I woke up in the middle of the night. I can hear girl and ninja talking so I decided to stay silent and pretend that I am still sleeping.

  “I had some suspicion but I never thought you would be with these bandits.”

  “Well, I am technically not with them. I am also a victim.”

  “Hah? You were in the town by yourself. You could’ve run if you were a victim.”

  “I don’t really have anywhere to go.”

  “So, you thought the best pce to be was with the people who captured you in the first pce?”

  “Midy didn’t capture me. She is nice to me.”

  “You call her midy? Besides, she is the one leading this group so isn’t it her fault why you are here in the first pce?”

  “That may be true but I think she has a different pn.”

  “She does?”

  “Yeah, she- oh wait. I shouldn’t tell you that.”

  “Huh? Why not?”

  “Midy likes to do things her own way. If I spoil it for her, she may punish me.”

  “Tsk. Wait, she punishes you?”

  “No. She’s been nice to me so far.”

  “What the hell? That’s not fair. Why was I punished?”

  “You already know why, right?”

  “Tsk.”

  “Don’t worry. This will end soon.”

  “Huh? How do you know?”

  “Just a feeling.”

  I am lucky that this spy is a newbie. She is way too gullible. Even the girl wasn’t this easy to fool. Is this my influence?

  “Why do you stay with her anyway? I heard the party in the town was willing to help you.”

  “She smells nice.”

  “What?”

  “That’s it. She smells nice.”

  “You based your decision on how she smells?”

  “Yeah. I did think about it, you know? But I didn’t really know what to do so I thought about it a lot and at the end, it was because she smells nice.”

  “Huh.”

  “Also, I like it when she hugs me. I feel so safe and secure. Hehehe, I love cuddling.”

  I can feel girl hug me tighter.

  “Really?”

  I could hear ninja sniffing.

  “Woah. She does smell nice. How does she smell so nice even when camping?”

  “I don’t know either but try hugging her.”

  The two of them started to cuddle and smell me. It took everything in my power to remain sleeping.

  “You’re right. Why does it feel comfortable?”

  “See? She always hugs me so I like it a lot.”

  “Hey, isn’t this weird?”

  “What is?”

  “I was trying to kill her just a few hours ago and now I’m in her bed sleeping.”

  “You tried to kill her?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow.”

  “Really? That’s all you can say, wow?”

  “Yeah. I don’t really know what else to say.”

  “Isn’t she worried I’ll kill her while she’s sleeping?”

  “Can you?”

  “What?”

  “Can you kill her?”

  “Of course I can. I was the best in my css.”

  She keeps repeating that line.

  “I don’t think you can.”

  “Huh? Are you insulting me?”

  “No. Its just, she is here you know?”

  I would assume she is referring to Sylvia.

  “Tsk. Do you think she’s sleeping?”

  “I don’t know. She doesn’t speak at all.”

  “Really? Not even once?”

  “Yeah. I never heard her voice the whole time I’ve been here.”

  “Now that you mentioned it, they seemed to be communicating just with their eyes alone.”

  “Yeah. I know what you mean. When midy looks at her, she does stuff. Its like they have a special communication.”

  “She should be sleeping now, right?”

  “Who knows? I don’t even know when she sleeps.”

  “Maybe I can make it quick.”

  “Do you want to get punished again?”

  “You aren’t going to stop me?”

  “Huh? Why would I?”

  “Don’t you like being with her? She’ll be gone when I kill her.”

  “Don’t be silly. You can’t kill her. You already failed.”

  “Hah? Are you challenging me? I am going to do it.”

  “Sure. You’ll just get punished again.”

  “Wait. Are you messing with me?”

  “You finally realized?”

  “This is the real you? I thought you were a nice girl when we met.”

  “I learned it from midy.”

  “You have been corrupted!”

  “Shhhhh. Don’t yell. You’ll wake them up. Besides, you’re different from how I met you too.”

  “How different?”

  “You had this whole mysterious vibe and your voice sounded weird.”

  “Of course it did. I was using my magic to mask my voice. It is one of the reasons why I was the best in my css.”

  She really sounds proud of that.

  “I was also told that I should keep it down a notch so I was copying one of my seniors. She has cool beauty written all over her.”

  “Well, I like you better now.”

  “I liked you better before.”

  “Hey, that’s rude.”

  “Whatever. I’m going to sleep. I don’t feel like killing her anymore.”

  It did not take long until I heard some light snoring.

  “Midy?”

  I opened my eyes and looked at the girl.

  “You noticed?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why do you call me midy?”

  “I didn’t know your name.”

  “In that case, I will grant you the privilege of calling me mistress. Midy is for those that have not earned that privilege.”

  “Huh? Do you mean-“

  “Yes. You are smart. You already know what that means. You may only use it between us.”

  “Yes, mistress.”

  “Why did you do it?”

  “Do you like her, mistress?”

  “Yes.”

  “I also thought that when I first met her. That is the reason.”

  “Are you going to serve me every person I fancy to me?”

  “N-no. That’s not it. She is already here so I thought it would be nice if we all got along.”

  “Ah. She is right about one thing.”

  “What?”

  “You have been corrupted by me.”

  “That sounds weird.”

  I can feel her fidgeting.

  “Good. Continue to be dyed by my will and you may reach a higher path in this world.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That is something for you to figure out. Now, go to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow.”

  “Okay.”

  I look up and see Sylvia looking at me.

  “Enjoying the show?”

  I smile at her and close my eyes before she can answer.