Chapter Eighty Four: Housebroken
Christina's Arc: Bend or Break
I awoke in my silken cocoon and slowly rolled myself free. After freeing myself from the Shizuka nightmare fragment, she followed me into Antwon's memory well, which surprised me. I half expected her to fade into nothing, not stay there.
…
"There ain't no rest for the wicked."
I rolled out of bliss and put my clothes back on. I didn't know what time it was, but I won't spend the rest of my life trapped in a box when there is a bigger box beyond the room door. I reached for the handle, and I didn't feel impending doom.
***
There was…no guard when I opened the door, which means that spoiled brat lied to me. I could flee from this nicely decorated shit hole—
The door was pulled open. I stumbled into the hallway, catching the wall across from my room, and came face to face with the portrait of the Fan’s so-called beauty, a woman who clearly was not beautiful.
"Well, well. I guess you survived your food coma," an unfamiliar voice said.
I turned around, and there was a woman sitting behind the door. I'm starting to think that's my one true weakness. She, like most of the women I've seen, had long black hair, but she wore hers down. She sported the same armor as everyone else, but wore a bored expression, like nothing ever did it for her.
"Who the heck are you?"
She got up slowly, dusting the back of her armor off. "We met in the dining hall. I introduced myself."
I stared blindly into her face from across the hallway.
"What a fucking asshole. I can't believe she chose you of all men," she sneered.
I blinked.
"Aren't you supposed to be nice to me, or something?"
She scoffed. "If being mean to you is a crime, I'll take my punishment. Now, you little shit, where do you want to go, because living rent-free in my queen's bedroom is not enough."
I scowled. "Rent-free? I'd rather be evicted, but I can't figure out how."
Oh, this girl is spewing big sister energy, and I hate it.
We glared at each other. She looked too young to take seriously. Maybe younger than me.
"How old are you?"
"Older than you, and even if I wasn't, I clearly outrank your no-kid giving ass."
"Just tell me, or don't, and I'll ask someone else."
She walked over to me. She didn't have a weapon.
"Aw, too young to carry a sword?"
She stopped inches away from me, and like most women, she was shorter than I was.
"Pft, for what? I don't need a sword to babysit your ass. Now, where do you want to go?"
I frowned at the idea of going anywhere with her. I crossed my arms and tapped my foot, wanting to take off down the hall. But every time I leaned toward my right, it seemed like she positioned herself for a chase.
"You've got brothers, haven't you?"
"Three."
"Younger or older?"
"Fucking guess."
My body sagged in response. She was shorter than me, but I never stood a chance.
Footsteps echoed down the hall.
"Can you take me to a hospital in Minobu?" I asked.
She crossed her arms and grinned. Her armor padding on her arms rubbed against each other, producing a sharp sound.
"Big sister told me about your strange request, so no."
I sighed too deeply.
"Aw, where you fu—"
I placed my hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened, but she didn't touch me. She uncrossed her arms.
"I did nothing with her. I just want to see her before she's—”
Something wet rolled across my fingers, and I ripped my hand away.
"Ew! Did you just lick my hand!"
"That's what you get for touching me… I know where to take you." She grabbed me by the back of my shirt and forced me down the hall.
A group of women passed by and bowed their heads.
"Good afternoon, Master Tetsuzaki," one woman said.
"Master my ass!"
"Shut your damn mouth!"
***
She pushed me through a pair of silver double doors. I stumbled until I fell onto the red-tiled floor. I stood up, surveying the blank faces around me of the all-male staff. She dragged me into the kitchen.
"What the hell is the big idea, Tetsuzaki?"
She changed her face into something far uglier. "What the hell is the big idea?" She said, mocking me. She placed her hands on her hips. "Shut up. This is where you belong, and if you can't make babies, this is the only part of the estate you should be allowed in."
I gritted my teeth and sucked in air.
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
She closed the gap, moving from the doorway to the inner kitchen. She raised her hand, like she was going to hit me, but paused, causing me to flinch in response.
"I should smack that dirty fucking mouth of yours, but that's not my place!"
She took me by the face and pushed me back down.
One of the boys from the kitchen approached her, bowing sweetly. "Master Tetsuzaki. Can we get you anything? A quick bite or some wine, perhaps?"
Her face softened. She was like a whole new woman.
"Why, yes. I would like some wine. What do you have?"
The guy took a weird posture, rocking side to side. "We have a bottle of Cuvée Misawa Koshu, with a side of me,"
What kind of weak pickup line is that? She isn't even that—
Her face burned cherry red.
"I-I… M-maybe."
I stood up and walked over to the stuttering fool. "Excuse me," I said to the man who broke my guard. "Can I talk to you in the hallway?"
"No. I don't want…I don't want to talk to you," she said, breathing harder than needed.
I scratched my head. All of her bravado, if I can call it that, just vanished because of a wiggle.
"But Master Tetsuzaki, I need to talk to you," I said, rubbing my hands together.
I can use that.
She sighed. "Fine, but only for a moment." She turned around with force, whipping me across the face with her hair.
I followed her into the hallway. She was still red, but her face was back to normal.
I got right into her face, and she gritted her teeth.
"Do you know that guy?"
"No."
"So, why are you so red?"
She reached around my neck, pulling me down.
"Are you serious? Did you see how forward he was? I mean, he practically jumped on me!" She said in a whisper scream.
He barely moved…
I cleared my throat. "So, you'd act like that with any guy?"
"No, don't be stupid," she said in a telling tone.
I poked her left cheek. "So, not every guy does it to you; then why the guy in the kitchen?"
She grabbed my hand and moved it from her cheek. "Damn, you're stupid. Every man on the estate comes from a noble family. They come here to learn how to be a husband, and most of them leave someone's husband."
…
"So you're a non-baby-making virgin, too?"
She squeezed her arm around my neck. "I'll cut out your tongue, and my queen will thank me!"
I smiled through the pain until I couldn't. "S-sorry."
She relaxed her arm.
"If you want to piss me off—"
"I don't want to, but listen. Let's help each other, because the way you are, anyone could pull one over on you."
She moved her arm, letting me stand to my full height.
"What the hell are you talking about, bed warmer?"
I swear! Even when I'm trying to help her, she acts like an ass!
"Look, don't leave me here, don't talk to guys you don't vet," I said, rubbing my neck.
"I know that. Stop wasting my time."
"How many guys have you vetted?"
…
"A few—"
"The way you vetted just now?"
…
She rolled her shoulder like she was the one in pain.
"Let me be the one to check if these guys are worth it, so you don't geek out at every crappy pickup line."
She growled.
"What do you get out of this—what's the catch?"
"I…don't like you, and you don't like me. But liking each other isn't needed. All you have to do is take me to the hospital."
She scratched her chin. "You're so fucking dense. Christina said not to take you there, and I can't freely enter the Veil. I'm not brushing shoulders with Jade Akagiri either. But I'll pitch it to Christina. She likes me, which is why she punished me with you."
That tracks.
"Deal."
"What!? I'm not promising you any fucking thing."
I stretched out my arms and rolled my neck. "Don't worry about it. Just don't go blushing all over the place. What's your name?"
"Master Tetsuzaki."
I crossed my arms and frowned.
"What?" I shifted my weight. "Fucking fine…Ayame Tetsuzaki"
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Ayame. I'm Antwon Carter."
"You're nothing until you fulfill your duty to my queen."
What a jerk.
Ayame Tetsuzaki, standing in front of Yoshime Shiranui, the strongest of the Iron Dragons.
Babysitter with a Blade: https://suno.com/s/uL19MkpMt8AHEWBl