Valerie looked around idly, eyes going from one brightly colored storefront to the next as she curiously studied the objects on display. So many things she'd only heard about or seen in pictures until now…
She took a brief glance at the man walking at her side, feeling the briefest of twitches on her lips.
Before today, she could have only imagined herself walking freely like this through the middle of a busy town. But since last night, more and more of her dreams seemed to become true.
Her gaze wandered once more to Alex, that same, tiny flicker of warmth from this morning sparking in her chest. He was staring ahead, seemingly lost in thought, bags slung over one shoulder and her chair in the other hand.
People were giving him strange looks as they passed by, especially at the chair, but he didn't seem to mind.
She kept getting a few odd looks, too, but that didn't bother her either. It was nothing like those scathing glares she used to get back home.
As her gaze lingered on a bakery across the street, something caught her eye by the entrance.
A young girl with short hair like fresh snow stood there, bag in hand, staring intently in their direction while nibbling at a cookie. Their gazes crossed, but the girl's stare remained just as flat and impassive as she took another slow bite from her treat.
Valerie looked away, brows slightly furrowing. Something nagged at the back of her mind about this little girl, same as with that Sitri… could she be another Devil?
She didn't seem hostile, though.
Alex didn't seem to care about her presence either, his gaze still focused straight ahead while he pondered.
He did say how this town housed many supernaturals… simply walking though broad daylight like this was bound to catch the eye of some.
She took another subtle look from the corner of her eye, watching his thoughtful face as they walked.
He'd told her not to worry, but…
One thing kept weighing on her mind, ever since they'd left that church.
"Alex." The word hung in the air for a moment, before he looked at her with a smile.
"Mm?"
Hesitating for a moment, she steeled her resolve, tongue briefly poking out to wet her drying lips. "You seemed rather fond of those Fallen angels."
The question caught him off-guard a little, his pace slowing down as he considered it. "Well, the blonde one seemed pretty fun." His smile waned as he spoke. "Their leader though… not so much."
A frown nearly came to her lips at the reminder. That unpleasant woman would have fit nicely among the vampires at the castle.
The short and cheeky one, though…
Her brows knitted. Did he fancy blonde hair perhaps?
She felt the corner of her mouth twitch slightly at the silly thought, but a sour feeling also twisted in her stomach.
"You still tried quite hard to convince her."
Lips drawn thinly, he held her gaze for a quiet moment before shrugging. "I felt sorry for her. She must've put a lot of time and effort in that silly scheme of hers, and I just crashed it all in a few minutes." His eyes went back to the street ahead, the smile returning to his face. "The little nun didn't deserve to die either."
Ah. So, it was simple kindness after all. To save a girl from a cruel fate, just like back then…
A tiny smile came to her face, only to vanish just as quickly when an image flashed unbidden in her mind. Of him staring at that scantily clad woman, drinking her body with his eyes, and the other shameless Fallen, tempting him with carnal promises.
Valerie gripped the hem of her coat, an unpleasant feeling stirring in her chest.
Was Alex the type to get easily tempted by a woman's charms?
His eyes had lingered when he'd rescued her, and a few more times ever since, but his gaze had never been that hungry. He certainly found her appealing, of that was no doubt…
Was he trying to be a gentleman for her?
Or was it simply because she had never bared that much skin to begin with?
She took another glance at Alex, brows furrowing slightly.
A strange man, indeed. The more she learned about him, the more questions she had.
Thoughts wandering back to that meeting, Valerie tugged idly at one of the buttons of her coat. "How did you know about those Fallen at the church?"
He looked at her with a smile, as if expecting the question. "This is a pretty important town. The younger sisters of two Satans live around here." One of the Gremory was a Satan? "Call it a gut feeling, but, in a place like this, there's always a high chance to find something skulking in the shadows."
So, it was merely fortune at work?
Valerie tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, casting Alex a side-eyed glance.
She didn't want to be rude, but… he seemed a little crazy, didn't he? A normal person wouldn't have gone out of his way, searching for danger like that.
Then again… a normal person wouldn't have fought his way through a castle full of vampires to save her.
"You told them as much, but did you truly do it on a whim?" she said, and he met her eyes, that small but warm smile of his quickly brightening his face.
"Partly, yes. But I brought you here, and, well… I just wanted to make sure this place would be safe for you."
She held his gaze for a moment longer before looking away, feeling her ears heat up a little. A flash of warmth sparked in her chest, bringing a tiny smile to her lips.
He truly was a kind fool. Perhaps a little too kind, but…
It was this kindness that helped her—saved her—and returned her freedom.
Maybe he seemed a little crazy, but, even so, he treated her nicer than anyone ever did.
__________________________________________
Kalawarna gestured airily at the door across the hall, sparing the little girl a sideways glance.
"This is your room. Take some time and get settled."
"Thank you, Lady Kalawarna." The former holy maiden quickly bowed her head, and Kalawarna caught her warm smile as she turned around and walked away.
That sort of innocence…
This world wouldn't be kind to her.
Kalawarna shook her head as she made her downstairs, the old, wooden floorboards creaking in some places under her feet.
Her gaze briefly flicked outside as she passed by a small window, lips twisting sourly. Now she had to finish laying down that ward. Raynare should be done with her part by now, too.
With that kind of revelation hanging above their heads, they couldn't afford to be too blasé anymore.
A quiet sigh escaped her as she went around a corner, stepping inside the nave just in time to catch glimpse of a shimmering portal as it swallowed Freed's corpse. Mittelt could have done this earlier, even if the little maiden's reaction to it had been somewhat amusing.
The pungent stretch of blood tickled her nose as she got closer, mouth curling with a frown. Now the whole place would stink until one of the exorcists came to clean it.
"Do something about the blood, too," Raynare said absentmindedly from a pew at the front, legs crossed as she looked out the windows.
"I'll have the freeloaders take care of it." Mittelt waved a hand dismissively, Raynare only sparing her a brief glance before her gaze went back to looking outside.
Kalawarna arched a brow, eyes lingering on her old friend as she walked around the half-dried puddle. That encounter got her more pensive than she thought.
The soft clicks of her shoes finally caught Mittelt's attention, the brat flashing a smirk as she plopped herself on a nearby pew with a sigh. "That was friggin scary. I thought he was gonna spread me all over the floor like he did with Freed."
Kalawarna couldn't hold back an amused scoff as she propped herself against the side of a pew. "You would've liked getting spread on the floor though, wouldn't you? I saw the way you were looking at him."
Mittelt crossed her arms with a huff. "Can you blame me? He was super strong. Nicer than anyone with that sort of power should be. And has the friggin' Holy Grail."
"Didn't take you for a gold-digger." Raynare looked away from the windows with a smirk.
Kalawarna blinked, a beat of silence passing as she stared at her friend.
Raynare was making jokes?
Picking up her jaw, Mittelt sent Raynare an odd look. "I figured you'd be angrier, since, y'know…" She gestured around vaguely, drawing an amused glance from their leader.
"Why would I let anger blind me from seizing an even greater opportunity?"
Kalawarna felt the corner of her mouth twitch. That might've held more weight if her friend didn't leave earlier looking like she was ready to strangle someone.
Good thing that she could calmly look at the bigger picture now.
The Grail could bring them power unlike a measly Twilight Healing ever would, and all they had to do was play their cards just right. The wielder was a man, and all men had a limit.
His just happened to be a little higher than she'd expected.
Kalawarna's lips twitched with a smirk. Maybe she had a good opportunity here, too.
"And here I thought you had a sudden change of heart." Mittelt propped her chin on her hand, a matching smirk on her face.
Raynare's eyes narrowed as she pinned Mittelt with a glare. "Mind repeating that for me?" she asked, an edge to her voice, and Kalawarna could only shake her head with a quiet sigh.
This child never learned.
Perhaps in a century or two, if she lived that long.
Mittelt's smile vanished as she went quiet, and Raynare scoffed, draping an arm over the backrest of her pew. The silence lasted for the better part of a minute before Mittelt glanced among them with a frown.
"Shouldn't we be more concerned about this whole Asia thing? Isn't it kinda dangerous to keep her around with that Devil prick chasing after her ass? What if he tries to kill us or something?"
"That shouldn't be an issue once we return her to Grigori." Raynare waved a hand dismissively, a smug quirk to her lips. "And before then, we happen to have someone who could help us." Her eyes shifted to Kalawarna, watching expectantly.
Kalawarna weathered the piercing glare, mouth thinning as she held back a grimace. "He refused."
A beat of silence passed as Raynare's brow creased, all traces of mirth vanishing from her face. "You couldn't do that much?"
A flash of anger heated Kalawarna's chest, her gaze narrowing. "I'd like to see you try, if you think he's so easy to seduce." Of course, the Sephiroth Grail couldn't go to some blushing fool like that child Raynare had taken care of.
"He's just a man," Raynare said with a scoff. "We have been tempting them for ages."
"He wasn't your typical drooling idiot."
"I've noticed," Raynare said dryly. "But that's not an issue. It's been a while since I've last had a challenge."
Kalawarna sucked at her teeth, eyeing her friend skeptically.
Normally, that would spell the ruin of whatever man unfortunate enough to catch Raynare's fancy, but this time…
This seemed like a task more suited for a team effort.
Pushing that thought aside for now, Kalawarna glanced between the other two. "Still, the Sephiroth Grail… to think we'd meet the wielder in this devil-ridden town?" she mused, lips quirked in amusement. "What were the odds?"
A quiet snort escaped Mittelt. "What's crazy is how he came to us instead of, I dunno, The Church?"
Raynare scoffed dismissively. "Only a fool would've done that when we can offer him so much more."
Kalawarna tapped a finger idly on her thigh.
In any other case, she would agree. But now? She wouldn't bet on that. Those prudes might go to surprising lengths for the second greatest Holy Relic.
A moment of quiet fell inside the nave before Mittelt glanced between them uneasily. "He's not gonna tattle on us to Lord Azazel, is he?"
Kalawarna shook her head. Doubtful, but she'd rather not get lectured either way.
Raynare's mouth curled with a smirk as she spoke. "I'm sure we can convince him to keep this little incident between us."
"Oh, now it's 'we'?" Mittelt smiled teasingly, but Raynare merely lifted a brow.
"What? Planning to stake your claim?"
Mittelt met the raised eyebrow with one of her own. "And what if I am?"
A peal of laughter escaped Raynare as she shook her head. "Sweetie, you don't have what it takes to keep a man like that. Just be happy that you get to play."
"Oh really?" Mittelt leaned forward, eyes narrowing in challenge. "You wanna bet on that one?"
"Have you two forgotten about his companion?" Kalawarna chimed in as she pushed herself off the dusty pew, glancing at the exit. She'd wasted enough time.
"Oh yeah, he unalived Freed just because he talked crap about her. They're totally an item."
Raynare seemed to consider it for all of three seconds before scoffing. "Don't be silly. Vampires have nothing on our charms."
Kalawarna opened her mouth, only to close it after a moment. Arguing with Raynare about such things was always a waste of time.
Briefly shaking her head, she walked silently past her friends and left the church. She had a task to take care of anyway.
Then maybe she could finally get a drink.
__________________________________________
I plopped myself on the sofa with a content sigh, giving Valerie a smile as she took a seat to my right. Her shoulder brushed mine, sending a brief, warm jolt across my skin as she made herself comfortable.
I sank deeper in my seat, eyes fluttering close as I stifled a yawn, before my gaze went to the clock on the wall.
Late afternoon already, huh?
I've been afraid of accidentally missing the plot, but I got here pretty early in the timeline, didn't I—
"You should rest a little." Valerie's soft voice reached my ear, and I saw a clear hint of concern in her eyes as I looked to the side.
I probably should. Aside from some quick shopping, I didn't have anything else to do for today, did I?
"I'll stay here for now. Don't want to dirty the bed."
I glanced at the twin single beds pushed together at the other side of the room. I was going to ask her later, but I'd probably split them anyway tonight. I was grabby in my sleep, and I'd rather not randomly poke Valerie awake during the night.
Sleeping together with a cute vampire girl might be a life goal, but it might also make me act unwise. My self-control had yet to fail me, though I'd rather not play with fire like that.
Hopefully, I wouldn't fall out of bed in my sleep…
"This place feels cozy," Valerie said, eyes lingering on the beds. She should probably take a nap, too.
"It's not five stars, but it'll do for now." With the money I got from Kalawarna, I could live here comfortably for at least a couple weeks. And that was just the ass-kissing bonus she gave me. The gold I'd exchanged could go into our shopping funds.
"I don't mind staying here."
Well, I kinda wanted a house for the two of us. Or a big apartment, at least.
"We'll see what the future holds."
Valerie folded her hands atop her lap, looking idly around the room as we lapsed into comfortable silence.
Now that I thought about it, showing up this early in the timeline was kinda boring. I came here for Valerie, but also hoping for some good fights. Who could I even fight now, though?
I swatted Freed like that mosquito girl.
Riser was a pushover. Best he could do was give me a suntan.
Kokabiel should make me work a nice sweat, but that was at least a month away from now.
A frown came to my face. The hell was I supposed to do until then? Kick rocks?
Diodora might show up earlier if I made enough butterflies, but… wasn't that guy yet another pushover? What was he even waiting for? He had to be either retarded or his fetish boner for mind-breaking nuns reached into hentai territory. He could've easily snatched Asia on her way here, but he probably wanted to do some ultra gay shit like letting her find happiness first before taking it all away from her.
Fucking DxD villains, I swea—
"I've thought about it." Valerie's soft voice pierced through the quiet, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I looked at her curiously, brows raising slightly at the sober look on her face. "About what?" I shifted in my seat, facing her properly as she held my gaze steadily.
"The Grail." Ah. So that's what it was about. "You can have one of them."
"Are you sure?"
"I am." A glimmer of resolve shone like steel in her eyes, bringing a smile to my face.
"Alright."
With this, I could finally make sure that she wouldn't have to worry about anything ever again.
She wasted no time, and, in a flash of ethereal light, a golden cup materialized in her awaiting hand. She passed it over with little fanfare, and I turned the Grail around in my hand, staring at it, mouth pressed thinly.
And stared some more.
How exactly did I put this thing inside me?
I glanced at Valerie, giving the cup a slight shake. "What do I do?"
"Think about drawing it inside you."
And I did just that, focusing as hard as I could while picturing the cup becoming light and flowing inside me. When nothing seemed to happen, my eyes flicked to the clock, a spike of annoyance flaring in my chest.
What the hell was wrong with this thing?
I stared at the golden chalice, mouth pulling into a frown. Valerie was staring intently at me, just as confused.
"It's not working."
Her eyebrows drew a little closer. "It should work."
I looked back at the stupid cup in my hand, brow furrowing.
Aight. Plan B it was.
Gripping the metal tighter, I slammed the Grail into my chest, though it did nothing except tickle me a little. I tried it again, yet still nothing. I slammed it again, this time harder, yet still nothing.
Bro, what the fuck. Was the DxD bullshit not compatible with my bullshit?
A brief, sideways glance at Valerie revealed a slightly raised brow and tightly pressed lips as she kept staring at the chalice in my hand.
A flash of anger heated inside my chest.
This stupid cup was making my cute vampire princess sad.
A muscle jumped in my jaw as I gripped the metal even tighter and began smashing it into my chest like a caveman.
Come on, you piece of holy junk! Get inside already—
The Grail abruptly sank inside my chest with a glimmer of gold, my palm landing flat against my shirt.
I stared at my hand, then looked at Valerie, lips pursing.
Nothing felt different, though?
I blinked. Weird—
No, wait. There was something.
A strange, filling thing deep inside, kinda like after eating too much cabbage, but way deeper—
"That was beyond strange." Valerie broke the silence, gaze still lingering on my chest.
Meh, it was DxD. If Issei could bend reality backwards with the power of boobs, then I could spank a Sacred Gear into submission with these hands.
"I guess the Grail was a being little stubborn?" I flashed her a smile, watching as the corner of her lips twitched in amusement. Nice.
"This is the same as back then with the lack of magic, isn't it?"
"Probably." I shrugged halfheartedly. Her guess was as good as mine. "But more importantly, how do you feel?" I studied her face for a moment, not seeing any signs of discomfort. That was good.
Valerie looked down at her hands, lips thinning. "Fine, but… emptier? Like there is a void in that place where I pull the Grail from. It's a little strange."
A frown pulled at my mouth. "You can have it back if it feels unpleasant."
"No, it's fine." She shook her head, meeting my gaze and holding it firmly. "If it's just one, I think it's alright."
"You won't even have to bring out the Grail from now on. This is a secret between us, and it will stay that way." A small, determined smile came to my lips, and, as I looked at her, Valerie averted her eyes, muttering a quiet "Thanks".
My hand twitched with the sudden urge to reach out and pat her head. I couldn't find words to describe how cute she was. A shame I couldn't take a picture with my phone.
Looking down at my lap, I held one hand open and focused inward as I tried to figure out how to summon my magic cup.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Valerie watching curiously, so I did my best not to disappoint. Luckily, pulling it out turned a lot easier than putting it in, and, after a few minutes of 'find your center' and meditation bullshit, that stupid cup appeared in my hand in a flash of golden light.
Nice. This solved a problem.
"Congratulations." Valerie's pleasant voice broke the silence, and I met her tiny smile with one of my own as I idly pulled the Grail back inside.
"Thanks."
There was one more thing to take care of, though.
Resting my hands on my knees, I regarded Valerie with my undivided attention. "Some people can tell if someone possesses a Sacred Gear, so if you never used yours, it might seem suspicious. I'll make you a new one. Everyone can hold at least two from what I know."
All traces of amusement suddenly left her face. "Copying a Sacred Gear will take a toll on your mind." Even her usually soft voice held a grim note of warning.
"Doesn't matter." I met her gaze, face completely serious. "I made you a promise, and I'm not going back on my word. I doubt the Grail can do much to me anyway."
"Do not underestimate it."
"I won't. But it shouldn't underestimate me either."
Valerie eyed me for a long moment, brows drawn together the tiniest bit. "You truly are strange."
"Strangeness is the spice of life," I told her with a smile.
"I think that quote was about variety."
"Eh." I shrugged lightly. "I'm not a philosopher."
She stared flatly, though I didn't miss the faint twitch at the corner of her mouth. Her smiles, even barely there like this, were still a treat.
"Anyway, think about a Sacred Gear you'd like. I had in mind making you a Twilight Healing, but it's your choice." With Asia already here, it was free real estate.
Valerie nodded. "I'll think about it."
__________________________________________
"And he brought everything, including the chair." Akeno placed a hand on her cheek as they both colored a faint red. "Ah, I wish I could've seen Sona's face. It must have been delightful."
Rias couldn't keep the smile from her face. Why the chair?
"And then she took them to Nagoya." Akeno picked up her teacup, taking a quiet sip. "That's all."
Rias looked down at her own cooling tea, smile waning. So close, and yet so far away.
"I'll give it two days before the entire school hears about this." Akeno's mouth curled teasingly, and Rias held back a grimace.
A slightly altered version, hopefully, but she had faith in Sona. Those two must have eloped for a good reason, though she could only wonder.
Did her family not approve? Or was she perhaps already spoken for?
Curiosity burned inside her like a flame.
Why couldn't have Sona tried to prod a little for details? This was a story worthy of a book. A movie, even! She would've paid for it in full.
A shame the only two people who could share the whole tale were likely far, far away by now…
Her gaze went out the window, taking in the empty courtyard.
Ah, why couldn't her life take such a romantic twist? Her brother met Grayfia in the middle of a civil war and saved her from a bitter fate. A romance of the ages. Why did she have to get saddled with that awful man…
A forlorn sigh escaped her.
"Everything alright, President?" Akeno's teasing voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and she met her Queen's amused gaze with a practiced smile.
"It's a rather sweet story." But why couldn't it have been her, for once?
A knight in shining armor sweeping her off her feet and taking her away from all the problems that came with her name and status.
She wouldn't even mind if he was bald. Lord Asmodeus was bald, too.
"Is that jealously I hear?" Akeno prodded like usual, and Rias gave her a flat look.
"Are you telling me that you wouldn't enjoy such an experience?"
"Perhaps I would, but this isn't about me, is it?" Akeno's mouth curled playfully, eyes full of mischief, and Rias braced herself for what she knew would come. If her Queen wanted to tease her, she'd have to work for it.
"Well, I—
The soft creak of the door drew both their attention as Koneko walked in, bag in one hand, the other rising lazily in greeting.
"Hey, Prez."
Rias flashed her cute servant a warm smile. An impeccable timing.
"Ah, Koneko, you came back earlier than usual. Did you run out of money?"
That French patisserie could get rather expensive…
"Nah, saw a bald weirdo and a blonde vampire chick walking around like they'd just robbed a museum. Thought you should know."
Rias blinked, watching idly as Koneko made her way across the room.
Bald weirdo? Blonde vampire chick? In broad dayligh—
Her eyes flew wide.
No way. Could it truly be…?
"Did he carry two large bags and a chair with him?" She felt a little silly for asking it, but this was the only thing that could maybe confirm it.
"Yeah. One of those tall fancy chairs like you have back home. Why? You know him?"
Rias felt her jaw slacken, eyes drifting out the window. Wow. What were the odds?
But what were they doing here of all places?
"In a way, I guess," she said, meeting the girl's curious gaze.
"Cool." Koneko dropped her snacks unceremoniously on the coffee table. "Imma take a nap. Don't wake me unless the school is burning." And with that, she plopped down on the nearest couch before curling like her namesake.
A beat of silence passed as Rias glanced at her phone, debating whether to snap a quick picture or not, but ended up staring idly at the desk as her thoughts kept going back to the young couple.
Her gaze then went back to Akeno, who was smiling from across the desk like the cat who ate the canary.
"My, my, Rias. Looks like things suddenly got much more interesting."
That was putting it mildly.
What were those two even doing here? Why go to Nagoya in the first place? Did they have some business there first?
Her brows knitted as she grabbed her teacup, taking a long sip.
She could only guess what was going on, but now she wanted to talk to them even more. Their story was almost as romantic as that of her brother and Grayfia, and she really wanted to hear more about it.
Rias clasped her hands atop the desk, eyes briefly going to the napping Koneko as her lips pursed.
Perhaps her cute servant could track them down for her?
__________________________________________
I tapped the foot of my bed, sending Valerie a curious glance as she walked up to her makeshift travel bag. "Are you sure you don't want me to separate the beds?"
Her gaze went to the twin beds, then back to me as she shook her head. "You said you toss and turn a lot. What if you fall during your sleep? Leave them like this, I don't mind."
She then busied herself with the unpacking, and I stood there by the bed, a tiny smile coming to my face as I watched her.
I'd make sure this girl lived happily from now on, no matter what.
Valerie rummaged in her bag for a while, eventually turning around, a bundled black fabric in one hand and a smaller, white piece in the other. Panties, hopefully.
Her eyes briefly went to the bathroom door. "I'll be right back." Good thing she didn't start changing right here. It would've been a feast for the eyes, but a cruel challenge for my self-control.
"Sure. I'll get the beds ready."
She walked inside the bathroom, and I got to work, fluffing all the pillows and pulling away the covers neatly.
This might be anime boob land but thank Michael my cute vampire princess was just a normal girl. Shacking up with a nudist like Rias would've been a test for my sanity.
Turning off the lights, I pulled the curtains and went to my bed, gaze lingering on the phone atop the nightstand. I hoped I could find a compatible charger for this thing. It had like three percent battery left, even though I kept it turned off ever since I got here.
Sighing quietly, I took a seat and made myself comfortable as I stared idly at the wall ahead.
About a minute later, my eyes went to the bathroom door as it suddenly clicked open, Valerie stepping out, clad in what looked like a black nightgown. With the curtains pulled and just a few rays of pale moonlight filtering through the small gap, the room was dark enough that I couldn't see much, but her choice of pajamas seemed to cover enough skin to not give me too much of a hard time.
As she went to her bed, my eyes lingered on her slim, bare legs, her pale skin looking nearly ethereal in the dim light. My gaze roamed across her slender frame as she laid down on the mattress, her black nightdress beginning to seem a lot flimsier than I'd thought.
Pulling the covers all the way up to her chest, Valerie turned her head to the side and met my eyes.
"It's cozy," she spoke, and I gave her a tiny smile, quietly admiring her beautiful face.
"Thank you for everything," she said after a short while, and my smile turned softer.
"You're welcome."
She didn't say anything else after that, and we just sat there, looking at each other as we lapsed into silence. It felt a little awkward, but also comfortable in a way. Valerie didn't seem ready for sleep, though I wasn't quite sure what she found so interesting about me to keep staring intently like that.
It was oddly cute, though.
Her hair was a little frizzy, covering a part of her face, and her red eyes reminded me of a cat, with how they shone in the dim light.
Vampires were really cool.
As the quiet stretched on, I glanced at the ceiling, a sudden thought worming itself into my head.
Maybe I should tell her.
She'd been so open with me so far. I doubted she'd ever lied.
Shouldn't I do the same? We'd probably spend a lot of time together from now on. I should put my cards on the table, too.
Trust was a two-way street. And my secret wouldn't even be that big of a deal in this crazy world.
"Valerie." I looked at her again, seeking her gaze. "I'd like to tell you something."
She nodded wordlessly after a quiet moment, though I could see the curious gleam in her eyes.
Yeah, she deserved to know. We were in this together.
"Well, I'm from another world. Two years ago, I just woke up here one day, in a forest next to a small village, back in Romania."
Valerie stared at me for a while, my stomach twisting on itself as the silence stretched on. Eventually, she spoke, "That explains why you're so strange."
The tension left me like a wave, a wry smile twitching on my face. I've been worrying for nothing.
"You don't seem very surprised."
"I've learned strange things from the Grail. I'm used to it."
My smile dimmed. That stupid cup… I should bring back Marius and just beat him to death with his precious Grail. Let's see how he liked it then—
"How was your world?"
I met Valerie's inquisitive eyes with pursed lips. My world sucked ass. Boring as shit, with a bunch of greedy retards making it even worse to live in.
"Same as this one, except without anything supernatural."
"Perhaps you simply weren't aware of it?"
Well… yeah, I couldn't really argue that, but I still doubted it.
"It's possible, but I don't think we had anything at all."
It would've been nice to know, just to satisfy a curiosity, but it didn't matter anymo—
Valerie's tongue poked out, distracting me for a moment as it brushed along her soft, inviting lips, leaving them glistening even in the dim light. "How did you become so strong then?"
"No idea. Maybe the transition to here did something to me?"
Nobody could even say for sure how isekai worked.
"Your guess is as good as mine," she said, rolling to her side under the cover and facing me fully. "How did you find the castle, though?" She looked so cute with her hands tucked under the pillow like that. "I'm quite sure it had some defenses in place to keep the mundanes away."
For real? I hadn't noticed anything when I kicked down the front door.
"A vampire came to the village that evening and tried to kidnap some people," I said, and her lips twitched with the tiniest smile. Now she looked even cuter.
"I suppose they didn't succeed?"
I shrugged a shoulder. "He was nice enough to show me the way before I put him in timeout."
It turned out that even vampires had a limit to their escape artist bullshit if you broke like half of their bones.
Valerie nibbled at her lip, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I saw your fight with the guards from the tower." That curious gleam from before returned to her eyes. "You haven't killed any of them."
Well, most of those vampires wouldn't have deserved that. Probably.
"I only wanted to have a good fight and then rescue a princess."
Valerie blinked, lips pressing together slightly. "I wouldn't call myself a princess."
"I found you locked away inside a tower by your evil brother." I fixed her with a flat look. "Storybook princess."
There was a beat of silence, before she averted her eyes to the ceiling, a tinge of deep red dusting the tip of her ears. So cute.
Slightly bashful Valerie was simply adorable.
"Have you killed anyone aside from Marius?" she asked after a while, gaze meeting mine once more.
"His guards. I got stronger during the fight and hit them too hard at the end." Maybe they didn't deserve it, but they must've known about Valerie and the Grail. For that alone, I had no regrets.
Nothing would ever threaten her again. I'd make sure of it.
A quiet moment passed as Valerie's eyes searched my face for something.
"You are kinder than you let people believe."
My lips pursed. Saw right through me, huh?
I shrugged halfheartedly. "It's easier this way." Or, at least, it used to be, back home.
A sad smile came to Valerie's lips. "You see your kindness as a weakness, don't you?"
A sudden pang tightened my chest. I opened my mouth, only to close it after not even a moment. Valerie watched patiently as I struggled to string together my words.
"Yeah…" I trailed off, unsure of what else to say. Those would be just excuses anyway.
"I disagree," she spoke softly, yet with a glimmer of steel in her eyes. "Your kindness saved me after all."
"How are you so sure?"
"You had no obligation to take me with you."
That left me quiet, and I just lay there, looking at her.
I could justify it however I wanted, but in the end… she was right, wasn't she?
I stormed that castle because I wanted to save her.
"You are strong, Alex, but don't neglect your heart."
Her words echoed in my mind as she held my gaze, a smile, firmer and warmer than any she had shown me so far, brightening her face.
I smiled back, burning the sight into memory.
"You're right. The heart is a muscle, too."
Pin-drop silence followed my dumb joke as she stared at me, smile seemingly frozen, but, just as I started feeling the tip of my ears heat up, her lips twitched, and she quickly brought a hand to her mouth as a quiet chuckle escaped her.
"That's one way to view things, I suppose," she said, but I was too busy staring at her smile. This was the first time I'd heard her laugh ever since we'd met.
A flash of warmth filled my chest like a pleasant flame.
I wanted to hear it more.
My eyes went to the ceiling, seconds passing as we lay like that, lapsing into comfortable quiet. Today had been amazing, the only thing that could've made it even better was Valerie asking for some blood—
A jaw popping yawn interrupted my thoughts, and I reached for the covers, pulling them over my legs. Then I grabbed one of the spare pillows, hugging it to my chest as I took another glance at Valerie, meeting her scarlet gaze with a smile.
"Good night."
There was the briefest twitch on her lips before her eyes fluttered close. "Good night."
I watched her for a while longer, her peaceful face like a doll's, and then rolled on my side, closing my eyes, smile still in place.
It took me two years, but I finally found something truly precious in this godforsaken world.
Sweet dreams, Valerie.
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