Chapter 22: Chapter 21 – Rebound III

The roses, last time seen by her in full bloom, are beginning to wither. The grasses growing so wildly that summer begin to take on a shade of grey and almost fall all the way to the ground when a gust of wind sweeps by, as if pushing Rosaria down a stony path that leads around the house.

Stepping along evergreen bushes, she can see a bird or two trying to hide as soon as she's within vicinity. The ground to her other side, the part of the garden which opens towards the Wilderness, takes on its character and starts showing autumn colors in the deep browns and yellows of leaves on lilies and hydrangeas.

The mosses too start turning dull, and, once she steps off the beaten track and heads towards a giant oak reaching above the eves of the house, the dried plants rustle and sometimes crackle as she approaches. The garden is almost bare around the tree, making its old, tangled mass of branches, sometimes drooping, another time swiveling up and down, and sometimes shooting straight up, appear menacing, as if the tree was trying to reach over the roof, embracing the house.

Stillness in the air greets her as she stands on a bed of leaves, all of which are colored auburn and gold, some falling from the old oak more rapidly than the rest.

A few asters struggling to grow at the foot of the oak tree draw her attention, making her crouch down near to inspect them.

「How long do you intend to stay up there?」 Rosaria asks casually while running her hand through the flowers, with water sprinkling out of her fingertips. A few moments pass with only the sound of flowers being watered, no response given to her question.

As if not minding the stillness, Rosaria poses another question, this time in a rather mischievous tone.

「Did you enjoy my performance? You must be itching to have your turn, but don't worr—」

「Hiku,」 finally, a weird, high-pitched sound coming from above interrupts her.

「Uuuwwaa... I-I definitely don't want something like that!」

Up high in the tree, a petite pale-skinned elf with white cream-colored hair is crouching on a thin branch that has grown close to the bedroom window. She's peering down at the princess, who looks back at her with a placid smile.

「However far away I may be from my Kingdom, surely you must realize I still am a princess,」 Rosaria declares.

The elf tilts her head, looking at her. She opens her mouth,「Uhh, what⸺」 however, Rosaria's friendly expression, the same uncannily unwavering one she'd seen before makes her go quiet. A cold shiver runs along the elf's spine.

「Hiiiiii~! I'm sorry!」 she suddenly cries out.

In a heartbeat, the elf jumps off the tree and lands with both feet on the ground close to Rosaria.

With her gaze glued to the ground and a sorry expression on her face, her ears droop and she pulls her feet and arms together, fidgeting and trying to look as small as possible.

「Fufu, you're just like a kitten, Percibell, you know that?」 Rosaria giggles heartily.

She closes in on the elf, their faces almost touching, and asks with a mischievous smile, 「So you didn't get excited?」

Responding with silence, Percibell's ear tips become bright red as she brings her shoulders together, refusing to raise her head.

「Don't tell me, you were imagining how that long, thick thing would feel inside you too...?」 Rosaria's smile gets wider and although a small blush has appeared on her face, she continues the onslaught of obscene inquiries, 「How deep it would hit you? How far it would spread you apart...?」

With each question, the elf's blush seems to increase in intensity, eventually covering the whole of her face in a deep crimson red.

「Uwhaa, n-n-no I—, s-stop! T... that's way too indecent! I don't! I didn't think about that!」

Rosaria can't help giggling at the sight of Percibell crouching down and attempting to hide her blushing head with both hands, red ears sticking out and fluttering from embarrassment.

Satisfied, the princess shifts her demeanor in no time, going back to her serious face.

She forces Percibell to stand upright and puts her hand on the elf's chin, directing her head upwards so she can look into the girl's big, silvery eyes.

Tears bead up in the elf's eyes and she tries to look away, face red with embarrassment, but her eyes jut back, compelled by Rosaria's intimidating gaze.

「You steal my horse, and then you dare come back here? To peek?」

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The princess' green eyes pierce into Percibell, making her wince.

「If you're not here to help me please Xal, then why are you here?」 she inquires.

The elf gulps and her body starts trembling.

「I... I tried knocking on the front door but... I heard shouts and... and... it sounded like m-miss Mel — Princess Melan- was mad so...」 the elf struggles to explain, more tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

「I didn't mean to peek... 」 she adds, her bright red face revealing a complete admission of her guilt.

Rosaria raises an eyebrow, maintaining her imposing gaze.

「You have been here since morning? Or have you just never left? I didn't feel you trespassing the barrier either...」

「N-no... well... h-he did something to me before I left, I don't n-need to r-recite any spells now,」 Percibell stutters.

Rosaria raises both eyebrows in realization before continuing, 「That doesn't explain why you would come back,」 she states, her tone harsh.

「Hiku,」 Percibell lets out a weird yelp and her shoulders flinch. She looks down at her feet, watching how they touch. Her long boots look worn out, soles about ready to fall off.

「... blade...」 she mumbles with a tiny voice.

「What? You dare whisper at me?」 Rosaria asks.

「T-the Shadow blade... It's her... I can't...」

Rosaria squints her green eyes in confusion, noticing how the elf's lip trembles and eyes jut about in fear, ready to burst into tears at any moment.

The princess pauses, her face stiff,「The Shadow blade? Xlara? Has she already made her move?」

「She knows my face and saw me here with miss Melan... When I went back to the town and realized that she could appear anytime from anywhere, I... I couldn't do anything and... and...」 Percibell's voice cracks and a tear rolls down her face, prompting Rosaria to stop propping up her chin.

「((Hic)) I just... ((sniffle)) wanted to become a great adventurer... ((hic)) now I have a crazy strong assassin on my back ((sob)),」 she cries, letting streams of tears trickle down her face.

「I came back to... ((sniffle)) to... accept the maid job... ((sob)) please miss Melan...」 she says with pitiful eyes and, for the first time, with hesitation, she grabs Rosaria's arm. She looks up at her, her small frame making the elf seem like a hurt, pitiful kitten abandoned on the side of the road.

「... let me take the job!」 she pleads.

Rosaria gives her a scrutinizing look, as if unfazed by the crying, making Percibell wince and pull back slightly, looking deflated and whining like a hurt puppy.

With each passing second, she shrinks, almost getting down to prostrate, but Rosaria finally lets out a sigh and puts her hand on her lip before stating, 「Well, I did drag you into this mess. You seem to have your circumstances so I suppose the least I could do is watch your back,」 she winks.

Relief washes over Percibell and she drops down on her butt with her legs forming a W. She lets out a long breath she didn't realize she was holding while her shoulders and body relax.

She closes her eyes for a moment to take it all in, but hands pressing down both sides of her shoulders make her flinch and snap them back open.

「Don't worry,」 Rosaria reassures up close to her, 「I have a plan to get back at her, and you're going to help me!」 she declares with firm eyes.

「What...?」

Looking up at her, Percibell unintentionally puts on a lopsided, toothy smile on her confused face as she struggles to meet Rosaria's piercing eyes. The only thing she can do is try and stare back, pupils shrinking in fear, and gulp loudly again, wondering what she has gotten herself into.

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