Your Own Woman
Lulu, nestled in my arms, was breathing softly in her sleep.
"...Hoo."
I stared blankly at her for a moment, then carefully tried to rise from the bed without waking her.
—Squeeze...
But at that instant, her arms tightened around me, leaving me utterly pinned to the bed.
—Stroke...
After zoning out like that for a good while with her in my embrace, a letter I'd received earlier suddenly came to mind. I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled it out.
[What are you even talking about? I dunno (know?/nuh?) how to write it right!]
— Perloché
"I thought Perloché might know something... Guess her dumb personality's sticking around for a while."
It had unsettled me the first time I read it, but reading it again in this situation only made my heart feel even more troubled.
"...This is driving me crazy."
Something was off with Lulu.
Just moments ago, when I'd tried to chase her out of the house, her affection had skyrocketed to the max out of nowhere.
Even so, if she stayed here and sided with me, she'd become Ruby's target and be in danger. I'd grown fond of her despite myself, but I had no choice except to send her away...
—Crackle... Crackle, crackle...
The moment I'd coldly cut her off and left the room, the Misfortune Mark—which should have been deactivated—had clearly started regenerating.
".....!?"
But that wasn't the important part. The real issue was the expression on her face.
"Ah........."
Her eyes were utterly lifeless, a dazed sound leaking from her slightly parted lips, her body shrunk into a pitiful hunch.
That extreme reaction I'd seen for the first time in front of me was eerily identical to the one from Lulu's death scene in the prophecy footage.
"What the hell...?"
That's why I'd hurriedly tried to fix it, but now came the real problem.
I could somehow protect her safety, but starting from second year, I'd be thoroughly isolated, and she'd suffer for it too.
So, was it really right to keep her by my side?
Even if it meant using harsher methods, wouldn't it be better for Lulu if I forced her away from me?
"Hmm..."
As those thoughts swirled, Lulu suddenly squirmed in her sleep.
—Rub... Stroke...
Soon, she started nuzzling her cheek against my chest.
"...Hehe."
And with that, a silly, blissfully happy smile spread across her lips.
"Ha."
Watching her like that, I couldn't help but chuckle.
Why? Another headache had piled on, but I didn't feel annoyed at all.
"...Cute."
Seeing her still rubbing her cheek against me even in sleep, she really felt like a proper pet.
"Mm."
Without thinking, I stroked her head, feeling its soft texture against my palm.
"Haa."
After petting her head for a while as she wriggled in my arms,
"Gotta go now."
I snapped out of it and tried to get up.
"...Uuuh."
Somehow sensing it, Lulu started making a pouty face.
"Hoo."
I stopped moving and let out a small sigh, then began stroking her back.
'Gotta put her into a deep sleep.'
With that intention, I kept rubbing her back for a while.
"Master..."
Hearing Lulu's drowsy sleep-talk,
"...Please own me."
I unwittingly started dozing off myself.
"Mm..."
Was it because today had been packed with things to worry about, piling up my fatigue?
Or because my body was so weak that even a little activity wore me out quickly?
Or maybe because petting her somehow calmed my mind?
"....."
As those thoughts drifted by, right before slipping into sleep, I muttered softly.
"...This variable's kinda nice."
One pet wouldn't be a big deal.
......
"Yawn..."
I snapped my eyes open to pitch darkness all around.
"It's night."
Glancing at the clock, the hands pointed exactly to midnight.
—Stroke...
I carefully got out of bed and quietly looked at Lulu.
"Out cold."
She was in a deep sleep.
"Hoo..."
After watching her for a bit, I held my breath and eased myself up.
—Creak...
"Alright, time to get to it..."
I opened the door to start what I needed to do, but
"...Young Master."
"Ah."
Kania appeared right in front of me the moment I opened it, freezing me in place.
"Good evening."
She stood there gazing at me with her usual businesslike expression.
—Hiss...
Aside from the faint black magic emanating from her body and the slight flush on her cheeks.
"Uh, um..."
"Why is your outfit like that, Young Master?"
"Huh?"
I'd just opened my mouth to speak when a chill ran through me, but Kania suddenly pointed out my clothes.
"Huh?"
Wondering if maybe some of Lulu's hair was stuck to me, I hurriedly checked, only to find several buttons missing from the academy uniform I'd been wearing.
"...Looks like something intense happened."
As I fumbled with my uniform in a fluster, Kania stepped closer.
"Uh... Th-this is weird? It was fine this morning. Why would it...?"
The situation was ripe for misunderstanding, so I stammered in panic, and Kania's expression grew somehow colder.
"Kania, there's a misunderstanding—"
"If I may ask, do you remember?"
As I tried to explain quickly, Kania cut me off with a low voice.
"That you had a drinking appointment with me tonight."
"Ah...!"
Only then did it hit me—I'd completely forgotten our plans to drink tonight.
"S-sorry. Really sorry. Are you mad? Even now, we could—"
I'd forgotten our appointment entirely and started apologizing profusely, fidgeting,
but
"Young Master."
She cut me off again and took another step forward.
"".........""
The silence stretched as the gap between us narrowed to just a sliver.
And the next moment.
"From now on, I will be presumptuous toward you, Young Master."
"What do you mean... Whoa!?"
Something utterly unexpected began.
......
"K-Kania?"
As I pressed my body fully against his, the Young Master looked flustered and asked.
"Why... are you doing this?"
His breath brushed my face, and the vibrations from his body rippled through every corner of mine.
And that went for the emotions he was feeling right now, too.
"Hmm..."
I stared into his eyes—clearer and purer than anyone's—and slowly walked forward, keeping our bodies pressed together.
—Thud...!
A moment later, his back hit the wall, and he began looking at me with confused eyes.
'Annoying.'
Even in this situation, those confused eyes and emotions. I wanted something simple and clear.
"Ha-up."
".....!"
As I pressed my lips to his with that thought, his eyes went wide.
'Cute.'
Watching him like that made my stomach flutter oddly.
—Smooch.
When I carefully slipped my tongue in, he twitched.
What would the world think if they knew the empire's top scoundrel was this adorable?
I was curious, but right now, I wanted to be the only one who knew.
"Mmph? Mmmphh..."
"......."
Well... a few others knew too, but there were facts only I could know.
The feel of my tongue tangling with his.
The sensation of our bodies pressed tight.
The emotions felt while gazing into each other's eyes in that moment.
How he was taking it all in, and with what feelings—only I, one with him in mind and body, could know.
"Mm..."
After tangling our tongues for a while, I took a deep breath and
"...Crunch."
".....!?"
bit my own tongue.
"Mmph? Mm-mmph!?"
Blood began flowing from my tongue, and naturally, he reacted.
—Grip...
But I pinned his arms hard against the wall and
—Smooch.
slowly passed the blood from my mouth into his.
It hurt, but compared to the pain he'd endured all this time, it was nothing. Compared to the blood he'd shed because of me, it was far too little.
I just hoped it could repay even a fraction of the devotion he'd shown me and everyone else.
"...Gulp."
After a brief moment, I heard the sound of him swallowing from his throat.
"Pha..."
Only then did I pull my face slightly away from his.
"I offer my soul to you, Young Master."
"K-Kania?"
Black flames rose around us as I began the Blood Oath.
"I offer my body and heart to you, Young Master."
I declared the utterly obvious matters calmly and swiftly.
What I wanted to tell him—what I desired
was something else.
"And..."
"I offer my purity to you."
His eyes went wide.
Why? Because of the weight of declaring my purity? Or shock at the Blood Oath ritual itself?
Or perhaps
because I'd called the man before me "Young Master" for maybe the first time, dropping the usual honorific?
'All of it, probably.'
Of course, I already knew. We're one in heart and body, after all.
"Um, wait..."
As that thought crossed my mind, I reached for his chest and carefully drew out the oath orb.
—Hiss...
"...Huh?"
After a moment, the oath orb pulled from his chest into my hand
—Hum...
was pitch black, like the deepest night.
"Do you see it, Young Master? It's black."
"Kania, what is this..."
"Not any color—pure black."
Holding the orb before him, I began speaking in a low voice.
"It doesn't matter what color it was before. Black dyes all colors into itself."
"......"
"No matter what color is etched into it from now on, it doesn't matter. Black rejects any intrusion from other colors."
And then.
"You've already been tainted by me, Young Master."
"...!"
His emotions began to shift.
"Do you understand my point?"
"...What is it?"
Into the emotion I'd desired.
"It doesn't matter who was first."
I declared to him,
"...Because the last will always be me."
the bold words I'd always lacked the courage to voice, keeping them locked in my heart.
"Mm..."
Once the declaration ended, he began wearing a troubled expression.
Still confused, still needing time to think.
However.
"You've finally realized it, haven't you?"
I knew. I had no choice but to know.
"Realized what?"
His heart was already
"Before I'm your faithful secretary, retainer, or a partner you can entrust your back to..."
tainted by my black.
...irrevocably.
"...I'm a woman."
"Your woman, no less."
""..........""
A strange silence began to flow.
"By the way..."
In that silence, I
"What will you do?"
curled my lips up and whispered softly.
"...About tonight's drinks."