Why don't you stay here? (1)

I was in my room, floating in midair with my legs cross, meditating when I heard footsteps of someone outside my room. There was a knock on the door.

I quickly switch to physical mode from meditating mode.

"You can enter."

"Thank you." It was Lucia. What brings her here, about the thing I said back at the dining hall?

"Sorry for disturbing you, Allan... I wanted to talk about something." She said as she take her seat on the couch. She was wearing a somewhat troubled expression.

"What is it?" I sat on the bed in the front, face-to-face.

She remain quiet. It seems like something was troubling her. After brief moment of silent she finally spoke up.

"...Ahm, about the dinner tomorrow, are you going to invite anyone? Like any friends..." She said so, but was it really something to bother about... Hmm, she I definitely after something...

"No. I don't have any friends. I'm a traveler who didn't stay at any particular place for so long. I know many people, but I can't consider them as a ๐™›๐™ง๐™ž๐™š๐™ฃ๐™™ and here, at kingdom, not a chance."

"... I-I see, well what about your family. You can invite them and bring them here. Since you know flight magic, it would be convenient. We rally don't mind if they live here, at palace."

"Nope, I don't have any family."

"... Huh?"

"They all are dead. Though I have a sister, but she is also not in this world." I said with a straight face, without any hesitation. There is no point of hiding something like this, is there? And I also don't want to gain any sympathy by saying that ๐˜ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ต ๐˜ฎ๐˜บ ๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜บ, ๐˜ฆ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฅ. ๐˜•๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ ๐˜ ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ธ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ, with that emotional face.

I really don't like that kind of stuff. Isn't it like you're taking advantage of the dead, by using there name for sympathy. Though I never liked my family, parents and other relatives, my sister is exception, I can at least pay a bit of the respect to the ones who are dead.

"Ah! I am really sorry. I don't want to mean it! Please forgive." Flustered, she got up from the couch and with an apologetic tone, she bowed her head.

๐˜๐˜ฆ๐˜บ, ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜น. ๐˜'๐˜ฎ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต ๐˜จ๐˜ฐ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ! ๐˜ž๐˜ฉ๐˜บ ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ฌ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜บ๐˜ธ๐˜ข๐˜บ...

And is there any need for her to apologize? It's not like she knew about it, so it's not her fault.

"Ah, no no, it's alright. It's not your fault in the first place." I extended my hands in front as if saying, ๐˜๐˜ต'๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜จ๐˜ฉ๐˜ต, ๐˜ฑ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ฎ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ด๐˜ต.

"...I'm really sorry..." She apologize again in a low tone with her head lowered as she sat down slowly.

"So, is that all you wanted to ask me? About inviting anyone I want to?" I cut the chase. These small talks will gave us nothing so it would be better if she say whatever she wanna to.

"... Well, I have something else I wanted to ask to you..." She said while looking around.

๐˜๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฉ, ๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜บ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ข๐˜ท๐˜ฐ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฆ๐˜บ๐˜ฆ-๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ต. ๐˜š๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ถ๐˜ฑ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ...

"I, I wanted to ask you, when you're leaving?!" She hesitated in start but then said it loud and clear.

๐˜ž๐˜ข๐˜ช๐˜ต, ๐˜ˆ๐˜ฎ ๐˜ ๐˜ข ๐˜ฃ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ?!

She asked me straight that when I am going to leave this palace. If they really don't want me to live in this place why do they offered it in the first place!

"Is there any problem for me staying here?"

"Ah, crap! I messed up, I sincerely apologize for my rude behaviour Allan." Noticing my anxiety, Lucia quickly apologized.

๐˜”๐˜ข๐˜ฏ! ๐˜‹๐˜ฐ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜จ๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ญ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ ๐˜จ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ข๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜จ๐˜ช๐˜ป๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ. ๐˜ž๐˜ฉ๐˜บ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฐ ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ฌ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ด๐˜ต ๐˜ฑ๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฆ?!

"I just wanted to ask for how long you are going to stay here?"

๐˜๐˜ฆ๐˜บ! ๐˜๐˜ด๐˜ฏ'๐˜ต ๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ?!

"You just repeated yourself in a different manner."

"Eek!"

"Well whatever it is. I was planning to leave tomorrow but since you are holding a banquet, I'll be leaving day after tomorrow."

๐˜๐˜ข๐˜ฑ๐˜ฑ๐˜บ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ, ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฌ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ด ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ข ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ.

"Huh?! You're leaving that soon? But why?" She showed her disappointment.

Ahh, now I came to understand what she actually mean that time. She wants me to stay here. Seems like I was interpreting things in a wrong way, and was cursing them for nothing. ๐˜'๐˜ฎ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ณ๐˜บ ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต. I apologized to them in my heart.

"Well, it's not like that I'm gonna stay here for my entire life."

"I-I see...But you can stay here if you want for your entire life..." She said last part with a low voice that only she can hear, but I still heard it cause, ๐™„ ๐™–๐™ข ๐™จ๐™ฅ๐™š๐™˜๐™ž๐™–๐™ก. Though I pretend that I didn't heard it.

Well if they want me to stay here, I don't have any problem with that as long as I can do whatever I want. And, I doesn't mean by something ๐™ฌ๐™š๐™ž๐™ง๐™™ by ๐™ฌ๐™๐™–๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ซ๐™š๐™ง alright?! I am a gentleman man and I have my pride, so I am not going to do any thing lewd. Hell! Even somebody forced me, I'll straight forward reject it. But that's a completely different thing...

Well, I can stay here if they want but I can't stay here for my entire life. Obviously, this planet wouldn't exist that long!

"...But why are you leaving so early?"

"What? You want me to stay here, ๐™ฌ๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช?" I highlighted last part, though said the whole thing to tease her.

"Y-Yeah, I want you to stay here- Wait! That's not what I meant to say. I-I just think that, that we didn't do much to repay your kindness. Uff, just what are you saying, you idiot!"

๐˜“๐˜–๐˜“! ๐˜š๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ฅ๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ช๐˜ต. ๐˜™๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ฌ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ด ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ข๐˜บ๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ฉ. ๐˜›๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ข ๐˜ฃ๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ง๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ!"

"I didn't do much, really. And you guys have shown enough kindness to me, so I don't want to trouble you people anymore." I said. She was wearing a sad face.

"...I hoped you can stay a bit longer."

"There is no reason for me to do that."

๐˜”๐˜ข๐˜ฏ, ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต ๐˜จ๐˜ฐ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฌ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง๐˜ง ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ ๐˜ด๐˜ข๐˜บ.

I can't help but think does the king or her brother send her here so that they can make me stay here. Well if they do, I think will go to any lengths to make me there's.

Hmm, should I stay here or should I leave, I think. Well things here are pretty amusing and since I cannot middle in the mortal affairs directly, I can use them. And there is also this so called Demon ๐™‡๐™ค๐™ง๐™™ which I'm interested in to know more about.

Also, if he really is corrupted, then defeating him will definitely help me to move closer to my aim. Even if it's the slightest I am fine with that as long as I am moving closer to my goal.

Obviously I'm not gonna defeat him myself, cause I can't kill him as it may cause trouble to me afterwards, I can help Lucia and the other to defeat him.

But for now, I will enjoy playing with them...

"... Well that's all I wanted to ask. Sorry for troubling you."

"No, it's completely fine."

"...Then, I'll leave now. Thank you very much." With that she get up and left the room...

----------------------

Midnight. I was resting on my bed when I heard a sound.

๐˜พ๐™๐˜ผ๐˜พ๐˜พ๐™†๐™†๐™†๐™†

Door of my room slowly opened.

๐˜ž๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฅ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜จ๐˜ฉ๐˜ต? ๐˜ˆ ๐˜จ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ต? ๐˜๐˜ง ๐˜ช๐˜ต'๐˜ด ๐˜ข ๐˜จ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ต, ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜จ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต ๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ.

I got up and sat on my bed as I saw a person approaching me.

"Huh, you? What are you doing here?!"

...