The three days of being "normal" came and went. It wasn't too different from when Keir had me wandering around like a blank-headed zombie for a few weeks, so I didn't freak out too badly as Magaris was overprotective of everything I did since she quickly realized early on that if I forgot I couldn't use teleportation as I pleased, for just a moment, I would probably die.
"I'll put some invisible nets there later. Just in case."
"Please...call Kiki to do it now."
"What? But I'm telling you I won't jump off the balcony anymore."
"And what if you forget again?"
"It was one time, Magaris-"
"Three. This is the third time."
Okay, so maybe her overprotectiveness saved me a few times, but it was still whatever. I was able to get my magic back just in time to have our guests over at the start of the weekend, as I ran about putting invisible nets just below the balconies, putting barriers all over the place, setting up defensive and offensive and stealth and healing and every other kind of territorial spell I could imagine-
And I debated over what to do about furniture. Chewing on it for so long left me hungry, so I gladly obliged when Magaris summoned us all for lunch. It was something laboredly concocted as she'd rushed about cleaning every nook and cranny and crevice, making her kitchen spotless and trying to do weeding in the "garden" which was thousands of pouriks long and endless as far as we could tell. Just flying over it at a normal speed took days, and going super fast and looking down from above only revealed that it was a giant, unending building like something you'd see in a sci-fi movie about the last haven of Earthlings at the end of the era of humans after they'd destroyed the planet-
At least, that was what it reminded me of. We had walked through, for weeks, when exploring, only one tiny section of the whole thing which seemed to be truly endless. It wasn't just an exaggeration to say that it was endless, standing high in the atmosphere and still being able to see the white blocks of architecture going far into the horizon. The only reason we were able to see the garden was because we seemed to be on one end of the whole thing, which was also pretty wide, besides its length being off the charts - literally. We could walk out on the ground level and find vegetables and fruits the size of two-story houses just sitting outside, their vines curling and looping and all connected together after growing together for probably thousands of years, having been left alone after the Goddess of Order died, what...how many years did Keir say again?
I couldn't remember. It was just "a long time ago," so I left it at that. Most of the appliances that we found that seemed to be custom-made had more plaques hidden as features we could pull up when scrolling through the holograms, each telling of a maker, a place where the material was taken from, and the year it was installed. Some of the years were eleven thousand years ago, or twelve, or twenty, or forty. It didn't really matter much, since each one was so shiny as if it had been just installed. Magaris was happy using them, which was also the most important factor.
"Master, the promised time is coming."
"I'm aware, Kiki. I'll go pick them up right now."
"Yes, you have to go find Sarah and Martin for your house inspection, to prove you're fit to move out, but you also have to go see the dork."
We didn't call him "the king" anymore. No.
"The dork can wait a bit, right? It's almost been a year. What's a few hours more? And why did it have to be today again?"
"Because, Master, I promised that it would be today."
"And why did you promise that it would be today?"
"Don't you want to go shake up the apostles that have deigned to abuse your name, running free in the capital? It is an urgent matter."
"I'm aware of that, Kiki. As you know, I was indisposed for the last few days-"
"Because Master needs therapy but will never admit to it, launching soul cannons off into the void-"
"-and a lady is never late. Even if I show up tomorrow I'll still be early."
"I'm aware that I told you that your pride was good for you. Please, Master, let me add on the words, 'to an extent.'"
"Whatever." My eyes went up to the ceiling where the skylights were really beaming it down some. Steam was rising out of the corner of my eye as Magaris was finishing up her last minute lunch preparations, swaying something around in a pan. "Should I put some blinds over those? I feel like it makes it a bit hot in here. Or should I just put a seasonal spell on it?"
"Master, please don't worry about such details at the moment and instead focus on the youth that stare at you from the corner of the kitchen again. You did tell me that you were going to place them somewhere out of sight for the home inspection, yes?"
I could feel the two pairs of sparkly eyes staring at me from over there, each overly-clawed hand gripping my pristine white walls and leaving stains after eating their own lunch and scampering off out of their room.
"Faeydark, Fernglow," I called out, still frowning up at the skylight. "What did I tell you about eating and not cleaning your hands?"
They flinched away from the wall as if they'd been whipped, streaks of porridge left behind. The two children, whom I'd found to be older than their looks of somewhere around my age - well, I didn't exactly look my age either, with my "unusual" appearance - curled in on themselves while keeping tails between legs. Ears went down, eyes flicked to the floor, and the whimpering began.
The boy, who was nine, and the girl, who was ten, shivered like the six-year-old imitators that they were, their periwinkle hair in violent swipes down their backs after breaking more than one comb after many baths besides cleaning magic, and gaudy, gaudy, gaudy red eyes sticking out from their faces like they were holding gemstones into their skulls with their eyelids. They seemed somewhat apologetic, having been very partial to me after Kiki put some calming spells on them to let their transition go smoother. Perhaps my own overly-scarred appearance made them feel like they had a friend in me, besides the fact that we stood eye to eye.
Magaris? They ran from her when she approached with food, thrice a day, and only let me sit close to them when I took my meals leaned up against the same wall a few feet away. It was a miracle they'd been patient enough for a bath, but that patience had probably been utter fear, so...
They took off the way they came after stuttering in their steps, still unable to get the habit out of mind after having their ankles chained by heavy weights. Magaris feigned to peek around the corner and look after them, but they were already gone, and she couldn't move from her spot at the stove.
"Were the siblings just here?"
"They were. Is it possible, for once, Magaris wasn't paying attention-"
"Last I checked," she threw over her shoulder, snagging a salt shaker for her dish, "I'm the only one moving in the room while you're standing and chatting."
"That's because I already finished putting up my spells."
"And I'm taking a break after pulling another all-nighter cleaning up another one of Master's messes. You're aware she destroyed part of Saedli a few days ago, correct?"
"..." Magaris froze in place for a few seconds. I sighed and looked away where I sat on the counter, casting my gaze towards the porridge on my wall. I blinked and it was gone. "You're serious?"
Then she did turn around and look at me, still disbelieving. Well, I didn't want to believe it myself either, but there were no other explanations as to why the second sun of our world was suddenly, permanently, partially eclipsed.
"The sun wasn't even up where I shot my soul cannon, alright? I don't know how that happened."
"I don't know either, but it's too much of a coincidence to be anything else."
"Fir..."
Magaris was giving me a pained look, a straight-up grimace, while the hot thing in the pan in front of her, on our wonderful convection stove, kept on popping.
"Okay, look, it's not like I meant to! I was just a little upset, alright? And it's not like we can confirm it was me anyway-"
"Yes, Master, like the second sun will all of a sudden have a hole blasted through it-"
"But we can't see it from here?"
"That's because, dear Magaris, this place is a pocket dimension, remember? It does not exist in the same realm as where we come from. So we don't have Saedli and Glaedis to light up this place during the day, or Hencia at night."
"Then...what...?"
"Magaris, you've been here for how long and you're only just asking?"
"I've learned not to question what you do, Firea, or why things are the way they are around you."
"...huh."
I took a few moments to absorb that, while Kiki did her best to only keep a light, polite smile on her face instead of simpering at me.
"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult that you got with the program so fast."
"Master...that's...it's neither."
"I don't think that I asked for your advice at this current moment in time, Kiki-"
"Lunch is ready!" Magaris called out, pressing the buttons on the pristine white circle of a stove we had so it would turn off, and already breaking out of her prior grimace to stalk off towards the dining room. She passed us by while taking to the hallway, bringing it to where she already had everything set up for four.
"Finally," Keir appeared, clapping his hands together loud enough for us to hear it from the next room over. "Why so late today, Magaris?"
"Forgive me, Master Keir. We're having guests today-"
"No!" I yelled out, teleporting to hover behind her as she was telling the lolicon business I'd clearly told her not to tell him. His eyes rolled up to mine, as relaxed as he always was, while pulling out his chair to take a seat. Wearing the same clothes as ever, despite the change of weather as we'd moved into the winter months on Tasega...actually...where did he go all day, and did he even notice the seasons changing? "Magaris!"
"Ah." The tongs in her hand lifted as she went to cover her mouth. "I'm sorry, Firea. I always tell him everything, so..."
Thus, I turned my glare on him as she went about, just the slightest bit red in the face, placing steaks on the four plates doled out around her favorite tablecloth. He merely smirked back at me, close-lipped, with lazy eyelids. I was sure he'd fall asleep if he closed them and took a few minutes of silence to himself.
"We're having guests today and you didn't even bother to tell me, princess? I'm hurt."
"You're not hurt even when I run my tail through you."
"That's physical pain, which I can solve with just a few simple spells. This is mental anguish, where I can clearly feel you still don't trust me."
"It'll be a thousand years more before I dare put my trust in you."
"Ah," he waved a finger at me, making the water pitcher float around filling up glasses. "But that's where you're wrong."
I bristled, hovering still there in the air as Kiki walked into the room like a normal person. She took her seat to the right of the god, to the left of me, across from Magaris, and looking between them all as Magaris went to sit down herself.
"If you dare try anymore potion crap on me, Keir-"
"Really, princess, you have so little faith in me. And I'll have you know I ran out of that, since I used all of it on you in one go."
My glower was not a pleasant one in the least. Kiki paid no mind and quietly savored the peppercorn sauce drenched over her blood-seeping steak, chewing slowly with her eyes closed and face slightly tilted up to the ceiling. Magaris looked exhausted herself, staring over Kiki's head, failing to enjoy the meal she'd painstakingly made at Keir's greedy...though I wouldn't protest to having it again, while eating the small pieces Magaris cut for me before I could even pick up my own utensils...request, because of the atmosphere we had again created.
"Then what do you mean?"
The God of Darkness shrugged, cutting his first chunk out of the meat and swirling it around before plopping the small chunk in his mouth. Despite accidentally putting his elbows on the table once in a while, his manners were impeccable to a fault.
"Oh, Magaris, I like this one. You've outdone yourself again."
Then, from the exhaustion, came the smallest smile. I tried not to ruin her suddenly good mood from his seemingly genuine praise, by huffing out loud at how he painted her face like gold for a single steak.
Though it is a really good steak...
It wasn't a cooking isekai, but dang...I wouldn't mind showing up to lunch even if Keir was there, anymore, if I could have that a few more times.
"Master, your expression has become scary. Brighter thoughts, please."
"What? But I was just savoring the steak."
"Then you should probably consider savoring it with a face that does not say you're about to tear someone apart gleefully."
"I didn't make such a fa-..."
The number of other faces that greeted mine when I looked up showed that all were in unanimous agreement. I glowered only at Keir, who was always the source of my ire when he was present. That, and because he was straight in front of me.
"Master, I understand that you are nervous because of our guests, but please refrain from making such a face in the future. If any others saw it, they would misunderstand."
"But I was just-! And you've never had a problem with my expressions before-"
"Because Master, your face is normally always covered, thus minimizing the effect-"
"Or, you know," Keir offered while cutting off another savory piece, "accentuating it."
"-that it would have on surroundings that would just happen to catch a glimpse of your eye."
"But even when I ate meals with the de Libellules, or with the Fae-"
"Master, due to your having let go of one of your 'personas' of being a normal child, your natural expressions are showing through as you no longer subconsciously hide them."
"And I must say, it's quite frightening. I like it."
"Alright, that's enough from you today, lolicon."
"I've already won. There's no need to say anything more." Scraping at the rest of the food on his plate, he thus quietly ate from then on, only glancing up at me from under thick black lashes whenever he would've normally inserted some sort of barb into the conversation. I rolled my eyes every time as well, until lunch was done and savored, and we were cleaning up.
"So?" I stood in front of him as he clearly went to the lounging area I'd made all but an hour ago, a hallway and a doorway away from the kitchen, instead of leaving. "Aren't you going to disappear super fast today too, to whatever rotting hole you normally disappear to?"
"Well, I was planning to," he said, kicking up his feet while making his shoes disappear, and enjoying my teal and yellow color-themed couch and decorations. No, they weren't from a dungeon, since I didn't have enough time to go get some, and Magaris told me it would be over the top to take them from there. So, I just made a simple couch set with individual chairs, all centered around a coffee table, facing a TV we'd probably never use. Yeah...I didn't really think too much when making that one. It wasn't like there were any broadcasts to pick up. "But I think today I might just take a nap instead."
"...you couldn't go do that in your room? You know, in the master suite you supposedly commandeered?"
"Hm...no. I think I'm perfectly fine right here."
A pillow was shoved under his back and his head, looking strange, but he seemed perfectly content.
What a strange lolicon.
"The one day I decide to have guests, you decide to stay?"
"Or perhaps, the one day I decide to take a nap, you decide to have guests?"
"You won't-" I sighed, turning back towards the open door behind me, then looking at him. "You won't bug them, alright? I need this to happen."
"Please, princess." Keir's eyes closed, and the room went a few shades darker to make it have a far different atmosphere than before. "I'd rather enjoy the ambience than bug your mortals."
"You bug my mortal every day."
"You mean my mortal?"
And again, we'd turned to that conversation. Over the past few days, as I'd had time to be at home and not so able to run off, I risked my personal space verbally challenging him without my magic to pressure him to do something.
But every time, I was caught, because "...the nonvolatile form is nice too sometimes." And I never got an answer.
"Can you please just let Magaris get out of this precarious state you have her in? There's no way this is healthy for her."
"Don't you have mortals to go pick up?"
"Keir!"
"I've told you before, and I'll tell you again. Fulfill the Goddess of Revenge's request and meet her. Then, I'll push Magaris off the fence."
"But that could be-"
"Then don't let it be." Keir's head turned over just the slightest bit, licks of black smushed on my pillows looking like little shadows instead of actual hair. "You could do it in half a day if you put your mind to it. The God of Death is not that strong compared to you, not anymore. You've just got your head in so many holes that you can't see the one you should really be filling in first."
"But the apostle matches-"
"Who said you couldn't pick fights with gods just because you have to participate in those? Princess, remember what I said, and look at the system notifications. If you delay it any longer, you'll probably miss an important deadline you can't just finesse like always. The system is concrete - even for a Deviant, there are certain rules that must be obeyed, and paths that must always be followed."
My glower did not come, for once. Yes, it was true that I could probably just get it done fast, but...
I was exhausted. After the year I'd had, taking it easy was all I wanted to do, though I could think of nothing to do even if I did take it easy. Read books? I couldn't cram anything more into my head which was already cracking apart from everything else. Organize my storage? That was always on my bucket list, had been for years, and I still couldn't bring myself to do it. Do anything?
Highly unwanted.
So for him to tell me I needed to go fight that guy for a third time?
I was not the happiest camper.
But Magaris does take first place in everything, along with Adri. Also-
And that was how I managed to derail myself each time. I could think of things that also needed to be done, with similar importance, and then I hardly ever-
I also rambled and thought about my problems more than fixed them, those days.
"Fine, I'll fulfill the tasks, meet the goddess. But please keep your word for Magaris."
"Of course. You weren't the only one that liked that peppercorn steak."
For the steak...no, for Magaris. For Magaris, Firea, do it for Magaris.
"Have a good nap."
"Why, thank you, princess. I'll do that for sure."
And please don't wake up ever again.
"Your aura speaks volumes, princess."
"...I merely want you to rest so well that you'll fulfill the dream everyone has when demanded to leave their rest. To not leave the pillow...ever again."
"I appreciate the sentiment. It would just be nice if you didn't make such a face afterwards-"
"Sleep!" I yelled out, flying out the door and closing it behind me. Maybe, just maybe, I added a lock to it, and another, and put some very light barriers on there so he wouldn't feel threatened even if he did notice their presence. It was just to notify me in case he left the room. And, maybe, to encourage sleep. "Alright, Kiki, where are you going?"
"I'm back off to the castle now, Master. I wish to see if the dork obeyed my plea to eat some lunch rather than just trying to finish 'one more document' before taking a break."
"Good idea, good. I'll be by there right after this, probably..."
"And I will make sure to pull you off to there since you showing up is on my credit."
"Then you shouldn't have made such a promise then."
"It was the only way to make you come, Master, since I know you care greatly about promises."
"Oh, you...abusing my stock in promises."
"It is not abuse, Master. I told you, it is merely knowing your thought processes to know how to handle you."
"You really know how to choose your words these days, Kiki..."
"See you later, Master. And don't forget to hide your expressions when they are here."
"Go, go, you-"
"I say this because they are older humans, Master, and you shouldn't give them heart attacks-"
"I think you should work through the winter sol...didn't even need to finish my sentence and she's gone. Alright, Magaris, are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." She fluffed her dress, which had taken on a pleasant dark light gray color, just like her eyes when she wasn't masking her "real appearance." Blonde once again graced her head, and I was already thinking back to the earlier conversation.
Stronger than Thanos...huh.
When he didn't pull any stupid tricks, at least. The last fight only fell into that situation because of my stupidity.
"Fir?"
"Hm?"
"Aren't you going now?"
"Oh?" Going where? To fight Thanos?
"Martin and Sarah, Fir."
"Oh! Yes, I'll be right back."
I tore open a hole in space and walked through, snuggling my scarf up over my nose. The mana eased over my body, accepting my conglomeration of particles as I went through. I didn't even blink anymore, since I liked to see the rapid change of leaving one type of surrounding for another.
"Greetings," I began, standing behind the two that were prepared and waiting in the entrance hall of the de Libellule manor. They wore their regular clothes, since it was a work day for them despite being a weekend. With how the estate had been for the past year or so, it seemed they were also bound by the chains of duty to see it through to the end of the year... "I assume you are in good health?"
I scanned them over anyway, and checked their Statuses, just to make sure.
"I am, young miss."
"After your benevolence the other day, I am, young miss."
"Hmmm..." I hummed, pleased, while stepping aside from the portal that still lingered behind me. "Well then...this shouldn't take too long. Magaris and I were disagreeing on where to get furniture, so it's still awfully blank. There's not much to see."
"Our mere purpose is to make sure it is inhabitable and a place worthy of the young miss. If it is a matter of furnishings, it matters not, as much as necessities such as sustenance, clothing, proper shelter, facilities, weather, location-"
I blanked out. That was a lot of stuff Sarah was going on about there.
"-linens, appliances, and monster population."
"Monster population?" I blinked. I hadn't seen any monsters there, yet, but then again I hadn't yet gone out into the tangles of giant plants yet. Maybe I'd find some when going a bit further into the thick of it, rather than just casting spells along the building. "Huh..."
The head maid, as strict as ever, had her hands folded across her lap while staring down at me. It didn't help that she had such a strong, astute air about her, which suddenly made me feel embarrassed and underdressed because of being too informal. Perfectly uniform, she was, with her own gray starting on the sides of a perfectly twisted bun in the back. Glasses did rest on the end of her nose, with lightly-sagging thin chains holding onto their sides to keep them from falling. Even her shoes seemed to be polished and new, though I knew they weren't.
Stars...this is perfection incarnate. I'm blinded.
Martin was just as impeccable, to the point that I wanted to raise my arm and block out their dispositions. It was too perfect for me.
"Ah...well...do you want to go? I'm sure you have far better things to be doing than looking at my tomb."
"If it is a tomb, then I must highly recommend that you move back here, young miss. A tomb is not a fitting place for a child to grow up in."
Ah...what about the two that I have right now, with me...
"But-"
"If need be, the earl and the madame can be restricted from accessing certain parts of the manor."
"But it's their home..."
Sarah's eyes drooped a little further, but it did not seem to be out of anger as much as it was scrutiny. "It is your home too, young miss."
I looked up at both of their faces, seeing that they were completely serious.
I know that our household is different from other households, but...did servants always have this much power...?
"Ahaha...funny. Okay, well, if you would step right this way-"
"SISSY!"
I jumped. Goodness, was not expecting that.
"Hera-"
The child flew off the top of the stairs, jumping and aiming straight for me with arms outstretched.
I caught her with some mana, softening the blow after stepping aside.
"Now, Miss Hera, what have we told you about using level twenty wind magic in the building?"
"But Mr. Martin-! Sissy, she-!"
Hera was pointing a finger while trying to leave behind the mana blanket that had swept her up and wouldn't let her set foot on the ground. Wearing standard de Libellule top and bottom, as expected of my sister, she writhed in place and kicked her feet as if she could run through the air towards me.
"Sissy," Chord stood at the top of the banister, looking down with her hand up on it. Slowly approaching by walking down, as if to maintain a poise that she didn't really have as an "eight-year-old," she quickly lost patience and thudded the whole way down to run right up to me. Adri appeared, gasping at the sight of me, having run out of the hallway the stairs led to. He, just a little sugar bun, clopped down to the very bottom and stood a healthy distance away while eyeing me with those pretty green eyes of his. "We want to play at your house."
"What? No."
"Sissy," Chord repeated, eyes opening wider. Was I dreaming a moment, when I saw them flash gold? Probably not. "We want...to play...at your house."
"..."
All eyes were on me. I again felt the need to have dressed properly, and to maintain some sort of formality so I wasn't the subject of scrutiny, but...
Well, it's not like I can keep delaying this. I did need to talk to them anyway.
"Fine. But!" I held up a floppy sleeve with a pointed finger beneath when Adri sighed a happy breath of relief - oh my stars, he was just so precious - and Hera huffed in success. I didn't even pay attention to Chord, who showed a slightly evil smile, as if everything was all going according to keikaku. "You can't run off. You'll get lost, and I don't want to have to track you down. And! There are people sleeping, so you can't be loud and wake them up...no matter what. And!"
"And?" Hera turned her head to the side, quickly bored of my extensions. Her brown hair, already down her back, was swishing from all the tossing and turning she did. That child just had too much energy.
"Yes, another one. Don't ask me a lot of questions, because I know you chatterboxes will talk my ears off."
"But Sissy-"
"At least do it slowly, alright?" It felt like my ears were still ringing from Hera screeching just a minute ago. "And at a normal tone. I understand your excitement, as I'm grateful as well to have time to see you, but can we keep it within the proper range of decibels? Preferably not the ones that damage ears."
Hera and Chord exchanged a look. I was just talking about Hera, before, but they all seemed to be hyped up on sugar or something. Even Adri had the jitters, while letting his head hang and silently enjoying the fact that he could come over. My little sugar bug was just so-
"I trust that you do not plan to stand here all afternoon, Miss Firea."
Ah, the title changed. Probably because all three misses are here.
"I did not plan such a thing, no. Now, again, if you'd follow me right this w-"
Fir.
I ignored it. I definitely ignored that.
It wasn't like I'd forgotten I was still bonded to that spriggan or anything...it was a really weak bond, sure, but still a bond.
I could feel his presence, instantaneously, when he tapped into it.
"Ah, Sissy, the fairy-"
"Spriggan," I corrected, marching forward. "Do you want to come see my house or what? I'm leaving now."
"Ah...sorry Mr. Fairy."
"We'll find some sweets to bring back for you, Mr. Fairy."
"W-"
It cut off as I walked through the portal, leaving a nice barrier spell over there that would've prevented him from following. Keir was also present, and from what I knew, they had a "history" somewhat, so minimizing them meeting was also a good idea.
"Welcome," I stood slightly turned away from them, my arm referencing the rest of the blank white hall as they came through from the other side. "To my dungeon."
"Where," Sarah stepped through, staring straight down the way. "Are the servants?"
Literally five seconds passed from her first putting her foot down and asking that question.
"...servants?" I blinked at her. "I don't need those."
"I see." Martin pulled out a notepad, one of the many office utensils I'd left behind alongside ballpoint pens...just like the one he also had then. "Needs...servants."
"What? No," I shook my head rapidly while reaching out to him to make him stop jotting that down. "I don't need servants."
"Now," they both began walking forward, leaving me behind. They passed by on either side, along with the other lookie-loos that were ooing and ahing at the grand halls. "Where is the kitchen?"
"Ah...well...this place is like a maze, so you would need to walk for a while-"
"Needs...teleportation...stations."
"I already know that!" I didn't think about it, and that was a really good idea, but still!
"Sissy, where are the bathrooms?"
"What? You have to go already?" I snapped my fingers and opened a portal to the side, letting Hera charge through straight to a guest bathroom I'd luckily made ahead of time. I made sure to put a stepping stool for her in order to reach the sink. Actually...did she know how to use a sink...? I thought I put some in the de Libellule house, but I couldn't remember.
Chord defiantly stood there, looking around, as she prepared her own statement. "It's empty."
"Needs...furnishings."
"Martin, I already told you, we were just having a disagreement-"
"Then I will speak to some contacts in the capital that would be willing to make some furniture for you. We are due to travel there soon, so that the children may resume their education and end the year on a normal note."
"But I was planning to raid some dungeons and just pick up spoils there-"
"Dungeons?" Martin paused in his note taking. "Spoils to be found there would not include furniture, Miss Firea. And it would be preferable if you let an interior designer come and help you plan, since it is well-known that - and forgive me, young miss - your common sense as a noble daughter is not the most grounded."
"My common sense is perfectly fine-"
"And you called this as well, as a dungeon, correct?"
"Well...I mean...I call it a dungeon..."
"Then what might this place actually be? It would cause worry to this old man's heart to know that the youngest miss, feeling driven out of her home, has taken to living in monster-filled corners-"
"I was not driven out!"
"Then there is no problem coming back." Martin straightened his back once more, letting that kindly old man smile come upon him. Sarah was already walking on further with Adri and Chord, and they'd been made to hold her hands so they wouldn't run off when they saw a doorway. I was suddenly feeling very invaded. "Isn't that the case?"
"N-No-?"
"Then might I ask what bars you from returning, Miss Firea?"
My muscles tensed up. Leaning on my feet made me almost topple over as my geta became unstable for a moment. "Well I...I just don't want to..."
"All children dream of leaving home one day to see the world, Miss Firea, but eventually they all dream of coming back to remember their roots. Do you say that this will never be the case for you, at least, in the future?"
"..."
Probably not, is what I want to say.
"...I see. Well then. While I have given an earful or two to your father, it seems that my efforts were not enough. Rest assured, young miss, that the next time you come, there will be nothing causing you discomfort."
"There's no need to go that far for someone like-"
"It is not 'someone like' you, Miss Firea. It's a necessary thing, and you are a necessary person to our household."
"But I'm just-"
"You are not 'just' anything either. You are the youngest miss of the de Libellule earldom, and we intend to keep it that way, as people who cherish you dearly and miss you every day."
"But do you even know why..."
I swallowed, even though there was nothing in my throat to swallow. My head ducked, because I really couldn't keep looking at him while feeling guilt all of a sudden. He really must've had a passive Skill for guilt-tripping, for me to do that so often...
"Miss Firea."
I really didn't want to see his eyes, to let him see mine. I was always forgetting to put some glamor over it, or shadows, so who knew what he saw when crouching down in front of me and putting the knee of his pristine pant leg on the floor. I just knew I involuntarily began to fidget, holding the end of my sleeve and trying to push my hair into my face indirectly so he wouldn't think I was trying to avoid his gaze.
"When you have lived through times of peace and times of conflict, the lines of life begin to blur. There is no such thing as black and white in this world, though that is what many in power want us to believe. It is the people around us that set limits and standards to force the majority to comply, not the laws of nature which allow freedoms beyond mortal comprehension and spark mortal fear of the unknown. I cannot possibly fault you for being who or what you are in a world that allows such things to happen and such people like you to exist in the first place. If you truly were not meant to be, then you would not have been. Therefore," the butler put his hand atop my head. My eyes went uncharacteristically wide while staring down at the floor.
When was the last time someone other than Magaris, Kiki, or that special case where Keir enjoyed me being in my "nonvolatile form" for the past three days...? And, of course, my siblings deciding to do a group sleep...but before that?
When was the last time...
"Miss Firea, neither Sarah nor I, nor your grandparents, and your own parents, in the case that you have no yet realized their change of heart, fault you for being what you are."
"An-And you know...?"
"There are not many races that allow someone to need no food, drink, or sleep, for such extended periods of time."
"D-Dragons can-"
"Dragons do not casually attempt to bite your neck and suck your blood while dazed in their sleep, as far as I'm aware. And, in case you wish to make use of your Deviancy to make more excuses, as far as I'm aware, that does not do much in the way of racial traits either."
"H-How did - what? No...what? I never..."
He lightly pushed my head back up to look into my eyes. It wasn't often that I was shocked to that extent, the one of stuttering.
But the butler only had a light smile for me, with those twinkling eyes. There were lines on either side, and to me he'd always just been an older human faithful to his house that walked down the standard path of a servant to become a butler.
Ah, but...looking into his stats, there were quit a few older Skills that looked quite dangerous...?
I just hadn't paid them much attention because his stats were normal for an older guy like himself. So I thought he must've had some fun in his youth, and they were just leftover there.
"Miss Firea, you are not the first I've met of your variety. And, even without the convenient excuse of Cardinal Margaret to ease yourself into maturity that stuck out so blatantly to experienced eyes like my own and Sarah's, your acting skills as an infant were - and forgive me, Miss Firea, but there is no easy way to put this - quite poor. I was often unsure of whether or not the madame and the servants was truly fooled by your performance, and worried about you exposing yourself. You were such an intelligent infant, but to the point of fault."
"...oh."
It was a very open-ended "...oh," and I couldn't do much more than stare for a while. His smile was just so kindly...I almost found myself deceived at the atmosphere of the conversation, as his expression didn't match it at all.
"But, worry not, Miss Firea. This old man has lived long enough to tread the gray just as well as the black and white, and Sarah, Lady Frosya, and Lord Markov are the same. Your secrets, as the youngest miss of the de Libellule household, are safe with utmost loyalty."
"Uh-...uh-huh."
For once, I wasn't understanding, or comprehending, or functioning. He rose to his full height, once again retrieving his notepad and pen, while glancing around as if nothing had happened at all.
"Now, as for the tour. I believe more than just teleportation stations would be necessary to get around - not always would your guests understand how to use them, and having them periodically spaced about would be quite a hindrance when it comes to powering them as well as determining the distance between each. Perhaps, have you considered specialized artifacts that allow the user to go where they may? It would also be good for security purposes."
"Ah...well...hadn't thought about...that..."
"I see then. I will add it to the list of things to consider at the end of the tour. Sarah used to specialize in enchanting artifacts back in the day, being the granddaughter of a half-Dwarf, so I believe seeking her expertise would be best."
"Uh-...uh-huh..."
"Now then, shall we move on? If this is merely a hallway, then I believe it will be weeks before we see the end of the tour. I must say, I've not encountered such a work in progress in such a long time, and I greatly look forward to moving these old bones of mine. Come now, Miss Firea, the others are almost out of sight."
I clutched my heart. I didn't think it was possible for it to stop like that, while trying to massage it to make it work again.
So it's possible.
Possible for Demons to feel fear.
"Miss Firea?"
"C-Coming..."
Stars have mercy.