24 Sieghart & Velice.

Sieghart's victory over Dick restored a moment of tranquility.

With Velice, the Duke's daughter, cradled in his arm, he strolled casually.

Curiosity sparkled in her eyes as she mustered the courage to ask him the burning question.

"You..."

"Huh?" said Sieghart.

"Why... Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You killed him... Why...?"

"Because I'm strong?"

He regarded her calmly, his gaze steady.

Her reaction was anything but composed.

She let out an ear-splitting scream, her voice echoing through the underground facility.

"Why? Why would you do that?"

She broke free from his grasp and rushed towards the mangled remains of Dick's body.

Desperation flowed from every fiber of her being as her trembling fingers traced the gruesome sight, tears streaming down her face.

Sieghart sighed, his footsteps measured as he approached her.

One hand remained in his pocket while the other gently brushed against her trembling shoulder.

"Velice, get up," he said.

( Nice, I finally got her name right... ) [Sieghart]

Her anger flared, and she slapped his hand away.

"How dare you touch me!" she shouted through gritted teeth.

Her pleas shifted focus towards the disfigured mass before her.

"Why did he have to die? He shouldn't have died!"

Sieghart closed his eyes, his palm pressing firmly against his forehead, his annoyance palpable.

( I can't stand these sort of women, one man dies and they're emotionally broken... Ugh... ) [Sieghart]

With a sudden motion, he forcefully grabbed her wrist, pulling her upright against her resistance.

Velice's protests surged forward, a river of rage unleashed.

"What do you think you're doing? How dare you lay hands on me!"

In an instant, a resounding slap cut through the air, leaving a crimson mark on Velice's pale cheek.

Her hand rushed to touch the stinging pain, tears threatening to fall.

"Stop acting like an idiot..." he told her.

"Y... You slapped me..."

"That one wasn't enough?"

Embarrassed silence settled between them.

Their breathing the only sound.

The air around them tightened, progressively being strangled by the silence.

Velice's sobs pierced the silence, her delicate frame quivering with anguish.

Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over, as she stuttered through her quivering lips.

"W-Why did you have to slap me?" she managed to hiccup out, her voice filled with confusion and hurt. "I-I didn't do anything wrong. W-Why did you... hit me?"

Sieghart sighed heavily, he pointed at the lifeless remains of Dickʼs corpse.

With a weary voice, he fought to contain his frustration.

"Easy, you were acting like an idiot," he retorted impatiently.

She sniffled, wiping away her tears as mucus ran down her trembling nostrils.

Her eyes widened, pleading for an explanation.

"Wh-What?" she stammered, struggling to comprehend his words.

Sieghart kept looking at her.

"I-I don't understand..."

"Big surprise," he said.

Sieghart pointed towards the crushed corpse again.

"This man... Dick?"

( Hehe, Dick. ) [Sieghart]

"He wasn't your friend, Velice," he stated. "He was a psycho, using you for whatever special abilities you possess."

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Now comes the stage of denial..." Sieghart mumbled.

"N-No... That can't be true," she whispered, her heart refusing to accept the harsh reality. "He... He liked... He loved me. He cared about me."

Sieghart let out an exasperated yawn, his weariness evident as he ran a hand through his raven-black hair.

"I'm tired, Velice. It's way past my bedtime," he muttered. "But let me ask you, if he really liked you, would he have chained you up and drawn your blood? Would he have left you completely dependent on him?"

She swallowed, her voice timid as she spoke. "I-I don't know..."

"Again, big surprise."

Sieghart's eyes darkened as he observed her, his frustration mounting.

"Look, Velice, I'm not great with these motivational talks," he admitted, a shrug followed after. "But no one should dictate how you live your life. And from what I've seen, all you've been living is a lie."

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"But no one... Likes me..." she stared at the ground in self-rejection.

Sieghart mimicked her words with a high-pitched voice.

"But no one likes me," he mocked, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

He then threatened to slap her, his hand poised in the air before stopping halfway, teasingly.

Seeing her flinch, he chuckled softly, partly amused.

"I might just have to give you another slap if you don't stop with the waterworks," he warned.

Apologetically, Velice lowered her gaze and muttered a soft sorry.

Sieghart's expression softened, a rare hint of gentleness crossing his features.

He wasn't gentle when he was alone.

So this was a first.

Sieghart wasn't barbaric either. He was just— well, Sieghart.

"Listen, Velice. All I can tell you is that even if you think no one likes you, I actually do."

Tear droplets dispersed from her gradually widening eyes.

"You do?" she asked, hoping he'd say yes.

( Your hot body? Definitely, I could get loads of points from clapping her cake. ) [Sieghart]

Sieghart nodded, his eyes meeting hers with unwavering sincerity.

"Definitely," he affirmed.

"Really?" she asked again, still finding it hard to believe.

Now visibly annoyed, Sieghart let out a exasperated sigh.

"Damn it, Velice, just shut up," he snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"Sorry," she mumbled, bowing her head in submission.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Sieghart fought to regain his composure.

"You're doing it again," he muttered under his breath.

Confused, Velice looked up at him and tilted her head, her eyes questioning.

"Doing what?" she asked innocently.

Sieghart let out a frustrated breath, partly irked.

"You're the daughter of the damn Duke. If someone tells you to shut up, you tell them to shove it up their ass."

Velice blinked, taken aback by his words.

"But wouldn't that be... a little too rude?" she questioned.

Sieghart sighed heavily, his fatigue evident in his voice.

"Oh, I didn't know you wanted to be nice... Where has that gotten you?"

Silence.

"No worries," Sieghart smiled warmly. "I'll answer it for you."

He kicked the shackles on the ground causing a heavy clanking sound.

Sieghart turned his back to Velice, his body lowered in a noble genuflection, a silent command for her to climb on his back.

"Huh?" Velice blinked in surprise.

Sieghart clicked his tongue several times, he turned his head slightly and spoke.

"Haven't you watched any K-dramas? I'm telling you to get on my back."

Velice stammered uncertainly. "K... K-drama...?"

"Forget about that," he told her.

With her heart pounding, Velice was a bit scared to even ponder his request. It was a new experience for her.

Being carried by a boy in such a manner.

"Are you... are you sure?" she stuttered out.

Sieghart smirked confidently, his posture radiating self-assurance.

"Do I look like some insecure Duke's daughter?" he scoffed. "Of course, I'm sure. Now get on, idiot."

Feeling a glimmer of hope and trust in her heart, Velice hesitated for a moment before nodding resolutely.

"Okay," she said softly.

The absent emotion in her voice was once again restored.

Without any more hesitation, she stepped forward and gingerly climbed onto Sieghart's back, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck as she buried her face in his broad shoulders.

A faint blush painted her cheeks as she couldn't help but murmur, "You... You smell nice."

"Course I do."

Sieghart straightened his back, his strong arms securely holding Velice's thighs in place.

"Velice, I don't know much about you, but from what I've seen, you've been influenced by the wrong crowd."

Velice remained quiet, her eyes fixed on the ground as she absorbed his words.

Sieghart continued, his voice was gentle.

"You haven't had a strong relationship before today. But that ends now. I'll be your friend, Velice. And trust me, I'm not saying this because you're an idiot or anything."

A giggle escaped Velice's lips, her first genuine laughter in ages.

"I know," she replied softly.

In that moment, she realized Sieghart was too blunt and arrogant to lie to her about being her friend. He didn't feel obligated to become her friend, in truth, he simply did it because he wanted to. Before now, Velice never saw anyone purely seeing her as "something" that was their duty to protect. Her secret ruined her life, and at that, it took almost all her life for someone to tell her they'd be her friend.

And that person, was Sieghart Zegion.