[IYFILWATIP] Chapter 8

Zelda's question forced Kirona to recall. The last conversation they had shared five years ago and her memories with Jade.
"Do you believe in love?"
Whenever she thought of Jade Eclipse, the smell of rain seemed to linger at the tip of her nose. Even on clear days, he was there beside her, but for some reason, it was always him looking at her, soaked in rainwater.
"What should I bestow upon you as a good reward?"
"What reward would you give to a well-behaved hunting dog, Your Highness?"
"Hm? To a dog? Well... either food or, um, pat them saying 'good job'..."
"That's what you can do for me too."
"You mean give you food?"
"…No, just pat me on the head. Saying 'good job.'"
Kirona realized. From the first moment they met, Jade had always, truly, been standing behind her. Like an unyielding rock. Like a faithful hunting dog. Kirona had believed his blind obedience stemmed from loyalty. So she used him without hesitation.
But if his feelings were something more private and fragile...
Maybe Jade Eclipse was truly mad.
Kirona cut off her thoughts and shook her head.
"What does it matter what I feel now? He's dead, and I'll die soon too. It's all over when you die."
Zelda frowned. Zelda Black had been one of the people who hated hearing Kirona talk about her death the most. But now that Kirona's death seemed imminent, she could say nothing and just had a world-collapsing look on her face.
Kirona patted Zelda's shoulder, which seemed ready to burst into tears.
"Are you going to die? Cheer up."
"I hate it when you talk like this, Your Highness. I preferred it when we were causing trouble looking for a cure."
"When was that..."
"That bastard Jade, he should have been here to support you instead of dying on his own."
It was then.
"Your Highness!"
Urgent footsteps echoed through the hall. The office door burst open. It was the servant, Mari, who rushed in. Without proper decorum, he stood before Kirona, panting.
"What's the matter, Mari?"
"Sir Eclipse has returned."
Sir Eclipse. A title that had disappeared along with its master. And as far as Kirona knew, there was only one knight in the Eclipse family who had been granted knighthood. As Kirona struggled to grasp the situation, Zelda shouted instead.
"…Who has returned?"
"Sir Eclipse! Jade Eclipse! The knight who went missing during the dragon hunt five years ago!"

***

It had rained overnight, and the ground was soaked. Yuri would get scolded if she dirtied her pant legs again. No, she was going to get scolded for sneaking out of her room and making it all the way to the gate.
Yuri rolled up her pant legs and hopped around the mud puddles. Usually, she would have been caught by the knights before even reaching the gate, but today, for some reason, the knights' mood was unsettled, and no one stopped her.
She had heard the servants whispering that the gate would be opened. This time, she might actually see the massive iron gate swing open.
Yuri sneaked through piles of grain sacks, hoping not to be spotted before achieving her goal.
"All positions!"
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the commander of the knights, Marlon, bellowed out. Knights in full armor lined up in front of the gate. Yuri knew when the knights formed such a line. It was when important guests were visiting.
Guests were coming again.
Actually, Yuri didn't like 'guests.' The guests who made even the knights move to pass through the gate were all young men, and they always bothered Yuri.
She liked receiving gifts, but she hated it when they forced her to sit on their laps and asked if she wanted a dad or talked about how many good things were at their homes.
Last month, a nobleman from the north came. The month before that, a man called the King of the Desert from the west. The servants asked which man she preferred, but honestly, Yuri disliked both. The nobleman had too much beard, and the Desert King talked too much.
Yuri wasn't really curious about who her biological father might be. What Yuri wanted was not a father but a mother. The real creator who had carried Yuri in her womb for ten months and brought her into the world.