The Baroness Returns Chapter 17

Chapter 17


Frowning at Kuro's nonchalant attitude Yuki took a step forward.

"Kuro. . . you said I can call you that, right?" Yuki asked still eyeing the jet black cat in his dark brown suit cautiously as he lounged on the chair.

Kuro nodded taking another sip of his coffee delicately.

Yuki feeling a bit relived that she didn't offend him by saying his first name informally, got the courage to speak on.

"Yes, well. . . as you know I have a few things to ask you." she said firmly.

Kuro sighed and sat up and put his cup of coffee on the table to his left and opened his eyes to stare at Yuki, revealing those unyielding blood red eyes to her, much to her dismay.

"Please Ms. 'Louise' ask whatever you want. I shall answer as best as I can." he said giving Yuki his full attention.

Yuki swayed slightly, trying to figure out the best thing to ask at the moment.

". . . Kuro. . . have I met you somewhere before?" Yuki finally asked.

Kuro raised an unseen eyebrow at her and gave her a sly smirk.

"Of course we have. We have been introduced to each other the day I first came to the Cat Kingdom to attend your wedding." Kuro replied simply.

Yuki frowned hearing Kuro's answer, knowing he did not understand her question, or was just merely toying with her.

"No, I mean before all of this. You know. . . before you came here." Yuki explained.

Kuro gave her a sly smile.

"Perhaps. . . maybe once our paths had crossed. . . who knows?" he said taking his eyes away from her and picking up his coffee cup again to drink.

Yuki's eyes began to narrow, realizing that Kuro was playing with her and not taking this a bit seriously.

"Kuro I-" Yuki began but was interrupted by Kuro.

"Perhaps we had met each other before. . ." Kuro said again.

"In another land, in another event, in a dream. . ." Kuro went on, and then looked directly into Yuki’s eyes.

"In another life. . ."

Yuki flinched at his last two statements.

Kuro then sighed and gave a short chuckle.

"But of course. . . that would be impossible, wouldn't it?" Kuro said.

Yuki broke out of her shock and took a step forward.

"You tell me. . ."

Kuro raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon?"

"Well, recently I have been having these weird recurring dreams. . . and some of them have to do with you." Yuki said.

Kuro stared at Yuki in silence for a split moment and in that moment she thought she saw a wave of shock come across his face, but it quickly disappeared and was replaced with that same sly smile.

"Oh? Been dreaming about me have you? . . . Shame on you Louise. . . dreaming about another man, when your barely off your engagement with Prince Lune."

Yuki blushed and abruptly spoke out.

"N-no! Not like that!" she said waving her white paws franticly.

Amused, Kuro gave her a toothy grin.

". . . Not like that? Well. . . now I'm hurt." Kuro said putting his dark paw on his chest where his heart lay, playfully.

Ignoring his statement, Yuki continued on.

"Kuro, please, I'm being serious. I have been having unusual dreams about you that won't go away and it involved my past of when I was truly Louise. Kuro, do you know something. . .?"

Like before, Yuki saw shock in his eyes and like before as well it quickly disappeared, but this time was replaced with a frown.

"I honestly have no idea what you are speaking of Louise. . . I do not ever recall meeting you ever before, and I haven't the slightest idea of why you are dreaming of me. But when you do find out, please tell me, now you've got me curious. . ." Kuro said his frown disappearing into a smirk at his last sentence.

Yuki refusing to leave matters unresolved like this, firmly shook her head.

"No, please listen to me. The dreams I've been having all involve, my old self, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, some truths left unsaid, and you. The dreams with you are always so foggy, like I can't see what is going on right before my eyes, like there are things hidden from me. I want to know what’s being hidden from me! In my dreams you are always speaking of me as being your lover, which only confuses me more! I thought I was regaining my past so I could fulfill Baron's and my broken engagement and be together with him, as we should have been long ago. Why would I dream about my past with Baron and as well dream of you?! I. . . just don't understand. . ." Yuki cried, feeling tears beginning to fall from her blue eyes, as her legs began to weaken and she collapsed on the floor.

Kuro watched Yuki sit there, while her tears flowed freely and she sobbed softly to herself.

After a moment Kuro sighed.

"You weren't brought back to be with him. . ."

Yuki raised her head to look at Kuro, her eyes still clouded with tears.

"W-what. . .?" she asked weakly.

Kuro then stood from his lounge chair and walked towards Yuki slowly.

"You weren't brought back to be with Baron Humbert von Gikkingen." he said now standing in front of her.

Yuki stared up at him, wishing he would say more, and breathed out.

"What do you mean. . .?"

Kuro then leaned down and took hold of Yuki's limp paw and brought it to his lips.

"You weren't brought back to be with him. . . because you were brought back. . . to be with me. . . Louise."

A few moments passed before Kuro's words sunk in.

"To be with you?!" Yuki cried out alarmed.

Kuro sighed and released her paw and stood up.

"I guess now is the right time to tell you. You put the pieces together and now you have questions for me. . . questions. . . which I can answer. . ."

Yuki looked up at Kuro so fast, she almost hurt her neck by doing so.

"I told you that I never met you before this because it’s true. . . I've never met you before. I however have met the old you, the creation you, the real Louise, who you aren't. . ."

Yuki froze.

"Wait. . . so your saying that I'm really not Louise? That I never was her? That I was always Yuki?" Yuki asked, a bit of hope welling within her.

Kuro smirked down at her.

"I haven't said it like that. You aren't Louise. . . right now. You'll never be Louise as you are now, only Yuki. The real Louise is inside of that mortal shell your wearing right now. . . which can be broken."

Before Yuki could do anything, Kuro held up his hand out for Yuki and light beamed out of his paw and crashed into Yuki.

"Stop at once!"

Kuro turned to see Baron and Haru run into the room eyes full of horror as they stared at the lit up area where Yuki sat.

"Baron. . ." Kuro hissed between his teeth.

"You! What did you do to Yuki?!" Haru angrily cried at Kuro, as she and Baron tried to get to Yuki but couldn't get anywhere near her because of the blinding light enveloping her.

"What did I do?" Kuro repeated.

"I simply broke the shell that was keeping Louise away from me all this time. . ." Kuro said simply, smiling at the creation and human standing before him.

"I'm going to get help! Please be careful Baron!" Haru cried to Baron and scurried out of the room franticly.

Baron glared at Kuro and clutched his cane tightly.

But before Baron could do anything, the light around Yuki began to fade and the two males turned their attention to Yuki.

There sitting on the floor was a white furred female creation in a bright red frilly dress.

Baron felt an intense wave of a familiar presence that he hasn't felt so clearly in the longest time.

". . .L-Louise?" Baron breathed out in shock.

Louise, still crouching on the ground, brought her trembling human like gloved hands to her face and slowly turned to Baron.

". . .H-Humbert. . ." she whispered as she stared at Baron as if she were seeing him for the first time.

Baron hesitantly made his way towards Louise.

"Humbert I-. . . I remember everything. I remember my past, I remember you,-"

Louise stopped in mid-sentence and turned to look at Kuro.

"I even remember Kuro. . ." Louise said hissing the last part.

Baron's eyes narrowed and he too turned his attention towards Kuro.

"You knew Kuro?" Baron asked.

Louise nodded glaring at Kuro.

"I knew him alright. . ."

Kuro smirked.

"I'm pleased to know you now remember everything, especially me, now I don't have to waste my time explaining things to you. . . "

Baron ran in front of Louise, holding his cane out toward Kuro.

"Whatever you desire Kuro, it shan't be yours. I won't allow you to do anything more to Louise."

Kuro's smirk only widened.

"Oh? That’s some big talk for someone, who didn't stop me from doing anything to her before."

With a flick of his hand, Baron was thrown off his feet and was slammed onto the wall.

"Humbert!" Louise cried out in horror, getting up and rushing over to him.

Baron opened his eyes and struggled to get away from the wall, but couldn't. It was as if a force was pinning him to it.

"Humbert!"

Louise ran up to him and tried to pull him away from the wall, but couldn't successfully.

"You shouldn't waste anymore of your time Louise. He wouldn't be able to move no matter what you do."

Louise turned away from Baron and glared angrily at Kuro.

"Kuro. . . Haven't you put me through enough?! Why won't you just get the picture and realize I do not want to be with you! Not then, not now!" Louise screeched at Kuro, tears of anger filling her sky blue eyes.

Kuro sighed.

"Louise. . . why won't you just 'get the picture' and realize I do not care if you want to be with me."

Louise then felt a strong force pull her abruptly away from Baron and into Kuro's possessive arms.

"Because your mine."