007

I get up as quick as a blink. I was cuddling his chained arm as my pillow! Although he's lying face upward and his other leg is out of the bed, occupying only half of the half of this bed. From what it looks like, I dragged him here while I was asleep. I recoiled. Slowly and carefully, I push him back to his pull-out bed but eventually he falls on the floor when the pull-out bed slides away. 

"Nnng!" he groaned.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… I was just trying—!" And then I collect my senses again. "Serves you right." 

"What's your problem!?" He exclaims, whole face creases early in the morning. 

"We were sleeping in the same bed! That's illegal!"

"You're such a restless sleeper!"

"I can't control it! You bound yourself to me so stand for it."

"You consumed the spell in the first place."

"Then you consumed it with me! This was your plan!"

"Because you failed all the guts you had. I helped you out of a jam." 

"At least give me personal space! This was supposed to be for Prince Almidoron!"

"You can't even kiss him!"

"Because I love him and respect him!"

"You love him?" His eyes darkened at me. I move backward until my back hits the wall when he crawls toward me, and now that he's above me I grab the pillow as my shield. There goes his majestic purple eyes I couldn't keep my eyes off, and now that he's close, my heart panics as it reminds me of the night we kissed. "... He pleases your eyes, but what makes your heart race like that?" 

My mouth moves but no words come out. 

He moves his face closer and says something in an illegally tantalizingly seductive voice I hear for the first time in my whole virgin years, "I need to pee." 

"... WHAT!?"

Then he pulls me through the chain out of the bed! "Come on. With this chain, I can't pee without you~" 

"DON'T FLIRT ME LIKE THAT!" I'm restraining his pull.

"I'm serious. I may not be able to hold my fart any longer—"

"HARIS!!"

I then found myself sitting on the cold tiles of the bathroom, covering my ears as best I can. The toilet flashed, and he came out from behind the curtain. "Aren't you going in?" he asked in gentle concern. 

"I can't… even imagine myself… doing it with a man just a curtain apart."

"It's soundproof."

"Still a no! I'll wait for solutions in unbinding this chain first." 

"If you can hold it." 

I looked at him, totally embarrassed when my stomach did not cooperate on holding back what my body had to discharge! I came in as a result. It took me a long time because instead of a toilet, I'm used to a vacuum. But he waited patiently. This is only the beginning, we haven't taken a bath yet!

We changed clothes again. His black uniform suits the shape of his body so well. I don't know… he's only buttoning his shirt and adjusting his sleeves but his veins and stiffness are nagging my attention. Why does the spell feel like reversing its effect!? I tried standing on my own for practice to distract myself, and when I lost balance he caught my arm to bring me back to balance, then back to fixing himself. I pout and look away.

"Come here." He's holding the blanket. He covered me using that blanket and I let it slide on me to the floor. My clothes change into a comfortable blouse and trouser. He laid a pair of shoes in front of me. But I can't understand how to wear it, I think I used the left pair on my right foot! 

"W-We don't use shoes in Stell." 

Without a complaint, he wears the shoes on me. It won a mini-heart-panic from me again. Another challenge for this morning; because I refuse to use a wheelchair, I strive to stick with the cane until I learn but here goes the stairs. Step by step and as slow as leech, I step on the stairs while clinging on the rails. And this grape-jerk is keeping himself busy with his phone!

 "You know what, you can ask for my help again. All you have to do is use the magical word 'please, Haris,'"

I glared at him intensely. "... No. A real gentleman need not be asked for help by a damsel in distress." 

His mouth was shut. I took a few struggling steps again until he sat down and dragged me to sit as well and in an instant the stairs turned into a slide! I scream while he laughs! The sliding wasn't perfect when we tripped midway to the 1st floor! 

"That's your idea!?" I bash his arm. "Why didn't you tell me!? I wasn't prepared! You ruined fun!"

"Now get up, madam in distress." He lends a hand and I take it annoyingly. 

This is only the beginning of all types of migraine when dealing with this man.

We had breakfast with Ms. Tony and Venji. 'Twas a silent partying because to my disappointment, Ms. Tony said that "I tried. But I'm sorry I have no power outside your digestive system. There's no way I can break that physical chain. I recommend you ask help in academia, however they might only overlay the spell with another spell. Hence there is only one way to break it."

Together with Venji, we prepared ourselves for leaving. Haris wears a cap on me. "Use it, so you won't entertain yourself too much with handsome dudes that are not really handsome."

"That's my hobby!" But when we get into the said academy, this cap isn't enough to hide my face! It's so big! Vast! The building brought me back to history due to its preserved Gothic Revival; pointed arches, flying buttress, ribbed vaults! It's still surprising for someone like me who lived in advanced modernity. But what makes me stoop are the students—with their dark uniform—passing by while looking at me!

We got here instantly the moment we left Ms. Tony's house. Haris closes the door and Ms. Tony's house is gone. "How…?"

Venji explains, "Her house is everywhere and exclusively ours. Just knock twice with your knuckles a once with the side of your palm forming O at any door, that's the shortcut to Ms. Tony's house. We come there in case of emergencies or a rest stop."

Haris adds, "Letter T is the 20th number. Two knocks for '2' and a knock forming an O for '0'. T for Ms. Tony's name, obviously." 

"Ah…" Makes sense. Venji offers his arm where I can cling on, and then we proceed to walk behind Haris. Venji is generously touring and explaining things to me in this academia. This is the famous Venduque Academia. It's like a regular university that offers various courses but all students here know how to use their profession with 'magic.' Just like Ms. Tony who is a graduate of Culinary Arts. Scholars are the geniuses and highly respected students. 

And that's exactly what Venji and Haris are. All the students we encounter on the hallway, no matter how wide the hallway is, are giving way to them or pausing to stand beside until we pass by. Of course, they're all looking at me! Some are whispering to their friends while glancing at the chain and the cane I use. They probably think I am Haris' prisoner. In effect, I can't understand Venji anymore.

"H-Haris! Will you slow down?" I scream in a whisper.

"You'll never learn if you can't keep with the pace." His voice sounds deep and annoyed. 

"Hahaha! It's so him," Venji excuses, "The strict and feared scholar. But Haris, why don't you treat her gently? You're the one who's supposed to be holding her, not me."

"Stand by it." 

I pleaded, "Haris, please, that was all I'm asking you to help me." Suddenly, he stops and turns at me with a face like a kid who was told to receive 10 boxes of candies. I rolled my eyes. "You really like me begging, huh?" 

Now there's a playful smile on his face. He took the cane, pulled my arm on his shoulder to force me to hop behind him. "Haris, not like this!" I complained but I'm already riding on his back. "I'm already a feast in their eyes!"

"That's why I gave you the cap."

My head might fume any second. I cover my face under the cap and murmur in his ear, "... Stupid grapes." 

They have an exclusive penthouse—still in Gothic architecture—on top of the building. A perfect view of the whole academia through the glass window, wide, private rooms, and the star of attention is a billiard table at the center but instead of the balls, chess pieces and pieces of papers of codes like a detective thing. 

"So what's next?" Venji leans his arms on the table, I do the same beside Haris after he puts me down. "Should we ask the Metallurgies? Kinesiologists? Criminal Justice? Civil Engineers? Scientists?" 

"All of the above," Haris answered.

"But what if what Ms. Tony warned is right? That they can't break the spell and will only overlay another spell?" 

"Or maybe we can use violence," I suggested, and they both looked at me quietly.

Before Haris could answer, the door slammed powerfully that flinched my shoulders, the sound of pointed heels echoed, then a raging voice of a woman, "HARIS!!" accompanied by 2 robust bodyguards. "HOW DARE YOU ALLOW SOMEONE LAY A HAND ON YOUR CANE!"

Awkwardly, I release the cane on the billiard table. 

"EVERYONE SAW IT! WHAT A DISGRACE! WHO IS THIS WOMAN!? TALK TO ME!"

Haris, who's still nonchalantly turning his back on that woman, says, "We are in the middle of an important discussion—" 

"I COMMAND IT!"

His jaw tightens before he turns around to face her… but another awkward thing is the chain tangles. He turns around again trying to figure out the right turn. 

"And what the hell is that!? What are you? Slaves!?"

"Ehem. Uhm, Lady Jexica, it's a long story," Venji explains anyway and concludes, "She happens to be our client too." 

"Of all people, why you, Haris…" the angry woman named Jexica utters in disbelief. She's just about my age, there's no need to fold in front of a senior. She looks at me from head-to-toe. Her short hair and tallness can be intimidating enough, but her fierce beauty adds to her high stature. "You're a princess? You don't act like one. Why would you hop in on someone? Haven't you heard of poise and grace?"

"Are you jealous?" She was surprised by my question. "I asked for his help and I appreciate whatever he can give." 

"You dare to displace it on him!" 

"Lady Jexica, please calm down," Venji prayed. 

"Yes, I am a princess. My poise is knowing where to place my attitude and my grace is my moral, not by manipulation that will force everyone to remember that you wear a crown."

Haris smirks, and I shoot him a glare because he's supposed to be the one to handle this woman. Jexica silently stands closer, staring into my soul, then grabs the chain. In her snap, a man in full armor appeared and sliced the chain to the floor with its sword! Both Haris and I were dragged to the floor. However, the chain is unscathed. 

"Is that all your robot can do?" Haris mocked. The woman then shot him a glare. The armored man shrinks in a second and disappears like a bubble, then Jexica snaps again and a fat butcher is about to chop the chain from behind but as a response, move my hand away! 

"Stop!" The butcher halts at Jexica's command and Haris' wrist is only a few inches apart from the ax. I pulled him unconsciously! "Are you trying to get him hurt!?"

"That was an adrenaline rush!" I defended myself. Eventually, I cheered her up to keep up the violence as she kept on summoning warriors, samurai, and even beasts to cut the chain but after all the effort, the chain remain unspotted from scratches. 

"Fascinating…" Venji commented. "A rigid chain." 

Jexica summons another one but Haris carefully pushes her away. "That's enough. You're distressing the client." Haris helps me up and lends the cane again to me. 

"We have a lot to talk about, Haris," Jexica demanded. 

"I don't owe you an explanation." Their piercing gazes locked in an intense battle of unspoken words. "I own that cane and it's none of your business even if you take Entrepreneurship."

"That cane is the most powerful thing lent to you by the most esteemed professor in this academia. You are responsible for its honor. You're setting your standards low." 

They are talking like the campfire, calm but burning. He meets her fierce eyes with a serious face, but even in this situation, he's capable of smiling out of the blue. "She's not an inferior standard." 

Jexica wasn't expecting his answer. She takes a deep breath and says, "You're losing your brilliant head. I'll get you out of that situation." And she made it sound like I threw the misfortune upon Haris. I caught her demeaning glance before she made her heels clack out of this penthouse. 

I gulped down a lungful of air. "Why didn't you tell me you have a lover!? Her insecurity is deafening me!"

Venji says, "She's Lady Jexica of the Aurelian family. She may be among the noble family but not a direct descendant of the Majesties. She's also a scholar from Robotics Engineering, her summons are her creations. She's close to building her own army! That's why she's highly respected too." 

"Just don't tell her the only way we have in breaking this spell," Haris warns. "She won't hesitate to kill you." 

I swallowed a lump in my throat. 

"And she's not my lover. We were classmates ever since primary, competitors to be exact." 

"You don't owe me an explanation." So what if he has a lover? That's expected given that he's hotsome, and no, I don't care if I might grip her insecure neck! And why would she stick her nose with our rigid chain!? She only wants to replace me but that will not happened over my dead gorgeous body—

Haris karate-chopped my pate again. "She's not my lover," he emphasized every word this time.

"I don't care!!" 

He just laughed at how I shouted at the top of my lungs.