To your dismay, Ayato still remembered who you were, that he didn't ignore you, and that, therefore, you couldn't allow yourself the luxury of passing him on your way to the garden and pretending to be unaware of him. He was a busy man, yet somehow had the hours of the day to dedicate them into pretending to put thought into you. You suspected that Ayaka was the one pushing him.

For two days your true conversations came to a halt. The most you'd speak was to pass plates at dinner. In the corridors of the estate, total avoidance: good morning, nice weather, shallow chitchat.

From the outside, you must look like any ordinary couple speaking in hushed tones, but you both knew that there was a spiteful war stirring in your guts. You knew that Ayato just wanted to get over this awkward silence, have you sign a contract declaring your marriage, and retreat back to his quarters to wallow in misery. Perhaps he'd spend a few hours reading books he'd never had the time to, or continue with his duties, maybe summon a friend to play beetles with.

"Why are you here, Ayato?" you asked when you heard footsteps from behind, as you leaned on the garden railings to gaze out at the sea.

"It's my responsibility to ensure that my fiancé is alright."

It was a vain excuse at conversation, and you both knew it.

"Free time?" you said. "From what I hear, you ought to be out in the forest playing beetles with that Oni friend of yours."

Ayato laughed. "Ah, so you know Itto? The guy gives Kujou Sara a run for her money."

"Never heard of him," you said. Then after a moment's hesitation you added, "Well, if he gives that Tengu woman a hard time..."

"Still hold a grudge against the Tenryou Commission?" he asked. "Heh, well, I can't blame you. I'd be upset if they arrested my uncle too."

"It's because of them that we have to partake in this ridiculous marriage," you muttered.

Ayato raised an eyebrow. "Granted, your uncle was found guilty. If anything, you should place the blame on him, not Madam Kujou."

"Chisato did say that people should pay for their wrongdoings. Though I'm afraid that I feel this is rather unfair."

"Unfair? Is the design of Kamisato Estate not to your liking? If you're so adamant, I think I could arrange Thoma to redecorate the place. Plus you won't have to work that much and you'll be set for life—"

"Do you really think I'm that conceited?" you snarled. "Archons, how typical. Take a look at yourself!"

"Well," said Ayato, "you are kind of conceited."

"Don't make me laugh," you said. "Everything I've done was discussed over salami. I bet my mother is discussing which shop tailors my wedding clothes over a glass of wine right now."

"I thought you loved your mother," he said.

"I do! But sometimes I just wish that—"

"Things were different?" he finished. 

You raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yes. How'd you know? Stalker, much?"

Ayato shrugged. "That's not important. But you do understand that this is all duty, right? Ever since we were kids. This is what we were born for. If it bothers you so much, we can discuss it."

"There is nothing to discuss," you protested. "I don't want to talk about anything. Or to you. As far as I'm concerned, we never really knew each other."

You then began to leave, preparing to make your escape from the conversation, but then he reached out, and grabbed hold of your arm, spinning you back in towards him until you were pressed against his chest, and suddenly for the first time in a year, he was holding you. In private.

"And yet we did know each other, F/N. And we still do now and for the rest of our lives." Ayato's voice was barely a whisper, his lips barely moving, but the words and the severity of them were loud and clear. "We were glued together once, until we weren't."

You scoffed. "No thanks to you." You squirmed in his arms, trying to break free, but he only tightened his grip, causing you to stop wriggling. "Thanks for leaving me in the dust back then, by the way."

Ayato rolled his eyes. "Has it ever occured to you that some things had to happen because they were out of my control?"

"It has, actually," you said. You yanked hard but his grip was firm. "But that doesn't matter now, does it? You're in control now yet you still treat me as a business deal."

"Oh, I didn't know you thought that lowly of me."

"I'll be sure to make it more obvious next time in case the past year or so didn't relay the message."

Ayato's brows knitted together and his grip relaxed. Seeing him defeated, you relaxed as well. It made you realize that you were really struggling for nothing. But it didn't make anything better, as he still seemed troubled, and then he said:

"Look me in the eyes and then tell me if you hate me so much, in absolute truth, then maybe, just maybe, I can finally leave it alone."

You were taken aback. "Of course I do," you replied, but there was the slightest tremor in your voice. "I haven't thought about you since the carriage dropped me off at my family's house in Ritou. Everything I know of you was wiped from my mind."

Quirking an eyebrow, Ayato almost laughed. "You haven't?"

"Not even once." This time, your voice is a growl, trying to make it more serious, but the faintest tremors lingered, and he knew instantly that he was being told a lie.

Leaning in close, the corners of Ayato's lips lifted into something between a smile and a smirk, and he whispered:

"Liar."

He was close, too close. You backed away before the reflex kicked in. You kicked him in the shin. Hard. Ayato was a blur of black as he landed in the cold, slimy pond water of the Kamisato Estate with a large splash. It took a few seconds to get his bearings before his palms found the muddy, gritty bottom and pushed himself into a sitting position.

You were horrified, body rigid in horror as you stared down at Ayato drenched head-to-toe. "I didn't mean to—"

"I don't care," he hissed, holding a hand out for you. "Help me out."

Nodding hurriedly, you picked up your robe with one hand as you reached out with the other, kneeling slightly as your hand connected with his to pull him up.

You should have seen his next move coming. Something within him yearned for revenge, payback, and so when your hand met his, he didn't hesitate. The second his hand grips yours, he pulled, tugging you into the water with him.

You went down with a yelp, the splash from the impact soaking him anew, and he gasped slightly as your hand came down to land on his shoulder, gripping it firmly as you stopped your head from going under. Unlike him, you were lucky enough to avoid looking like a drowned rat.

"What the hell?" you demanded, splashing water at him. "What did you do that for?"

"You wet me first!" he said, like a child.

"You were being an arrogant, spiteful ass!" You kicked another wave of water his way. You bent down and wafted through the water. "And now you've cost me my fan!"

"Well, you cost me my dignity, so I suppose we're even, Your Grace."

You pulled Chisato's fan free from the pond and pointed at him swiftly. A few droplets of warm, wet mud splattered on his face and he grunted in annoyance. "You've got a lot of air in your head if you think you even had dignity in the first place!"

"At least I'm not a cowardly liar," he growled, stepping out of the pond as you glared at him. "At least I can admit that I'm trying to make amends. You denied it, and now? I think we really do have a reason to hate each other."

"Oh, we do," you answered angrily.

Scuffling from the garden made your head turn to see Thoma run up, alerted by your little squabble and a polearm in his hand. He stared when he saw you both drenched and muddy. Ayato waved him away. You were quiet for a while, and once he was over the worst of his embarrassment, he faced you.

"Being married is going to be the most miserable version of existence I can possibly imagine."

"For once, Ayato, we are in agreement."

You fell silent after that, both staring at one another as your chests heaved, skin glistening with wetness as the water shines in the moonlight. You wondered if your cheeks were flushed like his, if you looked like a maiden, if you were fueled by anger, rage, and the underlying feeling that's been boiling beneath your skin for the past few years.

Ayato started to walk away but turned back.

"You'll be having dinner in your room tonight. I'll deal with this in the morning."

You huffed and followed him into the estate, brushing past him again as you turned a corner and prayed that Ayaka wouldn't see you and her brother like this. You could hear Thoma whispering to Ayato as you left, and you knew that this fiasco was only just the beginning.