22. Stupid Gosling

"I told you to be careful where you step," Vlador said while helping the gosling back to her feet properly.

However, his eyes glanced at the girl's hands that were still gripping his sleeves. The girl looked left and right and her pupils dilated.

"You told me to walk faster on broken floors like this and now you're scolding me because I stumbled," Triana replied.

"I'm not scolding you, gosling. I'm just reminding you to put attention on your feet." Vlador answered tiredly. Then he clucked his tongue and grabbed the girl's hand.

"Akh!" Trianna shrieked.

"You better not complain anymore," Vlador said before continuing his steps.

"Y-you're carrying me?"

Glancing his eyes at the girl in his arms, Vlador replied, "I'm sure you'll stumble again in your next five steps. Am I that stupid to let you walk blind?"

Triana was silent with her face downcast. Her eyes blinked several times as if she was trying to see in this total darkness. Vlador could feel the tension in her body and her hand gripped a small part of his tunic.

"I'm not going to drop you even if you feel I would. One of my hands is holding two money bags so you feel my arms are a bit loose," Vlador said.

"Mr. Vlador, I'm sorry if I kept being a burden for you," Triana uttered suddenly.

Vlador's brow furrowed, but it was followed by a chuckle. "Isn't it too long for you to actually apologize?"

Vlador had to hold back his smile when the gosling's lips turned sullen. "At least I realized it and sincerely apologized. I hope you appreciate it. If I may share a little more, I honestly think I'm probably always a burden to people. But those people have been paid for by my father, so he said that I need not feel sorry about it."

"But... it seems that this habit makes it easy for me to unknowingly trouble people that I shouldn't trouble," she continued quietly.

"Then you should learn to be more independent so you don't have to trouble people and feel regretful in the end," Vlador replied.

Triana raised her eyes to Vlador even though her gaze wasn't pinned correctly on him. "Do you think I'm such a bother that maybe… make you feel annoyed with me?"

"Well…" Vlador thought for a moment. "I don't know what to feel about you. From the first time you appeared in front of me, I never liked you. However, even though you did inconvenience me, I don't find it so hard that I have to make it the reason for my dislike of you."

"I'll try not to be a bother then," Triana answered weakly with her face down again. However, it wasn't long before she lifted her face again. "Ah, right. I can hold the money bags. You must be in a lot of trouble having to carry me while carrying them,"

"No need," Vlador replied.

"But they are so heavy. Even, when a bag is only half filled, it is very heavy,"

"My power is beyond your understanding. You don't have to worry about little things like this," Vlador replied before moving his arm to fix Triana's position because he felt she slump a bit down.

"Oh!" Triana screamed and wrapped her arms around Vlador's neck.

"Your screams only lure predators to come pounce on you," Vlador hissed, more to himself.

"I-I'm sorry. I was surprised. I'm afraid of falling because it will injure my body or I might become disabled," Triana said.

"We're not standing on the top of a tree, Gosling," Vlador rolled his eyes. "But since your body has been very stiff, you will only make yourself fall for real,"

"Th-that's because I feel as if I'm going to slip down," Triana answered quietly, lowering her hands from Vlador's neck. "Excuse me,"

"Hold on to my neck then," Vlador said.

Triana's hands hung in the air, right in front of Vlador's chest. Her face looked thoughtful and Vlador secretly watched her and guessed what this stupid girl was thinking. Then, he felt the two small and warm hands hugged around his neck again.

"Thank you for letting me hold onto you," Triana said.

Not answering, Vlador just stared ahead in a slightly slowed pace. Then he glanced down again when he heard a throat sound.

"By the way, where is that monster that you said before, Mr. Vlador? I didn't even hear or see any sign of it," Triana asked.

A wicked smile spread across Vlador's lips. "You've met him, gosling,"

"I don't think so," Triana frowned.

"A blood-drinking and human-flesh-eating monster. What do you think it would be?" Vlador asked with one raised eyebrow.

Silence for a moment, Triana's eyes widened. She turned to him with glaring eyes. "How presumptuous are you, Mr. Vlador,"

Stifling a chuckle behind his teeth, Vlador replied, "Beautiful yet stupid. You're just like them. Gosling."

Triana's lips pouted. "I'm not stupid. I am a highly educated and broad-minded lady. After all, didn't you trick me into saying that there was a monster without explaining that it was you? And stop calling me gosling because I'm not ugly. How could you lie to me all this time?"

Smiling crookedly, Vlador replied, "The name Gosling suits you. To me, you are ugly, weak, and stupid. That is evident from how easily you are fooled,"

"Ugh, you are displeasing," She muttered. "Very well. Just call me whatever you like. We won't be seeing each other again after this curse is lifted, after all," Triana continued and turned her blushing face away.

Then, Vlador narrowed his eyes as he felt something getting more intense, "I don't think it's just my feeling, but your body does feel hot."

"Ah…" Triana held her own forehead and cheek. "I do feel unwell. I think I have a bit of a fever,"

"Is it a common infectious disease in humans?" Vlador asked.

"I am not sure. But I think it's just a normal fever. The fever can occur if there is an infection inside or outside the human body so that the body itself will produce heat to kill the bacteria and infection." Triana explained.

"Did you also get that explanation from the book?" Vlador guessed.

Triana's eyes widened. She chuckled and nodded. "That's right. I mentioned too much about books, didn't I?" she giggled as if she was very proud of it.

Gritting his teeth, Vlador averted his gaze from the girl's face. He stared ahead with a frown. He didn't like that kind of smile. The blush on the cheeks and round sparkling eyes were the things he hated. Yes, he did not like the beauty in women.

"Books are windows to see the world,"

"What?" Vlador returned his gaze to the gosling.