{A reunion in the royal hallway}
Lyraen pulled Usagi into a tight, reassuring hug. The raw anger that had just been on display was quickly buried beneath a mask of forced calm, but Usagi could still feel its low hum within him. He leaned down and pressed a firm kiss to her forehead. "I'm going to go and talk it out with her," he murmured, his voice a low promise. "And then I'll come back to talk with you on the reason why you came out of the room."
He pulled away, and the smile he offered was not one of warmth, but of controlled fury. It didn't reach his golden eyes. Usagi's own throat felt tight, and she swallowed hard, forcing a tiny, awkward smile in return. Lyraen looked at Sterling, who was standing a respectful distance away. "Please guide her to the garden," he instructed. "She needs a moment of peace." With one last, lingering look at Usagi, he turned and strode away, the sound of his heavy footsteps echoing down the hall as he made his way to the tea room.
The walk through the long, silent corridor was incredibly awkward. Usagi felt the butler's presence beside her, a polite but distant sentinel. The tension of the recent confrontation and the looming conversation with Lyraen hung in the air between them. Finally, unable to bear the silence, Usagi's curiosity won out.
"Uhm… excuse me," she began, her voice a soft, uncertain whisper. "Do I know you?"
Sterling stopped walking. He tilted his head slightly, and the placid smile on his face shifted into something more knowing, something that reached his dark eyes. "Bunny?" he asked calmly, using a name Usagi hadn't heard since she was a small child. "Did you forget about me?"
Before she could process the shock of the name, he pushed back the sleeve of his tailored suit, revealing his right wrist. There, etched just above his hand, was a small, star-shaped birthmark. Usagi's breath hitched. It was the same birthmark she had seen a thousand times on the little wolf pup she had befriended as a child. Her childhood friend, who had disappeared one day without a trace.
Her mind reeled, and her polite demeanor was completely forgotten. Her quiet shock gave way to pure, unadulterated joy. "You! It's you!" she cried, her voice bright with happiness. "Where did you go? Why did you disappear? Did you become a butler? I've missed you so much! Did you remember me all this time?"
The questions tumbled out of her in a frantic, excited rush. The awkward silence of the hallway was gone, replaced by the warmth of a long-awaited reunion. Sterling's smile grew genuine as he looked at her. He didn't answer her questions right away, but simply watched her, his expression filled with a quiet, profound relief. It seemed he had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.