"Why does this sadden you, Yue-chan?" 

He was surprised by this, but held onto his emotions if only for the sake of Yue. He'd grown to care for her deeply, and it was different than anything he'd ever felt. To see her express sorrow, it created a sorrow within him. He didn't know why he would feel negatively towards this revelation, so he pushed it aside. 

"Isn't this for the betterment of the Houses' relationships? Is he unsuitable?"

That second question was a surprise to him. Why should he care? The Houses held many favorable suitors, so how was he to suspect the son of the Head to be "unsuitable"? He knew the relations between these two Houses in particular was more than rocky, but he respected the mutual decision between the two Heads. 

"I apologize. That was inappropriate."

Yue tightened her arms around Kouta and said, "It's okay; it's you and I don't mind." Though Kouta's second query was slightly strange, Yue was too upset to make out anything off and brushed it off, answering him instead. "I think it'll help their relationship... but why me? Couldn't he have picked someone else? I'm too young, I don't want to marry anybody." Though she was aware of how selfish she was being, Yue didn't particularly care at that moment. She knew how valuable a marriage would be between the two Houses and the political and social stability it would bring, strengthening both Houses. But it was all forgotten in the heat of the moment, because Yue didn't want to remember. 

Kouta's presence and embrace had significantly reduced her tears and she tried to compose herself a little bit before looking up. "Nii-san, what do I do?" 

His eyes looked upon her in a slight confusion. He thought her to be throwing some kind of tantrum, but he then remembered the rumors of this even from his father. Realizing how long it had been going on behind the scenes, he was entirely disheartened by her vehement dislike of this proposal. True, she was young, but she was too mature for this not to be a close eventuality. 

"Yue-chan," he whispered. A short pause followed as he still didn't know what to say. "Of all the things you should worry about, why does this distress you the most?"

She hadn't gone to him in such a state about her dealings within the Second Division. Of course, her profession didn't allow for disclosure to those outside their dealings, but she always seemed so composed otherwise. "What about this marriage are you so against? I'm sure they wouldn't remove you from your position if you were to begin bearing children. Even still, that doesn't have to occur for decades to come." 

He paused for another moment, considering another possible hesitation toward this matter. "Is there another you've longed after?"

He couldn't remember anyone she spoke about fondly. Perhaps she didn't wish to speak about her infatuations with him, knowing he couldn't fully understand them or enjoy the gossip. She was ever professional and dedicated to her work and betterment of her self.