Morning light slipped slowly through the curtain's edge. The soft warmth of the sun touched my face, waking me from a sleep that had gone too deep. My body was still wrapped in Louise's arms, and for a moment, I just wanted to stay like this. Still. Comfortable. Safe.
But that warmth quickly turned into nervousness when memories of the previous night came rushing back. Louise's embrace. My moans. The touches that made my body tremble, and… the moment he held himself back.
I bit my lip. Even when he almost lost control, he still chose to respect me. My heart warmed, but at the same time, everything felt awkward. How was I supposed to act this morning?
"You woke up first," Louise mumbled without opening his eyes, his voice deep and husky. His arms pulled me in tighter. "Don't leave yet."
I gave a small smile, even though my heart was racing out of rhythm. "I just want to get some water…"
Louise finally opened his eyes and looked at me. His gaze was soft, but also slightly shadowed. "You're still thinking about last night, aren't you?"
I didn't answer. But maybe my silence was already clear enough.
He brushed his fingers through my hair. "I don't regret holding back. But to be honest… it was torture."
I turned quickly, my face flushing red. "Louise!"
He let out a quiet laugh, then sat up on the bed, the blanket slipping down around his waist. The sight of his half-bare torso made me reflexively turn my gaze away.
"You're still shy after all those sweet little moans last night?" he teased.
"I'm getting water!" I blurted and jumped out of bed, rushing to the kitchen.
But as soon as my foot landed on the first step of the stairs, a loud sound came from outside the bar.
BOOM!
Something like an explosion shook the window panes. I flinched, nearly losing my balance.
"Airi!" Louise, hearing the blast, immediately got up and followed me to the stairs.
We both looked out the window.
Smoke.
People running.
Thick black clouds rising from the northern side of the city—near the palace center.
"What's happening?" I whispered in horror.
Louise grabbed his jacket. "I'm going out. Stay here."
"Wait! I'm coming with you!"
"No! It's dangerous, Airi. I don't want you—"
"I can take care of myself. I won't stray far from you."
Louise stared at me for a long moment before finally nodding reluctantly.
We rushed outside. The streets were already crowded with panicked townsfolk. Flames licked at a building near the palace gates. Guards were trying to hold back the crowd.
And in the middle of that chaos…
"Duke?!" I cried out, spotting a familiar figure stumbling through the smoke.
Louise stepped forward quickly and pulled me behind him. "Stay back."
The Duke looked battered. Blood ran down from his temple. He turned his head when he saw us.
"Airi… Louise… they… they tried to kill me."
"What?! Who?!"
"Rebels. An old faction… ones I once imprisoned. They infiltrated the party, disguised as servants. They knew about last night's gathering. They struck when I was on my way back."
Louise growled. "Bastards."
I grabbed Duke's arm. "You need treatment. You can't stay standing like this."
He shook his head. "Sebastian… he's still inside. They've surrounded the main hall. If they get to him… this city will lose its protector."
"We have to help him!" I shouted.
Louise clenched his jaw. "You go back to the room. I'll—"
"No! I'm not leaving you. I can help."
"Airi, this isn't the time to be stubborn."
But before we could continue arguing, another explosion rang out. This time, closer. People screamed. Flames began to climb the outer walls of the palace.
And then… a horse-drawn carriage sped past us, almost crashing into us. Louise pulled me into his arms, throwing us both to the ground, shielding my body with his own.
My heart pounded. His face was right above mine. His breath was ragged.
"This is insane…" he murmured.
We got up and ran toward the palace, sneaking in through a back corridor Louise once showed me. That narrow path seemed mostly unknown. We made it through the kitchen.
Inside the palace was chaos. Furniture overturned. Servants hiding under tables. A few bodies lay still on the floor. I trembled.
"Sebastian's in the main hall," Duke gasped.
We rushed toward the hall. And there we saw him.
Sebastian.
Standing tall in the middle of the burning room, sword in hand, protecting two servants behind him.
Three masked figures circled him. They carried weapons.
"Sebastian!" Louise shouted.
Sebastian turned. "Get out of here! I can handle this—"
But we couldn't just stand by.
Louise charged forward first, slamming into one attacker with a brutal punch. I ran to pull the servants to safety.
Duke, still weak, grabbed a metal rod and hurled it at one of the rebels aiming at Sebastian.
The fight was fast and fierce. Louise handled two enemies. Sebastian fought the last. Blood splattered across the floor. Smoke filled the air.
I did what I could—grabbing a heavy object and knocking one down from behind.
After what felt like forever… they all went down. Some dead, others fleeing.
Sebastian collapsed, breathing hard. Louise moved in, helping hold him up.
"You idiot," Louise muttered.
Sebastian smiled weakly. "But still alive."
I could only sit on the floor, gasping, my body trembling from adrenaline.
I never imagined this morning would turn out like this.
Never imagined I'd risk my life.
And never imagined… I'd see the three men tied to me fight for my safety.
Hours later, things finally calmed. The attackers were captured, the fires extinguished. The palace became a center of investigation.
I sat in the palace's lounge, hands still shaking. Louise beside me, silent. Sebastian sat across, bandaged.
Duke entered last, his temple wrapped in cloth.
"I owe my life to the three of you," he said.
I couldn't speak. But Louise answered, "You owe more to Airi. He stayed even when he could've run."
They all turned to me.
I looked down. "I couldn't run… not when the people I care about were in danger."
Silence settled over the room.
And that's when I realized…
It didn't matter how this story would end.
I was already bound.
By bravery.
By love.
And by the fear I could no longer ignore.
After the palace attack, the city slowly returned to peace, though the scars were still visible in its corners. People cleaned, rebuilt, and helped one another with a shared spirit born from the bitter ordeal.
That day, the sun shone warm. Spring air carried the scent of blooming flowers. And for the first time in a long while… the four of us could finally breathe.
Louise, who was usually a mess, wore relaxed clothes, his hair tied up lazily. Sebastian wore a loose white shirt, looking far younger and gentler than his usual cold general persona. Duke wore a long coat, but his face wasn't as grim as it used to be.
And me… I just wore something simple. But my eyes never left the three of them. I couldn't believe we could sit like this, together, in the palace's back garden—with a wooden table, warm bread, and sweet tea in the middle.
"This… feels too peaceful. I'm scared it's just a dream," I murmured.
Louise set down his cup and pinched my cheek. "Does it hurt? Then it's real."
"Ow! Louise!"
Sebastian chuckled softly. "You never change."
"And I don't want to. Because if I changed, who else would make Airi this annoyed?"
I pouted, but couldn't hide my smile.
Duke, who had been staring at the blue sky, finally spoke. "I want to apologize… to all of you."
We turned to him.
"What happened yesterday wouldn't have happened if I'd been more cautious. If I hadn't been so caught up in political games."
"Stop blaming yourself," Sebastian said. "Anyone can slip up. What matters is you're still alive, and we… are still together."
Duke looked at me. "Especially you, Airi. I never imagined… a flower delivery boy could do all that."
I lowered my head in embarrassment. "I just… didn't want to do nothing."
Louise nodded. "And that's enough."
A brief silence followed. But not the awkward kind. The warm kind. Like a soft blanket wrapping our hearts.
Then Sebastian stood up, stretching. "I think we need something more cheerful."
"Like what?" I asked.
"A game."
I raised an eyebrow. "The general… playing?"
"Hey, I'm still human."
We ended up playing coin toss—trying to land coins in cups. Simple, but it made us laugh. Especially when Louise purposely aimed one at Duke's forehead.
"That's not fair!" Duke complained, trying not to laugh.
"Oh, it's very fair, Your Grace. You need more reality slaps," Louise replied.
Sebastian suggested a guessing game—about who peeked at Airi the most.
"That's cheating! You know the answer!" I cried.
"Yeah, the answer is: everyone at this table," Duke muttered, sipping his tea.
I covered my face with both hands. "Please… stop…"
"You're adorable when you're flustered, you know?" Louise whispered in my ear.
My face turned even redder. I didn't know whether to laugh or crawl under the table.
When lunchtime came, the rivalry got more intense.
Louise casually fed me a piece of bread. "Here, open up, sweetheart."
Sebastian quickly grabbed the teapot and poured me some tea. "Drink first before you choke on that idiot's antics."
Duke didn't stay quiet. He walked out into the garden, came back with a small flower, tucked it behind my ear, and whispered, "Something this lovely suits someone as beautiful as you."
I froze.
Louise scoffed. "Disgusting."
"Jealous?" Duke shot back.
Sebastian just rolled his eyes. "You two are like kids."
"Because only one will be chosen," Louise said coldly.
"And that might not be you," Duke replied with an edge.
I stood quickly. "Enough! This is a peaceful day, not a battlefield."
They all went quiet. But when I sat back down, they still kept exchanging glances.
After lunch, we walked around the garden. Flowers bloomed everywhere. Birds sang. The sky was a perfect blue.
Sebastian walked beside me, telling me funny stories from military training. Duke tucked another tiny flower behind my ear, pretending to look proud like he'd painted a masterpiece.
Louise… walked behind me. But when I turned around, he smiled softly. His eyes weren't teasing—just looking at me like I was… something precious. Still, I could see his fingers clench slightly when Sebastian touched my arm for too long.
I could feel it…
They were all trying to steal my attention.
And me?
I just wanted to laugh. But I couldn't stop the storm in my chest.
That day… might not be recorded in history books.
But in my heart, it would be a day I'd never forget.
A day when four broken souls could laugh together. A day when love felt sweet—and started to feel complicated. A day when I realized…
Home isn't always a building. Sometimes… home is the people who choose to sit beside you, no matter what.
To be continued...