Strange Things
"So, how long do I have to stay with you?"
"Until all suspicions on your head are cleared."
In the corridors that spanned endlessly, two people conversed infront of two huge wooden doors.
Of course, by the pattern of speech and the topic of conversation, it was obvious who they were.
The man, who looked more like a boy due to his soft features stood with both his hands on his hips.
And the woman, who also looked too young to be called so, was standing right beside him.
The talk in the room had just concluded and they had been standing outside of the doors of the dining hall.
Reinhard had left with the screaming Felt who had been dragged off like a
kitten for the grueling practice called, studies. She did tried to beg Merlin to save her from that fate but all that the poor Merlin could do was admire the designs on the walls.
He almost felt bad for her but soon remembered that he still had a grudge of having been kicked in the ass as soon as he had woken up.
After those two, the young twins, Grassis and Flam, also bid them farewell before returning to their respective tasks as the maids of this manor.
Now Adelheid and Merlin stood here alone.
"…So what are we supposed to do now?"
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Aren't you the one supposed to be my captor?"
"Captor is a bit harsh. I am merely someone positioned here to ensure that you're not some lunatic who'll ruin the kingdom."
"So my privacy and freedom of movement will be heavily restricted?"
"Exactly!"
"Then isn't that what a captor is?!"
What should he have even expected of this girl? Oof.
"But, about what to do now--" Adelheid began. "--I do believe it'd be for the best if you take this day lightly."
Merlin raised an eyebrow at that. "Lightly?"
"What I meant was, you should use this day to rest plentily because the next coming days might not be so easy for you."
There was a dangerous glint in the eyes of Adelheid as she spoke, accompanied with the upward curve that her lips was making.
It was a dangerous look and Merlin definitely did not liked that at all.
"Hey what do you mean by that? What's that supposed to mean??? Hey. Hey! Stop ignorin' me and say! HEY!--"
*****
Well the rest of the day went mostly with me staying in my room/bed and the occasional visits of Adelheid. Even Felt sometimes decided to barge into the room but it was mostly because she wanted to escape her studies. Nevertheless Reinhard always had to drag her back to her room. But in that, me and Rein got a lot of chances to talk.
From his mannerisms, it was pretty easy to see that he was a good person. A bit too humble but good.
I also heard that from Flam and Grassis who came to get me for dinner, that number of times Felt has tried to escape the mansion was more than what could be counted on 4 hands.
Yikes. Poor girl. Wait! Hah! Serves her right!
But leaving that matter aside.
The moon sure is big in this world isn't it?
That was the thought of Merlin who was staring silently outside the window, sitting peacefully beside it on a chair.
The silver of the light painted the entire room in a colour Merlin could never even begin to replicate on paper.
It was one of his most favourite hobbies. Gazing at the full moon and the tiny stars sparkling beside it.
But even in this ethereal moment, Merlin hadn't forgotten what he was here for.
The moonlight had only been lighting his upper half, while the lower half of his body remained in the shadow.
Soon, the shadow on his lap started to swirl and form a blobbly living mass of something very cute and beautiful, with just a very tiny but bright dot of white on the part of her body that Merlin had assumed to be the face of this slime. "Chyu!"
"Yo" Eyes tender with warmth, Merlin extended his index finger towards the little shadowy slime as if it were just a tiny little cat.
Merlin did have questions about this little thing.
What is it—no no no, What is she?
How is she moving as if she was a being with consciousness?
The quantity of those question was far more than what his mind could actually think about in words. But its cuteness was also way too endearing for Merlin to doubt her like that.
Even if that attitude was called naïve by the world, that was just who Merlin was.
The little shadow, as if sensing his intentions of feeling her, darted towards it and.....headbutted it?
Oh nevermind, she was simply too excited to be with him that she quite literally jumped towards the finger. And here she was now rubbing the part of her body that appeared to be her face against his finger like it was her favourite pillow. "Chyuuuunn~"
"Aahhhh~ so cute!" Now when one sees such a beautiful little sight of affection, they can NOT be blamed if they just suddenly scoop it up in their palms and start to nuzzle their cheeks against her tiny little face.
Such was the case with Merlin currently, who was furiously adoring her in the most childish way possible. And what was even more surprising that she was matching his energy with a constant purring sound.
She was liking this quite a bit.
After Merlin was finished with his "little" act of love and care, he pulled his hands away from his face which earn a "Chyaaaa" of dissatisfaction from her upon being separated from his skin's warmth.
"Now now," Merlin smiled weakly, a bit troubled by her clinginess but finding her act of annoyance adorable anyways.
"I really would love to cuddle you all day….ah no can't do that all day, can't we. You were refusing to show yourself during the day...you aren't a vampire by any chance are you?"
"Cshaaaaaa!" She hissed in mild anger at him.
"I guess not then." Merlin shrugged his shoulder, pleased with her reaction.
"...cha?"
"Hah….you see through me well don't you? I get it…but aren't I forgettin' one important thing?"
The shadow slime tilted its "head" in confusion and she was about to get very mad as soon as she thought that Merlin was attempting to avoid the topic, but refrained from doing so when she heard his next words.
"I can't really keep calling you little shadow right? As cute as it might be. So because of that one itsy-bitsy white dot of yours, I think Stella would a nice suit right?"
"…"
*****
The world was beautiful, wondrous, enchanted, tranquil, serene, sun-kissed, majestic, glorious, splendid, magical, sorrowful, fragile, nostalgic, fading, lonely.
The world is a picture painted in impossible beauty yet with a jarring crimson undertone.
Everything that the world offered could never be seen by one person alone. It's vast and endless beauty is to be shared and protected by not just two miniscule hands made from delicate flesh and bones.
That was what she had learned.
From someone who ranted about this topic to the world's ends but forgot to ask for a shoulder when that person themselves was failing to stand up on his two legs.
But she would never accept that! She will never allow him to drive himself down such a path that tore him apart to pieces.
And if she failed to prevent that, then as repentance, she would spend her entire life gathering and piecing those bits of him until he is complete again. And after that, she'll try even harder to stop him.
That was her love.
He was her world.
Everything that the world was to all its inhabitants, he was the same, or maybe even greater to her.
This must be love, right?
Yes, it is. It has always been.
*****
"Uhhhh Stella?"
Merlin spoke awkwardly. As soon he had named her, she just crawled down his arms and remained silently attached to his chest.
Merlin could feel how delicate the moment was, so he just simply wrapped his arms around her silent and calm shape, even if he didn't understand it.
Well this is certainly troubling.