Flustered Hearts and Noble Bonds

It seems I didn’t quite realize how loudly I shouted.
I looked at Lyra, a bit scared of how she might react.

“Uhh… Lyra?”

I looked closely—and saw her practically dying from embarrassment.
The normally energetic and confident princess was now blushing like crazy, unable to meet my gaze.

For once, I managed to keep my mouth shut and waited for her response.

“I… love you too…” she mumbled.
No one heard her. Not even me.

“Huh? What did she say?” people behind her started whispering. I leaned forward slightly, curious too.

Then Lyra suddenly stepped forward.
Encouraged by her mother’s soft nudge, she shouted:
“I LOVE YOU TOO, VELANOVA SILVANNOR! I’LL GLADLY ACCEPT YOUR PROPOSAL!”

She finally locked eyes with me.
We both turned completely red.

It seems my son doesn’t oppose it anymore, huh? My dad said, stepping forward.

I looked at him, still red. Yes, it seems so, as I averted my gaze.

Mom added, “I knew Vel would melt when he got to know her. My motherly instincts were right.”
Auntie Elara added, “You’re right, Muri. Me too—I hoped my daughter would get inside Vel’s heart.”

Yuna jumped from behind me and said, “Awwww, my little brother is lovestruck~.”

Alistair said, “Hmmm, I don’t approve,” looking away.

“Huh? What do you mean? Why?” I started to panic.

“Hahaha, I’m just kidding. I approve,” he put his hand around my shoulder. “You’re the only one I’d ever accept marrying Lyra.”

Elio popped out and just walked away, teasing.

“Oh ho, it seems our little leader is red from confessing. But oh, I do say, what a monumental confession if I do say so myself. Seems only the princess can fluster our leader.”

I was so gonna punch him later.

Seren, Naomi, Liora, Felix, and Selric all said in unison, “Congratulations, our esteemed leader, on getting the princess to publicly confess back!”

The crowd was a mix of congratulations, admiration, awe, and also some hostility I felt, but I brushed it off.

“Hahaha, it seems my little trick worked out in the end.”

I looked back and saw Uncle laughing.

“Uncle, what do you mean?”

“Oh, I knew that if you were gonna say you liked her and I said ‘say it louder,’ you’d shout hard. So I purposely let everyone stand closer to the balcony.”

“But I did not expect both of you to confess.”

“Dad?”

When I heard that, I felt a shiver go down my spine.

I looked at Lyra with a cold, serious look.
“Are you telling me this was all for your amusement?”

“Ah, sweetie, wait, no, you misunderstand. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Oh? Then explain that, do you mean?” Lyra looked scarier the more she walked toward Uncle.

Uncle looked really stuck, and Lyra looked intimidating.

No one said anything or did anything. So I guess I’m Uncle’s only hope, huh.

“Listen, sweetie, isn’t this good?”

“What’s good about embarrassing myself like that, Dad?”

“Oh. I’m sorry, Lyra. It seems you feel embarrassed about me, huh?”

“Wait, Vel, I don’t mean it like that.” Lyra changed from cold and scary to soft and flustered.

“I mean, uhhh… not embarrassed about you but more embarrassed about uhhh…”

Before she could finish, I stood before her.

“Ah Vel, I mean, uhhh…”

I stopped her worries by hugging her tightly.
“I know you don’t mean it like that, ’cause trust me, I couldn’t be more embarrassed right now. But let’s let Uncle slide for once, okay?”

“Mhmm,” she said, burying her face in my chest.

I turned elegantly around to everyone, still holding her.
“Well, as you all can see, I’m going to marry Lyra, so I hope you will all attend the wedding when the time comes.”
I bowed down, still holding Lyra in my hug.

The first one to shout was, of course, that idiot.

“Woooohoooo!! Let’s gooo!! That’s my boy!!”

Really, if I see that idiot the next time, I’m gonna take my anger out on him with magic. Mental note to not forget.

The rest all followed with “Of course!”

And Seren, Naomi, and Liora said they expected to be bridesmaids.

Elio, Felix, and Selric said they expected to be best men.

From there, I started talking with the boys and Lyra with the girls.

Everyone went back to partying.

Before I started talking, I felt Uncle’s hand on my shoulder.

“Vel, you saved me right there. I appreciate that. Really.”

“No problem, Uncle. Or should I start calling you Father?”

“Spare me, please.”
“Hahaha, alright, alright. I’ll see you, Uncle.”
“Yes, I’ll see you. I’ll leave you to the young men waiting for you.”

I walked to my friends—or rather, my boys.

“What’s up, guys?”

“Well, if it isn’t the man of the hour.”

“Oho, that’s our esteemed leader, guys.”

“Should we bow, guys?”

“Bow, and I’ll make sure all your heads stay in the ground.”

“Hahahaha, that’s Vel for you.”

“Elio, try me, really.”

“My bad, my bad.”

“But bro, that took some guts, you know.”

“What do you mean, Selric?”

“I mean that insane confession.”

“Ahhh, don’t remind me. I know it already.”

“I don’t think you know it enough.”

“Huh? Why not, Felix?”

“Cause not only did you make the princess blush, you also got a public confession back from her. Is that really so special?”

“Yes,” they said together.

“Why?”

“Do you even know how your wife is known in public and among nobles?”

“No? Why?”

“Haaaaa.” They sighed together and started explaining in turn.

“In the public eye, we didn’t even know she could be flustered.”

“Yeah, for real. I thought she was an insane ice queen.”

“She’s good in politics and always seemed like she didn’t like anyone who talked to her.”

“Also, I don’t think you know how many marriage proposals she rejected. Apparently, she hated all those boys.”

“So we all honestly thought she couldn’t be swayed.”

“Until our esteemed leader came forth, cracked the ice in half, and followed it by just entering the heart instantly.”

“Oi, stop talking about me like that.”

“But anyway, I didn’t know she was that esteemed. Of course, I knew she was pretty famous politically and all that, but not that famous.”

“Well, she is—and you managed it.”

“So I don’t think anyone from our generation can really say anything bad about you now.”

“You all flatter me, man.”

“Ewww, don’t say that, that grosses us out,” they said mockingly.

I responded, ticked off.

“First, none of you have any game. Second, you’re all officially under my command now. And third, I’m taken — so don’t bother.”