Chapter 75: Mine~
Unprecedented levels of Blessings and Curses filled Hilda's veins, accelerating her mental processes, amplifying her physical capabilities, and, alongside it;
Squelch.
...Came the consequences of Ascension.
Curses.
With her Ascension to the Second Step came two new Curses.
And these manifested vividly with panging, rushing sensations, screaming in the depths of her eyeballs.
Blood oozed from her eyes, dripping down her face as she held in her agonised shrieking.
Had Alora been of a fair mind to gaze upon Hilda's visage, she would have noticed the change immediately;
The flash of sun-kissed gold;
The flash of beautiful, emerald green;
One eye, golden.
The other, emerald green.
These interchanging colours mingled in the veil of crimson oozing from the depths of her eyes until the colours settled to a sensual, sun-kissed, golden, creamy hue. Of her two new Curses, the other retreated, leaving her squirming beneath the judgment of the golden irises.
Swivelling the sleek, silver sword adorned with intricate, runic carvings of red, Hilda gripped her Manifestation tight.
Shifting the tip of her Manifestation towards the little dummy's chest, she took a deep breath, furrowed her brows, and poured her focus into the weapon.
Her vision swam through the ocean of Blessings and Curses, and, once there, she began carefully separating the Curses away from the Blessings.
Blood dribbled from her nose as she attempted to separate the inseparable.
Balance was necessary, without Blessings, Curses cannot exist, and without Curses, Blessings cannot exist; so to separate them, to pour her efforts into shifting the balance of the Blessings to the tip of the weapon, and move the Curses towards the back, away from the little dummy-
Her golden eyes bloomed with manic emotions as she shouted, "Live!"
Fwoosh!
Transferring the strength from her shoulders to her elbow joints and down into her hands, Hilda stabbed the sword through the chest of the little girl cradled in her arms.
The silver sword collided with the girl's body, forming sparks of screeching Curses as the overflowing river of pitchy-black Curses within the little dummy's body retracted in horror.
The blade phased through the girl's chest, leaving her body untouched as it swept into her body.
Drilling past the stream of Curses, the blade's tip landed upon the hole in the girl's heart-
"Close already! You idiot!"
-Hilda's mouth exploded with blood, she screamed for the life to return the little dummy's body. The difficulty of using the few isolated Blessings in the sword's tip crushed her brain, almost turning it into a gooey, mushy mess.
She gradually, slowly, at a rate slower than a snail's effort in completing a race, stitched her heart back together with the aid of pure Blessings.
The contrast of the pure light within her heart and the screaming ocean of Curses created explosions of sparks fluttering across the room. Some sparks slammed into Hilda's face, drawing blood as they sliced past her.
It wasn't a peaceful clash.
The pure Curses in the little dummy's body and the pure Blessings in Hilda's sword were like oil and water, entirely incompatible.
But it was this impossibility, this incompatibility, that she had to accomplish.
'Work!'
She had to make it work.
'I have to!'
That alarm button?
It was long gone from her mind.
Plus, she wasn't dumb. It would take far too long for the physician to get here, and, by then-
"Don't you dare die, you big, big dummy!"
Stitch by stitch, and clash after clash between her Blessings and the little dummy's curses; this precarious balance teetered on a knife's edge.
After what felt like many, many hours, but was, in reality, less than a minute...
"Done!"
She had done it.
The little dummy's heart was stitched back together, and the profuse bleeding had stopped. Next came fixing the mess inside and closing the hole in her chest, that, however;
"Wait here, little dummy! I'll call the physician!"
She wasn't an experienced doctor; she could plug her heart, but stabilising her condition after the emergency treatment wasn't something she could accomplish. The little dummy's demise would arrive long before she could use her pitiful medical skills to save her; plus, she'd probably end up being the one to kill her...
Hurrying away, Hilda pulled the bedside table open and-
Thud!
-she slammed the panic button.
Paying it no more attention, she rushed back to the little dummy's side. Then, unhesitatingly, she ripped off her maid outfit's apron and stuffed it into the little dummy's white shirt.
She pressed hard on the wound, keeping it plugged tight.
The warm blood was beginning to dry and stick between the webbings of her fingers. It was uncomfortable, and, frankly, disgusting.
But!
Anything for this big, big, little dummy!
-----
...I survived.
Weakness drenched my limbs as I fluttered my tired eyes open to the welcoming, warm gleam of the aurora.
A dull ache oozed from my chest, from my heart.
It was more of a sense of rejection. A rejection that couldn't be prevented nor stopped; Hilda's Blessings are at odds with my Curses.
However, it worked; my trust in Hilda was not unfounded. She saved me, as she should~
Giggling inwardly with a fleeting sense of pride from Hilda's capabilities, I adjusted to the warm rays of light as I surveyed my surroundings. Taking in the sight of my familiar bedroom, my vision landed on the girl resting her head on my bedside and snoozing.
Caked in blood, Hilda's ruby tresses cascaded over my covers whilst she breathed soft, relaxing breaths.
...She deserves this rest.
With that in mind, I shut my eyes-
Click.
-and knocked myself asleep once more with Curses.
Might as well rest longer till this adorable monkey awoke from her well-deserved slumber.
---
Rustle.
Distant movement plucked the drifting child out of its slumber, rousing it from its comforting sleep.
"...Mm..."
Groaning, I drowsily parted my eyes to the welcoming crimson evening hue. Amid this waking state, I felt a plethora of fingers ticklishly tracing the contours of my flimsy body.
Hastening my awakening, I focused my blurry vision on the sight before me.
Clad in a fresh set of her antique maid's outfit, Hilda lay by my side on the bed. Her left arm lay on my abdomen, her knuckles gently danced along my exposed skin, thanks to my shirt being lifted ever so slightly.
Resting to my left, Hilda's face lay closer than ever, her warm breath tickling my ears as she gazed quietly into my fluttering eyes.
"...Good evening, little dummy."
Leaning forward, her forehead bumped into my left ear, nuzzling with gentle force.
"Feeling better?" Her voice whispered smoothly into my ear, raising goosebumps along my skin as-
Ba-dump.
-my heart skipped a beat.
Oh no.
Biting my lips, I forced a smile, "...Yeah, thank you, Hilda."
Stopping the dance of her knuckles on my belly, her spread fingers dug into my skin as she pushed her hand over to the edge of my body and wrapped it beneath my waist.
Pulling me into her body, her right arm tucked under my back and reached for her left hand as she locked her fingers together. She forced me into her secure embrace, leaving me no room to nudge my way out.
"W, what are you-"
"Hush." Nuzzling me, her warm body oozed with heat as she silenced me. I could feel the faint pounding of her heartbeat as it spread to my body through her ample chest.
"This is for scaring me, you little dummy."
Raising her lips-
"...And this is my reward for taking care of such a big little dummy."
-she kissed my forehead, stunning me with stupor.
Gulping, I hastily calmed my pounding heart.
Ba-dump! Ba-dump!
I hadn't felt like this with anyone other than Esme-
No!
What am I doing!?
I shouldn't!
Taking in deep breaths, I-
"O, okay... But, I might have to give you more rewards in the future..."
For some reason, words directly opposing my inner self escaped my lips.
The warmth had taken root in my heart.
There was no way to remove it anymore.
It was there to stay.
...Oh.
Gazing into Hilda's worried, cheeky eyes, gazing into her face flushed red with embarrassment and joy;
I came to an understanding at that moment.
I've fallen in love.
I was in love with Hilda.
Just as I was also in love with Esme.
I was in love with both.
Simply imagining Esme's face sent my heart into a messy state, and seeing Hilda's flushed, adorable face also sent me into a similar haywire.
I'm in love with both.
I love them.
Esme and Hilda.
"Hehe... More rewards sound fun! But also dangerous! So don't!"
Puffing her cheeks, "...Hnng~ I want the rewards though!"
That cute mannerism in her words, the crinkle in her eyes when she squints her eyes in adorable contemplation-
I absolutely, and utterly, love her.
Mechanically raising my right hand, I twisted myself to the left; I poised myself to face her as my hand arrived on her face.
Her tender, hot skin passed through my fingers; so cute.
But.
Tightening my grip on her cheek, I playfully moulded it.
How about Hilda?
My face subconsciously drew closer to Hilda's.
Does she love me?
My heart clenched; the pitchy, dark stains etched in the corners of this stained creature's soul revealed their faces.
"Eh? L, little dummy?!"
My face was a mere centimetre away from Hilda's.
I don't know, but-
"W, wait!"
-she must love me. She must.
Our breaths intermingle as my small, fragile lips covered her supple, full lips. The warmth, the softness, and the accompanying choir of my screaming, wailing heart-
You're adorable, Hilda.
My left arm pushed itself beneath Hilda's body as I flooded it with Curses and locked Hilda into my embrace; I squeezed her waist and took in the entirety of her beautiful existence.
And you're mine.