Extended Hand

Vance's words began to play in Vermeil's head as she reached for the gag of the pale woman opposite her.

They are vile.

'Their fur... it looks so soft and perfect.'

They are monstrous.

'They have such cute little cat ears!'

We cannot coexist with them.

'But I still want to try!'

Vermeil first undid the gag on the twin sisters.

Once half their faces were uncovered, the saintess of stars had a profound realization.

"I think... you two might be the most beautiful women I have ever seen." She said honestly.

Perfectly proportioned noses and full lips complimented their faces that were nothing short of immaculately beautiful.

For the first time, the scowls on the girls' faces were replaced by ones of disbelief.

Vermeil did not say that they were attractive for fallen.

She did not even say that they were beautiful despite their furry legs and animal ears.

Vermeil said, honestly from the bottom of her heart that the two of them were the most beautiful women she had ever seen.

Such a compliment from a human woman was something that was simply unimaginable.

Vermeil looked past the two stunned tigerkin to focus on the woman who was behind them.

"I know you're probably a little more scared than these two considering what just happened, but I can assure you I just want to get that nasty rag off your face. Will you let me do that?"

The werewolf did not nod but she did not growl either.

She simply sat on the ground motionless with tear droplets still in her eyes.

Taking that as an invitation, Vermeil used the same careful movements as before so as not to startle the young woman.

The twin bodyguards didn't realize it but they parted slightly to allow Vermeil better access to the woman they were protecting.

Once Vermeil got a closer inspection, she could see some redness around the werewolf's neck and some scratches around her partially exposed hips.

As she removed the gag, Vermeil felt her own eyes beginning to water as she stared into the unveiled face of a girl who appeared to be only a little older than her.

"I-I'm so sorry this happened... I know that we are supposed to be enemies or something but... No one deserves to go through something like that." A single tear fell from Vermeil's bright golden eyes.

When she realized what she had done, she hastily wiped her eyes and forced a smile back onto her face. "I-I'm sorry! I don't have any right to cry over this yet here I am showing my age."

Vermeil reached into her storage ring like she'd been taught and pulled out a healing pill given to her by Vance.

"H-Here... this should take away your pain and clear up those nasty marks." Vermeil he'd out the pill to feed the woman in front of her.

The two bodyguards scrutinized the item in the human woman's hand and upon finding out it was truly just a healing pill; they did not make any moves to stop her.

The werewolf looked at the pill in front of her for a long time before she parted her bright pink lips to take the pill into her mouth.

'She's beautiful too... Why is everyone in this world so damn hot?!' Vermeil felt like if the women on earth came here, they too would be able to understand her shock.

Vermeil watched with wide eyes as the redness and cuts on the werewolf's body healed immediately.

"Whoa... maybe I should learn how to make those after all." she muttered.

With everything done, Vermeil finally took a step back and sat cross legged on the ground in front of the fallen girls who had yet to utter a single word.

"I told you my name... do any of you want to tell me yours?"

Unfortunately, Vermeil received only silence and blank stares containing a veiled mistrust.

"Yea... I guess I can see how you girls wouldn't be very chatty after having a day like this."

The four women continued to sit in silence for what felt like forever before Vermeil had a sudden idea.

"Ah! I'll be right back!"

The heroine scrambled up from the ground and hastily made her way outside of the tent.

"She is... strange." One of the twins finally said.

The older twin with tanned skin and a stoic personality was named Kohaku.

"She... said we were beautiful." The younger of the twins was named Kuro and she was often the more aggressive of the two, but Vermeil's kindness had left her stunned and speechless.

The two girls seemingly had the same thought at the same time as they turned to the woman behind them that they were supposed to be protecting.

"Princess Keran... I-I'm sorry we were unable to protect you from that filthy human a-and he almost..." Kohaku did not finish her words but no one present needed her to.

Keran did not respond however her mind was still jumbled from the horrors she'd just witnessed as well as the strange scene that had occurred after.

'Why is she like that?' The werewolf couldn't understand anything that had just happened with that strange human girl.

Not only had Vermeil gone as far as to berate and insult one of her own men, she did not allow him to assault Keran either.

Could it have been some sort of trick to convince her to lower her guard?

Keran wanted to believe that, yet the honest golden eyes of the saintess continually bubbled up into her mind.

The group suddenly heard the sound of excited footsteps approaching and a moment later Vermeil burst inside carrying a plate piled high with food.

"I'm sorry if that took too long! I wasn't sure exactly what you girls would like so I just grabbed a bit of everything!"

The three beastgirls stared hungrily at the plate of food before them and it was at that point they remembered they had not eaten for several hours.

Vermeil prepared to place the plates in front of them and let them serve themselves when she realized that all of the girl's hands were tied behind their backs.

"Ah... I-I'm sorry I don't have the key to your shackles... that looks pretty uncomfortable." She had forgotten that these girls were still prisoners of war and only a few hours ago they were trying to kill everyone.

'But... they still deserve to eat.'

Vermeil once again kneeled in front of the three beast girls and smiled awkwardly at them. "I-I know it's a bit strange but it looks like I'll have to feed you... is that okay?"