LN +
:
Soon after the question that was a little dangerous, Stella fell asleep wrapped in her blanket. However, she only did so for thirty minutes. When she woke up again, Stella's condition had become alarmingly stable. Her sweat that was flowing like a waterfall had stopped, and she spoke more without painful breaths, so with her body already revitalized she sat next to Ikki. Her cheeks were still flushed from fever, but if it was to that extent, she probably wouldn't develop pneumonia. Ikki was relieved that Stella had gotten back a bit of her vigor.
If it's like this, it might be okay to have a little talk.
Ikki thought it would be okay for her to sleep until the rescuers came, but whether Stella was bad at staying still and enjoying leisure, or whether her embarrassment at the conversation before had already come back, she was going on and on about various school topics with an unusual talkativeness. It was fun to listen to her, but Ikki only wanted to hear one thing.
So Ikki confirmed that Stella had enough energy to converse, and opened a topic himself.
"Hey, Stella."
"Hmm? What?"
"What kind of people are your parents?"
"Why… do you want to know?"
"Well you see, since we're together, we'll have to announce it sometime, right? Because of that, we have to greet them, after all. I want to know what kind of people they are before I meet them."
Meeting Stella's parents. It was unavoidable. In other words, it was a first step. At the latest, it would happen after the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival. But as far as Ikki was concerned, he had to avoid confronting Stella's parents without having any information. At least, what kind of people they were. He had to know that much.
So he asked Stella, but―
"Oh, s-so that's why…. In order to announce it, huh… ooh."
To that question, Stella's face became noticeably pale. It was an expression that plainly rejected his inquiry as disagreeable. In the end―
"Hey Ikki. I have a suggestion, but… can't we hide the marriage until the last minute?"
As one would expect, Ikki couldn't hide his bewilderment.
"No, of course there's no way we could do that…. It might be good to not announce it to the world, but if we don't tell your parents at the very least…."
"About that, a daughter can just tell her father 'Surprise~☆' one way or another."
"That kind of 'Surprise~☆' isn't cute, you know. If we're not careful, he'll have a heart attack."
At least Ikki was confident that if his sister invited their father to her wedding one day over the morning newspaper, it wouldn't end with just spitting out coffee.
"But, but…."
"Umm… do you not want me to meet your parents that much?"
Having been taken to the heart of the matter, Stella nodded with a bit, though she was divided on the issue.
"Ooh… Mother is a commoner, you know? But Father is a very eccentric person, and really dotes on me, so… if he hears that you and I are together…."
"He might oppose our relationship?"
"No. I don't think he'd oppose it."
"Then wouldn't it be fine―"
"But before deciding whether to approve it or object to it, I think he'll bury you when you come to Vermillion to greet him."
That would be absolutely not fine.
"So you're saying that since he's a genuine king, I'm not refined enough…."
"No, it's not about being refined."
Ikki had huge headache, though not from something like Stella's cold. Definitely not. But in order to properly love Stella, it was necessary to follow this procedure. That was absolute. This was a situation he wouldn't be allowed to escape. What kind of existence was his opponent? Ikki had no choice but to face him. Therefore he would do his best, and give the king of Vermillion a favorable impression.
"…W-Well, he at least treasures his daughter, right? Then he's a good father, isn't he?"
"He can't let go of his children, you know. He opposed it weeping when I decided to study abroad."
"No, anybody would try to stop it if his daughter went to study abroad because 'I'm going in order to find someone stronger than me'."
"At that time, Mother saved me by putting Father in prison, some way or another."
"'Some way or another'!? She put a king in prison 'some way or another'!? Your mother doesn't really sound like a commoner!"
"Oh, that's right. If Mother put Father in prison this time too…."
"No no no! It's fine! We'll meet them normally!"
"Eh? But you'll die?"
"Did you just say something staggering like it was natural?"
Ikki recoiled a bit at the words Stella gave with such a serious look. But for him, he was resolved for the sake of associating with Stella.
"…I'm happy that Stella is worried for me, and though the explanation ended really strangely, but I won't run away from this. I'll meet Stella's father properly, and fight for his approval. That's something I have to do as a man."
Ikki voice was colored by a strong determination. A strong determination that would never be shaken. Understanding that, Stella took a single breath.
"…I get it. Then let's go to Vermillion and meet them."
And after that… her expression became happy, and spoke while leaning on Ikki's shoulder.
"I want to boast about my sweetheart, right?"
"Thanks, Stella."
Saying so, Ikki caressed Stella's brilliant red hair, and she narrowed her eyes happily and rubbed her cheek against Ikki's shoulder. But suddenly her expression clouded over as if she abruptly thought of something.
"…Hey Ikki, about what we just said."
With a meek face, she asked Ikki.
"Me too, I wonder if I should greet your parents?"
Stella's expression was self-conscious as she asked that. It was reasonable. She knew that outside of Shizuku, Ikki didn't have a good relationship with his family.
And the truth was, Ikki's own expression clouded over at the question. He didn't know. Whether or not it was necessary.
―Really, was he was considered a child of that family anymore? He who defied their commands, ran away from home―no, whether his father even considered them family. Ikki thought of this while recalling his own father's face.
And after thinking for a while….
"You're right. I think it's important, so when the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival is over, shall we go to the Kurogane house together once?"
Ikki answered that way. At least Ikki… thought of his father as family. His father didn't want to deal with Ikki as his son even once, but he was still Ikki's irreplaceable parent. In Ikki's heart, he wanted the day that they understood each other to come. Therefore he believed that there were still family bonds.
"…Okay. I understand."
Stella nodded at Ikki's answer.
―Honestly speaking, Stella had been uneasy about Ikki's reply at that time. Stella knew how Ikki was treated by the Kurogane family from Kurono, from Shizuku, and from Ikki himself.
「You can't do anything, so don't try.」
Were those words that a father would tell his real child? Giving up on a child's potential arbitrarily, and not just doing that, but further crushing him. That kind of parental relationship, if Stella who was brought up by loving parents saw it, it was frankly abnormal. It wasn't something parents would do. That was why she was uneasy.
「There were still family bonds.」
Thinking of the situation that way―wasn't that too naïve? And that naïve thinking, someday… wouldn't Ikki's heart be decisively wounded?
But she couldn't say so. Of course not. Your father doesn't think of you as his child anymore. There was no way she could say something so wretched.
So Stella could only believe it herself. That Ikki's faint hope wouldn't be betrayed.
―And like that, the time came for silence between the two to break.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Ikki and Stella raised their heads.
They noticed it. The earth was shaking slightly.
Stella spoke. |