“You knew he was sick... Are you an idiot?!”

  “I d-didn’t think he would....”

  “Of course you didn’t think; I can tell as much by looking at the both of you. We should call a doctor-”

  “But-”

  “No buts! What are you going to do if he doesn’t wake up again?!”

  Sincir groans. Forcing his heavy eyelids to open, he finds himself face to face with red eyes and a green face showcasing concern.

  “...Rez?”

  The red eyes widen.

  “Sin awake!” Rez shouts, turning away from him to look at what Sincir realizes are the two other people in the room, Esme and No.

  Seeing he is indeed awake, No releases an obvious sigh of relief. “Ancient Gods... I swear, you two need to learn how to tone it down a little.”

  Sincir clears his throat, smiling weakly at her as he props himself on his elbows. “It’s a party in here, huh?”

  No sighs. “Mr. Sincir, I’m gd to see you’re well... That being said, I know it’s your house, and you’re doing me a favor by allowing me to stay hidden here... But I beg of you, no more public sex or dangerous pys which may cause one of you to pass out.”

  Sincir smiles ashamedly. “Sorry... We didn’t mean to cause trouble for the both of you again today. We’ll tone it down for a while... Promise.”

  “It okay, Rez not bothered,” the half-goblin interjects, causing No to tense her jaw.

  “On another note, Mr. Sincir; I accept your wish to mock me by making me your maid, but must I work under this creature?”

  Rez snorts. “Curly slow and clumsy; If not, Rez treat her better.”

  Cheeks growing red, No points a finger at Rez. “That’s because I’ve never done housework before! Cursing at someone for every mistake they make is not a proper way to teach them something!”

  Rez shrugs. “Curly lucky not in tribe, or Rez use stick.”

  Seeing No’s expression darkening, Sincir decides to intervene before things escate. “Okay, the both of you, rex. No, we’ll talk after I’m dressed, all right? Wait for me downstairs. And Rez...”

  Facing the half-goblin’s eyes, Sincir snorts.

  “...Try to be a little nicer, okay?”

  Rez looks unsure, but she does nod. “Rez try... Curly probably compin, anyway.”

  “She does that a lot, doesn’t she?”

  “...We’ll be waiting downstairs,” No murmurs through clenched teeth.

  With the two of them gone, Sincir releases a small sigh, falling back against his pillow.

  His headache is finally gone, and he feels mostly recovered, if tired... Also, Esme had the presence of mind to cover him with a bnket before calling the girls, which means all in all, the day is finally looking up...

  ...Speaking of which.

  “Esme, come here.”

  Having been staring at the floor near the bed, Esme flinches. From the moment he woke up, she has yet to meet his eyes, and Sincir has the distinct impression she wants to run away and hide, maybe never to return.

  “...I-I should go down and grab some water for y-you-”

  “Don’t you dare; Come here, or I’ll go over to you.”

  Esme flinches again. It takes a while, but she does begin to move, slowly crawling over the bed until she is next to him.

  Seeing as she is still avoiding his gaze, Sincir rolls his eyes, then grabs her wrist and pulls her against his chest, causing Esme to yelp in surprise.

  “...Hey,” he says once their gazes finally meet, freezing her on the spot.

  Eyes growing teary, Esme quickly averts her face. “...D-don’t...” she murmurs under her breath, “I know what you’re going to d-do, and I don’t deserve i-it...”

  Sincir sighs. Rather than try to calm her down with words, he simply brings her closer and presses her shaking form against his chest while beginning to gently rub her skin, which cold to the touch, with his free hand.

  Esme sobs. “I-idiot! I t-told you n-not to!”

  “How long was I out for?”

  “I-I don’t k-know! A c-couple of h-hours! I-I t-thought...!”

  “Shh... I know. I’m sorry for passing out on you... It wasn’t your fault, I promise.”

  “S-shut u-up! W-who’d b-believe you when I was the one who tied you u-up and m-molested y-you?!”

  Sincir chuckles. “I offered myself, remember?”

  “S-stop! S-stop trying to make me feel better!” Esme screams through her tears.

  “No, this is your punishment... I’m going to hug you until you feel better.”

  “I-I h-hate you!”

  Sincir chuckles again. “That’s fine, you can hate me if that makes you feel any better...”

  Esme cries for a while, cursing at him the whole time... Now that he is mostly recovered, however, it is easy for Sincir to stop her from leaving in spite of her weak struggles...

  Her emotions do run their course eventually, though she still refuses to look at him even once her cry has subsided.

  “I’m serious, it used to happen all the time...”

  “S-shut up... I don’t believe you...”

  Gently brushing the back of his fingers against her wet cheek in order to fix a lock of her hair, Sincir chuckles. “It’s true. I have always had a bad habit of pushing myself far too much... Passing out after sex or parties was common enough, if unbecoming of my position. You don’t need to feel guilty about what happened, though I understand why you did... I promise I’ll be more careful in the future.”

  Esme sniffs. “Are you really telling the truth?”

  “Of course. One of my subjects - her name was Salmorol - she was always chewing me out for pushing myself too far... In a way, she reminds me of you a little, if less perverted, ironically enough.”

  Esme finally looks at him, though she does so in order to throw him an incredulous look. “Does that mean she wasn’t a succubus?”

  Using a wind spell to levitate a nearby piece of cloth toward his hand, Sincir presses it against Esme’s nose, who obediently blows into it.

  “No, she was... But she was a bit different from most. While she didn’t exactly hate sex, seduction and love games weren’t her favorites.”

  “Was she...?”

  “One of my lovers? Yes. But we weren’t together officially... My choice, as you may have guessed.”

  Esme takes a deep breath, snuggling against his chest as she does so. Finally, she seems to have calmed down.

  “Why not? You seem to like her well enough...”

  Sincir shifts his gaze away from hers.

  “...I see. Does that have something to do with your first love? The one you had to kill?”

  “In part... I went through many retionships since then, most of which I used to further my own goals or fend my boredom...”

  Esme presses her hand against his chest, bringing Sincir to meet her gaze once more.

  “I know I’m not the smartest when it comes to these things, but here is what I think; I think you avoided the women who you thought might cause you to fall for them, and sought the ones who you knew you’d never fall for.”

  Sincir smiles sadly; Truly, he wishes he could deny her words, but he can think of at least a half a dozen times where Varzath distanced himself from potential lovers or ended retionships because he thought they were growing too attached to him... Or him to them.

  Love is a curse... It seems whether he wanted to admit it or not, Ig'droren’s words stayed with him in the end.

  “...Don’t worry, I’m over it now,” Sincir tells Esme, once he notices her staring at him with obvious concern.

  She nods. “You should go down. I feel sorry for No... We put her through quite a bit these past two days.”

  Sincir inspects her expression, looking for signs of a further mental breakdown.

  Esme grimaces. “I’m fine! Or, well, I’ll be, after I cry myself to sleep once or twice...”

  Sincir sighs. “You’re way too harsh on yourself, but I suppose we can’t cuddle forever... Go rest for now. I know you had a terrible night of sleep because of me.”

  In spite of her words, Esme has an obvious expression of regret once he kisses her and pulls away in order to search for his clothes.

  She watches him dressing in silence, her eyes showcasing some lingering worry Sincir can’t help but to sigh over.

  “Rex, I really am better now...” To demonstrate his point, he cast a cleaning spell over his skin and clothes, shuddering as the awful sensation washes over him, then evaporating the water used for the spell as he smiles at her. “See?”

  Esme throws him a look of exaggerated jealousy. “I know it feels awful, but I might never bother to bath again if I knew how to do that...”

  Sincir rolls his eyes. “Trust me, the novelty wears off a lot quicker than you’d expect...”

  While hugging his pillow and pressing her face against it, Esme hums, looking unconvinced. “Maybe.”

  “Listen, I think Adrienne will be here soon for our date, so I might not come up again before leaving... See you ter?”

  Esme sighs. “I guess... Don’t do anything to her you wouldn’t to me, okay? Love you.”

  Sincir smiles. “Love you.”

  Having said his goodbyes, Sincir heads down for his promised talk with No, and it doesn’t take long for him to find her; Sitting over their living room couch, she stares daggers at him from the moment he shows up at the top of the stairs until he is standing near the living room’s entrance, where he leans his shoulder against the wall and smiles at her...

  ...Their staring contest sts for a good minute before she finally gives in and sighs.

  “I wish I had known you were a sex addict when I accepted you help, Mr. Sincir.”

  “Sex is fun, and I like it more than most; Guilty as charged. Would that have made you look for help elsewhere?”

  “No... My options were rather thin at the time, I’m afraid, or I wouldn’t have resorted to such drastic measures.”

  His smile withering slightly, Sincir throws her a look of sympathy; Even know, her back is straight as she sits over their couch, and her expression one of pride, denouncing her upbringing at a first gnce...

  He sighs. “I’m sorry. I promise I’m doing the best I can to find your father-”

  No shakes her head. “The amount of progress you’ve made in these past few days speaks for itself, and I understand that a hostage situation is never simple to handle... I can’t ask you to throw away your life for a man you’ve never met, so I’m not upset by your carefulness while handling the matter. I dare not to hope my father is still alive... But if he is, I can only assume these cultist have pns for him, and that he’ll remain so for a while longer.”

  Sincir nods. “Thank you for understanding... How are you doing?”

  No averts her gaze. “I have been better... Having something to do, however infuriating said task may be, helps somewhat.”

  Well, he was about to offer letting her off the hook on the housework, but it seems there is no need...

  “That’s good to hear. Listen, if you ever need some time outside, let me know, and I’ll arrange something... It might be risky, but now that we know who we’re dealing with, we can prepare much better for the possibility of you being uncovered.”

  No stares at him with surprise for a moment, then nods. “I’ll keep it in mind... Thank you.”

  His talk with No being done, Sincir considers what do to until Adrienne arrives, then ends up shaking his head and smiling. “Say, do you mind if we chat for a while? I’m waiting for a date, and I don’t have much to do before she arrives.”

  Again, No stares at him with surprise. “No, I suppose I don’t mind it... Do you usually leave your girlfriend at home to have dates with other women?”

  Sincir snorts. “Only if they’re cool with it.”

  With this, he sits next to No and chats for a while, asking about her life as a noble woman in a decaying house, to which she compins about the difference in treatment she receive before and after disaster befell her house...

  “...This might sound whinny, but I used to be surrounded by attention, and then, nothing... It’s so obvious they only cared for our money and power that I can barely stand to look at their faces today, but I still need to pretend cordiality whenever we meet... That is, whenever they’re forced to invite us to some official event,” No expins, her voice denouncing her vitriol in spite of her neutral expression.

  “No, I understand why you’d come to hate them in your situation... I bet you’d have them all parading naked thought the city, if you could, huh?”

  No blushes slightly, causing Sincir to ugh.

  “Wow, really?”

  Throwing him a dirty look, she sighs. “In ancient Krador, soon after the country was founded, it was common to have petty criminals walk the streets naked, as punishment for their crimes... I always thought it was a more humane way to handle the situation than having them executed, mangled, or tortured.”

  Sincir raises an eyebrow. “Is that why..?”

  No gres at him. “Yes. Now, if Mr. Sincir could promise me to never bring the subject up again...”

  Sincir ughs. “I confess, in the beginning, I was convinced you were a closeted pervert... But now I realize you’re just normal weird. Sorry.”

  No grimaces. “Then may I know how would Mr. Sincir handle an orphan who has stolen bread to survive starvation?”

  Again, Sincir raises an eyebrow. “I certainly wouldn’t have them walk the streets naked for that... Maybe a couple of years working under a bread maker to pay for their crimes, followed by an official apprenticeship as a reward for having done their time obediently? Of course, one may have to handle the situation differently depending on the resources avaible to them... If the popution of one’s kingdom is starving, that is a rulers fault, is it not?”

  Seemingly taken aback by his immediate answer, No simply stares at him for a moment, before speaking again, “What... What about a man who has killed his wife?”

  This time, Sincir considers her question. Demons seldom have wives or husbands, but them killing each other was a common enough problem during Varzath’s time as a Demon Lord, and although he had others handle such boring matters more often than not, the final call was still his...

  “...In the case of such a grave crime, I’d probably suggest exile. If they had some sort of provable, understandable reason to do it, then they might be able to take some of their possessions with them, and if not... Well, money is money, and a kingdom could always use more of it. Also, in case they are able to prove they were defending themselves, and that they didn’t do something to warrant the attack to begin with, they might escape punishment altogether... Volunteering their memories for inspection usually makes for a quick way to prove someone innocent.”

  No blinks. “That’s... A reasonable answer, actually. Please forgive me for asking such strange questions all of a sudden.”

  Leaning against the couch as he nonchantly rests his arm over its back, Sincir waves his hand dismissively. “Your father worked as judge, no? I remember you mentioning something simir before... You must ponder these types of questions often.”

  No smiles. “I-indeed... I’m surprised you remembered.”

  Sincir snorts. “Well, it was a memorable experience... Having to jump into a river to save you, and all that. I doubt I’ll forget it any time soon.”

  “I’d have been thankful if you forgot that part, actually,” No murmurs under her breath.

  Sincir ughs. “I’m just gd I was still around to save you when it happened... I’d have felt pretty bad if I heard the news ter, knowing I was the st person you talked to.”

  No averts her eyes. “I... I’m also gd you were still there, Mr. Sincir.”

  Sincir rolls his eyes. “Then drop the mister already... I don’t feel like calling you Miss No or Lady No every time we talk.”

  Throwing him a sidelong look, No frowns. “Tittles are important, Mr. Sincir.”

  “I don’t disagree... But I feel you’re just trying to distance yourself from me by using them as an excuse. And besides, mister is hardly my appropriated tittle.”

  “Which would be?”

  Sincir smiles at her. “I know you’ve been avoiding the topic of my real identity these past few days... Are you asking me for the truth right now?”

  No closes her eyes briefly, then sighs and looks away from him. “We share a professional retionship, Mr. Sincir... I can’t afford anything else at present.”

  “You’re afraid of what you may find out about the man you’re trusting with both yours and your father’s life...” Sincir surmises, “Well, I don’t bme you. But if you ever change your mind, just ask one of the girls. I trust you to keep a secret, and you have your ring to protect you from mind reading.”

  No looks at him, inspecting his expression, then sighs. “Me. Sincir is too trusting.”

  Sincir shrugs. “You’d have little to gain from betraying me, and in my experience, being paranoid seldom works in one’s favor over the long run... That’s to say, I like to enjoy life, rather than simply surviving the experience. What about you? You seem to trust Daniel a whole lot, in spite of his drinking habits.”

  Something fshes through No’s expression over the mention of her knight, quickly disappearing as her brown eyes regain their usual coolness. “Sir Daniel’s father died in service of my family... He is the reason me and my father were able to escape with our lives during the outbreak which killed the rest of my family, and his son should have every reason to hate us, but instead, he bmes himself for not being there to protect me, even if he was too young to swear his oath at the time.”

  “Ah... I see. Was he raised to become your knight since he was a child?”

  No smiles sadly. “Yes, he was... I worry he’ll wake up one and realize I’m the reason his father is dead, but so far, it hasn’t happened... So, you see, he might be my knight, but I have no right to criticize how he spends his free time...”

  Realizing he is smiling, No stops and frowns at him.

  “What? Did I say something funny?”

  “No... It’s that you seem certain you’ll wake up one day with his sword against you neck; You desire it, even, for the sake of quenching your guilty conscience.”

  No’s frown deepens. “You’re not wrong... But I missed the part which is supposed to make you smile.”

  Sincir chuckles. “Miss No, do you care to make a bet with me?”

  No narrows her eyes at him. “If it’ll take that smile from your face after I win, then yes; What are you suggesting?”

  Sincir grins at her. “I bet that next time you see your beloved knight, he’ll have quit his drinking habit, and that he’ll make a certain request of you... And before you accuse me of cheating, these are truly mere guesses; I don’t know if it’ll really happen, but if and when it does, you’ll know he is being genuine.”

  No frowns. “Your guess is too vague. I could see him quitting, at least temporarily, because of my disappearance, and a request to me could mean anything.”

  “A very personal request; I can’t be more specific than this, or it’d ruin the surprise.”

  No sighs. “Daniel almost never asks anything personal of me... Very well, I can agree to these terms for a bet, under the conditions that you didn’t instruct him on what to do and say before it happens, and that it only counts for the very first time we meet after this conversation.”

  Well, he did push things along a little... But he didn’t tell Daniel what to do, exactly. Honestly, there is a good chance he’ll be proven wrong still, so the bet is a fair one...

  “...I did advise him to quit his drinking habit st time we talked,” Sincir confesses, “But I don’t know if he has done it yet or not. As for the request he might make of you, it truly is a mere guess... Call it experience in the field, if you will.”

  “...Fine. What do you wish for as your prize?”

  Sincir shrugs. “Nothing much... If I win, I want you to accept his request, regardless of your immediate feelings on the matter, and call me from whatever I tell you to from thereon.”

  No frowns. “That’s it? And you’re certain that you did not instruct him to do this?”

  Sincir fakes an offended expression. “I didn’t! Have some faith in me... This will be his own idea, and if you ask him, he’ll tell you he had been thinking about it before we ever met.”

  After a moment of unblinkingly sustaining his gaze, No finally sighs. “I can only guess at what sort of delusions you’re under, but knowing Daniel for my entire life, I can assure you it won’t happen... And when I win, I want a proper apology from you, plus a promise that you’ll not tease me for what happened during our first three meetings anymore.”

  Sincir snorts. “An apology for which thing?”

  No grimaces. “The... Everything.”

  He ughs. “Fair. Do we have a deal, then?”

  “We do.”

  Not long after his bet with No was made, Sincir hears a knock against the door. Saying her goodbye, he leaves to attend it, finding Adrienne on the other side, as expected.

  “Hey...” he greets her, “I didn’t manage to wake up today on time to see you off... I wasn’t sure you were going to show up.”

  Adrienne is just as tall as he remembers, wearing a sleeveless, short bck dress and boots of the same color. Compared to her outfit the previous night, it is clear she dressed herself up this time, and her short bck hair is tied in knot above her head, highlighting her strong features... All in all, she is stunning.

  “It’s fine... I was told you were having a hard time of it by one your girlfriends. I wasn’t sure you were going to be up for it either.”

  Sincir smiles at her. “It looks like we could both use a good distraction tonight... I would offer you my arm, but you just had to wear heeled boots, didn’t you?”