Alicia's emerald eyes widened, hands trembling on my shoulders.
"You… You…!"
Ah. I guess this is it for me.
I could practically feel the rage radiating from her grip alone.
Sigh. —for the ?th time.
What am I even doing?
Ravenswood—now Ruben, though—just tell her the truth and save yourself!
Haaahhh.
But… would I still be safe?
If she realizes her own father orchestrated all this, she might just explode—literally.
But… I don't want that.
I don't care about the con artist, Bond.
I think I just don't want her to assume, even for a second, that her father abandoned her.
"Don't worry, Alicia…" I stopped walking. "Say what's on your mind—I'll take responsibility."
Her grip loosened a bit… then tightened again.
"…You promise…?" she asked.
…Wait. Does she mean if I promise to take responsibility by getting pummeled to death?
Because while she's still a novice, her raw strength is practically at my level, so if she goes berserk, I just might probably—definitely—die.
"…Yes." I sighed. "I'll take full responsibility."
"…Then…"
She hesitated.
"…I love you too, Wolfie!"
"…Woof?"
Alicia beamed. "Ah, to think my love wasn't unrequited all along!"
"…"
"All those years I spent with you in the basement—it paid off, didn't it?!"
"…"
"And to think your infatuation with me drove you to take a human form—probably to look like your beloved—and elope with me! Ahh, I'm so blesse—"
"That's not it." I cut in, my tone flat.
Alicia froze mid-rant.
"Your father asked me to take you away from Gihon—I mean, Earth—because of a war that started. That's all. This isn't what you think it is. I'm sorry for lying."
Silence.
Alicia went completely still.
And I started walking again.
…Hm? Why would I shatter a young maiden's delusions like that?
Simple—I sensed something unhinged about the way she jumps to conclusions.
I could feel it reaching a level I wouldn't be able to deal with anymore, so I trusted my gut and threw Bond under the wagon.
Selfish?
Guilty as charged.
"…So Wolfie does not… like me?" Alicia asked softly.
Sigh.
Moments like this, you have to clear every single doubt before things get bloody.
"Well, it's not like I don't like you or anything. But—ignoring the fact that I'm a Fenrir and you're a human—I don't see you in a romantic light."
"…So all those times I visited you in the basement?"
"I thought you were bullying me. Like, 'Boohoo! Come get me, you retarded wolf my father crushed!' kind of thing."
I could feel Alicia's magic running amok slowly.
…Hoh crap. Now I've done it.
"…That's not the case, though…" she whispered. Her voice had an eerie tremble. "…Wolfie…"
"Uhm… C-Can you call me Ruben?"
"Then… Ruby…"
Ruby?!
"Your breath reeks…"
Alicia stabbed me—verbally, but it felt just as fatal—then turned her face away like I was some sewer rat breathing heavily on her royal cheek.
Ahhhh.
I could feel it.
The power balance was shifting… in her favor.
I didn't stop walking, but I did feel petrified by that one phrase of hers.
It's not my fault!! I've been locked up for decades!
*
After about five hours of walking, I asked, "Hungry?"
No response.
I wasn't thrilled with her mood—considering I was the perpetrator—but it was way better than dealing with an emotionally wrecked teenage girl.
One I'd definitely not want to hurt back if she started swinging.
So, I put her down and brought out the bread anyway.
"…I'm not eating until you feed me."
Hahaha. Of course!
I'm the babysitter working for free now.
Reluctantly, I tore off a small piece of bread and held it up to her mouth.
"All right, say ah…"
Alicia's face turned bright red for a second, but she still took the piece, smiling to herself like this was some romantic moment.
Whatever. At least she was in a good mood again—
"Burp me!"
…Come again?
Now she was just trying to abuse me!
"C'mon, you're not a baby," I scolded. "Normally, you'd feed yourself. Aren't you like… fifteen?"
Alicia gasped. Then she pouted. "Never ask a lady her age, dummy!"
"Ah, forgive me!" I apologized.
Ehhhh? Was that a thing now?!
Apparently, inquiring about a lady's age is a no-go. Noted.
I have so much to learn!
Alicia tapped her chin, deep in thought. "Theeeeen…"
…She didn't even know what she wanted?!
I bet she was actively looking for something new to demand.
…Does she not miss home at all?!
Goodness!
Before she could get any bright ideas, I shoved another piece of bread into her mouth.
"Ough! Oiu wauu!"
Oh, God. Now she was talking with her mouth full.
Sorry, I don't speak "bread monster."
"Chew, then swallow," I reprimanded. "You're a lady, you know? You should carry yourself as one."
Bits of bread were slipping past her lips like she was some kind of rabid creature. Ugh.
I pulled out the piece of fabric called a handkerchief—Pluto told me to bite down on it whenever I got jealous, or something ridiculous like that.
Instead, I used it to wipe Alicia's messy mouth.
Tsk. Just as I suspected from a high-class, wealthy kid—she can't (or won't) do anything herself.
I'll have to teach her. Train her to… be… self-sufficient, to…
Sigh.
I think I'm getting the hang of this caretaker thing too much, and it depresses me.
What a pushover I've become.
"Hehe…" Alicia giggled.
Hm? Laughing at me, are we?
"…Is something wrong?" I asked, preparing another piece of bread.
"Not at all… I'm just happy, that's all."
"Happy?" I blinked. "Don't you miss home?"
Alicia tapped her cheek, pretending to think. "I… don't."
…Eh?!
"Maybe it's because I haven't had time to sit down and think about it yet," she mused. Then—her emerald irises locked onto mine. "And besides… I'm with the one I love. My heart is racing."
Ugh.
Can she quit that?
Why can't she see that I'm a Fenrir? This can't work—
Actually… it can.
But she's Bond's daughter.
What if that scheming rat planted some defense mechanism in her for the day I turned my leering eyes on her?
One can never be too careful.
Besides, she's still young. It's probably even normal for her to fall for her plush doll.
I take her seriously at my own risk.
But this Alicia…
She's really unfazed by all this, huh?
We were perched on a ten-foot-wide stone bridge, surrounded by an endless void of swirling cursed energy, stench of Sulphur and burnt air cramming the space.
And here she was—happily munching on bread and confessing her love like we were at a café.
Unbelievable.
Though, somehow, light was making it through, allowing Alicia to see.
I didn't need it, though.
What a carefree child.
And speaking of things that shouldn't be ignored—
We really needed to do something about her humongous magic power.
Right now, it was twenty times my own.
And mine was already about fifty times what a human could handle.
…And that was just with her power stabilized.
If she fully released it—
I'd probably witness another scene like before.
Any human or weak race nearby would be crushed under the sheer pressure and density.
If we walked into Pison like this, it would lead to something I really didn't want—
A massive headache.
So—
"Alicia, I want to teach you something," I said.
She jolted like I'd caught her off guard. "W-What?! W-Well… If it's you, Ruby, I don't mind. But please be gentle."
Can she quit this already?!
Ignoring her antics, I gave her a rundown of magic—its basics, the difference between spells and abilities, the fundamentals of control.
To my surprise, she was a fast learner.
So fast, in fact, that I actually enjoyed teaching her.
Her initial reluctance vanished the moment I said, "I'll give you a reward if you listen to me."
Then instant, full attention.
…Great.
Now, I just had to figure out what kind of reward would satisfy a high-class, rich girl.
I had stepped on a landmine, but for now—
Let's just leave the leg in and deal with it later.
At last, I explained how to suppress all that power.
And—
Well—