Why?

Looking at Lily, who was staring at her with an innocent expression, Ava didn't know how to feel. Even now, she couldn't help but slightly tense her muscles, expecting someone to suddenly burst through the door and turn a blade on her. "Why?"

"Why what?" Lily asked.

"Why are you being nice to me? I slit a knife across your throat."

Lily let out a small laugh, scratching her cheek while answering, "I don't know, really, it just feels right. When you were threatening me, of course, I was scared, but I also couldn't help but find it a little sad."

Seeing Ava give her a confused glance, Lily quickly said, "Um, not in a pitying way or anything like that. It's just, isn't it a shame? You're clearly so young and kind, or at least kind enough to let me go, but the first option you resort to is violence. Isn't that a little sad…"

Trailing off, Lily realized that it still sounded like pity despite her explanation. In a fluster, she said, "Well, it's just that I think that you deserve better? No, that's not what I mean. Um, I don't think you should be forced to act like that?"

Falling to the floor and hugging her knees, Lily couldn't help but stumble out one word after another, but the more she spoke, the more she felt like she was simply pitying Ava. Letting out a slight scream while tussling up her hair, Lily explained, "ARGH! I don't know, and it just felt right in the moment, okay…."

Looking down at Lily, Ava couldn't help but let out a small smile while reaching out a hand to help Lily up, "Alright, I get it. You don't have to keep explaining."

Looking up gratefully, Lily took Ava's hand and practically sprung up. "Well, the point is I thought I would have liked it if someone invited me in if I was in your situation."

Smiling, Ava agreed, "It was nice."

Staring at Ava's smile, Lily couldn't help but be a little dazed. After a moment, she broke out of her reverie and exclaimed, "Wait, Ava. Were you smiling!? You were smiling, right? You're so pretty when you smile. I wonder what you'll look like when your hair isn't so dirty."

Reaching out, Lily couldn't help but try to rearrange Ava's dirty hair a little to try to get a better idea of what Ava's face looked like when it wasn't framed by dirt, but in the end, she could only give up finding that even the deepest locks of Ava's hair were coated in a thick layer of grime and grease.

On the other hand, Ava couldn't help but crease her smile into a thin line as she resisted the urge to lash out when Lily touched her hair. But in the end, Ava restrained herself and couldn't help but let out a helpless laugh. Alright, she would give it a try. Lily… was someone she'd like to get to know if possible. Anyways, she had just moved here. Even if Lily only ended up being a casual acquaintance in the end, it was always better to have another friend.

Reaching out a hand, she held Lily's wrist and pulled it down.

Realizing her error, Lily couldn't help but blush in shame, "Oh, I'm sorry-"

Cutting Lily off, Ava shook her head. "It's fine. How about you bring me over for a bath?"

Worried that she wasn't being clear enough, Ava clarified, "The communal one. You said you'd help me wash my hair?"

Brightening up, Lily smiled and nodded, "Yes, yes! Let's go!" Then reversing Ava's grip on her wrist, Lily wiggled her hand around and grabbed Ava's wrist before running out of the doorway. After getting a few feet away, she suddenly came to a pause, causing Ava to nearly smash her nose into her back. Confused, Ava looked up at Lily's back only to hear Lily say. "Oh right, the key."

Turning around, Lily let go of Ava's wrist and closed the door of the room they had just exited and locked it before facing Ava again and handing her the key. "Hold onto it. If you lose it, we'll have to find the Madam. She's nice, but a little scary."

Rubbing her nose, Ava couldn't help but wonder what this Madam was like for Lily to be scared of her when Lily didn't fear someone who held her at knifepoint.

But Ava didn't have a chance to think about it as Lily grabbed onto Ava's wrist again and started dragging her down the stairs, returning all the way down to the first floor, where they turned and entered a door that was adjacent to the stairs that they hadn't entered before.

Stepping through the doorway, Ava couldn't help but let out a breath of relief as the hot and stuffy atmosphere that had returned as they approached the first floor disappeared as they stepped outdoors into a small enclosed courtyard. Dragging Ava forward, Lily didn't even stop to explain to the few curious eyes that had popped up around them, wondering what Lily was doing with a dirty little kid behind her.

Behind her, Ava couldn't help but glance warily at all the new faces that had appeared but didn't have a chance to evaluate any of them in detail as Lily pulled her along. Although she had a preliminary trust in Lily now, that trust didn't extend to the Madam or the sisters Lily kept talking about.

Crossing the courtyard, Lily finally stopped when they arrived before a set of double doors.

Slightly out of breath, Lily turned around to look at Ava and, with a smile, said, "We're at the communal bath! Most of the other girls tend to bathe later at night, so with any luck, it'll be just you and me."

Letting out a small nod, Ava couldn't help but turn her eyes behind her, watching for any movement. And lo and behold, a few of the owners of the curious eyes that had followed their path across the courtyard were now waltzing over to see what was going on.

Feeling slightly nervous at the number of people, Ava couldn't help but reach a hand towards her waist.