The horse looks sturdy enough. With everything prepared, I climb the horse and earn a neighing from it. I hug it and touch it to calm it down. It sounds excited and stimulated. Does it no longer go outside the mansion?
"Where are you going?"
I whirl towards the voice and see Gavin galloping towards me on a horse. His aura is hidden. Right now, he seems like an ordinary human—just bigger.
"I need to look for a house," I share.
"Ah! So you have forgotten about your maid, who is in deep sleep."
"I did not forget about Aiko. I just can't do anything for her in the meantime."
Yesterday, the army arrived to take Aiko away. Court officials also visited to interrogate me and get the proof. I give it out but kept hidden another proof that I locked under the floor. It's protected by my magic and is frozen in time by my magic, too.
"How about magic practice, then?" he asks.
"I have no time for it yet. What I already have serves its purpose, anyway."
I let the horse gallop and Gavin follow. "You need control, though. You should practice instead of caring for these humans. You can't do anything for them. Let them be. Just focus on your magic. That's a piece of advice from a true friend."
"A true friend won't ask for sex, though."
"Sex and friendship are separate matters."
"Not for me," I say, and make the horse run faster, leaving him out in the dirt. I hear him complain, but he has no other choice but to go after me.
Outside the Dunnett's property, the scenery changes into an urban style. People are more common, and it is noisier. There are myriads of smells too. I climb down the horse and pay a man at the entrance to the town proper. He can take care of the horses while we are in town. Horses can enter, but it's better if we are on foot or on a carriage.
When Gavin catches up to me, I am already leaning over a store's wall and waiting for him. He smiles upon seeing me.
"I'm glad my Lyrica waited for me."
"I'm worried you will cry if I left you," I respond.
"Very thoughtful of you." He moves closer to me and whispers, "And since we are on it, how about a kiss?"
"Don't push your luck," I say, evading from his mouth. "So?"
"So what?"
"You followed me here to help me find a house, right?"
Instead of arguing with me, he says, "Yes, you are right."
"Are you hoping to get some sort of reward after?"
"Hmmm…"
I smile at him. The first time I ever did. Seeing it, he pinches my nose the same way I pinched his while he was sleeping.
As if infected by my smile, his smile widens. "Yes, Lyrica. I am just hoping for a reward. I'm not thinking of blackmailing you at all."
"Why did you think you can help me, anyway? Monsters don't reside here."
"But we can visit."
"You have papers?"
"I am the only full-blooded monster with documents."
I raise my eyebrow at him, waiting for more information.
"I am here just to look around. To travel. Although, I have extended my stay," he confesses.
"That's why you are masking your presence."
He doesn't deny it. Instead, we walk along the street and he points me in the general direction of where we can find houses. We find a small one, an agency. The inside looks even smaller since it's cluttered by shelves with bundles of paper. The man on the desk gives us a copy of the list of all the houses that are outside the town proper. The price of the entire house is also listed, including the rent, if we are going to opt for that.
Afterward, we find ourselves in a restaurant. I discover that Gavin is easy to talk to, minus his penchant for anything perverse. He's also very open, that really, if he's not a deviant, then many people will be charmed by his personality.
"Why are you here, anyway?" I ask. I bite on the beef that's oozing with sauce. Not as good as Dunnett's chef, but after an entire morning of riding and going around different houses, even the most bland of food will taste exquisite.
"I plan to create a Kingdom for monsters," he shares without hesitation, as if creating a kingdom is easy.
"I didn't know you have such grand ambition."
"Are you falling for me now?"
"Why would I? You only want to become a King so you can have a harem of your own."
"If you become my Queen, then I will dispatch all of my harem women." He wiggles his eyebrows and adds, "You might break all of my women. I can't subject them to that kind of torture."
"And you will just have your women outside the castle?"
Gavin's laughter echoes in the restaurant. I cover his mouth. He is getting attention and I even see a girl looking at him with admiration for how he looks.
"Quiet!" I scold. When I feel him lick my palm, I pull back in repulsion. "You disgusting man!" I hiss, wiping my hand on my skirt.
"There is an inn beside this restaurant. How about we go and check in? The walls are thin, though, so you will have to control your voice."
I sigh. Seriously, I need to get used to all his innuendos. Ignoring his suggestion, I ask, "So, why are you here if you are planning to build a kingdom of your own?"
"You even forgot that part?"
I scowl. Still, I try to search Lyrica's memories. Cairns Kingdom is considered a paradise in the books. A lot of kingdoms copy the way it is being run. Come to think of it. There are no squatters here. The only darkness in this kingdom is me, Lyrica herself, as she collects her slaves.
But even if it's considered a paradise Kingdom. Monsters can't easily come inside, especially the half-monsters who do not have the ability to mask themselves. I wonder how Lyrica was able to slip her half-monsters inside?
I exclaim and look at Gavin. It's because of my father! When Lyrica asks, he will give her everything so she can leave his sight as soon as possible.
"You understand now?" Gavin asks.
I nod and shift my attention back to eating while feeling frustrated at my ex-favorite character.
Suddenly, a glint of a knife appears on my right. I look at it just in time, before Gavin reaches for the blade.
"You should fight against it," he says.
To my surprise, I stand up and pull back from the chair. Gavin is not talking to me. Rather, his eyes is focused on the man who just tried to strike me with the knife.
"The world is unfair, but you need to see through your own eyes," he continues. "You need to think for yourself."
What is he talking about? This guy, who is wearing ordinary clothes, has such manic hatred for me. He is glowering at me, but I don't remember him from Lyrica's memories. Is he also blocked by her? More importantly, what did Lyrica do to be assaulted in broad daylight?!
"Calm down," Gavin says gently, still not directed to me.
I don't understand though. There is a look of pity in his eyes and the man who tried to stab me is crying. I shift my attention to the knife and see that Gavin's hand is bleeding. His blood is dripping on the floor and the smell of it is flooding the entire restaurant.
I am sure that it's not only me, but other people around us can smell it too. They are sniffing, probably trying to deduce where the old, musty smell is coming from.
The stranger drops the knife, and he covers his face. Then he wails while whimpering, "I hate you! I hate you so much."
Gavin pulls me away from the scene and whispers, "It's time to leave, Lyrica."