Leaving the ruined structure, he did not have to think long to figure out where he was. After all, he had been living in this district for a month already.
And why did she drag me here and leave?
Looking around for Ais.
– We missed such a chance.
Kane said in disappointment. But he ignored him and headed towards home.
– Do you think she's planning something?
– How should I know?
– Maybe she didn't expect to lose her temper so easily herself. – He whispered, noticing golden hair out of the corner of his eye. Without thinking, he ran. He knew his chances of escaping were slim, but still, Kopii hoped:
«Maybe luck is on my side.»
Looking at the sky with hope, but he knew that luck was almost always against him.
– Hey, wake up, you've already been caught.
– I know.
He whispered, feeling the Sword Princess squeezing his arm. Looking at him with a strange gaze.
– Why are you looking at me? It's just thoughts out loud.
He said in frustration, because he was in her hands again.
– Kopii, this is a second chance, act! Come on, about my proposal – sex for information! Come on, don't hesitate, we'll win from this situation. Come ooon!
Ignoring Kane, looking attentively at Ais, who was leading him back to that structure by the hand like a little child.
– Why are we going there again? It's getting dark; I don't want to spend the night there.
Stopping, she looked back at him. Under her gaze, he felt awkward.
– Well, I mean, maybe we could go to my place? It's not far.
He knew this might be a bad decision, but he wanted to end this situation as quickly as possible. But after his words, she just kept silently looking at him, holding some kind of bag in her right hand. But the longer her silence continued, the more he thought she would refuse.
– …
– …
Time passed, but there was still no answer from her, only a silent gaze; unable to bear it, he opened his mouth, but before a word could fly out, she preempted him.
– Alright.
– Then let's not waste time.
Turning his back to her and starting the path to his now home. On the way, he hoped for only one thing: that the situation would not get worse.
– Good job, Kopii! You started acting, and I thought you were ignoring me again, but you had your own plan. How could I not have guessed right away? You turn out not to be as pitiful as I thought. You've risen in my eyes.
Kane said with joy, which irritated him. He could not answer him while the Sword Princess was nearby. He felt how she was burning a hole in his back with her gaze.
– Here we are.
Starting to descend into the basement, and she followed him. Sitting down on the bed, she sat to his left. They just stared into the void; no one spoke, and only the sounds of her eating could be heard.
– Well, are you going to sit here like this?
Turning to her and watching her eat.
– Yes, until you tell me.
– I've already told you everything.
Finally paying attention to him, her eyes said that he had no choice but to tell the truth, which saddened him, but he did not show it. He no longer knew how to solve this problem. He had told the whole truth he knew, but she did not believe him; she wanted her own truth, wanted to hear what she needed.
«Maybe I should just try a different approach?» – he thought, pondering what to say next.
– Come ooon, Kopii, why are you just sitting there? Did you seriously invite her here for this? Seriously? I take back those words; you've fallen in my eyes again to the level of nothingness.
But however hard he thought, Kane interfered with him every second.
Looking at the impassive face of the Sword Princess, she just kept eating. The more he looked at her, the more he wanted to eat.
«Where did she even get those from?»
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
«I haven't eaten anything today.» – Kopii thought, watching as the Sword Princess ate more and more. How does so much fit in her? – he wondered.
– Can I try some?
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
Unable to bear how deliciously she was eating, he said with hope in his voice. But she, continuing to look at him, did not stop for a second.
«Ignored.» – he thought, saddened by this fact, but at that very second, she placed the bag between him and her, so that he could also eat, or not, he did not understand.
– Can I eat some?
– Yes.
And now there were only two sounds in the room: the sounds of chewing. He did not know what to say. It turned out Kane was right; his communication skills with the opposite sex were too poor. But to tell the truth, his communication was poor with anyone.
– You will sit here until I say so.
– Yes.
– And why do you think I'm lying? Just because you don't remember that day?
– I remember everything.
– No, you don't remember everything. I wasn't alone back then.
– Alone.
She interrupted, putting another piece in her mouth. Looking at this scene with an empty gaze, he felt that this was only the beginning of his problems.
«You bastard, Raven!»
Blaming his dead friend for the whole situation. He unconsciously reached for a piece, but felt only emptiness.
– …ate it all.
Looking with disappointment at the empty bag, he did not know what it was, but it was tasty, and most importantly, free. But even so, he was grateful to her, at least for that.
– Yes.
– Maybe it's time for you to go home? It's getting dark.
– Nooo, Kopii, what about a night of passion? Think carefully, you must keep her here by all means, not the opposite! Don't fall any lower in my eyes.
– I…
– It's nothing, don't worry that I'll run away. This is my second home, after all, and you know where the first one is. I have nowhere to go, so you can go home.
Before she could say anything, Kopii interrupted her, saying this in the most confident voice he could muster. It was, of course, a lie; he could stay at the orphanage, he was one hundred percent sure they would be glad to see him. And to tell the truth, he could just leave Orario altogether.
– …
– …
– …
– Alright.
«How naive.»
Getting up and heading for the exit, but she turned around and said one last thing:
– Don't run.
– Thanks for the food, Sword Princess!
He shouted after her, rejoicing that he could be alone with his thoughts. Or so he thought?
– You've fallen in my eyes, Kopii. With every day, I doubt more and more that we can be one whole. Almost everything about us is the same, but why am I so perfect, and you're so… I can't even describe you. For someone like you, even "pathetic" sounds like praise.
– Enough, you think about this all day.
– Because I don't hide from myself what I really want.
– Do you think she'll come tomorrow? I think she calmed down. She probably believed me… I hope.
– Who needs you anyway?
– Who am I even asking? It's my own fault, – sighing, he headed to the bed.
– We'll find out tomorrow.
The next morning, he got up and wrote a note that he was going to the dungeon. He did not want to anger the Sword Princess, for he was completely in her hands. If she wanted to kill him, no one would stop her; no one would even know about it, so it was better not to anger her.
– Do you think she's waiting?
– Who needs you?
– No, I'm asking seriously.
– Well, how should I know?
– …
– Hi, Kopii.
Smiling sweetly, Syr greeted him. The more he looked at Syr's beautiful face, the more he was fascinated by her.
"Don't trust her."
Remembering Raven's words about her, he could not disagree. After all, he had always felt something strange about her.
– Hey, Kopii, are you here?
Waving her hand in front of him.
– Yes, sorry, I was just thinking… noodles, please.
– Just noodles, nothing else?
– Yes, just noodles.
– Alright.
– Hey, wait.
He had almost forgotten the purpose of his visit. He wanted to confirm that he had not been alone that time, to prove that he was right and the Sword Princess was not.
– Remember when I was here last time?
– Ah, yes, of course.
At her answer, he felt satisfaction, smiling a little at the thought that his misunderstanding with the Sword Princess would soon be resolved.
– Then you remember that I wasn't alone back then. Well, me and Raven.
– …if I remember correctly, you were alone back then.
– …what, you don't remember Raven?
– Raven? Is that your friend, Kopii?
– What?
– Hey, where are you, Syr!? – Someone shouted from the kitchen.
– I'm coming.
She did not notice Kopii's surprised face, who followed her with a gaze full of confusion.