Episode 180
Lulu, nestled in my arms, has fallen asleep breathing softly.
"...Hoo."
I gazed at her blankly for a while, then tried to carefully rise from my spot so as not to wake her, but.
- Squeeze...
At that moment, strength filled her arm, leaving me with no choice but to remain bound to the bed.
- Swoosh...
After staying like that for a while, holding her and spacing out, I suddenly remembered the letter I had received earlier, so I reached into my chest and pulled out the letter.
[I don't (know?/get?) what you're talking about!]
- Pereloch
"If it's Pereloch, I thought she might know something... but I guess the idiot personality is out for a while."
It had troubled me when I first read it, but reading it again in this situation made my heart feel even more disturbed.
"...I'm going crazy."
Lulu is strange.
[Affection Level System]
[Lulu's Affection Level: 100]
Just moments ago when I tried to drive her out of the house, her affection level suddenly skyrocketed and hit the maximum.
Even so, if she stayed in the house and became my ally, she would become Ruby's target and be in danger, so although I had grown fond of her, I had no choice but to try to send her away...
- Crackling... Crackling...
The moment I coldly cut off her words and left the room, the Curse of Misfortune, which had surely been deactivated, clearly began to regenerate.
".....!?"
But that's not the important thing. What's truly important is the expression she was making.
"Ah........."
Her eyes were literally dead, a vacant sound was leaking through her slightly parted lips, and her body was huddled up so pitifully.
That intense reaction she showed for almost the first time in front of me.
It looked so similar to her appearance in the death scene of Lulu that I had seen through the Prophecy Book's video synchronization function.
"What on earth is this...?"
So I urgently tried to resolve the situation, but now the next problem arises.
I can somehow protect her safety, but from the second year onward, I will be thoroughly isolated, so she will have a hard time as well.
If so, is it really right to keep her by my side?
Even if I have to use somewhat forceful means, wouldn't separating her from me be better for Lulu?
"Mmm..."
While I was having such thoughts, Lulu, who had been sleeping, suddenly turned her body.
- Swooosh... Swoosh...
And then she started rubbing her cheek against my chest.
"...Hehe."
She was wearing a silly-looking, purely happy smile on her lips.
"Ha."
Looking at her like that, laughter escapes me without realizing it. Why? Another troublesome thing has been added, but I don't feel particularly annoyed.
"...Cute."
Watching her continuously rubbing her cheek against my chest even in her sleep, she somehow feels like a real pet.
"Mmm."
So I unconsciously stroked her head, feeling the soft texture against my hand.
"Haa."
After stroking the head of the girl who was tossing and turning in my arms for a while.
"I need to get going."
I finally came to my senses and tried to get up from my spot, but.
"...Ugh."
Somehow sensing it, Lulu started making a crying face.
"Hoo."
Thanks to that, I stopped my action, let out a small sigh, and began stroking her back.
'...I need to put her in a deep sleep.'
With that intention, I stroked her back for a while to put her in a deep sleep.
"Master..."
Listening to Lulu's drowsy sleep-talking.
"...Please possess me."
I started nodding off without realizing it.
"Mmm..."
Was it because it was a day with many things to worry about, so fatigue had accumulated? Or was it because my body wasn't in good condition, so I got tired quickly with just a little activity?
Or perhaps, was it because somehow stroking her made my heart feel at ease?
"....."
Thinking such thoughts, just before falling asleep, I murmured in a low voice.
"...This variable is somewhat nice."
One pet shouldn't be a problem.
.
"Hwaam..."
When I opened my eyes wide, it was dark all around.
"It's night."
Looking at the clock, the hands were pointing exactly at 12 o'clock.
- Swoosh...
Carefully rising from my spot, I quietly looked at Lulu.
"She's completely asleep."
She was in a deep sleep.
"Hoo..."
After watching Lulu for a moment, I held my breath and carefully got up from my spot.
- Creak...
"Well then, now slowly..."
Opening the door, I was about to do what I needed to do.
"...Young Master."
"Ah."
The moment I opened the door and Cania appeared before my eyes, I froze.
"Hello."
She was standing still, looking at me with her usual businesslike expression.
- Whoosh...
Except for the fact that she was somehow emitting small amounts of dark magic power from her body, and her face was slightly flushed.
"Uh, um..."
"Why are your clothes like that?"
"Huh?"
Feeling somehow creeped out by her, I tried to speak, when Cania suddenly pointed out my attire.
"Huh?"
Wondering if perhaps Lulu's hair was stuck to me, I hurriedly checked, only to find that several buttons of the Academy uniform I had been wearing were missing.
"...It seems something intense happened."
Thanks to that, I was touching my uniform with a flustered expression, when Cania took one step closer to me.
"Uh... th-this is strange? It wasn't like this just this morning. Why is this suddenly...?"
It was a situation with more than enough room for misunderstanding, so I unconsciously stammered my words in panic, and Cania's expression somehow turned cold.
"Um, Cania. There's some misunderstanding..."
"Excuse me, but do you happen to remember?"
As I tried to quickly make an excuse to her, Cania interrupted my words and asked in a low voice.
"That you had a drinking appointment with me tonight."
"Ah...!"
Only after hearing Cania's words was I able to recall. The fact that I had promised to drink with her tonight.
"S-sorry. I'm really sorry. Are you angry? Even now..."
I had completely forgotten the promise with her, and was fidgeting as I started apologizing to her.
"Young Master."
She interrupted my words once again and took another step closer to me.
"".........""
Thanks to that, with the gap between us narrowed to the point where only a slight space remained, a silence flowed for a moment.
And the next moment.
"From now on, I will commit an impropriety toward the Young Master."
"What do you mean... Ugh?"
Something unexpected began.
.
"C-Cania?"
With my body completely pressed against hers, the Young Master asked with a flustered expression.
"Why... are you doing this?"
The Young Master's breath touched my face as he spoke, and the vibrations of his body traveled to every corner of my body.
And that was the same.
For the emotions the Young Master was feeling right now.
"Hmm..."
Looking blankly at the Young Master's eyes, which were clearer and purer than anyone else's, I slowly walked forward while keeping my body pressed against his.
- Thud...!
After a while, the Young Master, whose back was now against the wall, started looking at me with confused eyes.
'...Annoying.'
Even in this situation, confused eyes, confused emotions. I want simple and clear emotions.
"Haah."
".....!"
Thinking that, I pressed my lips to the Young Master's lips, and the Young Master's eyes rounded.
'...Cute.'
Looking at the Young Master like that, my stomach starts to tingle for some reason.
- Churup.
In that situation, when I carefully pushed my tongue in, the Young Master started to flinch.
If the world knew that the Empire's greatest scoundrel was such a cute person, what kind of reaction would come out?
I'm quite curious, but at this very moment, I want to be the only one who knows.
"Eub? Eubeup..."
"......."
Well... there are a few others who know besides me, but there are also things only I can know.
The feeling of my tongue mingling with the Young Master's tongue. The feeling of our bodies pressed against each other. The emotions felt while looking at each other's eyes in that situation.
What kind of emotions the Young Master is feeling and how he is accepting them.
Only I, who is of one heart and body with him, can know such things.
"Mmm..."
After mixing tongues for a while, I took a deep breath.
"...Gulp."
".....!?"
I bit my tongue.
"Eup? Eueup!?"
Thanks to that, blood started flowing from my tongue, and naturally, the Young Master started to show a reaction.
- Squeeze...
But I strongly pressed the Young Master's arms against the wall again.
- Churup.
And slowly began passing the blood I had held in my mouth to the Young Master.
Although it hurts, it was nothing compared to the pain he had felt until now, and it was a much smaller amount than the blood he had shed because of me.
I only hope that it can be even a little repayment for the dedication he has shown to me and to everyone.
"...Gulp."
After a brief moment, the sound of swallowing came from the Young Master's throat.
"Puha..."
Only then did I slightly separate my face from the Young Master.
"I offer my soul to the Young Master."
"C-Cania?"
Raising black flames around us, I began the 'Blood Oath.'
"I offer my body and heart to the Young Master."
The obvious words were declared calmly and quickly.
What I want to say to him, and what I want.
"And..."
There was something separate.
"I offer my purity to you."
Then, the Young Master's eyes rounded.
Why?
Is it because of the impact of the declaration of offering purity? Or is he surprised by the ritual of the Blood Oath itself?
Or perhaps.
Is it because I didn't call the man before me 'Young Master' for almost the first time?
'...It must be all of them.'
Of course, I already know the answer.
He and I are of one heart and body.
"U-um..."
Thinking that, I reached out to the Young Master's chest and carefully began to extract the oath bead.
- Whoosh...
"...Huh?"
After some time passed, the oath bead that came out from his chest into my hand was.
- Ooh...
Pitch black, as black as ink.
"Do you see, Young Master? It's black."
"Cania, what is this..."
"Black, not any other color."
Holding out the bead before him, I began to speak in a low voice.
"It doesn't matter what color this bead was before. Black stains all colors and makes them its own."
"......"
"It doesn't matter what color will be engraved on this bead in the future. Black does not tolerate any color's intrusion."
Then.
"Young Master, you have already been tainted by me."
"...!"
His emotions gradually change.
"Do you know what the point of my words is?"
"...What is it?"
To the emotion I wanted.
"It doesn't matter who was first."
Looking at him, I declare.
"...Because the last one will always be me."
The impudent declaration I had always kept in my heart due to lack of courage.
"Mmm..."
After the declaration ended, he started to make a troubled expression.
Still an expression of confusion, and an expression saying he needs time to think.
However.
"You've finally realized, haven't you?"
I think I understand.
No, I can't help but understand.
"What?"
His heart has already.
"Before I am your faithful secretary and confidant, and a partner you can rely on..."
Been tainted by my black.
"...I am one woman."
Indelibly, definitely.
"And that too, your woman."
""..........""
Thus, a strange silence began to flow.
"By the way..."
In that silence, I.
"What will you do?"
Raising the corner of my mouth, I whispered in a low voice.
"...Tonight's drinking session."