The sun dipped low on the horizon, streaking the sky with orange and red. The forest outside the Balmount Kingdom was quiet, the air crisp, carrying the scent of pine and moss. The only sound came from our footsteps crunching against the dirt path.
Lily walked beside me, holding the goods while the girl trailed beside her, chatting away like we weren't running from a damn kingdom.
"You're so cute, Lily! That hair, your smile—it's just adorable," the girl gushed, eyes sparkling with admiration.
Lily blushed, smiling shyly. "Aww, thank you! But I think you're absolutely adorable."
I frowned. This was going to be a long walk.
Then, right on cue, that voice slithered into my mind.
"Why the long face, brat? Regretting your life choices?" Ignis drawled, his amusement practically dripping from his words.
I sighed. Should've left her behind.
Ignis cackled. "Oh, but you didn't. You let your 'precious Lover' decide for you. Again. Face it, brat, you're whipped."
My eye twitched. "She's not my lover."
"Keep telling yourself that." Ignis's voice turned mocking. "What next? Gonna start carrying her things, calling her 'my lady,' letting her pick your outfits? Oh, wait—you already do the last one."
I clenched my jaw. "Lily wanted her to come. It wasn't just me."
Ignis snorted. "And you just went along with it, huh? Not a single backbone left in you. You're really pathetic, brat. Imagine—letting a child make your decisions for you. If you had any sense, you would've left the girl and walked away. Now, enjoy the consequences."
I rubbed my temple. He wasn't exactly wrong.
But then again, I couldn't just ignore Lily when she looked at me like that.
I thought back to the market. The chaos. The guards running through the streets.
"Where did they go?" one barked.
"They must've gone this way. Hurry!" another yelled.
We had barely slipped past them. I pulled Lily into an alley, keeping her close, making sure the girl didn't wander off.
"Are they gone?" Lily whispered.
I glanced out. "Yeah. But we need to go. Now."
I turned to leave, ignoring the girl completely.
And then she grabbed my arm. Hard.
"Please, don't leave me!" she pleaded, pressing close. Too close.
I stiffened, my face heating up. "Hey! Get off me!"
Lily gave me that look. That damn look. "Jeffery, can't we take her along? She doesn't have anyone…"
I groaned internally. And before I could argue, Ignis burst out laughing.
"Oh, this is gold! The brat's got women clinging to him, and look at him—completely helpless! What's wrong, little boy? Scared of girls?"
I shut my eyes. "Ignis—"
"Pathetic," he cut me off. "Spineless. Weak. You have one job—survival—and instead, you're collecting strays. You think anyone's gonna thank you for this? You think this girl gives a damn about you? She's just using you."
I stayed silent. I didn't need to hear this.
"Look at you," Ignis sneered. "Pouting like a child. Say it, brat—'I am weak. I let my lover control me. I don't have a single original thought in my head.'"
I exhaled sharply. "Are you done?"
Ignis huffed. "Oh, I'm just getting started, brat."
I ignored him and turned back to Lily. "Fine. But we're leaving now."
The girl beamed and tightened her grip on my arm. "Thank you!"
As we moved through the market, I caught sight of a beastman couple passing by. The woman, clinging to her husband, sneered at us. "Look, honey, the young ones these days have no shame."
The beastman barely glanced at me. "Ignore them."
I sighed. Just great.
"Even random strangers can see what a mess you are," Ignis said smugly. "Congratulations, brat. You've really outdone yourself this time."
I didn't reply. I just pulled my hood lower and muttered, "Let's get out of here."
Back in the present, Lily and the girl kept chatting as we walked. The girl smiled as she introduced herself.
"My name is Sylphira, but you can call me Syl."
Lily's eyes lit up. "Your name is adorable! I'm Lily, and this is Kibo—" she caught herself, then quickly corrected, "Jeffery."
Syl chuckled softly. "I like the name Kibo better," she said, throwing me a glance. "It suits you."
I didn't react. Didn't care. Didn't even look her way.
Her smile wavered, and for a second, I caught a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.
Lily, noticing the shift, panicked slightly and jumped in to smooth things over. "Don't be upset, Syl! Jeffery's just… not much of a talker."
Syl sighed, her exhaustion showing. "Okay, Lily," she muttered, then glanced around at the towering trees. "But… where are we even going?"
Lily beamed. "Home!"
"Home?!" Syl repeated, blinking in confusion.
I finally spoke, keeping my face completely straight. "Don't think much about it. We're just heading to where your body's gonna be buried."
Syl came to an abrupt stop. "What?!" Her face drained of all color.
Lily shot me a glare. "Jeffery, don't scare her like that!" She turned back to Syl with a reassuring smile. "He jokes about these things. You don't have to worry."
I let out a soft chuckle while Syl let out a deep breath, though she walked a little slower, probably reconsidering her life choices.
After walking for several minutes, we finally reached the cottage. Syl's eyes widened the moment she saw it.
"This is your home?" she whispered, staring like she had just walked into a fairy tale.
Her gaze quickly shifted to the woman standing at the door—a familiar, stern figure in maid attire.
And then Syl, the absolute genius that she was, blurted out, "So, you also have a maid?"
I froze. Lily stiffened.
"…What do you mean by 'also'?" I asked, my voice slow and deliberate.
Syl's eyes darted around. "Ah, nothing!" she said way too quickly.
Suspicious.
We kept walking, and Sora remained still, her arms crossed as her sharp gaze locked onto us. The closer we got, the heavier the air felt. A single bead of sweat trailed down my temple.
She's going to lecture us. She's definitely going to lecture us.
We finally stopped in front of her. She swept her eyes over the three of us, her expression unreadable but sharp enough to cut through my nerves.
"Where are you coming from?" she asked coolly.
Syl flinched at the tone.
I cleared my throat. "Well, we had… some trouble, and…" I hesitated. The way her eyes narrowed made my brain malfunction. "The girl—uh, I mean, Syl—was caught up in it, right, Lily?"
Lily nodded so fast I thought her neck might snap. "H-Hm, hm!"
Syl's gaze flicked between us, her unease growing.
Sora exhaled quietly, eyes narrowing slightly. I could see the thoughts running through her head.
She knows.
She knows exactly who Syl is.
And knowing Sora, she already had a mental list of all the problems this would bring.
There was a moment of silence before she finally pressed a hand to her forehead, looking like she was resisting the urge to sigh.
"Okay, since that's that. You've all had a bad day. Go inside and freshen up."
"Yes, ma'am," we all said at once.
As we stepped past her, I still held Lily's hand and let out a silent breath of relief.
Phew. She didn't say much.
Lily sighed softly too, her shoulders relaxing.
Just as Syl was about to follow us in, Sora suddenly stopped her, turning to face her directly.
"Welcome, Syl."
It was a simple greeting. Nothing about it should've been threatening.
And yet Syl stiffened, her entire body going rigid. "Y-Yes, ma'am!" she stammered before scrambling inside like her life depended on it.
I smirked a little.
Yeah. She's definitely scared of Sora.
And honestly? She should be.
Once everyone was in, Sora turned to the horizon, her gaze softening as she watched the sun dip below the forest line. The trees swayed gently in the evening breeze, their leaves rustling like whispered secrets. Rays of warm amber filtered through the foliage, painting the forest in hues of gold and crimson.