She's That Knight Known as Zero 235 In The Shadows

Azusa have told her mother to let her father think for himself and that she must do her best to keep up with the trends.

"If you want father to come to you once again on his own accord, then the best way is to keep yourself beauty and physically fit."

"Are you saying that I look too haggard now?" Layla couldn't help but to touch her face as she look at herself in the mirror.

"That's not it mother, but father will always be a guy, of course despite their love for you there are still instances that they would want to see you doll up for them, so that they could flaunt in front of their friends."

She then went ahead and started helping out her mother, at times it would be Mutsumi who would come and help her.

Azusa have also instructed her mother not to visit her father until he comes to her himself. That Leo have to have sometime for himself and to allow him to think.

During this time she was really busy, on another day she even went to Akihiro.

"You're telling me to punish your father?" Akihiro was flabbergasted upon hearing Azusa's suggestion.

Even Haruka who already has a baby bump couldn't help but to look at Azusa with her mouth slightly opened.

"Yes your highness. My father wouldn't accept it if he could just go on with his life like nothing have happened. So I am asking you to have a punishment for him."

"But he was the hero, how can I punish him?"

Azusa already have an idea regarding this, she had pondered about it for the past few days in order to give her father some peace of mind.

"Punishment for allowing your body be controlled by the devil. And since it was not on your own accord and it was only your body and ability that was used. It wouldn't be so severe that grants death over it."

Akihiro fell silent as he think about Azusa's suggestion. Indeed, Leo wouldn't rest and be at ease if he didn't get some kind of suggestion.

"I understand, I shall summon him once he is out of the hospital. And to make it even more official, I shall summon him in front of all the higher ups."

Azusa smiled upon hearing Akihiro's response. What she was doing is also for her father, not until he had punished himself, he will really never accept this new life of his.

After she left, Akihiro had another visitor.

"This is a surprise. May I ask what you came here for?" Akihiro pleasantly asked as he looked at the young man in front of him.

This young man made all of them worried but upon hearing Rino's recount of their time together and how Raven was actually at his top condition. Akihiro finally heaved a sigh of relief that Raven wouldn't do anything out of line such as looking fro Eureka.

"Good day, your highness. There is a matter that no matter what we all must face," Raven responded respectfully.

Akihiro looked at him seriously without asking and just waiting for him to continue.

"I have heard from Azusa that you have accepted her proposal of punishing sir Leo."

Akihiro couldn't help but to have his mouth twitch. Azusa just left an hour or so ago and she already reported to Raven.

"There is something you have to tell him before then. You have to tell him about Eureka. Once he is out of the hospital and could roam around the kingdom he will eventually find out the identity of the person who saved him."

Akihiro leaned back to his chair. That's right, they still have this problem and if they still took their time before telling him then by the time he found out it might already be too late and he would be eaten by his guilt.

But somehow he just didn't know how to tell Leo about it. During this time that he was left alone by Azusa and Layla, Leo started thinking in a different way, Akihiro who had been visiting him all those times could clearly see the changes.

The problem is, will he feel even guiltier once he found out about Eureka? Will he revert back to the time when he just woke up, some full of self blame? Then what would happen to him by then?

"I know."

That was the only reply Akihiro could come up with. He knew that Raven saying this was not out of line at all but instead it was taking everyone into consideration. 

Somehow, the Raven during these times, felt like another Eureka have come out. Taking everyone into consideration and speaking frankly about what comes to their minds.

Seeing him ponder over it, Raven didn't stay for too long and instead bid his goodbye.

He too knew that Akihiro had to come up about this on his own or with the help of Haruka. For they are the most appropriate ones to tell Leo about Eureka. They are the ones who she had said, the only ones who can take her life away.

"What do you think Haruka?" Akihiro opened his eyes as he looked at Haruka who was sipping some tea by the sofa in his office.

She watched her tea as the steam comes and go pondering on how to answer Akihiro's question. She too have been thinking about this all these times.

They have tasked the people to let Leo rest and not to tell him regarding the new hero. But they all knew that this is just a temporary solution. For there are millions of people in the kingdom, they couldn't keep everyone to just zip their mouths, can they?

"Why don't you go and visit him before he is discharged. Then slowly explain to him the identity of his savior. Don't tell him anything regarding guilt or to just be thankful."

Akihiro looked intently at her as he listened to what she was saying.

"No, on second thought. I'll go with you, I haven't seen him yet all this time. Let's tell him about Eureka together."

She put down the cup on the table and sighed, "Then let's leave, hmmm... That's right. Let's leave sir Dai to watch over him for the time before he was discharged. Making sure he wouldn't come up with something stupid."

Akihiro thought about it before he slowly nodded in agreemenet. Leo have already pondered over the other matters, it's time to let him know everything. He was able to digest most of the things anyway.

After this, he called for Dai who was tasked to help out all over the kingdom. Making him completely busy for the time being.

"Haruka and I will visit Leo tomorrow evening. I want you to watch over him after that. If he found out about your presence and asked you questions, you can freely answer. You were the one who mostly observed everything that was happening and things that happened. Maybe you can help clear his mind somehow."

"As you wish your highness," Dai replied respectfully.

And just like the past he had blended with the shadows seemingly disappearing from the room.

It seems that this act became a part of him already, that it was so easy for him to be disregarded unless he was told to come out and do some tasks, despite losing his ability.

"He had been by your side ever since you were a child. Have he never thought of marrying and having his own family?" Haruka couldn't help but to ask.

Akihiro shook his head, "I tried asking him that question as well. I was also worried that there will come a time that he was left alone. But his reply was, 'The time I decide to leave will be the time you will last see me. By then you can presume that I have found a family of my own as well. For now, all of you are my family, your highness.' Seriously he really is stubborn with his duties."

Akihiro chuckled upon remembering their conversation. He tried so many times to make Dai date others but in the end everything was for a naught.

"And if I didn't know better, I would say that he was far younger than we are," Haruka responded as she pick her cup once again.

"He was more or less five years older than I am when my father took him in. But his baby face allowed the people to think that I was actually older than him."

The couple who has nothing else to do started talking about Dai as if he was not in the room.

He was just in the shadows though, every night once he was done with his duties around the kingdom. He would return to the castle.

He would then silently stay in the shadows doing his best to be the body guard of Akihiro.

Chapter end