Chapter Text
Anastasia was not in a good position.
One might assume that things were going well for Anastasia, and they would be forgiven for that assumption, really! Her business was booming, thanks to the collaboration with the Emilia camp, plus the recent technological inventions created by said camp, and distributed by her own company, were all selling well. Life changing technology, unsurprisingly, has a remarkably high demand among both the rich and the poor, since having even a trinket is beneficial for most citizens in the four great nations.
However, Anastasia Hoshin just had a tiny problem. Nothing too big, believe her. They do say never trust a merchant, but she’s different, promise.
Ah, on to the issue, very well. She was in love, absolutely head over heels in love with Natsuki Subaru.
The reason she was not in a good position was because she had just found out about Natsuki Subaru’s secret; Return By Death. In addition to this, she was not the only one to find this out.
It all started when Anastasia, along with the rest of the camps, including hers, were transported to a weird dark room, with a large rectangular glass panel on the wall and numerous rows of velvety seats. A mysterious figure, the director, decided to show the camps, Natsuki Subaru’s secret.
After many tears, screams and insults, the story of the Scary-eyed boy was finally complete.
{THE END. ARC 4: COMPLETED}
The theatre erupted in applause. Some wiped their tears, others smiled, while others cheered for the boy.
“THA’S MA CAP’N! NO EV’L CLOWN BASTARD COULD WIN AG’NST HIM!” shouted the enthusiastic tiger boy.
“Relax Garf, I am happy to see Natsuki-san’s victory as well, but please calm down.” said Otto, contently.
“BUT CAP’N WAS SO COOL!” countered Garfiel.
“Garf please, we need to be calm.” replied Otto. ‘The camps will be looking for opportunities to take Natsuki-San from us, we need to stop that from happening.’ Thought Otto.
Sniffle. “My baby, he’s grown up so much.” Said Natsuki Naoko.
“He has, hasn’t he?”Replied Natsuki Kenichi.
Truth be told, the theatre was a nightmare for the pair to experience. They finally found out what happened to their baby boy, but they also found out that he had been dying over and over again, sometimes to the people close to him. It wasn’t surprising that the two didn’t like most of the cast, I mean who would like a couple of people who had killed your son? However, they also realized that Subaru did care for these people, so they decided to put it on the back burner.
“You’re so wonderful my knight” said the half-elven princess as she had her hands clasped together. “I can’t wait to talk to you soon.”
“My hero is the greatest, nobody can compare to him.” Said the recently awakened Rem.
Petra, starry-eyed exclaimed “Subaru-sama looks so handsome in the knight uniform! Right Frederica-sama?”
Frederica, giggling into her hand, while patting the junior maid, stated with a professional tone, “Subaru-sama does look quite dashing in the outfit.”
Ram, ever the tsundere, said, “Hmmf, I suppose even a dog like Barasu has its days.”
Roswaal, sitting next to Ram, simply thought ‘So this is the extent of your resolve, Subaru-kun. Truly admirable, but that doesn’t mean I will give up on my goal.’
Felix, looking at his liege, teased “Subaru looks handsome in that suit, doesn’t he, nyah?”
Crusch, slightly red, muttered “It is true that Subaru sama looks quite chivalrous in a proper knight's outfit.”
Wilhelm nodded, before muttering under his breath, “You truly are a brave man, Subaru-dono.”
He looked towards his grandson, and thought, ‘I will try to be as courageous as you. I will fix my mistakes. I promise Theresia.’
Felt cackled, patting Reinhard on the back, before exclaiming, “HAHA! That stupid clown has nothing on big bro!”
Reinhard smiled, before speaking, “Felt-sama, please don’t use such crude language, it is unbefitting for a lady like you.”
“Oh c’mon Rein! Just celebrate, I know you’re happy about big-bro’s win too.” grumbled Felt.
Reinhard smiled at his lady’s attitude.
A pair of crimson eyes watched everyone conversing with each other.
A helmeted man, Al, spoke up, “So, did you like watching Pal win against the clown, princess?”
Priscilla lazily blinked her eyes, before speaking up, “Foolish jester, I have no reason to celebrate the commoner’s rightful win over that clown. Once I chose him as the victor, the results were set in stone.”
She held her chin up high before looking below at the rest of the camps in the theatre. ‘The rabble of the commoners below me is something I have no interest in.’
Her eyes moved around the room before pausing.
She squinted her eyes as she focused on the Anastasia camp. ‘Why does that greedy fox seem so rattled?’
During all the cheering, a lone woman with mauve hair seemed to be out of place.
A flurry of thoughts swirled through Anastasia’s head.
‘What if he died?’
‘Could I have got him killed again?’
‘Why is he still so nice to me?’
“Anastasia-sama, are you alright? You look troubled.” asked Julius.
Snapped out of her thoughts, Anastasia looked at him, before giving him a sweet smile, and speaking, “I’m fine, Julius. Nothing to worry about.”
Suddenly, Mimi jumped up, and exclaimed, “Mini boss was so cool! He went and beat that weirdo clown like it was nothing!”
Her brothers, Tivey and Hetaro, sighed before speaking, “Yes Mimi, we saw, could you relax a bit?”
Ricardo chuckled at the triplets' antics, before diverting his attention to Anastasia, “That kid really is something, right Ana-bo?”
Anastasia gave him a small smile, before replying, “It’s nice to see him win after all he had to face. It’s quite impressive.”
“Quite the charmer, ain’t cha Subaru-kun?” muttered Anastasia, low enough for no one to hear.
A shrill voice interrupted the conversations in the theatre.
Beatrice loudly questioned “When will Betty’s contractor wake up I suppose?”
The little spirit’s statement reminded everyone of Subaru's current state
“THA’ SQUIRT ‘S RIGHT! WHY’S THE CAP’N STILL SLEEPIN’?” Garfiel shouted.
Crusch, poised straight, firmly spoke, “And why are we not being sent home, Director?”
Suddenly, a booming voice spoke out with authority, ”There is still more for you all to witness. There has been a series of events unknown to most of you in this theatre, pertaining to Natsuki Subaru.”
The theatre collectively froze.
Had they failed him once more? Had he died again without their knowledge? Where were they? Did he deal with the threat alone?
“No, no, no, did I fail him again? I’m so sorry Subaru!” Emilia cried out, as she clutched Subaru’s limp body.
Rem, hearing the terrifying possibility that her hero had hid away his pain once more for their own comfort, shouted to know one in particular, “WHY IS THIS WORLD SO HARSH ON YOU, MY HERO!”
Otto froze, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, before looking back to Roswaal, “Was it you, Margrave? Did you do something to Subaru?”
Some in the room, specifically Priscilla and Wilhelm, had a large aura of bloodlust surrounding them as they waited for the Margrave's answer.
“I have done nooooooothing, Otto-kun!” Roswaal theatrically announced, as he raised his arms up high in a surrendering fashion.
Before anything else could be said, the Warden continued, “Do not worry, Natsuki Subaru will not die a single time this viewing.”
Many in the theatre visibly relaxed at the information.
“I’ll let the screen show the events now.” Said the director, as they waited for the screen to load.
The screen started up.
The screen opens up to a large, well lit ballroom, filled with many well-dressed individuals. Many had a drink in hand and some chatted amongst each other. The scene zoomed onto a certain balcony, where a familiar black-haired knight was standing.
Subaru sighed as he stared off at the horizon from the balcony. The thought of Emilia, his liege, passed through his mind. It had been months ever since the kiss they had shared at the sanctuary, but there seemed to be no development in their relationship ever since. Subaru couldn’t help but feel disappointed in the lack of growth in their relationship.
Emilia clutched her palms together, before speaking, "I promise I’ll show you how much I love you my knight. Just wake up for me.”
His thoughts drifted, as he remembered a certain blue-haired oni maid. As the thought crossed his mind, he quickly grew a small frown. He missed Rem, he truly did, he talked to her coma-ridden body everyday.
“I am trying Rem, I still haven’t found any leads on that bastard, Gluttony, but I swear I’ll save you.” Subaru muttered.
“I know you will, my hero. You have always saved Rem.” Rem said with joy.
The others in the theatre smiled at the thoughts of the black-haired boy. Everyone except Anastasia, whose smile seemed to become a bit strained.
Suddenly, a voice spoke out, Crusch Karsten, “Emilia, Beatrice, I’m curious, where were you during all of this?”
Beatrice spoke first, “Betty was told by her contractor to leave him because he wanted to spend some time alone, I suppose.”
Emilia spoke up, “I was talking to some nobles. I reeeeeeaaaally hope my knight doesn’t get into any trouble.” She squeezed Subaru tighter as she spoke.
Lost in his thoughts, Subaru didn’t notice that someone opened the door to the balcony and walked up behind him.
Suddenly, a voice broke Subaru out of his thoughts, “You aren’t enjoying the party, are you, Natsuki-kun?”
He turned around and saw the merchant candidate, Anastasia Hoshin, in front of him, holding two glasses of wine. She wore her usual attire, a long white dress that became slightly pink at the edges; a large, puffy, marshmallow-like hat, with ribbons on each side; a scarf on her neck and a bright yellow star pin in her hair; and a large white cape that draped her shoulders.
Seeing Anastasia’s appearance, the theatre collectively began staring at her.
Emilia, her smile strained, spoke, “Anastasia, what are your plans here?”
Anastasia had put on her merchant smile, before calmly speaking, “I assure you Emilia-San, I just wanted to get to know Subaru-kun better.”
Emilia looked over at Crusch, who nodded her head, before speaking, “Anastasia is telling the truth.”
Felt stood up, before shouting, “BUT SHE COULD BE TRYING TO USE BIG BRO FOR INFORMATION AGAIN!”
Garfiel, spoke up, “Tha squirt ‘s right! What’d ya try on cap’n?”
Julius, hearing the commotion, came to his liege’s defense, “Please do not accuse my liege of having ill intentions towards Subaru.”
Priscilla, annoyed by the ensuing arguments, spoke with authority “Continue watching commoners, everything will be revealed to your lesser minds eventually.”
Most in the theatre calmed down and got ready to continue the viewing. Anastasia seemed nervous, as she put her hands over her belly, and interlocked her fingers.
“Hello Anastasia-San. What brings you here?” questioned Subaru
Anastasia smiled before speaking, “I wanted some fresh air. And you didn’t answer my question.”
Subaru blushed before replying, “If I’m being honest. I don’t like being the centre of attention.”
“Big bro seems pretty tired, what did they ask him?” Felt asked.
Reinhard, calm and poised, spoke up, “Considering Subaru’s achievements, I believe many nobles would want to secure closer ties with him, Felt-Sama.”
Felt clicked her tongue, before declaring, “Those shitty nobles, always slithering like a bunch of snakes trying to take advantage of you.”
Anastasia nodded her head, and spoke, “I understand. This gal saw how many people seemed to storm around you.” In truth, Anastasia wanted to talk to him as well. However, being swarmed by merchants, and noticing how overwhelmed he seemed to be from the people crowding him, she decided to stand by until the time was right.
“Yeah, it gets tiring after a while. Don’t get me wrong, the praise is appreciated, but sometimes I want to have some space.” spoke Subaru.
Anastasia looked thoughtful, before speaking, “I understand, praise is nice and all, but it gets old quick. You don’t mind if I join you for a bit right?”
“It’s fine, I don’t mind.” said Subaru. He originally had a negative view of Anastasia for the actions she took when he tried to get help to return to the Mathers domain, but at the same time, she did help the most out of all the candidates in that particular loop. He realised that she was just a good businesswoman, who wanted to keep her family and business safe. Subaru had a more neutral outlook on the merchant princess.
Hearing the internal thoughts Subaru had about her, she flushed a deep red.
‘A woman who wants to keep her family and business safe, that is accurate, ain’t it, Subaru-kun?’ She thought as she touched her abdomen, before she let out a small giggle.
“Thanks, Natsuki-kun.” Anastasia said, before standing beside him.
They both stared at the horizon and admired the starry night sky. Unsurprisingly, the mauve merchant broke the silence.
“Mind if I ask a couple of questions, Natsuki-kun?”
Subaru looked confused at the request, before nodding in confirmation.
“I’ve noticed that you haven’t touched a single glass of alcohol this whole night. Any reason for that?”
Subaru looked sheepish, as he scratched the back of his head.
‘Cute’ thought Anastasia as she gazed at his embarrassed, slightly flushed, expression.
Emilia seemed on edge as she watched, and became especially suspicious as she heard Anastasia’s internal thoughts.
Rem seemed to look more frustrated, but ultimately decided to keep quiet.
Subaru nervously chuckled, before speaking, “W-Well, you see Anastasia; I’ve never drank before.
Anastasia was surprised by this, she wasn’t an alcoholic by any means, but to hear about someone his age who never drank was surprising to the merchant.
“Mind if I ask why, Natsuki-kun?” Anastasia questioned.
“This may sound surprising, but drinking under the age of 20 is illegal where I come from. I’ve never really seen the appeal.” The last part wasn’t completely true, he had been curious about having a sip or two on occasion.
Anastasia was intrigued by the statement, ‘where I come from’. She had her theories about Subaru, and wanted to see answers to them.
Subaru continued, “It took me a while to get used to Lugunica’s drinking laws.”
Anastasia understood the sentiment, it was hard to break out of old habits, even after change. It was hard for her to get used to how things were done in Lugunica. Not to mention the difference in cuisine.
“Can’t say I’m the same. I’m not an alcoholic or anything, but I do fancy myself a drink every so often.” replied Anastasia
She took a small sip out of her glass.
“If you come in close, I’ll tell you a little secret, Natsuki-kun.”
Otto leaned in closer to the screen.
‘A secret from Anastasia Hoshin, one of the greatest merchants of our time? This could be important information, maybe something that would give the Emilia camp an advantage? Maybe a secret that could be exploited? Maybe some insight on her dealings?’
Subaru shuffled closer, head leaning in so that his ear was closer to her lips. His face was slightly pink from her earlier statement.
“This liquor I’m drinking isn’t from the party. I brought it over from my personal stash.”
Otto slumped over, all his earlier energy draining from his body. ‘ALL THAT SUSPENSE FOR SOMETHING AS INSIGNIFICANT AS THAT!’ Otto internally screamed.
Subaru couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Why you deceitful woman! How dare you do something so scandalous!” Subaru exclaimed with mock indignation. “I should expose you for your crimes!”
“Oh please great knight! Have mercy on me!” Anastasia replied with fake anguish.
They both paused for a second, before heartily laughing together.
“They seem pretty close, don’t they?” muttered Rem.
‘They communicate so naturally. The way they speak suggests them being close, extremely close. This certainly goes beyond the border of a formal relationship.’ thought Wilhelm as he stoked his chin.
Emilia, pouting, whispered, “Why are you laughing with Anastasia-San, Subaru.”
She pinched the unconscious boy’s cheek.
Julius seemed thoughtful. He glanced towards Anastasia, who still had a smile plastered on her face, along with a slight blush. “Ah. So that’s how it is.”
Julius’ expression morphed into a smile. ‘I congratulate you two, Subaru, Lady Anastasia.’ Julius peered over at Anastasia, ‘I’m happy you found such a good man, my lady. I wish you two the best.’ Julius continued to look at the screen, a wide smile plastered on his face.
Otto squinted his eyes as he stared at the screen, ‘Could Anastasia-San be trying to get information out of Natsuki-San?’
Crusch watched the screen intently, as she internally thought, ‘Anastasia must be looking for an opening to take advantage of Subaru-Dono like when she swindled him out of information.’ She looked at Anastasia, seeing her smile and slight blush. ‘She is definitely planning something.’
Ricardo giggled a bit at the exchange. ‘So you finally found someone Ana-bo? I’m glad that it’s him, he’s a good kid.’ His gaze peered over to Julius, both gazed at each other's faces before they simultaneously nodded, and looked back at the screen.
Both slowly calmed down, while small giggles escaped them every so often. Subaru had a serene smile on his face , before he spoke up, “You don’t have to worry about me telling anyone, Anastasia-San.”
Anastasia glanced at him, before a small chuckle escaped her lips. “If I had a worry about you telling on little ol’ me Natsuki-kun, I wouldn’t have told you.”
She took a small sip from her glass, before continuing, “I know you’re not the type to rat me out for my horrible crime.”
Subaru smiled at her admission of trust. Both stared at the stars in the distance.
Anastasia looked down at her hands, both still holding the drinks. She released a small breath she didn’t realise she was holding in, before she spoke up, “Mind if I ask a question, Natsuki-San?”
“You’ve already asked a few now.” he chuckled. She smiled at his joke, before chuckling a bit.
Subaru continued, “Sure, I don’t mind answering another.”
“You’re from beyond the great waterfall. Aren't you, Natsuki-kun?” Anastasia questioned.
The actions in the theatre came to a stop.
Otto’s mind was reeling, he thought back to the business dealings Subaru had recently got involved with, how he had secured a partnership with the Anastasia camp to distribute his creations that would be credited to the Emilia and Anastasia camps.
Crusch stood up, eyes sharply locked onto Anastasia, before she spoke up with authority, “Why did you ask this, Anastasia-San? Have you been aware of Subaru-dono’s predicament, and if so, for how long?”
Hearing the questions aimed at her, she let out a small sigh. “If you must know; I looked into Subaru-kun’s history, but I couldn’t find anything before the day he was summoned. At the time I thought my informants just couldn’t find more information about him because of incompetence, but the more I thought about the way Subaru-Kun spoke and acted, I couldn’t get a solid idea of which nation he could have been from. Added on with the knowledge of the metia Subaru-kun used in the whale hunt, the idea of him being from another world popped into my head.”
Emilia listened intently. ‘Why couldn’t I notice my knight’s foreign actions and speech?’ Emilia internally questioned.
Subaru was momentarily stunned by the question.
Noticing the surprise on his face, Anastasia continued, “I have believed for some time now that you’re from beyond the great waterfall, Natsuki-kun. I just wanted to ask; Was I right?”
Subaru looked at her eager expression for a few moments, then nodded, a small smile on his face.
“You’re right Anastasia-San, I’m from beyond the great waterfall!” Subaru exclaimed.
He pointed off to the horizon, almost as if gesturing to the boundary of the world.
‘Cute. He looks so excited pointing off to the distance like someone who has been holding information for far too long.’
She giggled at his exaggerated motions, as she felt the satisfaction of being correct in her assumption wash over her.
“While I’m happy to know I’m right Natsuki-kun, the great waterfall is closest to us in that direction.” Anastasia said as she grabbed his hand and pulled it towards the opposite direction, pointing towards the building.
Subaru flushed a bit, before exclaiming, “That isn’t as cool as pointing towards the distance!” Anastasia giggled as he seemed to deflate.
“I can’t argue with that, but you can’t argue with geography.”
Subaru grumbled under his breath, Anastasia could only hear a few words, ‘stupid geography’ and ‘ruining my moment’. Anastasia couldn’t get the smile off her face.
Subaru sighed, then spoke up, “I’m guessing you have a few more questions you want to ask?”
“Yep! Just about your world.” Anastasia answered with no hesitation. “Nothing too personal. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I must ask.”
“Alright, I don’t mind.” replied Subaru.
The cast were eager to hear more about the strange land Subaru came from.
Anastasia beamed a bright smile. She began asking a few questions, as Subaru answered. What was the government like? What country are you from? How many countries are in your world? (She was shocked to hear that there were over 100 countries). What’s the currency like? What is trade like?
The cast were overwhelmed by the information about Subaru’s home country. An emperor that had no power? How strange. 100 countries? So many! Large bodies of water called oceans? And a way to traverse them? Absolutely ludicrous.
Reinhard was starry-eyed, he loved hearing about other nations since he was forbidden to visit them. Hearing about Subaru’s homeworld was a dream come true. Felt smiled at Reinhard's joy-filled face.
Crusch was intrigued by the governmental structure in Japan.
Garfiel, excited, whispered to Otto, “Brotto, Cap’n’s world s’ cool!”
Naoko and Kenichi chuckled at their excitement.
Most in the theatre were interested in the questions, except Anastasia, who seemed to have a smug aura around her at the fact that she knew more about Subaru than the others.
Anastasia questioned him further, “How far apart do you think the technology in your world is compared to ours?”
Subaru looked thoughtful, then spoke, “If I had to put an estimate, I’d say around 800 years, or so.”
Anastasia’s eyes popped out of her head. She blinked a couple of times.
Most in the theatre had a similar reaction as Anastasia on screen. How could they not be surprised? 800 years behind Subaru’s world? That was double the number of years since the great calamity.
Subaru, seeing her reaction, started giggling uncontrollably. Anastasia smiled at his reaction.
‘Adorable. He sounds so happy, like a carefree child.’
“I’m guessing you’re surprised. The time difference is kind of weird, modern bathrooms exist and some technology, but there are also a lot of things that don’t exist here or are considered to be really old in my world. Since magic exists here, it isn’t as necessary for you to advance like on earth.”
This piqued her interest. “Are you saying magic doesn’t exist there?”
Anastasia couldn’t fathom a world without magic. Magic was a common aspect of daily life. No magic? Did Subaru’s world not have mana? Anastasia quickly understood why technology must’ve advanced so much faster in Subaru’s world than her own.
Subaru nodded his head, “Magic doesn’t exist back home. Any magic that you see is optical illusions or tricks.”
The theatre wasn’t surprised by this, they had already seen parts of Subaru’s world and understood that magic didn’t exist there. Most in the theatre had their doubts about magic in Subaru’s world when Subaru’s lack of understanding over basic concepts were shown, and their theories were confirmed when they asked the Natsuki couple.
“Could I borrow a coin from you?” Subaru asked.
“My, my Natsuki-kun, are you trying to get some money out of this little lady?” Anastasia teased.
Subaru flushed a bit, before regaining his composure. “I wanted to show you a trick that I learned.”
Anastasia looked slightly surprised, before her lips morphed into a smile. She pulled a copper coin out of a small crimson pouch, before handing it to him.
Subaru grasped the coin, then coughed a couple of times into his fist.
“This is a copper coin!” He said dramatically. “ I will now clutch it tightly in my hand.”
“Tight, tight, tight.” he spoke as he clutched his palms over the coin.
“And, like that!” Subaru exclaimed as he opened his palm to reveal the coin had disappeared.
He gave her a bright smile, then exclaimed, “The coin has disappeared!”
She blinked a couple of times as she saw his open palm.
Subaru put his hand forward.
He put his hand on her head.
‘What’s he doing?’ she thought as she felt his hand on her head.
He slowly ran his fingers through her hair. She flushed a light crimson as she felt the warmth of his touch.
He pulled his hand out of her hair, revealing the coin, and exclaimed, “And this was where the coin was hiding!”
She watched as he stared at the coin with starry-eyes.
‘The trick wasn’t bad. It would probably be popular with children.’ thought Anastasia.
Anastasia’s mind wandered, ‘Maybe Mimi, Tivey, and Hetaro would like it. Natsuki-kun does seem quite good with children.’
She was snapped out of her thoughts by Subaru handing her back the coin.
Most children in the theatre were awestruck at the trick.
“How’d Subaru do that, Frederica nee-sama?” questioned Petra
Frederica looked down at her pupil’s eager face, patted her head, then spoke, “I believe it’s through some slight of hand, Petra.”
Mimi was starry-eyed at the spectacle, started shaking her brothers “Did you see that Tivey! Hetaro! Mini-boss is so cool!”
“Ah! I saw Mimi! Please stop shaking us!” Tivey said.
Anastasia was stuck in thought, muttered under her breath as she stroked her scarf, “Good with children? He would definitely be a good father wouldn’t he?”
Hetaro looked over at his lady, still dizzy from the shaking his older sister had given him. He noticed her scarf twitch. ‘Did our lady’s scarf move?’ Hetaro pondered.
He shook his head, then dismissed the thought. ‘I must still be a bit dizzy.’
“So, want to get back to the questions, Anastasia-san?” asked Subaru.
“Well, it’s not really a question as much as it’s a proposal.” said Anastasia.
Subaru raised an eyebrow, growing slightly weary, then questioned, “What kind of proposal?”
“Considering how advanced your world is compared to mine, you must have some wonderful ideas in that head of yours, Natsuki-kun. Ideas that could be really useful in creating some fantastic inventions. All you’d need to create them is some help. Which is where I come in.”
She looked up to see his confused face, then elaborated, “Now, don’t worry, I’m not asking you to leave your camp and join mine. You wouldn’t accept that. I want a mutually beneficial partnership, where both of us profit.”
Subaru’s eyes squinted at the new proposal. “And what would that partnership entail, Anastasia-San?”
“A business oriented partnership between our camps, both camps take credit for the inventions.” Anastasia began. “You help with the ideas, making them, explaining how they work. I give you the best supplies, teams, and help market the products. I share the manufacturing process with your camp, so you can have a production line as well. The profits will be shared among our camps, and you’ll get a considerable dividend of the profits.”
He listened intently to her offer, eyes widening at the end. “Y-you don’t need to give me that much, Anastasia-San. I-I don’t need it.” Subaru stuttered out.
Otto seemed to go ghastly pale at Subaru’s proclamation. ‘HE’S TURNING DOWN THAT MONEY?! HE WOULD HAVE A FORTUNE!’
Anastasia’s eyes narrowed at what he said, as she looked at with an eerie smile on her face. “I insist Natsuki-kun, it’s only fair that you receive your due”
‘You better accept this deal, Natsuki-kun. You will accept your share and you will like it!’ Anastasia internally thought.
Subaru gulped at Anastasia’s tone. “Y-You’re right Anastasia-San.” Subaru stuttered out.
Otto visibly relaxed, deflating back onto his seat. ‘Thank Od.’ he internally thought.
Her intense aura depleted, as she gave Subaru a wide smile. “Great! I’m thinking 20%”
Subaru wanted to deny it, tell her he didn’t need that much, but he remembered her gaze from earlier. “20% is great.”
“Glad we could agree.” Anastasia happily chirped. “The exact details of the deal would require Emilia-San to be present, are you open to it?”
Subaru contemplated it for a bit. “I like the sound of it. I’ll ask Emilia-tan whether she’s open to it.”
“Great! I’m free in a week, so we can discuss it then.”
“Sounds good to me!” Subaru cheerily exclaimed.
“Thanks for hearing me out, Natsuki-kun. It’s been on my mind for a while now, weighing on me. I’m not particularly good at carrying heavy weights.” she joked.
“No problem Anastasia-san.” said Subaru
The merchant looked at her hands, before getting an idea.
“Why don’t we celebrate?” questioned Anastasia.
“How?” Subaru asked.
Anastasia grabbed the second glass, then asked, “How about sharing a drink? Just you and me?”
Subaru was a bit hesitant, what if he revealed the truth about Return by death in a drunken stupor?
He mulled over it for a bit, before ultimately deciding that it wouldn’t affect him that much. What harm could one glass do?
“You know what? Sure.” Subaru said as he grabbed the glass she was offering him.
The theatre seemed to become more worried
Otto, worried for Subaru, spoke up, “What if you start babbling about return by death, Natsuki-San! It could cause so much trouble for you!”
“No! You shouldn’t drink my knight! What if you start saying things about Return By Death!” Emilia lectured.
Rem seemed worried. ”My hero, you shouldn’t do this, what if you become addicted?”
Crusch turned to look at Anastasia, before she asked, “Did Subaru say anything about Return By Death, Anastasia-San?”
Anastasia locked eyes with the duchess, then replied, “Don’t worry, Subaru-kun didn’t say anything that could even remotely hint to Return By Death.”
The theatre collectively relaxed at the information.
“Cheers!” Subaru exclaimed as he clinked his glass on hers.
“Cheers!” Anastasia replied.
Both took a small sip of their drinks. Subaru felt the liquid travel down his throat, with a slight burn. Pulling it away, he coughed a couple of times.
Anastasia looked at him, smiled, then asked, “How is your first time drinking alcohol?”
Subaru looked at her, smiled, then replied, “Quite good. I always heard that alcohol was an acquired taste, but it’s quite enjoyable.”
Anastasia grinned at his indirect compliment. “This gal only accepts the best after all.”
Subaru snickered. “Well, you’re definitely rich enough for that.”
“Damn right I am.” she jokingly replied.
Subaru took another sip, bigger than the last, as Anastasia cleared her throat.
“So, Natsuki-kun-”
She was promptly cut off by Subaru. “Call me Subaru. We’re drinking together, and I told you about my homeworld. I think it’s appropriate for you to call me Subaru.”
She blinked twice, before giving him a wide smile. “Well then, Subaru-kun, How did your camp take it when you told them about your origins?”
Rem’s mind drifted at the conversation about the nickname ‘So that is why Anastasia-Sama has been calling Subaru-kun in that manner, instead of Natsuki-kun like in the past.’
Subaru looked a little awkward, then chuckled. “About that-
I haven’t exactly told them.”
Anastasia’s eyes widened, visibly surprised, she spoke, “No-one? Not even Emilia or Beatrice?”
“Nope, not even them”
Anastasia couldn’t help but feel a tad honored by the fact that she was the sole person to know about his origin.
“If you don’t mind me asking; Why not?” she asked. She elaborated further, “Any particular reason on why you haven’t told them?”
Subaru looked thoughtful, before he spoke, “I just didn’t think they’d believe me I guess. They’d probably think I was joking or that I was crazy. I never really needed to tell them since it never came up, so I just never did.”
Emilia was a little hurt. ‘We wouldn’t have thought that. Would we?’ She was unsure about whether she would’ve dismissed it as another one of his jokes or not.
‘If only I asked about your weird subarisms, Natsuki-San.’ contemplated Otto.
‘If only gluttony didn’t get me. Maybe I would’ve asked about it, my hero.’ Rem thought with slight annoyance at the archbishop of gluttony.
Beatrice seemed thoughtful. ‘I’m glad you eventually told Betty, I suppose. But Betty should’ve been the first to know, in fact!’
He giggled a bit. “It feels nice to finally tell someone. Never expected it to be you though.”
She chuckled. “I guess we’re both a little more free of something. It’s nice when both parties get something out of an exchange.”
“It sure is.” replied Subaru
As they both continued to drink, they both became slightly tipsy. Anastasia had been drinking for a while now, and had already started feeling the effects.
Subaru had been more of a lightweight, and had already reached the same amount of inebriation. They both still maintained some mental capabilities, but it was clear that their inhibitions were dissipating.
Subaru looked over at Anastasia. He had seen Anastasia before, but never truly observed her. His eyes wandered over her petite frame. He saw how her dress hugged her figure. He looked at her slender waist, wide hips and flat stomach. Her luscious mauve hair flowed down to her hips, lighter pink present in streaks. Now that he was seeing her, truly seeing her, he could confidently say that she was stunning.
She turned to look at him, and both of their eyes locked onto each other, he noticed that she was staring at him similarly to how he was looking at her a moment prior.
Subaru looked in her blue-green eyes, the crystalline eyes that would be so rare back on Earth. Her eyes would be one in a million back home, the serene cool shades that blended to form a galaxy-like hue. Having the attention of such a pretty pair of eyes, he couldn’t help but feel like the most handsome man in the world.
Anastasia stared up at Subaru’s eyes. She used to think they were a bit scary, but in this moment, she looked at them, truly saw them for what they were worth. They were beautiful. Anastasia, being the merchant that she was, had to know the value of something at a glance. If a merchant didn’t know the value of what they were investing in, they could easily get swindled. Anastasia loved the unique for that reason, they had value, they were rare, different, a cut above the rest. So when her eyes met his, she realized something.
‘Nat-Subaru-kun’s eyes are very unique.’
They both quickly moved their vision back at the horizon, cheeks slightly flushed. Subaru couldn’t help but steal a few glances in her direction.
Despite her tipsiness, Anastasia still possessed her keen observation. She noticed Subaru’s eyes on her figure, and she felt thrilled. Subaru, that uniquely charming boy was looking at her, drinking in the view of her body. She wanted more. She wanted those special eyes of the unique boy to continue looking at her.
Not as something to show off, but as something more.
In a sweet and sultry tone, she teased, “See something you like Subaru-kun?”
Anastasia in the theatre was blushing heavily.
Crusch was a deep beet-red. ‘How could she say something so bold to him out of nowhere?’
Emilia looked down at her interlocked fingers. ‘Why is Subaru looking at Anastasia-San like that?’
Rem seemed thoughtful, ‘What did Anastasia-San mean by that? Surely it meant nothing, maybe it was a joke. Right, a joke.’
Julius tried his best to hold in a chuckle. ‘How bold my lady; the boldness suits you.’
Naoko and Kenichi’s brains paused for a second, registering what she had asked him. They both turned to stare at each other. “Did she just?” Kenichi muttered.
“Say what we think she said?” Naoko completed.
Priscilla’s eyes glimmered. ‘How intriguing. So the conniving fox has the courage to claim what is rightfully mine.’
Ricardo’s eyes widened. “Geez Ana-bo, don’t you think you’re moving too fast?” Ricardo chuckled quietly.
Hearing her teasing comment, Subaru flushed a darker crimson.
“N-no!” Subaru shouted out, before understanding his mistake. “I-It’s not that you’re not beautiful, y-you’re stunning! I d-didn’t mean to stare!”
Anastasia had a smug grin on her face as he stammered out a response. “Relax Subaru-kun, I’m just messing with you.”
Ricardo was trying his absolute hardest to hold back his laughter. ‘Gee Ana-bo, you got him blushing like a tender maiden!’
Subaru seemed a little shocked. “You were just messing with me?”
“Yep.” she replied.
He wasn’t prepared for what she had to say next.
“Truth be told Subaru-kun, this gal might be enjoying the attention from someone as cute as you.” Anastasia playfully said.
“What.” said both Emilia and Rem, as they stared at the screen with their mouths agape.
Subaru’s blush came back in full swing.
Anastasia knew this was a risk, but she was a merchant, wasn’t she? No risk, no reward as Hoshin said.
She already knew about his supposed romantic love for Emilia. However, she also knew that there had been no progress in their relationship the past few months. At least there was no indication of such a relationship. If he didn’t want this, she would stop. She looked into his eyes, searching for any discomfort. She found none.
Subaru couldn’t tell if he enjoyed her comment due to the alcohol or because of the lack of progress in his relationships. There was absolutely no progress on bettering Rem’s condition, and despite sharing a kiss with Emilia in the sanctuary, she didn’t seem to show any indication that she liked Subaru, at least in his eyes. Maybe he just liked having some praise on his appearance?
“This gal isn’t just messing with ya, Subaru-kun. You really are quite easy on the eyes.”
A small smile graced Subaru’s lips, as he nervously asked, “T-Thank you Anastasia-san. I haven’t been complimented on my appearance before. Most consider me to look plain or scary because of my eyes.”
Anastasia frowned for a second at his comment.
“This gal retracts her previous statement.” Anastasia said before turning to look at him.
Subaru seemed to deflate a little at her comment.
Then she smiled. “This gal thinks you’re not only easy on the eyes, but very handsome as well.”
The theatre seemed to stop. Watching the pair flirting, they froze. Anastasia and Subaru were flirting? Not a single soul spoke, as Anastasia felt a drop of sweat cling to her forehead.
Subaru seemed to become even redder at her praise. He put his glass down, then covered his face to hide the crimson shade it had become.
Subaru looked at Anastasia and stammered out, “S-Stop! I-it’s embarrassing to have you say that!”
She chuckled at his reaction and moved closer to him. “But Subaru-kun is just so cute with his face all red.” Anastasia teased.
“Handsome and cute, must feel good to have all that praise, doesn't it Subaru-kun?”
“Alright, I get it!” exclaimed Subaru. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy the praise, in fact, he did enjoy it. He loved the praise, especially from a beauty like Anastasia. Her praise was different, it wasn’t filled with empty words, her words were genuine, and that only served to heighten his embarrassment.
She giggled at his reply. She expected to interact with Subaru purely for business, but she was happy. She was having fun, much more fun than the party itself. What could she say? Subaru was just so fun to be around!
“Alright, I’ll stop teasing you.” Anastasia conceded, still with a wide grin on her face.
Subaru slowly removed the hands covering his face, now a lot less red, but still slightly flushed.
“Really funny, Ana-Chan.” said Subaru, with a teasing edge at the end.
Anastasia flushed at the nickname, before recovering and moving closer to him.
She tripped, but not before Subaru caught her.
Anastasia, shoulders still being held by Subaru, spoke, “You sure move quickly, don’t ya, Subaru-kun?”
Before Subaru could respond, his nose caught the scent of something in the air. A strong aroma that felt like a raging fire, the smell of liquor on her breath. Anastasia was also smelling the same scent, but it was from Subaru’s mouth instead. Their faces were only inches apart, both appreciating each other’s features. Subaru looked at her soft lips. Anastasia looked at his lips, observing the rose tint of them.
Their faces burnt a bright crimson at the realisation of how close they were, but neither moved away.
“I guess I do move quickly sometimes Ana-chan.” stated Subaru.
“Ain’t nothing wrong with moving quickly Subaru-kun. It is the best way to take what you want, after all.” replied Anastasia.
‘Should I go for it?’ Both wondered in their heads.
They could blame the alcohol all they wanted, but both knew the truth. They wanted what was coming.
They both stared at eachother’s eyes, neither moving away. Subaru slowly leaned down, while Anastasia leaned up.
Their lips met, passionately moving against each other. It was a chaste kiss, but a sweet one, that both were enjoying.
The theatre was silent. No-one could speak a word, the sight on screen being so utterly mind boggling to almost everyone present.
Subaru couldn’t believe that his second kiss was taken by Anastasia and not Rem nor Emilia. Yet, he didn’t mind as much as should’ve. Her lips were plush and sweet.
Anastasia couldn’t help but feel ecstatic at the kiss. Subaru’s lips were surprisingly soft and surprisingly sweet. The fact that she was kissing the knight of her rival only seemed to fuel the thrill of the kiss to her. It felt like she had a victory over Emilia. It wasn’t that she hated Emilia or anything, in fact she felt a little bad for her, but she brushed the thought off, kissing Subaru was too good to stop. ‘Shouldn’t have left him waiting. You lose anything that you don’t maintain after all.’
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. They both slowly pulled away from the kiss, a string of saliva connecting them. They both took deep breaths as they stared into each other's eyes to look for even a hint of regret.
They didn’t see any regret in each other's eyes, only desire, a primal desire for each other.
‘The kiss felt so intimate compared to the one in the sanctuary. She actually wants to kiss me, like I want to kiss her.’
Emilia felt like she had been slapped across the face.
Anastasia wrapped her hands around Subaru’s neck. Subaru wrapped his around her waist. Their lips smashed together and moved in a primal rhythm, desire clear from every movement. Anastasia’s tongue tried prodding along his lips. Subaru’s eyes shot open for a second, before relaxing and allowing her tongue entry into his mouth. Anastasia’s tongue slithered its way into his mouth, greedily exploring its debts. He met it with his own. Their tongues wrestled each other in a battle of dominance.
Subaru was surprised by how cushiony Anastasia’s hips felt against his wrists. Anastasia was similarly surprised by how firm Subaru’s abdomen felt. Their warmth was shared between the two, it felt nice, comfortable, natural to the pair.
Eventually, the need for air became too great, and their lips parted. They both continued to stare into each other's eyes. They both took deep breaths as their hands stayed at their intimate positions. They didn’t want to let go. They refused to let go. They wanted more.
Anastasia broke the silence, “Let’s go to my room.”
Subaru, still flushed, looked surprised at her statement. “A-Are you sure? D-Don’t you think it’s a little too soon?”
“It’s risky if we continue out here, someone could see us. My room will help us maintain our privacy.” explained Anastasia.
Subaru looked thoughtful, before nodding his head. “Alright, let’s go.”
The lights in the theatre suddenly turned on as the screen shut off.
The director’s voice boomed throughout the theatre. “Alright, that will be all for today’s viewing. Please take a break before your next one.”
Before anyone could say anything, Anastasia bolted out of the theatre.
She quickly passed by a number of rooms, before coming upon a bright purple door, with a sign over it, ‘Anastasia’s Room’.
She quickly opened the door, entered, then slammed it shut. Quickly locking the door. She began pacing around her room.
‘What should I do? What should I do?’
“OD-DAMN IT!” Anastasia shouted out in frustration.
She sat on her bed, hands clutching her forehead in frustration.
A voice rang out from her side, “I’m sure the situation isn’t as bad as you think.”
Anastasia looked to her side, only to be met with a small white fox. It was Echidna, Anastasia’s spirit companion, one of the witch of greed’s creations, and a maternal figure to Anastasia.
“I’m sure the situation can still be salvaged.” said Echidna the spirit.
“HOW?!” Anastasia shouted in frustration.
Echidna looked thoughtful, then spoke, “We’ll find a way, I’m sure of it.”
“You didn’t see their faces. They were so confused. Oh Od, Emilia might kill me!” panicked Anastasia.
“The director wouldn’t allow anyone to be harmed in the theatre. I wouldn’t worry about any potential dying yet.” Echidna smugly replied as she cuddled up next to Anastasia.
“I didn’t want them to find out this way.” Anastasia said as she picked up Echidna and placed Echidna on her lap.
“I know you didn’t want to be exposed this way but, as Subaru says, fate had other plans.” replied Echidna.
Anastasia slowly relaxed, as she gently stroked Echidna’s fur.
“What if they find out about our secret?” asked Anastasia.
Echidna looked up at Anastasia’s face.
“What if they find out”
She took a deep breath.
“about my pregnancy?”