Lisanna raced into the room to see Mathias putting on his ravaged training uniform. She lowered her head and said, "I-I'm sorry...!"

He grabbed his gear and walked away.

"I'm sorry!" She shouted as he passed.

He kept walking.

She grabbed his arm this time and pulled herself into him.

"I'm s-sorry..." She lowered her head over her shoulders and she apologized again and again.

"I-I just wanted to h-have f-friends... I-I didn't t-think...!"

"... You didn't." He spoke clearly.

"Th-that... I k-know... I-I promise I'll make it up to you, o-okay? I-I tell you what, we can go to that place and I'll buy you all the furs you want!"

"...?!" His eyes widened in wonderment, but he quickly narrowed them again. "Why? To threaten them again?"

Lisanna looked up for a moment and wiped the tears from her eyes. "N-no! I wouldn't ruin it... it's too soft... b-but I won't steal it or threaten it ever again, okay?"

"... And in return?"

"I want things to be normal again! I don't want to fight with you anymore! I also want a fur! But I want it to be normal again more than that!"

"... More than that?" Mathias was suspicious about the comment. There was nothing more pleasant than sleeping on that fur. It was the sole material object he valued. As such, his own arguably twisted value-structure emphasized the severity of her claim.

"Yes! I, I just don't want to alone... again..."

"... More than the fur?"

"... More than the fur."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Really?"

"Really!"

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Swear under the oath of the fur." Mathias pointed to his bed.

"Th-that...?!"

"So you don't?"

"F-fine!"

Lisanna begrudgingly parted and went to touch the soft, velvety strands that seemed to caress her hands. His gaze was hard.

She almost fell back into his bed. She restrained her simpler nature of liking soft, cuddly, warm things and just sat on the edge of the bed as stammered, "I-I swear I prefer that over this!"

"... Swear that you prefer the fur?"

"Y- I mean, no! I swear I prefer having a normal life than a stupid fur!"

"Wha-?! Stup-?!" His voice gave out and he began coughing.

Lisanna jumped from the bed and patted his back as the coughing fit continued for some time.

"A-are you o-okay?"

"..." He grumbled, stole a sheet a paper from her desk, and wrote 'Spoke too much. Also. I did not speak a word, okay?'

"Y-yes! I promise to keep it a secret!"

She incinerated the paper in front of him.

"...?"

'You owe me five furs more making me deal with five people.'

Lisanna read and quickly nodded. "I got it! We can go right after!"

'Also you're never allowed on my bed again. Don't blackmail me like last night.'

"Huh? I-I didn't though...?"

She seemed genuinely lost, but Mathias still harrumphed and started to walk away.

Lisanna grabbed him again. "Uh, th-thank for last night. I didn't say it yet, did I?"

He waved it off.

"No! I'll make it up to you. I tell you what, we can go to the banquet together and I'll make sure no one finds out you can speak. That way you don't have to deal with anyone troublesome, okay?"

"...?"

"Don't be so suspicious. I won't make the same mistake again. You don't have to trust me now, but I won't mess up my second chance!"

Mathias grumbled under his breath. If she would lay off his fur, then the majority of his problems would go away. It was less of an issue if he was troubled and more of one if they troubled a defenceless, priceless artifact.

He remembered the parting gift he got from Alexi.

Opening up his drawer in his desk, he passed the bag of cookies to Lisanna and headed out again.

"N-no! Wait for me, okay?"

He turned to see her already stuffing one in her mouth. She had not had a chance to eat yet so it was a welcome gift, but she pointed to his bed as she fled behind the divider.

Mathias thought to himself, 'what happened to the shame from yesterday and the day before?' and sat down tiredly at the edge of the bed.

"Uh, Ma-Mathias...?" She asked, peeking her head from the side of the divider wall. "D-does this look bad...?"

Being so exhausted and tired yesterday, she just realized that her uniform was reduced to a single strap across her shoulder and a sleeve of cloth around her chest.

It seemed to only point towards her large bust.

"...?"

He saw the underwear, but it was just that: underwear. He did not understand why someone would sexualize it or be ashamed so he just quirked his head questioningly.

"But actually, does it?"

He shook his head.

"Uh, uhm... I appreciate you saying that, but can you walk with me...? I don't want to walk alone like this..."

He sighed.

Mathias did not know if it was another one of her tricks; however, if she was trying to appeal to him flirtatiously, then she would not be cramming her mouth with cookies.

'Fine.'

He passed the paper.

She nodded bashfully, but at least their clothes, while clean, would at least point to rough training rather than some improper modification to attract attention from the opposite sex.

She sighed in relief, geared up with their weapons, and the two walked out towards the training field.