A Random in Re:Zero

Loop 5 - Part 29

"Elsa, have you already forgotten that you owe me a favor?"

"I think I paid for it by satisfying your masochistic needs."

"I'm not a masochist, for fuck's sake! Besides, that doesn't make up for saving your life."

Elsa frowned slightly, but did not contradict Leandro.

"Well, what do you want?"

"Give me a titjob."

Of course, Leandro didn't dare say that out loud, as he would be skinned alive. Besides, as pleasant as it would be to receive such a service from Elsa, there were other priorities.

So, instead of choosing the path of death, Leandro racked his brain to think of a good request.

Elsa's next appearance was at the mansion, during the events of the fourth arc. Assuming canon hadn't gone to hell by then, Leandro had an idea.

"When I want to collect that favor from you, I'll use a key word. If someone else does it, it means that person knows me and I'll be there very soon."

Elsa sighed but nodded in acceptance.

"And what is that key word?"

End of Flashback.

Petra repeated the key word to herself over and over again, making sure she remembered it correctly. She didn't want to disappoint Leandro.

"Do you think you can do it?"

"Yes! Leave it to me!"

"Great, then I'm counting on you."

He ruffled her hair as a reward, as it was a gesture Petra enjoyed very much, which she demonstrated by closing her eyes and leaning closer to Leandro's hand to feel it better.

"Mhm~"

However, she didn't notice the sinister look the young black-haired man had. His brown eyes shone with a strange light, watching with interest.

"I can't hold back anymore... We've done this many times, and I'm sure there's no better opportunity than now."

After a few seconds, Leandro could no longer resist the temptation of his intrusive thoughts and placed his hands on her... to remove the ribbon.

It turns out Leandro had an obsession with Petra's ribbon. Like a rodeo bull, he was constantly drawn to that red fabric.

"Oh, no! You'll untie it!" Petra panicked when she noticed what he was doing.

"That's the idea. The ribbon is so cliché! It puts you in the same category as Chitoge, Yotsuba, Ruka, and many other girls with very uncreative designs!"

"I don't understand anything you're saying!"

"Just let me set you free, Petra! You'll have a new design, a new character development!"

"But I really like my bow!"

With tears in her eyes, the girl tried to stop Leandro, who was beginning to untie the bow.

Rem was doing a quick cleaning round when she heard agitated voices coming from the dining room. Curious, she discovered the voices belonged to Petra and Leandro.

"Please stop!"

"It's too late, Petra! I'm going to take your precious treasure!"

The sound of struggling, the anguished notes in Petra's tone, and the implications of what was being said set off an alarm bell in Rem, who immediately burst into the dining room.

The maid didn't ask for explanations or stop to think, she simply grabbed Leandro and threw him to the ground, subduing him mercilessly.

"What are you doing, Rem?!" Leandro complained.

"So you're that kind of person, huh? I'll have to give you a proper punishment to make you think."

"Hey, I think you're misinterpreting all of this." He put on a poker face. "Besides, people like that can't change, no matter how much they think."

"Wait, Master Rem!" Petra stopped sobbing and tried to intervene. "Leandro—Master Leandro just wanted to take my lasso! Don't be so hard on him!"

To top it all off, Otto and Frederica also entered the dining room, and were astonished to see Petra's hair disheveled and blushing, desperately clinging to Rem's arm, who was straddling Leandro with her hands around the butler's neck: the worst part was that Leandro seemed happy about it.

"What the hell is going on here?" Otto was shocked.

"There must be a reasonable explanation, right?" Frederica murmured, trying to maintain her composure despite the absurd scene.

"No, the only explanation is that this guy is a pervert." Otto thought, sighing.

Emilia rounded out the party by arriving last, just in time to witness the unusual spectacle. It took the half-elf a few seconds to process the situation.

"I see, I don't get it."

***

It wasn't my best day. I almost had to kiss the ground to get Rem to let the Petra thing go. I just wanted to joke around a little, but everything got out of hand...

Anyway, the next morning we boarded the carriage and set off for the Kremaldy Sanctuary.

"Behave yourself and listen to Frederica." I crouched down in front of Petra and sniffed at her. She puffed out her cheeks in a clear sign of anger.

"Gosh, Master Leandro! Stop treating me like a child!"

"Don't be in a hurry to grow up." I smiled, remembering how I acted the same way at her age. "Someday you'll miss this time of your life. Well, it's not like you're far from being an adult: you already work full-time, and your boss is an intolerable clown."

"How dare you talk like that about the person who welcomed you into their home?" Rem frowned. "Biting the hand that feeds you..."

"Rossie doesn't care about the jokes I make." I shrugged.

"Anyway, it's not right to teach Petra to think like that." Emilia supported Rem, gently reproving my words.

I sighed, but kept the truth in my mind, not exposing Roswaal's dirty laundry. Even if I did, I doubted anyone would believe me at this point.

The truth is that my contempt for that man was almost the same as I felt for characters like Regulus, Heinkel and Capella, among others.

"Yes, yes."

I stood up and looked at Frederica, who was handing the pendant to Emilia.

"Good luck on your journey, Lady Emilia. Please remember to be careful in the Sanctuary."

As we started walking away from the mansion, Petra and Frederica bowed more to us. I was a little worried about leaving them here knowing Elsa would be arriving soon, but I couldn't just declare that I already knew all this and take them to safety. Roswaal didn't need to know that I was aware of his plans. Besides, I could use the circumstances to my advantage.

I looked at the handkerchief now tied around my wrist: the same gift Subaru had.

"I hope I don't have to use it like he did."

Now yes, we were officially on our way to the main events of the fourth arc.

"Please, no more surprises..."