The past life of Kyros was full of tribulations. Even when his family was a Duke, they were still being attacked not only by other Dukes and Earls, but even Barons and Viscounts had evil intentions towards them. Normally, such a situation should not be possible. Barons and Viscounts would never have risen to attack or do harm to a powerful Duke, but Fate was leading the nobles to harm them by coincidence, grudges, and even being used as scapegoats.
Yet even in that scenario, where the kingdom itself was against them, Branze Steele, together with Diana Steele, could lead and protect his family.
The only mistake was that Branze never expected a secret alliance with orcs which caused their kingdom to fall.
Kyros thought of several ways to hasten it. But he never thought that it would have been love that will send his family to that stage.
"So Fate activated this new Limiter because my family still has Aron and zal. Think about it! My father and mother reach that sa level of power now! But the difference is my grandfather, who has Fate Challenger, is alive! Not to ntion my uncle is also here. And most of our n are following us loyally." Kyros explained to Calaminus.
"I get it. So you plan to make the most out of it? To push them to love each other?"
"Right. Dad has been very awkward even when they got married. I think the problem was mom was far too cold and prideful to ever admit it. She loved dad but really communicate it. And my father had the sa problem. So I have to fix it."
"Gotcha."
"I need your help."
Oh? You need my help?"
"Use whatever you know to help create a poem or song or sothing. Use whatever your other incarnation knows!"
"Ah... Of course!"
Kyros continued to interrogate his father.
Back in Airom Vagat, Petra kept relaying Kyros's question.
"When did you first t her?"
"Why is this important?" Branze couldn't help but ask with an embarrassed expression.
"Cornerstone believes that you are very awkward in expressing your emotions. The fact that you know her favorite stone is a diamond proved long ago to him that you paid great attention to your wife. He plans to help you."
"Help ?! I don't think I need help from a young boy for matters that adults need!"
"Cornerstone says that Martha Bowheart has agreed to be Master Aron's wife and has even claid her right as an Aunt before Kyros. She is also quite excited to et Aron, whom Cornerstone has always portrayed as a gallant figure of justice. Cornerstone also adds that Martha ought to be more aggressive in trying to win Master Aron's heart."
"My story with Diana began when we were very young." Branze imdiately began his tale.
Aron and Petra rolled their eyes at how Branze changed tone.
"I'm not sure if she rembers or if she chooses to disregard the ti when we first t. I believe that it was the latter. Due to the circumstances of our first eting, I never revealed myself as a Steele. Father was not a Baron yet. And since our first eting, I was already in love with her." Branze finally admitted it.
Aron smiled and slapped his brother's back.
"I never thought you were the dramatic type. So Diana's actually your long-awaited sweetheart?"
Branze reluctantly nodded.
Petra then turned to Branze.
"What are the details of your first eting?"
"Several n were chasing . At that ti, father made serve as a Knight's Shadow."
"Oh! Right! That's why we had to go into hiding back then! You were a little boy at that ti. I was already a Knight-in-Training, and you still were a knight's errand boy, shadowing that knight on whatever he was tasked to do. Didn't that knight that you shadowed get assassinated, and you were the witness? That brought a lot of pain and trouble to our family!" Aron laughed.
"Yes. He was killed, and I was supposed to die with him as it would uncover a terrifying conspiracy. I ran and ran as those people chased . I hid in one of the largest manors in the kingdom. There was a party, and all the Baron nobles and their sons and daughters were in attendance. I attacked so random noble and his clothes. I blended around the crowd and pretended to be a noble as well. Of course, I couldn't fit in, so I pretended to be this cold and arrogant noble and went outside a balcony and spent my ti throwing pebbles and making them skip in the fountain below." Branze sighed.
On the other side of the connection... Kyros and Diana were still running on the last part that the Coven marked to take away the last sets of Salanite stone that was found. Of course, most of the Coven except Martha was asked to move on and fulfill other specific missions where they were to reveal themselves in nearby villages.
Calaminus was now in his old man form, floating right in front of Kyros.
But as they moved, he had a peculiar expression.
"So... they were both young when they first saw each other in the middle of a party... And he was at the balcony throwing pebbles? Was it sumrtis? Why does this sound like a Taylor Swift song?" Calaminus scratched his head.
"N-no it's not. I'm sure it's not..." Kyros denied.
Branze continued to tell his tale.
"She ca out to et . Perhaps curious at the odd noble throwing stones like so ruffian. She was still a Shieldlet then."
"A shieldlet?" Petra asked.
"Only the richest Barons and Viscounts could afford this. That refers to the honor given to young nobles to train as a Holy Knight at a very young age. Diana had already wanted to be a Paladin then, and the Shieldlet path was one that assured her rise to Holy Knight class. I tried to pretend to be a noble... But father never really had instilled to us how nobles should act yet. She imdiately caught on my act, and I asked her not to rat out."
"She ratted you out, right?"
"No. Back then, she used to smile a lot. She didn't and began to talk to , disregarding her call. Call delusional, but in those few monts, we quickly beca friends. I was at ease, and she finally had the chance to cast off her noble facade and talked to without worrying about dignity, honor, and those crappy things we had to put up when we beca nobles. I guess she had so much fun that she said she wanted to run off with and abandon the noble prestige to live freely. I joked that I would take her once I beca a noble. I was really pushing my luck, but she smiled and said dared to try."
Aron's forr cringing expressions had turned to interest as he realized sothing.
"Wait! I know! That was the ti you began sneaking out every day! Dad and I thought you were feeling guilty for implicating our family and was going out to resolve it!"
"I was. But those attempts would always end up with eting her near the outskirts of town." Branze sighed.
"Dad was so mad at you. He knew Fate was moving and was using that instance to harm our family! And you risked both your life and even our family!"
"Yes. I will admit it. I kept sneaking out to et her. What can I say? I was in love..." Branze sighed.
"But wait... That's a rather poetic eting. Why didn't she recognized you the next ti you t?" Aron asked.
"You know what happened next. Our family got implicated and blad as those trying to kill us pushed the bla of that knight's death to us. Dad was very paranoid and tried his best to hide how I beca a knight's shadow and you a knight-in-training. But even those concealed connections that father left were revealed, and they found who we were. We had to leave abruptly, and that boy that Diana waited for never appeared outside of town to et her. We were even forced to fake our deaths. It was lucky that we weren't known as the Steele family yet since we had no nobility then."
"Why didn't you tell her?"
"I could have sworn that she recognized when we t at that ti in that competition. But I didn't dare to do so. Our na was very much a stench to the kingdom, even as Barons. Fate had once more acted to make us look like evil swindlers. So when I saw her angry eyes, I couldn't help but retreat."
"Do you think she liked you?" Petra asked.
"I'd say... that she probably liked too." Branze couldn't help but blush.
"Cornerstone is worried that you were just delusional and just kept thinking that she liked you. Do you have proof that she liked you?" Petra asked imdiately.
Branze nearly coughed up blood.
"Oh. Sorry. Cornerstone said that I was a bit too brutal with my words. He ant to say if there were instances which proved that she felt that way towards you."
"She t every night! In fact, her father was the one who might have made our family known because he caught eting with her daughter! He realized I was a knight's shadow and told to stay away from his precious Shieldlet!" Branze explained with passion.
"Despite what her father said, we kept eting and even used that balcony where we first t as a new spot! And that was despite being unable to tell each other where to et. I headed there hoping to find her, and I did! We spent many nights eting there. And I vowed to be the prince that will save her from this chained life." Branze explained.
As Branze kept explaining, Kyros and Calaminus had a strange expression.
"Your father was knight's shadow. He was throwing pebbles. Mom's father said, 'stay away from my Shieldlet.' Was your mother crying on the staircase, begging your father not to go? Did she sang, Knight's Shadow take sowhere we can be alone?"
"N-no. Probably not."
"Well... I an... Your dad did vow to be the prince and your mother would be the princess. It's their love story, Kyros. Just say yes."
Kyros turned to his mother.
"Mother. Did you love soone else other than dad?" Kyros asked.
Diana was startled at the question.
"Why?"
"Erm... No reason. I just want to believe that you and dad are each other's first true love." Kyros chuckled.
"...No. First true love is a fantasy." Diana gave her harsh answer.
"I did have soone you could say I loved. A young knight's shadow who..." Diana spoke no more.
Kyros was silent but Calaminus was rejoicing.
"Ermmmaggggahhhd! It's really him! This is like... those typical shojo romances with that cliche childhood friend, long-ti-crush, true love thing! Kyros! Your dad has to sing that song!"
"No way."
"What do you an no way! Are you looking for more signs to make your father sing that song?!"
Kyros ignored Calaminus.
"Who... who is he? And what happened to him?"
"He... was gone for a long, long ti. I got tired of waiting. I do wonder if he ever would see on the outskirts of town one day. But eventually... my faith in his promises faded like the mories that we had." Diana could not help but smile. But it was a smile full of regret. She maintained her silence as the Coven finally t outside the mines.
"...Well???" Calaminus pestered Kyros.
"Fine... I'll make my dad sing that song..." Kyros grumbled. He would be an idiot if he didn't use that song to tie up the lancholy and pain of her parents. Kyros didn't underestimate what a song could do to awaken love.
And so, Kyros sent a series of instructions to Petra.
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