After talking with Charlotte for a while, we eventually made our way back toward the celebration together, walking side by side at a relaxed pace.

"Leon," she called out, glancing at me with a slightly playful look in her eyes. "You’re going to have sex with Princess Myrcella after all this, right? Well... not Princess anymore. The King." She corrected herself mid-sentence, as if catching the slip amused her a little.

That was right. The title had changed, and it still felt a bit strange getting used to it. She wasn’t Princess Myrcella anymore. She was King Myrcella now. And after this whole celebration wrapped up, I was planning to spend the night with her. Lilia too. That had already been settled. I had also mentioned it to Veronica, invited her to join us, though she hadn’t given a clear answer yet. Still, knowing her, there was a pretty good chance she would show up anyway.

"Do you want to join?" I asked Charlotte.

"That would be a good time," she replied without missing a beat. "It’s not every day I get to be part of an orgy with the King." Her smile turned a little sharper and a little more mischievous. "If I could, I would."

"Well, you’re more than welcome," I said.

Her reaction was immediate. Her smile widened, and she leaned in just slightly, like she was savoring the thought already.

"Fufufu, I’ll be looking forward to after the party, then."

There was something different about her now. It wasn’t just the words she said, but how she said them. She sounded more genuine and less guarded. Before, there was always a sense that she was holding something back, like she was playing a role. Now, it felt like she was letting more of herself show through. Her personality came across more naturally and more honestly.

Thinking back to when I first met her, she had a noticeably more childish air to her. The twintails she used to wear didn’t help that impression either. Still, it wasn’t a bad look on her. It suited her in its own way, made her come across as cute without trying too hard. Now, though, with her hair down, there was a clear shift that she looked more mature, more composed, and it matched the way she carried herself now.

She suddenly rose up on her tiptoes, closing the small gap between us without any warning, and pressed her lips against mine.

The kiss wasn’t light or hesitant. It was deep. Her tongue slipped in easily, brushing against mine as if she had done it countless times before. There was a slow rhythm to it, almost like she was taking her time just to enjoy the moment. Then, just as naturally, she pulled back, putting a small distance between us again. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"I love you, Leon," she said, her voice softer now. "I think I’d be able to get through anything if I’m with you."

Hearing that from her felt... unexpectedly sincere.

After that, we parted ways, casually mentioning that we’d see each other again later.

As I walked back toward the celebration area, I ended up crossing paths with someone I definitely wasn’t expecting to see here.

Someone I had been trying to avoid as much as possible.

It was Kaori.

She was standing by the railing, facing outward, her gaze fixed on the horizon like she was lost in thought. In her hand was a glass, and she took small sips from it without really paying attention to anything around her. At first glance, I assumed it was something harmless. Juice, maybe. She had told me before, well, in my past life, anyway, that she wouldn’t drink alcohol before turning twenty.

But that assumption didn’t last long.

The faint smell in the air said otherwise. It was wine.

Considering everything she had been through, it wasn’t exactly surprising. People coped in different ways, and sometimes those ways weren’t exactly the healthiest. If anything, it felt like she had picked up the habit as a form of escape. Something to take the edge off, even if just a little. Last I remembered, she was still eighteen.

I figured it would be best to just walk past her without getting involved.

"Tsubasa?" she called out.

That name.

It was my old name.

The one from my previous life.

I didn’t turn around completely, but I stopped walking. Slowly, I glanced back over my shoulder, just enough to catch her in my peripheral vision.

She hadn’t moved. She was still looking out at the horizon.

It didn’t feel like she had called out to me directly. It sounded more like she had said the name without thinking, like it slipped out while her mind was somewhere else entirely.

"Grooo... brwaaaaahhhhhhgggg!!!"

Without warning, she bent forward and threw up over the railing, the contents spilling out in a messy stream. The sound alone was enough to make anyone wince. At least there was no one below. That would have made things a whole lot worse.

"Ughh... ghhh... nnng..."

Her body shook slightly as she tried to steady herself, but it was clear she was far beyond her limit. She was drunk. Really drunk. The kind where balance stops being reliable and everything starts tilting whether you want it to or not.

The way she leaned forward, it looked like she was about to fall over the railing entirely.

That wasn’t something I could just ignore.

I stepped in quickly and caught her just in time, wrapping an arm around her to keep her from tipping over. I held her firmly, making sure she wouldn’t slip. Her body felt loose, unresponsive, it was like she barely had control over herself anymore.

Using wind magic, I directed a stream of cool air toward her, letting it brush against her face and neck. The sudden chill was meant to snap her out of it, even if only slightly. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was better than nothing.

For a moment, I paused.

Then I looked at her properly.

Her face was familiar. Exactly as I remembered it. And yet, at the same time, there was a subtle difference. A kind of maturity that hadn’t been there before. Maybe it was just time. Maybe it was everything she had gone through. Or maybe it was just me seeing her differently after so long.

Either way, she wasn’t exactly the same person I remembered.

As I stood there, holding her steady, I heard footsteps approaching from somewhere behind, followed by a voice calling out with concern.

"Kaori? Kaori, where are you?"

It was Sakai.

She was looking for her.