♔亞緣腐宅窩♔

【Ever After Route Garden Gacha】

Nico

◆Love Forever◆
《At Last》

It was the night of their visit to Stein Castle.
Jily "Nico, what did you think about what Byron said earlier?"
Jily was sitting next to Nico on the bed, her eyes serious as she gazed steadily at him.
Nico "Which part?"
Jily "The part about Lord Wagner."
Nico "Oh, that."
At last the concern in her eyes made sense, and Nico dropped his gaze away.
Byron and Albert had seemed so grave and concerned when they'd told him about Lord Wagner's ill health.
But he hadn't felt a thing—not worry, not concern, not anything.

（Would it surprise you if I told you that?）

Nico tried to focus on his own feelings and make some sort of sense of them.

（But I don't want to just try and avoid the topic.
（And I don't want to lie to you—you're the woman I love.）

He'd pushed the feelings away until now, but at last he felt as if he could speak them aloud.
Nico "To be honest... I don't know what I think."
Jily "You don't know? Even though he's your father?"

（My father, huh?）

For most of his life, he hadn't even known the truth about who he really was.
But even now that he knew, he still didn't think of Lord Wagner as his father, and never had.
Nico "That's right. I don't really feel sad, or worried, or whatever I'm probably supposed to feel.
Nico "I guess because we never really talked or anything."
Jily "Never?"
Jily was clearly startled by his words, and he gave her a faint smile that wasn't really a smile.
In his mind, he was reliving a memory that he'd almost forgotten until now.

******
It was not that long after he'd first come to live in the castle.
He'd been wandering around the gardens, trying to entertain himself and not be a bother.
He'd spotted a tall, imposing man walking down a nearby corridor with one of the bureaucrats.
Bureaucrat "Your Majesty, there are still several regions that we could lean on for more taxes."
The King "I see."

（He looks like Byron.
（I guess he must be the king.）

He'd never actually seen the king in person before, and he found himself staring hard at the man's face.
The king seemed to notice him there, his narrowed eyes moving towards Nico.
But they quickly moved away again, their eyes barely meeting for even a second.
******

（I still remember how cold his eyes were.）

Nico "He probably didn't actually want to meet me or talk to me.
Nico "I bet he didn't really think of me as his son."
He tried his best to smile, but his voice was hoarse.
He heard Jily catch her breath, and she started to shake her head.
Jily "Oh, Nico—"
She cut herself off, but he could hear the pain in her voice, as if it were her own.

（You're so sweet to care so much about my suffering like that.）

He hated seeing her so sad, and he reached out, sliding an arm around her shoulder.
Nico "Don't look at me like that, Jily."
He pressed his forehead against hers, sharing his warmth with her, and taking comfort in hers.
Jily "Nico... I'm sorry."
Her voice was a soft whisper, and he shook his head slightly.
Nico "You don't need to be sorry. Besides, it didn't really bother me.
Nico "But because of that, I never really felt like he was my father.
Nico "Do you think that's cold of me?"
It was hard to ask the question, and even harder to wait for her answer.
But the pain in her eyes seemed to ease at last, and she looked at him directly as she said,
Jily "No, I don't think you're cold.
Jily "Nico, you're always so warm."
A faint, sweet smile graced her lips, and relief flooded through him.
Jily "The man I see before me now is a warm, kind, gentle prince. My warm, kind, gentle prince."
She reached out, wrapping her arms tightly around him, and he wanted to collapse into her embrace.

（You're amazing, Jily, you really are.
（You always seem to understand—and you're always right here loving me, no matter what I do.）

It still mystified him, and yet it made him happier than ever.
He buried his head in her shoulder, all the tension draining out of him at last.
Nico "Thank you, Jily."
He heard her laugh softly, and she reached up, twining her fingers in his hair.
Jily "Thank you, too."
Nico "Jily..."

（It's not just that you share my pain with me, and make the burden less—I feel like you heal me in the process, too.）

Nico lifted his head at last, tightening his grip on Jily as he grinned at her.

（I know this is not the amazing, special place I had in mind to do this, but—
（Now you know everything about me.
（So I want to say this right now.）

Nico "Ah geez, I'm so uncool."
Jily "What? Why?"
He gave Jily a slightly shy smile as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.
Nico "I was planning to do this somewhere else, but—
Nico "I want to say this now, in this place that means so much to me."
His heart began to race as he shifted off the bed, going down on one knee in front of her.
He opened the box, and held it out to her, watching the surprise flash across her face.
Nico "Jily. Please, will you be my wife?"
Jily "Nico—"
She stared at him in open disbelief, but he could see the tears forming in her eyes.
Her expression was so suffused with happiness that it was clear even to him.

（I'm so glad I made you happy.）

He breathed a soft sigh of relief to himself, but his heart was still racing.
She was staring at him in silent, wide-eyed wonder, and he grinned at her.
Nico "Is that a no?"
She laughed at his teasing tone, shaking her head quickly as she said,
Jily "Please, will you be my husband?"
He could hear the happiness shining in her voice, and his heart leapt for joy at those simple words.

（Husband, huh? I could get used to that.
（I'm gonna have to get you to call me that over and over again.）

He slid the ring out of the box, his mind full of images of what their happy future might be like.

（We're gonna be a real family.）

Nico "Jily, thank you. I love you."
Joy and love for her flooded through him as he reached out and gently slid the ring onto her finger...

◆Shape of Love - Classic◆
《We Have Each Other, Forever》

Nico and Jily were in the study with Giles and Leo.
They'd finally told the two of them of their plans to postpone the wedding.
Giles "I'm sure the news of Lord Wagner's passing will spread quickly, and your decision seems wise.
Giles "And I certainly do not object to a decision that was clearly made with Wysteria's best interests in mind."
Nico & Jily "Thank you!"

（I thought you'd understand, Giles. Still, I'm relieved to hear it.）

He'd trusted in Giles from the start, but hearing him say the words aloud took a huge weight off his mind.
He turned to smile brightly at Jily, only to find her already smiling at him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Leo grin suddenly.
Leo "I'm gonna be honest here, though—I'm a little disappointed.
Leo "I was really looking forward to seeing Jily in her wedding dress."
Jily "Geez, Leo. Well, you're gonna have to wait."

（I can already picture that in my mind.）

They'd chosen the design for her wedding dress together—it was beautiful, and he knew it would complement her.
He also knew the seamstress was already working hard to make it a reality.
Nico "I was looking forward to it, too!"

（I'm really excited to see her in it, but—）

Nico "But hey, we're just saving the best for last, am I right?"
He reached out and took Jily's hand, grinning at her, and she laughed brightly in return, twining her fingers with his.
Leo laughed as well, shaking his head in obvious amusement.
Leo "Save the lovey-dovey stuff for the bedroom, okay?"
Nico "Is there something wrong with us being lovey-dovey in front of you?"
Nico raised an eyebrow at Leo, who only grinned wider in response.
Then he noticed that Jily was smiling brighter still, her eyes seeming to sparkle.
Nico "What is it?"
Jily "I'm just happy. Everything is good again."

（I never expected you'd say that, but—）

Nico "Yeah, it is."

（I was worried that you were gonna be upset and disappointed.
（But I guess I was overthinking things again.）

It was a decision they'd made together, because she'd understood how he felt about the situation.
All the love he felt for her seemed to well up inside him, threatening to spill over.

（I could tell you I love you a million times over.）

Giles's voice interrupted his thoughts, and he jumped a little.
Giles "Now that that's decided, I expect you to both throw yourselves into your work.
Giles "Are you ready for that?"
Nico & Jily "Yes!"
Giles's words had held an implied threat that things were going to be more difficult from then on,
but in truth, life seemed about the same as usual for both of them.
Nico and Jily continued to work hard at their jobs, as well as taking lessons to better understand their positions.
By the time a few weeks had gone by, the furor surrounding Nico's legitimacy had all but completely died down.
One day, Nico and Jily were visiting the town together to see how things were going.
Woman "Prince Nico, you said you really liked these pastries, didn't you? Please, have one."
Nico "Are you sure? Thank you!"
One of the stalls they passed was selling a particular fried pastry coated with sugar, and the stall owner held one out to Nico.
He smiled brightly as he took it from her with thanks.
Nico "It's so busy here today. It's good to see."
Jily "Yes, I know."
The news of Lord Wagner's death and the postponement of their wedding had spread quickly.
One of their goals in visiting the town that day was to make sure that the people weren't too worried or confused.

（But everyone seems as cheerful as ever. What a relief.）

Nico looked around at all the smiling faces of the people passing them by on the streets.
Then he glanced over at Jily again, and saw a faint frown on her face, like she was thinking hard.

（Well, we did just get that letter from Rayvis recently.
（I hope you're not fretting about the duchess.）

A few days earlier, they'd received a letter from Rayvis.
He'd written to inform them that he'd be visiting Wysteria soon for business.
But he'd also mentioned that Duchess Adler's influence in Stein was much weaker than it had been.

（She told me I was naive, didn't she?）

*****
It had been a week earlier, when a royal inquiry was held in Stein.
Duchess Adler was facing charges for spreading false information about Nico's legitimacy.
But Nico had suggested that they didn't need to punish her for what she'd done.

（I do believe at last part of the fault lies with me, as well.）

Both Byron and the bureaucrats had been willing to listen to his suggestion.
On that last day, the bureaucrats had handed down their final judgement regarding the matter.
Bureaucrat "In accordance with the request made by the prince consort of Wysteria,
Bureaucrat "Duchess Adler will not be held accountable for this crime."
The duchess had been sitting in the middle of the room, and Nico turned to look at her.
Nico "If you really want to do something for your family,
Nico "I believe you'd be better off treasuring the time you spend with them, rather than seeking to strengthen their influence."
Johanna "You're so naive."
*****

（Maybe I am naive.）

Her cold words echoed through Nico's mind, and he frowned a little.

（And I'm sure there are many more people in the world who think the way she does.
（But if something like this ever happens again,
（I think we'll be better equipped to deal with it.）

The lingering pain in his heart served as a reminder for the future.

（After all, Jily and I have each other, forever.）

Nico lifted his gaze, glancing over at Jily again.

（You're still frowning. Well, in that case—）

Nico lifted his hand, holding out the sweet pastry towards her.
Nico "Jily, open wide?"
Jily "What? Oh—"
She looked startled for just a moment, but then she smiled and took a bite.
Nico "I don't mind you thinking hard about things,
Nico "but don't forget to focus on what we're actually doing."
She started to speak, but he leaned in close and kissed her lightly on the lips.
Her eyes went wide and round, staring at him as he pulled back.
Jily "Nico—"
Nico "But you had sugar on your lips. I had to clean it off somehow."

（Okay, the truth is you just looked so adorable that I couldn't help myself, but—）

Nico grinned brightly at her, and after a moment she began to laugh.
He reached out and took her hand, turning to face her properly.
Nico "I love all the different expressions you have,
Nico "ut I love it best when you smile.
Nico "Because I know you're happy.
Nico "So smile for me whenever you feel happy, okay?"
The shy laughter lingering in her expression soon turned into a bright, beaming smile.
Jily "I will. Thanks."

（I love that beautiful smile of yours more than anything.）

Nico "Ahh, I love your smile.
Nico "When we get back to our room tonight, I want you to smile for me then, too."
He murmured the words,
hoping they filled her with anticipation the way they did him, and then they began to walk again.

（I never want to let you go.）

It was like he held in his hand all the happiness he could ever want.

（If I hadn't met you,
（I might never have learned what true strength is, or true kindness.
（I love you so much, and you've taught me so many valuable things, and—
（I want to be the best prince I can be for you,
（and protect you however you need it.）

He squeezed her hand gently, and he felt her squeeze his in return.

（And one day I want to be an amazing king who can protect this whole country.
（It might be greedy of me to want both those things—
（but I'll make them happen, all the same.）

He gazed at the townscape, spread out before their eyes as they walked.
It seemed so bright and beautiful,
and he was looking forward to a future protecting it with the woman he loved...

◆Shape of Love - Royal◆
《Determination》

Nico and Jily's wedding ceremony was over at last, and they were officially married.
The two of them stood together in the ballroom, enjoying the reception with their guests.
Rayvis "That was quite a ceremony."
Rayvis had visited Wysteria to attend the wedding, and he stepped over to speak to them.
Nico and Jily both smiled brightly at his words.
Jily "I know. Thank you for coming!"
Rayvis "Not at all."
Nico "Archduke Harneit, please allow me to thank you once again.
Nico "If you hadn't convinced the duchess to believe the false information you shared with her,
Nico "we wouldn't be celebrating like this today. So thank you."
Jily "Yes, thank you."
They both inclined their heads politely as they spoke.
But Rayvis only shrugged, looking completely unconcerned.
Rayvis "It's fine, really.
Rayvis "As I said in my letter,
Rayvis "I felt that it was advantageous for me to help you."

（That's so like you.）

But in spite of his disaffected words, there was a faint smile on his face, and warmth in his gaze.
Nico found it easy to smile back at him, feeling like maybe they were friends.
In return Rayvis studied him, his expression thoughtful.
Rayvis "More importantly, could you stop that?"
Nico "Stop what?"
Nico blinked in surprise, not sure what to make of the abrupt request.
Rayvis "Stop calling me by my formal title. You're the king now."

（Oh! Right.）

He'd been so used to using everyone's formal titles that he'd kept on doing it, even as the prince consort.
He'd forgotten that the rank of king came with a whole new set of privileges.

（But I'm the king now. For real.）

Nico "I guess you're right. Well... thanks, Rayvis."
He tried to sound casual, but the words rolled awkwardly off his tongue.

（Yeah, it's gonna take me a while to get used to that.）

He gave Rayvis a small smile, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Rayvis "I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way."
Jily "What does that mean?"
At that moment he noticed Rayvis glance sideways, and he followed his gaze.

（Don't tell me—）

Suddenly he had a pretty good idea of who Rayvis was talking about,
and that person was approaching them.
But instead of answering, Rayvis simply smiled and turned away.
Rayvis "I'll see you later. Congratulations again to you both."
As he disappeared into the crowd,
Jily turned to face Nico with a faintly puzzled smile.
But a moment later Byron and Albert stepped up to speak to them.
Byron "It was a lovely ceremony."
Jily "Thank you very much."
Nico "I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it!"
He knew how busy the both of them were,
and it meant so much to him that they'd found the time to attend.

（Back then, I never could've imagined a day like this would come.
（I'd never have imagined you'd be here like this,
（sending me off into the world with a smile.）

He could still clearly remember the day he'd left Stein, all alone.
At the time he'd been filled with frustration and a deep sense of purpose.
But this time he was saying farewell to Stein with love and warmth in his heart.

（If I hadn't fallen in love with you, Jily—
（I'd never have known I could ever feel this happy.
（I'm so glad I met you.）

He was still smiling brightly when Albert discreetly cleared his throat.
Albert "Although I was worried for a moment,
Albert "when you first looked at the princess and froze up completely."

（Geez, Albert, you could at least just be honest and congratulate me.
（I mean, I know this is how you express your concern for me, but—）

Nico "Well, what do you expect?
Nico "It was the first time I'd ever seen her in her wedding dress!
Nico "Besides, you can't talk, Al.
Nico "I know you were crying during the ceremony."
It was their usual back-and-forth, and yet Albert seemed completely flustered.
Albert "Wha—?!"
Byron "You were."
Albert "Your Majesty—!"

（Ha! You can hardly deny it when Byron says it.）

It felt so comfortable to fall back into their old habits like that.

（But it's not quite the same anymore. I'm the king of Wysteria now.
（We can't go back to the way we always were.）

Nico turned to look at Byron, full of sudden determination.
Nico "King Byron, I look forward to working with you as the king of your neighboring country."
Byron "So do I."
Byron paused, and then his gaze gentled as he spoke again.
Byron "But in that case, you'll need to address me more appropriately."

（Oh—）

Byron's words reminded him of what Rayvis had said only moments earlier.

（You're right, and I know it, but—）

Nico stood up straighter, meeting Byron's gaze as he spoke honestly.
Nico "You are my benefactor, and the man I pledged my life to.
Nico "It's probably going to take me some time to be able to address you on an equal level."
He knew how difficult it was going to be to change how he felt or acted around Byron.
Nico "But—
Nico "I'm going to work hard to become a king worthy of being considered your equal."

（For Jily, and... for all the people of Wysteria.）

Byron smiled, looking satisfied by Nico's response.
Byron "Good."
Nico "Oh, but if you wanted me to change what I call you,"
Nico "I could probably do that now."

（I've always wanted to call you this.）

Nico "Big brother."
Byron's eye widened at Nico's words, and he stared at him for a moment.
Then his expression relaxed again, looking infinitely gentler than before.
Byron "That's another appropriate way of addressing me.
Byron "No matter what our respective positions,"
Byron "you will always be my little brother."

（Byron—you have no idea what that means to me.）

The words seemed to settled deep in his heart, filling him with warmth.
He couldn't stop smiling,
and even Albert was gazing at him with a gentle light in his eyes.

（I've always thought of you as my benefactor,
（and the man who first cared about me as a real human being.
（But I can also think of you as my beloved big brother now, can't I?）

Happiness bubbled up inside at the realization,
and his smile widened as he nodded firmly...