. "Subaru, stop. Please."
He was lost in the act, his eyes clouded with passion, his movements growing more frantic. He didn't seem to hear her.
"Subaru! Stop!" With a surge of desperate strength, Emilia shoved against his shoulders, forcing him back and away from her.
Subaru blinked, his vision clearing as he sat back, breathing hard. He looked down at her, seeing her flushed face, the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, and the small stains of blood on the sheets. Reality crashed back into the room.
"Emilia? What's wrong? Did I... did I do something?" His voice was filled with instant, crushing guilt.
Emilia pulled the discarded jacket over her lap, shivering despite the heat in the room. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Subaru. It just... it doesn't feel good. It hurts too much. It's too painful."
Subaru's face went pale, his shoulders sagging. "I'm so sorry, Emilia. I... I was too rough. It was my first time, too, and I think I... I went too deep. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry."
He looked like he wanted to disappear into the floorboards. Emilia reached out a hand, touching his arm gently, though she was still trembling.
"It's okay," she whispered, her voice tired and hollow. "I just... I think I need a towel, Subaru. Please."
Subaru nodded frantically, scrambling off the bed to find a cloth, his heart heavy with the realization that the night hadn't brought the healing they both so desperately needed. The shadow of the Barielle mansion still loomed over them, darker than ever.
This scene brings a needed touch of humor and reality to the story, highlighting the vast difference between Emilia's innocent straightforwardness and the utter mortification of the two men. It serves as a bridge between the heavy trauma of the mansion and the lighthearted, if awkward, dynamic of the Emilia Camp.
Here is the polished and corrected version:
The dim light of the inn room felt heavier now, the air thick with the scent of sweat, copper, and the lingering tension of a moment that hadn't gone as planned. Subaru returned with a damp towel, his movements subdued and careful. He helped Emilia clean herself, his eyes averted in a mix of shame and concern.
"I'm so sorry, Emilia," he whispered again, his voice cracking. "I didn't want our first time to be... like that."
Emilia pulled the jacket back around her shoulders, shivering. "It's okay, Subaru. I just didn't expect it to be so... short. After all these months of waiting and wondering." She looked at him, her violet eyes soft but searching. "Can we just... can we just kiss and hug for a while? Without you putting your..." she paused, searching for the right word for his anatomy, "...your 'thing' back in me?"
"Of course," Subaru said quickly, sounding relieved.
They lay together for hours, tangled in the sheets. Subaru held her with a reverent gentleness, his heartbeat steady against her back. He whispered promises of being better, of being more careful, and for a moment, the warmth of his presence was enough.
But deep in her thoughts, Emilia was struggling. A cold, disappointing realization was settling in her chest. Is this really it? she wondered. She remembered the night before—how Priscilla had spent hours pleasuring her, how every touch had felt like liquid fire and every moment had been focused entirely on Emilia's bliss. Priscilla had mocked her, saying that life with men was "unsightly" and "dull."
Was she right? Emilia thought, her mind drifting to Otto and Frederica. Frederica always seemed so happy, so glowing when she spoke of her intimacy with Otto. Maybe it gets better over time? Or maybe... maybe Subaru is just not the right fit for me physically?
She shook the thought away, feeling a pang of guilt. She loved Subaru. She reached the conclusion that she simply needed to get used to it. The pain would stop eventually, she told herself.
Driven by a need to prove Priscilla wrong and to reclaim the connection she wanted with Subaru, she turned in his arms after several hours of resting. "Subaru... let's try again. Slowly."
The second time was better. The initial sharp pain had faded into a dull ache, and she could finally feel the rhythm of his affection. However, as the act reached its peak, she felt a sudden, warm sensation inside her.
Subaru groaned, collapsing against her shoulder, breathing heavily. Emilia blinked, feeling the strange, warm fluid within her. "Subaru? What was... that?"
Subaru lifted his head, his face flushed. "That... that's my semen, Emilia. It's... you know, the end of the act."
Emilia's eyes went wide as a memory flashed in her mind—a private lesson Frederica had given her months ago about the "birds and the bees."
"Wait," Emilia gasped, her face turning a deep, incandescent red. "Frederica told me about this! That's... that's how you make a baby, isn't it?"
Subaru rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "Well, yeah. If a man finishes inside a woman, there's a chance she can get pregnant."
Emilia practically bolted out of the bed, the jacket flapping around her as she scrambled for the washbasin. "Subaru! You should have pulled out!" she cried, her voice rising in a mix of panic and embarrassment. "I can't get pregnant right now! I'm in the middle of the Royal Selection! If I have a baby now, everything will be so much harder!"
She frantically began to clean herself again, her heart hammering. Between the fear of the "brand" Priscilla had left on her and the sudden terror of a pregnancy, Emilia felt like her world was spinning out of control.
"Next time," she said, pointing a finger at a stunned Subaru while her face burned, "you have to be much, much more careful!"
The tension in the cramped inn room was thick enough to choke on. After the shock of the "fluid" and the sudden realization of the risk she had taken, Emilia's mood had shifted from vulnerable to a strange, frantic sort of determination. She didn't let Subaru touch her again after that, her mind racing with Frederica's warnings about the Royal Selection and the responsibilities she carried.
When a sharp knock finally sounded at the door, both of them jumped.
"Emilia-sama? Subaru?" Otto's voice came through the wood, sounding tired and awkward. "I'm back from the market. I... uh... I figured you two might want the room. I can go find another place for the night, but I really need to grab my bag first."
"Wait! Otto, don't come in yet!" Subaru scrambled for his pants, his face heating up. "Give us like... five minutes! Ten! Actually, maybe just go away for an hour!"
But Emilia was already moving. Driven by a mix of adrenaline and her natural, blunt honesty, she ignored Subaru's frantic protests. She stood up from the bed, not even bothering to zip the jacket or hide the messy reality of what had just happened.
"It's fine, Otto-kun! Come in!" Emilia called out.
She pulled the door open before Subaru could stop her. Otto stood there, frozen, his hand still raised to knock again. His eyes went wide, his face turning a shade of white before rapidly darkening to a deep purple-red. He saw it all: the discarded black lace, the disheveled bed, and Emilia herself—her silver hair a mess, her legs stained with a mixture of her own blood and the white evidence of Subaru's climax.
"E-E-Emilia-sama! Your... your legs! There's... you're...!" Otto stammered, his voice hitting a pitch only spirits could hear. He tried to spin around and bolt down the hallway. "I'll go! I'm leaving! I'll sleep in the carriage! I'll sleep in a ditch!"
"Otto-kun, don't dramatize!" Emilia reached out, her hand snapping shut around his arm with her half-elf strength. She hauled the terrified merchant back into the room. "You don't need another room. We're finished, and you need your things."
Subaru, finally having managed to get his pants on, stood in the middle of the room looking like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. His "cool" bravado had completely disintegrated into pure, unadulterated shame.
"Emilia! Why would you just... why would you let him in like this?!" Subaru wailed, covering his face with his hands. "My dignity! My soul! It's all gone! Otto, don't look! Close your eyes! Delete your memories with merchant magic or something!"
Subaru was vibrating with embarrassment. This wasn't the cool, romantic victory he had imagined in his head for two years. He felt like a delinquent who had been caught by his own brother, and the sight of Emilia being so nonchalant about the "evidence" on her legs was making his brain short-circuit.
"I'm a failure as a knight..." Subaru muttered, sliding down the wall to sit in a heap of misery. "I've brought shame to the Camp. Otto saw the 'seed' of the Natsuki legacy before I even got to buy her a ring. I'm going to go bite my tongue and die now."
Otto, meanwhile, was vibrating just as hard as Subaru, his eyes squeezed shut as he fumbled for his bag. "I'm not looking! I'm a professional! I am a cold-blooded merchant with no visual receptors! Please, Emilia-sama, put on some trousers! Subaru, explain to her why this is a tragedy for my mental health!"
Emilia just tilted her head, looking between the two of them. "I don't understand why you're both being so loud. I just need to wash up, and then we can all go to sleep. We have to be up early to leave this place."
The following two months at the Milroad Mansion were a blur of domestic warmth and hidden tension. As the seasons shifted, the connection between Emilia and Subaru deepened into something far more intimate than anyone had expected. They were no longer just a knight and his lady; they were lovers who shared a bed almost every night.
The residents of the mansion couldn't ignore the change. From the way they lingered over breakfast to the way Subaru's hand would possessively find the small of Emilia's back—it was a new world. Subaru walked with a newfound confidence, and Emilia carried a glow that even Roswaal noted with a cryptic, knowing smirk.
However, the light of their happiness cast long, dark shadows.
One afternoon, Subaru was humming a tune as he walked down the hall, only to find Ram standing outside the room where Rem lay in her enchanted sleep. Her arms were crossed, her eyes colder than a winter storm in the Elior Forest.
"You look disgusting, Barusu," Ram spat, her voice like a whip. "Radiating that pathetic, satisfied energy while my sister remains in a silence you've clearly forgotten."
Subaru flinched, his smile dying instantly. "Ram, I haven't forgotten Rem. I could never—"
"Could you not?" Ram stepped closer, her pink hair shimmering in the torchlight. "You and Emilia-sama spent two years chasing ghosts, yet now you spend your nights chasing each other's heat. Do you think Rem would be happy to wake up and see that you've finally found your 'reward' while she was gone? You've moved on, Barusu. You've left her behind in that bed."
Subaru had no answer. The silence of the hallway felt suffocating, filled only by the rhythmic, haunting heartbeat of the girl who had once been his world. The guilt gnawed at him with every step he took away from that room. He knew that every time he held Emilia, a part of him was desperately trying to drown out the grief of Rem's absence. He felt like a traitor to the girl in the bed, having crossed a line into adulthood and intimacy before he had fulfilled his promise to save her.
Yet, outside that specific hallway, the mansion breathed with a different energy. Otto had settled into a supportive role, often sharing a quiet drink with Subaru and offering a knowing, brotherly nod. Frederica and Beatrice shared a quiet, maternal pride in seeing Emilia blossom, and even Garfiel seemed pleased that his "Captain" had finally won the heart of the lady he fought for.
Subaru felt truly great—more loved than he had ever been—but the shadow of his "failure" with Rem remained a heavy stone in his pocket.
What Subaru didn't know was that he wasn't the only one carrying a secret burden.
Locked away in a trunk beneath her winter cloaks, Emilia kept a dress of crimson and gold—a gift from the Sun Princess she couldn't bring herself to destroy. She and Priscilla had begun a secret correspondence, their letters traveling back and forth via discreet messengers. While Emilia was truly satisfied with Subaru—loving the tenderness, the safety, and the genuine devotion he provided—she couldn't lie to herself in the dark of night.
From time to time, as she felt the weight of Subaru's sleeping arm across her waist, her mind would wander back to the Barielle estate. She thought of the "complicated" nature of her bond with Priscilla—the overwhelming fire, the demand for submission, and the way Priscilla called her "Wife."
Subaru was her heart, but Priscilla had become a fever she couldn't quite break.
The duality of Emilia's life became a silent, throbbing weight. She was truly loyal to Subaru; he was her knight and her emotional anchor. But a darker truth lived in the heat of her blood. She knew that her will was like glass when the Sun Princess was near. She understood that if they were found alone in a deserted palace corridor, she could not promise she would resist. Her body would betray her heart.
Every time the candidates were summoned to the Royal Castle, the anxiety was a physical knot in her stomach. Whenever Subaru was distracted, Priscilla never hesitated. She was a predator who sensed the exact moment the knight was gone. She would corner Emilia in the shadows of the library or behind the heavy velvet curtains, claiming her with a ruthless, arrogant confidence that left Emilia breathless.
In those hidden corners of the capital, where the guards' footsteps faded and no eyes could peer through the stone, their "rivalry" dissolved into something far more carnal. Priscilla would pin her against the marble, and Emilia would fall into that familiar, scorching abyss.
The most painful part for Emilia was the truth she kept even from her own reflections: she wasn't mad at Priscilla. She had grown to crave the fire the Princess used to burn her.
As one such encounter drew to a close, Priscilla adjusted the crimson silk of her dress, her fan clicking shut with finality.
"Enjoy your little knight while you can, half-devil," Priscilla whispered with terrifying certainty. "The world is already designed for the Sun to prevail. Once I sit upon that throne, I shall have no need for secret corridors. I will claim you openly. You will be my consort, my pet, and my wife, kept within the palace walls where I can use you at my leisure. You will belong to the crown, and the crown belongs to me."
Emilia leaned against the cold wall, her body still humming. She looked at the Sun Princess, seeing the predatory fire in those golden eyes.
She knew that if Priscilla won, she would not protest. She would walk into those golden chains willingly. But as she smoothed her hair to return to Subaru's side, a different kind of fire flickered in her violet eyes.
She wouldn't protest if Priscilla won, but for the sake of the forest, for her knight, and for the woman she was becoming—Emilia didn't plan to lose.
The End.