Chapter 56 53: Why?

After playing the piano for a short while, I returned to my room. I was planning on performing a varied form of the Swan Lake theme for Vienna's birthday.

I was tired today, but also rather chipper. We managed to track down the most significant concern that we faced. With this, not only would we be able to avoid the problem of the city being blown up completely, but I could also get close to the Mirxa's side and get a one-on-one negotiation done with the demonic bastard shall we catch him.

Why did I want to know that?

Hah.

I was told not long ago that a demon, Raum, could see the future.

It didn't suit me to make a move if making it didn't make me stronger.

Demons were clearly strong, and someone who had contracted their strength was almost in my grasp. I would make the demons my underlings and take all their powers.

I held in a laugh while thinking of my plan that took me so many days to come up with. How splendid! How genial! Where would one ever find a person as amazing as myself?

I pushed the door to my room open.

Standing inside with her arms placed in front of her black and white dress was Maria.

"Young master," she said. "I was waiting for you."

I nodded, my face slightly stiffening up.

I closed the door and Maria walked over to me. She touched my face with her soft fingers, dragging them over my cheeks and my lips before sliding down to my shirt.

We had done this so many times now that I was getting used to it. Maria would help me dress and undress, I would feed her while she sat on me, and then I would hold her till I fall asleep.

No matter how many times we repeated this process, though, for some reason, the heat from both our breaths never lessened.

She quickly yet relaxedly took off my shirt, feeling up my muscles with her fingers' every move.

I quickly picked up the towel from the back and went into the bath.

The white walls of the bathroom and cold water filling the tub helped me take deep breaths and cool myself down. I wanted to suggest that Maria take a bath too, but I couldn't help thinking that would go horribly wrong.

Just as usual, I finished my quick cold bath and flexed my muscles in front of the mirror before moving back to the room.

Maria was already standing there with my clothes in her hands. When she saw me, she placed them on a table.

"Hm?"

She turned back with another towel in her hands. I looked at my hands to see I hadn't dried myself off well.

Maria walked closer, her head slightly lowered. She dabbed her fingers on my chest, then slid them on it.

"You'll catch a cold, young master."

"Is that so?" I asked. "I was so lost in my muscles I forgot to dry off."

Maria only nodded at my words before swiping the towel over my chest.

A strange situation broke out as Maria grazed my entire torso with her hands, wiping me up with the towel only after she had tapped me there.

The awkward session came to an end when she picked up my shirt again. She seemed to have gotten her fill of touching though, since she put it on without much troubles.

Once I got dressed, I held her hands and pulled her along.

I sat down on my bed, holding both of Maria's hands.

Slowly, I tugged on them and she walked closer. She twisted around and softly let her body's weight fall on my thighs.

I could feel her weight, her touch clearer and clearer each day. Slowly, I leaned ahead to grab the plates when my collar was tugged on.

Surprised, I was pulled up by my collars. Maria held me tight as she looked down at me.

She placed one knee on the bed and twisted her body, locking me in with her legs as she stared at me, my collars in her hands.

I could see her neckline clearly, her soft yet sharp jaw, and her plump, rosy lips.

They came closer.

Her lips came closer as she leaned in.

The grip on my collar tightened.

She had done something like this before, but this was different.

Starkly different.

As her lips approached my lips, my head cooled down.

All of it. The heat in my head, the hastening of my breaths, the hesitation in my hands, all of them came crashing down to the ground as a cold, hard pail of reality wettened me from head to toe.

I was blinded. By the trust I held in Maria, no, by this heat that welled up from my chest.

I was blinded.

Her lips came right up to mine. Slowly but firmly, she slammed them together.

She tried to.

I placed my palm between us at the perfect time, stopping her from kissing me.

Maria froze, but I didn't feel much.

I pushed her lips away and reeled my head back.

"Maria..." I muttered. "Why?"

Maria's legs furthered away from me, and one of them fell to the ground as she leaned away.

What kind of face was she making right now?

Maria's hands rose up to her lips as she lightly grazed them. "I..."

She plopped down on the ground and turned away.

"Maria!"

I tried to reach out but stopped myself. Maria immediately opened the door of the room and rushed out.

I could only stare at the door as she left.

With a sigh, I fell back on my bed like a heavy brick tripping over. I covered my eyes with my arm and sighed again.

Hah.

It had been like this since I came here.

What was I doing before this?

Had this happened before the event yesterday, would I have stopped her?

"This is not how the strong act..."

My thoughts were already hardened. My values were already reaffirmed.

I had to act like the strong.

***

The next morning came up before I realized that I had gone to sleep.

I opened my eyes to see some cutesy locks of brown falling down on me.

"Good morning, Lily."

I said.

"Mornin', young master."

"I heard you were having a lot of fun learning things again, so what brings you here?"

"Maria says she has fallen sick, so I came instead," Lily smiled and tilted her head to the side before moving away from right above me. "Do you not like to have me here."

I stood up from the bed and turned to Lily.

"Of course I am happy, I am very happy to see you."

Lily smiled.

"Let's train a lot today, okay?"

"Ah—!"

I had Lily use her healing magic till she couldn't stand anymore that morning.

With the knights in the fray, the investigation proceeded smoothly and I got a chance to take a break.

The day passed over and next the morning rolled in as well.

Maria still didn't come back.