Chapter 81

"..." Michalis didn't reply to Vasiliki, he simply waited patiently for her to reach the staircase, where he had meticulously set up an extra trap.

"If you don't want to answer, that's fine, but I am requesting a truce," Vasiliki said, her voice laced with a hint of caution.

'Don't know what else he might have set up in that small amount of time, better to be cautious,' Vasiliki thought, her keen eyes scanning the area for any other potential surprises.

Vasiliki had deduced that the situation had escalated beyond a simple prank war.

She needed to tread carefully if she wanted to make it out of this.

"Hehehe, calling for a truce now that you've gotten a taste of your own medicine. Michalis, don't let her get off easy!" Vasileios yelled as he untangled himself from the tripwire, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

"Oh, so that's what's going on," Nikolaos muttered, a bit slow in understanding the situation.

"Fufufufu, how cute of you, Vasileios, but that's not why I'm calling for a truce. I can keep going, but Draco nii sent me to wake you all up, and I'm pretty sure we've wasted a decent amount of time playing around." Vasiliki replied, her tone laced with a hint of amusement.

'Well, technically it's not completely a lie, plus I might just get a free escape,' Vasiliki thought, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"Sigh, I don't mind being pranked, but Vasiliki, you'll have to clean all this mess before leaving," Nikolaos said, pointing at the wet floor.

"I don't mind, but what about this?" Vasiliki replied, gesturing towards the bucket Michalis had spilled.

"You started this mess; you fix it all up," Nikolaos replied, turning to return to his room.

"Oh, and if you refuse to clean up, Michalis and Vasileios will be the least of your worries," Nikolaos added before entering his room, his voice carrying a subtle threat.

"Tsk, you heard that, Michalis. We're having a truce," Vasiliki yelled to the hidden Michalis.

They all knew that Nikolaos was mostly passive to most things, but when he was serious about something, he truly meant it.

Suddenly, a figure dropped from the ceiling, startling both Vasileios and Vasiliki.

They immediately relaxed after realizing that it was just Michalis.

'How did he even get up there' Vasileios wondered.

"Fine, but you better watch your back every day from now on," Michalis threatened, his eyes narrowed in a calculating gaze.

This was one of the few times he had somewhat won against Vasiliki, and he planned to milk it for all it was worth.

"Ho, that's quite a bold statement coming from you," Vasiliki replied with a creepy smile, her eyes glinting with a mischievous gleam.

'Michalis, stand your ground, don't let her intimidate you,' Michalis encouraged himself, steeling his resolve.

"Yeah, we're fed up with you bullying us. Get ready for some payback, and sleep with one eye open," Vasileios joined in, supporting Michalis.

This act boosted Michalis confidence, both he and Vasileios united against Vasiliki.

"Ho, you too, huh. Well, this will be quite interesting," Vasiliki muttered, her lips curling into a devious grin.

Although Michalis, Vasileios, and Vasiliki were all acting like this, they didn't really mean each other harm.

They all knew that they would hardly have much time to prank each other, as they always returned late and exhausted from the dungeon, having only a few hours to themselves before the day ended.

None of them actually believed that anyone would actually waste their little free time setting up elaborate pranks.

But there was always a "what if" in any situation, so they had to remain cautious.

'Two against one, I like those odds,' Vasiliki thought, a glint of excitement in her eyes.

"By the way, where do you boys keep the mop?" Vasiliki asked, changing the topic smoothly.

"...downstairs by the kitchen," Michalis replied, his voice laced with a hint of surprise.

Their standoff had been quite intense, so he was not expecting such a light change in topic.

"Thank you," Vasiliki said, her voice chilling, as she turned and made her way towards the kitchen, leaving the two boys in a tense silence.

As Vasiliki descended the stairs, she couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

The challenge presented by Michalis and Vasileios had ignited a spark within her, and she couldn't wait to see what they had in store for her.

...............…

Meanwhile, Michalis and Vasileios exchanged a wary glance, their eyes filled with a mixture of determination and trepidation.

They knew Vasiliki was a tough opponent, and the stakes were high.

"Ah," Michalis suddenly exclaimed, his face paling.

"What's wrong?" Vasileios asked in concern.

"I forgot to tell her about the..." Michalis didn't get to finish his words as a loud splash echoed through the stairwell, cutting him off.

The air became still, tense, and a bit chilly. All eyes turned towards the source of the commotion.

"MICHALIS!!!" Vasiliki's furious bellow reverberated through the hallway, making the two boys flinch.

Vasiliki's thunderous voice was like the crack of a whip, signaling the start of a battle of wits and cunning.

The stage was set, and she was poised to go on a rampage.

Michalis swallowed hard, his budding Adam's apple bobbing nervously.

"I'm in big trouble," he muttered under his breath, casting a sidelong glance at Vasileios, who looked equally apprehensive.

"What did you forget to tell her?" Vasileios whispered, his voice barely above a hushed murmur.

Michalis opened his mouth to respond, but before he could utter a word, Vasiliki appeared at the top of the stairs, her eyes ablaze with fury.

She ascended the steps with the grace and poise of a panther, her every movement exuding a dangerous sense of purpose.

"You two better have a damn good explanation for this," she growled, her gaze cutting through them like a sharpened blade.

Michalis and Vasileios exchanged a desperate look, scrambling to come up with a plausible excuse, but their minds were racing, and their tongues felt thick and clumsy.

..........

Meanwhile, back in Bahamut's house, Clair, Eleni, and Dimitra were almost done preparing breakfast in the kitchen.

The early stages had been a bit of a disaster, but they had eventually found their rhythm, and the later dishes were turning out quite well.

"Shouldn't Vasiliki be back by now?" Dimitra asked, setting the table with a practiced hand.

"Maybe she's having some trouble waking the boys up," Eleni replied, wiping her brow with the back of her hand.

Clair fixed them both with a skeptical look. "Do you both really believe what you're saying?" she interjected, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Eleni and Dimitra exchanged a sheepish glance before bursting into laughter.

"No, of course not," they said in unison, the corners of their mouths twitching upwards in amusement.

"We all know Vasiliki is probably terrorizing them as we speak," Clair said, a slight smirk playing on her lips.

"True, I wonder who she got such a... forceful personality from," Eleni mused, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.

"Well, she was Grandma Rita's second favorite, right after Draco," Dimitra replied, a wistful tone creeping into her voice.

The mention of their late grandmother's name caused the room to fall silent, the air suddenly thick with a bittersweet nostalgia.

Dimitra cleared her throat awkwardly. "Sorry about that," she apologized, her brow furrowed in concern.

"Why are you apologizing?" Clair asked, her tone gentle.

"Well, I brought down the mood, isn't it natural that I apologize?" Dimitra replied, her shoulders slumping slightly.

"Your still quite the serious one, aren't you?" Eleni said, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"Hmm, how so?" Dimitra asked, her head tilting to the side.

"We're the ones being overly sensitive, making it weird when you apologized for mentioning our grandmother. We also brought down the mood, so we should apologize too, right?" Eleni explained.

"Now that you say it out loud, it is a bit odd," Clair admitted, offering Dimitra a reassuring nod.

"Sorry, Dimitra, for bringing down the mood too," Clair apologized, her voice sincere.

"Sorry," Eleni echoed, the three girls sharing a warm, sisterly moment before dissolving into shared laughter.

"Enough with the depressing topics," Eleni said, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye.

"Isn't it about time for someone to wake Draco nii and Bahamut-san up?" she asked.

"True, Clair, why don't you go?" Dimitra suggested, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Why don't you go, Eleni?" Clair immediately countered, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"Hoho, what's this? Is there something we should know?" Dimitra asked, her voice dripping with amusement.

"Nothing," Clair replied a little too quickly, her hands instinctively moving to cover her face in embarrassment.

"Come on, tell us. We're all girls here anyway," Eleni urged, her curiosity piqued.

Clair hesitated, her words coming out in a nervous stutter.

"I... I might do something weird to him," she admitted, her face turning a deep shade of red.

"Hohoho, weird things like what? A peck on the cheek? Or perhaps a kiss on the lips?" Dimitra exclaimed, her voice rising with each suggestion.

"Wait, don't tell me it's something even more than that!" she said.

"Whoa, we always knew you were quite the naughty girl, but not this much," Eleni said, her eyes widening in surprise.

"What have you done so far?" Dimitra pressed, her gaze fixed on Clair, eagerly awaiting the juicy details.

"I...s…snif...ah, I can't say it after all," Clair's voice trailed off as a deep blush crept across her face.

She hesitated, clearly embarrassed to continue.

Eleni gave her a gentle nudge. "Come on, Clair, how can we help if we don't know what's wrong?" she coaxed, her eyes full of curiosity.

Clair took a deep breath and blurted out, "I...I have only been sniffing his worn clothes." she said.

"What!" Dimitra exclaimed in shock, her eyes widening.

Eleni's frame dramatically collapsed onto a chair as she said, "Emotional damage."

Clair covered her face completely, her cheeks burning with mortification.

Dimitra pondered the situation, then hesitantly asked, "Are you perhaps...in heat?"

It was a phase that many demi-human females went through at a certain point in their lives.

"Of course not, I'm only twelve years of age!" Clair quickly denied.

"Oh, well, that's good then," Dimitra muttered in relief.

"Why is that good?" Clair asked, confusion lacing her voice.

"Well, it means we've narrowed it down to you just being...weird," Dimitra replied, a hint of amusement in her tone.

"I shouldn't have said anything," Clair muttered to herself, wishing she could sink into the floor.

Eleni straightened up and declared, "Anyway, now that we know this, we can't exactly let you meet our brother alone. We should all go together to wake him up." she suggested.

Clair looked at the two sisters, a nervous expression on her face.

"I trust that my secret will remain safe amongst us," Clair asked, her voice tinged with a hint of pleading.

"Oh, yeah it is safe, the last person we want knowing this is Vasiliki," Dimitra replied, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

"True," Eleni agreed, nodding in solidarity.

With that, the three girls decided to end their small talk.

Leaving the kitchen, the three girls headed straight for Draco's room, unaware of the unexpected sight that awaited them.