CH 67

It’s kinda troubling.

Looking at Leila-chan who’s soundly sleeping on my lap, I mumble so.

Since this noon, I’ve been thinking that she’s acting strangely, but now that I think about it, this change actually had turned her into more human-like.

The most definitive proof is what happened just now, seems like I’ve infected “Love” to her, the S rank demon, the virus demon “Red Night”.

Heart skipping a beat, hazy feeling, falling into panic when in touch with me, such maiden’s feelings that are very unlike her. Honestly speaking, it kinda surprised me.

Perhaps, since she’d been acting as she pleased simply following her own craving thus far, she isn’t accustomed with such feelings.

She never asked for permission to eat people after all, and exactly because she’d always been doing anything as she pleased, I think she ought to be bewildered by her current state where she couldn’t do things she wants to. I think she doesn’t know the emotion named love.

I who once was supposed to be merely her prey for her, perhaps I’ve turned into a great existence to her. That’s all I can think about from the time I spent with her.

When she was just an A rank of lump of desire, I unconsciously fascinated her, us the greatest meal (prey).

After fulfilling her craving when she came after me, she transformed into an S rank demon who manipulate virus, and finally capable of reasoning.

When she was frightened by the apostle, I put my life on the line to protect her.

I think, that’s when she fell in love with me.

At first I was just a prey she’s interested at, but gradually that interest turned into something else, and in the battle with apostle-chan, all of those interest… turned into love.

…I changed her whole (heart).

“Am I happy, I wonder? Yeah, I think I am. To be loved by someone, that was something far off for me, after all.”

Perhaps that’s why, her word about how she genuinely yearned for me, it made me happy.

After all, that’s something that has never happened ever since I was born.

I’m fully aware that I’m not a good person from every perspective. And I’ve never thought the possibility of being liked by someone. That’s because I’m crooked, I tend to hurt other, I’m creepy, and I have no a shred of thought about to be kind to other. Or rather, I think I’m wholefully a hateful person.

And yet, be it Shiori-chan, Leila-chan, and Finia-chan, they said they like such me. I was abandoned by my own parent, I had no friend, I even also had no ally whatsoever, for such hateful me, they were the only few people who would accept me.

That’s why I can’t help myself but to feel happy about it.

“You, before I noticed it you’ve already become one of us, huh.”

She’s a stalker and also hateful, but if she keeps being the way who she is, I think I might come to also like her a bit.

Of course on comradery or friendly term.

As far as I’m concerned, currently I don’t see her in such light. Well, perhaps that’s only because I’ve been on guard on her for the possibility that she might eat me anytime, though.

That’s why, I should put this case on hold for now.

Call me sucker or whatever, I’m sure there are people who hate delaying such a thing, after all. Nevertheless, I’m going to hold her love for the time being. Even she herself, seems like she doesn’t aware that that feeling is love, after all.

However, I think I need to reconsider my way of dealing with her from now on. I’m sure we could get along better that way, or so I thought.

◇

—I take it all back.

“Ufufu ufufu, Kitsune-kun Kitsune-kun Kitsune-kun~. Ehehe, ehehe….”

As I thought, Leila-chan is Leila-chan after all.

After that, while still letting Leila-chan sleeping on my lap, I slept as it was.

However, when I wake up the next morning, I notice Leila-chan is hugging my body and rubbing her head against it. With drool and loose smile all over her bright red face, it seems like the accumulated desire she has finally explodes at once, Leila-chan is in full-blown lustful mode.

I hope she won’t be in this state all the way to the night’s lustful period. Just when her impression had slightly increased yesterday, now it all falls rock bottom once again.

“*mwah*… mm~~…!! Diz iz da bezt… Kitzune-kun zure iz da bezt~, I like it, I love it, ufufu, ufufu….”

“…*sigh*, go away, you damn lustful demon.”

“Ahn~, Kitsune-kun you meanie~… I love you~”

Somehow, it feels as if she becomes more assertive but, is it just my imagination? Nah, perhaps that’s only because the accumulated desire she has from these past few days.

I can feel her arms, which are around me, are slightly tighter that usual after all. I can distinctly feel something aside from lust from her expression and words but, perhaps that’s just my imagination.

“Yeah yeah, I got it, I got it… come on, Leila-chan, move aside.”

“’kay~. Say, Kitsune-kun.”

“What is it?”

When I get off the bed and stretch my body, she calls out to me while sitting in girlish sit way atop the bed.

When I turn only my face toward her, I’m greeted not by her usual loose smile, but a very cute smile on her bright red face.

“—thank you, I love you.”

Facing such smile, I’m rendered speechless. You damn airheaded demon girl. If you were showing your usual loose smile there, I would’ve definitely shot you down then and there already but… can’t be helped then. She sure is childish, selfish, and also wilful, but as far as I’m concerned, limited only to her smile, I don’t hate it.

“Haa… you’re welcome, Leila-chan.”

“Ufufu~”

That’s why, rather than complain or dissatisfaction, I answer her with such normal words.

◇　◇　◇

After that, after putting my gakuran; that I hung on the wall; on, I leave the room and go to Rishe-chan’s room, while still having Leila-chan clinging to me.

That child, different from the time I met Lulu-chan, she didn’t have “weakened” in her status, and she also had no injury, so I think it should be a matter of time before she wakes up.

“Say, Kitsune-kun, Kitsune-kun, what are we going to do? That child, are we going to leave her?”

“Hmm, I have no good memory at all at Grandile Kingdom, so I’m just thinking about giving something back at them.”

“Ufufu, interesting, very interesting, Kitsune-kun, it’s so thrilling.”

She’s completely returned to the usual her, huh. With such assertive personality, in general she’s a good girl for her own good.

“Ah, will you return to the you of yesterday I wonder… or rather, why are you so clingy like this?”

Now that I think about it, the meek Leila-chan sure was creepy but she was a good girl. I think she was more approachable that this kind of Leila-chan.

“If I do this the haziness will disappear. It’s fine, right? You don’t mind, do you? Because I love you so much, after all.”

Oh, I see. It’s been quite a while since the last time a heard this phrase, it feels as if it’s become her catch phrase. Even the smile is so like her.

While chatting like that we arrived at Rishe-chan’s room.

When I knock the door, I hear Rishe-chan’s answer from inside so we enter the room.

“Morning, Kitsune, Leila.”

“Morning, Rishe-chan.”

“Morning… what’s your name again?”

“…it’s Trisha, but like Kitsune, you can just call me Rishe. Or rather, recently I started to ponder that perhaps my real name was actually Rishe.”

“Then, good morning, Rishe.”

Leila-chan never remembers other’s name aside from mine and Leila-chan’s, after all. I’ve called Rishe-chan’s name quite a time, or rather I even just called her name just now, and yet, to think that she still didn’t remember her name, just how insignificant she was to her, I wonder.

“How’s the child?”

“Ah, she’s still asleep.”

“She’s still asleep? Since she was asleep ever since she was pushed on us yesterday evening, so… it should’ve been half a day, right? Could it be she’s actually awake?”

“Hmm… well, there were times when she turned over and sleep-talking, but….”

While chatting like that, I approach the child. She looks like sleeping very peacefully.

However, I very hate liar! I can see it, this child is pretending to be asleep. Where should I aim at? What kind of attack should I use? I have quite an amount of repertoire on me, you know?

“Coochy-coo, coochy-coo.”

“Um… m~m~! Ah, ahahahaha! Kyaaa!”

“Oh, wake up, wake up.”

“Aha… haha… haa….”

This child, when I peeked at her status, her name was Niko-chan. She’s awake because of tickle, so perhaps to observe the surroundings, she straightens up. She fixatedly stares at me. Her guard sure is high. Or rather, how old is she? Appearance-wise, she looks like around four-year-old, but she is quite a chatter for a four-year-old girl. That’s a period that’s soon forgotten when one grow, but looking at her cautiousness despite being still such a child, somehow she’s quite admirable.

“Little miss, can you tell me what your name is?”

“…dogriguez minmin.”

“Don’t lie, Niko-chan.”

“How do you know my name?”

She has cute face but she’s a liar. Her wariness is high, and also a liar, I think she’ll surely be in trouble in the future. For the guys who are led by nose by her, I mean. Born with such good appearance is her sole redeeming feature.

Contrary to my expectation, looking at her gaze that isn’t fazed despite being shocked herself, I think she isn’t especially staring me but that’s just her usual gaze.

“It may be sudden, but there’s something I want to ask you about. So please answer it.”

“…okay.”

“Don’t ever try to lie.”

“How do you notice it?”

This child could spout lies without even flinching, huh. Well, I hate to lie or being lied to after all, so once upon a time I did a special training by reading several psychology related books, and thanks to that I can pretty much tell between lie and truth with a glance. Should I call it “Kitsune the mentalism” I wonder?

“That’s because ever since I was born I’ve never told lie even once, after all.”

“…lie.”

“Kitsune-kun, even I can tell that that’s a lie, you know?”

“Yeah, I also think that’s a lie.”

“What a rude bunch, to call your own comrade a liar, don’t you think that’s cruel?”

Similarly like how I can see through her lies, seems like she can see through mine as well. Howerver, be that as it may, for Rishe-chan and Leila-chan to call me liar, I think that’s cruel. For better or worse, we’re comrade after all, so I think they can put their trust on me a bit more.

“Well, leaving that aside… I knew your name with my skill, also, lying is futile so please answer my question honestly.”

“…yes.”

“Very well… first question, is that beardie uncle; who carried you back then; your father?”

“…yes, he’s my papa.”

“Then, do you know why did he leave you to me?”

“…because, we didn’t have money?”

What does that mean? Looking at his desperate face when he left Niko-chan to me, he didn’t look like someone would abandon his child simply because he had no money, could it be there’s another meaning behind her words?

Like, debt, rent overdue, tax overdue, well something like that. The most likely case is either debt or tax, I think, because there’s no meaning in letting go his own child because of rent overdue, after all.

“…what do you think?”

“The information is so scarce so I’m not too sure myself, but… if it’s money-related reason then, I think most likely it’s either debt or tax.”

“The reason?”

“Tax is imposed to everyone, so the more people who couldn’t pay the tax, the harsher the punishment will be. At first perhaps it’ll only be some warning, but if you couldn’t pay the tax for a long period of time, if you don’t have anything to pay the tax then you will receive punishment from the state. At worst case scenario, it’s death penalty, or turning into slave also isn’t that rare.”

That means Niko-chan’s father is still a fugitive, huh. If he were caught then most like he’ll be punished according to Grandile Kingdom’s law. Well, it’s still not settled yet that it really is tax overdue, though.

“How much is the tax at this town?”

“Grandile is military country, so I heard the tax here is considerably higher than at other countries.”

“Hmm… how troublesome.”

Well then, what should I do, I wonder? It’s still uncertain whether her father is still alive or not, but if he’s still alive then I want to return this liar girl; who he pushed onto me; to him, and more importantly, I don’t want her to experience losing her parent.

Or rather, Niko-chan sure is quite calm. Even though her father is missing, does she not feel anything at all? Or is she just indifferent?

“Niko-chan, do you want to meet your father?”

“I don’t.”

Looks like she wants to meet him, huh. Liar sure is easy to understand.

Well then, seems like we should start with ascertaining her father’s safety first, huh.