Shall We Have a Drink?

Okay, fine — it does sound pretty lewd.

But let me say it again: this was counseling.

Absolutely, under no circumstances, was it anything weird or inappropriate.

My hand technique is no joke, huh……

Sure, just like Blonde Gallery Guy said, I did have a job that required some hand skill.

That job was office work — typing. Of course I needed good hands.

Since I'd won the bet, I naturally had every right to demand something from her.

Well, what I had in mind was that, but still.

I'll say it again: I simply needed something.

"For now, I'll have to wait for nightfall……"

Crimson sunset light seeped through the window, dyeing the hair of Ruby sprawled across the sofa a blood-red hue.

"Nngh……"

She furrowed her brow and let out a pained little sound.

Ordinarily, the moment our eyes met she would radiate murderous intent and start spewing fire — but after my thorough re-education……

Right now she was nothing more than a fangless predator.

Red hair plastered to the nape of her neck with sweat. The steady rise and fall of her chest. Even those defenselessly parted lips, stripped of every trace of wariness.

It was hard to believe this gentle, fragile creature was the same Disaster Witch that all of Gracia Wonderworld feared — the half-breed half-elf everyone whispered about.

Tick. Tock.

I glanced at the clock on the wall.

Not yet.

Only once the sun had fully set, the city had gone quiet, and the streets had turned into a playground of pleasure.

Only then could the next counseling session begin.

A street swallowed by darkness.

Even the moonlight seemed to be holding its breath; not so much as an ant stirred in the vicinity.

No elves with twitching ears. No skittish humans either.

People didn't wander freely on a night this deep — especially not in a city where a walking hazard like the one beside me was out on the streets.

"……Hey, you little brat. What the hell is this pathetic outfit."

Ruby grimaced and tugged at the hem of the hood.

"Why? It suits you."

The hoodie I'd handed her.

It wasn't as if I'd done anything suspicious. It was simply a physical shield to cover her face.

The reason was simple.

Her notoriety was far too high.

No matter that I had an official papal counseling license hanging around my neck — if Ruby Scarlet, the woman this city called a terrorist, went strolling down the street, the guard corps would be on us in no time.

So this level of disguise wasn't optional. It was mandatory.

"Why the hell do I have to walk around with my face covered? This is pissing me off…… Did I commit a crime?"

"Well, you haven't exactly been innocent. How many buildings have you burned down by now?"

"Ha……?"

Ruby narrowed her eyes and glared at me.

"Whether I burn down a few buildings or not, what the hell does that have to do with you, you useless bastard. Why should I listen to a word you say? A damn kid acting all high and mighty!"

This temper of hers……

Her rage had spiked so viciously that a ringing filled my ears.

No matter how much nerve training we'd done yesterday, she still wasn't in any condition to control her own emotions.

If she could, she wouldn't have had an anger management disorder in the first place.

Fwoosh—!

In an instant, a searing red flame erupted from Ruby's right hand.

Her crimson eyes, visible beneath the hood, glittered with murderous intent.

She looked ready to incinerate this rag of a hoodie and turn me into charcoal right along with it.

But I didn't so much as blink. I spoke in a low, even voice.

"You lost the bet. That means you have to do as I say, doesn't it?"

"……!"

Those words hit harder than any cooling magic.

The roaring flames died out with a pathetic hiss, as if they'd never existed.

"Ugh, kh……"

Ruby clamped her mouth shut, her fists trembling.

She kept her promises. That was the pitiful scrap of pride she still clung to.

Another sharp ringing cut through my skull.

Probably the crushing humiliation, the sense of defeat — that kind of raw degradation.

The shock of having lost of her own accord.

My command was sliding into that crack and taking hold.

Of course, this helped too.

"And if you don't listen…… you know what happens, right?"

I deliberately raised both hands and wriggled my fingers, flexing them freely as if playing a piano.

Scarlet's brow knotted. She looked at me with pure contempt and let out a disgusted sound.

"You pervert………"

"Haha. Think of me as a gentleman. Anyway — we're here."

The place I'd stopped was a shop far removed from the bustling commercial district.

On the faded signboard, the words Moonlight Tavern were written in worn lettering.

"Fuck, this is bullshit. Why the hell are we…… here?"

Moonlight Tavern.

A watering hole for upper-class humans and elves.

Ruby clearly had no shortage of ugly associations with this place.

But I had something specific in mind — that was exactly why I'd brought her here on purpose.

"I just felt like having a drink. With you, Miss Ruby."

I offered a small smile and opened the elegantly crafted door.

—Ding-a-ling.

Soft lighting spilled out along with jazz-tinged music.

True to its name, the interior was bathed in a bluish glow reminiscent of moonlight, and tonight the place was quiet and sparsely populated.

Perhaps because the Ruby Scarlet standing beside me had once stormed this very establishment, people still found it too dangerous to linger.

There didn't seem to be many customers.

"Shall we sit over here for now?"

"……"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

We took a corner table in the farthest back, screened off by a partition.

A server approached us naturally.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Your most expensive liquor, please."

I flashed my card, making sure the server got another good look at my means.

The server flinched, shoulders jumping for a split second, then hurried off with a quick affirmation.

Ruby shot me a sidelong glance from under the hood at my order.

"You're a real piece of work. Actually thinking about drinking with me……"

"Why not? You got drunk all by yourself yesterday."

"What the hell are you talking about, damn it…… Who got drunk? Back then I……!"

Her face flushed red as she shouted in a rush.

"I was just — just tired! That's all it was!"

I propped my chin on my hand and stared at her steadily.

"Hmm, is that so? Alright then. Anyway, since our witch here is someone counseling can't reach while she's sober, I figured I'd borrow a little help from alcohol. That okay with you?"

"……Ha. This is actually ridiculous."

Thud.

Moments later, a clear glass and a bottle of fine wine were set on the table, along with elegant cheeses and other accompaniments.

The server placed everything with practiced ease and offered a polite farewell.

"May you enjoy a peaceful evening……"

Once the server had gone, Ruby stared at the glass for a moment.

Then, as if steeling herself, she grabbed the bottle, poured a generous measure, and knocked it back in one go — slamming the glass down with a sharp clack.

"Miss Ruby, what are you doing?"

"I'm gonna show you I can outdrink you!"

As the strong wine burned down her throat, a flush bloomed instantly across her pale cheeks.

The way she huffed and puffed with the hood still on was honestly rather cute.

"So then."

I swirled my empty glass and spoke in a low voice.

This was the moment to go beyond Psychological Insight and drag her true feelings out into the open.

"You've had a drink. Mind if I ask you something?"

"Ha? What?"

"Why are you so angry all the time, Ruby Scarlet?"

"……What?"

"Is it just that you hate being called a half-breed? Or is it that you can't stand a world that treats you like a monster?"

At my blunt question, Ruby's pupils wavered.

Was it the alcohol, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠or the dim lighting?

Those eyes that had always been packed full of venom flickered tonight with something uniquely precarious.