This was our first calm morning together since the battle, and she looked almost unreal. Her golden eyes caught the sunlight like twin embers, and her silver-white hair shimmered softly in the morning glow. She looked like something out of a painting, so perfect it made me feel both admiration and the faint sting of envy.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked, my voice coming out more awkward than I intended as I squatted near the fire, turning the rabbit meat slowly on a stick.

"Sleep? Ah! Right, yes…" Her voice stumbled, and her gaze fell away. She didn't look at me again. Was she upset about something? No, she looked… shy? That was strange. There was nothing to be shy about.

Then I realized. Oh, fuck... My clothes were slightly loose from the fight, the top of my shirt slipping open enough to expose some skin near my chest. I quickly adjusted it, trying to pretend I didn't notice. Anyway, we were both women, nothing wrong with a little exposure, right?

I cleared my throat. "The food is ready, if you're hungry." My voice trailed off as I caught her gaze. My heart started beating faster. Something wasn't right with me.

"Mhm." She nodded softly, still holding the sleeping hamster in her arms. She came closer and sat beside me, her shoulder almost brushing mine. Her eyes drifted toward the open plains, lost in thought, untouched food resting in front of her.

"What are you waiting for? The food will get cold," I said, trying to sound casual, though my own stomach twisted with hunger. There were no humans nearby, and the thought of feeding on Elira crossed my mind again. I hated it. No matter how much I craved that sweet taste, I couldn't let myself think of her like that. Sorry… I lost myself again.

"T-thank you, Beatrice." Her smile brightened as her pearly teeth sank into the meat. I swallowed hard, watching her bite down with such innocent satisfaction.

"So good!" she mumbled through a full mouth, her fingers absently petting Beelzebub, faster than before. Wait... seriously, how was that tiny furball still asleep? Was it even breathing? I raised an eyebrow, half-tempted to check if the little thing was still alive.

"I'm glad," I said, smiling despite myself as I sat beside her. The warmth of the fire wrapped around us. When our shoulders brushed, I flinched and pulled back, but she leaned in again, resting lightly against me.

Jeez… spare me. I wanted to melt into the ground. Something was definitely wrong with me.

She ate slowly at first, but by the end, the entire rabbit was gone. I couldn't help but stare, a little impressed and a little alarmed. In my old world, I would've given up after the leg, yet her appetite was something else entirely. Was it because of the magic flowing through her veins?

Her robe shifted slightly, revealing a bit of pale skin beneath. I could even see the faint bulge of the food she'd devoured pressing against her stomach. She's not going to throw up on me, is she? I edged back a little, just in case. This kind of overeating couldn't be good for her. I'd have to give her a proper lecture about diet later.

"T-that was so g—burp!"

I flinched, nearly dropping the stick I was playing with. What the hell was that? A monster?

"Sorry!" she yelped, her cheeks turning crimson as she hid her face with both hands. The sight was so ridiculous and endearing that I couldn't hold back a laugh.

"It's okay, it's okay, it happens to everyone. I don't mind," I said, still chuckling as I reached out and patted her back gently. The warmth of her body against my hand, the softness of her shoulder, it was enough to ease the tension I hadn't realized I was holding.

After a while, she finally settled, her embarrassment fading into silence. She sat with her knees drawn close, staring into the flickering fire. The way her shoulders curved in, the quiet look in her eyes, she seemed lonely. I didn't know what to say or how to comfort her, so I just stayed there beside her, letting the silence speak for both of us.

"We should move out soon. I plan to head west. Would you… um, like to come with me?" The words tangled on my tongue. "I know it's not the best time to ask, and honestly, I wouldn't blame you if you stayed behind. After everything, I just… well, you know." My voice trailed off into awkward babbling, my face burning with a mix of shame and uncertainty.

She didn't answer right away. My shoulders sank as her eyes stayed fixed on the fire, its glow reflected in her quiet expression.

"You know," she said at last, her voice soft but heavy. "I've never had freedom in my life. Not once. I never had the chance to go anywhere. I used to dream about it for days, months, years, but I never imagined it would come to this." She paused, her hands tightening around her knees. "I hoped, even if it makes me sound cruel, that they'd die. I wanted them gone. I wanted to escape."

I listened, eyes wide, her words settling deep in my chest. There was a weight to them, something that didn't belong to an ordinary girl. Whatever her past was, it wasn't simple. Something in it had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

"So when I met you, Beatrice." Her golden eyes found mine and my heart lurched. "When your hands pulled me from death's embrace, I knew I might finally be free. Someone in this world saved me not for the greed in their blood but because they actually cared. Isn't that funny?"

Her voice softened and the color left her face for a moment. "The man who called me his daughter used me as a vessel for…" She cut herself off, shaking her head. When her eyes lit up again the smile that followed was bright as sunlight, but something in it felt wrong. It looked practiced, like a mask.

I did not want that fake smile for her. I wanted the real thing. From that moment I decided I would learn everything about her. No matter how long it took for her to open up, I would make sure she never suffered again. She could not become what I had been.

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