The group of four found themselves trapped in an awkward silence. With no pressing imminent threat to his person, Eren finally had a moment to pull himself together. Subconsciously, he moved further into a corner of the room, putting a comfortable distance between the moody young dragon lord and himself. His brow began to twitch just looking at the three culprits responsible for his current miserable state. Clutching his chest with unspoken rage, he tried to calm his ragged breathing.
"You're scared of me…?" Rei's scarlet eyes trembled. He doesn't know why, but it feels wrong for the other to be afraid of him. There's a heap of complex unspoken words stuck in his throat, refusing to come out.
"No shit, you come in here and start swinging your blades without a care. Should I be thanking you for shortening my life?" Eren's light brown eyes glare at him in reproach.
…
The brunette at least had the decency to look ashamed of his prior reckless actions.
"Even if I did take possession of Arie, do you think treating me like that would have helped? What if I felt so threatened that I decided mutual destruction is the only way to go? What would you have done then, tough guy?" All his fear spewed out like blades, excoriating the young dragon lord.
"But you said you're the other half of her soul, you wouldn't do that."
"Now, yeah, but back then you didn't know that now did you?"
…
"Get out!"
"Wait, I'm willing to listen now. I know I was wrong for attacking you without any provocation. I just didn't expect to see-" Rei tries to explain while tripping over his words, not often finding himself in the role of aggressor.
"I don't care what you expected to see. I want you all out!" Similar to when he first tried to enter the seal himself, Eren uses that same force to evict all party members from Ariellia's mind palace. Only once they disappear does he slump back against the wall, running his hand down his face.
'I feel so tired.'
He's so exhausted he's not even keen on knowing what's happening outside the seal.
The invisible force pushes Rei's consciousness back into his body with so much force that he flies off the bed with a loud crash. Arie begins to stir, waking up with a displeased look on her face.
"You shouldn't have scared him like that. Eren is a nice guy."
"Eren?" Rei pulls himself off the ground, wincing a bit from the sharp, stinging pain in his tailbone.
"His name is Eren Walden, and he saved my life. You, hubby, are not allowed to be rude to him again." Arie's so love-struck she typically overlooks most of Rei's faults, too busy trying to win his affection, but this time he can tell something's changed. She's looking down at him from above the bed with unfamiliar stern eyes, fitting the part of a cold duchess for the first time.
"What do you mean he saved your life?"
She doesn't answer immediately, shifting her gaze towards the bedroom windows instead. "It will be dawn soon. We should get dressed if we are to ride out at first light."
She pulls the servant's bell in a natural, practiced motion. He suddenly realizes this is the first time he's seen her do this in the past month. Before now, Ariellia always tried to do things for herself. She didn't resist the actions of her maids when they came in of their own volition to perform their daily tasks, but she also hardly initiated these interactions.
He watches in a daze as her maids assist her to bathe and dress, noting the lack of unease in her demeanor. She stood there with the proper arrogance of an aristocrat, barely acknowledging their efforts or him, for that matter. Before, she'd been too shy to even leave her dressing room without being properly clothed. Now, she seems to be purposely enticing him to look.
'It's so different.' For the first time, Rei is finally beginning to put the dots together. He'd really been living with a stranger for the past month without even knowing anything.
"But why a dress?"
Perhaps for secrecy, Miranda forgot to tell the junior maids about their journey in advance. Without knowing anything, they had dolled her up like usual in a splendid gown that hugged and accentuated her figure in the right areas. It's a gorgeous look but not very practical for their long journey ahead since they won't have the luxury of using a carriage.
"Oh look at me, I completely forgot. I've gotten so used to him deciding for me." Arie chuckles, finding the little mishap to be amusing.
"Him?"
"Eren, of course; he's usually very good at sorting through what equipment I should wear on trips like these." She motions with her hand for the maids to change her into something more fitting. Relieved by the familiar treatment and happy to keep their jobs, they rushed to grab another outfit.
"You really trust him, don't you?" Rei doesn't know how to feel about this. It's like everyone has already accepted Eren while he was left in the dark this whole time.
"Of course, he's my other self." Once redressed, Arie twirls around to show off in front of him, clearly seeking a compliment.
"You look lovely." Her childish nature naturally makes his lips curve upward without trying.
"Thank…you…husband." She tries to humbly accept the compliment like Eren might, but he doesn't miss the faint blush on her cheeks. It's an endearing look, and he's not used to this side of her either. He doesn't know how to handle the sudden closeness, so he coughs dramatically to escape the strange mood, and rushes off to finish getting dressed. Once they are both dressed, they grab Jasper's doll and head out to the stables.
They are surprised to see Riell, Clad, Miranda, Sena, and most of the senior staff waiting for them there.
"Miranda, what is all this?"
"My lady, I couldn't bear to see you go without giving you a proper send-off, at least. It pains me that I can't join you on this venture, but I trust lord Jasper and the young lord will keep you safe. If you encounter any trouble too great for you to face on the road, please summon the duchy's knights immediately." The head maid truly looks close to tears, anxiously wringing the handkerchief in her hands again for dear life. Everyone present can agree the poor piece of cloth has certainly seen better days.
"You worry too much, Miranda. Nothing strange will happen. I'll just consider this trip to the capital as part of my honeymoon." She catches Rei's eye and winks while saying this, chuckling when he purposely turns to hide his face from her sight.
"Then I wish you well, my lady. May this trip be fruitful with the night lady's blessings."
She only meant to tease Rei with her words. Who knew she would invoke Miranda's burning wish for them to consummate their marriage? Now, it's her turn to look away in shame.
"Rei, I'll stay and watch the Orphanage until the kids get settled in with the new head nun from the church. If you see Anya again, please tell her, no matter what, I forgive her, and she'll always have a home with us."
"I promise." The brunette nods his head, takes the hand of his best friend of 15 years, and pulls him into a firm hug. They both recall the past when they dreamed of going on countless quests together as adventurers, earning fame and fortune along the way. This was not how Rei imagined they would part.
"This isn't goodbye, brother. I don't know much about the capital, but you'll always have a place to come back to here, Rei. In fact, promise me, you will all come back safe."
Ariellia is surprised to see the cheeky fox boy looking at her as well, finally willing to publicly acknowledge her as his sister-in-law.
'Perhaps this one isn't beyond saving.'
"We should get going." Rei's voice interrupts her rude thoughts.
He gets on Mori-fae first and then offers her his hand. Her amethyst eyes sparkle with delight as she takes it. letting out a little squeal when he unexpectedly pulls her up to sit in front of him on the saddle in one fluid motion. She feels her heart beating wildly in her chest with excitement as their party of four begins the long-awaited journey to the capital.