Rain fell mercilessly against the tiled roofs of the lower huts and the makeshift ceilings of the shanties.
A horse came to a screeching stop, the clack of its feet suppressed by the pitter-patter of the rains. In front of one such shanty deep inside the slums, a tiny figure wearing a raincoat hopped off the horse. The hood of the raincoat made of straws just barely managed to push off all the rain falling on it, but the figure seemed unbothered.
Lightning crackled as the figure moved toward the creaking door of the shanty. Behind, another figure appeared on a horse as it jumped off.
"My lady, let me."
The figure nodded and stepped back at the other's urgent words. It watched as the newcomer carefully pulled out a sword in the rain that made even the ground muddy and carefully cracked the door open.
The creaking of the door echoed.
Lightning struck again as the two of them moved inside the completely dark shanty. Blood slowly seeped out of the floor and the now ajar door. The smell of a rotting corpse was strong inside.
In the dusty place where mold and algae had lived longer than the owner of the residence himself, the young figure and the large one next to it landed their eyes on the small letter kept on the desk.
The figure moved ahead and picked up the letter. It could see the rims of it being soaked in the rainwater that came in from the hole that took on the role of a window in this place.
Lightning struck a third time, its brightness came gushing in from the window as it illuminated the face of the young figure and the letter in her hands.
The beautiful woman's hands quaked.
She clenched her fists, crushing the letter with it.
"West..." she said. "We'll have to go west."
"West?" The knight with her parrotted her words, confused. "Where, young lady?"
"Make the preparations," the figure, the young lady said. "We're going to the Hall's territory."
***
A light weight pressing down on my stomach woke me up.
A soft yet warm breath tickled my neck and my cheeks. Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked up.
Looking back at me were locks of black hair. The locks fell down next to my face, they twirled at the bottom while a lacy white headpiece kept them together at the top. Up so close, I could barely make out the rosy lips that were opened just a slight amount, almost as if they were pushed apart involuntarily to remove the heat in breaths.
As I moved my eyes further up, I met the eyes of the person above me.
There was but one person who fit these features in the mansion, and she was right above me, to the point where our noses would touch at the slightest movement of either of us.
"Maria, what might you be up to?"
Maria's fingers floated up as she held her body above me with just her knees and one hand. Her pale fingers softly streaked my forehead with their tips before brushing aside the hair that fell on my face.
"Your guardian knight went to a brothel."
Maria's face moved closer and her heated breaths now struck right against my lips.
"And Lily is just Lily."
With nowhere for the air to go, my lips slightly spread open as well.
"So..."
Her eyes narrowed, her fingers grazed down my brows to the corner of my eyes before slowly flowing further down below.
"I thought I should sneak up in your bed."
She lowered her body further as I could start feeling her skin through her uniform on myself.
"It's just training," she continued, her voice no better than a whisper. "To see if you can respond to invaders in your room, you see?"
pαпdα-ňᴏνêι·сóМ Was that how it was.
Smiling, I placed on hand on Maria's back that was pressing against me and lifted the other to her face. I gently, very gently brushed my thumb over her lips, to the point where I won't press her lips, but she could still feel every movement of my thumb.
It may just be my imagination, but her body seemed to tingle.
As I dragged my thumb to the edge of her lips, I forcefully gripped her chin in my fingers.
Her breaths that fell on my lips and tongue now grew even hotter, as if a lava was pouring out from inside her.
"Young master..." she whispered, her voice sharp yet soft, sensual. "Is this, how you will respond to invaders?"
I tightened my grip on her back.
"No." I said. "This is how I respond to you."
Maria's eyes curved. She lowered her face—
—BANG!
"B-BIG TROUBLE!"
The door to my room shot open and Lily's shriek came gushing in. Her eyes fell toward us before another shriek sounded out.
"Hieeek!! I am sorrrrry!"
Lily turned tail and dashed away, slamming the door shut behind her.
Maria and I gave a last look to the door before turning toward each other again.
Maria smiled, I lifted my hands up in a surrendering position as she slowly got off of me. She hopped off the bed and bowed before turning away.
I pushed away the blankets after she left the room and stretched my hands above my head.
"I should quit sleeping in just my pants."
***
After changing up, I went down to the dining room in the mansion where Maria and Lily were already present. Lily had a deep blush on her face, I guess, while Maria seemed as cool as usual.
"That, uhm..." Lily mumbled as I sat down at the head of the table and gestured at them to take a seat. Maria usually sat and waited for me, but today even she was acting as if we had to keep up with these bullshit noble customs. They didn't deny my gaze and sat down.
"What is it?" I asked. "What's the big problem?"
The last big problem I had personally faced was the finalization of the main script for Apollon's first play, and that was already two years ago. What could bother me now?
"That..." Lily mumbled again. She took in a deep breath and turned to us with a fiery gaze before shouting out loud. "The main family has sent a letter calling you back, young master!"
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