Little Choice

Faeralys' eyes darkened, her mood doing a perfect impression of a thundercloud about to ruin someone's picnic. The air around her practically hummed with menace, and Argider's fight-or-flight instincts were having a very loud and very public argument. Unfortunately, "stand frozen like a terrified deer" was winning.

"Look at you," Faeralys snorted, one eyebrow raised with devastating smugness. "You've got the complexion of a ghost who just got a tax bill."

Argider blinked, her voice trembling like a leaf in a tornado. "Can you blame me? You're holding that thing." She gestured to the dagger like it was a particularly venomous snake. "Besides, it's—it's improper for a lady to be waving one around like a—like a crazy person!"

"Oh?" Faeralys cocked her head, looking genuinely intrigued. "And what's so wrong with a lady holding a dagger?"

Argider's voice pitched up in indignation. "It's unbecoming! Ladies should be delicate, soft, and, you know, not potentially stabby! Men don't want women with calloused hands and murderous intent. We want—"

Her righteous tirade was cut short when Faeralys flicked her wrist, sending the dagger flying like a particularly sassy boomerang. It whooshed past Argider's ear and thunked into a tree with deadly precision.

Argider's life flashed before her eyes, and most of it was filled with bad decisions and regrets. Slowly, she turned her head, her eyes locking onto the dagger now lodged firmly in the tree. She gulped. "Oh, good," she muttered. "Trees. Nature's sacrificial lambs."

Faeralys smirked. "Whoops. Slipped." Her voice was as casual as if she'd just spilled a glass of water, not narrowly missed decapitating someone.

Argider massaged her neck as if reassuring herself it was still attached. "Y-You could've killed me!"

"Could've, didn't," Faeralys quipped, strolling past her like she owned the place. Then, with a glance colder than an overachieving snowstorm, she added, "And for the record, I didn't ask for life advice from someone whose career aspirations peaked at 'professional mattress tester.'"

Argider flinched as if slapped. "Hey, I'll have you know—" she started, but the sharp glare Faeralys shot her shut her up faster than a bard caught mid-limerick at a royal banquet.

She shrank back, muttering something incoherent about "ladies these days."

Why did she take it so personally? But one look at Faeralys' raptor-like gaze told her now was not the time for existential pondering.

It was time to shut up, stay still, and maybe pray that the next dagger had worse aim.

But the thought of being humiliated by a girl? Oh, absolutely not. Argider's pride roared to life like a cat getting dunked in water. She squared her shoulders, her voice sharp and defiant as she stomped up to Faeralys, chin jutted out like she was ready to fight the concept of dignity itself.

"Why did you do that?!" she snapped, her frustration bubbling over.

"To kill you, of course," Faeralys replied, deadpan.

Argider blinked. Then blinked again. "Kill me?" she repeated, letting out an indignant scoff. "Don't try to intimidate me, you pint-sized pipsqueak! I've faced scarier things than you."

Faeralys arched a single, unimpressed eyebrow. "Oh? Like what? A particularly aggressive goose?"

"Once," Argider huffed. "But that's beside the point!"

However, that same magical hologram materialized in front of her once again. 'What now?' she lamented, her thoughts filled with annoyance. This was not a good time.

— [New Notification]

— [Sub Task: Successfully Lie To Faeralys And Go Beyond The Entrance]

— [Minor Task: Embrace Faeralys for 30 Seconds]

— [Affection Points Gain +1]

Her cheeks flushed instantly, a startled huff escaping her lips as her eyes widened in bewildered surprise. The notion of embracing Faeralys—a girl with whom she had clashed so fiercely, and who had, not moments ago, launched a dagger in her general direction—was beyond absurd. It bordered on lunacy.

She struggled to find her bearings, unsure of who she was becoming and what was happening. All she longed for was to return home, a sanctuary that seemed distant and elusive. 

"Fuck..."

– [New Notification]

– [Main Task | Time Remaining: 5 hours, 10 minutes, 5 seconds]

Time was slipping away, and with it, any chance of salvaging her dignity. How does one hug without getting skewered? she pondered, fully aware that this question was both absurd and, somehow, her reality.

Her mind spiraled through a maze of doubts. Should I apologize? But what if Faeralys took it as a sign of weakness? The girl's pride was as vast as the sea, and about as forgiving as a hungry shark. Each second ticked by, dragging Argider closer to the inevitable.

Taking a deep breath, she bowed low, voice trembling with forced humility. "I...I beg your forgiveness, your grace."

Faeralys blinked. "W-What are you doing?"

"I'm apologizing, you—" Argider bit her tongue just in time to stop herself from blurting pipsqueak. Oh no, that would not do. Swallowing her irritation, she forced a smile that felt more like a grimace. "—you gorgeous thing."

Faeralys' face lit up like a tomato. "What the hell?" she stammered, utterly thrown. "Are you messing with me?"

"No!" Argider straightened up, stepping closer. Her eyes darted up and down Faeralys' form like a merchant appraising fine silk. Unbeknownst to her, this came off less as admiration and more as intensely unsettling.

"Do you have to stand that close?" Faeralys asked, leaning back instinctively.

"It's crucial," Argider said, her tone as serious. "I must prove my sincerity." She extended her arms stiffly, her movements as mechanical as a poorly built puppet.

Faeralys flailed her hands in alarm. "Hold it right there! How does someone flip personalities faster than a bard telling a bad joke?!"

"S-Sometimes, it takes a moment to appreciate someone's beauty!" Argider shot back, her voice laced with a defensive edge.

"Oh, spare me," Faeralys groaned, rolling her eyes. "You've got some kind of agenda. You're just too ridiculous to remember what it is."

"I merely wish to embrace you, your grace! For only third seconds!" Argider blurted, each word stabbing at her pride like a tiny, humiliating dagger. Desperation lit a fire under her as she lunged forward, arms outstretched with the determination of someone trying to catch a particularly slippery eel.

"Get away from me!" Faeralys yelped, dodging like her life depended on it. "What's with the thirty seconds nonsense? Are you a hug enthusiast or a weirdo?!"

In her frantic escape, Faeralys stumbled, landing with an unceremonious thud. Argider seized the opportunity, throwing herself onto Faeralys.

"Ah!" Faeralys gasped, pinned beneath Argider's weight, her shoulders pressed firmly against the ground.

"Just a hug!" Argider insisted, wrapping an arm around her captive.

"Get off me!" Faeralys shrieked, thrashing and throwing punches that landed with a mix of desperation and pure outrage. But Argider, now in full embrace mode, was as immovable as a particularly stubborn boulder.

Faeralys' punches slowed, her strength draining as her frustration peaked. Finally, with a groan of defeat, she let her arms flop to her sides. "You are the worst," she muttered, glaring up at the ceiling—or perhaps the heavens, silently questioning every life decision that led her to this point.

— [New Notification]

— [Side Task Complete]

— [Affection Points +1]

[Loading...]

[Processing...]

Ding!

— [New Relationship Status: Faeralys Merovia]

— [Affection ▪︎ 0]

— [Loyalty▪︎ 0]

— [Emotion▪︎ 80]

"Only zero?" Argider muttered under her breath, the words dripping with disbelief. She had imagined leveling up this so-called "relationship" would be as simple as flipping a switch. Instead, it was like trying to move a boulder uphill in a rainstorm—impossible and very, very annoying.

She released her grip, only to notice something entirely unexpected: Faeralys' eyes were glistening, the beginnings of tears threatening to spill. Her face flushed a deep crimson, caught somewhere between indignation and vulnerability.

Faeralys quickly covered her face, as though trying to shove her emotions back. She sat up, attempting to don her usual mask of cold indifference, but her reddened eyes betrayed her.

"Are you satisfied now?" Faeralys sniffled, her voice a mix of irritation and something softer.

"Y-Yes..." Argider stammered, feeling like she had accidentally stepped on a kitten. Even as guilt crept in, the faint sound of the system chiming in her head congratulated her for... whatever this mess was. Success, apparently.

Faeralys narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?" she asked, clearly aiming for anger, but it came out more like an exasperated sigh.

"I just want to return to the city," Argider said, her voice steady, though inside, she felt like a child caught sneaking sweets before dinner.

Faeralys scoffed, placing her dagger back into its sheath. "And why should I help you, hmm? You're nothing but trouble. A cursed pebble tossed into the pond, rippling ruin wherever it lands. If the High Lord was chasing you to the brink of death, do you truly believe the city's walls will shelter you?" She turned, her cape billowing dramatically, because of course it did. "Farewell. My carriage awaits."

Seeing Faeralys begin to walk away, Argider darted forward, her hand catching the younger girl's. Faeralys froze, clearly unaccustomed to such earnest desperation.

"Please, Your Grace," Argider said, her grip firm but pleading. "It wasn't my choice to be there. I have obligations... ones I never wanted but must fulfill."

Faeralys' eyes softened ever so slightly, though her expression remained guarded. "Obligations, forced upon you," she repeated, as if weighing each word carefully. For a moment, the fierce pride in her eyes battled with something gentler. Finally, she sighed. "Fine. Follow me."

The two made their way through the trees until they reached the cobblestone road. A lone carriage stood waiting, its driver leaning idly against the side. His eyes widened as he spotted Argider, but Faeralys silenced him with a single, withering glare.

Without a word, Faeralys approached the carriage and opened the door. She lifted the seat to reveal a cramped hidden compartment. "Get in," she instructed.

Argider's eyebrows shot up. "There?"

"Unless you'd prefer to hitch a ride tied to the roof," Faeralys said with a smirk.

Grimacing, Argider squeezed herself into the tight space, her legs folding awkwardly in ways she wasn't sure they were designed to. "This is... horrible," she muttered as she twisted uncomfortably.

The seat slammed back down, enclosing her in darkness. Before Argider could voice her displeasure, something heavy landed on top of the seat with a dull thud.

"You're sitting on me, aren't you?" Argider's muffled voice came from below, laced with irritation.

Above her, Faeralys' voice chimed in a sing-song tone. "Maybe, maybe not."

Argider groaned, her fists clenched in silent vows of future revenge.