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mamavino · 6 days

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Silver Cats & Black Roses

Chapter 3 – Sleepless Night

A/N Third chapter today, this time with our boys having sleepless nights... I love the ending part of this chapter in particular, you will see why 💜💙

Ao3 link

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In the end, it definitely wasn’t future Yami’s problem after all. One day after his wheels wedding and Yami was fed up with that unsettled feeling Charlotte left him with.

He couldn’t sleep, he wasn’t in the mood to take a dump, smoking didn’t helped to relax, the perspective of getting up and go into the kitchen for some booze wasn’t appealing and there was no way he could go in a pub and gamble his worries out in the middle of the night.

Usually he would had woken up Finral to get some of those, but that traitor was now on his honeymoon and somehow, his mother-in-law made sure on everything that no one disturbed Finrals and Finesses quality time. What a harpy Douce Calmreich was… Okay, Yami wouldn’t deny that she was a more than decent woman for a noble who loved Finral, he would give her that. But that wasn’t a reason to forbid the captain of the Black Bulls do use his wheels during said wheels honeymoon!

Was it?

Long story short, all of his usual comfort zones wouldn’t help him right now and that just sucked. But that also meant that something definitely wasn’t right. Probably since the return from Spade. At least, that was the only explanation Yami could came up with. That, and the fact that Charlotte must have something to do with it.

This far, it was pretty clear. But the reason why, how it came to this conclusion, Yami had no idea. Why was something wrong after Spade and why did it have to do with Charlotte? He talked with her during the wedding. Nothing had changed between them to make him worry this much.

He thought.

Then why didn’t it felt like before the war? Why was it different? Why was he frustrated that Charlotte still acted like before? Shouldn’t it have reassured him?

Well, so much for nothing having changed after Spade. Finral was now married and didn’t slept at the Hideout anymore, which meant Yami couldn’t get a grip on him when he needed to shit or to go gamble quickly.

Vanessa was now keeping on the squads communication device and most of the time she wouldn’t let it go, except when she was asleep. For the very first time, Yami actually regretted to not have followed old Julius’ advice and got two devices for the Black Bulls, one for the squad and one for himself. It probably would have been better, because now he had to care when Vanessa was calling some “handsome” people while he needed to make a call himself.

As for the other little changes… Charmy was now visiting the Aqua Deers for some reason, while Finral and Gordon made friends with a bunch of Blue Roses. Braids surprised most people by taking a bastard daughter from a noble house into the Silver Eagles, while Yami also had eyes on that girl. Noelle acted weirder than before with Asta. That jerk Fuegoleon was apparently in love or courting someone, according to his Ki, which meant he would be the only captain to be in a relationship, except for the purple grandpa with the moustache who was married, and that pissed Yami off. Everyone in the kingdom was now aware of old Julius’ new childlike form. Astas rival from Goldie Guts’ squad was apparently like a lost prince of Spade or something. And many other little changes.

Yami didn’t hate those changes. Okay, some of them pissed him off a bit. But none of them bothered him into sleepless nights.

And yet, the only thing that really bothered him was something that seemed to haven’t changed at all. The only different thing on this topic was his own reaction to it.

And Charlotte was the cause of it.

Charlotte…

Why did all of those stuff resolved around his Prickly Queen? Now, screw that, she wasn’t his Prickly Queen. Charlotte didn’t belong to anybody except herself, she was an independent and strong woman. Sometimes even, too independent even to Yamis liking, somehow. How many times did he told her already that it was okay to rely on others, once in a while?

Now that he thought about it, she was the only person Yami ever told that. He never said anything like that to his brats and Goldie Guts or to anyone, as far as he could remember. Why to her and no one else?

Why Charlotte of all people?

“I’m certainly overthinking that,” Yami said, but he didn’t sound convinced and he was lacking too much sleep already for some denial.

Wait, did he just admit that he would have denied something?

Okay, at this point, something was surely wrong with him and he had no idea how to deal with that. Especially since he had no idea what was wrong with him.

If something was wrong with him.

He couldn’t possibly talk to this to anyone. Would any of his brats be able to deal with his issues? Except Nacht who was barely there even after Spade, but who wouldn’t be of great help with his insulting truth. He couldn’t talk to Julius either, who knows what that nerdy old kid would think and get excited about. Marx was too stressed already and Owen was a fricking doc, not a therapist.

Yami couldn’t also open up to his fellow captains either. Braids would just snob him and not be of any help, the slicer beanpole would make fun of him, Sleepy Hat would either be asleep or create weird scenarios in her dreamy magic world, Fluffy Glowing Hair would just get excited and have stupid assumptions and Fuegoleon would mean well but Yami refused to get such a long motivation speech, especially since he never needed motivation to do something.

Only Goldie Guts and that boring purple moustache grandpa would probably be of any help on that matter, but…

“This is way too embarassing,” Yami groaned and hid his face behind his pillow.

This was so unlike him! He, Yami Sukehiro, badass captain of the fearless Black Bulls! Embarrassed!

No, no, no!

If he let any word slip, there would be teasing and Yami refused to be teased! He teased others, it wasn’t the other way around!

He shouldn’t tell anyone, really. Those who would tease wouldn’t let any occasion slip and since not every teaser was one of his brats, Yami couldn’t put every one of them back in their place. And there would be also those who would tease accidentally, without meaning to do so, which was almost worse.

Well, knowing Goldie Guts and the purple grandpa, Fuegoleon as well, to be fair, they wouldn’t tell anyone. But this was the Magic Knights of Clover, with a Wizard King who was always snooping around and many knights who loved gossip. One way or another, that stupid secret that was a secret to even himself, would get known and he wouldn’t know any peace.

And Yami refused also to be the person who got teased.

In the end, he couldn’t tell anyone for now.

Which didn’t help with his problem at all, but that was just a detail. Yami couldn’t deal with a problem in a way that would lead to other problems. He already had many problems to work on, kinda, that was enough. He possibly couldn’t deal with problems that were even bond to each other.

Yami groaned, throwing his pillow against the wall. This was so frustrating, so much more than he thought.

“Come on, Prickly Queen… why would you do this to me?”

Charlotte was basically haunting him at this point, since the wedding. Which wasn’t too long ago, granted, just a day or so. But again, just details. It didn’t change the fact that whatever he was doing, Yami couldn’t help but think about Charlotte.

He remembered so clearly how beautiful he found her, when they faced each other at the wedding. Another thing that he couldn’t explain. After all, Yami already knew that Charlotte was a beautiful woman, he would be really blind to not realize that. And that didn’t meant anything, there were beauties anywhere, in his homeland, in Clover, Spade maybe too, probably in the other countries as well.

And still, somehow, in his eyes, no other women could compete with Charlotte when it came to beauty… Those blonde hair with the cute little braid on the said, the silky skin and those unique blue eyes. Even better, she had more for her than just her outstanding prettiness. Her Ki was the most unique on Yami ever read, even though he didn’t understood anything about it. She was brave and strong and independent, harsh maybe and way too serious, but those flaws she had were certainly part of her charm, so it didn’t mind them too much.

He never even realized that he didn’t mind them as much as he showed Charlotte, in order to tease her.

Wait…

Why didn’t he mind and why did he never realized it before?

Geez, this was getting too complicated for his liking.

Yami reached for his pillow, in order to hide his face. Only that there was no pillow.

Come on, really? It wasn’t like he hadn’t enough stupid stuff to deal with, he didn’t need to deal with disappearing pillows on top of that. Which was a new thing, but given his own squads hideout, nothing else should surprise him at this point.

But as he turned his head to the side, he saw his pillow, against the opposite wall. How did it get there?

Yami just groaned in frustration. He actually forgot how he throw it away, his heads full of Charlotte and thousands of question marks.

Did he really needed to get up and get his pillow back? He usually used Finral for this kind of shit, but Finral wasn’t there.

Yami didn’t want to get up, but he had no other choice, he needed a pillow to sleep. You couldn’t have some quality sleep without a pillow. But he didn’t want to get up.

“Geez, that is so childish… And I can’t throw that on future Yami’s back.“

But just as he was about to get up, his eyes fell on the Black Bulls communication device, laying on his night table. In a rare occasion, he’d been able to sneak it away from Vanessa. Which means that he would be able to…

To actually call Charlotte and talk to her!

Why didn’t he thought about that sooner! He knew that he wouldn’t get teased, Charlotte was not that kind of person and even if she was, she was involved in this matter, so she would be embarrassed too! Yami knew that it was the middle of the night, but he also didn’t care anymore. Charlotte made him sleepless tonight, it was only fair to give her something similar back as well.

And he really wanted to talk to her.

Extremely motivated, like he rarely was when it wasn’t in battle, Yami took the Black Bull’s device.

♣♣♣

What was wrong with him?

Flipping to each side of his giant bed every passing minute, those words turned in Nozels mind as if they were on a carousel. And if it wasn’t those words driving him insane turning back and forth like that, then it was Vanessas face.

The royal wedding had just been a day ago, but Nozel was starting to believe that the timespan had to be longer. Just because he couldn’t stop thinking about his youngest sisters squadmate all day long. More intensely than during those past three months after Spade.

Spade… it all started in Spade, the moment she talked to him. He shouldn’t had talked back. He should have ignored her, not opening to her at all and everything would have been just fine.

He tried to believe that, so hard. But it didn’t convinced Nozel at all. If that statement was really true, why would he even still try to convince himself of it?

Besides… it didn’t felt right. Vanessa just had been nice to him. Teasy and flirty, for sure, a bit harsh sometimes, as expected from Black Bulls, but always so nice and caring.

Basically everything he didn’t deserved. Especially after all of his mistakes concerning Noelle. Vanessa was her squadmate and it was fair to assume that she knew. And still, she was nice to him and Nozel just couldn’t understand why.

He shouldn’t had accepted her kindness, her care at all. He should have ignored her completely. But he didn’t.

Of course, Nozel argued first that he could have been rude to ignore her, while she was so nice to him. But that argument didn’t sit right with him, given the cold mask he used to wear for over a decade. And also…

For some reason, Nozel didn’t want for Vanessa to think of him in a negative light.

Nozel groaned as he sat up on his bed, running a hand down his face.

Nothing seemed to make any sense when it came to Vanessa. Why would he care about what she thought of him? He never cared what others would think of him. About the house of Silva, yes, about his squad and his knights, his siblings, the memory of his mother… He cared what other people would think about those topics.

But never did Nozel cared how other people view him.

Except that Vanessa wasn’t any other people. She was one of Noelle’s squadmates and definitely one of her best friends, she was one of the rare witches that actually left the Witches Forest and she was so kind, caring.

Like a breath of fresh air in his suffocating dark and cold world.

Nozel opened his eyes, looking at his bedroom as if he saw it for the first time in his life.

So big and so empty at the same time.

Except his bed, there was only a desk and the chair going with it, with only two quills, some documents and an ink bottle on it. One single armchair at the window. Two bookcases, the bigger one with professional books, helping him with squad affairs and house matters, the smaller one with books and novels, he would only read on rare respite occasions, which he didn’t have often. He had so much to do as a squad captain and as a house head. Dark grey curtains on the windows. One big carpet of the same colour. His walk-in closet, always perfectly tidied. His own private bathroom, always perfectly cleaned.

His room was like this basically since his mother died. So big and empty, basically screaming loneliness, almost a cage. It never bothered Nozel much or at least, he always successfully

worked to ignore that painful emptiness. He worked so hard to kept himself in check, to carry on what his mother left behind, to assure a future for his siblings, to the last Silvas. He thought that with time, he’ll be fine eventually.

But now… He couldn’t ignore it anymore. He hadn’t been fine for seventeen years. That room was just a perfect symbol of his own loneliness. Nozel knew that he couldn’t live like this anymore. Seventeen years and he was on the verge of breaking. Maybe he always had been on the edge since his mother died, it just became clear after he had to face Vanica and Megicula again.

After Vanessa talked to him, making a crack in his mask without even realizing it…

Is that way he couldn’t stop thinking about her? All her calls, her teasing and flirts, how she always tried to talk him… It was a warmth he had no idea existed anymore. She pierced the fog of his soul with her light, faster than his mending relationships with Noelle, Nebra and Solid.

Nozel knew he didn’t deserve that kindness, he just didn’t… But not having it in his life again? That scared him, more than he even imagined it.

His feelings felt so contradictory, it was unsettling. He knew he didn’t deserve the kindness Vanessa was showing him. But at the same time, he came to a point that he couldn’t imagine her out of his life ever again.

It was such a strange occurrence. He barely even know her, but she came into his life with a simple talk and didn’t left it at all. What was she to him? A friend? He couldn’t possibly call her that, right? Not that he didn’t want to, but… was it enough to be friends when you just got one deep talk and teasy calls?

Did he even need a friend? Nozel didn’t have many. To be honest, the only people he could somehow call friends were Fuegoleon and Dorothy. And just somehow, because both were still getting on his nerves from time to time with their attitudes towards him. And he didn’t confide everything to them. Fuegoleon was his rival and Dorothy a former protégé of his mother. And like Vanessa, one of the rare witches having left the Witches Forest.

Could Vanessa become his friend to? Maybe?

Did she even wanted to? She was calling him a lot and tried to make contact every time she could, but that wouldn’t meant she actually wanted to be friends with him. She never asked if she could and people usually asked directly if they wanted to be friends.

Right?

Nozel had no idea. Another proof about how lonely he was. Closing his eyes again, he let out a deep sigh.

Their dance also never left his mind. In fact, he wished that the dance would have been longer. Or that he could dance with her again. Somehow. Maybe. He still remembered how shocked he had been to practically stumble upon her at the royal wedding. The audacity he had as he asked her to dance with him in the middle of a crowd full of vulture-like nobles. The dance itself, how much of a moment of peace it was. His second audacity to give her a proper hand kiss, as if she was a lady from a house of high nobility. That intense feeling that had filled his entire body afterwards.

He made a lot of things with Vanessa that were pretty much audacious of him. That hand kiss alone was a true reach to etiquette, given her status. But Vanessa had also more kindness and personality than many women of high nobility.

She was… truly a unique person.

Looking at his pocket watch on his night table, Nozel couldn’t help but groan. Not very royal, he’ll admit, but he was alone and he had reasons to.

Given the time, it was way too late to get a decent amount of sleep, which means he needed to drink more coffee than usual the next morning. Nozel already wasn’t that much of a sleeper. Leading a complicated squad like the Silver Eagles and running a royal house all by himself since he’s fifteen didn’t allow much time to sleep and relax.

Besides, Nozel highly doubted he would be able to fall asleep soon at this point. Not with his mind full of questions and doubts, full of selfish wishes and fights to hold them back. Full of dealing with his own issues, full of thoughts he couldn’t silence, full of Vanessa, her tease and smirks, her kindness, her rosewood curls and bright amethysts eyes, her gorgeous smile, her laugh that sounded like a melody no music instruments could ever play…

Nozel froze immediately as that specific thought left echoes in his mind. Really, what was wrong with him?

Vanessa was beautiful, he knew that. After all, he wasn’t blind. But… He knew a bunch of different beautiful women in his life and no one ever stand out to him like Vanessa did.

Goodness, was he somehow attracted to her?

Nozel inhaled deeply, trying to calm down. He couldn’t be attracted to her! Their circles were practically different worlds! He had duties and she was free! He was gloomy and she was like a spring day full of colours.

Stop this right now, you’re overthinking everything.

Nozel took a deep breath, in and out. It was probably the lack of sleep and with him overthinking, he risked to jumped to conclusions. Which was never good, he knew that from experience.

He needed a clear head to properly think about why he reacted like he did to Vanessa. It wouldn’t be easy, because it never had been like that before, with anyone. But as he was right now, he was unable to work on this matter logically and objectively. There was something though, it would be stupid to deny that.

The most sane thing to do now would be to gather some sleep still. It wouldn’t be enough for tomorrow, but it was better than no sleep at all.

On the other hand, he wanted to talk to Vanessa.

“How pathetic am I?” Nozel groaned.

He was, really was. A pathetic fool, sleep deprived, overthinking and torturing himself with a woman he had no idea what he felt to.

She wouldn’t call him in the middle of the night, that’s for sure. Surely, she called him often late at night and he was used to stay at work pretty late as well. It had shocked Vanessa a lot and she somehow scolded him for spending his evenings at work. Her concern for him, again. She shouldn’t be, but she still was.

But even Vanessa had to sleep at some point and if she wasn’t, calling him wasn’t the only thing she did in her life. Not at two or three o’clock in the morning. Haven’t she told him once how she would sometimes drink wine during the whole night only to fall asleep at dawn?

Maybe she wasn’t asleep. Maybe she was awake and drinking. Well, it wasn’t a reassuring thought, as it was pretty much unhealthy. Nozel already told her two or three times that she should cut the drinking. Vanessa had just been in awe for his concern.

But on the other hand, it would also mean that she was still awake at this ungodly hour and that he would be able to talk to her, that he wouldn’t wait until her next call.

Still, Nozel hesitated to take his communication device. It always had been Vanessa to reach out, never the other way around. Wouldn’t it be better to wait for her to call him again, like she always did? But he really wanted to talk to her so much right now.

Actually, maybe it would be better for him to start to reach out to her as well. Whatever there was that made him react in such a bizarre way towards Vanessa, he still wanted for her to be a part of his life, whatever that might be. Besides, it would be polite to make the first step from time to time instead of letting her doing it all the time.

But it was still in the middle of the night.

Well, he was already pathetic enough and since no one but Vanessa would witness it, he could exceptionally allow himself to be a bit more pathetic. Nozel called the Black Bulls hideout.

“Who the hell is calling me in the fucking middle of the night, do you… Wait, please tell me it’s you, Prickly Queen? Will you finally tell me what the hell going on with-“

Nozel cut the communication, put the device back on his night table and hid his head under the blanket. How magnificent. For the first time he was actually motivated to call Vanessa and he had to fall on the foreigner. Really it should have been better to have waited for Vanessa to call him again.

But… Hold on a minute. Yami thought that Charlotte was calling him.

Foreigner… don’t tell me that you finally realized that Charlotte is in love with you!

#bump #amazing writer #screaming in fan girl voice #Black Clover #Black Clover Fanfiction #Silver Cats & Black Roses

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mamavino · 6 days

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Writers Truth & Dare Ask Game

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mamavino · 7 days

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emails with “[AO3] Comment on _____” in the subject line give me a better dopamine rush than hard drugs ever will

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mamavino · 8 days

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Silver Cats & Black Roses

Chapter 2 – Wedding Bells

A/N Chapter 2 here and somehow I managed to write around 10k words with this one... Guess this is what happened when you have four povs and a lot to tell^^ I like this chapter a lot, as it's definitely put some things into motion for our two main couples 💜💙

Ao3 link

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Three months later…

“Oh my, look at this fine looking groom.”

“Would you at least stop teasing me on my wedding day?”

“Sorry, that’s impossible knowing me. And because I’m a nice best friend, I actually did hold back a bit. Couldn’t you tell?”

“No, not really.”

Vanessa laughed and Finral allowed himself a chuckle. He was really looking good in his white smocking, and the bottle green bow tie. Vanessa just knew that lady Finesse was a very lucky woman and given how the bride looked at the groom whenever she could, it was clear that she knew it too.

The wedding ball was still in full swing, the buffet was well visited – somehow, Finral managed to convince the Kiras and the Vaudes to let Charmy help with the food – and the dancefloor never looked empty, the orchestra never stopped the music. There was some nice dances, but Vanessa was kinda disappointed that there weren’t any more exciting dances, like some slow dances. She would have tried to meddle a bit to pep the music up, but Finral had explicitly asked her to not try anything that could angry the Kiras.

Vanessa didn’t understood why, but it seemed important to Finral and she surely wouldn’t try to ruin one of the most important days in his life.

“I can’t believe they managed to organize such a wedding in just three months, just after the war in Spade and while there’s still consequences from the Eye of the Midnight Sun’s attack.”

“Well, it was arranged and planned for a long time, which probably helped to get everything ready on such a short notice. Also, it’s probably to show that royalty, in this case the Kiras, are still strong and that despite everything, there is nothing to worry about. Basically that nothing had changed in their power.”

Change…

That brought Vanessa back. To a discussion that happened in Spade, just three months ago…

Vanessa couldn’t help but search for Nozel in the crowd.

Since their discussion, she tried to keep in contact with him, somehow. Vanessa more often than not took the Black Bulls communication device to reach Nozel, since they wouldn’t cross path each and every day.

At the beginning, he just cut the communication immediately after realizing who was calling him. But he slowly started to listen to her rants and even answered back. Vanessa often had the impression that she was bothering him most of the time and that thought make her sad for some reason.

But she still hasn’t given up the hope to took another look behind his cold mask. That discussion she had with him in Spade, the cracks she saw, it had make her curious about him. Vanessa wanted to know more about Nozel Silva, she wanted to know what made him wear that cold mask. In Spade, she started to believe that he was deeper than he looked at first glance. She had no idea why she was this curious and what it would gave her to find out. But Vanessa remembered the moment where there was that specific crack in his mask, when she felt kinship towards Nozel, when he looked like he was in a cage…

Whatever her still unknown reasons were, she wanted to continue what she started.

Which was easier said than done, because normally there was no reason for their paths to cross again. Calling him per communication device was the closest thing Vanessa could do, but she couldn’t see him that way. One reason why lately often volunteered if there was a document, a report or something else to deliver at the Silver Eagles Headquarters. Vanessa sometimes got a glimpse on him, even got a greeting when she was lucky, but most of time, she didn’t got the chance to see Nozel, because his vice-captain was usually the one she needed to bring those reports and documents to.

Then, there was Noelle who went visiting her oldest brother more often since they came back from Spade. Their relationship was clearly on the way of betterment and after the discussion she had with Nozel in Spade, Vanessa was more happy about it than she maybe would have been before, given how protective she was about Noelle. There was still a lot of work to do, especially considering the other two siblings. But with Nozel, it was already a lot and it meant the world to Noelle.

Vanessa always asked her squadmate news about Nozel and even though it surprised Noelle every time, she always answered. Not much, especially that she was somehow convinced that Vanessa disliked Nozel a lot, but at least, it was another way to keep in touch indirectly with the handsome captain of the Silver Eagles.

Another dance started, probably a waltz or something. Vanessa tried to discover Nozel in the crowd, but there were too many couples dancing and she didn’t recognize most of them.

“Why are there so many nobles? I don’t think that even your parents know this many people.”

“They don’t, but it is actually normal.”

“Normal? Really?”

“For a royal wedding. The finest families of high nobility are always invited to a royal wedding, medium nobility also sometimes and if they’re lucky, some families from low nobility with a house older than three centuries. I think it’s mostly to renew the alliances with the three royal families and it is also an occasion to discreetly show of their own candidates as future royal spouses.”

“What? But your wedding shouldn’t be a place to discuss future royal weddings! Geez, this is supposed to be a party!”

“This is how it works, a royal wedding and an arranged marriage. I’m lucky that Finesse and I are in love, not everyone got that chance in royalty and nobility. And there’s the fact that house Calmreich is a secondary royal branch of the Kiras, otherwise they would have gotten the same name as the main house.”

“Okay, don’t start with how it works with noble and royal lineage, I never got it and honestly I don’t want to get it,” Vanessa groaned while she rolled her eyes.

Finral laughed. “I know, sorry. I won’t go into details. But well, as a secondary branch, there less interesting for marital importance. Most nobles rather would like get married into one of the main royal branches, especially now, most of them are still single.”

Like Nozel… Vanessa couldn’t help but remember again what he said in Spade. It hadn’t been direct, but he clearly had the intention to get an arranged marriage for himself so that his siblings would be free. Vanessa still didn’t like that thought and after three months, maybe it wasn’t even only for Noelles sake anymore.

Speaking of…

“Do you think some nobles are also after Noelle?”

“Yes, of course.”

“What do you mean, of course?”

“Don’t get mad, Vanessa, I didn’t meant it like this. I don’t like it just as much as you. But it’s not only Noelle, all the Silvas are within nobles radar when it comes to a potential marriage. There’s only four of them left and none of them are married. There are rumours that house Silva is cursed, because most of the members either die young or in celibacy, often in tragic ways. At least, that’s what my mother-in-law told me. I don’t think that it’s true, but well… given that there’s only four Silvas left and how nobles can be disrespectful to even some royals, that topic might be a bit tense sometimes within noble circles.”

“Well, it’s not like the Black Bulls would let Noelle get married against her will.”

“Of course not. But thankfully, we probably won’t even need to intervene, as captain Nozel surely won’t force an arranged marriage on her. As for any of his siblings.”

Yes, Vanessa already realized that. But she was also almost certain that it was deeper. And hidden also, even though she couldn’t really say why. For now, it was just a feeling.

“Um… and why do you believe that?” Vanessa asked carefully.

“I thought you weren’t interested in nobility or royalty mess like this.”

“It concerns Noelle, so it’s an exception.”

At least, she didn’t need to lie by saying that. Even though it wasn’t the whole truth.

Finral just nodded. “Yes, that makes sense. Well, let me try to explain at least the base to you. Within nobility and royalty, usually future marriages are arranged very soon, usually years before. Sometimes while the future betrothed are still little children. Don’t look at me like that, it is a reality! As for the wedding itself… Usually, when you’re a noble or a royal, you’re getting married around the time you got your grimoire. Maybe one year afterwards, maybe two sometimes, especially when you’re a woman, it is always a bit later for men. There are some exceptions, like Finesse, the reasons can be various. But considering Noelle, normally she should at least been already engaged or having some suitors to court her when she joined the Black Bulls. And lady Nebra should normally have been married like a decade ago. And since none of them have the luxury of being Mereoleona Vermillion, well… Nozel Silva has the reputation of being the perfect royal, but even though he is not one of the most open-minded royals, I believe that he still won’t marry Noelle and his other siblings off. The fact that none of them are betrothed or married already speaks for him.”

“Hm.”

Vanessa had no idea what to say, but her thoughts were racing right now.

If what Finral said about to common married age for nobles and royalty was true – and she had no reason to doubt her best friend – then it certainly would confirm that captain Nozel will never marry Noelle off and neither his other siblings.

She has no confirmation though, if he would really sacrifice himself or not. Given what Nozel had said in Spade, Vanessa of course suspected that he would. But… He was now 31 and still not married. Granted, Fuegoleon Vermillion was about the same age as him and not married either. Damnatio Kira as well and whoever the other royals that age were, some of them surely weren’t married either.

But if he wanted to sacrifice himself for his siblings, why wasn’t he married yet? Wouldn’t it have taken a burden from him?

Maybe her suspicions were wrong, maybe he had no intentions to get married into a loveless marriage. But with what Finral had just told her… Vanessa still didn’t understood all those royal and noble complicated duties and mess and whatever. But she came to understand that it was definitely pressuring.

Since when do I even care about that kind of stuff?

A question she asked herself quite often since she came back from Spade. But Vanessa never really tried to find an answer, because she would have started to overthink and she hated overthinking.

“Um, Vanessa? You’re still here with me?”

Finral waved a hand in front of her face, which made Vanessa laugh.

“Of course I am, Fin. Why should I be anywhere else, when my best friend is getting married to the love of his life?”

“What did I say about the teasing? You just felt a absent for a moment. And it’s not the first time since we came back from Spade. Did something happened that bothers you?”

Vanessa bit lips softly, not answering. Finral knew her well and he was observant. Of course he would realize that something was on her mind. But Vanessa didn’t think she could tell Finral yet. She hated having secrets on her best friend, but at the same time, that secret was also something totally new for her and something she still needed to figure out. What it meant to her, why she cared, why her curiosity was racing…

Vanessa decided that she would tell Finral one day. But not today, not on his wedding day.

“Nothing worries me. I just decided something, but if I tell you know, you might get worried, knowing you. And it’s your wedding day, not the time for you to get married.”

“I admit that this is a good argument. But even though I’m married now, it doesn’t mean that you can’t come to me when something is bothering you. And you can also talk to Finesse, she likes you a lot.”

“Why, thank you, I like her too!”

During those three months, Finesse Calmreich visited the Black Bulls a lot. It wasn’t a duty due to the betrothal and upcoming wedding, she just wanted to meet the people so close to Finral. The Bulls liked her so much that she was quickly called an honorary Black Bull. And given that there wasn’t any paperwork to do to give this title, Yami had nothing against it.

Speaking of Yami, Vanessa hadn’t seen him since the ceremony in the cathedral of the royal capital. She wondered if he was at the buffet or if he went to the toilet, taking a dump even on Finrals wedding.

Thinking of Yami made her think about another squad captain. She saw him at the ceremony in the cathedral, sitting next to Noelle.

Noelle hadn’t come with the Black Bulls to the wedding, which honestly sucked, as a royal wedding, she had to come as a royal. Especially since it was the first royal wedding since at least twenty years. Finral had told Vanessa that Nozel actually tried to get his sister out of this duty for the day, but king Augustus and the Head of House Vermillion had protested against it.

Finral didn’t know more and Vanessa wondered if there was more to that. Another little thing about Nozel that she was curious to know more about.

At least, it meant that Nozel was indeed working on being a better brother for Noelle and even though he couldn’t get her of duty for Finrals wedding, Vanessa did saw how he was standing at his sister’s side during the ceremony, clearly carrying her when Noelle looked at lost with all the royal things to do.

“Did Asta actually asked Noelle for a dance already?” Vanessa asked suddenly.

“As far as I know, he didn’t. I saw him not too long ago at the buffet with Magna and Noelle, well, she danced with captain Nozel once. Otherwise, it looked like she was avoiding Asta.”

“What is wrong with her since we came back from Spade? I don’t get why she tried to avoid Asta sometimes or why she can’t hold a normal conversation with him anymore most of the time! Argh, it really sucks. She probably still denies her feelings for him and Asta is still so dense like before Spade. I had hoped that it would change after our return, but nope, this still hadn’t changed!”

“Give them time. You know how stubborn Noelle is and Asta, well, I don’t think he’s in love with anyone in general.”

“Except with the nun that raised him.”

“I don’t think that this counts, it’s a childhood crush and Asta is just too stubborn to let go of it for now. But I think that he will one day, he matured since his first day as a Black Bull. But you can’t force him to be in love with someone else just like that. Be it Noelle or anyone else.”

“I know.”

“No, if you’ll excuse me, I promised the next dance to my mother-in-law.”

“You seem to get along very well with Finesses mother.”

“Lady Douce is honestly the nicest one in Finesses family and at least, she likes me truly. Can’t say the same about the rest of the Calmreichs and Kiras, though.”

Finral waved to her before he disappeared in the crowd. Vanessa sighed, searching for another person to talk to. She hated to be alone within a crowd.

She still hoped to get at least one glance at Nozel. Maybe talk to him even, but that seemed a bit like too much to ask. Surely he had duties on this wedding, as one of the three royal house heads. Vanessa had no idea what those duties were, but surely there had to be some.

She also hoped that he was fine. It was strange that she slightly started to care about him. Not yet as much like a Black Bull, but still more than someone from outside the squad she was friends with.

Was he looking at the invited nobles, searching for a candidate for an arranged marriage? Could he still choose as a head of house or was it something he had no power over?

Or was he instead trying to get his siblings away from possible suitors? Was Nozel trying to protect Noelle, Nebra and Solid from manipulative nobles?

Any of those possibilities didn’t felt out of place to Vanessa and she really didn’t like it. Hopefully he would also have good time on this wedding.

But does Nozel allow himself to have a good time in general?

Vanessa just continued to walk, looking at the crowd, searching for Nozel or someone else she knew and could talk to.

Charmy was at the buffet, of course. She probably ate at least half of it all by herself, knowing her. Asta and Magna where not too far away from Charmy, Luck was with them, trying to fight Magna who tried to avoid a fight. Asta just seemed to have a good time, smiling as he was. He was such a kind hearted person.

She saw captain Fuegoleon dancing with a purple haired woman she didn’t know. Maybe another noble lady, maybe one of the eligible candidates to be wed off to a royal. But that lady’s smile didn’t looked fake, so maybe it was a nice noble. Leopold Vermillion was dancing too and probably stepping on the feet of his dance partner, given the girls face.

Vanessa also saw captain Charlotte, looking gorgeous in her blue dress, standing with a group of women, near one of the tables. The captain of the Blue Roses looked kinda done, while the women around her seemed to be babbling happily. Vanessa hoped that they weren’t making fun of Charlotte.

Three months since the confession and there was still nothing new between Charlotte and Yami, as far as Vanessa could tell. It wasn’t even a topic talked within the Black Bulls, Asta and Magna even firmly believed that Charlotte loved Yami the same way the Bulls did. Only Finral and Gordon seemed to do something about it, as they started to visit the Blue Roses headquarters quite often since a few weeks.

It was frustrating, but Vanessa also felt guilty about it. She was over Yami, she realized that she didn’t loved him in a romantic way and even hoped that captain Charlotte would get together with him. But Vanessa hasn’t done anything to help Charlotte. She had no reason to not help her and still she didn’t. And she had no idea why she didn’t, she didn’t even disliked captain Charlotte, she didn’t even thought that the Blue Rose captain wouldn’t be the right one for captain Yami.

Maybe it was another thing she needed to do, after the wedding. Get a grip of herself and finally talk to Charlotte Roselei, offering her help to win over Yamis heart.

Suddenly, Vanessa discovered Noelle at another table, sitting with her cousin, Mimosa Vermillion. Noelle looked like she was complaining about something – Vanessa wanted to bet that maybe it has something to do with a certain magicless peasant and member of their squad – while Mimosa just listened to her with a comforting smile.

Probably she could sat with them. Vanessa always loved to spent time with Noelle and Mimosa Vermillion was such a nice girl to talk to. Besides, the pastries the cousins were eating looked really delicious.

But first, Vanessa would get herself a bottle wine and a glass. She still haven’t got the occasion to drink the whole day and given her reputation as the Drunken Witch, that was almost a crime.

But just as she was to get to the buffet table with the drinks, he just appeared right in front of her. Nozel Silva.

Vanessa just froze, as if she an ice magic user just put a spell on her and it looks quite the same for Nozel. His metallic purple eyes looked at her, but without the cold mask. Surprise was glowing in his glance. He kept his mouth shout, but somehow he looked like he was trying to say something.

Vanessa definitely wanted to say something, but her mind was kinda disconnected from the rest of her body. That never happened to her before, with anyone, especially if she wanted to say something teasy.

It somehow felt like a cruel irony. She didn’t find him while she was looking for him and when she wasn’t, he appeared right in front of her!

And why the hell was he looking so good?

His hairstyle hadn’t changed, even for the wedding, still that braid covering his forehead, but Vanessa definitely didn’t found it ridiculous anymore. Probably since Spade…

Nozel didn’t wear a smoking like Finral and like literally almost everyone else. It was a dark blue ceremonial uniform, with silver buttons and some silver embroidery on the sides, the sleeves and shoulders. The silva emblem was marked on the buttons, but the embroidery had a vaguely feather and bird theme. Maybe it was supposed to symbol eagles? It looked so simple, with the unicoloured dark blue trousers and the black boots, and still so royal. But the best part was probably the short one shoulder cape, in the same dark blue as the uniform, with a simple silver border and silvery like fur attached to the shoulder, a bit like most of the Silver Eagle robes.

Gosh, why wasn’t he wearing darker colours more often? It suited him so well, he looked pale but not in a sickly way, he was more like glowing. He looked definitely more royal than the king, who was covered in jewels and such gaudy clothes that it hurt the eyes.

Just for a second, Vanessa regretted that she was just wearing a second hand and simple dark burgundy dress and that she decided to let her hair down and free. It couldn’t hold a candle to the colourful satin and silk dresses and the complicated hairstyles of the noble ladies. It was her best dress, she loved having her hair falling free on her shoulders and she looked actually pretty well for her best friend’s wedding, but it still wasn’t on at least low nobility level.

Just a second… But one more look at Nozel made her forget those silly issues. There wasn’t disappointment or reproval in his eyes and behind the surprise in his eyes, Vanessa hoped that he liked what he saw.

Wait, why do I even care about that?

Vanessa barely paid attention to the people around them. She heard some coughing and whispers, some music in the background, but everything was so blurry in her ears. And her eyes too, only Nozel was perfectly visible.

Holy witch hat, what was happening to her? That wasn’t normal, she hadn’t felt that way in Spade either. Or did she? She couldn’t tell. For some reason, the memory was blurry, while it had been so perfectly clear during three months.

For a pretty long moment, at least in her shoes, they were staring at each other, the tension almost thick enough to be cut with a knife.

But just before it definitely would have become awkward, Nozel finally looked away, breaking… whatever that tension was. But after a short cough, he put his eyes back on Vanessa, looking somehow determined and a bit scared at the same time. And was that a slight blush on his cheeks?

But before Vanessa got a grip on herself and tease him about the blush, Nozel bowed curtly in front of her and extended his hand.

“May I have this dance?”

“That would be lovely.”

Before Vanessa actually realized what happened, her body and her tongue already acted on their own and Nozel was leading her to the dancefloor.

♣♣♣

“Come on, Charlotte, my dear. Just because this is a royal wedding doesn’t mean that there can’t be some eligible lords or even royals for you to choose.”

Charlotte tried her best to hold back a role of her eyes, not bothering to answer Florence Roselei, one of her countless aunts.

“She’s right, my sweet cousin,” lady Cunégonde added, a distant relative from house Ceres, who was actually over twenty years older than Charlotte. “You’re so close to thirty and not married yet. Oh, I heard that lord Aquarius from house Seashell is actually finally looking to find a wife and since you’re about the same age… I heard that he is quite handsome.”

And lord Aquarius Seashell was probably also searching for a wife with a very important dowry, in order to pay his countless gambler depts. It reminded Charlotte almost of Yami, but lord Aquarius was still someone of a different kind. Yami still has respect, while Aquarius was always a jerk, it didn’t matter if he win or lose.

Once a member of the Silver Eagles, Aquarius Seashell lost both his Magic Knight robe, his salary and more than half of his mother’s jewellery in just one hour of gambling and betting. Nozel kicked him out of the Silver Eagles three days after, rightfully so. After all, it was not every day that Nozel got the occasion to get rid of the Magic Knights who just had the title, never came to work and let more capable knights, even their own captain, overwork themselves to compensate their own lack of work.

Charlotte wasn’t interested in gossip, but you just couldn’t avoid them when you were a noble, even if you wanted to. Not to mention that most of the Blue Roses loved gossip and often told her about every kind of rumour they heard. But to be fair, the gossip of the Blue Rose knights were far more joyful and fun than the ones Charlotte heard from other nobles.

“Not a bad choice, I have to admit,” lady Rosamund Roselei replied, an aunt married to one of Charlottes father’s many brothers. Or cousins? “But I think that lord Reginald of house Évantail is the better choice here, he was widowed last year, the poor man. A new wife would surely cheer him up.”

Which would be wife number six and given that the previous four always died at some point or another, it wasn’t really a comforting perspective. Not to mention that lord Reginald had already children from each one of his marriages and his oldest daughter was five years older than Charlotte.

“Oh, what about lord Cumulus from house Wolke?” asked Josephine, Charlottes fifteen year old cousin, who was naïve and rather nice, but already got one of the worst snobbish attitudes in the family.

“Impossible, my dear,” Florence replied, “He’s already married and if I remember correctly, lady Ludivina, his young wife, is pregnant with their first child. Sixth or seventh months, I think, after all she isn’t present today.”

“Ludivina can still die at childbirth, it wouldn’t be a big miss within nobility and lord Cumulus would be free for a new bride,” Rosamund said, subtly clothing her words with venom.

Charlotte clenched her fists. She always hated her aunt Rosamund and her viper tongue. Always trying to paint others dirty in all subtility, most of the time just for her own joy.

But just as she was about to reply, lady Orchidea Roselei, her own mother, said, “Those are all mostly eligible candidates, I have to say. But those are nobles and I still hope for my daughter to get married into royalty.”

Oh, please, not THAT topic again!

“Charlotte, my dear child, given your reputation and how far you came as a Magic Knight, I actually think that marrying into royalty wouldn’t be too much for you. And imagine your suitor would be lord Nozel or lord Fuegoleon. You already know them, so the usual period to get to know your future husband would be short and you could get married quite rapidly.”

Charlotte wanted to say no, to scream no. No, she couldn’t possibly marry either Nozel or Fuegoleon. They were her colleagues as squad captains! At best, they were friends, but she couldn’t consider any of them as a potential spouse, someone to spent her life with!

Not to mention that she wasn’t in love with any of them both. But love was never considered important for nobility when it came to arranged marriages. And the only captain, the only person Charlotte could imagine spend the rest of her life with, was a foreigner, considered almost less than a peasant, captain of the Magic Knight Squad with the worst reputation and he was dense, so dense…

“That is actually such an excellent idea, Orchidea!” Cunégonde said enthusiastically. “Marrying into royalty would be such a great opportunity for house Roselei and house Ceres as well, given our relations.”

“Oh, I know that, cousin.”

“But which one of the two?” Florence asked, letting her pale green eyes wander over the dancefloor, probably searching for either Nozel or Fuegoleon. “Lord Nozel is already Head of House and still not married. But lord Fuegoleon is so in charge, so charismatic and he even got chosen by the Fire Spirit Salamander himself. But Nozel has such a reputation of a prefect royal. But Fuegoleon has done less questionable decisions for his house. But lord Nozel has more admirers within the kingdom. But there’s no scandal involving lord Fuegoleon. But-“

But Nozel, but Fuegoleon… Florence had the questionable talent to find any potential flaws within others, especially when it came to royals. Charlotte looked away for a second, in order to roll her eyes without any of her relatives seeing it.

“Is lord Fuegoleon still available, though?” Josephine asked. “I‘ve only seen him dancing with Lital Lys during the ball and this is their third dance.”

She was right. Charlotte took a quick look at Fuegoleon, who was indeed waltzing with lady Lital of house Lys, a beautiful young woman with dark purple hair and nacreous eyes.

Third dance already? Charlotte knew that by noble society standards, it would mean that a serious courting was taken place. But Charlotte had no idea that Fuegoleon intended to settle down and get married. And if a royal was courting a noble lady, the Head of this lady’s house would at least brag about it. The Head of house Lys, lord Basilio, was known to be a great bragger and to use anything to his advantage to make himself and his house shine in society.

But Charlotte didn’t hear any rumour or gossip about lord Basilio Lys bragging about captain Fuegoleon Vermillion courting a member of his house. Would it mean that Fuegoleon and Lital didn’t go the usual way, maybe they were even directly dating? Given how they smiled at each other, it was probably true.

Charlotte hoped that it was true. And she also hoped that they could make it official and be betrothed soon, so that the women of her family would have one candidate less to try to pair her up with. If Nozel could find someone too, it would be perfect.

But of course, Rosamunds venomous tongue had to intervene again. “House Lys might be from high nobility, but it is an open secret that Lital is a bastard. She can’t be a candidate for a royal. Goodness, I’ll never understand why lady Corazòn took her husband’s bastard in to begin with.”

Maybe because lady Corazòn Lys was one of the rare noble ladies with nobility in her heart and who didn’t put the blame of her husband’s infidelity on a child, like someone else I know?

Charlotte would have loved to say this out loud, but she knew from experience that it would end ugly for her to directly counter Rosamund Roselei.

“But isn’t lady Lital the only one of Basilios grandchildren to have inherited his late mother’s star magic? You know how he loves to brag about the family hero of their house.”

“Just a detail, Florence. Just a detail. Lital only has that and nothing else. I mean, look at her.”

“I actually find her very beautiful, even if her dress isn’t from Soie Velours” Charlotte replied as neutral as possible. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really need to powder my nose.”

Which meant that she needed to flee this uncomfortable family circle before she went mad. Charlotte immediately walked away before any of those ladies could hold her back.

“Don’t take too long, Charlotte dear, I still need to present you to lord Reginald.”

“Do you want me to reserve a dance with lord Nozel or lord Fuegoleon, my sweet daughter?”

Charlotte heard Rosamund and Orchidea very well, but she refused to answer them, she just walked away.

She only stopped when she found an alcove in an empty corridor, just near the toilets. Hopefully she would be left alone. She would need some time before having the nerves to face her mother and her relatives again.

Charlotte always hated those talks about her getting married, but after Spade, she got to endure more of them than all those combined since her fifteenth birthday.

Somehow, there were more marital talks within noble circles than before the raid. As if nobles were afraid to lose any chances of good alliances, especially marital ones, if something like the Spade raid happened again. Charlotte couldn’t understand such a stupid fear and even if she wanted to, she probably won’t be able.

And of course, those talks also didn’t stop with house Roselei. Lady Orchidea always wished for Charlotte to get married into an advantageous alliance, another noble house or even into royalty, and now that aunts and cousins and any other relatives came on board, Charlotte had to drown herself in work in order to keep those talks to the strict minimum.

Charlotte wasn’t against marriage, not at all. But the vision nobility had of it was something she despised. It was just alliances between houses, political, financial, to hide some scandals. Love never had a place within arranged marriages. Those were always concluded between the houses, the newlyweds never had a say. Or at least one of them, if the other one already had some kind of power.

Having been in love for ten years, Charlotte knew that she couldn’t accept to marry someone she didn’t love, despite all the advantages house Roselei could gain from it. It just wasn’t right in her book. But she certainly was the only one in her family to see it that way. Even Josephine, despite her naivety, already got her say on which houses the Roseleis should get an alliance through marriage and which ones they shouldn’t.

Being one of the most renown single members of her house – and also one of the rare Roseleis to not be tainted by any scandal, despite the curse – Charlotte had the most pressure about those kinds of talks. She almost missed when it was mostly her mother talking about it. At least, lady Orchidea cared a bit that her daughter has to find some kind of happiness with her future spouse. But now that the rest of her relatives pushed their own agenda on the subject, Charlotte felt like a tool in their schemes.

House Roselei was from high nobility and financially pretty stable. But they were also one of the noble houses with most scandals to their name. One reason why a prolific, advantageous marital alliance was needed in their eyes.

Aunt Rosamund, who cheated on her husband because he cheated on her – honestly, it was hard to definite who started it and both were so selfish people anyway – to a point that one of her children was not from her husband, but from another noble. And that was just a normal scandal for house Roselei.

As well as her father’s own scandal…

Charlotte hid her face behind her hands. She hated to remember, but she still didn’t want to forget that fateful day. When that woman from the Forsaken Realm came at the Roselei mansion with a baby in her arms. Her father’s bastard. That poor woman demanded to speak to lord Fidel Roselei, probably to help her and their child, but Charlottes father just throw her out, calling her with names she didn’t deserved.

Lord Fidel never knew, but Charlotte learned that day that her father cheated on her mother, that he had a bastard child and that he just throw the mother and said child away, like a broken toy. He never knew that Charlotte learned that day that she had a sibling out there, somewhere and that his behaviour was the reason why she became distant towards him.

Charlotte never knew what happened to that poor woman, she never knew if she had a brother or a sister. She had no idea what their names were, if they were still alive, if they still lived in Clover or in another country.

Her father’s scandal, her own curse… Charlotte had many reasons why she tried to be strong on her own, without the help of any man. She was proud of what she had accomplished until now, as a Magic Knight, as a captain. She lived like that for long…

But something changed after Spade… something that couldn’t be seen, but it was there. Her family’s talks about to get her finally married, it still was getting on her nerves, but not like it did before.

Her love for Yami just got stronger and deeper after the tearful confession. And she still hasn’t do anything to make a step forward. Yami was still so dense, almost nothing changed between them. A notable change was that Finral Vaude and Gordon Agrippa actually got that she confessed her love and were now visiting the Blue Roses quite often, in order to help Charlotte to get closer to Yami. Much to the Blue Roses joy.

Asta and Magna were still talking to her as one of captain Yamis friends, but the rest of the Bulls never mentioned the love confession and Charlotte had no idea what to think about it. She also refused to overthink that fact, because he would freak her out and that was the last thing she needed right now.

Between her family trying to get her somehow to the altar and how she had no idea how to continue with her feelings for Yami, between the afterward of the war and the duties as captain, Charlotte felt lost.

She couldn’t continue like that. Uncertainty didn’t help her and she really needed someone to confide in. She really needed to lean more on people she trusted.

How ironic was it that Yami of all people never stopped to tell her that?

Charlotte sighed deeply. She really wanted to finally settle things with Yami. She couldn’t continue to live like that, her feelings locked inside of her. It was easier said than done, but Charlotte wished every day more and more to finally get that burden out of her heart.

Of course, she couldn’t tell if Yami would love her back or not, she had no idea how she would take it if her love was only one-sided. But she felt herself also unable to think that far.

Am I somehow contradicting myself?

She really needed to make a decision, whatever this decision might be in the end. But would she be able to make it now, in her nervous state?

“Prickly Queen?”

Charlotte yelped and turned around, even though she recognize that nickname and that voice immediately. There was only one person in the entire world to call her that way.

Yami Sukehiro stepped out of the toilets, facing her with an unreadable glance.

♣♣♣

What was he doing? What was he thinking?

Nozel couldn’t help but ask those two question again and again while he danced with Vanessa Enoteca, the Black Bulls witch.

And also immediately felt ashamed to have those thoughts, because it sounded so impolite in his books. Especially since he asked her.

“You’re alright, handsome?”

Vanessa just looked at him with a teasing glance, but also a bit of concern. The same concern he saw in Spade…

“I’m fine. I apologize for being distracted.”

“Distracted? Couldn’t tell, you’re still leading perfectly.”

Not that she mentioned it, it was true. Nozel was still leading her perfectly through the waltz. There had been no out-of-step chaos coming from them. Unlike his cousin Kirsch, who couldn’t help to pose during his own waltz, to the utter irritation of the noble lady he was dancing with and the other dance couples near him.

Nozel had made sure that Vanessa and he wouldn’t waltz near Kirsch.

Glancing back at Vanessa, Nozel couldn’t help but remember again their talk in Spade. Honestly, their encounter after the raid always came back to his mind since those last three months. It didn’t help that she called him every day directly on his own communication device and she became mostly the one the Black Bulls sent when the needed to bring a report for the Silver Eagles. During her visits, Noelle even mentioned that Vanessa always asked about him when she came back.

Whenever she talked to him, be it through the device or on the rare occasions they crossed paths at the Silver Eagles headquarters, it was always teasing, probably also what others called flirting. But behind that playful tone, Nozel also believed to hear some concern.

The same concern he heard in her voice during their talk in Spade…

And Nozel didn’t understood that. Why would a witch feel concerned about him? Their status were too different, their ranks as Magic Knights as well. She was part of Yamis squad, who didn’t care about status and reputation – one of the reasons why he sent Noelle to Black Bulls in the first place. Speaking of Noelle, the witch definitely knew… She had a good reason to not talk to him, to hate him even.

But she didn’t.

In Spade, she made him talk, she made him open up a bit, to let go partly of his mask. Nozel wasn’t used to that. Not since he lost his mother. But Vanessa talked to him in a way that he wanted to confide to her.

At least partly. Nozel was so used to keep up his cold mask for over seventeen years, it was impossible to let go of it. Or so he thought.

It just had been a bit. Just a bit of letting go. Just a bit… and Nozel had felt something melt within him.

Which wasn’t good. He didn’t deserve it. That kind of concern, the invitation of confide in, to let go of his burden, to open his heart to someone. After everything he had done, after making Nebra, Solid and especially Noelle suffer, for all the mistakes he’d made, he didn’t deserved it. Nozel knew that, he knew that for over a decade. He lived like this since his mother died, since he became Head of House. He had no other choice than to continue.

But something changed since Spade. After he returned, it became more difficult to live like that. Oh, Nozel continued to try to make amends with Noelle and despite everything, it meant a lot to him that his little sister seemed to love to visit him more often. It was still awkward, but they were both trying.

Nozel also wanted to make amends with Nebra and Solid, to finally tell them the truth about how their mother. Something he should have done a long time ago. Another mistake on his countless list. At least, now that the curse had been lifted, Nozel didn’t need to send them to Dorothy and her Glamour World. Besides, he needed to do it by himself.

Solid didn’t quite understood, he probably still didn’t. Nozel always found that his younger brother was difficult to talk to. Solid didn’t really changed his attitude since then, something Nozel clearly didn’t liked.

Nebra, on the other hand, had caused a tantrum and had been extremely mad at him for never telling her, rightfully so. But she still forgave him, just like Noelle. Something Nozel still tried to understand why his sisters had forgiven him, especially since he didn’t deserved it. Nebra also tried to make amends with Noelle. They weren’t there yet, for now his sisters only met when he was present as well, but Nozel wanted to believe that it was already better since they discovered their common secret passion for spooky novels. Why did Nebra and Noelle liked this kind of literature in the first place.

But those were changes that needed to be done. What Nozel felt was another change, something he didn’t realized was taking place. It was within him, but he couldn’t tell what exactly. Except that he has to do with the Black Bull’s witch and how there was always something like care in her teasing voice every time she talked to him.

Nozel tried to ignore her calls and her attempts of small talk at first. It was less because he couldn’t accept that someone out of his circles was acting so casually with him, more because… he didn’t deserve that kindness, that care. In fact, it even scared him a bit. Which was so utterly pathetic of him. Being afraid of kindness someone was showing to him. It still didn’t change the fact that he didn’t deserved it.

He really was pathetic.

But Vanessa was stubborn, she wouldn’t let go, so he not really had any other choice than to give in. Maybe he also didn’t defend himself that much against that kindness. Maybe he couldn’t help but wanting that.

But he shouldn’t, it was selfish of him, his duty and his guilt didn’t allowed it.

He felt so contradictory. What was wrong with him lately?

Vanessa was giggling, making Nozel looking at her. She was so clearly happy to be here, she was enjoying herself.

With him of all people.

“What is so funny?”

“Nothing, cap’, nothing at all. It just happens that I giggle without any reason.”

“Is that even possible?”

“With me it is. Just ask Noelle next time she visits. Speaking of Noelle, she told me that she’s starting to meet with her sister as well. But she’s not telling me much details. Is it fine?”

The tone changed so suddenly that Nozel almost stopped waltzing. There was concern for Noelle in her voice, but also some distrust. Surely towards Nebra, but probably also towards him.

He didn’t liked that.

“It’s getting better, from what I witnessed. They discovered a common passion, which helped. But for now, Nebra and Noelle only met in my presence. They’re still quite unsure around each other and honestly, I’d rather stay with them until they feel more comfortable around each other.”

“That’s good to hear. I’m sure those meetings won’t go south under your watch.”

Nozel would have expected sarcasm, the same distrust. But there wasn’t any in Vanessas voice.

“You think so?”

“Yes. You’re trying and you already got some success in my books. And it means so much for Noelle. I just hope you’re not too harsh on yourself.”

She gave him a gorgeous smile. Not a smirk, no teasing or anything, a real smile. One of the most beautiful smile Nozel ever saw.

I don’t deserve it.

But I also don’t want her to stop.

The waltz continued and they danced silently, just enjoying the music. It felt so peaceful, Nozel almost wished that this dance wouldn’t stop. It was such a nice feeling.

A feeling he didn’t deserved, Nozel reminded himself.

From the corner of his eye, he saw some random nobles standing beside the dancefloor. Looking at him. Judging him, frowning. Because he was dancing with the Drunken Witch of the Black Bulls.

Nozel was used to be judged, to be criticized by nobles and most royals. It had been like this since he was fifteen, since he took over house Silva the very same day he got his grimoire. Those judging eyes of nobility always had been subtle, he still managed to get a reputation of perfect royal and Head of House. But Nozel could still feel the glances, he always had and it would never change.

They could judge him all they wanted, he didn’t care anymore. But he didn’t like that Vanessa was also judged. For some reason, it even made him sick.

To Nozels dismay, Vanessa did saw those glances as well.

“Geez, what’s wrong with those people? This is supposed to be a happy party, not to look like cats that got their milk stolen.”

“Maybe because they wanted me to dance with one of their daughters or nieces, I believe. Nobles always try to marry some member of their houses into royalty. Especially my family.”

Nozel sighed in resignation. He got marriage proposals for him or his siblings every day and if wouldn’t have been vital to maintain good relations with many of the noble houses, he would have threw all of them in the fire.

Sadly, this was also something that just got louder after Spade. He got surely ten times more marriage proposals when he returned, for Nebra and Solid, for Noelle too, although the reasons were different, but still despicable. And for him… Worse, king Augustus and Achilles Vermillion, Fuegoleons grandfather and head of house Vermillion, came to talk to him about that topic personally. Especially Achilles couldn’t help to do one of his favourite hobbies… putting shade on house Silva and subtly pointing all the mistakes Nozel made in his opinion, while also referencing how perfect his father was, despite that he only married into royalty.

Nozel closed his eyes for a second. He refused to think about his father. He always refused to think about his father and today was no exception.

“You seem to dislike it, handsome.”

Nozel opened his eyes quickly, focusing back on Vanessa. She eyes were on him, looking concerned.

Again.

Nozel swiftly swallowed his guilt. He was so used to that feeling for years, but now he could feel it heavier on his heart.

“That nobles wants to marry into your family. You already hated it back in Spade.”

“I always hated it. Ever since I took over the house and I was fifteen back then. Some nobles are even bold enough to send the same proposals at least five times in a day.”

There was it against, the urge to confide, to open his heart a bit. Why did she have that trusting aura around her? And why didn’t he mind it?

“No respect for boundaries, I see. It’s weird.”

“What do you mean?”

“I always thought that nobles respected royalty. But the way you tell me this, it seems that they have the same disrespect for royalty as for peasants and commoners.”

“I won’t say that it’s the same kind of disrespect.”

“It’s still disrespect. I had no idea, because it never looked like it.”

“It is more complex behind the scenes.”

Vanessa just hummed. She looked thoughtful. Nozel didn’t liked that they had this kind of conversation during a waltz. He didn’t want to think about despicable marriage proposals, he didn’t want to think about his duty to get married and give heirs to house Silva, in order to give his siblings a freedom he would never have. He just wanted to enjoy the dance with her, forget the world around them.

What was wrong with him?

“Have you find someone new?”

He couldn’t help but ask. Nozel never forgot what she told him back in Spade. How she had a crush on someone and got her heartbroken, how she never realized that she already moved on and cling on it, just to realize that she wasn’t in love as someone else confessed to that person.

That realization seemed to be still a lot to process for her. Vanessa clearly needed to think about it deeply. Nozel couldn’t but feel compassion for her, more than he should have.

For the first time in his life, he cared for someone who wasn’t a member of his family or at least one of his knights. He didn’t know why, even if he should. But Nozel couldn’t help but feel for her.

Vanessas story reminded him more than it should the relationship between his parents. It wasn’t really the same situation, but like Vanessa, his mother was in love with his father and despite the fact that he clearly would never returned her feelings, Acier hold years onto that delusion. A memory that pained Nozels heart, he would never wished something like that to anyone else.

Nozel looked more closely at Vanessa. She was definitely a beautiful woman. Objectively speaking. Her eyes purple like his, but a different shade, shining like amethysts between those perfect eyelashes. She didn’t have a complicated hairstyle like most women today, her curls fell freely on her shoulders, in the most beautiful rosewood shade Nozel ever saw. Her skin was soft as silk and softly pale like porcelain, while her cheeks had the colour of pale pink rose petals. She even smelled like roses, a subtle perfume. The dress she was wearing clearly didn’t came from Soie Velours, the most renown modiste in the Clover kingdom, but she looked so much better in that simple burgundy dress than many noble ladies in their overly frilly and complicated looking gowns. Her smiles were gorgeous and most importantly, she was also kind and caring, so free.

If she wanted to be in a relationship, she deserved someone more than good for her.

“No, I haven’t,” Vanessa answered, a small smile on her lips. “I have decided to put my love life on a different path, that’s for sure. But I take it slow, I won’t stress myself about it. Besides, it’s my best friend’s wedding today, so I didn’t really had the time. Which is not a bad thing.”

“Finral Roulacase is your best friend?”

“Yep. I’m really happy that he got to marry the love of his life. I know it’s an arranged marriage, but they’re so lucky to be in love still.”

“They are. It is sadly a rarity.”

“Maybe, but I hope it will be the same for you, if it happens.”

Nozel looked at her, surprised. But Vanessa just smiled at him, maybe a little sad, maybe compassionate, but genuine. Nozel had no idea what to say, so he just nodded.

They continued to dance, not talking anymore. Nozel wished again for the waltz to not stop. This was actually the best thing of this royal wedding.

But of course, the music had to stop.

The other couples around them left the dancefloor, leaving it for other dancers. But Nozel couldn’t go away. He couldn’t leg of that moment, a rare instance of peace in his life.

But he needed to. It wasn’t proper and he didn’t deserved it in the first place.

“Um, honey?”

“Hm?”

“Don’t you think you should let go of my hand?”

Puzzled, Nozel looked down, only to discover that he was indeed still holding her hand. He really should let go. Vanessa couldn’t spend the whole ball with him, she said that this was her best friend’s wedding and she surely wanted to celebrate with the Black Bulls more than with him.

But…

Bringing her hand up to his mouth, Nozel softly blow a kiss upon the back of it. It wasn’t more than like the touch of a butterfly, but somehow it felt like a spark through his entire body.

“Thanks for the dance… handsome.”

“You’re welcome, miss Enoteca.”

Usually, Vanessa laughed and said that he should called her just “Vanessa”. But this time, she didn’t. Did she felt it too? Or was it just an illusion?

Nozel didn’t even wait for an answer, as he turned away, leaving the dancefloor. And holding his hand. He could still feel something electric in it, pulsing right into his entire body and it just wouldn’t stop?

What is wrong with me?

♣♣♣

“What are you doing here, Yami?”

“Attending one of my brats wedding?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Charlotte looked away, clearly offended. Yami couldn’t help but smirk at this sight.

“Well, wedding or not, a fearless battle can’t wait and I haven’t taken a dump since yesterday evening, not to mention that a boring dance party like that is the perfect occasion to go take a shi-“

“Don’t say that, you disgusting brute!”

“Hey, that hurts my delicate little heart here. And you wanted to know.”

“I don’t need to know the details of your… your… bowel habits, thank you very much.”

“Why so grossed out about something very natural, Prickly Queen? It’s not like you don’t do it at all.”

“Just because something is natural doesn’t mean that it needs to be told in public.”

“But we’re alone, Prickly Queen.”

“And? Doesn’t change anything to what I just said!”

Charlotte crossed her arms and turned her back to him. Yami smirked again. Now that was the reaction he was looking for. He clearly missed that.

Back from Spade, Yami had the unsettling feeling that something changed. Not on the surface, so first he thought it was just his imagination. But the unsettling feeling refused to leave him, so maybe the changes were more under the surface.

It was mostly due to the fact that Finral and Gordon started to visit the Blue Roses quite often and somewhat tried to talk to him about Charlotte. Given their Ki’s, they wanted to say more than they actually did, but Yami couldn’t pinpoint what they could want from him.

Maybe something like Asta and Magna? Those two were quite direct and somehow got the idea that Charlotte didn’t hate him and wanted to be his friend. Apparently, Charlotte did say something like that back in Spade. But no one else were talking about that, not even Finral and Gordon. Plus, Asta and Magna were such idiots, so Yami didn’t really paid attention about what they pretended.

Still, during those three months, Charlotte became quite distant with him, speaking so rarely even at those boring captains meeting. Heck, even Braids had been less distant than her after the whole Spade raid. Yami had feared for a moment that he did something wrong.

But given her reaction, it clearly had nothing to do with him and that was a real relief. Maybe she had a lot to do with the aftermath of the raid. Charlotte always took her job as captain way too seriously for his liking, she really needed to chill out more.

Charlotte was wearing a blue dress he already saw once. Wasn’t that the same one of the dinner party a few months ago, when she jumped out of a window after touching him?

“Still having this one, huh? I already told you that must get chilled in this frilly dress.”

“No, I don’t get cold. And I don’t care if you don’t like it.”

“Hey, I never said that I don’t like that frilly thing, don’t get insulted! It does look good on you at least, don’t get the wrong idea.”

“Why haven’t you told me that back then, at the dinner party?”

“I thought it was obvious that it looks good on you, no one said that to you?”

“My knights told me, it was even them who chose it in the first place.”

“Well, then I didn’t need to say it, you can trust your girls.”

“Haven’t you even thought about that a compliment would have still felt nice?”

“Nah, not my style.”

“Sadly.”

She turned her back to him again, arms still crossed.

Yami was stunned for a moment. Did he upset her somehow? That wasn’t his intention. He liked to tease her, since it was so easy to, but never would he dare to upset Charlotte.

“My mother wanted to get me a new dress, especially for the wedding, but I refused. I’m the only one in my family who didn’t want a new one, everyone else had spent days at the atelier of Soie Velours to get a new gown for the occasion.”

“Soy… who know?”

“Soie Velours, the most renown modiste in the kingdom, at least for nobility.”

“Ah? Never heard of her. No wonder if she’s working from stick-ass nobles.”

“Didn’t at least Finral Roulacase talked about her?”

“Maybe, but I don’t wear dresses, so I probably didn’t listened.”

Charlotte sighed again and given her Ki, it could either mean she was still upset or understanding. Knowing Charlotte, Yami was sure it was the first.

“This dress here isn’t from Soie Velours,” she suddenly spoke, caressing her dress. “But my family doesn’t know it. Otherwise they would have never allowed to wear it. But I only wear it once, at the dinner party and I’m quite fond of it. There are some good memories bond to it.”

“If it’s a dress you girls gifted to you, no wonder you have some good memories of it.”

“I wasn’t talking about my knights! Well, not only.”

“Huh? Don’t tell me that you have good memories of that dinner back then.”

“Well, of course I have!”

Geez, why though? Surely not because of him, Yami was certain. The food was definitely good, so there was that. Good food were always bond to become good memories, it might be definitely the food.

“Did you enjoy the wedding?” Charlotte asked suddenly. Yami frowned a bit, since when was she the first to try small talk with him?

“My wheels is happy to finally get married to his lady love, no one can’t take that away. But else… it’s a stick-ass royal noble party and if it weren’t for Finral and his girl who’s quite nice, I don’t think I would have shown up. My brats were excited though, nothing can hold them back to celebrate. Maybe I should’ve let them present the Bulls and staid at the hideout. Missed occasion, really, it is rare to have a calm moment at the hideout. For once, no one would have disturbed me while taking a dump.”

“Yami, please!”

Yami just laughed. Gosh, he really missed that attitude of hers. In the end, nothing had changed between them.

Right?

But before he could have any doubts, Charlotte spoke again, “To be honest with you, I don’t like being here either. More because my whole family is here as well and the other single members of house Roselei always hope to snatch a potential future spouse during such an event.”

“Well, can’t be you, then. After all, you’re married to the battlefield,” Yami laughed, happy to use this old joke again.

Even though it felt somehow out of place right now.

“This is not true, Yami, and you should-“

Charlotte froze.

Yami froze.

He hadn’t realized how close they were. In fact, he never had been this close to her in his whole life. Geez, this close, Yami couldn’t help but just stare at her.

Did she always had those perfectly full lips? Had her jawline always been so delicate? He already knew that she had a rather pale skin, but never did Yami realized how shining it was, especially with those red cheeks, just like red roses. Her was looking like bright gold or vanilla cream or a winter sun, depending on the lights…

Okay, since when was he so corny? Did he took not enough dumps for today? Had there been something in the food Charmy made for the buffet? Of course he knew that Charlotte was pretty, objectively. Noelle and Vanessa were pretty too, and Sleepy Hat as well. Yami knew plenty of pretty women, Charlotte was not special on that just because she had… such big beautiful eyes, between perfectly long eyelashes and in a very special blue that seems… kinda familiar? And her smell, geez, it was nothing too much like roses, surprisingly. A more spicy note was more covering the roses, somehow.

“Do you have a new perfume, Prickly Queen?”

“What? No, no I don’t!”

And with that, Charlotte just run away screaming, like she usually did. Only that Yami wasn’t that reassured about her reaction. More like confused. And maybe a bit hurt.

So much for nothing changed, he thought as he went back towards the ballroom. What just happened between them, while there were so close… Somehow it was a spark, definitely new, but what kind of new. Yami had no idea and he didn’t liked it.

Something had changed since his return from Spade. There was no denying about that anymore. But what exactly? Yami had no answers right now and it really pissed him off.

Back to the ball, Yami started to look for Charlotte. He really wanted to talk to her, even though he had no idea about what. Just that something needed to be settled between them. But she was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, Yami saw Vanessa kinda turning and dancing around, probably drunk, but not her usual drunkenness. Weird. And wasn’t there Nozel on the other side of the room, holding his hand like he was hurt or something?

Okay, Yami definitely had the feeling that he was missing something and of course, he had no idea what it was. In the end, maybe it was better to not pain his head with complex thoughts for today. He was already feeling worn out and the ball wasn’t even over yet.

“I’ll better deal with that stuff later. This should be future Yamis problem, not mine.”

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mamavino · 8 days

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Story in the making.......

In a world where magic intertwines with mystery, the traveling circus holds secrets beyond imagination.

So does Charlotte Roselei, when she takes a seat in the audience she gets the shock of her life. Ten years ago, her little sister ran away from home during one stormy night, but now she sees her again as an act in the circus. As one of the wonders of the world, Isabella is shown as a mermaid who has lost her voice. Yami sitting next to Charlotte in the audience picks up her shocked ki and decides to help Charlotte get her sister back. They confront the ring leader and also head of the circus, but he says he is unaware of any wrongdoing and is actually helping Isabella. What is the story behind this?

Nozel Silva looks around at the circus' acts. He encounters a fortune teller who tells him he is missing a piece of memory. At first, Nozel doesn't believe any of this. She also tells him that the memory was left in a birdcage. And that a woman with rosewood-colored hair holds the key to this memory. A little later, he runs into Vanessa of the black bulls. Even though she has rosewood-colored hair, she can never be that person. Vanessa is vulgar, flirty and gets on his nerves. But then she asks his help to find an old friend who needs to be in the circus as an act. He decides to help her. Maybe there is more behind Vanessa than being a drunken wino?

As for Noelle Silva, her reunion with her cousin Simay Silva at the circus promises to mend old wounds and forge new bonds. But Asta, her loyal friend, senses danger lurking beneath the surface and vows to protect her at all costs. With unexpected allies by his side, they unravel the sinister truth behind the circus's facade and confront the forces that seek to tear them apart.

#black clover #black clover fanfiction #rare paring #yami x charlotte #vanessa x nozel #zora x nebra #asta x noelle #Leopold Vermillion x Isabella Roselei #in the making #outlining #creative writing #Creating a new story

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mamavino · 8 days

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Black Clover Modern AU

Excerpts

Just two little wips I did, because I couldn't get them out of my mind. No matter if I do just a series of oneshots or a multi-chapter story as well, I'm sure that I will find a place for this parts 🥰

Wip Excerpt I He run, hoping to stop his mother to go after HIM. The marriage was broken, it was so clear after today's fight. But Nozel knew his mother hoped for a real happy family still. He couldn't blame her for that, but they could be a happy family without HIM.

Nozel was out of breath when he finally reached the road. Why was the villa of his family on a hill again? Who cared about that, he needed to catch his mother!

Acier was there, on the road. The green light just turned red.

Then, there was the car.

Then a panic.

His mother fell.

Then it was blurry. And Nozel screamed, but no one heard him. There was no sound coming out of his mouth...

Well, that escalated... I swear, Acier won't be dead in my Modern AU! But it is still a cruel alternative 😭

Wip Excerpt II Vanessa sighed dramatically as she fell back on her bed, holding her two current favorite books in front of her as if they were some most important evidence during a trial.

"I can't help it, Dotty! Jane Austen and N. A. Steel have put the level of being a wonderful man onto such a high level that I automatically have too much expectations for any potential boyfriend! But the only thing I get at best are jerks, not Darcys, colonel Brandons or Rosecliffs!"

Dorothy giggled, which could either mean that she was amused or kinda frustrated. "You do have a romantic soul, Nessa."

"Yeah, maybe that's the reason why I can't get a proper boyfriend. But I don't want to date a macho anymore! Why are gentlemen so out of fashion today? Maybe I was born in the wrong time period."

"Aren't you a bit overdramatic?"

"Maybe? I don't know. I knew I shouldn't have started to drink less wine."

It didn't sound like an easygoing joke and Vanessa knew that this wasn't normal for her.

Vanessa is going through a frustrated romantic phase, if this is a thing 😅 Also, don't forget N. A. Steel, just in case...

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mamavino · 8 days

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LOVE THIS STORY SOOOOOOO MUCH

Silver Cats & Black Roses

Chapter 1 – And so, it began...

A/N Time for me to also post one of my longer fics here (and probably also my start of FINALLY doing some masterlists here). Silver Cats & Black Roses is a story I love in particular, as it also allowed me the shape my Black Clover fics more in detail. I wrote it last year, all 35 chapters and while I didn't expect it to become this long, I'm actually pretty happy with how it ended up. So, here the first chapter 💜💙

Ao3 link

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Was it weird to look at an empty glass and hoping it would answer all your questions, even the ones you don’t even ask or think about?

Yes. Yes, it was totally weird.

And still, Vanessa couldn’t help but looking at her glass and hoping for answers.

They had just won over the Dark Triad and the devils, saved captain Yami and captain William, as well as the freed the Spade kingdom from years of a dark reign.

Right now, everyone was either healing, being looked after or looking after others, got some whole deserved rest or just, trying to calm down after all those fights.

Vanessa managed to gather a glass and a bottle of Spade wine somewhere, she didn’t pay attention what place it was and found a nice spot under a tree. A bit away from the tents that were build up in haste, but still near enough to be there in a moment, if she needed to.

Vanessa would have liked to celebrate the victory with the Bulls and some others, but that would probably be for another time. They were all exhausted from the battle, some were probably asleep and others went to look after other people – she saw Finral helping Langris lie down on a bed not too long ago.

And maybe, just maybe, Vanessa needed some time alone for once, to get her thoughts in order.

Although, she didn’t really know what those thoughts had to be about. While she drank her glass empty to refill it, she kept thinking kinda unbothered about the war within Spade, the fact the Black Bulls do have a vice-captain, the Dark Triad, the devils, the abduction and later the rescue of captain Yami and captain William, all those fights… and so many other things, basically everything that happened in a bunch of a bit more than a week.

But now that both glass and bottle were empty, Vanessa realized that in this very moment, her mind actually got a grip on only one specific moment.

Captain Charlottes’ confession to captain Yami.

And more importantly… the fact that Vanessa neither felt jealous or betrayed or sad or angry or any similar feeling about it. None of these emotions have pierced Vanessas heart when she heard Charlottes teary and heartbreaking love confession.

In fact, nothing pierced her heart at all. Vanessa only felt her obvious worries for her captain, but also compassion, sadness for the captain of the Blue Rose Squad. Maybe also a bit of hope, but not for herself… Vanessa couldn’t explain why.

And Vanessa was also unable to explain why she wasn’t even surprised that she didn’t even felt any jealousy. Wasn’t it weird to be surprised about not being surprised? To not be jealous for something…

It was really stupid and probably also selfish that she was focusing on that right now, instead of other more important things. After all, a fiery raid against powerful enemies just ended and even though it ended in a victory for Clover, Heart, the Spade rebels and every one of their allies, how was everybody’s physical state? And more importantly, how was everybody’s mental state?

And still, all alone as she was right now, Vanessa couldn’t help but think about how surprisingly different she felt about that confession than she would have thought.

She had a huge crush on Yami, right after he freed her from her cage and made a Black Bull out of her. Only to get heartbroken just a few days later, a very specific day Vanessa never liked to remember…

She never really thought to be over it, given that the few guys she shortly dated over the years were all buff men, like Yami. Now that Vanessa thought about it, was that almost like she tried to replace him in her heart?

Finral had said something like that to her, one day. Finral, her best friend, who always had disastrous flirting attempts with no success and who was so shy and respectable around the only woman he truly loves. He actually had such good romance advice for others, but those others, herself included, barely listened to him.

Which was probably stupid.

“There’s a lot of buff men, Vanessa, but not everyone is like captain Yami. Heck, given how he is, no one is like captain Yami.”

“Oh, I know that, Fin.”

“I believe you, but do you also realized it?”

No, she didn’t. Or maybe she did realized that fact, but she ignored it instead. Why? Vanessa couldn’t really tell.

Maybe she couldn’t accept that what she felt for her captain was more gratitude and the affection of a sibling than anything. Maybe she couldn’t get over her first heartbreak and since Yami was out of reach on a romantic level, she tried to find a replacement, despite knowing that there wouldn’t be a second Yami Sukehiro.

“I was really stupid,” Vanessa muttered. Even more so that her crush on Yami was more like a lost sad puppy imprinting on the first nice person who cared about her and with her previous flings, she felt mostly excitement and attraction, which never really lasted long. And she flirted and teased left and right, because she find it fun.

But she never had been in love.

Which honestly sucks in her eyes. Vanessa was a romantic, she supported Finral in his quest – her words, not his – to become the man Finesse deserved. She tried to play the matchmaker for her squadmates. Without much success, granted. Asta was just as dense as Yami, Noelle too stubborn to even admit her own feelings to herself, Gray and Gauche were such a case on their very own and the rest of her squadmates were also such disasters when romance was involved. Also not very cooperative. And still, not always but pretty often, Vanessa continued to try. After all, she loved each one of her squadmates and wanted them to be happy.

There were only two Black Bulls she never tried to pair up with someone. First Nacht, but Vanessa only met him like three days ago and so never got the opportunity to play a matchmaker for him.

The other, was of course Yami. There were many reasons why Vanessa never tried. First, he was scary when someone put their nose in his privacy. Second, he was so horribly dense, he was so unable to realize when a anybody, man or woman, was interested in him.

And third… Charlotte Roselei, captain of the Blue Rose squad.

Did she actually never tried to pair up captain Yami with anyone because she still had that foolish, stubborn and stupid hope that he would choose her? Or because she knew that there was someone who actually loved him already?

But then, why did Vanessa never tried to help captain Charlotte to make her move on Yami?

Was it because Charlotte criticized Yami and didn’t looked like she admired him every day? But Noelle also criticized Asta for many things and it was mostly to hide her own feelings, Charlotte had obviously a similar approach. Even though that unlike Noelle, Charlotte actually never seemed like she denied her feelings to herself.

As for the admiration part, what had Finral told her once?

“Vanessa, as much as admiring your loved one is always nice and most often sweet, it becomes problematic when you put your partner on a pedestal. This makes a gap in your relationship and it’s worse if you’re blind to your partner’s flaws, even considering that person flawless.”

Finral was right, of course he was right.

Now that Vanessa thought about it, it was actually pretty obvious that captain Charlotte didn’t put captain Yami on a pedestal. No, by not being blind by his flaws and still loving him despite them, Charlotte embraced all of Yami, who he was. She didn’t saw a strong, flawless hero, she saw Yami Sukehiro.

Vanessa actually admired that about captain Charlotte. Love must be strong if you embrace about the person you love, even the rather bad sides, but without denying them. Vanessa knew that back then, when she had that crush on Yami, she’d put him on a pedestal. Well, he saved her and took her in, she had been innocent and overwhelmed by her saviour, by the world outside the Witches Forest. But a relationship wouldn’t have work, she knew that today.

“I should have helped captain Charlotte,” Vanessa whispered, still looking at her empty glass.

She felt a bit empty as well, right now. The realization she made might have opened her eyes, but it also made her feel somehow lonely.

Vanessa hadn’t felt lonely since the cage and she didn’t like that this horrible feeling was back. But it was back… and it was strange. How could she ever felt lonely with the Black Bulls, when you weren’t pulling a Nacht? How was it possible to feel lonely with Black Bulls, when everyone was there for each other, having fun together?

Vanessa wasn’t against change, as long as it wasn’t drastic. But she didn’t want her current life to change, the Black Bulls current life to change. She lived in the present, her horrible past behind her, not caring for the future.

But would it change? Their lives already changed when Asta joined the Black Bulls. They were misfits with a home, but no perspective and Asta gave them hope, to become better, to become real Magic Knights. But their lives haven’t changed that much due to that.

But wouldn’t it have more drastic changes if Yami will go out with captain Charlotte? When Finral would finally marry lady Finesse and be on better terms with his brother? When Grey and Gauche would finally get together or Asta and Noelle? Or Noelle starting to be on better terms with her siblings, at least with her oldest brother? And Gordon visiting his family more to learn and to improve his skills? And Magna, and Charmy, and Luck, and Zora, and Henry? Even Nacht?

Vanessa was certain that her squadmates wouldn’t disappear from her life like that, but their lives didn’t always turned only around the Black Bulls. Changes are bound to happen, whether she liked or not.

All she hoped was that it wouldn’t be fast changes, but she had no power over it. And changes could take many forms, could happen in so many different ways. She couldn’t stop it and honestly, given how most of her squadmates wanted to change some situations in their lives, she didn’t even wanted to.

Maybe it was time she tried something new, once they came back from Spade.

Vanessa didn’t know if changes would come to her or if she needed to provoke it. But it wouldn’t be today. She was still overwhelmed from the aftermath of the whole raid and exhausted. Not to mention consider all the topics she just thought about.

The noise of footsteps over the cold grass interrupted her thought. Which meant that she wasn’t alone anymore. Vanessa didn’t really mind. She surely wasn’t the only one who had some thinking to do after everything that happened.

Looking up, Vanessa was actually surprised to see Nozel Silva, captain of the Silver Eagles, just stopping a few meters in front of her. Looking over the horizon, but not really seeing what was in front of him.

Was he in thoughts too? He always had that cold, emotionless glance whenever she saw him, but today, there was a crack in the mask, something that made him look more human, more vulnerable.

It suited him.

Vanessa had to admit that she had mixed feelings about him. On one hand, there was the whole situation with Noelle, but at the same time, Vanessa couldn’t help but think that there was more about him than anyone would think.

Yami didn’t liked him and made fun of his appearance, but Vanessa couldn’t help but like the looks of captain Nozel actually appealing, even though he wasn’t her type. She just wasn’t blind and even though the frontal braid might be ridiculous, but somehow it wasn’t on him. Captain Nozel wasn’t buff, but he wasn’t a string bean like captain Jack either. Vanessa had no idea if he had a muscular body or not, given the clothes he wear made it difficult to see that instantly.

He always looked so cold, so unbothered, you say arrogant, but not like the usual annoying nobles or royals Vanessa knew. And lately, he had tried to mend his relationship with Noelle and her squadmate was actually very happy about it. Unsure, yes, but nothing could hide the fact that despite everything, she still loved her brother and wanted to be on better terms with him.

And who was Vanessa to go against someone who was genuinely trying to make amends. It wasn’t obvious, but saying that captain Nozel wasn’t trying would be stupid. Vanessa still find it too slow, but given how Noelle was, it might be a Silva thing.

Noelle also told her that her new pink ribbons she was wearing now had been a gift from her brother and Vanessa actually find that gesture cute. Especially how Noelle was wearing them apparently every day now, she clearly loved those ribbons.

Nozel Silva didn’t seem to realize that he wasn’t alone. Last time Vanessa saw him, Noelle had been hugging him, awkwardly so, but still it was a hug. Why was he alone now? And how was her squadmate?

“How is Noelle? Last time I saw her, she was with you.”

There was a flinch. Just half a second long and just a tiny one. Not everyone would have noticed it. But Vanessa did. It was nice to know that he had normal reactions, just like everyone else.

“Pardon me, I wasn’t aware of your presence.”

It didn’t sound insulting. Not even prideful, just stating a fact.

“Don’t worry, you couldn’t. Usually I’m more the chipper type, but today is a bit a special case, for obvious reasons. So, what about Noelle?”

“She fell asleep not so long ago. Probably due to all the exhaustion from the battle. I brought her in one of the tents and staid a while. Until one of your squadmates came to take over. The one who can turn herself into a bird, Nero, I think? I left Noelle in her capable hands for a while. I… needed some time for myself.”

“Sorry to have taken the spot then.”

“Don’t be, you were here first. I’ll go somewhere else.”

“Don’t go, handsome. Just because I’m here alone doesn’t mean I want to be lonely. You can keep me company, if you want.”

Captain Nozel just looked blankly at her, before nodding and going back to his contemplation of the Spade horizon. Vanessa had to admit that he had a very nice profile and that jawline was worth to be noticed. His skin was pale, just like Noelle. But like his sister, it was a sick kind of pale, it was more like glowing, a bit like moonlight. Just like herself, he had purple eyes, in a more cold, winterlike and metallic shade. Considering what type of magic he had, it was probably normal that it looked metallic. Those were some gorgeous eyes, Vanessa had to admit.

His hair looked straight and rather spiky, but Vanessa wondered if the texture was more soft and silky, like Noelles. She wondered how he would like with a ponytail, a low one or how it would be if it was completely free, even without the braid. A braid that still looked pretty good on him.

“Noelle told me that you gave her those pink ribbons. She wears it all the time, apparently, she clearly loves them.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

A slight smile appeared on his lips. Just a second, but it was there.

“You can show how much it makes you happy. It clearly means a lot to Noelle and honestly, she deserved that.”

“Yes… she does.”

It was all he said and Vanessa had a feeling that captain Nozel was talking more to himself than to her.

How deep was this man? How many emotions did he hide?

Vanessas curiosity was a bit awaken, but she didn’t know if she should push. Nozel was such a distant man and he didn’t seemed like the type of person who would open up if you teased and pushed him enough, he might even distance himself even more.

“What are you thinking about?”

“It is none of your concern.”

“If it’s about Noelle, then it does concern me, she is my squadmate.”

Vanessa hoped she didn’t sound too hard, even though that man might have deserved it.

“It’s not only about her. I was also thinking about my mother.”

His voice sounded sad, especially when he said mother. Now, Vanessa really hoped that her last sentence hadn’t been too hard.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’re… right. Noelle also concerns you. But my mother… it’s a heavy… topic for me.”

His voice was so soft all of a sudden. It was actually pretty clear how difficult it was for Nozel to talk about this topic.

Vanessa knew that Noelle still missed her mother, despite having no memories of her. She had been just a baby when Acier Silva died. But what about her siblings, what about captain Nozel?

They had memories about their mother, so maybe, just maybe, they suffered too from this loss? Vanessa couldn’t tell for Nebra and Solid Silva, but captain Nozel… those few words, his soft and sad voice, it proved that like Noelle, he missed their mother too, he was certainly still grieving.

How old was Nozel when Acier Silva died? Vanessa did a quick math. Thirteen, fourteen, something like that… too young to even have his grimoire yet. Losing his mother at that age, it must have break something in him.

Vanessa looked at him, while he was staring at the horizon. The cold mask was still there, but Nozel didn’t tried to hide the cracks. Why? She didn’t know, but Vanessa tried to look a bit farther.

There was some kind of loneliness in his eyes. Resignation too. It looked somehow… like he was in a cage. Just like she was in the past. Vanessa almost gasped, because the familiarity with what she saw in his eyes was pretty scary.

And sad too. In what kind of cage was he locked in?

Vanessa sighed, compassionate. Who would have thought that she would feeling kinship for Nozel Silva of all people?

“I’ve been thinking a lot too, just now.”

Vanessa didn’t know why she said that out loud, why even she would tell him of all people. But somehow it needed to get out. Just a bit.

“What about?”

It’s none of your concern, she almost said, just to tease him. But she didn’t feel like it right now. Even though she probably wouldn’t tell him everything.

“Probably some stupid stuff. I had a crush a long time ago, but that guy break my heart.”

“Then… he probably don’t deserve you.”

“Well, I never ever told him and he’s so dense, he probably never realized it. Well, he never realized when anyone, man or woman, is interested in him.”

“My point still stands. If that man never realized what you feel for him, then he probably doesn’t deserve you.”

“Maybe I also don’t deserve him. It was more like a lost puppy crush than love, if you understand what I mean. Actually, I felt more like friendship and sibling affection towards him. Also gratitude, probably. I just… never wanted to admit it. I kinda searched for a replacement, but I never felt something deep, just excitement and attraction.”

“Oh.”

Vanessa looked up to him. Captain Nozel just stared at her, his expression unreadable, but his glance wasn’t unkind.

“And then… Let’s say not so long ago, I heard another person confess to him. And I didn’t feel anything. No jealousy, nothing that felt like dagger in your heart. Just… compassion for this person, because that guy is so dense. And hope, not for me, but for that person.”

“That would mean that you have a good heart in my books.”

“Not sure about that, but thanks still. But for me, it also meant that I was trying to reach something I didn’t want anymore. Well, something like that. I’ve already gave up on him, I just never realized it. Maybe I ignored it? I just felt stupid, especially since I can’t stop thinking about it. Love can make you really stupid.”

“This is true.”

“Oh, speaking from experience, handsome?”

“It isn’t about me, but about someone I knew a long time ago. She… she had an arranged marriage, but fell in love with her betrothed.”

“She was lucky, then.”

“I wouldn’t say so, because he didn’t loved her back. In fact, that marriage was just a step to reach his own selfish ambitions. He married more the house, it’s wealth and powers than the woman herself.”

“Ouch. And did she knew it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she did, but didn’t want to realized it. She spent years to claim that she loved him.”

A bit just like herself.

Vanessa had no idea who this woman was, but like with Nozel before, she felt some kind of kinship for that person. Okay, Yami wasn’t a scumbag like that husband, but still.

“Did she realized it one day?”

“Not for long, I’m afraid. I think the signs were there, but not clear enough, so I don’t blame her. She wanted a bunch of children, but he just wanted one, to assure his position, I suppose. He never liked fatherhood.”

“Then why wanting children in the first place? How would that have assured his position?”

“He married into his wife’s house, not the other way around. Having heirs is often important concerning arranged marriages. The husband actually hoped that the child would inherit a magic similar to his type.”

“Let me guess, that child didn’t got the dad’s magic.”

“Exactly. Instead, the child got a magic type similar to his mother. Of course, the father wasn’t happy about it and wanted more children. His wife was happy about it, so it took her some time to open her eyes. I believe she started to have some suspicions after they got their third child. And when she was pregnant with the fourth… it was a difficult pregnancy and I think she didn’t had the strength anymore to uphold her delusion.”

Nozels voice was sad, a little far away. As if he wasn’t talking to Vanessa anymore…

Vanessa had no idea who that woman was to him. An unrequited love? A best friend he cared about? Whoever she was, she must have been important to him.

“I’m sorry for her. That awakening must have been tough on her. But she loved her children, right?”

“Yes… she did love them deeply. It helped her to live with that realization.”

Vanessa hummed. Nozel talked about that woman in the past and she didn’t know how she should feel about it. She decided to not push more, despite her curiosity. That story clearly weighed on the captain of the Silver Eagles.

“Well, that’s life, I guess. Time to move on for me, I suppose.”

“Will you try to search for someone else?”

“Don’t know. Maybe this time I will just let it come to me. I won’t search, that’s for sure, you can find something without searching sometimes, you know.”

“If you say so.”

“What about you, handsome? Do you wanna find your better half as well.”

“No.”

“Ugh, why not? Not interested?”

“It has nothing to do with my own preferences. I just don’t have that luxury to find someone. It is my duty, so that my siblings can have that freedom.”

The tone was almost harsh, but not quite. Vanessa didn’t liked how it sounded like he would sacrifice himself into a loveless marriage, so that his siblings could choose who and what they wanted.

At least, it meant that captain Nozel would not marry Noelle off against her will and that she could choose Asta – if she just finally stopped denying her feelings towards him. But Vanessa couldn’t help but feel that the sacrifice of her brother’s happiness would make it worth to Noelle.

After all, she loved her brother and she had a good heart.

But maybe Vanessa understood it wrong? Maybe the royal side of Nozel Silva didn’t allow to spill any unroyal wishes in front of someone he barely knew? He already let his mask down a bit telling that sad story.

Vanessa hoped she understood his sentence wrong. It was never nice to know that people would sacrifice their lives and happiness for someone else. Even though she would do that too, like when the whole drama with Astas arms happened…

Okay, she better won’t go that road again, because she really felt too exhausted for that. She already had her bunch of thoughts and she even got a kinda deep conversation with someone she barely knew, just after a life threatening raid.

“Sorry I pushed you.”

“Don’t be. You couldn’t know.”

Vanessa just hummed, before trying to get up. Sadly, she felt rather wobbly once she stood, to a point that Nozel looked at her with concern.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m maybe a bit tipsy. Probably due to the Spade wine I just drank. I don’t even know why, Spade wine is worse than the cheap wine we have in Clover.”

“Shall I accompany you somewhere?”

“Oh, so you are a gentleman, nice to know. Well… I would say no and that I’m fine, but… it’s obviously not true. So, I better take the offer.”

Nozel just nodded and walked over to her, putting an arm respectfully around her waist. Vanessa never knew that this gesture could ever be respectful and kinda distant in general. But it didn’t bothered her right now. Actually, it felt nice.

As they walked slowly back to the camp, Vanessa couldn’t help but take a side-glance at captain Nozel. The mask was back, but the cracks of it weren’t invisible anymore. Vanessa found herself hoping that it won’t be the last time she saw them.

“Captain Nozel?”

“What is it?”

“What you told me just a moment ago… Don’t worry, I won’t spill the beans.”

“I… thank you. I also won’t tell anyone about what you told me.”

“I’m not forcing you to keep the secret. But still, thanks, cap’.”

She really wanted take some more glances behind his cold mask…

♣♣♣

Charlotte found herself stupid. So, so stupid.

What was she thinking? Why did she spur her love for Yami out loud like that, in the middle of a battlefield, for anyone to hear it?

Anyone, except the very person her love confession was meant to. Oh, the irony.

Okay, Charlotte knew why she said it out loud. Yami was on the brink of death and she had been so terribly scared to lose him. In the end, she didn’t regret it to have screamed those words. After ten years, they had needed to finally get out.

Too bad that Yami haven’t heard them. Even worse that Charlotte haven’t found the courage to say them again. Instead, she just passed out. It was so embarassing. Well, only for herself, most people seemed to blame the whole battle and exhaustion for that.

She quickly came back to her senses and to distract herself, Charlotte helped to take care of others, to organize the camp, to rest from the battle… To do anything that would keep her from thinking about Yami.

She went to see queen Lolopechka and sir Gadjah, who actually looked like they wanted to try a romantic relationship. They were so lucky…

Charlotte also went to see Rill, who first ate some of this wonderful food cooked by Charmy Pappitson and then went straight to sleep, she also looked a bit after William, who was deeply asleep, with Mimosa Vermillion, Yuno and Langris Vaude watching over him.

But now, she was in front of the tent where Yami was and instead of going in, she just stood in front of the tent, completely frozen.

She couldn’t just go away without seeing him, after what he’d been through, after everyone came to save him and William, after she just blurted out his feelings for him out loud.

But that last part was the very reason why Charlotte couldn’t find herself moving. Really, how pathetic was she? Charlotte finally found herself the courage to yell her feelings out loud and just because Yami didn’t heard her confession, she felt like she went three steps back instead of one step forward.

Not to mention that she had no idea who had heard her confession and Charlotte hated uncertainty on many, many levels. But on the other hand, after everything that just happened, who would give some deeper thoughts about her confession?

Charlotte find it very selfish of herself to even think that anyone would care enough of her confession to give it more importance than it had right now. And still, Charlotte wished that there would be someone she could talk about it, maybe to try lighten to heavy burden on her heart. But no knight of her squad was here right now and Charlotte didn’t know with who else she could have a heart to heart. Maybe Dorothy, but the captain of the Coral Peacock went back to sleep just after the final battle was over and Charlotte knew better than to wake her up.

And it was better to focus on more important things than her feelings, after all.

Was Yami awake, even? Would he ask her again what she said?

Or was he asleep, getting some whole deserved rest? And would Charlotte just be back where she was before her confession?

Right now, none of those possibilities seemed appealing to the captain of the Blue Roses, but she wouldn’t get any answer if she just stood in front of the tent.

“It’s alright, Charlotte, take a deep breath. Don’t overthink this, you just going to check on him,” she whispered to herself.

But of course, her own pep talk wasn’t enough to make her move.

“You can come in, captain Charlotte.”

Charlotte flinched and let out a small yelp. Deep in thoughts as she was, she hadn’t realized that Asta came out of the tent and stood now in front of her.

The young magicless knight frowned a bit and took a closer look on the blonde woman. “Are you alright, captain? Your Ki is kinda weird.”

“What… Oh, no, no. I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m just fine. Well, as fine as one could be under those circumstances. A lot happened.”

“That make sense. You came to see captain Yami, right?”

“Yes, well… not too long, I just wanted to check on him.”

“Come in. He’s asleep, but he would surely be happy to know that you came to see him.”

Asta took nonchalantly her arm and guide her into the tent. Yami was resting on a bed, looking deeply asleep and even snoring a bit.

Why did she find his snoring so adorable? Was it what love made to her? Well, at least she didn’t mind it at all.

Another Black Bull was also there, sitting on a chair. With sunglasses and bicoloured hair, it could only be Magna Swing. Charlotte remembered that he first also came in the Heart Kingdom to train, but left pretty quickly. She also heard that he defeated Dante Zogratis and that was actually very impressive.

Magna didn’t turned his head when Asta and Charlotte came in. “If it’s vice-captain Nacht again, tell him that if he’s came again to say negative things about captain Yami, he better leave right now.”

“It’s not our vice-captain. And Magna, please be nice, Nacht isn’t that bad. He’s just… unique, like captain Yami.”

“You’re just nice on him because you’re obviously his fav- Oh, captain Charlotte! I haven’t seen you, sorry!”

“It’s alright.”

“Apparently, Magna had an argument with our vice-captain just like half an hour ago. I don’t know about what, we only known vice-captain Nacht since a few days and still barely, but well…”

“It’s alright, Asta. I understand.”

Charlotte just smiled at the two Black Bull knights. She could understand their somehow mixed feeling about their vice-captain. Charlotte herself didn’t know what she should feel about Nacht Faust, but she barely knew him and it would take some long time to see more deeply into him.

And right now, it wasn’t the vice-captain of the Black Bulls that she wanted to focus on, but on their captain.

Magna offered his chair and Charlotte gave him a small, grateful smile before looking at Yami.

He looked so peaceful while he was asleep, almost like a child. Which was quite the paradox, since he already looked older than his 29 years.

Charlotte hoped with all her heart that Yami will have all the rest he deserved, after everything that happened in not even a week. She wanted him to rest, to come back just as strong and brutish and still caring as he always, just like before.

But would everything come back to normal afterwards? Charlotte doubted it. If she knew one thing, it was that changes were inevitable and that it would hardly ever be like before. A lot changed after the attack of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, a lot would change too after the raid of Spade.

Charlotte continued to stare at Yami. She wanted to caress his hair, to slick it back, to take his hands and intertwine their fingers. But they weren’t alone. Heck, they weren’t even a couple, she had no right to do those such simple things.

She sighed. Where does she exactly stand after her desperate confession?

“Hm, captain Charlotte?”

“What is it, Asta?”

“About what you said to captain Yami before he was healed.”

Charlotte forced herself to not flinch, doing her best to stay calm. Of course Asta and Magna knew. Of course the Black Bulls knew. Basically all of them were there, they heard her blurting out that she loved Yami.

Now, Charlotte feared what they would say. She had no reason to be afraid. And yet she was. Would they be upset at her for it? Did they hoped that the witch would be the one Yami chooses? Or would they be understanding? Or something else entirely?

“We love him too, you know.”

Wait, what?

“Yeah, just like Asta said. He’s like a father to us, he gave us a home, he took us in when almost no one else would. Of course we love him. But it’s nice to know that people outside of our squad appreciate him too. We make sure he knows that you love him too.”

Hold on a minute? Didn’t Asta and Magna took her love confession as one?

“I knew from your Ki that you didn’t dislike captain Yami, but that you trust him. You just had some difficulties to say what you feel. It’s nice that you finally said out loud that you appreciate captain Yami.”

“Yeah, it sucks that he didn’t hear you. We’ll tell him what you said. Well, he probably won’t believe us that easily, but who cares? We’re actually happy to know that captain William isn’t the only captain to like him the way he should be.”

Charlotte looked from Asta to Magna and back, trying to recognize if they knew about her love for Yami and where either making some fun of her or just didn’t use the most direct words. Or if they were clueless and just dense as Yami, genuinely thinking that she like Yami as a friend and colleague, nothing else.

Looking at those two, Charlotte quickly conclude that it was the latter. She didn’t if she should be upset that she got the two Black Bulls that didn’t get her love confession despite having heard it first-hand. Or if she should be relieved that Asta and Magna were just as dense as Yami, that she fell on them and not a Black Bull who actually got her confession right and who maybe would have tried to talk with her about it.

Charlotte decided to have mixed feelings about it, but she still thanked Asta and Magna. They were dense, yes, but goodhearted and that was more important for her.

The three went silent, watching over Yami, every one of them focusing on their own thoughts and listening to Yamis snoring. It was really adorable.

After a while, Charlotte heard soft footsteps outside and turned her head towards the entrance of the tent.

She was quite surprised to see Nozel Silva together with the Black Bull witch, Vanessa Enoteca, holding her a bit like she needed help to walk. The witch was probably exhausted too. Maybe she also came to see Yami. It hurt Charlotte just a little, but Vanessa Enoteca was a Black Bull and had surely more right to check on Yami than the captain of the Blue Roses.

But just when Charlotte was about to stand up from the chair, she saw Nozel and Vanessa pass the tent without stopping. That wasn’t what she expected and Charlotte just looked at them until they disappeared, before she focused her eyes back on Yami.

Somehow, Charlotte couldn’t help but think that she just witnessed the beginning of something.

And so, it began…

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