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Chapter 4: Reunion with Celia 

Roughly one hour had passed since Rio and Aishia left the academy. 

Rio was flying in the sky above the castle alone. His black overcoat completely camouflaged him against the night sky, making it nearly impossible for him to be spotted from the ground. 

It’s been quite a while since we snuck in... Does Aishia really know what Celia looks like? Rio thought, looking down at the enormous castle below. 

Because Aishia had slept inside Rio for so long, she wouldn’t have met with Celia before. Yet, for some reason, Aishia had stated that she knew Celia’s face. Apparently, through the spiritual link that connected a contract spirit and contractee, it was possible for the contractee’s memories to be read. If that was true, then it would explain why Aishia knew the face of someone she had never met, why she could speak Japanese, and why her martial arts techniques were so similar to Rio. 

That being said, with how long had passed since she entered the castle alone, he couldn’t help but worry about her. With nothing else to do, Rio was lost in his thoughts for a while, until a telepathic message arrived from Aishia. 

Haruto, I found Celia. 

Really? 

Yup, Aishia replied. She’s located in a big building to the far left of the front gate. It’s probably a guest house. There’s an entire detached suite there that belongs to Celia. It seems like she just finished dinner and is now back. 

...All right. Is there any area where I can get inside? 

There are lots of security guards inside the building and a few knights in front of Celia’s room, so you should come in from the terrace. I’ll guide you in my spirit form. 

Thank you. I’ll fly above the guest house first. Following Aishia’s directions, Rio descended gracefully to the air above the guest house. From what he could see on the way, the security was indeed as harsh as one would expect of a royal castle. As he descended from the skies, he spotted security guards patrolling all over the place. However, with his ability to fly, it only took Rio half a minute to arrive above the guest house. 

The guest house was a building constructed separately from the castle and set up so that it could only be accessed by going through the sturdy stone bridge that connected it to the castle. With the wedding ceremony approaching, the guest house had many visitors staying over, resulting in more security guards there than near the castle. 

Celia is in a detached suite surrounded by a lake... The building closest to the castle, Aishia’s voice echoed in Rio’s head. 

Got it. Over there— Rio identified the building immediately. 

In order to reach the suite, one would normally have to use the dedicated suspension bridge, but Rio simply flew over with his spirit arts. 

There are several knights in front of the door, so drop down to the roof first. 

Okay, Rio replied, landing on the roof of the detached suite. 

Celia’s on the second floor. The corner room closer to the castle. 

...This one? 

Yes, Celia’s room is directly below. There’s a knight guarding the door, but Celia’s the only one inside. Entering through the terrace would be a wise choice, Aishia directed through telepathy. 

Understood. I’m going to drop down to the terrace, then. 

Yeah. I’ll unlock the window for you. 

With a deep breath, Rio descended onto the terrace; then, the window of the room unlocked with a clicking sound. Aishia stood inside the room in her physical form. 

This is her bedroom. Where’s Professor Celia? 

The other side of that door is a studio — Celia’s in there. Aishia quietly pointed a finger at one of the several doors in the room. 

Got it. I’ll be back. 

I’ll be on lookout duty in my spirit form and let you know if anyone comes. 

Okay. Thank you for everything, Aishia. 

No problem. Aishia shook her head and turned into her spirit form once more; the particles of light scattered everywhere. Rio walked toward the door of Celia’s studio and stopped before it. 

I guess... it would be better not to knock. It wasn’t very polite, but manners didn’t matter when he was sneaking in. 

Rio opened the door quietly. 

 ? ? 

After finishing dinner and seeing off Roland and Charles, Celia headed straight for her room. In an estate as huge as this one, the only place she got any sense of privacy was her own room. 

It was the first time I met with father in ages, yet we couldn’t have any meaningful conversation... Celia thought with a gloomy face. 

...But I’m glad I was able to confirm Father’s safety. The worst case scenario was averted, it seems... 

Before Celia’s engagement was decided, Count Claire had been secretly suspected of assisting Duke Huguenot in taking Second Princess Flora out of the capital, putting Count Claire in a precarious position himself. In order to clear that suspicion, it was decided that his daughter would wed Charles as a human sacrifice of sorts. And if he was allowed to meet her like how he did earlier, then it meant Roland’s position had now recovered. 

I’ve fulfilled my purpose of recovering my family’s position, right? All that’s left now is for me to be that man’s hostage for the rest of my life. That’s all. Yup, that’s all there is to it... Celia bit down on her lip as she tried to convince herself. Now that the engagement was set in stone, it would be impossible for Charles and the Duke Arbor family behind him to treat Count Claire’s family with disdain any longer, which was why all Celia had to do now was quietly become Charles’ puppet. 

That was all. She had already resigned herself to her fate. 

But... But... Before the end... Before I get married... I wanted to see Rio, Celia thought desperately, her eyes drawn to the surface of the work desk in the room. There, a single letter lay among the research materials. It was a letter Rio had sent several months ago. 

Celia picked up the letter and clutched it to her chest. It almost felt like Rio was beside her. She opened the envelope carefully and read it, despite having done so countless times. There was nothing special about the contents written down, but knowing that the characters were written by Rio made her heart yearn helplessly. 

When Celia had received the letter, she was barely being allowed to remain in her research laboratory in the academy, which why she was able to bring it here along with her research materials without inspection. The letter she received four years ago was stored carefully here, too. 

Lately, however, as she reread the letters, Celia noticed that she couldn’t get Rio out of her mind. 

I think... I used to like Rio. If only I realized back then... 

If she had, they may have been able to create even better memories with each other. She may have been able to confess her feelings honestly to him. 

Whenever those thoughts filled her head, Celia couldn’t help but feel like crying. 

However, it was all in the past. She would be getting married to another man tomorrow, and probably needed to get rid of the letters she received from her first love that she continued to stubbornly hold onto. 

It may be best if we never meet again. These letters will just make me feel more distressed, so I should probably dispose of them now... Celia thought with a tearful expression. 

They were easy to dispose of — all she had to do was rip them and burn them. Celia stared fixedly at the letters as she considered it, when a soft clicking noise from the only door in the room broke the silence in the air. 

“W-Who’s there?!” Celia asked with a start. She hurriedly mixed the letters among her research materials on the desk before looking at the door. 

There stood a gray-haired boy in his mid-teens, dressed in a black coat. 

 ? ? 

Rio slowly opened the door to Celia’s studio, when her voice sounded from inside almost immediately. 

“W-Who’s there?!” 

The room was warmly lit by the light of magic lamps; Rio caught a glimpse of Celia placing something on her desk in a fluster. “Quiet... It’s me, Professor Celia.” He pressed a finger against his lips to shush her. 

“...Professor? Does that make you a student of the academy, then? How did you get inside? There should have been several knights standing guard, no?” Celia questioned him warily, backing away slowly as she did. 

Was there a student like this before? A foreign child? she wondered to herself as she stared at Rio’s face dubiously. His frame was masculine and his form was slender, but visibly toned. The boy’s face was androgynous, with pretty and refined features, and his eyes had a gentle look to them. 

However, there was something suspicious about him. 

His face was fully revealed, yet his clothes didn’t seem like someone who came here through any official procedures. Thus, Celia’s first thought was that the person before her was a secret agent. It was typical for attractive men and women to be selected as spies, after all. 

“I used to be a student of the academy. How I got here is a rather long story I’m going to omit for now. The knights are still guarding the outside of your room, so please rest assured,” Rio replied, half amused. 

“...A past student?” Celia’s doubts grew stronger, but for some reason, his voice sounded somewhat familiar to her. 

“It’s me, Professor. Rio. I wrote a letter saying I’d come see you, did I not?” Rio said, chuckling. 

“...Huh?” Celia’s eyes widened as she froze. 

“Long time no see, Professor Celia,” Rio said, removing his necklace so that his hair would change from gray to black. Celia blinked blankly several times as she stared at his face. 

“Ah... eh? R... Rio?” she muttered, quite shaken. 

He definitely looked like the person in question; the second his hair turned black the resemblance became striking. No wonder his voice had sounded familiar. Even if his voice had changed during puberty, he still sounded like Rio. 

“...Professor? Did I surprise you too much?” Rio tilted his head with a troubled look, peering at the flustered Celia. Her eyes suddenly filled with tears. 

“Is that really you, Rio?” she asked in a trembling voice, desperately holding back from outwardly crying. 

Rio smiled gently and nodded. “Yes, I returned just like I promised. It’s been nearly four years, hasn’t it... oh.” 

Celia suddenly jumped at Rio’s chest, and he caught her body, gently. 

“Rio... it’s really you. It’s really you, Rio?!” Celia asked him, raising her face from his chest. 

She didn’t care why Rio was in this room right now; the bigger problem was whether the person before her was really Rio, or whether he was just an illusion she was hallucinating. 

“Yes, it really is.” Rio nodded gently. 

Celia touched Rio’s body and buried her face in his chest. “...Yeah, you’re warm. You smell like Rio, too. This isn’t a dream, right?” she asked nervously. 

“Yes, this isn’t a dream. It’s me. I’m alive. I missed you, Professor.” Rio hesitantly wound his arms around Celia’s back. 

“I missed you, too... I wanted to see you... I wanted to see you so much. You’ve grown up so much in such a short time...” Celia looked up at Rio happily, eyes glistening. 

“Me too... But you haven’t changed at all, Professor,” Rio said, grinning down at her mischievously. She remained in a daze for a moment. 


“Huh? W-What are you saying? Geez. You’re the one who grew too much. I became a little more ladylike, too, I’ll have you know!” She puffed up her cheeks and glared at Rio. 

“Yes, you’re beautiful.” Rio simply nodded happily. 

“...?! There you go again, saying things like that...” Celia blushed bright red and buried her face in Rio’s chest once more. Then, after a moment, she started hitting his chest to shake off her embarrassment. 

“It’s true. You’re just as youthful as you used to be, Professor... But you’ve become more beautiful.” Rio shook his head gently, speaking in a gentle tone. 

“Ugh... I-If you want to put it that way, then you’ve gotten more handsome, too. You’re stronger, and taller, and more manly, and accepting of others, and... umm...” Celia started to say as she looked up at Rio, intending on getting revenge for his words. However, she gradually grew more embarrassed and ended up blushing once more, until she breathed a weak groan. 

“Uugh...” 

Burying her face in Rio’s chest once more, she clutched at his clothes. With how close she was clinging, she could clearly hear the thump, thump of Rio’s heartbeat. It was warm, reassuring, and very comfortable. Celia wanted to stay like that forever. 

“Erm, thank you very much,” Rio said shyly. Then, after losing herself to Rio’s warmth, Celia returned to her senses with a gasp. 

“Ah, yeah. I-I really am glad we were able to safely reunite. Well done coming back, and let’s leave it at that!” she said in a high pitched voice, her body shaking. 

“Yes,” Rio said happily, giving a firm nod. However, his expression soon fell. “...I heard the news, Professor. You’re getting married.” 

For an instant, Celia’s eyes wavered with sadness, before she soon crafted a fake smile with all her might and agreed. “Ah... yeah. That’s right.” 

Seeing Celia like that made Rio take another step forward. “I heard your husband is to be Charles Arbor.” 

“Y-You know about that, too?” Celia avoided Rio’s gaze timidly. 

“...I apologize for being so blunt, but is this a marriage that you desired, Professor?” Rio got straight to the point with an utterly serious expression. 

“Eh, no... Umm... Why so straightforward?” Celia gave a vague reply tinted with guilt and redirected a question back instead. 

“I’m sorry, I know that I’m being awfully hasty. However, knowing that there isn’t much time until your wedding, and that Charles Arbor is the husband, I simply couldn’t wait around and do nothing. I didn’t get here through the official procedures, either.” 

“...Huh? Umm, you couldn’t possibly have snuck in here, did you?” Celia asked in disbelief. 

“I did.” 

“This is currently the most heavily guarded area of the entire kingdom... If you really did sneak in, then that failure would reflect on all the knights and soldiers, and even the kingdom itself.” 

“There wasn’t a problem with the security. I simply found a loophole catered to my abilities — it’s not like just anyone could have walked in, so you don’t need to worry about that. Both locating you and finding a way to sneak in took quite a bit of effort. However, since we’re low on time right now, I’d prefer it if you could just give a summary of what happened...” Rio said, returning the straying conversation back on topic. 

“...Yeah, you’re right.” Celia nodded meekly. She must have still had her doubts, but she agreed with him nonetheless. 

“Back when I was still a student, I remember you poured all your passions into your research and held a rather negative opinion toward marriage. Of course, it didn’t seem like you were completely uninterested...” Rio recalled, bringing up the past in question. 

“...Is that so? That sure brings back memories.” Celia smiled somewhat sadly. 

“That doesn’t mean you couldn’t have changed your mind, of course. Many years have passed since I last saw you, so its definitely possible for you to have had a change of heart in that time. That’s why I know it may be pushy of me, but I’d like to know if this wedding was something you wanted from the bottom of your heart, so that I can give you my blessings, too,” Rio explained honestly. 

“Ahaha... I mean, I did agree to this wedding...” Celia gave a bitter laugh, but she chose to use the word “agreed” rather than “desired” — intentionally, perhaps. 

“Even if your husband-to-be is Charles Arbor?” Rio asked, observing Celia’s face closely. 

“...You have a connection to him too, huh.” Celia averted her gaze from Rio with guilt. 

Rio formed a hypothesis with the information he had gathered earlier. “Was your house in an unfavorable position? And then Duke Arbor’s family came along, forcefully demanding the proposal?” 

“...Mm, that’s... a rather unfairly subjective way of putting it. Because I am a noble myself, some ties to politics should be expected when it comes to my marriage. But I’m aware of all that, and I accept it. I’m already of the age, after all... I can’t keep thinking about my research forever.” Without showing any trace of her situation as a human sacrifice, Celia easily deflected the question in a light tone. To convince Rio further, she gave him a gentle smile. 

“...So you’re not going to devote yourself to your research anymore?” 

“Of course I’m going to keep at it. I’ll be quitting my position as a professor of the academy, but I’ve been allowed to continue my research at Sir Charles’ home. It’s a very favorable condition for me, don’t you think?” Celia said cheerfully. 

“But are you really okay with that man?” Rio asked bitterly, his expression not completely satisfied with her answer. At that, Celia smiled faintly. 

“You sure are bothered by that, aren’t you? To be honest... he isn’t my ideal husband. But I’m still a noblewoman — what’s best for me isn’t the only thing I can consider. I need to make a compromise somewhere,” she replied. 

“Professor...” 

“Besides, despite his demeanor, Sir Charles is a very kind gentleman toward the ladies, you know?” At those words, Rio felt an intense sense of opposition. However, Celia’s words of acceptance of Charles sounded convincing enough, which put a wedge between them; there was simply no room for Rio to insert his emotionally charged arguments. 

Despite that, Rio refused to drop the subject. “That is... Is that really what you feel, Professor? I still can’t accept it.” 

If Celia was truly fine with it and had really accepted it, then there would still remain a part of himself that stood in opposition. Was it because her husband was to be Charles Arbor? Rio wasn’t sure. 

“...Then, will you have me instead, Rio?” Celia suddenly asked. 

Taken aback by the question, Rio’s entire body flinched. “...?!” 

“Will... Will you be the one to take me away somewhere and live with me for the rest of our lives instead?” Celia asked, her expression somehow fleeting. 

“...If that’s what you truly desire, I will take you away from here, Professor,” Rio said, quiet but full of determination. At that, Celia’s eyes widened slightly. 

“...I’m just kidding. Sorry, forget what I said. Just hearing that reply was enough for me.” Celia shook her head with tears in her eyes. Experiencing Rio’s sincere feelings like that made her feel very happy. 

No. I must not drag Rio into this... Otherwise, he would... 

Ironically, Rio’s words just now had solidified Celia’s resolve even further, which was why she stifled the bitter pain in her chest and pasted on a smile of happiness instead. 

“Even if I threw away everything and left this kingdom right this minute, I wouldn’t be able to forget the family that I’d leave behind. Even if I went with you, I’d probably end up unmarried for the rest of my life...” she continued. 

“Professor, I...” 

“Listen, Rio. That’s enough. Go on your way, now.” 

“But there’s still time...” 

“No. I’m having a bath after this, so the helpers for that will be here soon.” Celia didn’t allow any form of rebuttal. 

“I have to prepare for the ceremony early tomorrow, after all. They’d normally come a little later, but they could arrive any moment, now. If someone appeared, I wouldn’t be able to cover for you. The entire engagement could even be canceled if I was found alone in my room with a man other than my fiance.” 

“...” Rio grit his teeth and clenched his fists in silence. 

“It... may be difficult for us to meet again, but if you feel up to it, and if it’s possible... Never mind, I’m sorry. I’m glad I was able to see you before the ceremony. It’s embarrassing, so make sure you don’t come to the ceremony, okay?” Celia’s expression darkened faintly as she spoke, but she put on a cheeky grin at the very last line. 

“...” Unable to find words that expressed his emotions, Rio remained frozen in place. Celia, in the meantime, pushed Rio around by the back. 

“Go on, get going. Or I’ll yell... got it?” She pushed him into the room outside of the studio. 

“I won’t ask how you got in, but you can’t be spotted on your way out, okay? Make sure you’re out of here within 20 seconds of me closing this door. If you’re still in the room, I really will scream, okay? Goodbye,” She said, closing the door without waiting for Rio’s reply. She felt as though she wouldn’t be able to catch her breath if she continued looking at Rio’s face any longer. 

After that, Celia carefully counted down the 20 seconds before fearfully opening the door to the studio once more. There was no sign of anyone in the room. 

“Has he left...? Wait. Zona Revelare.” 

Just to be sure, Celia used an ability to detect any reactions to magic essence nearby. A magic circle appeared by her feet, sending a wave of essence to search for any other magic sources in her room and the surrounding area. 

“There’s only the knights guarding the corridor... There’s no one outside the building.” 

Celia suddenly looked toward the window connected to the terrace. Finding the lock on the inside left completely unlocked, she deduced that Rio had probably entered from there. She immediately locked it once more, letting the sound of the lock clicking shut echo uselessly in the room. 

Tears started pouring from Celia’s eyes. “...Thank you, Rio. It really made me happy to see you one more time. So long...” 

She offered words of gratitude and a farewell to someone that was no longer present. 

 ? ? 

Meanwhile, after Rio left Celia’s room, he immediately met up with Aishia in her physical form and flew up into the night sky together. 

“Are you feeling conflicted, Haruto?” Aishia asked, seeing the sour expression on his face. 

“No, I don’t think I’m conflicted... Maybe. It’s more like I haven’t fully accepted it yet.” 

“Why?” 

“...Because I couldn’t see what she was truly feeling,” Rio mumbled in reply. 

“Then what do you want to do?” Aishia asked, inquiring about his true intentions. 

“We’ll go watch the ceremony tomorrow. But first, I want to know more details about how the marriage between the Count Claire house and Duke Arbor’s house came to be.” 

Because it didn’t seem like he’d be able to talk to Celia properly without knowing that. 

“I’ll help,” Aishia offered without any hesitation. 

“...Sorry.” Rio apologized shamefully. 

“Why are you apologizing?” 

“Because I’m making you go along with my every whim.” 

“I told you before — Haruto and I will always be together. As long as you need me, I will always be here for you to lean on. So... lean on me,” Aishia said, hugging Rio gently midair. 

“...Thanks. I don’t want to impede our information search by causing a fuss, so we’ll proceed carefully. It might be a bit of a long night, but will you come with me?” 

“Leave it to me. Let’s go.” Aishia nodded, taking Rio by the hand. 

Their night had only just begun. 



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