-- Francesca’s Perspective --

Early in the morning, I did the same routine as yesterday. At the inn, downstairs, I was waiting for our breakfast when 10 armed men went inside the inn, wearing light armor.

 

“Is there a problem, Good Sir?”

 

Said the clerk of the inn.

 

“Yes, there is.”

 

Another soldier moves in front of him, opening a letter.

 

“By order of His Majesty, the King of Arcadia, the 130th Ruler of the Kingdom, Hiroshi Alexandria - The soldiers of Arcadia are tasked to investigate the peculiarities that happened within the last few weeks. Therefore, suspected citizens and visitors must comply and obey the officer in command… And...”

 

I ran upstairs in panic. One of them saw me. 

 

** Kacha **

“Bell-san…”

 

Noelle-chan and Bell-san were still sleeping when I entered the room. I quickly locked the door.

 

“Bell-san… Hey... Bell-san… Hey… Wake up!”

** pat, pat, pat **

 

I rudely patted his cheeks several times. Yet he’s still sleeping soundly. 

 

** slap **

“Bell-san! Several soldiers just went inside the inn... What should we do, nya?!”

 

I whispered loud and clear to his ear yet he’s still sleeping. 

 

** knock knock **

“Open the door! We’re here to investigate!”

“!!”

 

I glance at the door as they knock several times. 

 

“Bell-san! Wake up already!”

“If you do not open this door, we will not hesitate to use force against you!”

 

I took a deep breath and stood up.

 

** kacha **

 

A long silence followed after the door was opened.

 

“Why didn’t you open the door right away?”

 

Said the commanding officer. His voice is deep, and full of scars on his face. He looked at my trembling hands, and I immediately hid it away. He scanned me from head to toe with suspicion. I remained standing, heads down with purse lips. 

He glanced at Bell-san and Noelle-chan behind me before speaking again.

 

“Two days ago, the east side of the castle was attacked. We cannot tell the full details but the materials used in the attack were bought here in the Kingdom. Tracing back, it was bought a few days ago. And you’re one of the suspects.”

“!!”

 

My brows raise and my mouth agape. My cat ears and tail gave away my emotions. I looked at him after he said those words. 

 

“I… I…” 

 

I’m both stunned and surprised, I wasn’t able to let out my thoughts. So that’s what happened, that’s why Bell-san was... tired. He might be one of those people who attacked the castle. 

Should I tell them… it’s him.. 

No, he saved my cousin… But if I protect him now, I 'll end up in jail along with my cousin. What should I do…?! 

 

“Mmmm?”

 

Bell-san finally woke up. It’s already too late. 

 

“Mama, what’s wrong? Are you talking to someone?”

 

Bell-san calmly said. He stood up and grabbed his staff. He taps the ground side by side as he navigates his path towards me. Then, he stretched out his hand, trying to figure out where I was. Until he caught my hand, holding it firmly like we’re a couple. 

 

“Your wife is suspected of attacking the castle last night.”

“!!”

 

Bell-san looked at me.  

 

“Is that true, Mama?”

“!! Nyoo… ”

 

I shook my head in front of Bell-san. One of the soldiers noticed the curtain dividing the room. 

 

“What’s with the curtain?”

 

The soldiers have become more suspicious of me. Bell-san scratched the back of his head, like he’s hiding something.

 

“Well… It’s uhmmm.”

 

Bell-san is completely different than before, he’s not like this. He often acts like he could see the things around him. He talks directly without a doubt in his words. Could it be? He’s about to sell me out instead?!

 

“Stand aside! We’ll check it ourselves.”

 

Five of them went inside our room. Bell-san dragged me back to bed. He hugged me like a teddy bear, caressing my head. My hands won’t stop trembling, in return I hugged him back while I sat on his lap, burying my face to his chest. I don’t know what’s about to happen and I’m too afraid that I'll no longer be able to take care of my cousin. I’m starting to worry about her future.  

The commanding officer glanced at us for a moment before he looked at the curtain. The remaining soldiers outside were curious too on what's behind it. 

The commanding officer slowly reveals what’s behind. My heart is beating intensely.

 

** lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub **

** lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub **

** lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub **

 

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

 

I hugged Bell-san even tighter. 

 

** lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub **

** lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub **

** lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub, lub dub **

 

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“What’s this?”

 

That’s it, we’re finished. I’m going to jail or I might be executed here and now. Noelle-chan, I’m so sorry, I made the wrong decision. The bloodline of our family ends here. Beads of tears are coming out of my eyes as I imagine the future ahead of us. 

 

“This is poorly made.”

 

Said the commanding officer. 

 

“Is this a unicorn?”

“Yes.”

 

Bell-san calmly answered.

 

“I actually made it myself to celebrate my visit here in the Kingdom. I used to work as a carpenter before I went blind.”

“What’s up with the lifesize unicorn?”

“Well… Uhmmm.. You see… We used it for our nightly adventures.”

“??....”

 

The commanding officer was confused. Then, he noticed Noelle-chan behind us. She just woke up. Wiping her eyes with her chubby hands. 

 

“Ohh, I see, I understand...”

“I’m sorry if my wife wasn’t able to answer your questions since we don’t publicly share our memorable adventures. She might have thought that someone must have heard us in the middle of the night. We sincerely apologize if we have disturb someone.”

“No, it’s okay…”

 

He finally understood what Bell-san was talking about. S-so he’s building a unicorn for our… our nightly adventures?! How long has he been making it? A-are we going to do it. I relax a bit as the tension slowly subsides but I buried myself back as I think about doing it with Bell-san. 

 

“Papa~… What’s wrong~? Why are scawy men here~?”

“There’s nothing to worry about here, Noelle-chan. They're just here to check on something.”

“Woah~! That's a big unicorn~! Can I ride it, Papa~?”

 

The commanding officer shook his head.

 

“You’re too young for this, little miss.”

“Why~ Mister~?”

 

Noelle-chan tilted her head sideways and touched her lips as she wondered. 

 

“Hm, ask your father instead.”

 

He smirked and snorted at Bell-san. 

 

“We’re done here, men. Let’s move to our next location.”

“Yes, sir!”

 

His men saluted and began to move outside. 

 

“And before I leave… That curtain won’t be enough… Rent another room, and save yourself the trouble of your child seeing you two in action.” 

“I will, thank you.”

 

Bell-san has been caressing my head the whole time, reassuring me that it will all be alright. 

 

--

 

Kingdom of Arcadia, Royal Castle. 

 

-- Sora’s Perspective --

Hours after the incident of stabbing the Demon King, I woke up in bed. The room is partially lit by moonlight. I saw Freya holding my right arm. Caressing my hands like I’m her lover. This isn’t my room… but hers…

I rose up. I felt disappointed after I learned that I’m still alive and Freya didn’t do anything after what I did. I looked at her. She’s smiling at my right hand. She didn’t mind me at all. 

 

“Ahhhh… Bell-sama… Bell-sama… Bell-sama is coming back… I can… I can feel it already...”

 

She lustfully said to my hand. Her hands feel so soft and light even though it’s bigger than mine. It’s warm; yet when she touches me, a menthol feeling is left out on my skin. It felt refreshing. 

 

“What are you looking at?”

“!!”

 

I looked away. When I try to take my hand away from her, she drags me back, gently. But it’s quite the opposite with my neck. 

 

“Acchhhh...”

“Don’t you ever! Do that again!”

“Ye..s… I wo...”

 

I nodded as I gasped for air. Her voice is intimidating. Then, she drags me closer by the neck to her face. I can’t see her face clearly, but I can tell she’s gritting her teeth at me.  

 

“This hand no longer belongs to you. It belongs to Bell-sama and that means - It.. Belongs.. To.. Me!”

“...”

“Do you understand, huh?”

 

She shook my neck as she glared at me. 

 

“Yes…”

“Hmph.”

 

She pushed me back to bed with disgust. But she remained holding my hand. I suddenly realized that the bandages in my body were already gone. 

 

“You may not know it, but I already healed after you received Bell-sama’s markings.”

“...”

“Consider it as your reward as you become Bell-sama’s vessel.”

“!! vessel?”

“Did I stutter!”

 

She shouted in front of me, making my ears throb for a while. Behind her, I saw a glimpse of the window cracking. 

 

“Tsk! You’re destroying our moment together.”

“I-I’m so sorry Freya-sama, I-I won’t do that ever again.”

“Of course you won’t because Bell-sama will soon take over it. His old body might have gone old and difficult for him to move…. Yet I still don’t know why she chose you and not...”

 

Soon after, she stood up and looked out the window. She might have been wondering about the last sentence she said to me. While I was staring at her back, my eyes began to blurry, my eyelids slowly lost their strength, my vision flickers. Until I finally fell asleep. 

 

--

 

The next day, I managed to meet with my parents and question them about why they sold me out. My Father was surprised after hearing those words, he immediately said that he didn’t approve of it in the first place. My Mother, on the other hand, didn’t say a single word. When I left the room they began fighting with each other. 

I silently listened. I suddenly realized something… I could sense them on the other side of the door. Not clearly but somehow I know what they’re doing. It’s a bit blurry, like pitch black or something. When I try to remove my right hand, I can’t sense them anymore. 

I touched the door once again. I saw my Father getting mad at her. Mother tried to talk to him reasonably as to why I should be with Miglet, but Father won’t listen at all. He banged the table, telling her to stop. 

I think that’s enough for now. I walked away, and went back to Freya’s chamber. So it’s really the hand of the Demon King… I look at my entire right arm, it’s much paler than my skin. Still, I have full control of it, yet part of me is telling me it’s no longer mine. 

At Freya’s chamber, when I wondered if I should cut it or not, Freya heard me. Just like the usual routine of ours, she grabbed me by the neck and raised me in the air. It’s like we’re reenacting our first encounter. Quite memorable if you ask me. For some reason, I’m starting to get a hang of it. 

She glared at me. As soon as I blinked, her four wings were already pointed at my head like a spear, barely scraping the corners of my face. She threatened to chain me up in her chamber if I ever said those words again. 

She added that I’m no longer allowed to marry anyone anymore. Sounds good to me as I was about to say, but I’m afraid she might kill me. 

 

--

 

The next night, I was abruptly woken up by someone. It’s the same terrible feeling I had before, the feeling of being sent to the void - the Demon King appeared once again. My mouth and left eye were taken this time. He used it to talk to me, it’s a creepy feeling I’ve never heard or experienced before. 

When Freya appeared, he lost his control over me. I don’t know why or how but she saved me on my side. Still, I’m terrified. Freya quickly silenced me off to stop me from sobbing. 

Just like what happened to my right hand, Freya was happy after seeing the magic seal take over my body. She looked at my lips with her lustful eyes. She was about to kiss me but she immediately pushed me away as soon as she saw my right eye. She only likes the parts of my body with the Demon King’s seal in it. 

I gained another sense in my body. When I breathe, I could smell Freya with my mouth. I could literally smell her feminine scent. Even if she moves away from me, I can still smell her. She tastes like menthol. I could smell the bed, the chair, the window, everything. 

While Freya is walking to and fro in front of me. She’s leaving out some traces of her sound. I could see it with my left eye. It’s like she’s singing or something. Musical notes with different colors pop out and slowly fade away. When she walks too far away from me, I can still hear her clearly. 

Moments later, I felt dizzy and vomited on my own bed because I’m not used to this kind of feeling. Freya was mad after she saw me in such a terrible state. She was about to grab me by the neck but she soon avoids it as she worries that she might hurt the Demon King.  

 

-- 

 

The next day, the King was worried about my condition. I didn’t tell him that I’d be the Demon King’s vessel one day but I told him some of the details that happened to me. He quickly called out the finest craftsmen in the Kingdom. They inspected parts of my body with great interest and fascination. 

The very next day, they gave me their finest creations wrapped inside a luxury box. Inside, there’s an eye patch, a demon kabuki half mask, and a glove for my right hand. They all share the same color of black. 

When I tried it, they worked perfectly as intended. I no longer see the sounds, taste their terrible odors, or accidentally sense someone on the other side of the wall.

 

--

 

Days after, we were suddenly attacked by an unknown entity, wearing grey robes. Several of them showed up in my room, searching every nook and cranny of my place. I quickly ran to the hallway, they simply followed wherever I went, and did the same thing they did when they barged in my room. 

Part of the castle is trembling as Freya fights someone outside of the castle. It’s like it’s the end of the world as she summons her spear multiple times. Soldiers are evacuating the area, and some of them weren't able to move out of their room. Luxurious chandeliers began to shake in odd directions and some of them fell to the ground. Bookshelves are falling all over the place. The same fate happened with the rest of the furniture. 

I hear shouts of men, women and children all over the place as the unknown entities wreak havoc all over the east side of the castle. They’re able to outsmart and withstand the dark knights. They know every part of their skills like they’ve been trained for it. Their movements were so agile that my eyes weren’t able to catch them. They’re highly organized and well-coordinated with each other. They work in groups yet I don’t hear any of them speaking with each other. 

They sometimes float in the air like ghosts and they’re able to move even if dismembered. One of the dark knights managed to kill it by cutting it in half, and crushed its chest, yet no blood came out. Upon closer look, its body is just… made out of wood. It’s not armed or anything. They’re fighting us with bare hands. 

Moments after, the rest of them went after Freya. I saw Freya’s angry face as she caught them one by one. She looked at them face to face before destroying their body. Those entities are clearly toying with her.