Only with Your Heart

And when morning dawned, the rain that kept falling so hard disappeared somewhere, and the bright morning sun gently illuminated the wet earth.

A remnant of the rain that conveys the walls falls to the ground with a bump.

The sun is throwing delicate and sharp light from the sky, as it marks the beginning of winter. It wasn't good enough weather to say sunny weather, but nevertheless, enough conditions would have been in place to send Exia home. The escort she brought was accompanied by several soldiers from the castle of Ruklov and a group of travellers were organized.

"Well, I just sent him out, even by storm,"

Yes, Ruklov struck his ear at Chizuru.

About that time, despite being early in the morning, preparations were made quickly, and by the time breakfast began, Exia had been put on the back of the same stunning horse that she had when she got here.

"Lady Exia says she also wants to say hello to Master Chizuru before she leaves..."

Still, Nadal came to deliver a message to Chizuru and Ruklov, who were in the bedroom.

Just as Chizuru was helping Luklov dress, the young Nadal spotted the intimate air of her lovers and blushed by chance. Ruklov looks back at Chizuru, who is regulating his girdle behind him, silently asks what he wants to do.

Chizuru hesitated only for a moment.

If you can, I don't want to see Exia face to face anymore.

Still, it should have been quite important for Chizuru to stand next to him in grandeur and say hello to Exia, who still seems not to tire of marrying Ruklov. That's why Ruklov gives Chizuru a choice where he affirms that he doesn't normally need it.

"Okay. I'm coming."

To Chizuru, who replied to his temperament, Nadal sighed in relief, and Ruklov turned to praise.

"If you don't like it, you can say no, Chizul, and I'll advise that woman from me."

"Yeah...... I'm fine. It would be much more convincing if I were next to Ruklov, wouldn't it? I think we should be clear here because people like that are going to follow us when we're running away."

To Chizuru's words, Nadal raised his voice and laughed.

"Master Ruklov, please marry Master Chizuru soon! If you're going to be a better mistress, I'll serve you ten times as hard as I do now."

"I know."

And Ruklov replied. And with a hot glance at Chizuru, I add. "Immediately."

In response to the apparent determination to be seen in his eyes, Chizuru dyed his cheeks red.

Oh, when the hell can Chizuru get used to this kind of upright passion from Ruklov? Even if it isn't, in addition to Chizuru being originally an understated Japanese of affection, Ruklov is a beauty that seems to appear in foreign magazines, even though he can just stare at it enough to lose his strength from his knees.

Fourteen years later it remained the same...... On the contrary, the knight of the Redemption, feeling even more attractive, gently laid one hand on the cheek of a thousand cranes that were turning bright red.

"That's why. Dress up like a mistress and show that horse woman that you're my wife. Nadal, call Alde right away."

Nadal answered "Yes" much more vigorously, leaving the room running behind.

The remaining Chizuru remembered the anxiety that crossed him last night on his righteous face as he stared at his future husband. And give me the promise we made again.

─ ─ Because I'll always be by your side.

When will I get used to it, the question must be heavy on Lucroff's mind as well. When will we be able to dispel the anxiety that Chizuru may suddenly disappear and disappear like a bubble one day? That's why he pleads with Sanchitsuru again.

That is why Chizuru must never betray this promise.

"I exaggerate to show it off... but I'm happy to be next to Ruklov"

Confessing so, Ruklov looked back and hugged him tightly, as if he were trying to squeeze something out of a thousand cranes.

Chizuru waited for Luklov to say something, but in the end, he didn't say anything, just handed over Chizuru's body.

Alde immediately showed up and quickly picked out the dress as if it had already been planned, wore it on a thousand cranes and fixed his hair.

Ruklov is not wearing armor, but he has a clavicle around his upper body, a long sword on his back, and a dagger on his right hip. As a courtesy, he says that until a group leaves the castle town, Luklov, the castle owner, must accompany them.

"You want to come with me?

And Ruklov asked me, but I just said no to this.

From going through the castle gate until you leave the castle town, it won't take twenty minutes if you don't even stop the horse's leg. It's ridiculous to have horses and horse utensils ready for a thousand cranes for that much distance to delay a bunch of legs on horseback riding that I'm not very good at. Riding a horse during his period was actually quite uncomfortable as well.

"Sounds like a proper wife, waiting for your return. Looks like we have a lot of ceremonies to prepare."

That's how Chizuru gave Exia an ultimatum named Greeting, and Ruklov kicked her out of the castle town, convinced everyone that everything was supposed to work out.

I was.

Since Lucrov's flag is a red thread pattern on the black ground, Chizuru, wearing a dress to match it in the dark, tied his hair together, approached with him to a group surrounding Exia gathered in the square in front of the castle wall.

Exia, wearing a thick coat made of fur from a hairy animal, turns her nose away on the horse and greets Chizuru with all her skill.

"Well, I'll be free for now. I hope to see you again."

It was like saying that she was the winner, but with dignity. Thin blue eyes even have a cunning grin.

Chizuru took a breath and stretched his spine.

"Yeah, right. Come to our wedding if you like. Welcome."

"Well, the wedding"

I laughed that I wanted to peel Exia off. I don't know about that.

"Oh, yes..."

"I'll remember that. Good day, young lady."

Exia didn't call Thousand Cranes by name until the end. I don't know about that, but it kind of makes me feel like I'm being ridiculed. Still, Chizuru pushed that discomfort into his chest as far as possible, and smiled back as he looked back at Luklov standing one step behind him.

"Come on in, Luklov. Come back soon."

"Oh, sure."

Ruklov has wrapped the face of a thousand cranes with both hands and gently mouthed them as he turned upwards. With such a sweet, slow mouth by his squire and knight around him, Chizuru couldn't stand without grabbing Lucrov's arm.

But Exia, with a sharp cold gaze, looks down at it from the horse.

As Ruklov's lips remnantly left Chizuru's face, they stared silently.

In the morning air, each other's exhales floated white, and at some point I noticed Ruklov's face softening like someone else's when he first reunited. The stubbornness that persisted in the world disappeared, and instead there is the expression of a young man filled with young hope.

Chizuru suddenly felt something like a protective appetite.

I have to protect this man.

Promise this one.

This love.

So you shouldn't be losing to an over-conscious blonde Countess. Stretch your spine properly. Confident.

Chizuru raised his heel and grabbed the tunic on Ruklov's chest with one hand and gave him a slightly shorter mouthpiece on his cheek.

Honestly, for the Japanese Chizuru, it was a rather courageous action to do this across the board of the public.

But.

As expected, when I let go of my face, Ruklov is satisfied...... smiling happily and looking down at Thousand Cranes. That alone made me feel rewarded for everything.

'Cause I'm waiting.

When I told him that, as I signaled it, Ruklov spanned his horse with refreshment.

"A bunch, move on!

Ruklov's decree echoes in the clear sky, and a group organized to send Eksia back leaves the castle gate quickly to be played. Luklov at the beginning. Around the center, Exia is surrounded by young knights. At the rear, the flag of Ruklov is raised high.

Next to a thousand cranes dropping them off, I noticed, Alde stood.

"Let's go inside. You have to get ready for the matrimonial ritual, right?

The samurai's eyes are narrowed as full, sending a praiseworthy gaze to Chizuru.

Chizuru nodded.

And finally, after seeing Lucloff and the others disappear at the end of the forest surrounding the castle, he went back into the castle about Alde.