Chapter 27: Chapter 26 – Interior V

Xal puts on a sardonic smile, 「I'm kidding,」 he says before attempting to reach his hand towards her, but she closes her eyes and tries to hide her head between her shoulders, fear-stricken. After a moment, she feels a caressing touch running over her hair, slightly nudging the ribbon she dons on her head.

「Rosaria considers you part of the household now. You've already gotten caught up in our issues, so is there even any point hiding...? 」 he says gently with a question aimed more at himself, 「We will tell you everything in time, alright?」 he adds.

Percibell keeps her eyes shut and only stops trembling once she feels the caressing touch move down towards her cheek. She calms down once it gently strokes the side of her face, wiping away her tears. Cautiously opening her eyes, she discovers Xal's face a short distance away, noticing his haggard but vigilant look, as if he's on the edge.

The maid realizes this is the first time she'd taken a closer look at him. He's standing close, bending slightly over her, more tired than menacing. His coal-black hair, usually kept in a somewhat orderly manner, has become unkempt, growing long enough to form bangs that obscure the top of his eyes. His hand is calloused and rough with several cuts from healed wounds. With a thin, tensed-up frame, Xal reminds her of herself when she curls up in tough situations. The golden-brown eyes appear to have lost the sharpness they had just a moment ago. The five-o'clock shadow on his jaw adds to the tired appearance.

Percibell furrows her brows and, without thinking, moves her dainty hand to touch his cheek. Xal opens his eyes wide in confusion over the sudden gesture.

「M-master Xal... I... can I be of help...?」 she asks softly while looking at him with pity in her eyes.

「What? Why...?」 asks Xal with an almost threatening suspicion.

「Isn't that why Miss Me- Princess Rosaria took me here...? To help you?」

Xal looks her up and down, eventually settling on her meager assets before pulling his hand away, 「Uhh... I don't think-」

「N-no, you misunderstand!」 Percibell interrupts him, ears perking up and tips turning bright pink, just like her cheeks, as she moves to quickly cover her chest with her other arm.

「Master Xal... I know it...」 she continues, 「You're going against the church, aren't you...? I saw it... those locations on the map... It all makes sense now!」

Xal's face turns into a scowl, 「Wait, didn't yo-」

「You two had to flee here from the cult!」

Percibell exclaims, once again interrupting as her mouth runs off.

「That's why all this secrecy, that's why you're so...」 she raises her head slightly to look at him, 「... tired... looking...」

Scooting closer to him, she puts both hands on his face, turning Xal too stunned to speak.

「I... I knew Master Xal is a good person... she... Princess Rosaria... she was the one who forced me here... and you were against it, right?」 Percibell asks rhetorically and furrows her brows as she reaches the conclusion with a knowing, wise look. In a moment, her gaze turns stronger and even more determined.

「In that case, I can help... as long as it's not...」 she pauses and blushes heavily, her face revealing the thoughts passing her mind. Quickly shaking them off, she continues, 「I can help you with anything else... L-like fighting the cult... No, I insist!」

Xal sighs before forcing her hands away from his face. He regards her with a cold expression, causing Percibell to shrink back slightly.

「Do you realize what you're saying, little elf? Who gave you this idea about us fleeing?」

The elf's excitement from just a few moments ago seems to have cooled down.

「B-but...」 Percibell tries, her voice pleading and face turned into one of worry.

「I thought I told you to forget what you saw,」 Xal reprimands her while backing away. The elf is left staring into the ground with a soured expression.

Her limbs twitch and she almost leaps off the ground, stopping herself just short of throwing her whole body onto him.

She yelps, 「N-no, wait...! Please...!」 while grabbing his head.

「What? I don't have time for your friv-」

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Unwilling to let Xal back away any further, yet trying to prevent a collision by digging her heels in, she is caught off-balance by the outfit, causing her body to jut forward and topple him over. After both suffer a short fall, she ends up on top of him with their faces only centimeters apart.

Their eyes widen as they look at each other in silence for a few breaths. Unsure if the man below her can hear her fast-beating heart, Percibell is quick to break the silence.

「... Will you stop being so distant...?」 she asks, looking him in the eyes. 「I just... I don't know what else I am supposed to do... Master Xal... Don't you feel any mercy for me?」

Tears gather in her big silvery eyes. 「I was brought here against my will and now... I can't even go out without risking being killed!」

She shifts her eyes left and right, looking for even a shred of sympathy on his face, but purses her lips when she finds nothing.

「I'm all alone...」 she adds resigned.

Xal lifts an eyebrow as if asking whether she's done.

「Heh...」 The elf laughs in a self-deprecating manner, 「It must be nice... Master Xal... You have the Princess of the Human Kingdom by your side...」

She looks at him reproachfully while clutching onto the collar of his shirt, pulling herself so close she can feel his breath.

「A powerful and rich mage... a perfect girl who would do anything for you,」 her high-pitched voice is joined by a sharp glint in her eyes. She pauses to swallow her saliva and continues, 「I don't know how you did it, but you must be happy leading a life so good, you don't need to worry about anything...!」

Xal sighs into her face. Without bothering to push the maid's body away he mutters, 「You're wrong. Stop assuming so much, little elf. You don't know anything.」

Percibell keeps her reproachful look while a small smirk turns her expression slightly malevolent.

「As if...! What could possibly—」

The maid pauses after taking a good look into his eyes. Her smirk disappears.

「Huh...? What? Your eyes... They look so vacant... lonely... but why? Weren't you and the Princess...」

Xal turns his face away, 「This is none of your business, damn it...!」

Percibell examines him for a moment. Her eyes light up, and the previous scornful look vanishes without a trace.

「Oh, I see,」 she blurts out in epiphany, 「So that's how it is...」 she says with a slightly trembling but otherwise calm, quiet tone.

「Master Xal...」 she calls out to him before putting her hands on his head and pivoting it to face her.

「I get it now... just please… let me help... so… it’s going... to be...」 her face inches steadily towards his, as if in a trance, 「al-」 until she feels her lips touch Xal's.

Shocked, Xal doesn't attempt to stop her. He feels the softness of her lips as their mouths meet and part, in short, skittish movements.

「Chu... ❤ chu... ❤ chu... ❤」

Ears fluttering and tightly-closed eyes trembling slightly, Percibell snaps out of her fascination after a few moments, and her head jerks back.

「Wh-hwaaa!」 she exclaims with her usual flustered voice and quickly scrambles back to a rigid standing position.

Xal reaches his hand towards her, but she dodges sideways. Opening his mouth, he doesn't get to voice his confusion before the elf trots out of the small corridor, and down the larger one, sending rapid clacking sounds in her wake, and leaving the smell of elf pee lingering in the air.

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