The Iudex's day off

Chapter 67 - I know

 Please!

 "Neuv? Neuvillette?"

 Ah...

 There he was again.

 Has that much time passed already?

 Already...

 "Neuvillette-"

 "I know that you're not real so just stop already!"

 I snapped, pulling him close by the collar as I shouted.

 "I know! I know, okay?! I'm just a no-good selfish hypocrite! A disgraceful excuse of a dragon! Isn't that all?! Or do you perhaps have something new to say?!"

 Enough...

 Enough!

 "Just five minutes... Just give me five minutes of peace. Please..."

 Please...

 "I'm begging you!"

 Suddenly, I felt a hand on my cheek.

 "You're crying again. Why is it that I always find you crying so desperately." He smiled.

 No.

 No, no, no...

 "Please... Just drop the pretense... I really can't take it anymore..."

 Even the pain, no matter how unbearable, is better than this.

 The pain...

 Huh?

 "Hah..."

 Pfft!

 "Hahahahaha!"

 This...

 "You can even do this now? Erasing the pain as if he was really here? Really? Was everything else not enough? Was it not enough?!"

 For a second, he seemed stunned and then he smiled once more.

 A smile so gentle. So reassuring.

 So...

 No.

 No...

 "Please... Just stop smiling..."

 Stop giving me hints of hope.

 And he did.

 He stopped smiling.

 "Right, enough smiling. Let's start with this..."

 The next thing I felt was pain.

 I felt pain as I staggered, taking a few steps back.

 I reached towards my cheek, feeling the sting with wonder.

 "You...punched me..."

 He just-

 "Damn right, I did! What, did you expect a kiss or something?! Neuvillette, you bastard! After abandoning me, leaving me like that, did you really expect me to be all nice and friendly next time I see you?!"

 He was fuming. His eyes reddening from fury... Or perhaps it was from the tears.

 But...

 I did.

 Abandoning me.

 Leaving me.

 Expect me.

 He was talking in first person.

 The rest all started speaking in the third person after I told them that I knew they were fake.