"This looks like a livestream..."

  "A live- what?"

  "Nevermind. Where's Yukina?!"

  Using a magical orb, the size of a volleyball, Fura revealed an empty courtroom with only a few maids tidying up the once crowded space.

  "Well, that's not fair of you."

  Fura blurted out before turning to smile at Yugo.

  "Huh? What do you mean?"

  "Aren't you the one who ran off from your spouse and disappeared?"

  "I got chased off!"

  "Even so, I doubt her highness would simply sit and wait for your return. This isn't some fairy tale, y'know?"

  No, I actually don't know.

  "Whatever. Just search somewhere else then."

  Fura turned the orb off and shook her head. "No can do. Like I said, this is work-in-progress technology. Aside from the throne room, there's only a few other places we can look at but I doubt her highness would be anywhere near them."

  "Then where could she be at?"

  The wizard chuckled silently as she wiggled her finger. "Why are you asking me that? You ought to know, you're the one who's just gotten married!"

  "T-true..."

  "What do you even think newlyweds usually do after marriage?"

  "...What?"

  "Hon-ey-moon... You get me boss?"

  Yugo stared blankly at Fura until his imagination turned on and his cheeks suddenly turned red.

  "Whether it's a romantic dinner... or preparation for spring, you must first find Yukina in her chambers! Probably."

  "R-right!"

  Hyped up, Yugo marched away towards the other side of Fura's laboratory before marching back to her.

  "By the way, where's the exit?"

  Surrounded by dusty bookshelves and tables with strange contraptions on them, Fura's laboratory had no obvious entrance or exit. Except, for a balcony.

  "Oh right, I suppose I must lead you!"

  Fura shuffled past Yugo and casually opened the door outside, causing a howling wind to abruptly blast inside.

  "Hold up, where are we going? It's too damn cold outside!"

  "It's either this way, or back into the hallway. Now, come on."

  Yugo watched as Fura nonchalantly stepped onto the snowed-in balcony and walked around the castle's side. Squeezed between the ancient worn walls and stone railing, the wizard soon disappeared from his sights as she turned a corner.

  Reluctantly, Yugo followed her in his gray sweatpants and sweatshirt. And initially, he made good progress walking around the exterior corner of the castle. However, as Yugo carefully trudged through puffy snow, he eventually noticed how high up he was from the ground.

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  Sylvik castle rested on a small mountain, with two layers of walls on the side and base of it. Yugo knew this much since seeing the view outside of Yukina's bedroom window in the morning. Yet, what he didn't know, was how enormous Sylvik castle really was.

  Once the otherworlder turned the corner, he saw the rest of the castle extending to what seemed like a kilometer into the distance. The epic scale of it dwarfed Fura, who by now was just a small figure in the distance waving at him by another balcony.

  Nevertheless, Yugo persevered, pushed past the cold wind, and eventually caught up to Fura inside a well-furnished room with many windows. He leapt from the balcony onto the warm wooden floor, eagerly embracing it while shivering like a snowman.

  "Took you long enough!"

  "Sh-sh-shut u-u-up..."

  Fura shut the balcony door before sitting down by Yugo and giggling silently.

  "I didn't think YOU, the king, would actually follow me outside. You didn't even ask for help! Why not?"

  "H-h-h-how could I even ask for help when you z-z-zoomed off?!"

  "Oops! Yeah, that was my bad. But if you had stayed behind at the lab, then I would've gone to get you! Probably." Fura continued to noiselessly giggle before pausing. "Anyways, you're a peculiar one. You seem to have a one-track mind, you lack a noble's grace, you married our queen out of nowhere, but most of all, your background is completely unknown!"

  Yugo suddenly found himself under interrogation while Fura's round face beamed towards him, analyzing every part of his body.

  "H-hey, no touching!"

  "Seriously, who even are you?"

  I mean, that's a very reasonable thing to ask. But, I get the feeling that I should avoid telling others that I'm an alien from another planet or else I'll just give them yet another reason to want to kill me...

  "Since... Since I'm the king, I order you to stop prying into my background!"

  "Eh?! If you put it that way, now I'm even more curious! You can't just tell me NOT to pry into your background when I clearly want to!"

  Fura's eyes glimmered straight at Yugo's serious expression as her body fidgeted in anticipation. However, she eventually gave up and sighed half a minute later.

  "Ahem."

  Across the room, a sudden gentle voice alerted the two.

  "Yukina, your highness!" Fura exclaimed.

  The wizard girl bounced off the floor and sprinted over to hug Yukina, but then one of the maids accompanying the queen kicked Fura away off to the side.

  What is she doing here?!

  "I see that you're still alive, Yugo."

  "And I, uh... I see that you're still wearing that yellow dress."

  "Indeed."

  As Yukina and her entourage of a dozen maids proceeded farther in, Yugo stood up and finally noticed that he was inside a large dining room. A long row of large windows brightened up many tables in the area, as did a fireplace which was now being tended by one of the maids.

  Meanwhile, another maid approached Yugo.

  "Milord, this is the castle's third dining hall. Although this hall is often frequented by us servants, our queen is greatly fond of it as well. The kitchen is right below us and soon food shall be brought, but for now, please follow me to your seat."

  "O-okay."

  The polite maid led Yugo to a round table and sat him across from Yukina.

  The two glanced at each other before looking away. While Yukina nonchalantly transitioned her gaze at a mountainous view, Yugo stared at his sweatpants in anxiety.

  He had wanted to meet Yukina and demand answers from her, but it felt too damn difficult for him to behave like himself with so many people around.

  "Yukina!!" Once more Fura lunged forward, and once more she was blocked by a maid. "Please, your majesty... I, Fura Feygan, have safeguarded King Yugo from danger. May I pretty please be awarded with a hug? I beg of you!"

  Yukina gradually stopped gazing at the mountains and began gazing at the kneeling pony-tailed wizard instead.

  "Is that true, Yugo?"

  "Y-yeah. She literally pulled me through a wall."

  "Fine. Five seconds."

  "Hooray!"

  Fura quickly surrounded her arms over and held Yukina for exactly five seconds before departing.

  "Ah, finally! My mana's been restored."

  "Really?" Yugo blurted out in wonder.

  Fura froze and glanced at Yugo before laughing silently.

  "No, not really. But more importantly, I think I'm getting in the way of something... Goodbye!"

  Fura suddenly ran off into the hallway waving away, passing by maids carrying multiple dishes on top of trays.

  "Your highness..."

  "Milord..."

  "Please enjoy your meals."

  Yukina gently nodded. "Thank you everyone, you may leave for now."

  "Understood, your highness."

  The entourage of maids bowed casually and, like Fura, quickly left the room whispering rumors to one another.

  A short moment of silence ensued until Yukina spoke up. "You appear weary."

  "Cause I am. I'm exhausted..."

  Yugo begun to slouch on his chair, sinking into it, until he realized he was getting too comfortable in front of a stranger. A queen in fact.

  "You also seem to want to tell me something?"

  "Of course I do! What are y-"

  "Very well, we may discuss. But let us enjoy our meals for now, shall we?"

  "Oi...!"

  "Hm?"

  Yugo sighed out. "Sure, fine..."