Horeo sighed and raised his hand, waving it around nonchalantly, speaking in a heartwarming voice while the orbs of golden light appeared one after the other around him, all ready to strike at his command.

Everyone’s eyes were literally glued to him, as despite his lighthearted tone and manners – or maybe because of them – his words were as grave as they could get.

”Considering that we already have everyone important enough to be able to make such a decision, shall we vote for what option should be chosen?”

*###########*

The gold-haired young ma asked and a dozen orbs launched an instantaneous attack that engulfed the part of the table that the king and queen were sitting by, not giving them – or anyone really – any time to react at all.

”…?!”

But the attack didn’t wipe them out as it should.

Instead, it was stopped by a tall, indifferent-looking woman, who actually – after closer inspection – had shared a lot of facial features with Horeo and his father.

”L-l-lady Bellcephora…?!”

The king who had fallen off of his chair gasped and stuttered, looking up at the back of the tall woman, shaken both because of the attack and the sudden appearance of the progenitor of his enitre family.

”This is not how things should be – I didn’t interfere so much with the current timeline, to let you throw all that hard work straight into the dumpster.”

The woman didn’t shout, nor did her voice tremble from any sort of emotion as both her face and her voice remained completely calm…

…but she was most certainly furious, the aura surrounding her and the pressure her presence alone was putting on everyone in the meeting room was too bloodthirsty for it to be any other way.

Not to mention, that she wasn’t talking to Horeo and none of the seated high nobles but…

To Zoemi.

Then, Bellcephora raised her hand and the air became oddly stale and the black-haired boy felt as if his body froze in place.

”…?!”

Zoemi once more experienced the extremely odd sensation of seeing things from two completely separate points of view – and realized that the time had stopped.

With everyone else completely motionless, Bellcephora walked towards the black-haired boy and raised her index finger, pointing it in the center of his forehead.

”Now. Look at this – this is the path you have to follow to fully complete our master’s wish.”

She declared and lightly tapped the boy in front of her.

——–

|What is this…?|

Zoemi thought, and his thoughts echoed through the endless darkness.

|Little ones…?|

He asked, but there was no answer aside from his own words returning to him.

|Well this is awkward… what am I supposed to see here? Or did she kill me and the whole talk was some lousy bull**?|

Zoemi sighed, trying to look around but with murky darkness pressing onto him from all directions, there was no real sense of motion and it was simply impossible to tell whether he was actually turning or not.

|This is pretty annoying…|

|Tell me about it…|

Zoemi complained to himself and his own voice responded to him – but not as an echo, but with a properly constructed sentence.

|Oh, it’s you, mister original personality. Long time no hear.|

Zoemi took a guess and went with it, asking in a casual tone although he had no guarantee that it was really the voice of the old artificial soul.

|Hello, mister owner of the body. Please, excuse Bellcephora for her actions. She is almost as worried about our master as I am.|

And as it turned out, he was entirely correct as his voice responded apologetically to him.

|…of course you know who she is… Anyway. To grant her the forgiveness you are talking about, I first need to learn what she did to me, Where are we?|

Zoemi breathed out and asked, once again trying to look around in the world where motion wasn’t even a proper concept.

|We are in your head – that’s why I can talk to you freely like this. As for what Bellcephora is doing… She wants to show you this.|

The original personality responded calmly and all of a sudden something akin to a TV screen showed up right in Zoemi’s vision, causing the boy to close his mouth and furrow his brows at the scenes playing out in it.

He saw himself and the people he knew in situations that he certainly had no memory of ever getting into.

Well, most of the situations, at least…

~~~~~~~~~~

*************

~~~~~~~~~~

*thump*

”Nnn…? Eh…?!”

Miriette rubbed her sleepy eyes and lazily raised her head over the pillow to check for the sound of the noise.

Her eyes widened with surprise and she woke up completely when she saw Zoemi sprawled out on the floor by her bedside.

The black-haired boy was clutching the mattress – or rather the bedsheet alone – with one hand and he was looking around disoriented.

”Pffft…! Ahaha! Geez, Zoemi, you rolled off the bed? You are such a child sometimes!”

Miriette covered her mouth with three fingers and was giving her best to not giggle too hard.

”I-… What…? Why did I…?”

Zoemi gasped and slowly started getting up from the floor, and then he looked at Miriette.

”Ah! Miri! I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”

He blushed and sat at the edge of the bed.

”Oh, you know… You did change our morning routine but having a laugh at the start of the day isn’t so bad.”

Miriette hummed and laid back down, she hugged the pillow and peeked at Zoemi from above it.

”What happened? Did you have a bad dream?”

She smirked and asked curiously.

”I… I can’t really remember… there was something about you, and there was something dangerous there, and I think I couldn’t move…”

Zoemi frowned and his forehead wrinkled when he tried to recall the nightmare.

”Aww, don’t worry, it’s only a dream. You will always protect me, as only you can.”

Miriette reassured him in a sweet voice.

”Hmhmhm…!”

Zoemi smiled and reach his hand towards her head, Miriette smiled and stretched her neck to meet his palm and giggled without opening her mouth while Zoemi was gently petting her cheek.

”I’m afraid, Miri. I couldn’t protect you from getting abducted… What if I fail again…? What if…?!”

”Shush!”

Zoemi was confessing his worries but Miriette stopped him, supporting herself on one arm and pressing her index finger to his lips.

”Silly boy, it was you who found and saved me, right? I believe in you. You will always protect me.”

Miriette’s smile was full of self-confidence and pride and her eyes were filled with warmth.

”…Right… if you are that worried, you should just get stronger, when you will become the strongest, nothing would be able to hurt me.”

But then she frowned for a moment, her expression got darker, and her last words sounded as if she forced herself to say them against her own opinion.

”Miri…?”

Zoemi tilted his head and asked in a worried voice.

”…”

Miriette hid behind the pillow refusing to answer.

”Whoa, look at the time! It’s still way too early for you to be up! Though I should start getting ready…”

Zoemi check the time on his pocket watch and he whistled surprised.

”…Hnnnnn!”

In response, Miriette put away the pillow and stretched her arms open towards him.

”Miri?”

Zoemi blinked in confusion.

”Hnnnn…!”

Miriette frowned in response and shook her open arms.

”My lady…?”

But Zoemi, whether because he was sleepy or maybe still bothered by the distressful dream, couldn’t guess her intention.

Miriette pouted and glared at him.

”Love me!”

She demanded angrily, shaking her arms again for a greater effect.

”Pffft-hah, haha!”

Zoemi couldn’t hold back and snort.

Miriette’s cheeks swelled dangerously and her glare sharpened, but then Zoemi slid across the mattress straight into her embrace.

With her goal achieved Miriette smiled and snuggled into him like a love-struck kitten starved for attention, and rubbed her cheek into Zoemi’s chest.

”Stay.”

She asked sweetly, making Zoemi melt over her adorableness.

”But Miri, I train with Grazio every day, I think I overreacted yesterday and I should apologize to him. Oh, and Ehmi’s attendant got hurt so someone has to make her food and…”

”Stay…!”

Zoemi was trying to explain to Miriette that he had to go but she locked him into a tight embrace, she even wrapped her legs around him, and stubbornly shut her eyes.

”Today is a free day for everyone! They will understand, so stay with me…!”

”Miri…”

Zoemi sighed even though his face couldn’t stop smiling over the cuteness he was witnessing.

That’s my Miriette, everyone has a free day… Does she even realize that this ‘everyone’ she’s talking about encompasses only the students and teachers? Attendants and other servants and cooks had to work like always…

”My spoiled little lady…”

Zoemi hugged her lovingly and kissed the top of her head.

”Zoemi… Don’t go to them and just stay with me… Please…?”

Miriette stopped facing the other way and instead raised her head, rested her chin on Zoemi’s chest, and looked up at him with a sad and pleading expression.

She brought her heaviest guns, and let’s be honest, Zoemi’s resolve stood no chance.

”As you wish.”

He answered and kissed her rosy lips.

”Ohohoho…!”

Miriette’s usual ojou-sama laughter changed into a low satisfied giggle.

”I win.”

She breathed out with satisfaction and her tense body relaxed.

”Does any other outcome even exist to you?”

Zoemi teased her playfully.

”No. It does not.”

A straight-up answer was delivered with unwavering confidence, making Zoemi burst into laughter.

Then…

*KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*