[54.1] Want to try my Cookies?

I leaned against my windowsill and watched as the rain splashed against the surface. I let out a sigh, "It's been raining a lot lately."

Zephyr was lying on the bed, rolled up into a ball sleeping off his depression. He only let out a pitiful mewl but didn't budge an inch.

I scratched his head with a sigh before walking downstairs. My mother was preparing food absentmindedly when I arrived in the kitchen. I peered over her shoulder, "What are you making?"

"Oh. I was thinking of making Zephyr some snacks… He hasn't been eating much lately so I thought I could entice him with this."

It is his favorite.

Chicken wrapped with bacon which is then fried in the greasiest oil this world has.

He calls it pigken.

…I call it a heart attack.

My mother noticed me staring and held out the plate, "Would you like one?"

Seeing the grease dripping off of it made my stomach churn, "No. I will break out in pimples if I eat that."

"Then I will run these up to him now." She paused before turning to me, "Do you have any plans today?"

I glanced out of the window oscillating between staying with Zephyr and checking on Cyrus.

I can't leave Zephyr, he's my best friend and he could use some support right now…

Oh, but Cyrus is completely alone. He doesn't have Caldwell by his side any longer and Felix is staying at his family's estate.

What should I do?

My Mother sensed my thoughts and smiled, "I made extra cookies by accident. Could you bring them over to Prince Cyrus? They are his favorite."

I looked at her in surprise, "But-"

She cut me off with a warm voice, "-Don't worry about Zephyr. I will keep him company until you return."

My lips curled up slightly, feeling touched by her kindness.

I chuckled to myself, "Thanks, Mummy."

I went running out of the door as she shouted after me, "Don't forget to bring an umbrella!"

I poked my head back into the house to snatch an umbrella by the door before running out. Since it was raining, I had to fetch a carriage as my ice chunk doesn't function well when it gets wet. I arrived at Cyrus's estate and knocked on the door quickly. I waited for a long time and knocked again feeling more impatient.

Ah. That's right.

Caldwell would always open the door.

Even though Cyrus and Felix have a large estate, they don't have any live-in servants. They prefer a simple life with only maids who come in the morning to clean. Caldwell was the one who handled everything else including meals.

At that thought, my blood went cold.

Wait…

How has he been eating meals?!

Has he been starving?!

Maybe he's not answering the door because he's unconscious from a lack of food!

With that thought, I panicked and pulled out my wand, blasting the door open. I ran inside and found it empty. I screamed out, "GOLDILOCKS!"

No answer.

I sprinted down the hall throwing every door open while shouting his name. When that didn't get me any results, I rushed up the stairs to check the other floors. However, he wasn't there either. While I heaved trying to catch my breath, I heard noises coming from outside.

I quickly slammed the window open and stuck out my head.

Cyrus and the Swordmaster were sparring outside in the backyard completely oblivious to the wake of the destruction I just caused.

"CYRUS!"

He flinched and turned his head up to find me. I scurried to climb into the windowsill and tossed myself out of the window. I stretched out my hands to Cyrus as I flew down. He stealthily caught me without causing any injury and smacked away the Swordmaster's attack at the same time.

The Swordmaster grinned brightly, "OHO! There's an innocent you must protect in your arms! This is PERFECT for training!"

She launched another attack and Cyrus parried her blows while still holding me in one arm. My arms wrapped around his neck in a tight hug while I rubbed my cheek against his, "I thought you were dead!!!"

He grunted from blocking another attack, "Why?"

"You didn't answer the door so I thought you died from lack of food!!!"

"Haah? Lack of food-"

"Don't get distracted!" The Swordmaster swung down at our heads and Cyrus barely managed to block it. The Swordmaster continued shouting at him, "Your opponent will take every opportunity they can to use your weakness!"

I giggled, "Hehe! I'm your weakness~"

Cyrus continued to counter the attacks, "It worries me that you're so proud of that."

I continued to hang on him like the leech I was, "By the way, I made a bit of a mess."

I felt his grip tighten, "How so?"

"I may have… Blasted the front door?"

He glanced at me in surprise, "Why?!"

Another attack swung down at our heads and Cyrus barely managed to avoid it. The Swordmaster clicked her tongue, "If I was someone else you would be dead! Don't get distracted! Can't you multitask or are you that incompetent?!"

I ignored their fight, "The door was locked and I was panicking."

Cyrus's face twitched, "...You have a key."

I blinked several times, "..."

I felt the inside of my pocket while holding onto him with one arm and sure enough…

His house key was on my keyring.

I let out a laugh, "Oops."

He sighed, "Honestly-"

The Swordmaster interrupted our conversation, "-Hey, Rei? Could you pretend to be unconscious or something? He needs to practice fighting while carrying deadweight!"

"Sure!"

I went completely limp, startling Cyrus who nearly dropped me. I could feel his muscles bulging as he held onto me.

Hehe! Being a deadweight isn't so bad~

…Although I feel a bit irritated being referred to as deadweight.

With my eyes closed, I felt him suddenly grow furious in his attacks. The Swordmaster exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you so angry all of a sudden?!"

I opened one of my eyes to peek. His expression was completely opposite to what it had been moments before. His nostrils were flaring as undeniable fury was present on his face. I felt a shiver crawl up my spine. Each of his blows had unmistakable killing intent and even the Swordmaster was growing concerned.

He spoke through a clenched jaw, "You. Can't. Call. Her. Rei."

My eyes flung open in surprise.

EH!? He's mad about THAT!?

He swung his sword, cutting off the Swordmaster's hand which was holding the sword. The missing appendage fell to the ground, turning to sand. The Swordmaster let out a gasp, "Oi! Rude-"

He swung again, chopping off her head.

She fell to the ground and turned to sand.

I grabbed onto his neck and shouted, "What did you do?!"

He scoffed, "Relax. She will put herself together shortly."

I looked at the pile of ash and let out a breath, "Still though… It seems a bit extreme."

He put me down on the ground and returned his sword, "She deserved it."

"For what? Calling me by a nickname?"

He averted his eyes and mumbled, "But I don't even get to call you by a nickname."

I stared at him dumbfounded, "..."

Are you a child?

"Then call me Rei."

He grabbed my waist and pulled me closer, pretending to pout, "But she already called you that."

I let out a sigh, "Then I give you permission to give me a new nickname."

"Hmm… Then how about-" He slunk over to me and rested his chin on my shoulder. He whispered into my ear, "What about muffin? Or my kitten. Perhaps, Rei baby. Rei darling? My Rei of light? I could even call you My Queen-"

The spot on my earlobe touched by his whispers started to heat up. My eyebrows knitted together and twitched from his teasing, "-Stop, or else you will lose your nickname privilege."

"Then Rei is fine, but no one else can call you it."

I rolled my eyes, "You are so immature."

He laughed and put his forehead against mine, "And what about my nickname?"

I raised an eyebrow, "I already call you Goldilocks."

He pursed his lips, "I've never understood that nickname."

I laughed and reached up to tug on his golden hair, "That doesn't matter because I know what it means."

"How mean."

I peered up at him through my eyelashes, "Cy."

He paused, "...What was that?"

I suddenly felt subconscious and turned my head away, "Nothing."

He held me so I couldn't escape, "Say it again."

"Nope!"

With my eyes closed firmly, I let out a surprised gasp when I felt him unexpectedly kiss my neck. One of his hands supported my back while the other one went lower-

"Please say it again."

His husky voice caused my heart to thump wildly.

Feeling him tease me more and more suggestively, I mumbled out in a low voice, "-Cy."

He placed his forehead against mine and smiled in a way that warmed my heart. He whispered, "My Rei."

The sky let out a rumble and rain started pouring down on us, soaking us instantly. I blinked away the water in annoyance and pulled out my wand to create an umbrella since I had lost my previous one during the wake of my destruction.

I clicked my tongue, "Mood ruiner."

I felt him staring holes into my back and turned to him. His gaze was directed at my soaked dress that was clinging to my body due to the heavy rain.

My face turned bright red as I tried to cover myself up in embarrassment, "W-What are you staring at?! Jeez!"

"I'm sorry. It's just that you're so beautiful it drives me crazy."

My eyes were slowly drawn back to his body where the heat returned to my cheeks, "The feeling is mutual."

He let out a low chuckle and stepped over to me, placing his burning lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, enticed by the sweet taste. I was so focused on the kiss that the umbrella disappeared and we were being drenched in the rain once more. However, neither of us minded.

My face burned as his taunting hand traced my collarbone softly and traveled to my-

"Sacre bleu! What are you two doing?!"

I looked down at the ground and saw the newly formed head, which was still severed, of the Swordmaster.

She shouted, "You want to have an amorous experience next to my ashes?! Putain de merde!"

I kicked her head, lobbing it off into the trees.

Cyrus blinked in surprise, "...And you wanted to give me a hard time for cutting off her head?"

I faced him with a bright red face, "...I got embarrassed."

He laughed, "Shall we go inside and dry off?"

I felt my cheeks burn and anxiously looked up and down as I suggested, "M-Maybe we could take a hot bath first."

He gave me a toothy grin and suddenly scooped me up. I let out a small shout as I clung to him and allowed him to carry me inside. He didn't waste any time carrying me to the bath, "You don't need to ask me twice."