Beautiful days have a way of slipping by, moving as fast as a fugitive fleeing from justice.
Two days passed in a blur.
High hopes for that gift fueled the trip to Banatia's shop. Time usually drags when anticipation is high, but the excitement made every minute feel like an eternity.
That is the trouble with such emotions; they speed up the moments worth keeping and stretch out the ones spent waiting.
Finally, the shop came into view. Banatia was there, greeting the arrival with a bright, welcoming smile.
"Hello, Theo."
"Hey, Banatia."
Suddenly, the warmth vanished from her face. Her expression turned cold and business-like as she held out an open palm, demanding payment.
The gesture was clear, but the urge to tease her was too strong to ignore.
A small, playful smile appeared as a hand was raised. "I'd be honoured to kiss your hand like a knight, but as you can see, this knight is no longer available." A quick gesture toward the wedding ring followed.
Surprisingly, Banatia didn't even flinch. She just let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Save your twisted fantasies for your wife. Just give me the money."
Her words were blunt, but taking her seriously wasn't an option. The last meeting had been much the same.
Accepting the role of the one getting teased was part of the deal now, though the urge to fire back was hard to suppress.
This isn't a great feeling, the thought occurred.
Still, out of respect for the good days lately, the response remained unspoken.
With a bleeding heart, two Level 2 cores were pulled from the storage bracelet.
Those precious cores—the 'children' earned through blood and risk—were handed over far too easily.
Damn it. Merchants are truly the worst.
The moment the cores changed hands, that glowing smile returned to Banatia's face. It was annoying to see; my hard-earned treasures were the only reason for her sudden joy.
"At least show me some sympathy, girl," came the grumble. "Your friend here is in pain."
She paused for dramatic effect, then continued with that same bright look. "But... I'm just a friend. I'm not your wife. It's not my job to comfort you."
Enjoy your day, Banatia, I thought, suppressing the urge to snap back. It's your turn today.
With that radiant smile, she headed down into the shop's basement.
The sound of clattering echoed from below, but no attempt was made to follow. Shop basements are where the real secrets are kept, after all.
The wait stretched on until boredom started to set in.
The least she could do is offer a drink while I wait, the thought crossed my mind.
After a while, Banatia finally emerged. Her face was now shy, her walk hesitant as she hid something large behind her back.
She stopped nearby, looking almost bashful.
"Why are you walking like you're about to confess your love?"
She looked up, her eyes sparkling like polished pearls. She pressed a hand to her chest. "Mmm, Theo... are you sure you didn't pick this gift out for me?"
Huh?
For a second, the act almost worked.
She was good. Too good. If not for the memory of her cold expression earlier, it might have been convincing.
Without a word of hesitation, the gift was snatched from her hands. A quick turn followed, heading straight for the exit.
Banatia's face shifted into something far from elegant, but the shop door was already closing behind me.
What a greedy woman.
There was no time to check the gift yet. The carriage was waiting, and the palace was the only destination on the mind.
A deep breath was taken on the way home.
More than a week into the marriage now, and the balance between its beauty and its ugliness was becoming clear.
If not for those "manhood rituals," everything would be perfect. That one tradition was enough to make anyone resent the idea of marriage.
But even then, the idea of relationships outside of marriage was still disgusting.
Hearing lines like "I've loved you since we were kids" or "I'll die without you" always triggered a wave of nausea.
If the love is that strong, why not just get married?
It's understandable if the laws are unfair or if you're a vampire, but anything else? That's just being a hollow player.
The palace grounds finally appeared.
Sera wasn't there to greet the arrival as she had been doing lately.
Cold woman, the thought came. If you're only going to do it once, why start at all?
Memories of her bright smile after that first hunt felt like ages ago, even though it had only been a few days.
The carriage was unhitched quickly. The struggle of the workers in this job was finally clear. When will this month end so the servants can come back?
After leaving the horse in the stable, entry into the palace was quiet.
The day's catch was left in the kitchen—a black rabbit with vicious tusks and claws.
Who even came up with the name "rabbit" for that thing?
I headed to the room and began peeling off my clothes.
Meeting Sera looking like this wasn't an option. In a way, Banatia deserved credit; she must have endured that stench the whole time to try to steal the gift.
The credit for the smell went to that disgusting rabbit.
I feel sick just thinking about it.
Its primary weapon wasn't its claws or tusks. It was... a fart.
Yes, a fart.
Don't even ask about the scary look, the tusks, or the claws.
It was the first creature hunted without a shred of regret. Killing it felt like doing a favour for nature itself.
No taste, no hygiene, and zero shame. It was officially on the list of creatures that deserved extinction.
My wife has some heavy work ahead of her today.
Hopefully, Sera's skilled hands can cook that rabbit into something that at least tastes okay.