Chapter Text
The ornate carriage rocked lightly along the earthy road towards the Capital of the empire, carrying two nobles and their companion inside. Rui Kamishiro, heir to the isolated northern duchy; Nene Kusanagi, daughter of a northern earl, and Mizuki Akiyama, personal knight and part-time tailor.
Rui sighed heavily for the twentieth time during the journey, the trip having already taken two days due to the vastness of the empire and the unfavorable location of the duchy, which only reinforced the nobleman's displeasure at moving too far from his home. Seriously, why after ten years away from the Capital did he decide to attend this year’s social season? Ah yes, because of Nene and his own parents.
“Stop sighing, Rui. I'm the one who goes to the Capital the most between the two of us, and you're the one complaining?”
Nene's parents decided that it would be a good idea for her to attend this year's social season, as it would be made even more special due to Princess Saki's 20th birthday (besides being considered bad etiquette not to attend). Because of this, in addition to Nene's insistent request that Rui accompany her, Rui's parents also encouraged him to go so that he could represent the north and congratulate the princess on their behalf (Rui’s and Nene’s parents were busy with some matters and wouldn’t be able to stay far away from their territory to go to the Capital). Faced with all this pressure around him, Rui ended up giving in and agreeing to go, resulting in the current moment inside the carriage.
“Exactly, you're used to it, Nene. The last time I came to the Capital was when we saw that play at the Royal Theater ten years ago.”
“Come on, what can be so terrible during social season?” Mizuki tried to argue alongside Nene, but it only resulted in long-suffering grunts from the two nobles.
“Unwanted suitors chasing you.”
“Too many people.”
“Excessive rules and etiquette.”
“Individuals trying to take advantage of you to make deals.”
“Okay okay, I get it. Social season sucks for you guys.” Mizuki caved in to the nobles' displeasure.
And indeed, it was exactly as they said. The presence of northern nobles was unusual and aroused people's curiosity, and Rui's high status attracted more attention than he wanted. Rui feared the moment when he would step into the first mandatory event, aware of the possible traps that awaited him.
“You've never been to the Capital during social season, have you, Mizuki?”
“No, but I've been there at other times. The clothes are simply divine! I am happy to be able to accompany you two, especially Rui with his terrible taste in fashion.”
Nene smirked in agreement, but Rui didn't comment against it, just turning his sullen expression out to the window. Unfortunately, no matter how much he tried to explain his sense of style, people frowned in disapproval or with laughter, but Rui would still wear what he wanted outside social obligations.
But the first thing that comes to mind when mentioning the name Rui Kamishiro is the word “eccentric”. That wasn't surprising, considering his parents were also known for the same trait. It's only fitting that their child is the same, isn't it? So no, Rui did not consider this description as something negative, he prided himself on being different from others with his ideas and inventions. However, what irritated him is the negative connotation that the nobles, especially those from the Capital, liked to attribute to this adjective.
Now, despite the questionable fame, it is undeniable that the Kamishiro duchy is a pioneer in scientific discoveries and technological revolutions, contributing both to the internal development of the empire and also to the protection of their borders, which has generated over the years a sense of admiration for the north by other regions. Every time he thought about it, Rui felt an indescribable pride, knowing that his ancestors and parents were responsible for all that. He was determined to follow suit and make his own contribution. However, he also understood that to achieve so many great things, the people behind it all needed to dedicate themselves intensely to research and testing, rarely attending any kind of social event. This reserved posture earned the north the reputation of being mysterious and reclusive.
No, this whole explanation is not an attempt to justify Rui Kamishiro's introversion and reclusion.
He just didn't like dealing with fake people who had ulterior motives. And it was exactly to the center of all this falsehood that they were getting closer with each passing minute.
The dirt path turned to stone, a sign that they had finally reached the outskirts of the Capital; buildings and other constructions appeared in the landscape, which was before full of vegetation and mountains. Peasants going about their daily lives made way for the luxurious carriage to pass, curious children tried to look inside and were scolded by their parents for the danger of approaching a moving carriage.
Everyone looked calm and cheerful. Rui was happy to know that the empire was prospering after the end of the war twenty-five years ago, his mother told him stories of how the misery of war reached at one point even the Capital, but that thanks to the benevolent current rulers, peace was established and everything went back to stabilizing again. To celebrate victory and unity between the empire's provinces, social seasons were once again held in celebration.
“In which residence will you be staying in these months?” Mizuki asked, making Rui wake up from his thoughts after several long minutes.
“Unfortunately, the Kusanagi residence in the Capital is undergoing major renovation, so we're heading to the Otori family manor.”
“They are one of the three duchies of the empire, no?”
“Yes, I can't wait to get there; it's been a while since I last saw Emu in person.” Nene seemed to have recovered all her energy when she remembered the main reason she submitted to the visits to the Capital: the girl she was courting (although not publicly yet).
The Empire, despite its great size, had only three families with the title of a duchy, each having their own functions that contributed greatly to the empire. The Aoyagi duchy, with strong military power; the Otori duchy, funding and promoting art and culture; and lastly the Kamishiro duchy, providing new research and technology.
“Then you'll be happy to know I won't be staying with you, Nene.”
Nene immediately stopped smiling, frowning and staring at him with a mixture of surprise and doubt since despite the high title they held, for rarely visiting the Capital in the long term, the Kamishiro family had no residence there, so naturally Nene assumed that Rui would also stay with the Otori family.
“Where are you staying then? As far as I know, there is no family closer to yours other than the Otori.”
“And you stand correct, but not long after we sent a confirmation letter, I received an invitation from the imperial family to spend this season at the palace, as we rarely attend such events.”
Mizuki whistled at that, impressed for no real reason in Rui's opinion. Nene hummed understandingly, knowing full well that it would be disrespectful to refuse such an exclusive invitation.
“Don't make that face now, Mizuki, you will come with me to the palace after all.” He finished with a smirk, making his friend almost gasp.
“I will?!”
“Of course, you came as a servant of the Kamishiro family, and I'll need people I trust during my stay. Besides, Nene is already familiar with the servants of the Otori, she will be in good hands.”
“Yes, please take care of Rui during this time, especially in his choice of clothes; we don't want him to be embarrassed.”
“Don't you get tired of defaming my style?!” He exclaimed dramatically with a false tone of offense.
“Not really.” They responded humored, without hesitation.
“Well then, don’t be hiding behind me at every event we go to together.” He teased back, smiling without malice, and the three of them laughed together.
Rui just hoped that his experience during the season would be as smooth as that interaction.
With determined steps that echoed through the palace corridor, the prince walked towards his sister's room. Due to all the preparations for the social season, Tsukasa had been so busy that he barely had time to see Saki during these last few days, and unfortunately he still had things to attend to.
“Saki?”
Tsukasa gently knocked on his sister's bedroom door, waiting a few seconds without receiving a response. He tried again.
“Saki? Are you there?”
No response again, which had Tsukasa worried. It's been years since the last time people tried to assassinate the heirs to the throne, but that didn't mean they could let their guard down in peacetime. Not that Tsukasa didn't trust Shiho's skills, but an accident like that one could always happen again.
“Saki, excuse me, I'm coming in!”
He shouted before opening the door that luckily wasn't locked, rushing into his sister's room and seeing the scene of Saki laughing with Ichika and Honami, peppering light kisses on Shiho’s cheeks, who was wearing her usual knight's uniform, but being kept pinned to the bed by the other three girls. Tsukasa sighed in relief upon seeing that Saki's lack of response was only due to distraction.
They are such good friends . He thought innocently, shedding an invisible tear of fondness.
The girls finally noticed Tsukasa's presence in the room, quickly straightening up in bed, slightly red from being caught in such a private moment.
“B-brother?! Why didn't you knock on the door?”
“I knocked, but you didn't answer and I got worried. Sorry to barge in like that.”
By this time Shiho, Ichika and Honami had already gotten out of bed, gracefully waiting beside Saki still sitting on the bed, her dress now crumpled and her hair slightly messed up.
“A-anyway, please forget what you saw.”
“There's nothing to be ashamed of, Saki! I think it's beautiful to see how your friendship remains as strong as ever!”
Ichika choked at this, resulting in a confused and worried look from Tsukasa as Honami promptly offered her a glass of water.
“Haha, yes! Friendship!” Saki forced a laugh, looking at her girlfriends in disbelief before clearing her throat and finally getting to her feet.
“Well then, why did you come here at this time, Tsukasa?” Shiho spoke up, trying to save Saki from further embarrassment, which worked as the prince quickly dropped the subject and struck a pose.
“Saki has the dress inspection for the birthday ball now, doesn't she? Since I was on the way, I decided to escort you there before I go on with my schedule.”
Saki was about to agree, but Honami smoothly intervened.
“Actually, you said you would leave that for later, as the heir to the northern duchy is due to arrive soon and your parents want you to welcome him.”
“Ah! That's true!"
“He arrives today?!” Tsukasa also exclaimed.
“Yes, and I forgot as well. I need to get ready!”
“But you look adorable, Saki!”
“As much as I appreciate your praise, dear brother, this dress is not appropriate for an occasion like this. Please excuse us!"
She was pushing her brother towards the door with the help of her ladies-in-waiting, who laughed apologetically in his direction until they closed the door in the prince's face. More laughter was heard from the other side of the door and Tsukasa just sighed, smiling affectionately, leaving them alone and walking away. He would check arrangements for the Duke's son's accommodation in the meantime; it was the least he could do, since he forgot to leave some free time to welcome him and wouldn't be present with Saki.
The stop at the Otori manor was brief; Rui and Mizuki accompanied Nene to greet the Otori family while servants carried Nene's luggage into the residence. Emu was momentarily upset to know that Rui would not be staying with them, and the nobleman almost relented and stayed for afternoon tea when she asked him with her shining eyes; but unfortunately he couldn't risk tarnishing his image by arriving late at the palace, so Rui reluctantly said goodbye to the two girls, waving out the window as he set off once more in the carriage.
“It will be fine, don't worry.” Comforted Mizuki.
“I know that, I worry more about how I will survive in the palace during this time.” He said, sighing and sinking deeper into the padded carriage seat.
“Hey, I'll be with you, won't I?”
“Yes, but you know how strict etiquette is around here at this time of the year.”
“As long as there are no witnesses, we can just ignore them~” As if it was easy to stay away from the keen eyes of society in the Capital.
“Are you going to put up with my constant complaining, Mizuki?”
“I've been doing this for years.” They chuckled.
Half an hour later, the carriage passed through the palace gates, the lush surroundings being similar to the Kamishiro estate in the north, but hotter than he was used to. They stopped in front of a large staircase, flowers decorated the walkway along with several lined up guards, and at the end was waiting who Rui supposed to be the princess and her ladies-in-waiting.
So grandly unnecessary. Rui would understand if all this pomp was prepared for his parents' arrival, but this time it was just him. Perhaps Rui underestimated the importance of his position as heir outside the north.
Rui got out of the carriage when the coachman opened the door for him, quickly checking his appearance before walking towards the top of the stairs with Mizuki right behind him. Arriving at the princess's presence, he gracefully bowed to her, accepting her outstretched hand and placing a light kiss just above the back of her hand as a sign of greeting and politeness. He could be eccentric, but Rui knew all the rules of etiquette very well.
“Nice to meet you, Lord Rui, I hope you had a pleasant trip.”
“The pleasure is mine, Your Highness. Despite my lack of custom, the trip was not turbulent.”
Rui deftly deflected his answer, as he would be lying if he said the trip was a pleasant one. His legs were almost numb, his body crying out for some rest after hours on this last day of travel.
“These are my ladies-in-waiting; Lady Ichika Hoshino, Lady Honami Mochizuki, and my personal knight, Dame Shiho Hinomori.”
The three greeted him with a brief 'pleasure' and a slight bow. Rui recognized the last names, indicating that they all came from noble families, but nothing unexpected considering that they must have been the closest people to the princess. Like a good gentleman, Rui bowed to the three of them as well.
“I thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness, it was not necessary to organize all this for my arrival.”
“It was the least we had to do for the heir of the north; I hope everything is to your liking, my brother was the one who took care of your accommodation.”
The prince huh ? Rui met him once when they were kids, back when Rui was still interested in interacting with more people; but it had been so long that he barely remembered what the prince looked like, currently only having information acquired through portraits and news.
“Should we await his arrival?”
“Hm, he should have been here by now, but maybe something urgent came up.” She commented thoughtfully, questioning her ladies with a look, but they didn't know anything either. “In that case, why don't you join me for a quick tour around the palace while the servants move your luggage to your room?"
It wasn't as if Rui had a choice, it would be extremely rude to refuse a personal invitation from the princess, and it's not as if he was going to be able to rest until they finished loading his things.
“I would love to, Your Highness.”
Saki smiled happily and guided them through the different corridors and paths in the palace, telling him several random and historical facts about the place, the animation evident in her voice for talking about her beloved home. Rui sincerely expected the worst from that tour, but it actually turned out to be something he truly enjoyed. Saki's excitement was infectious, the way she carried herself and casually chatted with her ladies reminded Rui of his own carefree attitude towards Nene and Mizuki.
At one point, the princess's steps faltered for an instant, Dame Shiho quickly supported her without difficulty, and everyone stopped, worried about Saki's condition. The princess, in turn, laughed lightly and balanced on her own feet again.
“Your Highness? Are you okay?” Rui asked.
“Sorry for the scare, I must have gone a little overboard with my physical activities today.”
Rui wanted to say anything, but without any suitable and comforting words in his mind, there was only silence left. Shiho let Saki be as soon as she confirmed that she was fine, but stayed close as a precaution.
“You must be aware of my condition, right? But I'm already much better than I was then, so there's no need to worry, Lord Rui!”
Ah yes, the unfortunate incident during the prince and princess's childhood. Even though it was a few years after the end of the war, the imperial family still had many enemies across the land. One day, Prince Tsukasa was called by his parents before meeting Saki for their afternoon tea, who stated that she didn't need to wait for him to get started. The princess, following her brother's suggestion, ended up drinking poisoned tea, which seriously affected her already fragile body, and made her fall sick. The infiltrated traitors were appropriately caught and punished with death, but Princess Saki fell into ill health and had to remain recluse in the palace away from the public for some years.
“I believe your words, Your Highness. But it would be better if we stopped here, so you can rest up for tonight's opening ball."
Rui commented thoughtfully, Saki opened her mouth to protest, but her ladies-in-waiting intervened first.
“Lord Kamishiro is right, Saki. Didn't you want to dance tonight?” Ichika was the first to speak.
“Yes but-”
“Then you have to rest. Otherwise, we'll tell Tsukasa and he'll make a fuss as usual.”
Shiho said seriously, and Saki made an indignant sound. “You wouldn't do that to me, would you, Shiho?!”
The dame didn't say anything else, just looking at her seriously with her arms crossed, a posture of total determination. Saki sighed in defeat and finally remembered that she was in Rui's presence, quickly returning to her princess posture.
“Well, then I suppose we part ways here.”
“Thank you for the tour, Your Highness. I would love to repeat this walk with you at some other time.”
“I would be glad to! I still want you to tell me more about your creations, Lord Rui.”
“It's a promise.”
He said one last time before bowing to each other in farewell, Saki walking the way they came and Rui following the corridor to the doors that connected to his chambers during his stay there. The last thing he heard in the background was Lady Honami's voice saying something about a delicious apple pie that was waiting for them in the princess's quarters.
He unceremoniously opened the doors, knowing full well that the time he spent walking around with Saki was more than enough for everything to be in place, and went straight to the adjacent door in the living room that gave him access to the room with the bed, throwing himself into it with a sigh.
Mizuki soon followed, closing the main door and standing in the living room with their arms crossed, looking at Rui face down on the bed in the other room. They sighed, already used to it, approaching the other to get his attention.
“You won't have much time to rest, the opening ball is tonight, and you really need to be dressed appropriately for it.”
Rui just mumbled something with a suffering tone, not wanting to move an inch out of bed. Oh well, Mizuki could give him at least an hour of rest before starting preparations.
Soon the night approached, and the time for the start of the ball as well. As part of the tradition, the opening ball of the season is always organized by the imperial family in the palace, and all the nobles are invited to attend. As it is the first ball, close allied families arrived together, so before going to the ballroom, even though he was already in the palace, Rui would have to pick up Nene at the Otori residence with the carriage from the north so that they could present themselves together for the other nobles, making their presence official in that season.
“Okay, that should do it.” Mizuki said, pulling away from Rui to admire their work with the choice of clothes.
His particular fashionista made a point of choosing absolutely every piece of clothing he should wear, taking into account the colors of the Kamishiro family crest. Starting with tight black pants and a black shirt with puffed sleeves that fastened at his wrist with cuffs decorated with gold buttons. Mizuki also selected a white vest with gold and black accents, displaying beautiful arabesque patterns that adorned the entire surface in a refined manner. However, they knew it would be too simple to wear just that, so the stylist decided to add a long half cape in shades of purple, with gold details and chains. Two cyan blue roses were pinned to his chest on the cape, along with a gold version of the family crest, and a white cravat with an aquamarine brooch placed over the top. To top it off, Mizuki picked white high boots, which complemented the outfit perfectly.
“Thank you for your service, Mizuki.” He said honestly, despite the time it took to get ready.
"Always a pleasure. I know you don't like to have your hair handled, so I'll let you decide what to do with it.”
He nodded and decided to comb his bangs to one side and collect the longest part of his hair in a small, low ponytail. While Mizuki put the last accessories on their own look, Rui took the opportunity to touch up his basic makeup before looking back in the mirror and nodding to himself when he confirmed that everything was perfect. Mizuki appeared from their own room shortly after, looking as fabulous as ever.
“Ready to go?”
He nodded, and the two left the palace towards the Otori manor. Arriving there, Nene was already ready, waiting with Emu and her siblings.
“I wish I could enter together with Nene and Rui…” The pink haired girl said sadly, making Nene smile at her affectionately.
“Don't worry, we can go to the other parties together without any problem.”
“And it's not like you're going to arrive much later than us, Emu.” Rui added and Emu smiled happily, nodding.
"Yes! I can't wait!”
After briefly saying goodbye to Emu, they re-entered the carriage bearing the northern crest. Rui helped Nene up and they soon left for the palace. During the journey, Rui couldn't help but compliment his childhood friend on the beautiful dress she was wearing; the light layered fabric resembled a delicate pale blue anemone, with white accents and intricately embellished small emeralds; the chosen accessories elegantly matched the dress, creating a harmonious ensemble. Although they hadn't previously talked about it, their outfits complemented each other perfectly (perhaps Mizuki had actually coordinated outfits with Nene without him knowing), the end result was a delightful combination.
“Ready for the night?” Mizuki asked a few minutes before they arrived, and Nene looked a little nervous.
“Not much, but now there's no turning back.”
“Indeed… I'll try to stay close to you and Emu, but I can’t make any promises, I could very well end up being dragged by someone in the middle of everything.”
Rui said and laughed equally nervously, the last exchange of words they had before they stopped at the grand staircase and the coachman opened the carriage door so they could get out. Supporting Nene, holding her delicately by one hand, they proceeded to the entrance with Mizuki behind, and gave their names to be announced to the ballroom.
“Announcing the arrival of Lord Rui Kamishiro, of the Northern Duchy; and Lady Nene Kusanagi, of the Northern County.”
The servant said aloud to everyone present as they passed through the double doors, pausing briefly in place to register the hall already filled with other nobles, who immediately stopped to watch the new arrivals. Rui gave Nene's hand an encouraging squeeze and guided her to where the Emperor and Empress sat on their lofty thrones, doing a practiced bow with everyone's eyes on them.
“We, representatives of the north, greet Your Imperial Majesties. May them be blessed with health and prosperity.”
They said in unison, rising again after the appropriate time. They were graced by the peaceful and happy expressions of the rulers.
“We are delighted that you have finally decided to join us, Lord Rui! I see that Lady Nene has finally convinced you to come. It's been a long time since we last saw you.” The empress was the first to speak in a sweet tone; her gray hair denounced her age and the stresses she had been through, but she luckily appeared healthy.
“ I apologize for being absent all these years, my parents must have mentioned how I am not used to social events like this.”
“Don't worry about it, young man. Better late than never, right? Please enjoy your first social season; Lady Nene has already been present in some, so she can guide you through the activities we carry out.”
The emperor said brightly and cheerfully, signaling with his hands to the hall in order for them to enjoy the ball and to give way to the next nobles who were announced at the entrance, probably Emu and her family. Rui and Nene smiled politely and bowed one last time before heading off to some corner of the room and finally feeling like they could breathe again.
“Could be worse. They are more casual than I imagined.” Rui commented, taking a glass of champagne from a servant and discreetly observing the room; several nobles still looking at them and eager to strike up a conversation, but still too afraid to approach.
“They've always been like that, I wasn't worried about that.” Nene responded by doing the same as him, waiting anxiously for Emu to finish her entry. “You are aware that most people looking at us are just waiting for an opportunity to talk to you, right?”
Rui smiled apprehensively, sipping his glass without answering. He already imagined that his unprecedented participation would draw attention, but he didn't imagine that much, so he could only pray mentally that people would remain shy of approaching him. Unfortunately, his peace didn't last long, as Emu soon appeared to greet them again and pulled Nene to dance with her on the floor, leaving Rui alone.
Murmurs were heard around him, some people discreetly trying to approach him. Rui drank the entire contents of his glass at once and scanned the hall in search of Mizuki, who had disappeared shortly after they greeted the rulers. He soon spotted they chatting happily with a girl with short brown hair and a ginger boy beside her who seemed to be complaining about something, accompanied by whom he vaguely recognized as Toya Aoyagi, who just smiled softly at the trio.
Rui didn't have the heart to interrupt the conversation between them, not when Mizuki looked so happy to see them again, he would ask they later where they knew each other. Then inevitably, nobles unknown to him started to surround him and strike up several conversations with him, Rui doing his best to answer everyone politely and holding back his will to just run away from there.
“I always wanted to meet you, Lord Rui-”
“Are you going to stay for the whole season?-”
“You still haven’t found a suitor, right?-”
“Please allow me to invite you to the tea party I'm organizing next week-”
So much noise, so many people talking to him. To his delight, the music stopped and everyone stopped to watch the prince and princess arrive at the top of the royal staircase.
The imperial siblings radiated elegance in their impeccable attire; Saki looked stunning in a flowing dress, delicately embellished in shades of blue, white, and gold. Her brother, on the other hand, wore formal attire that matched hers perfectly; the same hues of blue, white, and gold were harmoniously incorporated into his garment, complemented by a majestic cape that billowed gracefully behind him. Together, they descended the staircase with majesty and were warmly received by their parents, who embraced them smiling full of affection.
The interaction did not last long, and soon they separated from their parents so that they could return to greet the nobles who still arrived. Saki immediately identified Rui in the crowd, not that it was too difficult considering the nobles were still surrounding him in a circle, keeping him in the center. The princess happily walked towards him, and the crowd immediately parted, no one daring to block royalty.
“Lord Rui, I hope you managed to get enough rest.” She said honestly and Rui greeted her as he had before, with a short bow.
“I should ask you that instead, Your Highness, if you feel well after exhausting yourself during our tour.”
“Thank you for your concern, I assure you that I am fine~”
Saki responded radiantly as before, and the prince was soon present at her side, the same expression of cheer on his face. Rui didn't remember the prince, but his impression at that moment was that he really lived up to the rumors that he was bright as the sun, automatically attracting anyone's gaze.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Rui! Forgive me for my absence on your arrival, I was busy with appointments.” The prince said in a naturally loud voice that surprisingly didn't bother Rui's ears.
“Don't worry about it, it's not like my arrival is that important.”
“Still, it was inelegant of me to leave my sister alone to welcome you.” The prince insisted.
“You say that, but I had no problem with it, brother. Besides, Lord Rui and I had a pleasant conversation while I showed him around the palace.” Saki intervened with her cheeks puffed out in pride adorably, causing the prince to pat her head affectionately.
“If you say so, I’m happy, Saki.”
A brief conversation about Rui's stay at the palace with the prince and a promise of a dance with Saki afterward, the siblings left him alone again to greet the other guests. Almost immediately after that, giving Rui time to just grab one of the appetizers being served, nobles again surrounded him for conversation and dancing.
He wasn't used to these social activities.
It's not that he was antisocial to the point of isolating himself from everyone and everything if he could. Rui in fact likes to chat, but with his friends and parents, not with a bunch of strangers who cared not for him as a person but him as an heir.
In the end the night was long and tiring for Rui. He made time to dance once with Nene, Emu, and Saki each, it being one of the few moments he could rest and breathe a little; but right after, the moment he was once again alone, a tide of people came to him, and they didn't stop talking, not giving him a minute of peace. Could Rui really survive until the end of the social season in the Capital this way?
No. Rui would not survive nearly 3 months of these kinds of interactions and events.
The ball lasted approximately four hours, the clock marked eleven o'clock at night and Rui was absolutely exhausted lying on his bed. As soon as he could leave the hall without seeming rude, Rui ran away accompanied by Mizuki (Nene was going to return with the Otori, so she stayed longer), who said goodbye to him at the entrance to his room.
As soon as he closed the doors of his chambers, Rui immediately took off as many pieces of clothing as he could and jumped on the soft bed. Having a few minutes of rest before going to bathe before sleeping. He felt bad that he still hadn't been able to appreciate the accommodations that had been arranged for him, but his weariness spoke louder.
There were so many people all over him during the ball that Rui was barely able to enjoy conversations that genuinely interested him (few during the whole night). So no, he wouldn't survive like that. Rui needed to do something, find any solution to ease the suffocation he felt, without seeming like a person without manners. God forbids him to make any mistake that ends up embarrassing the north.
It was then during his relaxing bath, while brainstorming possibilities to avoid so much social interaction, that Rui came up with a brilliant and ingenious idea. Alright, it wasn't the best idea he'd ever had, but it was his best choice at the moment, and if all went well then he could have a much smoother stay in the Capital.
He only needed the collaboration of a single person.
The next day, Rui's schedule already set an appointment for the afternoon, but luckily he still had a few free hours until then, and the first thing he would do was have his breakfast with the prince and princess. To his surprise, when he arrived in the dining room, only Saki and her ladies were sitting at the long table.
“Good morning, my ladies.” He greeted and sat down in one of the free chairs parallel to Saki.
“Good morning, Lord Rui.” Saki said first, the others soon greeted him as well before returning to their own breakfasts.
“I hope you had a nice sleep.” Rui continued.
The table was full of different options for him to choose from, but Rui opted for a variety of bread that he liked and some pates to go with it, topped off with a cup of tea. He wasn't the type to eat a lot, especially in the morning.
“Well, when I retired for the night I was still a little fussy from the ball, so it took me a while to fall properly asleep.” Saki answered honestly with a smile, as expected, Rui showing a slight smile of his own. He wondered how the princess had so much energy.
“It's not often that we have a ball like this, you'd think this would happen.” Ichika commented from her chair, chuckling softly and passing a Parmesan bread to Shiho.
“Good thing I have you guys to help me sleep when I need it.” Saki said in agreement, making her ladies blush slightly, casting somewhat nervous glances in Rui's direction, but he paid no mind.
“Don't forget we're not alone today, Saki.” Honami scolded her in the soft tone a mother would use, helping herself to another piece of apple pie.
“But Honaaa” She extended the name adorably, “It's not like we're trying to hide it.”
“Is your brother the prince not going to join us?” Rui interrupted.
"Oh, he has morning practice, so he eats his breakfast earlier. He apologizes for not being with us.”
“Perfect.”
Rui said in an excited tone, making the others in the hall look at him confused with the choice of word for that information. Rui clasped his hands under his chin, quickly running his plan through his mind before straightening his posture and looking seriously at Saki.
“Your Highness, I have a proposition for you.”
Something unexpected to hear in that situation, he was sure, watching Shiho and Honami eye him now suspiciously. Saki apparently didn't take that in the negative, putting on a calm, serious semblance. "Oh? I'm all ears.”
He cleared his throat, the same way he does when he goes to explain to Nene the safety measures he took during the construction of some invention before testing them.
“Both you and I hold high positions in society, yes? And because of that we are often surrounded by people.” He started, and Saki made a sign for him to continue. “I noticed that you enjoy the events, but not the social commitment you have to make in paying attention to everyone, often preventing you from enjoying the festivities to the fullest.”
Clear evidence of this was Saki's brief comment during their dance, where the princess said in a sad tone that she still hadn't had time to dance with her ladies-in-waiting. Saki was so engaged in different conversations that she was barely able to enjoy herself.
“Indeed, this happens often. Yesterday Ichika, Honami and Shiho looked so beautiful, but I only got to dance once with Honami…” The disappointment was genuine in her voice, the comment making Ichika nearly choke on her tea.
“S-Saki, let's not talk about this in front of Lord Rui-”
“It doesn’t bother me.”
“That's not the problem-” Shiho tried to interrupt, but Rui was determined to make his proposal.
"Anyway. I would also like to be able to enjoy the events of this season in my own way, especially since it is my first time. And after pondering for long minutes, I came to a solution.”
Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for. Everyone in the room followed Rui's dramatic pause.
“And what would that solution be?” Saki broke the silence, curious.
“Let's pretend to court!”
The enthusiasm in his voice for his witty solution didn't parallel the confused and bewildered expressions of the girls in front of him. Clearly they didn't quite follow his line of reasoning.
“Why would that be a solution?” Saki asked, and Rui made a sign for her not to worry.
“You see, you are the only princess of this empire, and I am heir to a dukedom. With our positions, wouldn’t we be considered an ‘ideal couple’ in the eyes of society?” He argued, and understanding slowly dawned on the faces of all four.
“Indeed, it would be the most important courtship in a long time.” Ichika started and Rui nodded.
“A courtship where no one could compete against Lord Rui or Saki due to their social status…” Honami continued and Rui nodded even more intensely.
“Everyone would be forced to make room for the courtship, or risk being responsible for the possible failure of a relationship between the two.” Shiho concluded and Rui got up from the table with an impulse, making his chair scratch the floor with his enthusiasm that they understood his idea.
“Exactly, my ladies! And absolutely no one at court wants to carry such fame, or they would be blacklisted by high society.”
Saki also got up from the table with equally excited eyes, already convinced by Rui's idea.
“That way we can both enjoy the events with more peace of mind! Let's do this, Lord Rui!”
Saki extended her hand towards Rui, and before her ladies-in-waiting could say anything, Rui grabbed the princess's hand, shaking it and signing the verbal agreement.
“Worry not, we will help each other and benefit from it.”
“Well, since Saki agreed to it, it's not like she's going to give up on the idea now…” Shiho sighed heavily.
“I like your excitement, but I think only one detail escaped your mind, Saki.” It was Honami who said it, and everyone turned to look at her apprehensively for the answer.
“A detail?”
“Your brother Tsukasa, of course.”
There was a collective exasperated 'ah' in the room.