Chapter 19: Chapter 19

"What's going on here?" - I turned toward the sound and saw Maya approaching from the side of the gate.

This is awkward...

"Hi, Maya!" - I waved hello to her, pulling a smile on my face, pretending that the lolly on my shoulder was the right thing to do and that I was the only one who didn't do it. It felt like a proper smile, because I was really happy to see the newcomer. Since the day I rescued her from the chthonic shit that used to be called Hicks, our relationship had become much warmer, though I had noticed that the girl was a little shy in my presence. It was silly to suspect the former mercenary of shyness, so I put it down to the stress of what had happened and regret for coming down on me earlier along with the realization of her wrongdoing.

"Hi..." - Here's how it is now. Hearing my voice and colliding glances, the swordswoman faintly flinched and broke eye contact. Luckily for her, there was a wonderful target next to us to divert her attention to. - "Luu-Luu, are you bullying people again?"

"I'm not pullying!" - Grudgingly the girl gasped. - "I was just suggesting a sparring match, and this bas..."

"I know how you propose sparring." - The redheaded girl smiled. - "After you, there's nobody left to practice with. The mere mention of the word makes people clutch at their bruised limbs and run in fear." - And then she looked at me with mild concern. - "She didn't give you any trouble?"

"No, nothing like that." - I answered, reassuring the mercenary, and then glared sternly at the little girl dangling from my shoulder, whose face was as red as a tomato because of the position in which her sister in the Order had caught her. - "But someone else might not have been able to get up on his own after you hit him. And anyway, don't you know that stabbing someone in the back who hasn't done you any harm is bad and shouldn't be done that way?"

"Oh, you really did that?" - Maya was very surprised, looking at Luu-Luu with a mixture of condemnation and sympathy. - "We've told you many times not to pester people, sooner or later it will end badly."

"Who knew he'd be so strong!"

"Is that all you care about?" - I almost choked up. This little girl's prioritization and causal reasoning skills were just fine. - "If it were any other man, you could have killed him, you know? What's more, do you think it's okay to hit someone who's denied you something?"

I said it in a very stern voice, with a pace, so that every word was sure to reach the addressee. And Luu-Luu permeated, and she immediately stopped floundering and trying to escape my grasp, and instead froze with widened eyes, in which there was consternation and the first signs of awareness slowly began to appear.

"No... I didn't..." - She babbled, glancing from me to Maya for support, but all she found was a mute reproach in her direction. - "I didn't mean..."

She seemed to understand. The shock therapy had its effect. Well, if there is a positive result, it is necessary to fix it.

I gently take the girl off my shoulder and place her on the ground in front of me, and then I crouch down on one knee in front of her, placing my hands on her small, seemingly fragile shoulders and squeezing them slightly to draw attention to myself. Luu-Luu visibly flinched, but she didn't dare to pull away, only lowered her eyes bashfully and started sniffling her nose. Somewhere inside me, shame stirred again. I'd literally just hurt a child. And I was partly to blame for the situation myself, for it would have been easy for me to accept the challenge, and maybe she would have accepted defeat more easily.

"Listen to me." - I spoke as gently as I could to the girl, stroking her lightly on the head. - "Don't you ever do that again, okay?"

"Luu-Luu... Luu-Luu is sorry." - She lowered her head dolefully,

"You don't have to apologize to me, you have to apologize to the poor guys you beat up. It's not right to make fun of people who might have your back tomorrow."

"Luu-Luu will remember these words." - The girl's voice became even quieter and sadder. - "Luu-Luu promises to get better..."

"You are strong, much stronger than they are. You don't have to prove it to anyone. And if you really want to learn something, you need someone at your level." - I decided to cheer her up a little, wondering inwardly how, just a little while ago, the perky little thing had transformed into a battered little puppy that I wanted to feed, wrap in a blanket, and take home.

"Luu-Luu understands ... but there's no one suitable, and now you won't agree..."

"Why should I?"

"Huh?" - Lou-Louw stared at me in amazement. - "But... but now yourefused already..."

"I refused because I had no time and your offer was not very polite."

"I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, I'm not angry." - I got to my feet, and I couldn't resist stroking the baby's head. I felt my hand on the top of her head, and at first she shuddered and squeezed, but then, realizing that she was not hit, she relaxed and even gave herself forward, giving herself to the caress. Like a little puppy, indeed. - "Remember, not everything can be solved by force. And for any fish there will always be another fish, bigger and more bent." - Taking my hand away and hearing an offended sniffle, I slyly wink at the girl. - "If you want, we can practice together tonight, when we're free."

"Really?" - With hope in my voice they asked me.

"Sure. I know a couple of cool tricks that will work for you. Just don't torture any more poor knights, okay?"

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"Yes!" - The halfling princess cheered up.

"Well, that's good. Now you'd better go and change. Imagine the look on everyone's faces if you turned up at the meeting covered in sand."

"Oh... um..." - Suddenly embarrassed, Luu-Luu looked around herself, horrified, embarrassed even more, - "well... well, I'll go then!" - and, with a crumpled goodbye, rushed briskly to the castle gate. Where did she get the strength from?

Looking after running away Luu-Luu, I could not help feeling nostalgia. Sometimes I had had to repeat the same truth to my brothers. They sometimes didn't understand elementary things, things any other person remembers almost from birth. It's all because of our masters' policy: everything that is not directly relevant to the war is discarded as unnecessary.

"Sometimes she is like a child."- Maya said. - "Don't hold a grin on her. Luu-Luu, though she behaves capriciously, is a good friend and reliable companion."

"I don't mean to be angry, I'm just a little annoyed, that's all." - I answered, turning to face my companion when the little figure in the green cloak was out of sight. - "By the way, we still have some time, shall we walk?"

"I wouldn't say no."

We walked around the courtyard for a while, amusing ourselves by talking about nothing and occasionally nodding at people as they passed. Maya tried to keep it casual, but I could see the signs of excitement. It was carefully concealed, but it was nonetheless clearly visible to those who knew what to pay attention to or had senses keen enough to notice the smallest changes in facial expression or body language. I got the feeling that she wanted to tell me something, but she kept pushing herself back. It was as if she was afraid to hear the answer.

It's strange. I thought that all the disagreements between us had already been resolved, and that no one held a grudge against each other for the not-so-nice words spoken at the moment of emotional outburst. My first thought was to ask her directly the reason for her doubts, but I abandoned this idea, deciding to wait a little longer and give her a chance to voice her thoughts. But waiting did not pay off: for a good half an hour Maya struggled with herself, but could not make up her mind. On the contrary, it only made her more uncomfortable. I'm sure she was beginning to regret agreeing to go out with me at all.

Well, no, my friend, it's not going to work that way.

In a way, I feel responsible for her. As the little prince said, "We are responsible for those we have tamed." Rescuing her from rape is not exactly taming her, of course, but this event is the only reason I can explain Maya's current not-so-normal state. It is unlikely that anything else has happened to her in the intervening time, because if it had, I would know. I feel it is my duty to figure out what the problem is, and I have a solid experience in psychology: brothers on Earth, and Chloe here. The latter, if you think about it, can be considered as an exam, so many problems with the head of the sweet dark Elf girl. And I dare to hope that I passed it successfully.

After timing it so that we were as far away as possible from the central entrance to the castle, where there were the maximum number of extra ears, I gently take Maya's hand and stop her, stepping around to the front and facing her.

"Kay?" - The non-Aieme opened her eyelids in surprise, shuddering imperceptibly at the touch.

"Maya." - One look into those beautiful eyes was enough to confirm that I was right. And to feel an unpleasant prick in my chest, for there was fear in them. The girl's pulse quickened as well. - "What's going on? Why are you afraid of me?"

"What makes you think that?" - The answer sounded too harsh and somehow panicked.

"Don't try to deceive me, I can see everything." - I scolded softly, with concern in my voice. - "Something is wrong with you and I am the reason why. Have I done something wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"No! You did nothing wrong!" - The warrior assured me loudly, twitching as if she'd been electrocuted. That she wasn't lying would make only an idiot believe it.

"Then what?" - I continued to ask, secretly hoping I hadn't overreacted, and that I hadn't done too much damage. - "I don't force you to talk if you don't want to, but I just want to help, if I can."

The girl opened her mouth to reply, but the words didn't come from her lips; instead she tensed even more, and then retreated into herself, lowering her head and turning it sideways. She stood like that for only a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity to me: my overexcited brain was frantically going through the options and analyzing everything I'd done in the last five minutes in an attempt to find a solution.

"You know, probably you can." - Suddenly, Maya suddenly relaxed. Gone was all the nervousness from her posture, as well as the uncertainty. She squared her shoulders and looked at me again, and this time there was only determination in her eyes.

I couldn't say anything back, because my mouth was shamelessly shut by the soft and sweet lips that covered mine. As I hugged the girl trustingly close to me by the waist and responded to the kiss, I thought only one thing:

[They'll tear my head off...]

[You'll be remembered as a hero.] - Martha missed no opportunity to joke, but I did not pay any attention to her, all my thoughts were occupied with the red-haired beauty in my arms and how I will explain myself to Olga, because I understand that I will not be able to push away the girl who trusted me.

***

The Queen of the Dark Elves, who watched the couple from the top floor of one of the castle towers, smiled at the pair, and looked at the light one standing nearby with a sly look in her eyes. She pouted in response, shifting her eyebrows amusedly, but then she smiled, too: Everything was as it should be.

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