I woke up with a sharp pain, my entire body aching as if I had been slammed into by a speeding truck. It didn't help that I couldn't remember what happened. More importantly, the unfamiliar ceiling above me.
"An unfamiliar ceiling."
The room was lavish, a sharp contrast to the kind of room I had just been before blacking out. The polished wood, the soft lighting, and the decorations, all of it screamed expensive.
The decor, especially, caught my eye. Everything was so meticulously arranged, as though someone with a great deal of money, and an even greater amount of taste, had spent a lot of time setting it all up.
Well this room more likely than not is a guest room in the castle. I'd like to aske where exactly, though.
Trying to ignore the ache in my muscles, I pushed myself to sit up. The room was so lavish, the room might be the cost of my whole lifetime of working.
The decoration on a table nearby. It was like an action figure, only it was carved out of marble, smooth and flawless. The details were so intricate it made me wonder just how long it must've taken to craft something like that. Whoever made it clearly had a ridiculous amount of skill. And probably a ridiculous amount of money to spare for someone to obtain.
My fingers brushed against the cold stone, and I couldn't help but think about the price tag. It couldn't be less than one hundred gold. I'd never be able to afford something like this with my own money. Not in a million years.
"Boo!"
My heart skipped a beat, and I went rigid as panic surged through me. I jolted, almost dropping the marble figure. My pulse raced, and I felt a wave of anxiety flood over me.
What the hell would I do if I broke it? Would someone expect me to pay for it? No way.
I quickly glanced toward the source of the voice. Of course, it was Sylvia. The one person who I could not hear a footsteps. She's like a darn cat.
She was standing in the doorway, grinning like she'd just won some kind of personal victory. Her face was practically glowing with amusement, and her eyes sparkled as she tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle a laugh. The tiny sound that escaped her. "Pfft…" was enough to make me roll my eyes. She always found it so damn funny to mess with me.
"Seriously?" I muttered under my breath, my voice tinged with frustration that I couldn't quite hide.
Sylvia just leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed, still looking way too pleased with herself. "You're so easy to mess with," she teased, her grin widening.
Of course, she would say something like that. I resisted the urge to throw the marble figure at her. It was tempting, but I knew better. I couldn't afford to pay for any more damages, especially not to this place.
"Where the hell you even went?" I asked annoyed
She didn't answer right away, instead she walk closer to me and took the figure from me. "Just had to clean some trash." she said calmly even while juggling the figure in between her hands.
Can you like not do that?
"Considering your personality, I wouldn't even be surprised if you mean something completely different than what I have in mind." She can be annoying, nah, she's hella annoying most of the time, but I don't think she means what I think she meant.
Or maybe not.
I don't really get her.
...
Silvia and I went out of the room, I was hungry so I asked her to take me somewhere I can eat.
On our way down the hall, we happened to run into Linne. The sight of her almost made me do a double-take.
She didn't look anything like the composed demon lord she was. Her hair was a mess, completely undone and rough, and she was wearing a ragged pair of pajamas that looked like she'd just grabbed them out of a drawer without thinking. She looked like a kid who had just woken up, the kind of look you get when you don't care about the time and just roll out of bed.
I checked my phone, six a.m. it is. Yeah, she was probably not a morning person.
But to be honest, I don't mind it, not at all. She looks too adorable for a demon lord who's already sixty-four years old.
Something I wanna keep.
CLICK
"shit..."
I tried snapping a picture of her, but my dumb self left not just the sound on, but the flash too. For a brief second a bright flash of light erupted, getting her attention. Prompting her to look at us, but it looks like she didn't mind. Except the person beside me. Sylvia.
She already saw my phone once and I also snapped a picture of her, but the flash got her curiosity flared once again.
"Before you say anything, I can't, okay?" I blurted out, already anticipating the question she was about to ask. I had to stop her before she turned into some sort of interrogation officer, pressing me for answers I didn't feel like giving.
"Morning, Linne," I called out. It was the first time I used a nickname for her, and honestly, it felt kind of nice. It gave the whole thing a more casual vibe, like we were friends, even if that wasn't much of a fact.
But I didn't get an answer.
Linne squinted at me, her eyes narrowing slightly as if she was trying to figure me out, and then she just kept walking. No greeting. No smile. Nothing. I felt a little deflated. I had at least expected some acknowledgment.
"Linne, huh?" Sylvia's voice was teasing, and I could hear the smugness in it as she repeated my words. "You like her, don't you?"
I shot Sylvia a look, but she just smiled wider, clearly enjoying the reaction she was getting. I could feel my cheeks warm up, and I quickly muttered, "Shut up."
Sylvia didn't say anything right away, but her eyes, those damn eyes, were enough to tell me she wasn't letting this go anytime soon. There was something malicious behind them, something playful, and I could feel the weight of her gaze like a challenge.
Sylvia looked at me, a devilish grin spreading across her face as she locked eyes with me. The moment her smile grew wider, I knew I was in trouble. Without giving me any time to react, she dashed off, moving so fast that I could barely process it.
"Linne, wait up." she yelled as runs toward her.
Shit...
I ran a hand through my hair, already knowing what was coming next. Sylvia was up to something. Something that was definitely going to make this morning even more awkward than it already was.