-- Sora’s Perspective --

Since Freya had come to trust them, she finally put away her spear, vanishing in a flash of light. I returned to bed with peace of mind. I was not sure when exactly their conversation ended, but as far as I had remembered, the two dark knights were still fooling her shortly before sunrise.

It’s already past noon when I woke up from Freya’s bed. Lying on the bed, I saw Freya’s new revolutionary design for our bedroom, inspired from last night’s fight.

I tried to raise my upper body, but I couldn’t move. I look around me. My brows furrowed, I’m confused.

 

“Why am I wrapped in a blanket?”

 

Someone wrapped me up like a cocoon. Only my head is exposed.

 

“Help! Anyone!”

 

I called for help several times yet no one answered. After half an hour later, someone finally came in.

 

** kacha **

 

The door opened. Two dark knights came in, they both looked agitated.

 

“That should be safe enough.”

“Aniki, what if she finds out.”

“Don’t worry, we dug on a secret spot, no one will ever find her.”

“I didn’t know she’d die just like that.”

“Hey! Did you just bind me here?”

 

They look at me in a surprised way; then, they look at each other.

 

“S-she’s alive, Aniki!”

“No… She’s already dead, it’s just her phantom seeking vengeance.”

“What do you mean I’m just a phantom? I’m alive! Unbind me already!”

“What should we do, Aniki?”

“We must purge her now before she hurts somebody. Quick, grab a stick or something.”

 

They both grabbed a shaft and went side by side on the bed

 

“Slap the hell out of her.”

“Agghhh!”

 

They hit me all over my body.

 

“Don’t hit her too hard, it’ll become her strength.”

“Noted!”

 

I began crawling out of the bed like a caterpillar.

 

“She’s trying to escape, Aniki!”

“Hold her still!”

“Aw! That hurts!”

 

I wiggled my body like a worm as they tried to hold me. Finally, the blanket loosened, I immediately jumped out of bed. Then, I took my sword lying beside the bed and drew it out against them.

 

“So you’re actually here to kill me!”

“Of course not!”

 

Said the little brother.

 

“Then what the hell are you two doing just now?!”

“After our conversation with Freya-sama, we noticed you weren’t moving, even if we talked to you or poke you, you didn’t respond at all. So, we thought you were dead.”

“What the… I was sleeping!”

““Sleeping?””

 

They both tilted their heads.

 

“Don’t you even know that?”

“What? What kind of sorcery is this?”

 

Said the tough guy.

 

“It’s not sorcery! It’s what we do when we humans are tired.”

“Aniki, I think we might have done something…”

** kacha **

 

Freya entered the chamber. She both caught them red handed at the bed.

 

“What are you two doing?”

 

Freya said with intimidation. I sheathe my sword and point my hands at them.

 

“Freya-sama, they’re trying to kill me!”

“What?!”

 

Freya’s pupils turned sharp. She glared at them with bloodlust.

 

“Aniki, what should we do!”

 

He whispered, enough for them to hear each other.

 

“Don’t worry, just follow my lead.”

 

Freya walks towards them with haste. Her hands are ready to claw their guts out.

 

“Any last words?”

“Whoa... I think it’s just a misunderstanding.”

“What do you mean it’s just a misunderstanding?!”

“We’re actually taking out the dust from the bed.”

 

The tough guy slapped the bed with his stick, and dust came out flying. His little brother followed. They began acting like sweeping off the dust from the bed. He soon took my pillow and slapped it as well.

 

“See, dust is piling up here. So, we thought it would be uncomfortable for Bell-sama to sleep in.”

“That’s a lie! They tried to hit me!”

“Really huh? If we did, you already have bruises. Freya-sama, why don’t you see it for yourself?”

 

Freya walked towards me and began inspecting my body. She removed my glove and inspected it. Then, she removed my mask and squeezed my cheeks to check my tongue. She flipped my eye patch and began tilting my head with her left arm. She didn’t care about looking at the other parts of my body, however she turned me around, scanning my body from head to toe.

 

“You’re right.”

“Noooo… Freya-sama, they’re lying!”

“Don’t believe her, Freya-sama. She’s trying to use this opportunity to eliminate us both, and stop the revival of the Demon King.”

 

The tough guy intervened.

 

“What?!”

“Ah!”

 

Freya grabbed my cheeks in an instant. I cling to her arm as she raises me up above.

 

**sob**

“Der lying…”

**sob**

 

Bead of tears came out of my eyes. Freya glared at me while her teeth gritted. I could sense her madness pouring down on me. Her hands are literally trying to crush my jaw and it hurts. But she’s restraining herself. Her wings are pointed on every corner of my face.

 

“I’ve been waiting for this very moment and here you are trying to put an end on it.”

 

She dictates her words piece by piece menacingly.

 

**sob**

“Nyooo… **sniff** a wooden du such a thing…”

**sob**

“I don’t believe you! You’ve done it too far this time. It’s time to put you on a leash!”

“!!”

 

Behind Freya, I saw the glimpse of the two dark knights. The little brother slapped the tough guy’s shoulder. He pointed his hands at us, gesturing that he should do something. He shook his head in response, hesitating if he should do it or not.

 

“That would be uncomfortable for Bell-sama. And he might not show up anymore if you do that to her.”

“?? How can you be so sure?”

 

Freya’s eyes are still locked up on me. She’s trying to restrain herself but her wings are slowly piercing in my head. Small amounts of blood are coming out.

 

“You don’t want to wake up in chains don’t you?”

“…”

“What would you say to Bell-sama if he knew you chained him down?”

“He will never know! I will check up on her before it happens.”

“Yes, but we’ll tell him…”

“Damn you!”

 

Her fierce gaze switched onto them.

 

“If you kill us now, he’ll know you’re an unworthy wife.”

 

Shocked, Freya’s mouth suddenly went agape. She unconsciously unclenched her hand while her wings folded back. I grabbed on my cheeks aching in pain as soon as I dropped on the floor. When I look at her, her gaze is focused on the two dark knights. She was stunned for a moment.

 

“I… I…”

 

She’s trying to speak her way out of it, looking at us back and forth with agitation. Suddenly…

 

“I-I’m so sorry Bell-sama!”

 

Freya suddenly went down on her knees in front of me and healed me. Her hands are trembling. Then, her treatment suddenly changed and now she looks onto me with utmost care that her hands became the hands of a doctor. Tears were coming out of her eyes but she didn’t make a sound.

She hugged me and began caressing my head. My head slowly buried down to her soft melons. It’s the softest sensation I ever felt that no pillow would be able to match. She shrouded my body with her wings, warming me all over.

It’s so soft. Without my mask, I could smell her even closer. This smell… her unique feminine scent… it’s turning the tip of my melons rock hard. I suddenly forgot what happened earlier. My focus is on them right now. I could literally lick them.

 

“Will Bell-sama ever forgive me?”

 

I tilt my head upward. When I was about to speak.

 

“No… don’t talk… I don’t want to hear it yet…”

 

She hugged me back while my mouth was still open. Next thing I knew, I’m already sucking her right melon. My teeth buried in with ease, It’s soooo softttttttt…. I drooled as she hugged me even tighter. I’m barely breathing.

The markings in my tongue enhanced my senses, that I could taste the very fabric of her melon. I unconsciously bit her out of instinct. She tried to push me back gently, but I won’t let go. Instead, I bit her even harder.

 

“Hey! Stoppppp!”

 

She patted me from the back. When I heard her voice, I finally went back to my senses. It seems I have to let go of it. I slowly unclenched my jaw. It took some time before I could release my teeth. My jaw along with my teeth got numb, I didn’t know I was biting her that hard.

As she slowly pushed me away, my saliva formed an arc from my tongue to her melon. When I look at my own artwork, I feel dizzy and my body feels hot. My teeth left a mark from the side of her melon so deep that it turned purple in contrast to her white skin.

I tried to wipe it away, but my hands were stuck hugging her. I thought she’d be angry. But no… She just stared at me, particularly on my mouth and my left eye, she ignored the rest. After a minute. She wiped it off herself and hid her tasty melons away from me with her left arm.

She blushed and partially bit her lips while looking away. Her wings slowly folded back. I stood up and she followed afterwards. She looked at me again in the left eye before walking out of the chamber. I didn’t even get the chance to say sorry to her.

 

“Okay… What just happened?”

 

Said the tough guy. I’m surprised as well. It all happened in an instant.

 

--

 

At the royal dining area, I’m eating alone. My parents have already gone back to their duties. The dark knights that were supposed to guard me went somewhere else. When I told them what their duties were supposed to be, the tough guy simply said...

 

“We ain’t no simp.”

 

Waving his hand in disagreement before walking away. I don’t know what the hell does that mean, but I agreed anyway since I never had my own privacy after the incident.

Siegfriend entered the room. He hasn’t eaten as well. When I asked him about why he hasn’t eaten yet, his reply was, he was dealing with the grieving families from our last expedition since the day I was found. Siegfriend told me not to worry much about it because he will be handling the rest.

In a way, it's his way of saying sorry to us, to my entire expedition team. Thinking about it, I just realized what I did earlier that I was lusting over the killer of my precious knights. As I questioned my morality, I lost my appetite. I stood up and woke out of the room.

 

--

 

Afterwards, I came looking out for the two dark knights. I don’t wanna come back and be scolded again by Freya. An hour later, at the east side of the castle garden. There’s a big whole on the ground, enough for the size of me to fit in. Knights are all over the place investigating what happened.

So this is the secret spot they were talking about? Looking closer at it, it’s like someone was in a rush. Piles of dirt are all over the place. They didn’t even dig behind the bush but instead, they dug out in the open. Are they insane! I could have done better!

They must have thought that residents rarely come here. Which is partly true, but only in the morning. The east side of the castle garden is somewhat open to most of the residents. Thus visitors often come here to enjoy the scenery.

Still, I must remain vigilant. These dark knights managed to outsmart Freya, so I must not underestimate them. They might be pretending to be dumb to lower my guard down, but they will never succeed!

I saw the criminals a few meters away from me. The little brother is writing something on the table, while the tough guy is standing upright facing the painter. I sat beside the little brother.

 

“What are you writing?”

 

I asked, but he didn’t answer. When I try to peek at what he’s writing he covers it with his free hand.

Soon after, the little brother rolled up his letter and folded it as small as possible. A crow landed on the table. He tied his letter to its leg. Afterward, the crow taps his tiny leg on the table before flying away. He raised his thumb to the tough guy making an ok signal.

Are they a spy or something? I would love to report them but I already had my fill from yesterday. I mean… look at this… no one is suspecting a dark knight writing out in the open. I felt like I’m the smartest person in the world or I’m just surrounded by the dumbest people in the Kingdom of Arcadia.

Some of the knights finally noticed what he did but they soon returned to their post after they saw me. They already outsmarted me.

The tough guy moved forward towards the painter. Her face gradually went blue as he got closer. He looks at her painting and grabs it away from her.

 

“Hey, that’s mine!”

 

I stood up and went after her.

 

“Sorry for the trouble, I’ll just pay for that.”

 

I gave her 50 copper coins. She took it but then she murmured something.

 

“Damn royals, abusing their power…”

 

I went back to the table with a displeased face. I don’t want to argue with these guys anymore, they’d just make a word out of it and woosh - I’m the suspect. I sighed.

 

“Do you guys have a name?”

 

They look at each other and shrug their shoulders.

 

“No, we don’t have one yet.”

 

Said the little brother.

 

“It’ll be difficult for me and Freya-sama to call you properly if you don’t have a name.”

“Ohh, I see. Let us think of a name of our own.”

 

Hour has passed, they just keep on saying “mmmmmh”. Then, they would raised their index finger, but soon after they would say, “no, no, it’s not right”.

I have to get back before sunset or else my acting lover is going to kill me.

 

“How about we based it on the first digit of your serial number from the back of your neck?”

“Sounds good.”

 

I stood up and walked behind them. I partially raised their helmet to see their serial numbers.

 

“Eight and Seven”

 

I said to the little brother and the tough guy, respectively.

 

“I don’t like it, it doesn’t rhyme at all.”

“I agree, Aniki.”

“How about, Hachi and Shichi?”

“Mmmmm, it soundssss… good I think…”

“Then...”

 

I raised my brows.

 

“But no…”

 

His cold rejection turned my face expressionless.

 

“It sounds like a pet name and I don’t like it.”

 

He added.

Think… Think… I’m the smartest person here right now so I must take responsibility. I closed my eyes as I delved into my own thoughts.

 

“How about... Hachiro and Nanatsu?”

“Ohhhh! I kinda liked it and it rhymes well, Aniki.”

“Yeah… But no…”

“Ugh! I’ll just name you two d*ckh*ad and *ssh*le! They both rhyme and fit perfectly well to you two.”

“Okay… Okay… Fine! No need to be so vulgar.”

 

--

 

The next day, afternoon. At Freya’s Chamber. I wonder where she has been lately. Whenever she got out of her room, I never saw her out in the open. This is her only room. And lately, I haven’t seen the Demon King’s body since she canceled the research after the incident.

Siegfried knocked on the door. He gave me the report from their previous investigations about the intruder's whereabouts, Freya has been demanding it lately. The maids had already cleaned the room but Freya’s revolutionary design remained.

 

--

 

Sunset. Freya went back to our room. As she stared out the window, I began reporting the information Seigfried gave me. Papers after papers, I told her everything. She silently listened to every word I said. Hachiro and Nanatsu stand beside her, trying to figure out where she was looking.

 

“Then about the wooden planks…”

“...”

“The first one used it for their house; second, they used it for their wagon; third, they used it for their cart; fourth; they used it for their food cart; fifth, they used it to make a lifesize unicorn.”

 

My brows raise as I read the rest of it.

 

“... for their nightly adventures.”

 

I nodded and smirked... Interesting.

 

“And lastly, they didn’t find him but they managed to describe what he looked like.”

“...”

“The merchant testified that the suspect is somewhat made out of wood and he bought it right before they closed. A faceless person that speaks even without a mouth.”

“Tsk! So it was him all along....”

 

She said with confidence.

 

“I already knew he wouldn’t agree with it. We have no choice but to retaliate.”