《Loving You as a Friend [BL]》


 Chapter 1: What a Shame

    SLAP! A crisp sound reverberated throughout the room. A lady clutched onto her swollen cheek as she stared down at the man in front of her. ¡°Violetta! You absolutely vile, horrid witch! You dare abuse your power to bully a student, let alone one that has lower status compared to you!¡±


    A single lady, dressed in black and purple, stood alone in the centre of the ballroom, surrounded by people.


    He was cuddling someone in his arms, protecting her from harm. ¡°You filthy, insolent woman! Did you really believe that your atrocious acts would not come to light? After bullying my dear Silvia countless times on end? Think again!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, could I ask what evidence you have to accuse me of such acts?¡± Violetta Alphenhide, an Archduke¡¯s daughter, was emotionless to the accusations against her.


    ¡°Lady Violetta, how could you deny your cruel and wicked actions against me?¡± Silvia Encratis, a Viscount¡¯s daughter, timidly clung onto Ciel Angetr¨¦¡¯s clothing. Violetta¡¯s fiance, who should¡¯ve been on her side defending her, was accusing her instead.


    ¡°Vio, I must say, I am disappointed in you. And here I thought that our Archduke family brought you up with the best education, only for you to disappoint us.¡± Alexis Alphenhide spoke to condemn his sister¡¯s actions. ¡°Vio, I hope Father will go easy on you since you are his daughter.¡± Alexis felt a tap on his shoulder.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough Lex. Even if she has done something wrong, at the end of the day, she¡¯s still your sister.¡± Lucius Angetr¨¦, the crown prince and childhood friend of Alexis, interrupted him to stop him from humiliating Violetta any further. ¡°Lady Violetta, I was looking forward to having you as a sister-in-law but your actions now make me think otherwise. I hope you can reflect on your behaviour.¡± Lucius gave a small apologetic smile toward Violetta, who was still standing alone.


    ¡°Again, I ask once more, what evidence do you have?¡± Violetta firmly stood her ground, she could feel the intense, cold glare coming from Darcel Leroux, the Grand Duke¡¯s only son; also childhood friends with Alexis and Lucius.


    ¡°There is no need for you to know, rather you should already be aware of your crimes.¡± He stood next to Alexis, and although he wasn¡¯t doing much, his aura was enough to scare off everyone.


    ¡°Darc, don¡¯t use the word ¡®crimes¡¯. It¡¯s too harsh, Lady Violetta may be in the wrong but she¡¯s not a criminal.¡± Lucius tried to correct Darcel in his word choice but he wouldn¡¯t budge, ¡°She is in my eyes.¡±


    ¡°I have to agree with Lu on this one. She¡¯s my sister and she will not be labelled as a criminal.¡± Alexis defended his sister, even though he still believed she was guilty of bullying Silvia. The three of them continued their conversation in hushed voices, so the 2nd prince, Ciel Angetr¨¦ and Silvia wouldn¡¯t overhear them.


    ¡°Violetta, I will give you face and not reveal your spiteful, heinous actions against Silvia in front of everyone. So leave! Leave this room at once or I will have to call the guards.¡± Ciel pulled Silvia closer, she snuggled closely into his chest, hiding her face from the crowd.


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    ¡°It seems like you did not hear my question. However, if that is what you want, fine. I¡¯ll leave.¡± Violetta turned, walking quickly out of the ballroom.


    ¡°Wait Vio, I¡¯ll take you home. Father will find it weird if we did not return home together.¡± Alexis quickly caught up to his sister, escorting her out. Following him were Darcel and Lucius, under the guise of ¡®protecting Silvia if she fights back¡¯ and ¡®saying farewell to his guest¡¯. The three of them implied that they would return later to the party. However, that seems like an excuse. Who knows if they ever returned afterwards.


    Ciel and Silvia were left alone in the ballroom, ¡°Your Highness, I am sorry for all the troubles I have caused you.¡± Silvia peered upwards into Ciel¡¯s eyes, ¡°Do not worry my dear Silvia. Let¡¯s enjoy our time together from now on.¡± He guided her to the centre of the ballroom, signalling to the orchestra to begin. ¡°Shall we have a dance?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Silvia gave a gentle smile as they began dancing around the ballroom, enjoying the music and each other¡¯s company.


    The screen began to fade to black, slowly reflecting a person crouched in front of it. ¡°Hmm, not bad. The story was pretty good but the visuals, voice acting and music, top tier.¡± Fujisaki Shin, a fresh graduate from high school and a visual novel otaku, had just ticked another one off his list. He had no particular ambition, drowning himself in endless games after his graduation. Furthermore, he only had two close friends and his family already knew about his hobbies. Not many people would notice his disappearance anyways.


    ¡°The ending was a little unsatisfying. Hopefully, the epilogue would wrap it up nicely but it¡¯s probably going to be the typical reverse harem route.¡± Shin quickly speedrun the ending, before opening up the game¡¯s menu and flicking through the CGs he collected. ¡°I actually feel sorry for Violetta, she was just a quiet, kind girl. Even her sis-con brother knew about her personality. So why did he even fall in love with Silvia?¡±


    He stopped at a particular CG; Alexis, Darcel and Lucius were childhood friends and this particular scene was when Alexis had come down with a fever because they had snuck out of the castle to tour the town. The three of them were hugging each other after Alexis had finally woken up. ¡°What a shame, imagine if the three of them actually ended up together instead.¡± Their dynamic was adorable and fitted them well. They were the classic childhood friends that lasted for years.


    Leaving his TV screen on this CG, Shin turned on his laptop and began typing away his review of the game, giving his honest thoughts.


    [Story: 7.5/10. Would¡¯ve been nice if they fleshed out the world-building and interactions more. Was looking forward to the more fantasy aspects. Especially with the lore of marriage (gender) and magic.


    Characters: 8.5/10. Had some pretty interesting character development though wouldn¡¯t have minded if there was no reverse harem ending. I did wish that the childhood friends would end up together though-


    Visuals: 10/10. Absolutely beautiful art from KittyPaws. Her art keeps improving with every game she works on! Personally, as a face-con, I love everyone¡¯s designs! I especially like the trio!


    Music: 9/10. Gorgeous soundtrack. I keep coming back to it. Can¡¯t wait for the CD to arrive! It definitely matched the whole fantasy romance aspect pretty well.


    Overall: 8.5/10. Definitely worth your time. Took me about 40-45 hours to complete it. If you don¡¯t mind a weaker storyline, you¡¯ll definitely enjoy this game!]


    Shin posted his review, seeing people comment before he turned off his laptop. After staying up the past few days to complete the game, his fatigue finally caught up to him. Feeling dirty, he opted for a quick shower, blow-drying his hair before snuggling comfortably into his bed. He hadn¡¯t eaten much apart from small meals, drifting to sleep while thinking about calling his friends for a meal later.

 Chapter 2: A Future Engagement

    Alexis groaned in pain, finally regaining consciousness after contracting a fever. "Lex! You''re awake!" His childhood friends, Darcel Leroux and Lucius Angetr¨¦ were by his side. "You''re too loud Lu. And Darc, you''re going to break off my hand." Alexis massaged his temple before sitting up, "Wait here, I''ll go call over your parents and the doctor."


    "Wait Lu, stay here." Alexis grabbed his hand, "I still have a headache. Don''t call them." Lucius darted between the door and his friend before sitting down. "Lex, I''m sor-"


    "Stop right there. It''s not your fault, I chose to follow you outside and I didn''t look after myself." Alexis gently ruffled Lucius''s silver, wavy hair, his ice-blue almond eyes were slowly tearing up. "But if I hadn''t been so weak, you wouldn''t need to cover me!" Alexis sighed, how could he soothe his crybaby friends. It was just a small matter.


    Alexis wiped away his tears, turning to face Darcel who was silently increasing his grip strength. "Darc, I''m alive. If you grip my hand anymore, you''ll hurt me." Darcel lifted his head, his ruby phoenix eyes were also slightly red and puffy, which contrasted his pitch-black hair, indicating that he had been crying too.


    "Lex..." Darcel bit his lower lip, holding in his words.


    Alexis sighed, pulling his friends into a hug, where they finally let loose and cried on his shoulders. He soothed both of them by patting them on the back as he began to recollect his memories.


    Alexis Alphenhide, rather Fujisaki Shin, was reborn into a fantasy romance visual novel. It was the last game he was playing before going to bed. He couldn''t remember the title of the game but he was certain. In the future, his younger sister would have her engagement broken off. Furthermore, both himself and his childhood friends would fall in love with the heroine. Luckily, he regained his previous life''s memories when they were young.


    He remembered that Alexis had a very androgynous look, his black hair would seem like purple in the sun, giving him fake highlights. It was complemented with a pair of peach blossom amethyst eyes. In the future, the three of them would grow up to become very attractive. They were known as the ''Adonis trio'' by the game''s fans. Shin was one of them.


    Shin, no he was going to go by Alexis now, didn''t have many plans in the future except to save his little sister and live a carefree life. Although he was a little bitter in having to abandon his own name, he also thought it was a good opportunity to live as Alexis. After all, another life was blessed to him. Based on the current events, it seems like it was early in the game''s prologue where Alexis caught a fever after sneaking out with his friends. It was the day before they would get examined for their elemental affiliation.


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    "How long have I been asleep for?" Alexis tried to break the silence, in an attempt to stop them from crying more. "Just one day," Darcel grumbled out a reply while lighting punching Alexis on the shoulder.


    "If you had been asleep for longer, we would have taken our elemental examination without you!" Lucius protested, he didn''t want to do anything without the three of them.


    Having played the game, Shin knew that the three of them were quite special. Each person would be the bearer of two elements, a rare phenomenon in the Athrina Kingdom. Darcel would be the bearer of fire and wind; fire and red eyes were his family''s symbol. Lucius would have ice and water; the royals were known for having blue eyes and ice as their element. Alexis would be afflicted with lightning and darkness; his family utilised lighting, hence why they had purple eyes. These three families were the kingdom''s pillars and had a massive influence over the kingdom. In the future, the three of them would bear the title of the ''Next Pillars''. It was a little embarrassing to have that title but Alexis couldn''t fault them for it.


    "Ahaha, sorry. I''m sure you guys would''ve been fine without me."


    "NO!"


    There was a strong objection from the both of them, immediately stopping their tears and began to cling onto Alexis more tightly. "I refuse to think about that. I won''t do anything if one of us is missing!" Lucius proclaimed and Darcel nodded along. "I won''t even start my swordsmanship until you woke up!"


    "Lu, don''t say that and Darc, don''t agree with him." Alexis tried to coax them but failed. They began to hold his hand tightly in an attempt to keep Alexis by their sides.


    In the game, not only did the three of them control two elements each, but they also excel in both magic and swordsmanship. This probably meant that the world was going to follow the game''s direction.


    Thinking about how he had to start training in the next year or so, Shin quickly put away those thoughts; he didn''t like sweating and because he was the Archduke''s son too, he would have to begin soon. The two of his friends couldn''t escape their similar fate too: one being the Grand Duke''s only son and the other being the crown prince. "Have you calmed down now?" Darcel and Lucius were still clinging to his body, but they stopped their tears. Both of them reluctantly pulled away from Alexis, their eyes were red and puff, they still had a few sniffles left but they held it in.


    "You can call for my parents and the doctors now. Unless you want to wait until your eyes are no longer red." Both of them shyly nodded their heads, Alexis found them so adorable. "You guys cried so much, aren''t you tired?" He opened his blanket to invite both in. They timidly went under the covers with Alexis sandwiched in the middle. Lucius hooked his arm over his chest and Darcel hugged his waist; Alexis simply let them do what they wanted before adjusting himself so that everyone was comfortable.


    The two of them quickly began sleeping, their breaths evened out, luring Alexis to sleep as well. Shin thought about how to change the game''s direction but thought he should sleep some more before thinking about the future. The three of them slept soundly, not noticing the adults entering, who began discussions of a future engagement between them.

 Chapter 3: The First Step

    A few days passed and now it was time for their elemental examination. Alexis managed to convince their parents to postpone it till now. Just before they entered the church doors, Alexis pulled them to the side, whispering, "If you get another element that isn''t your house''s element, don''t tell anyone about it okay?"


    The two nodded without hesitation but Alexis felt a little conflicted at how easily they agreed. "Wait." He tugged their sleeves, "Aren''t you guys a little too trusting towards me?" Although typically the firstborn would inherit the family''s symbolic element, he still felt like they shouldn''t blindly place their faith in him.


    They looked at each other before Lucius spoke up, "It''s because it''s you, that we trust you." Lucius interlocked his hand with Alexis''s right hand. "And we trust that you care for us too. Just like how we do." Darcel grabbed his other hand, pulling the two of them through the church doors and into the chapel.


    "Thank you Lu, Darc." Alexis gave them his sincere smile, rushing to hug both of them. Although he had both Alexis''s and Shin''s memories, he was truly thankful for Darcel and Lucius; he had missed the warmth that friendship created. His life as Fujisaki Shin wasn''t lonely but he only had a few people he could confide in. "Why are you thanking us? Isn''t it natural for us to trust you?" Darcel hugged Alexis even tighter, "After all, we''re going to be together forever." Lucius patted Alexis on his head.


    Ah, he truly was glad he got another chance to live.


    "Lex? Why are you crying?" Lucius started to panic, hurriedly wiping away the tears.


    "I''m crying?" Alexis didn''t even notice until he touched his cheek. "Lex..." Darcel began dabbing his sleeve on his cheek to soak up his tears. "I''m alright you two." He gave a smile to convince them but instead, they ruffled his hair to console him. Regaining his bright smile, Alexis announced, "Let''s get our elemental examination!"


    -------


    "Lex! How did you know about our dual elements?" It was the afternoon after their examination, they snuck out of the royal castle to the garden to hide from their parents. Lucius was amazed at Alexis''s predictions. Darcel looked at him hopeful after discovering the same thing as Lucius.


    "Well, I just thought it might happen so I just told you guys." It turned out that even after he had been reborn, the world still continued in the same direction as the game, except this time, no one else knew about their second element. "I still can''t believe that I have ice and water." Lucius formed a snowflake and water droplet from his palm.


    "At least you have matching elements," Darcel grumbled, summoning a small fire and tornado. "But Lex, how are you going to work around your elements?"


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    Alexis created a small thundercloud and surrounded it with his dark magic. "I''m sure I can find something that''ll work out." Although they haven''t been taught magic, the¡¾game Alexis¡¿was a magic genius, quickly mastering it. So when they finished their examination, Alexis had taught them how to use elementary magic.


    It was simple to cast magic but it relied heavily on the caster''s concentration and visual imagery. The clearer and detailed the image, the stronger and more powerful it was. This world consisted of eight elements: fire, ice, water, lightning, earth, wind, light and dark. There was also a special category for neutral magic; anyone could learn neutral magic but elemental magic was assigned at birth.


    Each magic has different levels in skills and spells, with the higher levelled ones being difficult to master and control. Everyone in the Athrina Kingdom could use lifestyle magic and the basic level of their elemental magic. Further studies were required in order to be able to cast spells that were intermediate and higher. The kingdom provided education for children from ten-year-old to fifteen-year-old. After that, most nobles send their children to academies for further education, finishing when they were eighteen years old.


    People who had afflictions with light and dark magic were rare, so when it was announced that the three of them were dual elements and that ¡¾Alexis¡¿ was a dark bearer, it boosted their importance to the kingdom and placed large amounts of pressure upon them.


    The reason why Shin had told them to hide their second element was to allow them the choice of freedom. He knew that in the future, the three of them would be burdened with the task of defending and leading the Athrina Kingdom. Shin felt that it was a shame if they had to bear such heavy expectations without being able to explore the world and go on adventures like young adults.


    He thought it would be fun to spend time with them, considering that in the game, the three of them manage to stay really close even after several years. And considering the world''s unique history, it was a mystery why the writers didn''t choose to explore it further. It functioned differently compared to the modern society in his previous life.


    Aside from magic being part of everyday life, childbirth was different too. Here, anyone is able to give birth regardless of sex. In the kingdom''s history, the first king had a male lover and begged God to grant his lover a child. God heard their pleas, granting their wishes. Thus creating a new generation of humans.


    Although same-sex couples were accepted, heterosexual couples were still seen as the norm. Shin just thought it was a missed opportunity for the writers. Then again, the game was aimed towards a female audience. But aren''t most females rotten anyways? So wouldn''t that bring in a higher rating?


    Shin: "..." Let''s not think about that.


    Before being reborn, Shin was wavering. He couldn''t exactly pinpoint where his sexuality fell under but he knew that he was okay with both sexes. But he never got to explore it, turning to romance visual novels as a way to cope with his non-existent social skills. Now that he was living as Alexis and he had memories of the future, his only goals were to save his sister from having her engagement broken and to enjoy a relaxing and carefree life.


    And the first step in this plan is to hide his second element and to prevent people from knowing, which has already been achieved.

 Chapter 4: Alex Deserves the Best

    "Boys, where are you? Alex, it''s almost time for us to return home." His mother, Cecelia called out to them, which was followed by his father, Elijah, "Darling, why don''t we suggest to the others to move our meeting to the garden? That way we can keep an eye on them without any worry." His parents were close friends with the Grand Duke and his wife as well as the royal couple, having gone to school together. This was how Alexis, Darcel and Lucius became friends, through their parents.


    "Hmm, I suppose that would work. Boys, especially you Alexis, make sure you don''t cause trouble here. I don''t want to see you tatters again." After hearing their footsteps disappear, Lucius grabbed Alexis by the arm, "Lex what are you going to do? If your mother finds out that your clothes are a mess again..."


    "Relax Lu, she won''t find out." Alexis patted his friend''s shoulder, only to catch Darcel''s uneasy eyes. "Well... As long as I tidy up my clothes, everything will be alright."


    "..."


    "You''re supposed to agree with me!" Lucius and Darcel looked at each other before patting Alexis on the shoulder instead, "Your mother is..."


    "She has quite a temper." Darcel finished off the sentence, eliciting a panicked look from Lucius, "Darc! You can''t say that. That is very rude." Darcel averted his eyes from Lucius, commenting, "Well she is. At least in my eyes."


    "Geh. I really am going to get in trouble, won''t I?" Alexis looked down at his ruffled clothes, a result of running and moving freely in the garden. "Lex, we should get down before she finds us."


    Currently, they were up in a tree, sitting on the thick branches. Alexis quickly nodded to his friend''s suggestion, preparing to jump down. "Wait! Lex!" But Lucius''s warning was too late, Alexis had already landed on the ground. "My my Alex, what are you doing here?"


    Alexis''s body froze after recognising the voice, slowly lifting his head to his mother''s smiling face. Even though a fan was covering her mouth, he could still tell her facial expression. "Mo-mother! How lovely to see you here." He tried to stand up without awkwardness but it simply made it more obvious. "Lucius, Darcel. Are you up there too?"


    "Ye-yes..." Lucius managed to mumble out a reply before both of them jumped down as well. "My, how lovely it is to see young boys climbing up trees, especially when they are from noble houses." She snapped her fan closed before surrounding them with her wind magic. She quickly straightened out their clothing before lecturing them, "Boys, I know you are still young and curious, but you must remember etiquette. Alexis, I will have a talk with you later. Darcel, while I am not your parents, I hope you do not become influenced by Alexis''s recklessness. And Lucius, you are the crown prince. What if people found out their prince likes to climb trees and act like an unruly child?"


    "Mother! Please don''t blame them. I convinced them to escape from the drawing-room earlier, it is not their fault." Alexis raised his arm to protect them, stepping forward to take the responsibility. "Lex! No that''s not true. We both agreed to follow you." Darcel nodded in agreement with Lucius''s objection.


    "Stop trying to take responsibility for everything! We''re your friends too. We promised to be together forever right?" Lucius grabbed onto his arm whereas Darcel tugged on his sleeve, "You won''t leave us right?"


    Alexis softened his eyes, feeling a little wrong, "Of course not! You are my precious friends! Why would I leave you?"


    "..."


    "Darling, you must reply to them even if you think they are adorable," Elijah spoke in a hushed voice behind his wife, bringing over the other parents. "Oh, I know that." She gave a light glare to her husband.


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    "Lia, why don''t we drop this? The boys just got their elemental examination. Shouldn''t we celebrate it instead?" Adelaide Angetr¨¦, the current queen, spoke up to ease her friend. "I don''t see the reason as to why not." Felix Leroux agreed with her, beginning to order the servants. Audrey Leroux was already starting to sit down with Adolphe, the king, chatting with him happily about how well their children get along. "Lia, come sit down. We have your favourite schesa cake here too."


    "..." Cecelia quickly darted her eyes to the cake before returning back to the children. "Stop trying to tempt me with that. It''s not going to work." Alexis saw an opportunity, lightly pulling her sleeve, "Mother I would like to try that cake. Is it your favourite?" He tried his best to appeal to her, causing a ripple effect.


    Darcel shyly walked up to his mother, "Esteemed Mother, I too would like to try the new dessert you have." Lucius opting for some tea instead, "Royal Father, don''t you think this tea would go particularly well with the Archduchess''s cake?" Cecelia was surrounded by the children''s antics, causing a burst of light laughter from everyone, "Give up Darling. They haven''t done anything bad. Just a little mischief here and there." Elijah gently coaxed his wife, escorting her to her seat and signalling the children to follow.


    They saw his signal, detaching themselves from their parents, following Elijah further into the centre of the garden. Elijah led them just a few meters away from the rest of the group, huddling them closer together. "Boys, now I won''t repeat what my wife has just said since I''m sure you''re sick of hearing it constantly from us. All I want you to know is that I hope you will try your best in learning magic and training with the sword." Alexis groaned, the thought of having to study and training didn''t exactly sound pleasing to him. "And because I know that you are still young, I won''t restrict your little adventures. Just make sure you are safe."


    He paused before giving them a group hug, "I want you to know that while we are strict on you guys, we still care for you. After all, you are our children." He gently ruffled each of their heads after letting them go. "Now, why don''t you bring Ciel and Violet over? We''re about to start your celebration soon." The three of them nodded before running into the castle. Elijah watched them before returning to the table. "Eli, you do know you are being quite soft with them right?" Adolphe teased.


    "What can I do? They''re too adorable and they depend on each other so much already." Elijah took a sip of the tea, "This truly would go well with the schesa cake. Darling, did you manage to have a sip of it yet?" Cecelia shook her head before giving it a try, marvelling at how it complimented her favourite cake so well.


    "I have a feeling that we wouldn''t be able to separate them in the future." Audrey chimed in, taking a small bite of the wynsta and gurchik macaroon. "Mmm~ Marvelous!"


    "You should really try the other flavours they have. I think it''ll satisfy your sweet tooth very well." Adelaide placed a few more macaroons onto her plate, while Felix refilled her teacup with some more tyvantra tea. "Oh, you''re spoiling me too much. Shouldn''t we focus on how Darcel and Lucius are very protective and clingy towards your son, Alexis?" She directed the question to Cecelia who was in the middle of finishing the schesa cake.


    "Ahum, I don''t see the problem with that. In fact, Adele, wasn''t it you the other day who suggested placing them in a secret engagement?" Cecelia tossed the question to her friend, who was enjoying the conversation on the sidelines. "My, Cece, whatever do you mean? I simply want my son to be happy. Although it is a shame that Lucius couldn''t have Alexis to himself."


    "No, my son deserves to be with Alexis, not Lucius. Can''t you see how he''s willing to open up more for Alexis to notice him?" Audrey quickly shattered the idea that Alexis should only be engaged to Lucius, by directing the conversation onto her son. "Why don''t we just let them be? I''m sure sometime in the future they would come to us proposing an engagement between the three of them anyways." Felix simply spoke as a matter of fact.


    "NO!" All three ladies raise a clear objection, "My son Alex deserves the best. Why should he have to choose between Lucius and Darcel? What if he introduced to us a different person?" Cecelia hurriedly grabbed another slice of schesa cake before taking another bite. "Darling, do you really think that Lucius and Darcel would allow for that to happen?" Elijah shot down his wife''s counterargument with another, "Eli! You''re supposed to defend me here!"


    Their conversation continued in the garden, only stopping when the children returned. Although, in hushed voices, they continued to discuss their children''s futures afterwards.

 Chapter 5: Can I Give You a Kiss?

    "Where''s Eldest Brother? And why are you here?"


    Shouting could be heard from the guest room, "How did you get in? I thought men weren''t allowed in a lady''s room without permission." Ciel Angetr¨¦, a young eight-year-old boy with crystal clear blue eyes and soft silver-blond hair, was currently being accused of trespassing into her room. Violetta, daughter of the Alphenhide family and the younger sister of Alexis. She was taking a nap before getting awoken by Ciel''s shaking.


    She intensely glared at Ciel, pointing her finger at his face, "Violet, why are you so mean to me? I just came to wake you up. Our parents are starting the party in the garden." He wrongfully lowered his head to avoid her piercing purple eyes; he had done nothing wrong. "Hmph, that''s fine. But why did you come into my room?" Violetta lowered her hand, crossing her arms.


    Ciel continued to hang his head low, only turning to face the door when he heard footsteps.


    "... Wonder when we get to use our magic."


    "Eldest Brother!"


    Before Alexis had entered the room, Violetta violently threw herself into her brother''s arms. "Eldest Brother, I missed you! Why weren''t you here when I woke up?" She peered into his eyes like a sad puppy, continuing to cling to him. "I''m sorry Vio. I got into a little trouble before coming to see you." He shifted her body so he could carry her with ease, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Won''t you forgive me?" Alexis never had any younger siblings in his previous life so when he saw how adorable Violetta was, he couldn''t help but spoil her with love.


    "Hmph, I''ll forgive Eldest Brother if Eldest Brother walks with me to the garden."


    "Aww, Vio. That''s easy for me. Are you sure that''s enough?" Violetta joyfully wrapped her arms around his neck in agreement with his words. "Mhmm! Eldest Brother is the best!"


    Alexis laughed with joy, continuing to shower and spoiling her with love until she becomes rotten. He gently placed her down so she could stand before leading her out into the garden. Darcel and Lucius were still in the room with Ciel, who was also ignored by Alexis and Violetta. "Eldest Brother, are you annoyed at how Violet is taking Brother Alexis away?" Ciel simply stared at the two siblings leaving the room before turning to Lucius, "And Brother Darcel, aren''t you annoyed too?"


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    "..."


    "Yes, so what?"


    Lucius stayed silent and let Darcel answer for him. Ciel turned away to look at the pair of siblings before sighing, "I know. I''m jealous too."


    The three of them sourly followed the pair out into the garden. Apart from the table where the adults were sitting, there was a smaller table set out for them. Alexis was about to pull Violetta into his lap as usual, but Darcel prevented him from reaching out to her. Furthermore, Lucius quietly placed himself between them to separate them. Ciel picked up the subtle signs from his brother and Darcel, situating himself between Lucius and Violetta.


    The current situation on the second table was Darcel, Alexis, Lucius, Ciel and Violetta. The adults looking on the side began to chuckle at how childish and adorable their children were. "Huh? Eldest Brother, why are you so far away?" Violetta finally realised the situation, her brother was on the opposite side of the table.


    Alexis had also just realised the situation before giving a light chuckle, "Lu, Darc, Ciel, did you plan this?" Darcel, who was on his right, furiously shook his head while Lucius gave an unreadable smile. Ciel, who took a little longer to understand his words, replied, "Brother Alexis, I just really wanted to sit next to Violet. I am a little sad that she didn''t play with me either."


    "That''s because I wanted Eldest Brother!"


    "But Brother Alexis wasn''t there so why did you leave me alone?"


    "Because you''re not Eldest Brother."


    Ciel, who was originally a cheerful boy, suddenly hung his head low, like a puppy who was scolded by his master. "Vio, that wasn''t very nice. And if you didn''t want to play him, you should have told him no politely."


    "But Eldest Brother-"


    "Vio, just because Ciel is not me, that doesn''t mean you can treat him that way."


    "... I''m sorry Ciel. Please forgive me." She turned to face Ciel, who still had his head down. He slowly lifted his head, only to reveal his watery eyes that were full of tears before quickly looking down again. Violetta began to panic, not knowing how to comfort someone when they were sad, looking towards Alexis for help. "I can''t help you Vio." Alexis threw his hands up as a sign of surrender, "But I can give you a little hint. What do I always do when you cry?"


    Violetta paused for a moment before cupping her hand on Ciel''s cheeks. However, Ciel still refused to lift his head. Violetta herself was on the verge of crying too but she continued to hold on. "Ci-Ciel, I''m really sorry. What can I do to make you feel better?" Ciel finally lifted his head, meeting her purple eyes with his. "Can I give you a kiss?"


    "..."


    There were stifled chuckles coming from the adults, amused at their children''s little drama.

 Chapter 6: Childhood Friends

    CLINK!


    "Alexis, dear, what''s wrong?" Adelaide worryingly asked him after he placed his teacup down forcefully, but it sounded rather a teasing comment than a genuine concern. "No, I am alright, Your Majesty." Alexis threw off her question, but the Queen simply wore a slightly smug smile.


    "Ciel, do you like Violetta?"


    He immediately lifted his head to meet his mother''s eyes, "Of course!"


    ''No hesitation huh?'' Shin thought to himself, he was still concerned about the future where Ciel would break off their engagement. Luckily as of right now, they weren''t in one.


    "Then do you love her?"


    "I... I do! I love Violet."


    Violetta, who just received a confession, blushed furiously, hiding her face in her hands. Adelaide paused, sneaking small glances at Alexis to see his reactions. Seeing how he continued to remain calm, she continued to press on. "Then do you want to marry her? Perhaps in the future?"


    "I think that''s enough. We should have this talk at a later time. After all, they are so young right now." Alexis interjected Ciel, who was still processing what his mother just asked. His brain went into a short overdrive, only recovering after a few minutes. "Royal Mother, are you serious?"


    "Ciel, I don''t think you should take her seriously."


    "My, isn''t that a little rude Alexis? Even though your mother is my friend, don''t you think you are a little disrespectful to the queen?" She looked at him as she smiled coldly. Alexis placed down his teacup gently, before taking a deep breath to answer her, "I apologise Your Majesty. I was simply concerned about my sister. Personally, I do not know if I can trust her to Ciel, even though he is my friend."


    "..."


    "Say Cece, how did your son become so mature? Are you sure he''s the same age as Darcel and Lucius?" She grumbly turned to her friend, who was enjoying another cup of tyvantra tea. "Why of course, he is ten years old like your son." Although she didn''t show it and was strict on him, Cecelia still doted on her son as much as she did for Violetta. "I think it was reasonable for him to be so concerned about his sister."


    Adelaide gave up, she couldn''t defeat this family''s protectiveness over their daughter. "Perhaps I was asking the wrong people. Ciel, I''m sorry I didn''t get to hear you earlier. Can you tell me your answer again?"


    "Of course! I want to marry Violet. I don''t want to like anyone else but her." Ciel held her hand while declaring his answer. "But... But I like Eldest Brother the most!" Violetta interjected, refusing Ciel''s proposal. "I don''t want to get married to you."


    "Hic... hic... Why are you so mean to me, Violet? You''re not mean to Eldest Brother or Brother Darcel but you''re so mean to me?" Ciel started to sob lightly; big, fat tears rolled down his cheeks, landing on their hands. "But I don''t like you."


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    "But you don''t have to mean to me." More tears began rolling down as he looked Violetta in the eye. "Why don''t you ever play with me? I like you so much but you don''t like me as a friend. Even Brother Alexis says that I''m his friend."


    "But.. but... I get so nervous when you''re around. I can''t stay still. I don''t like it when I''m like that." Violetta suddenly confessed her reason, her eyes were slowly tearing up as well.


    ''So Vio likes Ciel too. Who would''ve thought that the game would still force itself to continue, even way before it has begun?''


    "Ciel, do you think you can make Vio happy?" As much as Shin wanted to prevent their engagement, he didn''t want to take away the possibility that she would be happy with him.


    "I promise. I can make Violet happy. I hope you believe me, Brother Alexis."


    Shin really wanted to believe in Ciel but he also wanted to protect Violetta in case she had her engagement broken. He sighed, giving in to Ciel, "I hope you don''t prove me wrong. If I see that Vio is crying because of you, I''ll have to step in."


    Ciel''s eyes lit up, "Thank you, Brother Alexis! I won''t let you down!" He left his seat to hug Alexis but he dodged him, giving him a ruffle on his head instead. "Brother Alexis, why did you dodge me?" Surprised at his question paired with his innocent eyes, Alexis nervously laughed. "I don''t really like hugs... Well, not when people are giving it to me."


    Ciel gave a small pout but quickly recovered, returning to his seat next to Violetta''s side. Shin heaved out a sigh, his old habit from his previous life kicked in again. He avoided hugs unless it was him initiating it. For some reason, he was fine with all other types of physical contact, he just avoided hugs. Pushing aside this thought, his mind drifted back to the game, how else could he change the future?


    He could tell that Ciel was more attentive to Violetta and liked her more, and he had already restricted information about their second element. He paused and pondered on that last thought, realising that perhaps he was too hasty. He had a rough inkling of how nobility worked but it was so small that Shin felt like he was detached from that world. After all, he was only eighteen years old, a fresh high school graduate in his previous life. He hadn''t even gotten into university yet.


    But in a way, it was good because the ''Alexis'' now was still young so it wouldn''t be awfully suspicious if he didn''t follow the rules. Although the characters'' parents were barely mentioned in the game, he could tell that they genuinely cared for their children and were supportive of them. He went into a mini-debate about whether or not he should tell the adults about their second element, thinking that it would be better to have more reliable allies that could protect them until they themselves were adults.


    But if he told them, he could be exposing his friends to more danger. As much as he was certain about the game''s story and setting, he could never know if his actions would cause a ripple effect. Certain relationships were never explained or the game didn''t go in-depth because it wasn''t relevant to the story. Two he could pick from the top of his head were his childhood friends and their parents. It never mentions how close they were or their childhood days; the player just knew that they were childhood friends.


    The parents were barely mentioned in the game, only having small appearances here and there when they were needed. Personally, Shin really liked Elijah and although they only appeared during Alexis''s route, he was still fond of the character.


    As Shin went into deep thinking, he didn''t notice that Darcel and Lucius were tightly holding his hand under the table. Darcel was worriedly looking at Alexis while Lucius continued to have a conversation with Ciel but would regularly glance at him to make sure he was okay. "Lex, are you alright?" Lucius asked but couldn''t get a reply from him. They could only wait until he came around himself.

 Chapter 7: It Makes Me Feel Safe

    Alexis suddenly stood up, finally snapping back to reality. He was about to call out to Darcel and Lucius when he noticed their worried expressions, quickly flashing an apologetic smile. "Darc, Lu, why don''t we go explore the garden?" He really wanted to talk to them before doing anything rashly, squeezing their hands tighter.


    They got the clue, nodding as they stood up to inform the adults who let them go. Alexis was a little absent-minded, with Lucius leading them further into the garden. Darcel didn''t know how to offer support so he simply grabbed onto Alexis''s arm and tightened his grip. They had finally stopped in a place not too far from the tea party but it was hidden from their sight.


    "Lex, are you alright? What''s wrong?" Lucius sat down and patted on the ground next to him, inviting Alexis. He sat down while explaining, "Darc, Lu, I''m worried." He glanced to see their expressions before continuing, "What if I acted too rashly? Would it have been better if we told our parents about our second element?"


    "What are you worried about? Didn''t we say that we trusted you?"


    "Lex... We trust you so we hope you can trust us too." Darcel backed up Lucius, both of them had a feeling that Alexis was hiding something from them but they still chose to trust him.


    "But what if what I chose to do, put you in danger? And if you got hurt..." Alexis''s body began to tremble, he didn''t want to think about the possibility of them dying. Even if he decided to live as Alexis, he couldn''t just let go of ''Fujisaki Shin''. Darcel and Lucius were the game''s Alexis''s childhood friends and he himself, in his previous life, had two childhood friends too.


    He didn''t want to think about their names because he knew he missed his previous world too much. The thought of never being able to see them again caused Shin to lock his precious memories away so that they would never surface while he was on his mission of changing the game''s directions. "Lex, please trust us. We can help you too, please don''t do everything yourself." Lucius bought Alexis''s head to his shoulder, pulling his body to lean against him.


    "Lex, even if we can''t do much, we''re still your friends. We care about you but we want to protect you too." Darcel grabbed his hands, squeezing them together tightly, "Lex..." He glanced at Lucius, who gave him a nod, turning back to Alexis before continuing. "Lex, we like you. We really, really like you and we don''t like it when you can''t rely on us. Both Lu and I like it when you smile and have fun with us. We feel sad when you''re not smiling but we feel even sadder if we can''t support you."


    "Lex, we don''t know why you feel like you did something wrong, but the two of us will stay with you until you''re ready." Lucius began to stroke his head, attempting to soothe him. Alexis lifted his head to face them, "But what if you disappear... like them?" His eyes were beginning to tear up, his vision was slowly becoming blurry. His last words were barely audible.


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    Both of them froze in their tracks, their eyes flashed at his last words, quickly returning to normal before Shin could pick up anything.


    "LEX!" Darcel cupped his face, "Stop thinking about the ''what ifs''. We''re here, alive and in front of you. We''re not going anywhere until you''re ready. And even if you already told us everything, we are never going to leave you alone. We don''t want to leave you alone."


    "But what if telling you guys to hide your second element is the reason why you get injured in the future? What if it could''ve been prevented if I never told you to hide it in the first place? What if the reason why you died was because of me?"


    "If you''re so scared, why don''t you let us reveal our second element. This way we can protect you and you don''t have to worry about us dying." Lucius moved Alexis so that he would hug him from behind, leaning onto his back.


    "And Lex, if you''re still afraid, you can tell your father. And as much as it frustrates me, he can protect you better than us. The Archduke can find you a magic tutor while covering your second element." Darcel lightly touched Alexis''s forehead with his, "And if that''s not enough, we can train with you too. If you don''t want to be alone, we''ll always be by your side. So please, trust us as much as we do."


    Alexis was barely holding in his tears as he listened to their reassurance; they were blasting away his insecurities so easily. As much as he wanted to trust them with everything, he still felt out of place. "Lex, even if you never are able to fully trust us, we will continue to stay by your side regardless. Because we trust you with everything. And we know you want the best for us too."


    Just as Alexis was about to refute their unwavering trust in him, Lucius disrupted him. By the time he finished, Alexis couldn''t hold in any longer, finally letting go of the tears that ran down his cheeks. Darcel was patiently wiping away the tears with his handkerchief while Lucius was gently patting his head.


    Shin felt guilty for placing all of the pressure onto them. He wanted to tell them about his memories but what if they rejected him? He couldn''t go back to his world anyways. If they rejected, Shin wouldn''t know how he would react. He already couldn''t see his two childhood friends anymore so if he lost Darcel and Lucius too, would he even be able to move on from it?


    He was really scared of them retracting their trust in him, he didn''t want to ruin their future because of his selfish desires of wanting to live a carefree life. He knew it wasn''t possible considering their status but he couldn''t help but act on it. Shin didn''t want them to be bound by the game''s setting. He wanted them to live freely, not as a character but as a person.


    ----


    It didn''t take long for Alexis to calm down. After all, both of his friends were there. "Thank you Darc, Lu. You guys always seem to see me at my worst."


    Lucius tightened his grip around Alexis, reassuring him, "Alexis, it doesn''t matter if you''re sad or happy, as long as you''re by our side, nothing else matters to us." Darcel nodded in agreement, "Even if the world is against you, we will always be by your side. We will always trust and believe in you."


    Alexis nodded at their words, finally closing his dry, puffy eyes. Lucius guided his head to rest on his shoulder while Darcel sat next to Alexis, intertwining their hands. Alexis found comfort whenever they held hands, reaching out for Lucius''s hand as well. "Let''s stay until you''re ready to go back."


    "I don''t think you want everyone to see your puffy eyes." Darcel reached out to touch his eyes before leaning his head against Alexis''s shoulder. "Hehe, I guess you''re right. I like staying together with you guys. It makes me feel safe."

 Chapter 8: What is Your Motive?

    They stayed together for some time before Alexis finally initiated for them to return. "Darc, Lu, are you sure you''re okay with revealing your second element? Wouldn''t it be better if I do the same?" Alexis was walking together with them when he suddenly threw the question at them.


    "Hmm, maybe it would be better if you didn''t do that." Lucius gave it some thought before replying. "Dark magic is quite rare in our kingdom, and if you told everyone that you had both lightning and dark magic, I think that you would have a hard time trying to escape the attention." He gave a small smile as if he was apologising for it.


    "I agree. And because there would be so many people around you, we wouldn''t be able to spend time together and go into town. I would not like that at all." Darcel grumbled out his complaint, thoroughly refusing the thought of Alexis not being able to spend time together with them. "Lex, you said that we will be together forever right? So even if me and Lu reveal our second element, we will still choose to train together with you."


    Alexis paused in his step, causing them to stop as well while looking over their shoulder towards him. "Lex?" Lucius called out to him, reaching out for his hand. Alexis grabbed it before he could, stringing him along while reaching out for Darcel''s hand, flashing them both a smile. "Hehe, I''m just glad that you guys care a lot about me."


    Puzzled, Darcel''s eyebrows wrinkled, "Of course, why wouldn''t we care about you?" Lucius nodded in agreement, "After all, we are your friends."


    They returned back to the table, Darcel and Lucius giving him a quick nod. Alexis detached himself from them before going over to his father''s side. "Father, could I talk to you for a little bit?" He lightly tugged on his jacket. Elijah, gently placed down his teacup, before reaching out to ruffle Alexis''s head. "Of course, do you want to go somewhere else for it?"


    He shyly nodded before leading the way. "Father I..." Alexis knew what he wanted to say but the words were stuck in his throat. They were sitting down on a bench not too far from the tea party, just in the opposite direction where Alexis was with his friends. "I..."


    Elijah simply ruffled his head, causing Alexis to lift his head up. "Take your time Alex. I can wait." Alexis''s eyes peered wide open in surprise, he wasn''t expecting his father to be so patient with him. Based on¡¾Alexis''s¡¿memories, the two of them rarely interacted outside of family dinners. But Shin wasn''t him, as long as he didn''t act weirdly or out of character, he would still choose to improve their father-son relationship. Furthermore, Elijah was the father figure that Shin never had in his previous life, so he was longing for fatherly love.


    Elijah leaned back against the bench, Alexis awkwardly resting against his body before Elijah lovingly patted his head. They stayed like this for some time before Alexis finally felt ready to talk. "Father, I have something to tell you." Elijah hummed in response, Alexis pausing slightly before continuing. "I lied earlier."


    The hand that was patting his head paused after he said that, only resuming after a little while. Alexis took it as a sign to continue, "You know how I said I had lightning as my element? I actually have a second element as well. And so does Darc and Lu. But I talked to them and they said that I should only let you know about my second element." Elijah had said nothing throughout their exchange, only listening intently.


    "Father, what do I do? I have dark magic as my second element." The garden was quiet but it was peaceful. The noise that could be heard was from the soft rustle of the trees and the joyous, exciting chatter from the tea party. Alexis was sitting there anxiously, waiting for his father''s response when the next words from his father shocked him, "Thank you for telling me, Alex."


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    "Father?"


    "It must''ve been hard deciding on your own to hide something that''s a part of you." Elijah wrapped his arms around his son''s shoulder, "I''m glad you see me as someone you can trust." Alexis further leaned against his father, relishing his fatherly love, subconsciously tearing up from his affections, "Regardless of what anyone else says about you, you will always be my son and I will always be proud of you." He leaned down to give his forehead a gentle kiss before Alexis spoke up.


    "Father, what do you mean? Why would someone speak badly about me?" Shin knew that there was a hidden meaning behind his words.


    Elijah showed a conflicted face before sighing, "I will tell you at a later time. I think you should get some rest after today." He was about to stand up and leave when Alexis grabbed onto his sleeve. "But Father, I don''t understand. Why would having dark magic cause people to look badly on me?" Shin thought that having a rare element was a good thing. In the game, it never mentioned anything about dark magic being looked down upon. If anything, the¡¾game Alexis¡¿was praised for being a dual elementalist. So why is it so different now?


    "Alex, let''s leave it here for today. I promise I''ll tell you at a later time." Elijah ruffled his hair again to appease him but Shin only felt more confused. He knew that the game never went into detail about world-building, only giving the general basis of it. So having learnt for the first time that there was more to it than he thought, Shin felt like he should be prepared in the future in case something abnormal appeared.


    "Wouldn''t it be better for you to tell me now Father?"


    "No, it wouldn''t. I don''t want you to feel more upset, especially since you have chosen to hide your second element." Elijah turned to face his son, chanting a short spell. Gentle zaps of purple lightning appeared in front of Alexis. It began to take the form of lilies, ranging from small to large, all circling delicately around both of them. "Perhaps it is too early for you to understand but your elemental magic is a part of you. The Gods have blessed you to use a part of their powers. It is not wrong to say that your magic is an extension of yourself."


    Elijah simply waved his hand. Soon the electric flowers began bursting into smaller pieces, like petals being carried through the wind. "Although you have yet to begin learning magic, I want you to know and truly understand that hiding your magic is like hiding your true self." The electric petals began dispersing into the air, vanishing completely. "The magic flows in you, and what you have chosen to do is to hide a part of yourself."


    "Then why do you say it''s a good thing, Father?"


    Elijah gently pointed to Alexis''s chest, "It is because both light and dark magic are very powerful." Elijah hesitated for a moment, before turning away and walking off. "Wait, Father. Is there something wrong? Isn''t it good though? Because people with rare magic can protect the kingdom."


    Elijah slowed down for his son to catch up, "Not everyone in the world is caring and thoughtful of others. Everyone has a motive regardless of what they say." A purple lily appeared in his right hand, "Will you use it for the greater good?" The lily exploded when Elijah crushed it in his palm, setting off like little fireworks. "Or will you use it for your desires?" It was mesmerizing, his magic took form based on his will; Elijah was not wrong to say magic was an extension of one''s self.


    "But-"


    "Then tell me Alex, what was your motive?"


    "..."


    "Why did you choose to hide your magic to begin with?"


    Shin didn''t expect to be confronted directly. He hesitated slightly before deciding that it was better to tell the truth than to deceive his family. "I- I wanted to live an easygoing life and I decided to tell you because I wanted you to protect me...."


    Elijah gave a gentle smile, "I''m glad you can be honest with me." He ruffled his head again, "We can have a talk another time. After all, we still have to celebrate you and your friends'' elemental examination." Shin wanted to ask more but ultimately decided to shut his mouth. He would find out more anyways, just a later time.

 Chapter 9: Ill Beat You in Magic and Sword

    They soon returned back to their tables, Elijah giving him a light pat on the back before separating. Darcel and Lucius looked towards Alexis before giving him a nod. "Mother, Father, there is something that we have to tell you." Lucius started off first, gaining the attention of the adults. "Hmm, go on." Adolphe lightly gestured for his son to continue.


    "We... We hope you understand why we didn''t say it earlier." Darcel nervously glanced at his parents, before Lucius continued, "We lied about our elemental affinity." Adolphe did not reply, but his hands had stopped moving. "Father, before you discipline me, please listen." Lucius hurriedly tried to ease his father''s chilling aura.


    "Darc and I lied about our elements. Darc has the power of wind and I have the power of water as well." Alexis grabbed his hand. Lucius flashed him a smile, before turning back to face his parents. "So? Why did you decide to lie before?" The king coldly reprimanded him, staring straight at him.


    "Your Majesty! It is my fault why we had lied to you earlier." Alexis defended Lucius before he could, "They are not in the wrong. They simply wanted to protect me because I only had a single element." Elijah raised his eyebrow in amusement; he had not expected that they would choose to reveal their secret now. "And why did you think it was wise to reveal it now?" Adolphe was no longer as harsh but it still did not feel good to be lied to.


    "We didn''t want Lex to be left out so we decided to lie about it. But then Lex decided that it was better if we had told you instead." Darcel quickly rambled their reasoning, afraid of getting scolded later on. "We didn''t mean to lie to you. We just wanted to be together with Lex, we didn''t want him to feel alone."


    There was a long pause in the garden, everyone was bewildered by their sudden announcement. "And? Is that all?" Felix interrupted their thoughts, he was unfazed by the current situation. "Father? What do you mean?"


    "I mean what I said. Is there anything else you''re hiding?" Alexis flinched slightly at his words, taking cover in Lucius''s shadow. Both Darcel and Lucius gently squeezed his hand in assurance, ''Don''t worry. We''re here for you''. Shin laughed on the inside at how simple their actions were, but it was enough for him to stop cowering in his shadow.


    "No... We aren''t hiding anything else." Alexis paused slightly before replying, he was technically hiding something from them but his father already knew. Felix said nothing, simply staring into Alexis''s eyes. He turned to face Elijah who was watching on the sidelines. "Well, Elijah? Your thoughts?"


    "Hmm~, I don''t see the problem. After all, this does concern their futures."


    "Then what about the fact that they lied?"


    "As much as we, the parents, wish to protect them forever, we simply cannot. And by the looks of it, the three of them have come up with their own conclusion." He quickly glanced around the table, "And personally, I find it interesting that we have two dual elementalists in this generation when there hasn''t been one for decades."


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    "And what do you propose?"


    "Oh, you know me well Felix. Why don''t I become their instructor? After all, I am qualified to do so." Before Elijah became the next Grand Duke, he was originally an instructor at the academy. His background plus experience makes him more than qualified to be their tutor. "You boys don''t have any issues with me right?" All three of them shook their heads in response.


    "Seeing as they have no issues with you, I assume you three are also fine with me teaching you swordsmanship?" Felix glanced at them, waiting for their answer.


    The children looked at each other, silently communicating before Darcel spoke up, "We have no issues Father."


    "Then it''s settled. I will be their tutor while Felix will be their swordmaster. Simple." Elijah went to refill his wife''s teacup while placing another small dessert on her plate. He acted as if there was nothing wrong, except the garden was now filled with silence. The pouring of the tea only made it more obvious how slightly uncomfortable the atmosphere was. It wasn''t long before there was a small outburst of laughter from Adelaide. "Dear, is there something wrong?" Adolphe turned towards his wife.


    "No, nothing like that. I am simply amused at how easily and efficiently both Eli and Felix managed to convince the children." She rested her elbows on the table, clasping her hands together. "Personally, I have no issues with them being their teachers. After all, Eli and Felix were top of the class in magic and swordsmanship."


    "But Mother, aren''t we supposed to go to Plofonia Academy this spring?" Lucius quickly jerked his head, questioning the queen. This covered their education from ten to fifteen. The game took place during their last year in Crystandre Institute, covering their education from when they were fifteen to eighteen. "Why do we need..." Lucius paused mid-sentence before quickly resuming his words, "Mother, I understand having the Archduke teaching us but I don''t understand having the Grand Duke teach us. After all, are we not learning swordsmanship in the academy?"


    "Well, think of it like advanced education. You will still need to attend the academy''s lesson but you will also have additional lessons to make up for the fact that you have dual elements." Alexis agreed with her words. Even if he supposedly didn''t have a second element, it wouldn''t hurt to train with Darcel and Lucius. "Then when are we going to start?" Alexis inquired, glancing at his father.


    "There''s no need to rush into things. After all, we have plenty of time before spring arrives. It''s only the beginning of autumn right now. You boys will have plenty of time to adapt to these extra lessons." Elijah put their worries to rest. The boys began discussing, their excitement at using magic made the adults reminisce about their younger days, curious to explore the world.


    Shin thought to himself that maybe, instead of worrying about the future so much, he should take it nice and easy with everyone. And if anything was to happen in the future, he''ll decide how to deal with it then. "Lex, Lex, let''s train together so we can become adventurers in the future." Darcel tugged his sleeve with excitement, his eyes glittering with expectation.


    "Of course, but I''ll skip sword training. It''s going to make me too tired." Alexis whispered back his response, before getting lightly smacked on the head. "Ouch, Lu, what did you do that for?"


    "You can''t skip out of sword training. Even if you did manage to escape, I think His Grace will drag you back and punish you." Lucius ruffled his head to soothe the area, muttering apologies as he guiltily glanced at him.


    "Just wait Lu, I''ll beat you in magic and sword."


    "I''m going to be strong to protect you Lex. You don''t need to rely on Lu for that." Darcel jumped in the conversation, pulling Alexis away from Lucius and engulfing him in a hug.


    "Haha, I hope you can protect Lex with me, Darc."


    "Of course, he''s our most important friend after all."


    Shin didn''t expect people to protect him, giving a light amused laugh at their declarations, "I look forward to seeing how you can protect me."

 Chapter 10: Make Sure You Talk It Out

    "Father! Why won''t you let me become an adventurer?" Alexis quickly dodged his magic, before chanting his own magic. "¡¾Electric Pulse¡¿". Tens of small purple balls quickly surrounded Elijah before rapidly closing in. "Father, can''t you see how strong I am?" They all burst at the same time, trapping and stunning their target. He kneeled down, placing his palms on the ground before chanting out, ¡¾Black Lotus¡¿". On the ground where Elijah was standing, a large black lotus sprouted in full bloom.


    The flower quickly closed up, Elijah''s figure couldn''t be seen anymore. It was a unique spell that worked passively, taking the victim''s mana and disabling them from using any more spells. "It seems like you are still naive Alex." The lotus shattered into pieces, purple lightning bolts erupted from it, revealing Elijah who didn''t have a single scratch on him. "The fact that you had to rely on dark magic and were still not able to finish me off, tells me how naive you are."


    "Guh, how?" Alexis barely managed to dodge the lightning lance coming his way. "Watch and learn well son." Dozens of purple lilies of different sizes began to appear, floating around Elijah. If it weren''t for the fact that they were in a battle now, Alexis would''ve stopped and appreciated how skilful his father was at magic. "Father, you can''t be serious, using that on me?"


    "Who said I wouldn''t? Plus, didn''t you want show off to me?." The lilies burst into petals, reminding Shin of the cherry blossoms that came every spring.


    "Now''s not the time to get distracted." Alexis quickly put distance between, before concentrating on his own spell.


    It was the first time he was trying it out in a battle so he wasn''t sure if it would work out fine. "As the night falls and the clouds hover, the darkness covers as the lightning strikes, for those who stay behind, ¡¾Eternal Storm¡¿". Alexis tried to combine both magic together to create a unique spell only he could use. It trapped the victim in a small bubble, shrouded in darkness. Then by slowly corrupting their minds, it left their body in a soulless condition, while Alexis''s lightning magic mercilessly tortured their physical body, leaving with them depleted mana and a weakened body.


    However, it had a major flaw; it only worked well against weak-minded people. Those with a strong will could resist the corruption, forcefully escaping his first layer of attack. This rendered the second attack weaker as it heavily relied on the mind to be weakened in order to fully defeat the victim physically.


    Alexis saw that the petals quickly moved towards him, his father''s magic could be described as beautifully sharp. If any one of those petals manage to scrape across his skin, his body would begin to slow down under their paralysing effect, making him more vulnerable to the next attack. As much as Alexis hated to sweat, he had to dodge them in order to stay alive. Seeing how ¡¾Eternal Storm¡¿was reaching its final stage, Alexis gambled and cast one last spell with his remaining mana, "The past, present and future, as the taiko drums sound so does the thunder, please protect me..."


    Just as Alexis was about to finish casting his spell, he got cut down by his father''s many petals; his legs lagged behind and his arms trembled as Alexis commanded them to move. "Fuah~, that one took me a while to get out of." Elijah broke apart the lotus flower, waving his hand. The surrounding petals streamlined towards Alexis, cutting him in multiple areas, letting his bright red blood trickle slowly trickle down from the wounds. "Guah!"


    It stings! Aside from the paralysis, the petals gave him thousands of small paper-like cuts. Although it appeared to only cut the surface, it actually cut deeper than he thought. "Alex, where did you get the idea to combine both of your magic together? I''ll have to ask you in the future to cast it again." Elijah casually muttered out his analysis of ¡¾Eternal Storm¡¿, giving its pros and cons. He leisurely walked up to Alexis who was crouching over in pain, "You were so close. Just a bit more and maybe you would''ve placed a scratch on me."


    Alexis weakly lifted his head, "It''s not over yet Father," meekly refuting his words. Deep breath in, deep breath out, "¡¾Raijin''s Reign¡¿".


    Numerous lightning bolts were cast from the sky, aiming for Elijah as soon as Alexis finished. Elijah barely managed to dodge the sudden attack spell, fleeing his spot. He moved fluidly, avoiding it as it chased him down relentlessly. A thin barrier began forming around Elijah as he simultaneously began to chant another spell.


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    What was different about¡¾Raijin''s Reign¡¿was that the lightning strikes were similar to homing arrows, where they followed their target as they tried to escape. A single contact with it would render the target weak at their knees and unable to maintain their posture. "Marvellous Alex. You manage to enhance your skills more than I thought. I shall retract my statement about you being naive towards magic."


    He finally stopped, allowing for the lightning bolts to be absorbed into his barrier, "However, you must think outside of the box in order to truly master your magic." The barrier shattered into flower petals once more before gathering at his right hand, morphing into a rapier, "But, I do look forward to your progress Alex. I have high hopes for you."


    Elijah fully relaxed his body with a single breath, "¡¾Scattering Petals¡¿". He dashed forward, easily closing the distance between them. It took a single swing to completely overwhelm Alexis, throwing him across the field. "Hack!" Alexis coughed out a handful of blood, laying defeatedly on the ground.


    He was about to stand up again until he heard familiar voices ringing in his ears. "LEX!" Hurried footsteps sounded along the ground. Alexis wanted to greet them when a hand gently pressed him down.


    A gentle, cool-touch began spreading along his body, slowly healing his wounds. "Lex, don''t be so reckless next time. What if you got severely hurt?" Lucius worriedly scolded Alexis. His ice-blue almond eyes still remained crystal clear, his silver, wavy hair now neatly trimmed, framing his maturing, youthful face. Lucius''s healing magic reminded Shin of the ocean breeze, putting him at ease. His tense body finally relaxing after going against his father.


    Darcel, who was holding him down, used his wind magic to blow away the dust gathered on his clothes. He didn''t say anything but his red phoenix eyes narrowed in displeasure. He lowered his head, allowing his black hair to cover his eyes. As soon as Lucius was finished with his treatment, Darcel effortlessly lifted Alexis into his arms, shifting his body weight to rest on his shoulders. "There''s no need to be so upset. I just need to rest for a day and I''ll be back to normal." Alexis patted his head as if he was pacifying a sulking child.


    Alexis tried to brush off the battle as nothing serious. If he showed any signs of discomfort, the two would unhesitantly lock him at home, unable to move from the bed until they were certain he wasn''t in danger.


    "That''s not why I''m upset." Alexis slightly twitched at his response, he knew very well that Darcel wasn''t easy to calm down. "Lex, just because I can heal your injuries, doesn''t mean I want to see you hurt." Lucius interrupted his thoughts, his pleading eyes begging for Alexis to stop being so impulsive.


    "Nnngh..." Alexis glanced at their faces; who told them to grow up so handsome? Everywhere they went, heads would be turning, it didn''t even matter which gender it was. No one could refuse a good looking face. "Haa... You guys win. I owe you a favour each plus one outing with me. Deal?"


    "Deal." Lucius happily clasped his hand in response while Darcel coyly rubbed his head against Alexis, pleased at his compromise. "But I had a good reason for fighting against my father. Didn''t we say we would become adventurers in the future?" Alexis tried to rationalise his battle against his father, in order to hopefully soften their thoughts.


    "Yes we did but we''re seventeen now and they only allow for those at least eighteen to register." Lucius blocked out his reasoning, with Darcel backing him up, "If anything we still have to wait for you since your birthday is mid-year."


    "But it''s not my fault that I was born in the second half of the year."


    "Yeah but that doesn''t excuse you going off and fighting against your dad. What if you got so severely injured that Lu can''t even heal you? And on top of that, your body is about to undergo major changes and yet you still choose to behave recklessly!"


    Darcel unexpectedly exploded in frustration. Why couldn''t he understand how important he is to me? He was willing to do anything to stay by his side even if it only meant as friends. Alexis flinched at his words, he couldn''t fault them but it made him feel a little unbearable to breathe.


    "Now, now. Darc, calm down. Let''s get Lex to his room first then you can lecture him. And Lex, don''t try to be smart with me. I don''t want to hurt you at all so don''t provoke me." Alexis was about to snap back at Darcel when Lucius jumped in and mediated the situation. Now given a warning from both of them, Alexis meekly behaved, shutting his mouth while they supported him to his bedroom.


    "Boys, I know that you''ll be returning back to the dormitories this weekend but make sure you come see both me and Felix before returning," Elijah called out to them before they left. Alexis sent a small zap towards his father as a response. Pleased with his response, Elijah gave them a gentle reminder, "Make sure you talk it out. I don''t want to send you off to school unhappy with each other." Elijah turned away to discuss some things with Felix.

 Make Sure You Talk It Out

    "Father! Why won''t you let me become an adventurer?" Alexis quickly dodged his magic, before chanting his own magic. "¡¾Electric Pulse¡¿". Tens of small purple balls quickly surrounded Elijah before rapidly closing in. "Father, can''t you see how strong I am?" They all burst at the same time, trapping and stunning their target. He kneeled down, placing his palms on the ground before chanting out, ¡¾Black Lotus¡¿". On the ground where Elijah was standing, a large black lotus sprouted in full bloom.


    The flower quickly closed up, Elijah''s figure couldn''t be seen anymore. It was a unique spell that worked passively, taking the victim''s mana and disabling them from using any more spells. "It seems like you are still naive Alex." The lotus shattered into pieces, purple lightning bolts erupted from it, revealing Elijah who didn''t have a single scratch on him. "The fact that you had to rely on dark magic and were still not able to finish me off, tells me how naive you are."


    "Guh, how?" Alexis barely managed to dodge the lightning lance coming his way. "Watch and learn well son." Dozens of purple lilies of different sizes began to appear, floating around Elijah. If it weren''t for the fact that they were in a battle now, Alexis would''ve stopped and appreciated how skilful his father was at magic. "Father, you can''t be serious, using that on me?"


    "Who said I wouldn''t? Plus, didn''t you want show off to me?." The lilies burst into petals, reminding Shin of the cherry blossoms that came every spring.


    "Now''s not the time to get distracted." Alexis quickly put distance between, before concentrating on his own spell.


    It was the first time he was trying it out in a battle so he wasn''t sure if it would work out fine. "As the night falls and the clouds hover, the darkness covers as the lightning strikes, for those who stay behind, ¡¾Eternal Storm¡¿". Alexis tried to combine both magic together to create a unique spell only he could use. It trapped the victim in a small bubble, shrouded in darkness. Then by slowly corrupting their minds, it left their body in a soulless condition, while Alexis''s lightning magic mercilessly tortured their physical body, leaving with them depleted mana and a weakened body.


    However, it had a major flaw; it only worked well against weak-minded people. Those with a strong will could resist the corruption, forcefully escaping his first layer of attack. This rendered the second attack weaker as it heavily relied on the mind to be weakened in order to fully defeat the victim physically.


    Alexis saw that the petals quickly moved towards him, his father''s magic could be described as beautifully sharp. If any one of those petals manage to scrape across his skin, his body would begin to slow down under their paralysing effect, making him more vulnerable to the next attack. As much as Alexis hated to sweat, he had to dodge them in order to stay alive. Seeing how ¡¾Eternal Storm¡¿was reaching its final stage, Alexis gambled and cast one last spell with his remaining mana, "The past, present and future, as the taiko drums sound so does the thunder, please protect me..."


    Just as Alexis was about to finish casting his spell, he got cut down by his father''s many petals; his legs lagged behind and his arms trembled as Alexis commanded them to move. "Fuah~, that one took me a while to get out of." Elijah broke apart the lotus flower, waving his hand. The surrounding petals streamlined towards Alexis, cutting him in multiple areas, letting his bright red blood trickle slowly trickle down from the wounds. "Guah!"


    It stings! Aside from the paralysis, the petals gave him thousands of small paper-like cuts. Although it appeared to only cut the surface, it actually cut deeper than he thought. "Alex, where did you get the idea to combine both of your magic together? I''ll have to ask you in the future to cast it again." Elijah casually muttered out his analysis of ¡¾Eternal Storm¡¿, giving its pros and cons. He leisurely walked up to Alexis who was crouching over in pain, "You were so close. Just a bit more and maybe you would''ve placed a scratch on me."


    Alexis weakly lifted his head, "It''s not over yet Father," meekly refuting his words. Deep breath in, deep breath out, "¡¾Raijin''s Reign¡¿".


    Numerous lightning bolts were cast from the sky, aiming for Elijah as soon as Alexis finished. Elijah barely managed to dodge the sudden attack spell, fleeing his spot. He moved fluidly, avoiding it as it chased him down relentlessly. A thin barrier began forming around Elijah as he simultaneously began to chant another spell.


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    What was different about¡¾Raijin''s Reign¡¿was that the lightning strikes were similar to homing arrows, where they followed their target as they tried to escape. A single contact with it would render the target weak at their knees and unable to maintain their posture. "Marvellous Alex. You manage to enhance your skills more than I thought. I shall retract my statement about you being naive towards magic."


    He finally stopped, allowing for the lightning bolts to be absorbed into his barrier, "However, you must think outside of the box in order to truly master your magic." The barrier shattered into flower petals once more before gathering at his right hand, morphing into a rapier, "But, I do look forward to your progress Alex. I have high hopes for you."


    Elijah fully relaxed his body with a single breath, "¡¾Scattering Petals¡¿". He dashed forward, easily closing the distance between them. It took a single swing to completely overwhelm Alexis, throwing him across the field. "Hack!" Alexis coughed out a handful of blood, laying defeatedly on the ground.


    He was about to stand up again until he heard familiar voices ringing in his ears. "LEX!" Hurried footsteps sounded along the ground. Alexis wanted to greet them when a hand gently pressed him down.


    A gentle, cool-touch began spreading along his body, slowly healing his wounds. "Lex, don''t be so reckless next time. What if you got severely hurt?" Lucius worriedly scolded Alexis. His ice-blue almond eyes still remained crystal clear, his silver, wavy hair now neatly trimmed, framing his maturing, youthful face. Lucius''s healing magic reminded Shin of the ocean breeze, putting him at ease. His tense body finally relaxing after going against his father.


    Darcel, who was holding him down, used his wind magic to blow away the dust gathered on his clothes. He didn''t say anything but his red phoenix eyes narrowed in displeasure. He lowered his head, allowing his black hair to cover his eyes. As soon as Lucius was finished with his treatment, Darcel effortlessly lifted Alexis into his arms, shifting his body weight to rest on his shoulders. "There''s no need to be so upset. I just need to rest for a day and I''ll be back to normal." Alexis patted his head as if he was pacifying a sulking child.


    Alexis tried to brush off the battle as nothing serious. If he showed any signs of discomfort, the two would unhesitantly lock him at home, unable to move from the bed until they were certain he wasn''t in danger.


    "That''s not why I''m upset." Alexis slightly twitched at his response, he knew very well that Darcel wasn''t easy to calm down. "Lex, just because I can heal your injuries, doesn''t mean I want to see you hurt." Lucius interrupted his thoughts, his pleading eyes begging for Alexis to stop being so impulsive.


    "Nnngh..." Alexis glanced at their faces; who told them to grow up so handsome? Everywhere they went, heads would be turning, it didn''t even matter which gender it was. No one could refuse a good looking face. "Haa... You guys win. I owe you a favour each plus one outing with me. Deal?"


    "Deal." Lucius happily clasped his hand in response while Darcel coyly rubbed his head against Alexis, pleased at his compromise. "But I had a good reason for fighting against my father. Didn''t we say we would become adventurers in the future?" Alexis tried to rationalise his battle against his father, in order to hopefully soften their thoughts.


    "Yes we did but we''re seventeen now and they only allow for those at least eighteen to register." Lucius blocked out his reasoning, with Darcel backing him up, "If anything we still have to wait for you since your birthday is mid-year."


    "But it''s not my fault that I was born in the second half of the year."


    "Yeah but that doesn''t excuse you going off and fighting against your dad. What if you got so severely injured that Lu can''t even heal you? And on top of that, your body is about to undergo major changes and yet you still choose to behave recklessly!"


    Darcel unexpectedly exploded in frustration. Why couldn''t he understand how important he is to me? He was willing to do anything to stay by his side even if it only meant as friends. Alexis flinched at his words, he couldn''t fault them but it made him feel a little unbearable to breathe.


    "Now, now. Darc, calm down. Let''s get Lex to his room first then you can lecture him. And Lex, don''t try to be smart with me. I don''t want to hurt you at all so don''t provoke me." Alexis was about to snap back at Darcel when Lucius jumped in and mediated the situation. Now given a warning from both of them, Alexis meekly behaved, shutting his mouth while they supported him to his bedroom.


    "Boys, I know that you''ll be returning back to the dormitories this weekend but make sure you come see both me and Felix before returning," Elijah called out to them before they left. Alexis sent a small zap towards his father as a response. Pleased with his response, Elijah gave them a gentle reminder, "Make sure you talk it out. I don''t want to send you off to school unhappy with each other." Elijah turned away to discuss some things with Felix.

 Its a Shame He Doesnt Notice at all

    It''s been six years since Shin woke up in this world, slowly adapting to his new life. Surprisingly he didn''t find much resistance to it, pleasantly spending his time with his family and friends. He didn''t have any major complaints. Except for maybe the fact that Darcel and Lucius were very possessive of him. "Pft..." Alexis burst into laughter, causing both of them to cast glances at him.


    "Lex? What''s wrong?"


    "No.. it''s nothing. Hehe."


    "I don''t trust your ''nothing''. Whenever you say that, it''s never true." Darcel mumbled, clearly he couldn''t trust those words at all.


    "Well... if you really wanted to know, I was just thinking about how the years have gone by, and yet the two of you are still just as possessive of me as you were six years ago."


    Both flinched at his words, "Well.. we''re your childhood friends so we have to look after each other." Lucius was flustered and stumbled over his words, trying to smooth out their awkwardness.


    "Mhmm, if we don''t look after you, you wouldn''t be able to look after yourself." Darcel haughtily exclaimed but in Alexis''s eyes, it was like a baby tiger trying to show off its power.


    "Is that so?" Alexis stretched out his words, trying to get an honest answer from them. He noticed that a bit of his mana was recovered, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous light. "You know, I''ve been testing out a new spell recently and I was wondering if I could test it on you guys."


    They pushed open the bedroom doors, guiding Alexis towards the bed, placing him down and taking a seat next to him. "I don''t mind you testing your spell on us." Lucius reached out to pat his head. "As long as you don''t get hurt in the process." Darcel stubbornly reminded him again.


    "No, of course not. If I get hurt again, I''ll never hear the end of it from you guys." Alexis was pleased to get their permission, he really wanted to play a little trick on them as a small payback for their scolding earlier. "Let me know if it hurts you okay? I''ll stop straight away." He gave them his best puppy eyes, instantly melting their hearts.


    "Ahum, should we go to the arena once you''ve rested enough?" Darcel darted his eyes to hide his embarrassment.


    "No it''s okay. I can test it here." Alexis climbed towards the middle of the bed, motioning them to follow him. "Lex, what spell are you testing out?" Lucius curiously inquired. Alexis gave a small smirk before glancing back at them.


    "Wait... What are you doing?" Alexis slowly inched towards Lucius, causing him to move back before falling back onto the bed. He climbed on top of him, sitting on his body, "Actually I was wondering what else I could use my magic for. And I thought to myself, what if I used it directly on the body?"


    Alexis leaned down, quickly closing the distance between them. His amethyst eyes peered into Lucius''s gentle ice-blue eyes, he could see himself reflected in his eyes. "Wait wait wait Lex!" Lucius panicked at how quickly the situation changed. Small sparks of his lightning magic began to materialise, Alexis gave him a reassuring smile before bringing his finger to lightly trace along Lucius''s arm, fingers, and upper body. "How does it feel?"


    "Nghh... Lex... Stop..." Lucius twitched as Alexis continued, every spot he touched tingled, causing Lucius to tremble from his caresses. He moved to grab his wrist to stop him, "Ah... I wouldn''t do that if I was you. I wouldn''t want to take away your favour and the outing I promised you." Lucius glared at him, tears were clinging to his eyelashes as a response to his stimulation.


    "How.. much longer... do you need?" Lucius huffed out in anger. Perhaps that wasn''t the right word to describe his emotions. Desperation may be more fitting.


    "Not much longer, I want to see how you would react to it." Alexis mentally took note of Lucius''s reactions, wanting to test out more areas. He lightly trailed up the arm, following through towards his chest. Their bodies began gaining muscles due to their strenuous training, with each of them receiving more marriage proposals from both ladies and gentlemen. Alexis teasingly dragged his finger along Lucius''s chest, causing small gasps and jolts from him. "Lex... Ungh..."


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    Lucius tried to dodge Alexis''s touches, not wanting to torment himself any longer. "Lex... No more..." Lucius felt like his body was slowly becoming more sensitive to his touches, even the slightest linger on his skin caused him to react. His eyes produced more tears from his hypersensitivity and Alexis''s electrifying movements.


    Seeing his friend tear up from his touches, Alexis felt an unusual joy from it, causing him to frown slightly. He suddenly stopped his hands, giving Lucius some time to breathe. "Alright, I''m all done." He retracted his magic and moved off of Lucius, sending a small little zap towards his body. Alexis noticed something in the corner of his eyes but shifted his focus towards Darcel, pretending to not notice it.


    "Don''t do that again Lex." Lucius was still breathless from his small spell, trying to bring himself back to his calm state. "Rather, don''t do that with anyone else aside from us." His eyes were slightly dewy, his forehead slightly damp with sweat. He weakly gave a warning glance towards Alexis, who chose to ignore it. Lucius could feel that his body had no more strength after Alexis toyed with him, only tiredly laying on the bed to slowly regain his strength.


    "Lu, what do you mean?" Darcel had an inkling as to what Alexis wanted to test out but until he experienced it himself, he could only speculate. He cast his suspicious eyes towards him, "Lex, what did you do?"


    "Hmm? Nothing much. I was simply testing out my new spell." Alexis slowly made his way towards Darcel, who was slowly retreating away.


    He glanced at Lucius before turning his gaze at Alexis, "That doesn''t seem like nothing. What are you planning..." Alexis pushed him down onto the bed, moving to sit on top of him like Lucius. "Lex!" He tried to prop his body up but was pushed down by Alexis once more.


    "Now now, it won''t last very long." Alexis summoned his magic once more, "No Lex. This is wrong." Darcel tried to pry Alexis off of him but Alexis was slowly becoming annoyed with his actions, "Stop moving, I don''t want to restrain you." Alexis raised his other hand, preparing to cast another spell.


    Darcel chose to not listen to him, overwhelming him and pushing Alexis down onto the bed instead. "Darc, don''t make me say it again." Alexis was locked between Darcel''s arms, being able to clearly see his conflicted expressions. They stared into each other''s eyes, both stubborn and in a deadlock. Alexis didn''t mind the stalemate, after all the person suffering the most was not him but Darcel.


    Darcel opened his mouth before closing it, letting out a defeated sigh, "Promise me you won''t do this with anyone else apart from us."


    "Promise." Alexis unhesitantly promised him, it wasn''t like he was planning to do it to anyone else. Plus, aside from the two of them, he had no one else he was close to.


    Darcel allowed Alexis to push him back onto the bed and to comfortably sit on top of him. He resignedly relaxed his body underneath Alexis. Seeing him relax, Alexis took advantage of him, restraining his hands above his head with his magic. "Lex?! What are you doing?!" Darcel panicked and shuffled in his spot to try and remove his restraints.


    "It''s alright Darc. I''m just doing this in case you don''t listen again." Alexis exerted some strength to press down Darcel once more. "I''ll start testing now." Once more, small zaps of lighting appeared at his fingertips, Alexis had a devilish smile on his lips, amused at what reactions he could get from Darcel.


    "Lex!..." Darcel felt the electricity run through his body, rendering his body soft and jelly-like. He couldn''t help but shudder in response to Alexis''s feather-like touches. Paired with his spell, Darcel surrendered himself to Alexis. His breathing got heavier as he tried to resist the tingling numbness Alexis left behind every he touched. He wanted to stop Alexis''s roaming hands as he lightly dragged his fingers across his skin. "Lex... are you satisfied yet?" Darcel barely managed to put a sentence together under his continuous teasing.


    "Just a bit more. I want to see your reactions if I touch other areas." Alexis moved to his nape, reducing the level of electrical current, creating a ticklish feeling. Darcel tried to shield his neck from Alexis''s fleeting touches but ended up exposing more instead. Alexis gently tapped along his nape, causing a soft, muffled groan from Darcel. "Lex... Enough..."


    Alexis wanted to play around a little more but seeing how he promised them earlier that he would stop, he reluctantly withdrew his hands before moving off of Darcel. "Hmm~, I''m satisfied with my results." He had felt something behind him earlier but paid no heed to it, focusing purely on Darcel''s response. "Thank you for allowing me to test my new spell."


    Darcel laid tiredly on the bed, trying to even out his breath as he shielded his eyes with his arm. Darcel felt so conflicted because he knew that Alexis only needed him to test out his new spell but he couldn''t help but respond to his touches, barely managing to retain his sanity. "Lex... you are in big trouble later." He mumbled out, causing Lucius to add on, "If you plan to do this to someone else aside from us, don''t blame us later on."


    "Hmm? Why would I blame you later on?" Alexis was in the middle of writing his observations in his notebook, only lifting his head when they mentioned him. "Ahah, I can''t believe this is who we like." Darcel helplessly laughed, how long will it take for him to finally realise?


    Lucius joined in too, jokingly saying, "It''s a shame he doesn''t notice at all."

 As Long as You Wont Do It Again

    "Notice what? Darc, Lu, what are you talking about?" He finished writing down his notes, slowly moving their bodies so that they were laying down properly on the bed. Alexis hadn''t noticed it earlier but both Darcel and Lucius were now bigger in size compared to him, both taller and having more muscles on their bodies. He pouted and grumpily mumbled out, "But they were so cute and small when they were younger."


    Both of them heard, causing a small smile to rise from their lips. How could he be so adorable? Darcel reached out to make him sit between them before Lucius pushed him onto the bed again. They cosily huddled next to Alexis, shifting their weakened bodies to find a relaxing pose. "Now that you''re done with testing your spell, shall we talk about your mistake?" Lucius brought their attention back to their small argument earlier on.


    "Mistake?" Alexis puzzledly glanced at him before realising what he meant. He was too distracted in trying to get back at them that he didn''t notice how exhausted his body was. Although healing magic could physically heal their wounds, it didn''t replenish their blood loss, causing the injured to take a day off. Alexis comfortably sank in between both of them, allowing them to hold his hand. " Ahh~, yes we can talk about it now."


    "Do you understand why we scolded you earlier?" Darcel let Lucius do the talking; if he was to talk, sparks would fly everywhere between him and Alexis. He opted to listen instead, playing with Alexis''s now shoulder-length hair. Darcel undid the ribbon tying it together, letting his hair spread out across the bed.


    "I do. Maybe." Alexis sheepishly glanced at Lucius, only being slightly confident in his answer.


    "Could you tell me the reasons why?"


    "Well, first of all, I was too reckless and I got hurt. And you guys don''t like it when I get hurt." He paused to take a glance at Lucius, looking for confirmation. "And?"


    "And well, Father said that when I turn sixteen, my body will start to undergo some changes..."


    "Which will..." Darcel jumped in to encourage him.


    "Which will make my body weaker and more vulnerable to the environment and it will take longer for me to recover when I get sick." Alexis felt a little upset because the reason why he would experience some bodily changes was due to his elemental compatibility. Usually, dual elementalists would have compatible elements like ice and water but due to the fact that lightning and dark magic is a unique combination, his body would have a period of time where his magic would become unstable and cause his body conditions to alter.


    "Then do you now understand why we scolded you earlier?" Lucius reached out to pat his head, Darcel had finished braiding a small section of his hair, tying it off with his ribbon. "I do but I still have some time before my birthday so technically it''s still okay for me to be a little reckless."


    "Ouch, why did you do that Darc?" Alexis pouted while he rubbed his forehead, "Because you still don''t exactly get it."


    "But you didn''t have to flick me."


    "If I didn''t, would you properly understand our worries?"


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    "Maybe if you just told me properly." He mumbled out his reply, feeling a little salty, turning to face Lucius instead.


    Lucius softly laughed at the two''s little bickering, using his water magic to slowly heal his redness. "Since you feel that way, we''ll tell you properly." He flicked his hand to summon a snowflake while Darcel brought forth a flame. The two magic slowly floated around, "His Grace hasn''t told us exactly how your body will change but he does know that the seasonal changes will have an impact on you."


    "In winter, your body is more susceptible to the cold, which means you need to be constantly warm and near a heat source. In this case, I would be the best option since I have the power of fire, my body is naturally warmer than the average person."


    "Likewise, in summer, you''re more prone to the heat and would suffer from heat exhaustion a lot easier. Like Darcel said, I have both ice and water magic. Similarly my body temperature would be cooler instead. And to help you cope with the summer, I would be the person most convenient for you."


    Alexis nodded to their reasoning, not realising their true intention. "Hmm, that is true. If I''m not wrong, Father also mentioned that my body would take a few years to recondition itself. I think he estimated that mine might last till sometime after I turn eighteen." Alexis tried to recall what his father had told them a few days earlier.


    "Right, and because your birthday is in the winter, your body probably won''t start showing signs until sometime in spring. Hopefully it''s during our break, that way you can rest before we return." Lucius input his thoughts into the conversation.


    "Right, so until you turn sixteen, no more reckless behaviour." Darcel thoroughly warned him again, making Alexis want to rebel against him. "Don''t think about going behind our backs."


    "Hmph." Alexis pouted at his words, stubbornly bringing back his magic to zap him. "Ngh... stop it. Doing that... won''t change anything." Darcel jolted in his spot, trying to jerk his body away from Alexis''s hand. He continued to play with him as a way to vent out his annoyance. "Lex..."


    Darcel was barely recovering from his previous spell, now being abused by Alexis, his body felt even more lethargic, having no energy to push away Alexis. He continued to toy with Darcel, causing him to send a help signal to Lucius.


    Lucius let them play around for a little more until Darcel couldn''t take it anymore, "Lu! Help me out please!" He was too tired from the constant stimulation, causing him unable to shield himself.


    He glanced at them before happily smiling, "No."


    "Ngh..." Darcel grumbled at his reply, trying to summon whatever strength he had to push away Alexis. He reached out to grab his wrist, but Alexis suddenly pulled back; Darcel barely stopped himself from crushing him. Their faces were so close together that they could feel each other''s breath. Darcel noticed their ambiguous position, causing a light blush to bloom across his cheeks. "Darc, you okay? You seem a little red."


    "N-no I''m fine." Darcel tried to roll over to get away from him, but Alexis wouldn''t let him escape. "Are you sure? What if you have a fever?" He brought their foreheads together, trying to check his temperature. This small action inevitably caused his blush to deepen in colour, slowly travelling to his ears, "I''m okay Lex."


    He quickly rolled off to the side, covering his eyes with his arm as he tried to calm his mind down. Lucius gave an amused laugh before sympathetically patting Darcel''s head. "Stop teasing me Lu."


    "I can''t help it."


    Darcel chose to ignore his comment, turning to face Alexis, closing his eyes as he relaxed his body. "Since you''re still recovering from before, let''s take a nap before we meet with your father and before we have to return back to the academy." Lucius shifted his body to find a comfortable position before slowly relaxing his breath.


    "Okay, sorry for teasing you guys earlier." Alexis muttered out an apology, feeling a little bad for exhausting them after their sword lesson with Felix earlier on in the day.


    "As long as you won''t do it again."


    Seeing both Darcel and Alexis slowly drift off to sleep, Lucius stayed awake for a little longer just to gaze at his facial features. He gently brushed Alexis''s bangs, causing a small frown from him. Seeing as he can''t do anything that would disrupt their relationship, Lucius brought his lips to kiss his fingertips, full of tenderness, "One day, you will know how much you mean to me Shin-kun."

 Their One and Only

    They ended up sleeping until just before dinner, having been woken up by the maids. "Lex, wake up. We have to eat dinner soon." Lucius gently shook him. They still had some time before everyone gathered together for dinner but having slept through the afternoon right after their training, they needed to freshen themselves up before heading out.


    "Ngh, five more minutes..." Alexis sleepily mumbled out before turning over to his side.


    "During these times, it would be nice we were the ones who had lightning magic instead," Darcel started to lightly poke his cheek, "That way we can zap him awake."


    "Stop it Haru-kun..." Neither of them reacted to the foreign name he had called out, instead they acted as if they hadn''t noticed it. "Lex, wake up! We have to go see your father after dinner and if we don''t go now we''ll be hungry for the rest of the night!" Darcel gave him another push.


    Alexis swatted away his hand, rolling over to the other side of the bed. "I can just make some instant ramen later..." He mumbled out sleepily.


    Lucius sighed, he''s never getting out of bed. "Shin-kun, let''s go. Did we say we were going to get some kakigori after our graduation?"


    Alexis slowly blinked open his eyes, subconsciously replying to his question, "But I thought Haru-kun wanted to eat yakitori and and I thought you wanted to eat tonkatsu too Ren-kun." He innocently rubbed his eyes, a stark contrast to the little devil he was earlier.


    "I did say that but you have to get out of the house first before we can decide where to eat." Lucius gently pulled him up to sit on the bed.


    "But I don''t want to go out now. So sleepy~" Alexis coyly yawned to try and garner some of their sympathy.


    "Nope, that''s not going to work, Fujisaki-san. You stayed up to play games again, didn''t you?" Darcel lightly flicked his forehead, causing a small grumble from him, "Ouch... Haru-kun is being mean to me, Ren-kun."


    He turned to Lucius for help but only got a chuckle instead, "Come on now, let''s get out of bed."


    They gave him some time to process and to be fully aware of his surroundings. "Awake?" Darcel impatiently crossed his arms.


    "Darc? Lu? What time is it now?" He naively stared at them, confused as to why they were next to him on the bed. "Is there something wrong?"


    Lucius reached over to ruff his hair, "No. Nothing is wrong." He tugged on his arm to guide him to the bathroom where a warm bath was waiting. "Quickly freshen up. Both Darc and I are already finished. We''ll wait for you until you''re done."


    Alexis nodded, still a little confused about where he currently was but quickly stripped and began washing himself.


    As soon as Alexis was out of their view, both Lucius and Darcel sat opposite of each other in the room''s lounge. "When did you first realise Aikawa?" Darcel spoke up first.


    ------


    Alexis slowly stepped into the bathtub, fully relaxing his body. He leaned back, closing his eyes. Although time has flown by since he first woke up in this world, Shin was surprised at how peaceful it was. Although he wasn''t living the lazy, easy-going life he had before, Shin still enjoyed his life every day. Even if he was no longer on Earth, Shin had grown attached to the people here; his family, his friends especially Darcel and Lucius.


    For some reason, both of them kept reminding him of ''his'' childhood friends; Shin felt like Lucius was similar to Aikawa Ren and Darcel gave off the same feeling as Miyamoto Haru. Their personalities were so similar that Shin couldn''t help but compare them every now and then. He mindlessly played with the water, trying to get his mind off the people he could no longer meet.


    ''Six years and the knowledge about the game hasn''t been helpful at all.''


    After getting over the initial shock and the acceptance of being transmigrated into a game, Shin thought it was best to write down some key events that would happen in the future, mainly centred around their time in the academy. "But so far, nothing much has happened." He mumbled, leaning over the side of the bathtub.


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    Instead, he spent the last few years learning about the world in general, filling in the blanks that the game never clarified and unsurprisingly, there was a lot to cover. This world felt familiar yet foreign to him: a world where he could live in but could never truly belong in. Shin ruffled his hair, there was no point in lamenting about it.


    Alexis was planning to stay in the bathtub for a little longer when he heard a knock on the door, "Lex? Are you finished?" Lucius called out, a tinge of worriedness laced his words. "I''m coming! Let me dry myself."


    He stepped out of the bathtub, looking for his clothes. "Hmm?" They weren''t here.


    He walked around to no avail, reluctantly wrapping himself with his towel and grabbing another to dry his hair. "Lu, have you seen my clothes? Did I forget to bring them in with me?" Alexis tousled his hair with his towel, trying to dry it quickly. "Darc, are you here too?"


    He heard no response, only looking up then to see both of them slightly blushing and frozen in their spots. "What''s wrong guys?" Walking up closer, he saw that they were staring at him, "Darc? Lu? Are you there?", waving his hand in front of their faces.


    The closer he got, the stiffer they became before Darcel broke the silence, "Go put your clothes on." He avoided Alexis''s eye, coughing to cover his awkwardness. Lucius broke from his gaze, quickly directing Alexis to his clothes, "You forgot to bring them when you left earlier. After you finish changing, we''ll go to the dining room for dinner."


    He nodded, beginning to put on his pants with his back facing them. "Um, Lex? Why don''t you change in the bathroom?" Lucius averted his eyes while trying to suggest it to Alexis. Darcel was also staring at the ground instead of him. "What''s wrong with me changing here?" Alexis couldn''t understand why they were so different from their usual self.


    "Don''t you think it''s a bit..." He paused slightly, "inappropriate for you to be changing in front of us?" Darcel finally looked into his eyes, but his cheeks were dusted with pink, "I don''t see anything wrong with it. After all, this isn''t the first time that I''ve changed in front of you." Alexis tilted his head, brushing off his comment.


    "Yeah but that''s..."


    "That''s?"


    "Never mind, hurry up and finish changing. I''ve gone hungry waiting for you." Darcel crossed his arms and legs, turning his head away. He looked quite childish, causing small stifled laughter from Alexis.


    Alexis reached out for his shirt but a dull pain throbbed at his shoulders, "..!!!" He tried to reach for it again but a hand grabbed it before he could. "Are you still hurt?" Lucius began to dress him instead, "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?" He leaned down slightly to button up his shirt.


    Lucius was now a few centimetres taller than Alexis while Darcel was the tallest out of the three. Although they were still in the middle of growing, Alexis could tell that he wouldn''t be taller than them. Oh, how nice it would be to be tall, sighing in his mind. If he told them his thoughts, they would simply call him cute and tease him about it.


    "What''s wrong Lex?" Lucius had finished, now ushering him to the couch. Before Alexis could sit down, Darcel pulled him into his lap and began drying his hair with his magic. "I''ll tie your hair after. Just stay still." Alexis leaned back against his chest, closing his eyes, letting Darcel run his fingers through his hair. He hummed in satisfaction, unconsciously snuggling into the crook of his neck.


    Lucius flashed a jealous look towards Darcel before turning away, pretending not to notice them, going off to find a hair ribbon. "Stop moving Lex." Alexis chose to ignore his words, putting more of his weight against Darcel, "Lex, stop it. I''m almost done." Darcel tried to mask his desperation by quickly finishing his job but it only made it more obvious.


    Lucius returned to their side, passing the ribbon to Darcel. Alexis noticed that Lucius wasn''t going to sit down, patting on the spot next to him. Lucius gave him a gentle smile before sitting down. Alexis reached out for his hand before leaning back onto Darcel. He closed his eyes once more, the ends of his lips curling up into a smile.


    "What are you smiling about?" Darcel poked his cheek lightly, his hair was now neatly in a ponytail. He guided Alexis''s head to his neck so he would be more comfortable. Alexis started to play with his finger with his other hand, a peaceful and relaxed expression worn on his face.


    "I was just thinking how nice it would be if we were able to stay together, simply idling away our peaceful days together." Even if something were to happen, he was sure he would be alright as long as they were with him.


    "I trust you guys."


    "What''s with that? That was random."


    Darcel bowed his head, letting his hair cover his face but he could see. Alexis could see the reddening blush spreading across his cheeks, "What''s so embarrassing about that Darc?" He reached out to brush away his bangs, revealing Darcel''s shy expression. "Can''t handle my honesty?"


    "Shut up." Darcel tried to jerk his head but Alexis caught him.


    "Hehe, you''re so shy after a few words." Alexis giggled softly, turning to face Lucius, only to see that he had the same expression as well. "Even you as well."


    Alexis had a small endearing grin on his face, "Were you guys not thinking the same thing as me?" He intertwined his fingers with theirs as he teased them lightly.


    "It''s because we''re thinking the same thing that we''re embarrassed." Lucius leaned over, resting his head against Alexis''s shoulder; Darcel doing the same. "I''m glad that we''re just as important to you as you are to us." Darcel whispered lightly near his ear.


    Alexis squirmed from the gentle tingles his words sent through his body, "I... I don''t think I could ever replace you with someone else."


    He couldn''t prevent his face from turning red, choosing to avoid looking at them in the eyes, not noticing the small glances Lucius and Darcel shot at each other. A smile began to bloom on their faces, filled with love and adoration; the person in their arms now was their only one from their past to now and into the future.

 The Most Clueless Person

    "Fuah~" Alexis stretched his body, tears clinging to his eyelashes as he walked back with Darcel and Lucius. Even though he took a nap earlier, he still felt tired. Maybe it was from his constant use of magic and his injuries on top of that. His stomach was full from the constant piling that his family placed onto his plate, only barely stopping them after he told them that he was still exhausted.


    "Still feeling sleepy?" Lucius patted his head, his tone full of affection. "Should we quickly meet your father before turning in for the night?"


    Alexis hummed in agreement, letting them both guide him to his father''s study. "Hopefully it won''t take too long. You''re still recovering from mana exhaustion and from your injuries too." Darcel opens the door, revealing Elijah who was waiting for them.


    "Come in, it won''t be long."


    They took a seat on the couch, with Alexis sandwiched in between them. Elijah''s mouth curled into an amused smile. "Alex, don''t you find it a bit weird for both Darcel and Lucius to sit so close to you?" He spoke in a teasing tone.


    Alexis gave it some thought but personally to him, maybe because in his original world, Shin was relatively affectionate with his friends. "Hmm, I don''t think so?" He tilted his head slighting before realising that there was a missing detail he had forgotten about; heterosexual and homosexual relationships were accepted in a world where everyone is able to give birth. Alexis gently nudged them, trying to send them a message to create some distance between them.


    In response to his nudging, they grabbed his hand and interlocked their fingers together, playfully squeezing his hand instead. Alexis couldn''t use his hand to shield his face in shyness, he could feel his ears becoming hotter. Lucius reached over to lightly touch his ear, Darcel faintly blew into his ear, causing a small yelp of Alexis.


    "Fa-Father, what did you want to talk about?" He tried to change the topic, nervously glancing at Elijah, who was watching them with a smile.


    He chuckled before speaking to them, "Since there are a few days left before you return to school, tomorrow we will have another lesson about magic, especially about your condition." He glanced at Alexis before continuing, "After that, we will have a mock battle to test out your skills. Make sure you rest up for tomorrow."


    Alexis nodded his head, standing up to leave, "Darcel, Lucius stay back. I would like to discuss something with you two." He looked back, wondering what the reason was for. He opened his mouth to ask but ultimately decided to hold back his words, "Then, I''ll be heading to bed first." Alexis smiled to cover his hesitation before quickly disappearing.


    What is this feeling? Was he reluctant to leave? But why?


    Strangely his chest felt a little stuffy as he walked back alone, drowned in his thoughts.


    -----


    "Vio? Are you awake?" Alexis knocked on her door, he didn''t want to wallow in his emotions now. "Brother?" The doorknob twisted, revealing Violetta in her nightgown. "Are you done talking with Father?" She invited him into her room, taking a seat on her bed.


    "Am I disturbing you?" He reached out to pat her, "No, I was just reading before you came." She gently smiled, noticing the small creases in his eyebrows.


    They didn''t say anything. Rather she was waiting for him to open up first. Alexis struggled between asking Violetta about how her engagement with Ciel was going and his... complicated feelings. ''Maybe it''s easier to ask about her engagement. That way it wouldn''t sound weird... but what am I concerned about?''


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    "How are both you and Ciel doing? Has the engagement changed anything between you two?" She blinked her eyes in surprise, laughing softly to herself, "Brother, is that all you wanted to ask?" Violetta lightly joked with him, "Is there something else you want to talk about?"


    "No, no, no." He waved his hand to dismiss her question, "I want to make sure that my cute little sister is happy." He smiled to ease her curiosity, trying to diffuse her suspicions.


    "Since Brother wishes to know, I shall tell you." Violetta suddenly became quiet, looking to the side instead of his eyes. "Well... Ciel has been trying a lot, recently, to ask me out, to walk around the capital. But I haven''t given him an answer yet." She flusteredly tried to answer his questions, each sentence adding a light blush to her cheeks. "But I am looking forward to going out with him a little bit. I would like to take him to my favourite pastry shop and feed him..."


    Alexis gave her a doting smile, "Why are you so adorable? There''s nothing wrong with wanting to spend time with someone you like." He reassured her, "Don''t worry, as long as Ciel doesn''t hurt you or make you cry, I won''t interfere with your relationship." She lifted her head in response to his words, "As much as I would love to make sure you never get hurt, I can''t always be by your side so I can only hope that Ciel will protect you in my stead."


    "Brother, even if you weren''t here with me, I know that you would be watching over me regardless." She reached over to give him a hug before suddenly stopping, remembering his words from years ago. Violetta awkwardly stopped her movements before Alexis saved her, returning back her hug.


    "Since when did my little sister grow up?" Alexis gently patted her back as she buried her face into his shoulder, "I suppose you will be relying on me less in the future."


    "That is not true! You will always be my brother so I will always rely on you." Violetta quickly denied his words, thoroughly shaking her head, "Even if Ciel is with me, Brother is someone I can always count on."


    "It seems like I will have a little sister to tail around me for the rest of my life." Violetta gave a bright smile, a playful air surrounded her, "Since Brother has gotten his answer, can I also ask something too?"


    "Of course, it is only fair."


    "Then Brother, why did you come to ask me about Ciel? Did you not hear during dinner?"


    "..."


    Alexis did hear during dinner but he was too preoccupied with eating food that it had completely slipped his mind. He awkwardly laughed, "I did, but I forgot. But I just wanted to make sure that you''re happy with your engagement. I wouldn''t want you to feel regret later on."


    "But Brother, I find it a little weird for you to be coming to my room at night just to ask about this."


    "..."


    "You caught me." Alexis gave her a helpless smile, "It''s nothing much. I was meeting with Father earlier and his words got me thinking a little bit about Darc and Lu."


    "Is there something wrong with them?"


    "No, nothing like that. I had only realised recently that the three of us do not have an engagement with anyone. Don''t you find that a bit weird? The three of us are children of nobility and yet, not a single person has voiced about it."


    "..." Her brother really was the most clueless person she has met. Violetta inwardly sighed, she couldn''t tell him about anything since it wasn''t her place but she did feel pity toward both Darcel and Lucius who were secretly hopelessly in love with him.


    She pretended to ponder about it, "Maybe you''re thinking about it too much. If you think it''s a little weird, why not tell them about it? I''m sure that they will listen to you." She gave him a smile, easing his worries, "Even if they don''t agree with you, they''re your friends so I''m sure you will work it out together."


    Alexis gave her another hug, "Thank you Vio. I can''t believe I am here listening to the advice my baby sister has given to me."


    "This is nothing much Brother. I''m here to listen to you too!"


    Alexis waved her goodbye, returning back to his room. Seeing how Darcel and Lucius hadn''t returned yet, he decided to wash up before them. He quietly hummed a little tune, reaching over to change out of his casual clothes into his sleepwear.


    Alexis suddenly stopped humming. He had noticed that something was a little off. He had gotten the answer he wanted, but why did he still feel unsatisfied? His eyebrows furrowed puzzledly, what else did he want to hear? Was he expecting something else too?


    He was about to give it some thought when suddenly heard the door open, whipping his head toward that direction. Both Darcel and Lucius were standing at the door, their eyes directed towards him.

 Its the Price We Paid For

    Elijah scanned the boys in front of him; stiff and nervous but there was an unwavering light in their eyes, one that could not be moved with simple words. "Do you still want to get engaged with him? Even after all these years?" He wasted no time questioning them, "You boys are at the age where you should start looking for potential partners."


    "No, we are certain that we still want to get engaged with Lex," Lucius answered back, his gaze firm.


    "And you Darcel?"


    "Of course, my mind hasn''t changed at all."


    Elijah sighed, "If that is how you feel, let''s ask Alex about it. He is the other party in this engagement as well." He was about to stand up when Lucius abruptly stopped him. "No, let''s not ask."


    Their families knew about Darcel''s and Lucius''s feelings towards Alexis. They also knew that he didn''t see them in the same light, which led to their children remaining single and without a fiance to this day. It''s an open secret that''s been running since five years ago, ever since their elemental appraisal.


    "We don''t want to tie him down just yet. After all, he doesn''t know how we feel yet and we have yet to make him fall in love with us." Darcel backed up Lucius with their reasoning. Elijah raised his eyebrow, suspicious of their behaviour.


    Elijah smiled, his eyes reflecting a cold, doubtful light, "Do you not think it is wrong to ignore and lie to him?" He paused briefly before quickly resuming, not giving them any time to refute, "I thought he was the person you cherished the most. So why are you disregarding how he feels?"


    They nervously glanced at each other, before Darcel spoke up, "It should be okay," Lucius flashing him reassurance, "He won''t hate us in the very least. We have a reason why we can''t tell him now."


    Elijah hummed, slowly tap his fingers on his arms, "And I''m assuming you can''t tell me? Then I refuse. Your engagement won''t go through." They dimmed significantly at his words, subtly hanging their heads low. It wouldn''t be wrong to assume that they had assumed the worst scenario. Elijah was their beloved''s father; someone who wants the best for his son. Their reasoning wasn''t sufficient enough for Elijah to trust them with his son.


    Elijah smiled, his son was academically smart but was simply slow in picking up certain emotions. "But I will compromise, Alex will not be engaged with anyone until you graduate from the academy." He paused, letting them contemplate his conditions.


    Although it wasn''t exactly what they wanted, it was the best they could settle for, nodding in agreement to Elijah''s terms. "What will you do if he chooses to fall in love with someone else?" Elijah threw a question towards them, poking at their sore spot. He wasn''t planning on stopping Alexis from choosing someone else, they only wished for him to live his life contently while continuing with his responsibilities.


    "We will accept his choices although we will be sad that it''s not us making him happy," Lucius bitterly smiled.


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    Elijah paused, staring at them blankly before laughing quietly, "I highly doubt that you will take the rejection sitting down." Both Lucius and Darcel smiled, their eyes holding a deep emotion. Elijah could feel their loving gaze beneath it. It was as if their love had transcended time, carrying onto the present from their past life, like they could wait for eternity for their darling. "What has my son done for him to have such passionate suitors?" He sighed, dealing with these children made him mentally fatigued.


    Darcel replied vaguely, "Perhaps he left us so we came back to find him."


    Elijah quickly dismissed them, waving his hand to send them off, "Hurry along now. Although I am not your father, I hope you can rely on me as well. Now go, don''t keep him waiting."


    The boys nodded and thanked him for his words, leaving the office. Lucius smiled back, "We wouldn''t want him to wait any longer too."


    They quickly left the study, walking back in silence. "Do you think this was for the best?" Darcel broke the silence, a little absentmindedly staring into the distance.


    "I... can''t say for sure. After all, we never asked Lex about his opinions."


    "But even if we were, wouldn''t he be fine with it? At least he likes us as a friend."


    "Yes, but do you want him to only see you as a friend? Do you want to repeat the same thing again? For the second time now?"


    "..."


    Darcel couldn''t answer him but neither could Lucius. They were desperate to know Alexis more intimately but they also knew they couldn''t rush into things. Because Alexis himself was slower to recognise his own feelings, let alone noticing how others truly felt.


    "Then can''t we just limit the amount of people he comes into contact with?"


    "Darc, we can''t do that. That''s the same as imprisoning him! Do you really want to go that far?"


    "I think you should ask this question instead. Can you handle him being together with someone else?" Darcel sneered lightly, he was having a hard time coming to terms that their current situation was no different from back then. And now a chance had appeared in front of them and yet, they weren''t taking it.


    Lucius casted his eyes down, "No, that is not what I meant. Wouldn''t it be nicer if Lex came to like us naturally over time? It''s better in the long term." He grabbed Darcel''s arm, preventing him from walking away, "Darc, if we forcibly trap him, when he finds someone else, don''t you think he would realise our intentions and start to resent us instead?"


    "Could you really bear with the fact that he would eventually hate us just because we weren''t patient enough? If we''re able to control his love, then it isn''t love at all."


    Darcel''s eyes became dark, he didn''t want to experience it again, seeing him with his eyes closed, countlessly waiting for him to wake up. He felt impatient, wanting to make him his immediately but Lucius had stopped him, "Miyamoto, do you really think that there''s no possibility of Fujisaki-san liking us?"


    Lucius continued to press on, "Not only does he have his original memories, he has the memories from this world too." Darcel disorientedly stared back at him, "Don''t forget, we have a mission too. We have to complete it no matter what." Lucius weakly smiled at him, "We have a home to return to, one that we share with him."


    Both of them knew that they had only one chance to change things around. They had to return home with Shin in their arms. Darcel could feel his buried emotions slowly bottling up in his throat, Lucius knew how he felt because they had loved him for too long to not understand one another. Even if Shin was the person of their affection, they were still friends even before their feelings had developed. To sabotage one another was simply killing them because the one who would suffer the most was not them, but Shin.


    "But what if he doesn''t? And if we fail our mission?" Darcel choked out, it wasn''t right for him to become vulnerable but the idea of losing him again overlapped with his memory. "Aikawa, don''t you think this is a bit cruel?"


    Lucius gave a self-deprecating smile, "It''s the price we paid for. The price for a second chance."

 Ah, How Perfect

    Darcel and Lucius no longer exchanged any words, silently walking back to Alexis''s room. Lucius cautiously knocked on the door, "Lex, are you asleep yet?", opening it when he heard no response. Alexis was in the middle of changing when they entered, hastening his movements. He avoided their eyes, quietly ushering them to change as well. "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing. I''m just tired." There was slight indifference in his tone, quickly shuffling away.


    Lucius frowned at his words, casting a glance towards Darcel who also noticed his strange behaviour. "Lu, you go wash up. I''ll help him." Lucius nodded, disappearing to the bathroom. Darcel grabbed Alexis''s hand, pulling him towards the bed, laying down side by side.


    He was about to sit up when Darcel gently pressed him down, "Darc, what are you trying to do?" Although he wasn''t in the mood to deal with them, they were still his friends so the very least he could do was listen to them.


    "Does your body still hurt?"


    Alexis hummed in agreement. Darcel reached over to turn him onto his stomach, "Stop. Let''s just talk okay?" Darcel paused, only reluctantly retrieving his hand when Alexis flashed him a small smile, "Just let me hold you."


    Darcel laid Alexis''s head on his arm, wrapping it around his shoulder. His head was in the perfect position for a loving kiss on the forehead. Alexis shuffled in discomfort, his body heat causing Alexis''s face to flush. His mind drifted back to his father''s words and the conversation he had with Violetta. Even if they were friends, why was he getting so flustered over this? It''s just a hug, yes, just a hug... No! This isn''t right, none of them had an engaged partner. Even worse, why is his heart beating so quickly, why are his hands slowly getting clammy, why was he even thinking about Darcel in such a way?!


    Alexis''s mind continued to spiral, ignorant of the gentle caresses and loving gaze Darcel was directing at him. "What''s got you so flustered? Is it something we can talk about?" Darcel loosen his hair ribbon, letting his raven hair spread on the sheets, "Even if you can''t say it now, we''ll... No. I''ll wait until you''re ready."


    Alexis snapped out of his daze, noticing something off with his mood. Subconsciously forgetting about his own worries, he reached out to timidly touch his cheek, "Darc... is there something wrong?" He gazed into his eyes that were usually filled with a fiery and strong light, which was now replaced with a look full of longing. But longing for what? Or perhaps someone? Alexis didn''t know the emotion he currently felt but there was a dull ache in his chest, seeing Darcel so detached with a melancholic yearning in his eyes. Darcel closed his eyes, leaning into his hand and letting Alexis shyly trace the corner of his eyes, "Is there something I can do to help you?"


    Darcel slowly fluttered his eyes open, peering into Alexis''s gentle, concerned eyes. "No, nothing is wrong. Just stay here, in my arms where I know you won''t disappear." He squeezed his eyes tight, firmly embracing Alexis in his arm. He wished that he would never leave and disappear. Darcel wished time would stop, to always let him bathe in his presence. "I love you so much Shin. I want to reverse time to stay with you forever." He mumbled into Alexis''s shoulder, only God knew how much he was willing to sacrifice to save him.


    Alexis felt like it wasn''t the right time to bring up their engagement, allowing him to continue hugging. "Darc, I won''t ask or say much but we''ll get through it together, okay? Don''t forget about me too. I want to protect you too. I''m not someone who always needs protection, I want to stand side by side with you and Lucius. And even if you think that I''m being selfish, I won''t listen to you. I want to be a person you can lean on, a person who never leaves you no matter what."


    "And to make that happen, you have to let me stay with you. I care about you and even if you think that as long as you can protect me, even if you get hurt, everything would be okay. But it wouldn''t be because I don''t want to see you hurt either. And if you think that I am overstepping my boundaries, it''s just because I wouldn''t know what to do if someone I loved was to suddenly disappear from my life."


    There was a subtle shuffle from him, Alexis hugged him tighter, "Darcel, I know that I am able to rely on you when I''m going through tough times and I would like you to feel the same way, that I can be someone you can trust and lean on. I know I sound like I''m a broken record but how else can I tell you?"


    "This time, let''s solve our problems together."


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    This time, he will be the person they can lean on. He realised his small mistake, having always to rely on both Aikawa Ren and Miyamoto Haru. Shin couldn''t let them carry their burden alone.


    Alexis gave him a smile, one that he hoped could convey his sincerity, one that told him even if he was insecure or felt hopeless, Alexis would always be by his side regardless. Darcel lifted his head, his eyes filled with their bright and gentle smile. He reached out for his hand, naturally interlocking, "Of course. I would never forget our promise." Nor would I forget the promise I made to myself.


    Alexis was glad he was in a better mood, leaving them in a comfortable silence, before deciding to change the subject, "You know, sometimes I wonder, have we ever crossed the line of being just friends? Especially in a world that could accept us being together, wouldn''t people start to believe that we have something going on?" He made a passing comment about his concerns, expecting a rejection from him. But when he thought of that, his eyebrows furrowed.


    "I don''t mind if they misunderstand."


    "..."


    What? This was not what he expected. He suddenly turned to face him, their hands loosening in grip before Darcel pulled him closer. "Are you sure about that Darc? I mean, wouldn''t you find it bothersome when you become engaged with someone?" His chest felt lighter when Darcel had replied; there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Was he feeling relieved? And happy? Because Darcel had implied something? But what if he misspoke and wasn''t serious about it?


    "Darc, did you know what you just said?" He stared into his ruby eyes in disbelief, there was no way he meant what he said, right? He glanced at their interlocked fingers, trying to shake off his grip.


    "I know what I said and I mean it. I have no reason to lie." After all, this is my second chance.


    "What? Don''t you get what I''m trying to say?"


    "I do."


    "No, no you don''t. I''m saying this wrong! Friends don''t hold hands and hug each other all the time." Alexis accusingly glared at Darcel.


    "And what''s the problem with that?"


    "..."


    He was speechless, "Stop worrying too much. Let''s just enjoy being together." Darcel pulled Alexis towards him, resting him on his chest.


    Alexis was in denial, this was a serious topic! "Stop joking around Darc! I''m being serious here!"


    "And so am I."


    "No you''re no-"


    Alexis felt something soft touch his lips, light like a feather: a short fleeting moment. "Da-Darc?" He unconsciously touched his lips, his eyes wide open in surprise, staring at the culprit.


    "I''m being serious with you. Why would I joke about something like this?" He leaned in again, stealing another kiss, holding the back of his head. This time, Alexis could feel the deep love and affection that was carried in the kiss as well as the hidden desires locked away in his heart. Alexis wanted to pull away but was being held still by his iron grip, "Darc...!"


    Darcel teasingly licked his bottom lip before pulling back. He stared triumphantly at Alexis, "What''s with your expression?" He gently caressed his cheek, "Were you expecting more?" Alexis flushed in embarrassment, he could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ear. He peered into Darcel''s eyes, before shyly looking away, feeling disappointed.


    Disappointed? No, he should be relieved that he pulled back, not wanting more. After all, it wasn''t like they were together or anything. Together? Why was he even thinking about the possibility of them being together?


    His mind went into overdrive as he tried to reason out his feelings, "A simple kiss is enough for you to become like this. What happened to the person who was happily playing around with us earlier?" Darcel sat up, turning Alexis to face him, "But that''s what I like about you anyways. I like how you''re able to tease and have fun with me. I like how even though we may bicker every now and then, you still care about me just as much as I care about you. And that makes me really happy."


    "And I''m not asking you to respond to me, I just want you to know how important you are to me. I have all the time in the world for you to see me as a partner." And for you to become mine.


    Alexis flusteredly retorted, "Of course you would be important to me and who said I would see you as a partner in the future? You''re making it sound like you just confessed your feelings to me."


    "Pfft..." Darcel broke out in laughter, even after he had said all that, the one person he wanted couldn''t even recognise his feelings. Well, it''s not bad being about to continue staying with them, trying to slowly change their friendship into something else. "Maybe I am. Whether or not you realise it is up to you. But I do hope that eventually, you will fall for me the same way I fell for you." Darcel placed a kiss on the corner of his eye, causing him to close his eyes and feel the gentle touch of his lips. He wrapped his arms around his waist, resting comfortably on them. Ah, how perfect is the person in his arms now? It was like he was tailor-made for him.


    Alexis peeked at him, "Kissing isn''t something friends simply do to each other Darc."


    "Then maybe it wasn''t a kiss between friends." He stared at his pink lips again, wanting to steal another one. It was hard to resist the temptation when he was right in front of him, in his arms, looking so adorable and precious.


    This is something that should be done between lovers... Lovers?!


    Alexis flushed after realizing his meaning, feeling a little ecstatic from his words, "Have a think about how you feel." Because I would love it if you were mine and I was yours. "And if after all that, you chose someone else, it wouldn''t matter." Darcel gently brought their heads together, "Because I will always choose you no matter what."

 Have a Good Rest Lex

    ''He will always choose me?'' Such simple words rang in his eyes, his voice laced with warmth and endearment, Alexis could feel his heart pounding excitedly in his chest. This feeling was something more than just friends but he didn''t dare to step over the line. Pleased with his development, Darcel looked over Alexis''s shoulder, seeing Lucius stare at them with a dark aura, "Seems like someone''s here already."


    He gave another kiss on Alexis''s cheek, his eyes melting with affection before walking over to Lucius with a triumphant smile, "Hope you don''t mind me going first. I won''t just stop because you said so. I''m not going to hide anymore but what about you?"


    He walked off to wash up, leaving Lucius to stare at his back. He dejectedly turned back to see Alexis wondering about something, calling out to him, "Are you feeling better than before?" He smiled to cover up his displeasure, taking a seat next to him, habitually patting his head.


    Alexis nodded at his words, helplessly turning to him, his mouth opened wanting to ask something before ultimately deciding not to. ''I want to ask Lu about this but what is stopping me from doing that?''


    Lucius smiled patiently, "Take your time, I''m here to listen to you."


    He stared into those gentle blue eyes, quietly admiring how the way that they looked at him had never changed since they were small. "Your eyes..." They hold the same light as Darcel''s eyes when he looks at me.


    "Is there something in my eyes? Can you get it out for me?" He leaned down, his eyelash fluttering softly as he blinked.


    Alexis turned away, he could feel his ears slowly becoming flushed, deciding to change the topic, "Does your heart flutter when you''re with Darc?"


    "No, it doesn''t. Darc is my friend."


    "Then," He shyly peered at him, feeling a little flustered before continuing, "What about me? Does your heart beat so quickly and so loudly that you feel like everyone would hear it when you''re with me?" Alexis decided to ask him about it, probing just ever so lightly, his curiosity left him wanting to know more.


    Lucius gave a knowing smile, pretending to think about it before replying, "What do you think?" He decided to tease him ever so slightly about his lack of awareness, "Do you want me to feel that way when I am around you?"


    Alexis opened his mouth to answer, before freezing in his spot, blushing shyly as he remembered that if Lucius felt that way, they would do the same thing that Darcel did to him, a kiss. He struggled to put his words together, making soft, incoherent mumbles.


    Lucius deepened his smile, reaching over to caress his cheek, causing him to stop in his tracks and stare back.


    "Lex, what do you want me to do?" Lucius continued to softly touch him, arousing a comfortable feeling within Alexis, causing him to lean into his hand. "Lex, do you want to know if I have the same feelings as Darcel?"


    Alexis twitched at his words, guiltily looking over at Lucius, "No... I just wanted to know if you felt anything that you shouldn''t feel between friends..." He pouted, moping about how easily he was found out. "Am I that easy to read?"


    Lucius broke out into laughter, "Is that what you''re worried about? Why does it matter if you''re easy to read? At least to me, I notice every detail and expression of yours regardless." He fiddled gently with the ends of his bangs, "And to answer your question, I do."


    "..."


    "I want to let you know that this won''t change anything between us unless you want it to change." Lucius gave a reassuring smile, although Alexis can perceive there was another emotion below that. "There''s no rush to how you feel, perhaps it wasn''t best for me to tell you now, especially after all Darc has done to you." Lucius gently tucked his hair behind his ear, letting the loose ends flutter down, framing his face.


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    Lucius retracted his hand when another hand stopped him. Alexis peered upwards, hesitantly bringing it back to cup his cheek, his own hand placed on top, "Lex?"


    ''They''re doing two different things and yet, my heart can''t seem to die down. Why am I okay with this even though we''re crossing the boundaries of friends?''


    He turned to face him, innocently brushing his lips across his palm, "I like it when you spoil me." Whenever they would treat him gently, he couldn''t help but want more.


    "..."


    There was a pause in his movement, he lifted his head to see those blue orbs softening at the sight of him, carrying a tender emotion in them. Lucius gently brushed his eyelashes, "Do you feel anything else? Do you feel restless when I do this?"


    He cautiously lined up his palm with his, "A little. It''s sort of like butterflies in my stomach." Deciding to take advantage of the situation, Lucius gently intertwined their fingers, not missing the opportunity to place a kiss on his fingertips. "Then, what about now?"


    Alexis could feel his heart beating quicker, giving his honest thoughts, "I like it."


    He paused before adding on, "I like holding hands with you guys and since your hands are large enough, my hand can fit within yours. It''s as if I will always know that you''ll be there for me and to protect me." He laughed endearingly, his expression full of joy. He felt shy having told Lucius about his silly feelings but when he looked up, Alexis thought that maybe he could continue to talk about it.


    On second thought, maybe he won''t. "I feel so embarrassed now, this isn''t something that you can just tell your friend," Alexis mumbled, dropping his head, unable to remove himself from his grip.


    "Is the label of ''friends'' that is making you cute?" Lucius used his other hand to tenderly brush his reddening cheek.


    "What?! Who are you calling cute?"


    "Who else am I supposed to describe? Me?"


    Alexis narrowed his eyes, "Why is it me who gets all flustered while you''re just sitting there, having fun teasing me?" He puffed up his cheeks, eliciting Lucius''s desire to poke it.


    "So you do know I was teasing you?"


    Alexis playfully glared at him, "Don''t look at me like that. I wasn''t planning to tease you much longer." Lucius tried to defend himself, feeling a little flustered on how to both defend and pacify Alexis. He watched with delight, a haughty smile plastered on his face, "Lex, will you forgive me?"


    Alexis softened his expression, "It''s fine. Don''t worry about it." He gave a smile to back up his words, squeezing their hands, "Instead, why don''t you tell me what you were talking to Father about? It was long enough for me to talk to Vio and still come back before you." He mumbled the last part, what could be so important for them to come back later than him?


    "Curious?" He teasingly rubbed his head, "It wasn''t much, don''t worry. All he said was that we won''t be engaged to anyone until we graduate from the academy and that if we find a suitable partner of our own, they could be our fiancee." It wasn''t exactly the truth but it wasn''t a lie either. He knew it was wrong to not tell the whole truth but he would eventually tell Alexis the whole story.


    "That''s weird. Wouldn''t people our age already have partners? I''m sure there''s a reason why our parents haven''t done anything. After all, the three of us are in a special position." He nervously laughed, "It seems abnormal for us not to be engaged with anyone." Alexis stated his confusion, still unable to wrap his head around Lucius''s words.


    "Maybe they just want us to find our own partners." Darcel walked out of the bathroom, "I don''t mind the freedom but like you said, it is weird especially for us, to not be engaged to anyone." He sat next to Alexis, his hair was still slightly damp. The water was slowly dripping off the ends of his hair, landing on his bathrobe. "Are you ready to turn in for the night?"


    Alexis hummed in response, getting up to kick them out of his room, "You two should go too. Father wants to test us tomorrow on our magic and theory. Make sure you rest up properly." They both nodded, starting to head out when Darcel turned back, walking towards him. "Goodnight Lex." He leaned down giving a light kiss on his forehead before walking back.


    Lucius narrowed his eyes slightly in displeasure, opting to pat his head instead, "Have a good rest Lex." He shot a glance towards Darcel who was looking back at him with a pleased expression.


    It was only when they were gone that he finally registered what they were doing, blinking in disbelief. "Why am I only realizing it now? This goes beyond what friends do." He covered his face in shame, "How am I supposed to calm my heart down and not think about it at the same time?"


    Alexis furiously shook his head, jumping straight into bed, forcibly blocking out any disturbances, "I have to go to sleep now. Otherwise, tomorrow I won''t be able to hold up in our mock battle." He tried to suppress his fast heartbeat, only resulting in him tossing and turning for the majority of the night.