God, he’s handsome.

I mentally slapped myself. Now is not the moment to drool over an attractive fictional character that isn’t fictional anymore but very much real.

I said stop drooling, me!

Besides, he’s only sixteen. I may be eleven now, but since recovering my memories I could not stop feeling like my mental age has gone up, so that meant right now I was a 37 year old woman in the body of a prepubescent girl.

Life really sucks.

Oh, right, I have a bigger problem in my hands right now.

“So Lucas really did it” Mathias clicked his tongue in annoyance. Before I could react, he grabbed me by the wrist, turned around and dragged me with him. I tried to resist, I swear I did, but being an emaciated eleven year old girl didn’t help much when confronted with a healthy sixteen year old teenager. I had no choice but follow him despite my attempts to get free.

“Ah, wait a minute, I… you’re going too fast!”

“Don’t act all dainty now, I saw you climbing down that wall with nothing but a rope” he responded dryly, but he did slow down, just a little.

Mathias de la Rosa. Sixteen years old. Heir to Viscount de la Rosa. His role in the manga was that of an older brother figure, or a team dad, if you may. Because of what he suffered under the hands of his father, he was more mature than other children his age, and almost always acted as the voice of reason among the group. He may look harsh on the outside, but when you manage to gain his trust he’s absolutely loyal and devoted. He was the one who kept an eye on the group of children under his care and managed the finances.

He was also the main reason girls read the manga, and, obviously, was the official heartthrob of the group. Even the hero’s childhood friend and love interest was infatuated with him.

However, I must be careful. He may be kind but right now I was nothing but a stranger to him. Worst, I was his father’s prisoner. I could not by any means expect him to act the same as in the manga. I was his enemy, and he would treat me as one. But I couldn't let him drag me back to that cell. He was already going up some stairs to the floor I just got down from. A few guards noticed him, and bowed as they saw him carrying me back to the eastern tower. They offered to accompany him but he refused.

I was getting more desperate. If only I had enough strength, or some kind of weapon to get him to release me. If I was thrown back in that cell, the security would become even tighter, and any chance at escaping would be reduced almost completely.

But I just couldn’t get free!

“Wait!”

That voice came from behind us. Mathias and I turned around, just in time to see Lucas running up to us, a pair of guards behind him. He stopped right in front of us, and looked from his brother to me with a frown marring his features. He opened his mouth to talk, but Mathias beat him to it.

“No.”

“I haven’t even said anything!”

“What were you thinking, you foolish little brother?” Mathias admonished him, making Lucas wince. The younger boy pursed his mouth, looking as if he wanted to say something, but Mathias once again spoke before he could. “She’s father’s prisoner. Not only were you going against his mandate not to approach her, but you went as far as to help her escape her cell.”

“I wasn’t trying to help her escape…”

“You took a rope with you. Otherwise I don’t know how she could have had access to one. She was climbing down a wall with it when I found her” as Lucas said nothing, simply staring at the ground with a sullen glare, Mathias sighed. “Why didn’t you ask me for help?”

“I was afraid you were going to say no.”

“Of course I was going to say no. Other than the sacrifice, this girl has nothing to do with us.”

Hey, you know I can hear you, no?

“But…”

“It’s not worth taking care of her for only two days. Besides, you might get too attached to her, and that would be a problem when the time for the sacrifice comes.”

“I won’t! I just want her to enjoy her last days! Don’t you think she deserves that at least?”

“What I think is that you’re being stubborn again" the older boy cut him sternly. Then, softer, he said; “you have a big heart Lucas, and that’s a wonderful quality, but when it comes to things like this, you lack both the character and the responsibility to take care of someone else.”

“I can take care of her! I already have everything prepared! The room, the clothes, the tub…!”

“Lucas” Mathias repeated, and this time I could see the younger boy’s shoulders drop. Ah, I remember this. Despite being so willful, the only person who could ever put a stop to Lucas was his older brother. He was so confident before, look at him now, lowering his ears and tail like a wet puppy. “It’s for your own good. I know how quickly you become attached to things, and I don’t want to see you suffer once she…”

“I’m not a dog, damn it! Stop talking as if I’ve followed him home and he wants to keep me!”

That’s the second time he says Lucas will become too attached to me! I’m a human being, and I’m right here, hearing everything you say!

And then Mathias narrowed his eyes at me. Whoops, did I say that out loud? I was so irritated I didn’t even noticed. His hold, that had been getting laxer as the conversation went on, became vice-like once again. Ouch! Is this any way to treat a lady?

“You keep quiet, this conversation isn’t with you.”

“Huh?!” The face! “Sorry for assuming then, considering you’re talking about me in the first place!”

“Don’t forget you’re a prisoner, and for the ritual we only need you alive, not whole.”

What the…? Ok, that seriously gave me chills. What is he implying?

Suddenly, a hand came between us, surprising Mathias and thus allowing me to get free. Lucas grabbed my shoulder and gently pushed me behind him. At the same time, I started massaging my swollen wrist. That Mathias, he’s really a brute!

“Stop it, brother. You don’t need to frighten her more than what she already is” he said with what I think was supposed to be an authoritative voice, but came out more as a plea instead. The two brothers kept looking at each other, Mathias calculating and Lucas determined. Then, when the tension was reaching its peak, Mathias finally looked away, letting out a sigh.

“Are you absolutely certain about this?”

“One-hundred percent!”

I frowned, about to complain about them treating me like a stray animal again, but Lucas grabbed my hand and gave a squeeze, as if predicting what I was going to do and trying to prevent it. I pursed my lips, but decided to finally remain quiet. Another silence ensued.

Mathias turned, walking away while saying over his shoulder; “I’ll try to convince father of letting her stay in one of the guest rooms. In the meantime, take her there and make her take a bath, she reeks.”

The nerve.

“Thank you, brother!” Lucas exclaimed, his face almost split in half by how big his smile was. Does it really make him that happy that I can stay in a guest room? What about letting me go entirely, then?

Even from this distance, I could hear Mathias sigh. “Don’t thank me yet. We need to see what father will say” and with that, he rounded a corner and was gone.

Thank God, if he stayed a little more I would have been obliged to hit him.

Lucas looked at me then, and as if Christmas had come earlier this year, started dragging me on the opposite direction with great zeal.

So, may I assume my days as a pet have officially started?