No Helping It -1-
On the way home, the young lady seated in Pexri No.1 kept nodding off, her head bobbing like a pendulum on an alarm clock.
Her head swung back and forth in that metronomic rhythm before suddenly dropping with a big lurch. With a sharp "Hiiik!" she shuddered violently and whipped around.
"Did you call me?"
"No."
"...Weird. Feels like the Demon King of Drowsiness is shoving my head."
"Just your imagination."
"Hm."
The young lady nodded, acknowledging her own nonsense.
A date—just the two of us. We'd watched an entertaining play, splurged at a fancy restaurant, even witnessed a street beggar brawling with a maid. All in all, meaningful time.
The road back to the mansion was as ordinary as ever, but tonight the long row of street trees and the soft glow of the lamps felt unusually sentimental. A little prettier, even. I wished this moment could last longer. The young lady's tousled white hair, lit by the lamplight, looked beautiful tonight.
Seated in her wheelchair, she shook her head to fight the sleep, then tapped her cheeks with her own hands.
"Mmmnya... Sleepy."
"Rest a bit. I'll wake you when we arrive."
"No way. You said drowsy driving means Ricardo says goodbye to the world."
"I'm your designated driver, so it's fine."
"Oh yeah?"
She nodded faintly, then said her "designated driver fee" would be chocolate and flashed a pleased smile.
About ten minutes later, lulled by the quiet night into sleep, she tilted her head slightly and looked at me.
"Ricardo."
"Yes."
"That play today. What'd you think?"
"It was good."
"Not like that—be specific. Like, 'I should give her more chocolate from now on' or 'Don't steal her chocolate' kind of lesson."
"Hmm... Well, I did think we should cut back on chocolate for your healthy diet."
"Eeeeek...!"
Sulking, she clenched her fist and shook it threateningly. Her hand looked just like Gomtangi swiping with his paw. I replied "Too slow" and flicked her forehead lightly.
"Eek!"
I grinned and said, "Just kidding."
Then, in a calm voice, I gave her the answer she wanted.
"Hmm... I thought I should treat you even better from now on."
"Why?"
"So I don't get hit?"
"Eeeeek! What the hell!"
"Puhaha! Kidding. What about you?"
She whipped her head away and grumbled.
She muttered "Always joking," pouted her lips, then let out a small "Hm..." before speaking.
"I... thought I don't want to be apart from you, Ricardo."
My face burned hot. I couldn't believe what I'd just heard.
Caught off guard by her sudden words, I covered the rising smile on my lips with my hand and asked in a trembling voice,
"What? Flirting?"
"Flirting?"
"Trying to seduce me?"
"No!"
She clenched her fist and flailed her hand wildly, yelling in disgust.
"I just meant I want us to live healthily together for a long, long time. Eat a little less junk food and... the guy in the play was so pitiful. I thought if you want to live long, Ricardo, you gotta be good."
"Ooh... Show me that three more times and I'll fall for you."
"No you're not."
Her face flushed bright red as she sighed.
"Idiot."
"You're the dummy."
"Sea anemone."
"Sea urchin."
"Puhahaha!"
We kept up the childish banter—pretty juvenile for adults—as we headed to the mansion. The date felt pretty successful.
*
Exhausted, her eyes half-closed, the young lady dozed in her wheelchair. More precisely, she was fast asleep.
"Snoooore..."
"Miss?"
"Hmmnyari..."
"We're here. Time to pay up."
"Ricardo'll do it..."
"Aw..."
Not even pinching her cheeks woke her. I figured I'd settle the driver fee with snacks later and gently released her stretched cheek.
Late evening hush blanketed the mansion. The bustling servants had long clocked out, and Lord Darbav, Rosanna, and Kyle were nowhere in the living room—probably asleep.
In the eerily quiet house, I let out a small sigh and carefully scooped up the soundly sleeping young lady.
She's light.
How does such a tiny body pack away so much food...? Amazing.
"Mmm... Chocolate."
Her deep sleep, utterly divorced from any worry, reminded me of a certain princess passed out after biting an apple.
I briefly wondered if a prince's kiss could wake her, but since I wasn't a prince, I held back.
"Sleeping soundly, huh."
Once she was down for the night, she wouldn't wake easily. Deep enough that she'd miss being carried on someone's back, snoring away. After today's packed schedule, drool dribbled from her mouth, soaking my sleeve.
"Snoooore..."
Gazing at her face, I whispered softly,
"Sleep well."
My steps up the stairs were deathly quiet. Tiptoeing to make no sound, handling her like fragile glass art lest she wake.
Before I knew it, I stood before her door.
The Room of the World's Prettiest 'Olivia'
- Wake me and I'll bite.
- Noisy? I'll curse you out.
- Got it? Scram.
The savage sign from her rebellious teen days hung there, drawing a small chuckle from me.
"Whew, scary. Right?"
"Hmmnya... Hungry."
"I see."
-Creak.
I eased the door open and gently laid her on the fluffy bed.
Pink curtains and bedding. The villainess seemed far from cute, but she secretly collected pink stuff and bear dolls.
One flaw: her "cute" dolls included ones biting human arms or baring crocodile teeth menacingly.
Still, she loved cute things, no doubt. Smiling faintly, I cleared her favorite dolls from the bed corner and tucked her in carefully.
A brief moment admiring her snoring face passed. As her steady breathing evened out,
I sat gently by the bedside, brushing back her hair.
"Flirt just a little less, please. My heart won't hold out."
"You say live together forever, then plan to kill me with a heart attack?"
"Seriously..."
Placing a hand on her leg, I gave a wry smile and burned through my circuits.
"You're an idiot."
'Hand of Rehabilitation' used on 'target corrupted by black magic': 1% Vitality consumed as penalty.
Vitality Used: 6%
Remaining Vitality: 94%
[If below -90%, consumption triples.]
A cold warning hit, and a metallic tang of blood filled my mouth. I fought back the rising red liquid, but a wrenching cough tore through my chest, forcing me to clap a hand over my mouth.
"Cough... Cough...!"
No matter how many times, it never got easier. Life shortening bit by bit. No direct bodily harm, but a twisting at my core. I sighed deeply.
"Haa... Fuck..."
Still, it was worth it. Like the boy in the play, just watching over her was what I could do—repaying the one who'd saved my child self.
And getting to flirt shyly with my crush.
Enduring the pain with bated breath, I smiled. Someday, we'd walk together. Someday, even a coward like me would muster courage. Holding that hope, I smiled.
As unbearable agony spread through my body, a small groan nearly escaping—
-Creak.
The firmly shut door to the young lady's room swung open. A familiar man appeared in the gap.
Pajamas, but his aura was murderously intense. I'd thought he was asleep.
Too careless on my part. I couldn't lift my head from my mistake.
If I'd been more careful, locked the door... Too late for regrets.
Vomiting blood, hand on her leg—it looked bad even to me.
The man spoke to flustered me in a low voice.
"What are you doing."
His icy tone sent chills down my spine. My coughing turned to ragged, metallic breaths, hardening his expression further.
Looking at him, I muttered,
"Ah... This is bad."
Desmont's next head, who'd warned me before not to try anything stupid.
Kyle.
He glared at me with a savage scowl.
"Get. That hand. Off her. Now."