Momonga had gotten changed, wearing a white runic with baggy black pants. Brown leather boots with gloves and belt. With a black cape wrapped around him, catching the wind with every step.
Despite his attempt to appear mundane m, in comparison to everyone else, he walked with regal confidence, denoting a lavish lifestyle.
He walked through the streets of E-Rantel trying to mix with the crowd, yet he moved unhindered. With everyone deciding to step aside as if cutting a path for him.
But what truly caught him off guard was their expressions and barely held contempt.
It gave him a foreboding feeling that made him question his choices in clothes. As the atmosphere drove a sense of familiarity to him. Like how people would actually step aside whenever there's someone of seeming importance passing through the work place.
Now, this was displayed in broad daylight. And instead of feeling the nerves, he could now see them as they shook where they stood or bowed their heads and looked down, as if not wanting to grab attention.
'That is not a good sign...'
One depressed person is one thing... most of a city is another. And E-Rantel's population alone makes it as one.
'Should I be glad I could tell that the Kingdom is as rotten as the companies in the previous world? ...probably not...'
"Oomf–"
Momonga froze as he looked down at the person who just collided with him. '...I didn't even notice her.'
Down on the ground was a woman wearing a full set of black plate with a pair of shorts that mixed well with her armor.
"Apologi–" Momonga extended his hand, but she slapped it away.
The woman looked up, showing one green eye glaring at him. She tidied her long blonde hair and her hairband, as if making sure her bangs were covering the right side of her face.
As she stood up and dusted herself, a whisper reached her ears.
"What is that rotten smell?"
"Yeah. Where is that coming from?"
"Is there an open sewer tunnel nearby?
The armored woman went rigid and decided to sprint away. Her eyes landed to the man in front of her. Face twisting into anger, she tried to shove him aside.
Only to fail and ended up pushing herself back with Momonga too entranced at her presence that he didn't even react.
Failing at that, she blushed in embarrassment when someone snickered at her attempt.
"Ah! Sorry.." Momonga snapped back in attention and stood aside. Furthering her irritation and briskly walked passed him.
Watching the woman leave, Momonga just shook his head and continued on his way to the Library. Hoping to end the day with with a familiar face. Whilst allowing one last stray thought...
"...she's prettier in person..."
—.—.—.—.—
Albedo bit down on her lip as frustration built on with each page she read.
She sat at the library, combing through 'historical documents' only to find her self nearly burning down the place.
The so called 'documents', turns out to be nothing more than false news. With most of them being stories of self portrayal and heroics. It was written in a way that every noble is a hero to the point that it becomes nauseatingly annoying.
Poorly written, poorly executed, with mismatched depictions and with some bold enough to create non-existent battles.
Like how one Noble's son defeated a platoon of armed men meant to ambush them. Only for another nobleman to depic the previous person to be his second in command on a completely different battlefield... at the same day... on the other side of he Kingdom...
Albedo clenched her fists in anger. Barely restraining herself from smashing the table in front of her.
After all, she came to research how far she could exploit the death of the Princess. Only for her to try and fail at grasping whether the tales about her were true or not.
Finding the truth now meant exploring vast lands for little to no leads.
"My best bet is seeing things for myself should we go to the Capital but..." she rubbed her head with a slowly rising headache. 'We need a network. Something vast and undetectable. With deep enough reach to penetrate all levels... it's something I can just widen and improve.. For my Lord.'
To Albedo, killing the Princess seemed more and more inconvenient. Specially when Resurrecting her seemed more plausible. Sadly, her return –while more appealing– could open a can of worms she and Momonga were not be ready for.
"I'll have to speak with my–"
A pair of hands landed on her shoulder, she stiffens in surprise, but said nothing while the familiar fingers slowly caressed shoulders. As if wiping the tension away.
"Speak with your 'who' now, Albedo?"
His voice made her bite down a sigh of relief as he continued to ease the burning coils on her muscles.
When his fingers reached her collarbones and his thumb slid into her neck, she whimpered down a moan. While his cold hands cooled her down and wiped the fatigue away.
And then she felt it. His worry for her, his admiration, even a hint of lust as she felt his eyes trailed her long hair, contrasting against her horns and her skin.
His feelings were so... mortal yet her skin could feel his barely restrained divinity grazing hers. And the power of absolution as if playing with her senses.
Her master, as always, felt too intoxicating for her.
Albedo looked back with half lidded eyes. Eyes fluttering as he continued his ministration. And as she felt his lust slowed in it's rise, she softly sucked in her pink lips and breath out a rough *phaah~. Puffing out a hint of pink air.
His reaction was immediate. His eyes widened and glowed red. Muscles went rigid as his restrain fought fiercely. But in less than a handful of seconds, his body heated to it's limits.
Her yellow eyes widened with glowing joy as she made sure to take in and memorize all that she was seeing. Even the lust wafting off of him like heat.
She shouldn't push... Yamaiko's instructions were clear enough to warn her but. Her desire to see to the extent of how much he wants her. It was a question worth asking... something that is bothering her, now that she believes she had made a mistake.
In a bout of insecurity and doubt, she pushed.
She let her eyes be his world. Devoid him of all his senses outside of them. Caging him in his own flesh. And let the world around them vanish. Just him, standing behind her.
And with a soft breath, she breath out a pink smoke that curled around them. And in an instant, brought his desires to the forefront.
His actions were quick, as his hand grabbed one of her horns and yanked it back. Forcing a pained whimper as she arched her back and suddenly, she mewled down a squeal with gritted teeth as his other hand dug into her cloth breast.
Excited, she let the image continue, with her horns seemingly smoother to his hands and his fingers digging into the globs of her flesh. While she let out a ragged breath.
He lowered himself, his mouth, slightly open, slowly descending to her own and in her state, Albedo happily opened up her mouth and let out her tounge with her desire to taste him as soon as possible.
But an inch before they touched, Albedo felt it before she saw it.
Disgust and disappointment... then his eyes turned blue.
Her breath hitch as the abhorrent ray of emotions aimed at himself and her. That she unfurled her wings and swiped the haze away.
Like smoke blown away by the wind, the haze lifted and the world fell around them again.
They remained as they were, breathing raggedly with their eyes still fixed to each other.
And while his eyes slowly turned red, Albedo couldn't stop the tears from flowing as she realized what she had nearly done.
"Momonga-sama..." she whispers, while her hand gently held his cheek.
His breath still uneven, his body still steaming with heat. And sweat now drenching his collar but her eyes couldn't leave his.
She could live with the disappoinment. She had brought it on herself. But the disgust...
Disgust so putrid, and he aimed it at himself without hesitation. As if it was natural.
Momonga composed himself. The strength and power returning to his eyes. Eyes that roamed her as if searching for something.
She didn't know whether she found what he was looking for or not. All she knew was what came after.
He gripped both of her horns, making her hitch and then yanked it as he did before. So forcefully, that the hint of frustration in them made that made her grunt in pain. The front the chair, lifting from the floor as it tilted backwards.
And then he kissed her, right in the lips.
It was chaste, but also lingering.
Albedo's eyes were wide with surprise. That by the time she tried to kiss back, he had already pulled back. And with the last soft kisses on her tears, he walked away.
She sat there, breathing softly and steadily. Both on deep self reprimanding, and joy.
She had pushed too far without knowing what her actions entailed. Claiming to knowing him with what little they had shared only to fall short of understanding.
But he didn't reject her.
No, he wants her. That he silently admitted.
Just not this way, but perhaps, in his own way.