I Reject the villain’s ending.

Chapter 14

After my seemingly trivial punishment, Iros didn’t hold the sword to my throat, but he still gave me a suspicious glance.

The back of my head, the side of my head, and the front of my face.

Unable to resist the stare, I put down my tea and turned to Iros.

‘Do you have something to say to me?’

‘I just think you’ve been acting a little strange lately.’

I don’t know if it’s the right thing to say in front of a human being, but I’d spent my life treating people like pets, so I can’t say anything.

Instead, I feigned calmness and asked Iros.
What’s wrong with you?

‘Why haven’t you been stripping me lately?

oh-pooh! Kellock, kellock, kellock, ugh, kack!

Mei, who was drinking tea with me, blew out the black tea she had in her mouth like a dragon breath and coughed violently as if she heard Sare.

If I had been drinking tea, I would not have been able to avoid the same fate as Mei.

I sighed, looking at my teacup and the black tea drops splattering on my dress. Then Iros spoke as if he had been waiting for me.

‘Shall we kill the maid?’

‘No.’

‘Then shall we cut out her tongue?’

‘No.’

‘she spits dirty spittle and tea on the saint.’

‘she didn’t spit in her face.’

Iros, who had been answering the unseemly question, tilted his head and looked at Mei with narrowed eyes.

‘Look here. You’ve certainly become strange. In the old days, I’d have told you to disembowel her at once and burn her filthy mouth with fire.’

!’

Iros looked quite unhappy with me, which only made poor Mei shrink back in fear.

I sighed, watching them both like a pair of comic reliefs.

‘Pink, you’re freaking her out.’

‘Even wrapped up like this.’

Iros’s murderous gaze flew to Mei and locked onto her.

Even as he glared at me, it was as if he was protesting that he was doing something wrong and needed to be seen.

‘What’s wrong with him? it’s not like a puppy looking for punishment. What’s wrong with him?

I asked, watching the situation carefully, and Mei, startled, covered her mouth and hiccupped.

‘Sin, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I dirtied the saint’s clothes and made her snacks unusable! Black, I don’t have anything to say if I get kicked out!’

‘Tsk. Don’t cry. I have no intention of kicking out my only dedicated maid, so calm down.’

‘Ew, you’re an angel!’

‘Will you bring me a change of clothes for me to wear when I cry?’

‘Yes!’

I sighed and looked at Airos as Mei scurried off to the dressing room.

‘Why are you grumpy with her again?’

‘It’s because she’s being weird.’

‘Is it rebellion? She must be past puberty. Are you jealous of her, Mei?’

‘…….’

She doesn’t say anything, so I assume it’s jealousy. But what is she jealous of?

I scratched my head, but Iros leaned down and spoke in a low voice.

‘You don’t ask me to do your bidding these days, and you don’t punish me. You’ve been kind to others, too.’

‘I told you, I’m trying to be nice from now on. When were you so passionately telling me not to be mean?’

‘…….’

Iros opened his mouth, then closed it again, unable to think of anything to retort.

I sighed inwardly as I watched him.

He must be feeling jealous and left out because Mei came in after being alone with him all the time, and he’s feeling insecure because I’m not looking for him as much as I usually do.

In puppy terms, yeah. Separation anxiety?

‘Do you get anxious when I go somewhere or do something and leave you behind?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Then are you anxious because you think I’ll be playing with other people?’

‘Why do you ask?’

‘If you think I’m not my usual self, if you think I’m not around you, does that scare you?’

‘Where would you go without me, would you?’

Watching Iros’s face contort, I was convinced.

This is separation anxiety.

‘My dog had it too,’ I said, ‘when the family wasn’t the same, or when we went outside and he brought home the smell of other dogs, and we were often separated.

Like Iros, he was suspicious, anxious, jealous, and jumpy.

She would get into accidents and pull out all the hairs on her tail to get attention.

‘Pinkie…….’

‘Why are you staring at me with such a puppyish look in your eyes? Stop looking so out of place. It gives me the creeps.

Watching Iros flinch and take a step back, I nodded, ‘Yeah, right,’ and extended my hand.

‘Come here.’

‘…….’

After a moment’s hesitation, Iros hesitantly walked over to me.

‘Stay close to me, always within reach.’

‘If you want.’

More like you want it than I want it.

I glanced up to see Iros standing there, looking more relaxed than he was earlier.

‘Saint, I have a change of clothes for you here!’

‘It’s a comfortable robe, good thing, I was comfortable in my dress the whole time.’

‘Hehe.’

Iros’s eyes narrowed again as he stroked Mei’s orange hair.

‘Oh, no. My dog is so jealous.

I quickly removed my hand from Mei’s head and spoke soothingly to Iros.

‘It zips up in the back, Pink, so you can help her dress.’

‘I have one! I’m the Lady’s maid.’

‘She made me do it.’

‘Hmm.’

Iris looked down at Mei with a smug look on his face, and Mei scowled at him in exasperation.

It reminded me of a puppy-hamster chi battle, and before he could burst out laughing, he took a quick step into the screening room.

Outside, Mei could be heard huffing and puffing, and with a victor’s grin, Iros stepped inside the screen.

‘I’m here to help.’

‘Then hold on to your clothes, because I need to take this off first.’

‘Take off what, eh?’

Iros left her alone and unbuttoned the buttons holding her dress up.

One, two, three, four. Once unbuttoned and completely naked, Iros’s peach-colored face flushed, her eyes narrowed, and her head whipped around.

‘……?’

He was shaking like an innocent boy, his eyes squeezed shut and his lips pursed tightly, even though he had seen everything there was to see.

I giggled at how cute he looked and dropped the dress I was wearing.

The sound of the fabric brushing against her flesh was louder because Iros remained silent.

His body jumped as I picked up the new clothes he was holding.

‘If anyone saw you, they’d think I was eating you.’

‘…….’

Iros’s ears turned bright red.

I reached behind my back as I slipped the clothes on, enjoying his reaction.

I grabbed the zip and pulled it up from my hips to my waist, but no matter how much I fumbled with my back, my hands wouldn’t go any higher.

Sighing at how stiff my joints were, I turned around and gave Iros a little shake.

‘Pink, just zip it up in the back. I can’t reach it, and open your eyes.’

Iros’s eyes fluttered open at the words, and he looked at me in my clothes.

His eyes fluttered as if he was going crazy with awkwardness.

‘I’m dressed, just zip it up.’

Okay. Then can you hold your hair up, because it’s going to get chewed up in the zip?

‘Sure.’

I turned around and gathered my long hair into a bun and pinned it up.

Iros hesitated, then walked over and put his hand on the zip.

. I could hear the zip go up and Iros’s breathing, unusually clear.

‘Are you done?’

‘Not yet.’

‘……?’

Just as I was thinking, I think I’m all zipped up, but what’s left?’ something touched the back of my shoulder.

It was slightly damp, soft, and squishy, part caterpillar, part jellyfish, and I whirled around, shivering in surprise.

‘What, what is it?’

‘This. Your hair was blowing, so I took it off.’

‘Was that your finger?’

‘What do you mean?’

I shook my head, shuddering at the innocent look on Iros’s face as he stared at me.

‘Eh. Nothing, I guess I’m just a little surprised that he took my hair off without telling me.

Hearing my voice, Mei darted to the front of the shield and raised her magpie paws.

‘What’s wrong, Guardian, you couldn’t possibly have done something naughty to our saint, could you?’

‘By naughty, do you mean the kind of thing the saint used to do to me every day?’

‘Ewww, Pink, what are you talking about to her!’

I snapped, slapping Iros on the back for his nonchalant babbling, and stepped around the curtain and out.

‘Ugh. I can’t live with myself.’

‘That’s what the Guardian did to the Saint, isn’t it?!’

‘No, she just took the hair off my back and I freaked out.’

‘Is that it?’

‘Yeah.’

I shook my head to clear my mind of the sensation and realized it was just lips on my back.

* * *

Iros, still inside the cloak, covered his mouth with his hand and hid his blushing face at the sound of Dorando’s words from outside.

‘It was dangerous.

He leaned in and brought his lips to the pale blond’s, taking in the pearly white nape of his neck and back.

I knew how soft that white skin would be, and how warm it would be, but I couldn’t resist.

‘How long has it been?

It’s been a month and two weeks since I’ve had a night watch.

Yesterday, after the punishment in the Chamber of Mirrors, I thought I would, but I did nothing.

‘Why do I keep thinking about it like it’s a shame,’ I thought, ‘get a grip. I don’t want any of that!

Iros shook his head furiously, pressing hard against his pounding heart and burning face.

‘Pinkie, Mei’s bringing in a new snack. What would you like to eat?’

‘I, uh, I’d like to be alone for a while.’

‘Well, whatever, but why is she still there?’

‘Please leave me alone!’

‘Oh, okay. Temper.’

Sierra jerked back, startled at the sound of Iros’s raised voice.

Behind the curtain, Iros stood shakily, looking down, as if he were about to cry.

And despaired silently.

With tears in his eyes, Iros began to study the scriptures he had neglected.

It wasn’t meant to be memorized for this purpose……. I guess this is the only time it’s useful.

It wasn’t until Mei brought in a freshly baked cake that Iros emerged from the shadows, fascinated, and sipped hot black tea.

Sierra was stunned.

‘Crazy! What the hell is wrong with her?!’

‘I want to know, too. What the hell is wrong with me.’

‘You’re going to burn your esophagus. Get over here so I can fix it.’

‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me.’

Why now…….

Iros mumbled helplessly and buried his face in his hands, and Sierra and Mei shook their heads as they watched him.

It seems that Airos’s separation anxiety is getting worse, and he’s hurting his mind.