THE MORNING AFTER AND TOO MANY CONVERSATION

Leyla woke up feeling warmth. It took her a few seconds to realize why her pillow felt oddly firm… and why it was breathing.

She slowly opened her eyes.

Naru.

Naru, who had wrapped his arms around her waist as if she were his last hope in life.

Naru, who had buried his face in her hair and was now breathing peacefully, completely unaware that their bodies were pressed against each other.

Leyla carefully tried to free her hand. Nothing.

She tried pushing away with her leg. Nothing.

She tried nudging him with her shoulder.

"Mrrmmh…" Naru only mumbled something and held her even tighter.

Leyla sighed and closed her eyes.

My life is a series of bad decisions.

"Isn't it a little early for despair?"

She flinched.

Looking up, she saw him watching her with a half-smile.

"Let me go."

"No."

"Naru!"

"Leylaaa."

They stared at each other for a few moments.

"I'll let you go on one condition."

"We are not making any deals!"

"Just one good morning kiss?"

"Let. Me. Go."

Naru sighed dramatically and finally released her, but immediately reached out again, adjusting her messy hair with his fingers.

"You know, princess… You look even cuter like this."

Leyla huffed and fled from the bed before he could cause her more trouble.

---

The Palace: Research, Tea, and Beings with Too Many Questions

After breakfast (during which Naru, of course, had to remind her that they were 'now close enough for him to feed her'), Leyla headed to the palace library.

Naturally, that did not go unnoticed.

"Oh? The princess is researching?"

"Did you lose something, Your Highness?"

"Or perhaps you're looking for a love guide?"

Leyla froze.

She turned to see three palace maids standing behind her with overly curious smiles.

"I am NOT looking for a love guide!" she snapped.

"We're only joking, princess. But, you know…"

One of them stepped closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"Lord Naru has never cared for anyone like this before. You are special to him."

Leyla coughed, pretending to be fascinated by a dusty scroll in her hands.

"That… That's not… That has nothing to do with—"

"So, you're still in denial?"

All three of them giggled and stepped back.

"We're just saying, princess. It's time to start accepting things."

Leyla just stood there, wondering how fast she could dig herself into the ground.

---

Later, in the Library

Naru arrived later, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk.

"How's the research going?"

"Bad."

"And your acceptance of reality?"

"Even worse."

He sat beside her and raised an eyebrow.

"What happened?"

Leyla crossed her arms.

"Everyone in this palace thinks it's normal for us to act like husband and wife!"

"Well…" Naru grinned. "We are husband and wife."

Leyla just rolled her eyes.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"I won't lie. I love it."

He covered her hand with his and leaned in closer.

"And you know what else I love?"

"I don't want to know."

"Your flushed cheeks every time I say something."

Leyla groaned and smacked her forehead against the table.

"Can we have just one day without your teasing?"

"Never. It's my favorite sport."

Leyla tried to ignore Naru as she studied the old scrolls, but that was impossible. He was not someone who could sit still.

"You know, princess, I could help you search, but something tells me you prefer to struggle alone."

"No, you would be more of a hindrance than a help."

"So little faith in me… It hurts."

Naru clutched his chest theatrically, but Leyla didn't even glance up.

"You are so dramatic."

"And you are so stubborn."

"And you are so—"

"Charming? Gorgeous? Irresistible?"

Leyla closed her eyes and sighed.

"That's not what I was going to say."

"But you thought it?"

She looked at him and saw that self-assured, irritating smile practically begging for a slap.

"Naru…"

"Yes, my love?"

"Stop."

"Never."

---

Unexpected Help and… More Embarrassment?

Just as Leyla was considering throwing a scroll at him, someone cleared their throat behind them.

"Your Highness. Princess."

It was one of the royal advisors, an older yokai with long silver hair and a sharp gaze.

Leyla immediately sat up straight, trying to look serious, while Naru just lazily waved a hand.

"What is it, old man?"

"I have come to inform you that we have found a book that may be of help in your investigation of the stolen artifact."

Leyla perked up.

"Really? Where is it?"

"We have already brought it to the library."

Naru raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's a first—you being useful."

The advisor only gave him a sharp look but said nothing. Instead, he pointed to a thick, ancient book on the table.

"This might interest you."

Leyla leaned forward and carefully opened the book. The pages were yellowed, and the letters were written in an old language.

Naru looked over her shoulder, thoughtfully stroking his chin.

"Interesting…"

"What does it say?" Leyla asked.

"These are records of ancient agreements between the human and yokai worlds. Maybe we'll find something here that helps us understand where the artifact was taken."

Leyla carefully flipped through the pages while Naru reached for another scroll.

"What if this leads to something even bigger?"

Leyla raised an eyebrow. "We already have a big enough problem."

Naru smirked. "But what if it's something that could change the course of our… relationship?"

Leyla blinked. "Our what?"

"Relationship, marriage, whatever you want to call this thing we have."

"Naru…"

"Leylaaa?"

She shook her head. "You know, sometimes I forget how annoying you are."

"And sometimes I forget how adorable you are when you're mad."

Leyla smacked her forehead against the table again while Naru just leaned back in his chair, completely satisfied.

"Ah, what a lovely morning."

Leyla kept studying the book, but her attention kept drifting to Naru, who was casually playing with his ring. He was far too relaxed for someone trying to solve a serious problem.

"Could you at least stop acting like we're on vacation?" she asked, frustrated.

Naru sighed dramatically. "Leyla, Leyla… If I had known you'd take your role as princess this seriously, I would've tricked you into marrying me much sooner."

Leyla snapped the book shut and shot him a glare.

"So you admit you tricked me into marriage?"

"Oh, that's been obvious for a while now."

"Do you know how much I want to hit you with this book right now?"

"Do you know how much I want to—"

"Do not finish that sentence!" she cut him off before he could say something inappropriate.

At that moment, the library doors suddenly swung open, and a tall yokai with long blond hair and a cold expression entered. He was one of the royal advisors, but unlike the old man from before, this one looked younger and sterner.

"We have found another clue," he said, completely ignoring the tension between Leyla and Naru.

Leyla immediately stood up. "Where?"

"One of the ancient texts speaks of a special object hidden somewhere within the palace itself."

Naru leaned against the table and smirked. "So, the artifact might be here, in the palace? What a twist."

"We don't know if it's an artifact, but there's something that matches the description."

Leyla frowned. "If that's true, why hasn't anyone found it yet?"

The advisor shrugged. "Maybe only certain people can see it?"

Naru straightened up suddenly. "Oh… that would make sense."

Leyla looked at him. "What?"

"If the artifact is really here, there might be some magical condition to reveal it. Maybe it requires someone connected to both the human and yokai worlds…"

Leyla immediately raised her hand. "So, I'm the condition?"

Naru chuckled and gave her a slight bow. "Princess, you're the key to far more than you realize."

Leyla rolled her eyes, but at the same time, a slight shiver ran down her spine.

---

An Awkward Joke (and an Even More Awkward Realization)

After leaving the library, Naru decided to continue his usual teasing.

"So, now that we know the artifact might be here, I think it would be wise for us to explore every corner of the palace together."

Leyla raised an eyebrow. "'Together' as in you and me, or together as in… an entire army?"

"Oh, I meant just the two of us. You know, a little exploring, a little quality time, maybe even… a little romance?"

Leyla shook her head. "You really never give up, do you?"

Naru grinned. "Never. Unless you give me a really good reason to."

"How about I just ignore you?"

"You already tried that. It didn't work."

Leyla sighed. "You know, sometimes I wonder how I even ended up in this situation."

Naru paused and leaned against the wall.

"Well, princess, if you want the honest truth… it's fate."

Leyla looked at him, expecting another joke, but he actually seemed serious.

She felt a tightness in her chest. Naru was always teasing her, but moments like this made her feel like there was a much deeper meaning behind his words.

"Fate, huh?"

"Mhm."

"Sounds like something someone would say if they orchestrated this whole mess."

"Maybe… or maybe fate is what brought us together."

Leyla blushed and quickly walked down the hallway, leaving Naru behind, still smiling.

"Hey, aren't we going to finish this conversation?"

"No!"

"But princess, we're not done yet!"

"I am!"

As they disappeared down the corridor, the palace staff watched from the sidelines, trying to hide their amused smiles.

The princess and her yokai husband… If this was a marriage of necessity, then it was the most entertaining one they had ever seen.