‘’I don’t understand it… Why? I’m not afraid of her, yet I always fall in front of her without much hesitation,’’ thought Yohiro as he lay on the floor of the white room with the large tree and locked door, which was apparently inside the gem. ‘’Huh,’’ Yohiro let out, ‘’you’re saying it’s not because of me? My mental state is too immature? Go~t it…’’ Yohiro seemed a little down, but it was the truth, and he accepted it. No matter how much guidance and instructions he got, his mind was that of a child, further justified by his inability to read or write.

‘’No, I’m not really angry. I didn’t want to use her real name, but you still haven’t told me how it’s fine. Of course, I do trust you, though,’’ he said. ‘’Yeah, you haven’t really failed me so far, but you haven’t been asking many of my questions,’’ Yohiro sighed as he tinkered with the gem while on his back, full well knowing already that it wouldn’t do anything if he was unconscious. ‘’It’s not about me being able to comprehend you answers! It’s about knowing the answers in general and learning the meaning down the line!’’

‘’Really, you’ll tell me?!’’ Yohiro sat up, looking at the tree with anticipation. ‘’Only one question will be answered,’’ Yohiro said, as if repeating what he had heard, ‘’Then please, tell me what will happen tomor-- Oh, that’s not possible?’’ Yohiro interrupted himself.

If an ordinary human was to see this, they would most likely just see a feminine child talking to a tree. However, in his mind and in front of his eyes Yohiro was speaking to a person; the most beautiful of people, in fact. It was like talking to a goddess in person, essentially. With that beautiful, long hair and her slender look, of course it did. But alas, Yohiro wasn’t permitted to see her face, a rule set by her. It showed just how much she controlled his mind, being able to choose what he sees and what he doesn’t at will.

‘’Tell me...what’s happening to my body right now, then?’’ He went silent for a few seconds before flinching. ‘’Ah, I understand,’’ he smiled. At that moment, his body was being carelessly carried by Hiona as she left the castle with Ivet, who was also being held up and dragged by her. ‘’When will you wake me up?’’ The boy wiggled in one spot. ‘’Eh? That counts, too?!’’ He shouted. ‘’But come on! That’s a, uh, different category of questions! Come to think of it, when will you teach me how to read?! And common sense?! I’ve heard that’s rather important, ri-- Huh,’’ he stopped, dropping to the ground, losing sense of his muscles.

‘’I’m sorry...for stepping over the line and annoying you,’’ Yohiro said quietly, having his voice forcibly turned down by her. ‘’But...it pains me; when everyone I’ve met keeps secrets and doesn’t tell me anything… I feel insufficient, as you like to say,’’ the poor boy felt a warm touch upon his head, a rather calming one that set his mind at peace. ‘’I’ll learn everything, you say? I’m not alive for you to tell me everything, you say? I see… I am grateful for your help, as you like to say,’’ a smile quickly appeared on his face as he lay there, watching this small, personal room of his disappear in front of his eyes and turn to white slowly, with the only thing on Yohiro’s mind being: It will come along on its own.

‘’Ah, his eyes are opening,’’ Ivet’s voice came from Yohiro’s right as he was in a daze, watching the world shake repeatedly, with familiar sounds to boot. They were, indeed, on the train back home, although Yohiro couldn’t really think too clearly. He felt a flurry of friendly pats on his head, coming from a soft and gently hand. It felt unbelievably comforting, like a touch he hadn’t felt before, because he actually hadn’t. From Clous, all the way to Hiona, all of their hands were rough and lacking in sympathy. This one on the other hand, was a sight for sore eyes, or in this case, a touch for a sore back.

The tired child, which is what he was at his core, opened his eyes and began rubbing them ruthlessly, almost falling off his seat on the train from the shaking, getting caught just barely by Ivet, who was sitting next to him. ‘’Mo...ah,’’ Yohiro mumbled as he gained awareness of his surroundings quickly, finding Rosa, Clous and Hiona asleep, spread throughout the seats randomly, and Ivet right beside him, keeping him from falling off his seat with her hands.

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It was slightly weird distinguishing her for Yohiro, seeing as she was wearing a rather plain dress compared to her old, blindingly beautiful one she wore before. It seemed more red-toned, with a black outline. ‘’D-did you sleep well at all…?’’ Ivet said, already knowing the answer was clearly going to be a harsh no. ‘’Quite. Thanks for asking, your highness…’’ Yohiro told her directly, sounding slightly half-asleep, which looked adorable to the princess. ‘’A-ah, that’s good to hear,’’ Ivet replied. The mood was quite awkward, but Yohiro couldn’t really notice it at all.

‘’I’m a little surprised, though. You seem to be quite calm, despite becoming my slave against your will,’’ Yohiro assumed, scratching his head as he watched the girl’s face nearly explode from turning red. ‘’I’m not calm, it’s quite the opposite! And, please don’t bring that up, at least,’’ she was clearly trying to avoid discussion on that topic. It seemed like she was far more comfortable with being considered a slave, rather than a future wife.

‘’What about, uh, that dress, Daron? Are the others okay? Are they hurt?’’ Yohiro began asking questions one after the other, even though he didn’t truly care at the moment. ‘’For the dress, it was that lady with the beautiful hair that gave it to me with her tome, though I didn’t know tomes could do that. It seemed like they weren’t hurt, for the most part, except for the short beastman; he couldn’t move, so the scary woman carried him on her back and didn’t seem to mind his heaviness. Speaking of her, she just...fell asleep the second she sat down in her seat,’’ despite her calm and sometimes flustered personality, the girl was quite the talker, ‘’and for Daron, the man you mentioned, he wanted to talk to you again, but the woman hit him and left…’’

‘’I see, but,’’ Yohiro said, ‘’are you fine with this? I don’t really want a slave, so we can let you go.’’ There was a long silence suddenly, and out of nowhere before Ivet said, ‘’I decline. I’ll accompany you, to the end of the world if need be,’’ she straightened her tone, bowing to Yohiro, taking him aback. ‘’But, we hurt your dad, and kidnapped you against your will. Hiona won’t agree to this, so I’m giving you the opportunity while she’s asleep!’’ Yohiro told her. ‘’It matters not,’’ she began, ‘’my father would have been tenacious about me following this tradition, even if he had to throw me out on the streets. It makes no difference at all,’’ that was her final choice.

‘’You’re an idiot, your highness.’’

She straightened up, surprised by the weirdly nice-sounding, yet harsh words. ‘’Don’t say ‘It matters not’ to me, when we’re talking about your life! It’s disrespectful to you, and to me, too, if I were to look at you like a slave for a moment!’’ Yohiro looked at her as he raised his voice, almost unnaturally so. ‘’Ah, I understand. I apologize to you, then. But even so, I will be coming with you until you decide to abandon me,’’ she declared to her ‘’master’’.

‘’It’s your choice, but does this last until I you die? Is there some clock for this?’’ he asked, watching her blush. ‘’Until one of us or both of us die, and even after that, I presume…?’’ She answered, somewhat uncertain, seeing as she was around the young age of thirteen, and as she was eventually to find out, he was almost a few months old . ‘’That sounds like a big commitment, but if you’re saying that’s really your final choice, I promise to respect you as my slave!’’ He smiled cheerfully, causing a faint smile to emerge on her face right after; a smile she couldn’t really understand, like someone was stretching her cheeks and forcing her to smile, that sort of feeling.

Soon they would all arrive back to their own district and, after that confrontation, get some rest. It was a little strange, though. Even though there was no danger anywhere nearby, Yohiro felt an angered, evil spirit coming from Hiona’s seat. The woman seemed to be awake and chanting under her breath as she hid the tome with her tucked into chest legs. ‘’W-why is she glaring at me?’’ Ivet turned to Yohiro. ‘’I don’t really know, but please don’t stop looking at her for now,’’ he requested, getting the feeling like she was a wild animal that was going to jump towards her pray the moment someone took their eyes off her. And that is how the way back home proceeded; a little stressful, to be frank.