“LOOK at that. He’s started comforting himself. Stalling the guard was a complete success.”
“Yuuuuuck! I see nothing! I hear nothing! You can’t make meeee!”
Oswald was observing the drunk’s shameful act from the grove across the small river. Splotches of red suffused Nichika’s cheeks as she kept her back turned, her hands clamped over her ears, and shook her head with a vengeance. She nearly fainted just imagining that her moans were being used as material for some creep’s enjoyment.
Still watching the man, Oswald explained the witch’s item he used with a straight face. “The Echo Bird is a simple item that parrots what it hears. It’s the perfect tool for such an occasion as this.”
“Please don’t explain it. Let’s just go already!”
Nichika exploded to her feet and marched into the grove. She hit the bank on the other side in no time. She stomped her way up the incline shouting her outrage into the wind.
“What a jerk!”
Nichika was overwhelmed by the humiliation of being deceived by him yet again. Their entire makeout session had been a complete act. His sweet words, loving touch, and even his husky voice—all of it was fake!
“Stay with me forever.”
“…GAH!”
Willpower forced back the tears stinging her eyes as she looked back down the slope she stormed up. She yelled at the black shadow keeping a safe distance behind her.
“Why didn’t you explain your plan to me beforehand?! Demon! Devil! Brute! Pig!”
“Don’t you know the saying, ‘deceive your friends before deceiving your enemy’? Besides, what advantage is there in explaining it to you first? We can’t expect much out of you in the acting department.”
“How rude! I can do it if I—”
“Do it, then.”
She didn’t expect him to actually ask her to do it. After making a face like she was trying to solve the hardest math problem in the world, she exhaled a single sound.
“A-Ahaan.”
“PFT!” Oswald buckled over laughing, his entire body shook.
Offended, Nichika clenched her fists at her sides. “Hey! You’re the one who told me to do it!”
“PFFTT! Kukuku! Stop…I’ll die of laughter…” he got out between laughs.
“—!!”
Nichika stomped several steps over to him and punched him in the back. But her poorly done sound effect had him roaring with unstoppable laughter, he didn’t even care.
“I hate you!”
Oswald turned his eyes full of tears from laughing too hard on the girl’s angry back as she marched ahead of him. She really was a delight to tease. One poke and she sang back with retorts. He wondered when it was he last laughed this hard and his face soured when he realized he had never buckled over laughing before.
“……”
Though he was out to deceive her into getting into the mood, were the sweet words he whispered in her ear truly just an act? What about the desire that surged through him for her? Or the loving affection he felt when she clung to him?
…It can’t be real…right?
For better or worse, Oswald stopped thinking about it. He convinced himself that he got too into his role. He hurried after Nichika and suddenly had the unexplainable urge to pat her on the back of the head when she sullenly refused to look at him.
“Whoa?!” she cried out in surprise.
He didn’t hold back from roughly messing up her hair as if he were petting a big dog. “Don’t be mad,” he said in the same tone he would if he were addressing a child who was pouting in the corner after being scolded. “It’s partially your fault things turned out that way.”
“I know that. I’ll be careful next time…so—quit it, would you?!”
Oswald instinctively captured her hand when she tried to bat him away. When he stopped and closely studied her face, she groaned and turned red to the tips of her ears, their makeout session fresh in her mind. A part of Oswald found her reaction adorable—against his wishes.
“You’re just a toy.”
“Excuse me?”
That’s why he made himself clear. He needed her and the world to know that he would never become serious about this little girl. He needed to tell himself that.
“You’re my toy. A pet. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
“Now that’s one thing I’ll never do! And then you’re going to say you’re just keeping to your end of our bargain.” Nichika peeled his hand off her wrist and glowered at him.
That reminded Oswald of the day they gambled on whether or not they would form a master-apprentice relationship.
“One of these cards is the ace of spades. The other is a joker. I’ll bring you with me if you draw the ace.”
Truth be told, this shrewd man never intended for it to be a fair gamble. Taking advantage of the fact she couldn’t see the cards, he held up two jokers. He wanted to punch his past self in the face. He had nearly let go of the most interesting toy he had ever come across.
Lips curving into a smile, he asked, “Hey, Nichika, does the world move how you want it to?”
“What?”
Otherwise there was no other explanation for why the joker had transformed into an ace. Did she have the gods’—specifically, Ini’s—divine protection or something?
The girl gave it some thought before quietly replying, “…I don’t quite understand the intent behind the question, but things are going smoothly for me on the most part except for one thing.”
“One thing isn’t going your way? What’s that?”
Cheeks staining red, she shot him a killer glare and huffed, “Not saying! You’re the only person I’ll never, EVER tell!”
“Huh?”
“End of conversation! Less talking, more walking!”
Why am I the only person she won’t tell? A little annoyed, Oswald hurried after her and tenaciously pestered her about it.
“Oi, wait! How could you hide something from just your master? It’s something you will tell others, but not me?”
“You’re annoying. Don’t act like my master only when it’s convenient to you.”
“Why are you acting so funny today?”
“You’re the one acting funnier than me!”
Luck was about the only explanation for why none of the villagers noticed the odd couple loudly bickering in the fields.
✦ ✦ ✦
“THE imposter is staying here, right?”
They returned to the stage where they had been arrested that afternoon and stared up at the large mansion behind it. Their appearance, hard expressions and all, were covered with smoke that constantly changed color. As usual, it was the effect of Oswald’s Elusive Ball.
Confirming no one was around, Oswald placed his hand on her shoulder and urged her ahead. “Let’s go.”