PT 2

"…Sorry, Mr. Finn."

Lilly sat up straight and looked Finn directly in the eye.

"Lilly declines your offer."

She smiled softly and bowed her head.

"Can I hear the reason?"

Finn returned her smile and asked why.

"Just like you have devoted your life to our people, Lilly, too…has devoted

her life to Bell. Lilly has made up her mind."

Lilly explained that the two of them were one and the same.

The scale of their commitments might be completely different, but their level

of determination was identical. Lilly responded with gratitude to the man who

had reminded her of something she nearly lost.

"I see," Finn said with a nod. "…Haaa…So it wasn't going to work out after

all." Finn closed his eyes and sighed, a weak smile on his lips.

"I had an inkling going in that there wasn't much hope. Even my thumb told

me this wouldn't work out…Call it my intuition."

"If that's so, why make the offer?"

Lilly was confused by his remarks. Finn, however, whose youthful

expression matched his appearance, gave her a genuine smile.

"Didn't I tell you? It was your courage that caught my eye."

"Ah…"

"From one prum to another, your courage took my breath away," he said.

"How could I not try to make a move?"

He placed his right hand over his chest, but he seemed truly happy.

It was his standard as Braver.

Just as he was trying to inspire his people, he was looking for a partner who

could inspire him.

"Well, looks like I'm back to square one."

Finn leaned back in his chair and cast his gaze thoughtfully toward the

ceiling.

It wasn't Loki Familia's general sitting across from Lilly at the table but Finn

as he truly was as a person. Seeing that made Lilly smile.

"If Lilly meets anyone special, she'll introduce you right away."

"Please do. I don't think I'm cut out for this sort of thing. I've always been

unlucky."

Finn grinned back at her.

Although she had turned down his proposal, the two were happy to at least

find someone who shared their strong feelings of devotion to a cause, and they

exchanged lighthearted smiles.

A calming air descended upon the table.

"Sir, sir! What are you doing?!"

""?""

That's when it happened.

The door was practically thrown off its hinges as every customer looked

toward the front in a mix of surprise and confusion.

Lilly and Finn were among them. And what should greet their eyes but an

extremely out-of-breath white-haired human boy.

"M-Mr. Bell?!"

Lilly reflexively jumped to her feet as the boy made a remarkably late

entrance.

His eyes opened wide the moment her voice reached his ears. Breaking

through the bar staff trying to block his path, Bell rushed over to their table.

The boy had made his way all the way to the Hidden Home of the Prums

either by his vague memories of the map on Finn's note or by wandering around

aimlessly until he found it, and he went straight to Finn. Lilly watched in

dumbfounded silence.

"Mr. Finn! Please, please don't take Lilly away!"

"Huh?" was all Lilly could say.

Finn stayed seated with a blank look on his face.

But only for a moment. Instantly piecing together what was happening, he

glanced over at Lilly and winked. A slightly evil smile appeared on his lips.

"How unfortunate—She's already accepted my offer, Bell Cranell."

Lilly was speechless. Shock was the only thing keeping her from jumping in

and asking what he meant by that.

Just wait, the prum said with his eyes, stopping Lilly in her tracks. Her

chance to get angry at him was gone.

At the same time, all the color had drained from Bell's face. But he didn't

give up.

"I still—I still want to be with Lilly! I don't want to let her go!"

The strength behind Bell's scream caught Lilly by surprise, making her blush.

A glint appeared in Finn's eyes, as if he was enjoying himself. He started

speaking again, the wicked smile still on his lips. "The two of us have already

decided to unite as one. Are you really going to trample on that?"

"Yes!"

"Well, it sounds like you have a vested interest. So then, what is she to you?"

"She's part of my familia—my family!"

"Is that all? That's hardly enough."

"…She was my first ally and is a very, very important partner!"

Finn spurred Bell into yelling his true feelings for Lilly at the top of his

lungs.

She listened to every word, her heart beating with every syllable. Heat built

up inside her, to the point that her chest was aching.

That's when she figured out his plan. He was trying to show her exactly how

much Lilly meant to the boy. It was unfair, almost dirty. Was there a way to stop

this runaway train?

This human who had forced his way onto the dining floor was now

exchanging words with Braver in the center of a crowd. Lilly was turning redder

by the second, unable to do much more than look left and right between the two.

"At long last, I found the bride I've been searching for. I won't give up on

this marriage that easily…Or will you try to take her by force? From me?"

Screech. Finn stood from the chair, looking up at Bell as he issued a

challenge.

He was Level 6, a top-tier adventurer even stronger than Ishtar Familia's

Phryne Jamil. Bell cleared his throat but didn't back down.

It was his turn to be selfish, and he would see it through to the end no matter

who stood in his way. Bell squared his shoulders and faced Finn directly.

"You've got spirit, and this could be interesting…The winner of our duel will

decide her fate!"

Braver was getting caught up in the moment and having a bit too much fun.

Forgetting his age, Finn pointed at the ruby-red-eyed boy, like he was a cocky

teenager itching for a fight.

Luan had gone completely slack-jawed as he watched it all unfold. The rest

of the prum staff and patrons gathered around the table, excited to see what

would happen next.

As for Lilly, she couldn't be blushing any harder.

Wh…What is going ooooooon?!

Bell and Finn were about to fight over her?

One of them might've been just joking around, but the other one was

completely serious. She could see it in the boy's eyes.

It was like a scene out of a fairy tale—two knights fighting for the right to

marry a young maiden, or perhaps the queen. That was her part in the story, and

it made her face burn with embarrassment.

I'm not fit for this role! I'm a servant of the castle, at the most! Or so she

silently screamed inside her head.

Looking vaguely similar to a boiling apple, Lilly watched Bell muster up

every bit of courage he possessed and Finn grin with the same twinkle in his eye.

Surrounded by the cheers of his kin, Finn declared:

"If by some chance you manage to land a hit, I will concede. However,

should I win, she will be my bride."

"Get him!" came the jeering voices of the prum onlookers. Bell slowly

nodded and took three steps back away from the corner of the dining floor before

turning to face Finn once again.

This has gone too far, Lilly thought to herself, the shame taking its toll. She

had to stop this, run in between them and—

" General?"

A cold chill swept through the bar.

"""?!"""

Lilly, Finn, Bell—all flipped around to face the terrifying, murderous aura

emanating from the front.

On the other side of the panic-stricken crowd was an Amazon shrouded in a

black miasma.

"T-Tione…How long have you been standing there?"

"General, what did you mean by that just now? Marriage…Your bride?"

Finn reeled backward. Tione hadn't been there long enough to hear the whole

thing.

There was no light in the Amazon's dead, empty eyes. Her plump, heavily

exposed breasts swayed with each heavy step she took in his direction. The floor

under her feet groaned precariously.

Her very presence overwhelmed the bar's patrons. Unable to withstand the

pressure of a top-tier adventurer, many collapsed to the floor like flies, staring at

the ceiling with drool running down their chins.

"How did you know I was here…?"

"I followed your scent."

"What are you, some kind of animal person…?"

While it might have been in jest, she was the last person Finn wanted to hear

say those words. Sweat was pouring down his face. At the same time, this

Amazon who was head over heels for the general to a frightening extent swayed

back and forth as she made her way through the tables and closer to the corner of

the bar.

As soon as Tione got within three meders of Finn, her voice exploded:

"GENERAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLL—!!"

"Get a hold of yourself, Tione!"

Finn darted away to get out of the charging Amazon's path. Pushing his small

body to its limits, he stayed as close to the floor as possible and dashed away

like a scared rabbit, hopping in leaps and bounds.

An ominous light came to life inside the Amazon's eyes. Going berserk, she

spun around and chased the Braver out of the bar and into the streets at

breakneck speed.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump! The last of their footsteps echoing

through the bar, a strange stillness filled the air.

Lilly, Bell, and the still-conscious prums were stunned.

"…Um, Lilly."

"!"

At a time when no one knew what to say, Bell cautiously broke the silence.

The rest of the prums lost interest, returning to their seats and massaging their

aching heads. Lilly's shoulders jumped up to her ears as she spun around to face

the boy.

Bell threw his body into a deep bow right in front of her.

"I'm sorry! Sorry I couldn't make a decision, sorry that I wasn't clear…"

"N-no! This is a misunderstanding! That was all Mr. Finn's idea…! He was

teasing you!"

"He…he was?"

"Yes! Lilly didn't accept his offer!"

Lilly desperately tried to explain what happened. Relief swelled within Bell's

heart with each passing moment.

Hand over his chest, the tension started to disappear from Bell's shoulders.

He still had a guilty look on his face, but he maintained eye contact with Lilly

and spoke as clearly as he could.

"I'm sorry—for everything. But I just…I still want you to be here with me."

Bell bared his heart to her, his cheeks taking on a slightly scarlet hue.

Lilly was much the same way, wide-eyed and blushing. Her lips slowly

spread into a smile.

"…Lilly is sorry, too. Suddenly getting angry, running away from home…"

"N-no, that was all because of me…"

"No, Mr. Bell. Lilly is at fault. She said in anger so many things she doesn't

believe about you and put you in a bad situation."

The two stood there, exchanging apologies. They looked away at the same

time, spouting even more explanations. Then they made eye contact again,

blushing in embarrassment and feeling a little awkward.

"…Shall we go home?"

"Yes!"

Bell shrugged and smiled. Lilly enthusiastically smiled back as she answered.

Bell then went to apologize to the prum staff for all the trouble he caused,

breaking into their bar, and did the same to the patrons soon after. Luan looked

up from one of them who was still passed out on the floor and yelled, "Never

show your face here again!" with all his anger. With that, Lilly and Bell left the

Hidden Home of the Prums.

A clear blue sky above their heads, the two of them passed by crowds of

demi-humans as they walked down the side streets.

"Um, also, how can I put this…?"

The two of them were almost home. They were in such a good mood that the

events of last night didn't feel real anymore, and Bell felt comfortable enough to

say what was on his mind.

Lilly looked up at him and saw him blush a little as he stumbled over his

words.

"Lilly, you're like a little sister to me."

"Mhh…"

"I-I only ever had my grandfather. No brothers, no sisters…So I didn't want

to lose one."

The boy shyly exposed the very deepest part of his heart to her. The corner of

Lilly's mouth twitched. She knew that he thought of her as nothing more than a

little sister, but hearing it still stung. She had decided to never leave his side no

matter what happened, but this was something else entirely.

Cheeks trembling as anger started to take hold once again, Lilly suddenly

thought of something and flashed a grin.

"Mr. Bell, oh Mr. Bell. Please lean in close."

"?"

Making a face fitting for an innocent little sister, she came to a stop and Bell

did the same, albeit confused. The clueless white rabbit did as he was told and

bent over at the waist so that the prum could whisper into his ear.

Lilly put her lips right next to it.

" I am older than you, Bell."

She spoke in the most adult, seductive way she knew how.

"?!"

A jolt ran down his spine as Bell stood up with a start. As he held his ear that

Lilly had spoken into, the rest of his face hung limply. It wasn't long before he

began to blush.

Lilly was looking back up at him, barely open eyes twinkling. Without

warning, a grin appeared. The innocent-little-sister smile was back.

"Now let's get home, Mr. Bell."

"…Ho-hold on a second, Lilly! Are…are you serious?!"

"Who knows?"

She walked ahead at a brisk pace. Bell desperately tried to keep up.

Lilly's robe swished as she took a peek over her shoulder and saw that the

boy was beet red and practically falling over his feet. It brought yet another

smile to her face.

I see, I see.

So thinking of her as an older sister triggered a reaction like that.

It was worth remembering.

Lilly's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she listened to the boy's

rambling behind her and smiled happily.

Holding her hands behind her back, she had a bit more spring in her step as

her footfalls echoed off the stone pavement.

The boy's pitiful voice echoed through the busy street.

The prum girl enjoyed the warmth of the sunlight, dimples forming in her cheeks as she savored the moment.