The Baroness Returns Chapter 13

Chapter 13


"Why am I even here?" Haru asked herself, walking towards the direction of the labyrinth, in a daze.

'Yuki and Lune aren't getting married, Baron and Yuki are catching up with each other, and Toto and Muta are just hanging around with Baron, waiting for his next move. But what am I still doing here? I have no reason to be here... I should probably just go home...' Haru thought.

A wave a depression flooded Haru's mind about going back to her empty home.

Haru sighed and continued onward to find Toto.

'I'm just going to ask Toto if he can take me home...' Haru thought.

Deciding that Toto would most likely be found outside, since he doesn't like the indoors much, Haru continued to look for him on the exterior and then proceeded to the castle’s maze.

Coming to the entrance of the maze, Haru smiled warmly at the memory of her, Baron, and Muta being hopelessly lost, running all over the place trying to find a way out and escaping.

Shaking the memory momentarily, she walked forward into the maze.

Going through the maze aimlessly, Haru looked up into the sky hoping to see a large raven flying above her. She was too busy looking at the sky’s blue canopy; she wasn't paying any attention to where she was going and collided into a broad chest.

"Eeek!" Haru squealed getting ready to fall backwards, but was seized by the person and pulled back into their chest.

"Haru...?" a familiar voice breathed.

Haru looked up from the person's chest and her eyes instantly meeting with emerald eyes.

"B-Baron!" Haru said pulling herself from his arms and hastily backed away from him, in shock.

Baron, confused at her sudden behavior, skewed his head slightly at her.

"Ms. Haru...? Are you feeling quite well?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah! I'm fine, hehehe... you just surprised me that’s all..." Haru said embarrassed by her flustered state.

Baron's concern faded and smiled warmly at her.

"That’s good to hear, I'm sorry I startled you."

"It's-it's fine!" Haru said waving her hands around in reassurance.

The two stood there awkwardly.

'Great, just great! Baron is the last person I want to see right now! I can't even look at him now, without feeling dejected!' Haru yelled within herself.
Baron then sighed softly and looked ahead at the many passage ways where they stood in the maze.

"Memories..." he simply said.

Breaking out of her thoughts, Haru looked at Baron then at the maze’s interior and nodded in agreement.

"Memories..." she repeated mostly to herself.

"It seems that back then things were far less complicated, even when we had to find a way out of this maze." Baron chuckled.

Despite having mix feelings about being with Baron right now, Haru giggled.

"I know how you feel. Things were less complicated back then..." Haru said thinking about how her life was before and comparing it to how it is currently, with her recently moving into her new home and trying to start a new life.

"I'm sorry Haru... I'm sorry for putting you and the others through this concerning Yuki and me. I myself don't know what to do about this whole affair... I... just don't know where to go from here..." Baron said showing genuine confusion and a bit of despondency behind his grass green eyes.

Haru looked at Baron in shock.

To her, Baron didn't seem like the type of person who would show uncertainty and doubt openly like this.

Haru's eyes then trailed away from Baron and back to the maze they stood in.

"Well...in a way... this all kind of reminds me of this maze..." Haru said softly.

Baron turned to Haru.

"Pardon?" he asked.

Haru blushed and continued.

"Well... the maze. We don't know where which way will lead us to. One way can lead you to a dead end, and another path can lead you to your fulfillment. It's like with you Baron... apparently... you don't know which direction to follow. In one path you could go on with your life in the Refuge continuing to solve cases and help people with Toto and Muta. In the other path you can be with Yuki, who was your long lost fiancée and start out from where you left off. But right now you don't know which decision will lead to your happiness, which like a maze will be the exit. So right now you are stuck between two paths and you don't know which will lead to the exit... but the whole journey starts with the very first step..." Haru said smiling sadly, thinking she should take some of her own advice.

Baron blinked at her, and stared at her intently.

Haru realizing he was staring at her, she turned away and blushed.

"I'm-I'm sorry... was that a weird thing to say?" Haru asked.

Baron then pulled Haru into his arms and embraced her.

"No, it wasn't a weird thing to say at all, Haru. It made me actually feel a lot better..." he said holding her close to him in affection.

Haru blushing madly, held her arms above him. Just a few minutes ago, she was looking for Toto to take her away from all of this, but now she was in the arms of Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, the person who caused her, her heartache. Suddenly finding Toto and wanting to go home, became a distant memory.

Hesitantly she laid her arms around him, to return his embrace in full.

"I'm glad it helped..." she said softly smiling and burying her face into his chest.

The two continued to embrace each other with smiles of contentment and small blushes on their cheeks till they both parted reluctantly, staring into each other’s eyes.

"B-baron?" Haru whispered hesitantly.

"Yes...?" he asked still holding her.

Suddenly, she felt words beginning to be said; that she was not expecting herself to say.

"D-do you remember when I told you I had a crush on you...?" Haru asked.

Baron's eyes widen at the mention of that memory.

"Yes." he said.

Haru gulped, pretty sure the next words that were coming out of her mouth came from the heart.

"Well... I still have a crush on you... only... it's bigger, Baron... I think... I think I'm in love with you..." Haru said avoiding Baron's eyes.

Baron's eyes widen even more.

'Haru loves me...?" Baron said in his head.

For some reason, somewhere in him, he was very delighted to hear these words come from Haru, but did that mean he loved her as well? Even if so, what could the two of them do about it, Haru's mortal and he's immortal... it wouldn’t work out...

Sighing sadly, Baron removed his arms from Haru and stepped back.

"You still speak from the heart Haru... I'm glad for that... however, I... I can't... especially now with Louise and our current forms..." Baron said solemnly.

Haru sighed and smiled.

"It's fine Baron, I'm just glad I got that off my chest." Haru said surprised at herself that she wasn't the slightest sad or disappointed.

"And just for the record Baron, whatever path you choose, to go on ... I'll support you and hope for your happiness..." Haru said smiling sincerely at him, feeling the world lift off her shoulders all of a sudden.

She suddenly didn't feel nervous about the future anymore, or depressed about Baron and Yuki. She didn't feel scared about growing up and starting a new life on her own anymore. She suddenly felt she could handle living on her own and could handle what the future had in store for her. It was as if... she found the end of the maze… as if she found her fulfillment.

Baron studied Haru and smiled at her, glad she wasn't showing any sign of sadness.

Haru then looked forward at them towards two routes of the maze.

"Now, it’s time to find our fulfillment, Baron. Let’s find the exit." Haru giggled.

Baron chuckled and nodded, still hearing Haru's early confession in his head, causing his heart to skip a beat.

The two of them made their way down a path, not sure if it would lead them to the exit or not, but one thing for sure is, that they would indeed not give up till they truly found their fulfillment.