the knight's confession

The sharp glare of Lesa's eyes that looked at Max lazily, made Max's expression, which was previously filled with gratitude, turned annoyed.

"I humbled myself to give you my thanks," Max stood up on both knees, "doesn't mean you can look down on me like that. "

While holding his stomach which was bandaged with the collision of medicinal plants inside the bandage, Max walked past Lesa even though with a limp step.

"Where do you think you're going, Knight Max?" Lesa spontaneously held Max's hand in order to stop her steps further, "I told you before, right? don't be a burden."

"Well, of course, I heard it clearly." Max replied, who immediately brushed off Lesa's hand. "That's why I don't want to be a burden for you."

Max continue his steps and headed to the exit door behind Lesa.

before he really came out, Max stopped right in front of the door, "once again, thank you, for being willing to pick up your pathetic enemy in the river."

"Even though I was a weak and pathetic person, at least, I tried my best to survive until now."

After that Lesa, who tried to stop him, only stayed in his small hut which was made simply in several times, and saw him disappear into the shadows of the trees, and the chirping of birds that chat with each other in the morning.

"Haah .. so stubborn," complained Lesa while returning to collect the medicinal plants that she brought before, then pounding it "He'll back"

With that lackluster gaze Lesa stopped pounding and looked back out the door, "if he doesn't come back, then he's .."

***

Birds chirped with each other in the sky, dry leaves kept falling and filling the grass below.

"hmm..." While enjoying the grilled fish lunch that she had just speared a moment ago, she stared at the trap hanging on the tree in front of her.

"I thought .. before you said like, will try your best to survive, but.. " she said while tilting her head.

"look at you right now, hanging helplessly up there, and being easy targets for the beasts of this forest. you disappoint me"

With his flushed face, Max bit his lower lip to hold back the anger that had been burning all this time. "Just shut up! and let me down!!" he snapped

"No, you better be up there."Lesa pointed at Max, "the nets will keep you up there, even if you try to get away."

"Wha-- ?!"

"The villagers say that any thing made of demonic parts, has twice as much power as before." Lesa returned to eating the fish that she had grilled before, "I didn't believe it at first, but after seeing that net catch from rabbits to bears and never break, now I'm starting to doubting myself."

after several attempts to escape, Max finally stopped and sighed in annoyance. "what is there to worry about, Miss devil."

"You have your food and hostages here, at same time." finally Max stayed hanging on a tree, without struggling. "even though you could have left me in the river, but you saved me instead, you must want something from me, right?"

"What an odd defense for a hostage like you." Lesa answered immediately, "Seen you from anywhere, nothings good to me."

Max was surprised"Heh?!! Even my face?!" , Lesa immediately looked at him in disgust, "yess .. even your face."

"You must be kidding me." Max looked at her with open eyes in disbelief. "Now you disgust me, knight."

"Ah, sorry, sorry, sorry .. it's just, this is the first time someone told me that that." he replied with a confused face. while the horned devil woman under the tree, watched him in disgust. "It's obvious, right?"

"what?"

"for someone who was born with a silver spoon like you, all women will definitely be tempted to approach you." her fanged teeth chewed the fish slowly, so as not to injure its tongue, then swallowed it. "a respected knight, from a distinguished family, and with a handsome face, well, I could say you were perfect."

"But the more special things you get, the more numb you will be."

Max frowned and saw Lesa annoyed, "You're babbling like you know everything, Miss devil."

"just wait, soon you will understand." Lesa raised her head, "and please don't call me miss, it's annoying. just call me Lesa."

"Gezzz, getting words like that from the devil, sounds strange to me," then he looked towards lesa, "and, how can you be bothered just because of me, calling you Miss, instead of calling you the devil."

"I don't know, I'm just not used to it." said Lesa while looking at the charred fish in front of her. "I'm more used to hearing someone call me a devil, killer, or angel of death ... and somehow I wasn't bothered by it" Her long hair began to move in the wind, and covering her face which previously showed a flat expression turned gloomier.

"I know you are a devil, but why don't you defend yourself ?!"Shouted Max from the tree hanging in the net made of Lesa's hair mixture. "Why?" asked Lesa back.

"You ask why? Of course to protect something that's inside you. Words do not hurt you physically, but they can hurt something that's inside of you."

"inside?" Lesa then held her stomach, "I'm not pregnant, or do you do some---"

before Lesa had time to finish her words, Max interrupted "oh come on, that's not what I meant!" his pulse started beating irritably again. "and I don't do anything while you sleep, I didn't even know that the one who saved me was a devil."

"No one knows."said Lesa as she looked away from Max, "Even though I didn't have a girlfriend before, it doesn't mean I can act as perverted as I want, Lesa!" he shrieked at Lesa.

"owww.. When you said, I was the first person to reject your disgusting face, I thought you were experienced in that. "Lesa grinned, "but, no one knows if, a knight from the kingdom of Oriana not experienced at all. "

"T-That--" Max's mouth started to stutter, his face flushed as if he'd been exposed to the hot steam for too long. "I-It's because I I've been in the battlefield so long, that I can't receive a matchmaking letter from other noble families .."

he lowered his head languidly, as if his head contained a heavy weight on it. "I missed it for so long, until my age is no longer able to receive matchmaking letters.."

"hm .. I thought you were in your early twenties, but inside you're old farts, with the lecherous mind like a teenager, huh."

"DO YOU WANT ME TO CHOKE YOU FOR THE SECOND TIME, HUH!! LESA???"

okay, this time Max is really pissed off. With his face shy and embarrassed at the same time, making Lesa even more unable to hold back the laughter behind her lips.

"I may be old, but I'm not that old. As you say, I'm only in my early twenties, currently I'm 25." Max explained, trying to make Lesa less misunderstood and to keep looking for material to mock him.

"How many years have you been in school, a knight from Oriana?" But it seems that Max's explanation has even made Lesa's bad habit of always pissing off people, coming back again.

"judging by wherever those 5 are in the middle, how can you consider yourself still in the early twenty. You still don't even admit that your hair has grown gray, Max." This time, it's not just a grin and laughter that she hides behind her fangs, Lesa is currently laughing like a woman in her late 60's watching her favorite comedy show.

"Stop teasing me, damn Lesa! How old are you now, huh ?! even though you didn't even tell me your age, but being rude to me!! so insolent!" this time Max tries to defend himself, although it looks futile, but his pride is high. of course a knight doesn't want his pride to fall just because he has never made love to anyone before.

Lesa glanced up with a smile full of satisfaction on her face, lifting her middle finger and said, "I'm 32 years old, you dumbass"

"thi-thrty what?! you must be kidding! You lied to me, right ?! "Max annoyed at not accepting what Lesa said earlier.

"Whatever, that was my age before I died and was brought into this unknown world by force." replied Lesa, who then stood up and cleaned her pants from the dirt.

"brought to .. this world?"

"yeah.. I'm not---"

Sreekkk!!!

"something's here." Lesa's expression and tone immediately changed, and she became more alert than before. "Lesa?"

"Ssstt.. don't move and make sound at all. "whispered Lesa towards Max who was far above his head, "something is coming, and my feelings say it's not a good thing. "

(***)