I detect Leomi assembling a healing construct and apply it to my lower back. I don't pay too much attention to that, wondering about the fact that she wants to do more. It's almost funny that I can still be so shy after all I've done and been through.

“You don't feel sick or anything?” Leomi asks me, still sitting on my thighs and showing no indication that she intends to move.

“No, why?” I blink.

“I did a bit, after.” She replies. “Tell me if there's anything in the next few days.”

“Oh. I cut too deep back then, sorry.” I mutter, throwing an apologetic look over my shoulder.

“Well, you were venting.” Leomi waves my apology aside with a smile as her eyes break contact and travel down my exposed back.

“Say, what do you use your flow for?” I hurriedly question, wanting to distract her.

“Training, traveling.” She tells me. “Most titled Nobles use their access to increase their income, from runic workshops to mining.”

“I could use some of your energy to figure out a couple constructs.” I tell her.

I wait nervously for her answer. After all, flow is valuable in times of war and she is building an army. She might refuse, ask me for something in return, or even put conditions about the results I obtain.

“Okay, no problem. What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine.” Leomi easily accepts.

“Great.” I grin before pausing. “Wait, there was something weird in there.”

“Don't worry about it.” Leomi replies with an overly serious expression. “Flip around.”

She uses a handkerchief to carefully wipe the blood on my skin before rising on her knees to free me. As she does, I think back to her words, quickly figuring it out and throwing her a dark look. Leomi gives me a mischievous wink and signals me to turn around. I sigh and shift around.

“Do you know how to create a new construct?” I ask her, mostly to distract myself.

“Not really, I do have an old treaty on the process though but I only briefly read through it.” She replies. “With your talent you might be best served by modifying existing ones according to your needs, I assume it would take considerably less time for you.”

“I plan to do that for one.” I tell her, assembling the shell of a blood-blade in the air with her energy to show her. “But the other is purely unstructured and probably of an unknown type so...” I trail off.

Leomi nods without much surprise at the fact that I discovered a new use to flow. She reaches out to the empty blood-blade and inspects it while frowning. She blanks out for a while before throwing me a baffled stare.

“What is this? It looks like an air-blade but it's a lot more intricate, and the core is a huge mess.” She asks.

“Blood-blade.” I reply. Leomi pales. “I don't plan to use it like an air-blade because they kind of have the same performance as far as I can tell but it can expand my sphere of absolute control if I keep it connected to me.” I hurriedly explain.

“Are you crazy?!” She exclaims, seizing my shirt and lifting me up from the ground. “Are you trying to shred yourself?”

“I only use it externally.” I tell her, taking hold of her wrist and squeezing to make her let go of me. Leomi ignores the pressure as she glares at me.

“Humans don't have so much blood they can just throw it around.” Leomi makes an angry growl at my recklessness. “Did the Rykz teach you this?”

“No.” I shake my head, understanding why she would think so. “It's something I used to get free in the institute. I mixed in a few things from the water construct so it's messier but it works, I just need to streamline it so it doesn't burn through my flow in moments.”

Leomi turns silent with an unwilling and concerned look on her face. She ponders for a while before sighing and reaching out to flick my nose. I jump, surprised and a bit miffed by the move.

“You were a lot cuter back then.” She pouts. I stiffen as her words hit a sore point. “Oh, don't. You've lost some naivety but you're, somehow, still a bit innocent. I haven't lost out at all.” Her grin reassures me even if there is a shadow to her smile. “I'll trust that you'll be careful if you promise me.” She says.

“I'll be extra careful.” I promise.

“Alright.” She nods. “I won't forgive you if that was a lie.”

“That's it, you don't want to learn the constructs?” I ask.

“I'm sure you'll teach me if have reason to.” Leomi shrugs. “We have very different fighting styles, to begin with. While I can teach you some things because you're a neophyte, my style is quite set at this point so I can't easily change it.”

“Are you saying you don't have anything to learn from me?” I ask rather aggressively.

“No. I'm saying that you haven't refined your technique enough.” Leomi explains softly while casually sitting down on my thighs. “Having a range of constructs to have more options is good but in reality, most only rely on a few they know very well in battle. I'll be interested to see what you can show me once you have something I can actually learn, be it fighting or flow. Until then, I'll be fixing your flaws.”

“Flaws.” I blink. “You beat me and I haven't defeated you but I don't think I have that many flaws.”

“Where did you get that score from?” Leomi asks with raised eyebrows, her surprise evident.

“You could have torn me apart in Meria when you used that lance construct of yours.” I explain.

“No way, I didn't have the energy to do that and, even if I did, I would have blown myself up as well considering how close we were.” Leomi shakes her head. “Besides, you could have impaled me through the heart with that overhead feint of yours.”

“Yes, but you could have done so as well instead of stabbing my shoulder when you countered it.” I reply. We glare at each other for a while, neither willing to back down from the opinion that the other won.

“Ha.” Leomi chuckles. “We're such a screwed up couple.”

“Seconded.” I grunt, laughing as well.

I find myself suddenly taken by a desire to hold her so I sit up and reach around her waist with my arm. I pull her closer, burying my face in between her breasts as I squeeze her tight.

“My Jay.” Leomi murmurs with delight. “I'll treat you right this time.” She tells me.

She wraps her arms around my neck, resting her lips and chin atop my head. I smile, rather unconcerned about her plans because I already have all I need in her. I depose a small kiss on her chest, letting my body heat warm her up.

I very much enjoy this embrace, it feels that there is a new dimension to our relationship where we can stand together peacefully. How odd that it took so much pain for us to reach this point.

We remain like this for a minute or two, reacquainting ourselves in an almost platonic way before separating with rosy cheeks. I lie down on my back again, feeling ready for whatever she has coming.

Leomi reaches down to my shirt while absentmindedly licking her upper lip. My heart is sent running by the sight. I swallow my fear and trust her. She slowly rolls the hem up and exposes my lower-stomach up to my navel.

Her breath catches as she catches sight of the multiple pale scars crisscrossing my belly. This time, she doesn't reach out to touch them, or even look very closely.

It makes me even more nervous as I can't figure out whether it's because she doesn't mind or that it repulses her. She has enough self-control that I wouldn't find out if she doesn't want me to.

Either way, she seems satisfied as she takes hold of my pants and pulls them down just a notch, revealing the very edge of my pubic hair. At this point, I feel my blood course through my cheeks and likely turning them bright red.

Leomi's gaze grow burning and her right hand edges down to my few hairs, she extends her slender fingers out while her lips part from excitement. She's definitely forgotten all about what she was about to do.

“Leomi.” I warn with a high-pitched voice.

“Right.” She replies with a rough tone.

She pulls my pants up just enough to hide my pubic hair and safeguard us from temptation. As much as I want to let go of everything, there is a voice in a corner of my mind that's screaming for a real commitment between us before we do something that can't be taken back.

I don't take my fear that she would leave me very seriously but it exists and it is far from silent. At the same time, I can tell that Leomi is going to need time before she'll let me touch her.

“This is good.” Leomi nods. “Place your hand over your navel.” She instructs me.

I listen to her, setting it there to put my flesh under tension. It isn't too hard considering that I lost some weight but very little muscle. She picks up her scalpel and places it just beneath my navel. She runs the point over my skin, leaving tiny white lines.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Making sure others know who owns your body, mind, and heart.” Leomi replies fiercely.

I nod briefly, not seeking out more details as I wallow in the possessive love contained in her words. I simply watch as the figure she draws takes the shape of a lance pointing down at my sex. As I realize that it's her house's seal, she adds a ring going around the handle.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Her meaning is unmistakable but it's only enough for me to acknowledge her intentions, that's it. It isn't a true commitment like a ring would be. Still, it makes me so happy that I don't even feel the pain when she uses the scalpel to make the first cut into my flesh.

Her face is completely focused as she works on the tattoo for a good hour. I do my best not to disturb her as I control my excitement and breathing. It takes her quite a while to finish but the result is very satisfying to me, especially the fact that I'll see how serious Leomi is about me every time I look down.

The realization makes me pause. Celyz will too. I tremble in my heart at the thought of the pain she'll experience from seeing this... Wait, she won't see it, she can't. I'll have to tell her...

I swallow my saliva. It's almost enough to lose my high but not quite enough. I feel very guilty but I've told my loves about my intentions. While I'm selfish about aiming to have them both, they bear responsibility for refusing to let go of me anyway.

“Have you held to my instructions?” Leomi asks, affecting a casual tone.

“I did. No one has held me and I've not held myself either.” I reply, feeling wonderfully mortified and embarrassed. Probably more so than if we had used direct words to speak of our arrangement.

I even feel thankful towards Celyz for skirting the rules without breaking them. For participating while respected my wish. I would tell Leomi but she doesn't want us to speak of my Princess and I would rather let my Lady have the win since that game has ended.

“Good. I love this feeling of control over you.” Leomi closes her eyes and inhales, clearly savoring my obedience.

She arcs her back, revealing two very discreet points on her cavalier outfit. How hard her nipples must be for them to be visible through that thick cloth? The pleasure she takes in this baffles me but I'm happy to provide this to her, I don't need to understand it.

I detect a silver bolt running along her back, informing me of the physical pleasure she takes in this. I smile at how peculiar Leomi is, I suspect that she needs things like these to feel secure about our relationship.

“My turn, kitten.” I tell her.

“Jay...” Leomi protests, her eyes flicking open.

“It fits considering how you enjoy toying with me.” I grin.

“Fine.” Leomi sighs with a corner smile.

She picks up her slightly bloody handkerchief and pats my lower-stomach to remove the blood drops seeping out of the cuts she made in my skin. I admire the black ring and lance carved there while she does.

It makes me feel shy and resolve to make sure that I don't expose this to anyone. It's fine between the two of us, and it'll sadly hurt my Princess, but it feels much too private to allow anyone else to catch a glimpse.

Even Leomi's name on my very lower-back doesn't feel nearly as indecent as this ringed lance directly pointing down at my intimacy. I raise my hand and put it on her waist, shifting her to the side for me to get up.

Leomi lets me guide her to rest on her belly. She tense inside my palm but she doesn't protest or say a word of complaint. It hurts my heart that we've ended up in such a state but she had a large part in this.

She taught me to be ruthless in love and I've learned well. I shake my head, the thought is one of Elizabeth's but lacks her mad tone. The satisfaction I feel confirms that this is what I was looking for.

“You want me to finish carving my name into you, right?” I ask rhetorically as I sit down on her lower back.

“Yes.” Leomi replies with a firm voice that carries excitement.

“Good, I do feel it's lacking.” I tell her, not mentioning the fact that it only became so because I couldn't keep lying to her about who I am.

I smile and take hold of her hair to set them on her right side. I then pick her cavalier's shirt and lift it up her torso. Leomi retracts her arms inside and shuffles to pull them out of it but keeps it around her neck.

I admire the firm bronze skin of her back while she adjusts the shirt so that it covers even the sides of her breasts, closing her arms against her chest to pin the cloth in place.

Once she's done, I unhook her bra and gently set the strips over her shoulders without trying to remove the piece of underwear. I experience a small burst of jealousy at the quality of the things she wears but it dies down as soon as I realize that she belongs to me, replaced by utter joy.

“I own you.” I whisper, letting myself loose.

“Hm.” She acknowledges.

I reach out to caress her waist, feeling gratified and wanting to touch my possession. Leomi doesn't say a word or makes a move to stop me but I feel her flesh ripple like the surface of a lake before freezing over, her muscles stiff and tight under my caress.

“Did I hurt you that much?” I ask, shaken to my core by her reaction.

“Yes.” Leomi replies softly, making the few strands of grass in front of her mouth dance. “You cut into me almost as deeply as I, you.” She murmurs with painful abandon.

I bite down on my desires and pull my hand away, feeling like a bucket of cold water was thrown onto me. The only reason I remain sitting on her is that she sounds like she fully accepts this.

“How do you deal with the pain?” She speaks up, breaking the silence before it sets.

“I don't know, I enjoy it. It makes me feel alive.” I reply hurriedly. I think hard, realizing that my answer isn't enough. “Try to close your eyes and let the hurt course through you, don't obstruct it or you'll be too taken to enjoy it. It's like watching someone else's feelings? No, experiencing another person's feelings. It's pain, I either embrace it or disassociate from it.”

“Is that how you can be so reckless?” Leomi asks, closing her eyelids.

“Probably.” I reply with a tight throat.

I reach down again and caress the small of her back with the tips of my fingers. Leomi tenses and stiffens again but this time she manages to relax somewhat as a small yelp escapes her lips.

“Good?” I ask between two short breaths.

“Horrible.” Leomi shakes her head, gasping for air. “Do it again.”

“We're really two of a kind.” I utter darkly, feeling a pit in my stomach and a stone in my throat.

“I'm thinking of the previous you, it wouldn't be this bad if I wasn't.” Leomi suddenly tells me. “I'm crushing these thoughts from my heart.” Her words blow through my mind like a tornado, clearing my mounting fear about what to do.

“It'll take time, don't rush it.” I tell her.

“I know.” Leomi agrees with a hard look in her eyes.

It takes her a while for her body to slacken but, when it does, I breathe out in relief. I decide to finish the tattoo. I pick up the scalpel and use the same technique she did, scratching the skin with white lines to make an outline.

I then dip the blade in ink to start carving the 'Jessica' onto her back just above 'Elizabeth', making sure that I only cut skin and no flesh beneath. The result satisfies me even if it isn't nearly as refined as Leomi's work.

It wouldn't suit me to write in embellished cursive like I suspect she did, and I think that she wouldn't want that because it would not be me. In spite of some lingering doubt, I don't ask for my Lady's opinion.

This is about our obsession for each other, it's a personal act that we inflict on the other. We shared the activity but the details and intention belong to us personally. Even if... no, because it is done on the other's body in order to declare it as ours.

“Half done.” I tell her.

“What are you adding?” Leomi asks in surprise. “You don't need to tell me if you don't want to.” She hurriedly corrects herself.

“I don't mind.” I reply, smiling. “I'm going to add 'Freepath'. It's a name Yvonne gave me, I think she's projecting some hopes but I'll make it mine because I do have some ambition, if different from yours.”

“I'm glad.” Leomi replies, smiling.

The figure of her face surrounded by grass with the midday sun shining on her smile seizes me. I stare for a long while, following her thin, sharp, cheekbone up to her slender nose with my gaze.

I then silently get to work, adding 'Freepath' to her back under 'Vil'. I find it funny that my names have quadrupled, not even counting my nicknames. I had a single first name but now my name is longer than some Nobles.

“I also want to carve something on your chest.” I tell her, thinking of the tree rooted in blood that I've used as a symbol.

“I'm not complaining, or restricting.” Leomi starts. “But it's already going to be difficult for me to find an open-back dress that covers my left side and looks good.”

“Oh.” I pause. “I wanted to take the space between your breasts, because they're the third-best part of you, but if it means I won't be able to enjoy your cleavage anymore, I'll find somewhere else.”

“Third?” Leomi asks, her gorgeous light gray eyes blinking open in surprise.

“Well, your face is tied with something else.” I admit, blushing. “It's hard to make a ranking because it changes and you're so perfect.”

“I'm not perfect by any measure.” Leomi protests, blushing. “Besides, you shouldn't be complaining, your flaws work so well together that they drive me mad.”

“...” I blank out, finding the compliment so unusual yet so flattering that I find no answer to give.

“Um.” Leomi closes her eyes and sighs, making a content and victorious smile. “Jessica Elizabeth Vil Freepath, you're too sweet to me.” She tries to warn me.

“Your happiness makes mine, why wouldn't I be?” I counter, unwilling to let her last comment go unanswered.

Leomi startles but stubbornly keeps her eyelids shut. I chuckle, certain that the skirmish ended in a draw with this. I get up on my knees and use her handkerchief to clean up the trails of blood on her back.

The two names I added look clear and have an edge to them. They look much less ominous compared to the first I tattooed on her since I didn't make the ink seep deep into her flesh to leave black trails this time.

I hook her bra back up and let her fit her shirt back on before making her turn around. This time, I sit on my heels while I edge backward. I pick up a corner of the blanket and set it over her waist and thighs.

Leomi's eyelids flicker a bit but remain shut. She's getting an inkling of the area I'm targeting, I'm sure. I take hold of the hem of her pants and panties both, making Leomi to panically take hold of the blanket to keep herself covered while I pull them down.

I bite my tongue to keep myself honest while I reach out to Leomi's hands and push them slightly to the side to reveal the pit of her right thigh. Her breath is rough, but so is mine. I think we're both just as afraid of ourselves at this point.

I instantly notice her utter lack of pubic hair. I know she had some, but apparently, she cleared some more to the sides. That makes it easier for me. I'm pretty sure the grin her face means that she's happy I chose that place anyway.

I set the scalpel's tip on the small space between her thigh and her sex, affirming my decision to draw a tiny tree there with a free blood drops hanging from the roots.

I scrape her skin to prepare, putting a lot of effort and time into making sure that my symbol will come out right. Now that I've begun, the task takes such importance in my mind that it's all I can think about.

The same way I'll be unable to look at myself without thinking of her, I want her to think of me every time she catches a glimpse of my symbol. With this mark so close to her sex, it'll ensure that I'll be on her mind for the rest of her life, no matter what happens. If it won't be out of love, then I will take lust or hatred.

“Neither of us has the right to remove these, right?” I ask before starting.

“Of course not. Those are an expression of us and our resolve. We shouldn't even be allowed to remove the ones we've inscribed once we're done, not to mention those on our body.” Leomi replies without a shred of hesitation.

I nod, satisfied, and start cutting her skin. Leomi trembles and shakes, her fingers clasp on the blanket in reaction to pain, shame, or both. I'd like to think it's the latter, she's made me feel that emotion so many times. I want her to enjoy it as well. Wait, why am I not asking?

“Do you feel ashamed?” I question once I'm done, my heart beating hard.

“Yes.” She answers in a small cry.

“Good.” I utter in glee.