While Phae was looking after Anak, Gandr had been roped into visiting Endorsi’s room with a tray of food. She wasn’t able to leave her room due to her condition, so, after discussing the matter with Shibisu, Hatsu, Khun, and a visibly depressed Baam, he had been delegated the responsibility of bringing her food in exchange for having her sign everyone’s friend list.
Though Endorsi had already signed his sheet, Gandr knew she had yet to sign any of the others, so, now that she had ‘settled’ things with Anak, it was a good time to help her open up to others. These would be the people she climbed the Tower with, and, though there was nothing proving she was a central character to the original plot, it would be very strange if she wasn’t. Her status as a Princess all but guaranteed she was a potential love interest for the main character, especially in a Record where such love was forbidden.
With everyone else staying out of the camera’s field of view, Gandr pressed the small button that served to notify the room’s occupant of a guest. Almost immediately after that, the door opened with its characteristic mechanical hiss, followed by a smiling Endorsi remarking, “Oh my, what have we here? Did you finally realize this Princess’ charms~?”
Seeing the youthful-looking woman with her hair tied back in a small ponytail, Gandr’s brows raised before plainly stating, “You look like a completely different person with your hair tied up like that. It gives you a nice, sporty, vibe. I think your original style suits you better, but this one isn’t bad at all.”
Not expecting the usually dense boy to pay her a compliment, Endorsi was momentarily at a loss for words as Gandr set the tray of food down before pulling over a chair to take a seat. Then, with a trace of concern visible in his gaze, he asked, “Are your legs okay?”
Remembering the pain she was in, Endorsi released a moderately exasperated sigh before asking, “What do you think? The Doctor’s said my femur fractured in six different places. I really owe that little lizard for this one…”
Scrunching up his nose slightly, Gandr didn’t hesitate to remark, “You shouldn’t hold a grudge over something like this. I can tell you don’t really hate Anak so this is an opportunity to make amends. I can get Phae to treat your leg if you’re willing to apologize. I don’t want to see either of you fail the Position Test over something like this…”
Having noticed the slight change in Gandr’s expression, Endorsi lightly clicked her tongue before crossing her arms in a huff. She actually wasn’t that angry with Anak, and, though it was bound to cause her a lot of problems in the future, she had already decided to climb the Tower with her only niece. The problem was, she didn’t want to be the first one to compromise, so, rather than agree to Gandr’s words, she began tapping her finger on her forearm while considering methods she could use to benefit from this situation…
Seeing the tray of food on her nightstand, a brilliant idea danced across Endorsi’s mind, her face developing a crafty smile as she said, “Fine. I’ll apologize to the lizard. It beats being stuck in bed for the next couple of days…However!”
With her smile becoming even more conniving than before, Endorsi held up her finger triumphantly before pointing towards the tray of food and saying, “I’ll only apologize if you agree to feed me!”
Expecting Gandr to frown or outright refuse her offer, Endorsi was more than a little surprised when he simply tilted his head to the side and answered, “Okay? If it’ll end the tensions between you and Anak, I don’t see any problem with that. Afterward, I also have a few friend’s lists for you to sign. We will all be climbing the Tower together, so it will be better if you can become friends with everyone.”
Feeling like the wind had been taken out of her sails, Endorsi released a sigh before resting against her headboard and muttering, “You and your friend fetish…shouldn’t you be happy that you’re the only one with my name on their list? I don’t get you…”
Though she understood the reasons, Endorsi couldn’t help but feel extremely annoyed by the fact that Gandr never treated her like a Princess. At the same time, however, she felt his personality was rather refreshing. Being treated like a Princess all the time wasn’t pleasant, so, while it more than a little annoying, she didn’t mind his attempts to include her in his circle of friends. She just wished he was a little more ‘appreciative’ of the fact she tolerated his antics…
Seeing the wistful look in Endorsi’s ghostly golden eyes, Gandr couldn’t help sweating internally as he mentally exclaimed, (“Oh, come on! I didn’t even do anything this time…right?”)
Rather than reprimand Gandr for his behavior, Sis actually giggled in the back of his mind, her voice filled with amusement as she replied, (*For some women, all it takes is treating them like a ‘normal’ girl to open their heart. Don’t worry, Gan-chan, it doesn’t seem like she is attracted to you. If I had to guess, she currently sees you more like an adorable little brother, someone she wants to pamper and be pampered by. Since there are so many males within your group this time around, there is a chance she might set her sights on one of them after opening up a little more.*)
Though he felt Sis’ reaction was a little strange, Gandr released an audible sigh, confusing Endorsi enough to ask, “What’s wrong? Is it really that important to you that I sign those pieces of paper? It’s not like it changes anything…”
Shaking his head, Gandr picked up the chopsticks from the tray of food before answering, “It’s not that…I just think you would be happier if you had more friends. Even if we climb up the Tower at a record-setting pace, there is a chance we would be spending the next fifty years together. Though our companions might change over time, it is important to lay the foundation for lasting friendships early on…if you want to protect the things you care about, you’re going to need allies you can trust to help carry your burden…”
Seeing Gandr’s ears drooping slightly, Endorsi began to feel a little guilty, her expression softening despite the visible frustration in her countenance. Gandr was usually so vibrant and full of life so she felt uncomfortable just seeing him like this. To further exacerbate matters, she had a strong impulse to pat his head, but, remembering their previous quarrels, attempting to touch his ears would only make things even worse.
Suppressing a sigh, Endorsi adopted an even more annoyed expression as she complained, “You’re really persistent…whatever. If it will prevent you from behaving like an abandoned puppy, I’ll sign those pieces of paper. It’s not like I lose anything by just writing my name down…”
Genuinely enthused by Endorsi’s words, Gandr’s ears immediately perked up as his characteristically mischievous grin appeared across his face. This made Endorsi feel like she had been tricked by the bratty Vanargandr, but, before she could get angry, her tensions relaxed when Gandr softly replied, “Thank you, Endorsi. I promise you won’t regret this.”
Suppressing yet another sigh, Endorsi just crossed her arms in response to Gandr’s words, pouting slightly as she said, “Whatever…now, how long are you going to keep me waiting? I might be on a diet, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy starving myself. If you don’t keep your end of the bargain, I-”
Before Endorsi could finish her words, Gandr surprised her by deftly placing a piece of sweet pork into her mouth, smiling as he teasingly remarked, “Less talking, more eating~.”
—
Hearing a familiar ‘pitta-pon’ echo within his room, Vahn casually opened his eyes before shifting his attention to the Pocket hovering at his side. It was currently 1:43 AM, and, while this wasn’t that early, it was an abnormal time for someone to be at his door.
Expecting someone like Hwa Ryun, Vahn instantly frowned when he sensed who was outside of his room. Despite this, he still unlocked the door, opening it to reveal a young woman with golden hair and eyes. She seemed surprised by the sudden opening of the door, but, almost immediately after that, a smile spread across her face as she attempted to cross the door’s threshold.
Manipulating the flow of Shinsu around the door, Vahn created a physical wall to bar the woman’s passage as he plainly stated, “I did not give you permission to enter my room. State your business or be on your way, Michelle Light.”
Without showing any visible signs of perturbation, Michelle, better known as Rachel, performed a flawless curtsy before neatly folding her hands in front of her as she replied, “I understand this isn’t the most appropriate time, but I’ve been wanting to speak with you since before the Crown Game. I also wanted to thank you for everything your vassals have done for me over the past few days. May I come inside…?”
Already knowing what Rachel wished to discuss, Vahn very plainly stated, “I have no business with a woman who would abandon the people she purports to care about just to achieve an arbitrary goal. The next time you approach me without first going through one of my vassals, I will assume you are attempting to assassinate me. Now, begone from my sight.”
Feeling an overwhelming amount of indignation welling up inside of her, Rachel’s first instinct was to try and justify her actions, but, seeing the look in Vahn’s eyes, she was ultimately able to restrain herself. He wasn’t the type of person she could afford to offend, so, after a brief moment of silence, her response was to emulate Phae’s bow, quickly apologizing before walking away.
Closing the door even before Rachel had completed her bow, a tired sigh escaped Vahn’s lips as he muttered, “What a farce…that woman’s head is filled with ambition and delusion. I wonder how she expects to convince anyone to team up with her after publically ‘discarding’ the one person willing to sacrifice everything in order to achieve her dreams…ridiculous…”
Though it was a little strange, Vahn had developed the habit of speaking to himself even when he was alone. Vocalizing his thoughts allowed him to better grasp his own intentions. Thoughts, alone, had a higher chance of being misconstrued due to their propensity to ‘sound’ right whenever they were internalized. It took bouncing ideas off another person to truly grasp where or not they made sense, so, whenever Vahn wasn’t speaking to Sis, he spoke openly to himself.
Of course, that didn’t mean Sis was obligated to remain silent. Rather, if she had something to say about a situation, she could be surprisingly assertive. This time, however, she seemed to share in his exasperation, stating, (*That woman gives off a very dangerous feeling. It’s almost like she has the power to subsume or leech off the fate of others. If you’re going to continue with your current plan, you need to make sure you take measures against her ability. You don’t have a [Fate Severing Knife] on hand to deal with…ah…that might work?*)
With the ability to know all of Vahn’s thoughts, Sis could sense what he had in mind regarding the troublesome blondette. It was far from the best solution, but, unless Rachel attempted something more ‘substantial’, it wasn’t like he could just kill her to remove a problem. Vahn had never been the type to preemptively eliminate threats since there was no way to know with absolute certainty what a person would choose to do. He also knew everyone had a reason for the way they behaved, so, at least until she had given him something more substantial to act upon, Vahn would withhold his final judgment of Rachel’s character. After all, there were countless examples of evil people turning good and vice-versa…
(A/N: Alternate Titles: ‘Seems like she is more thirsty than hungry…’,’I wonder if this is Endorsi’s first time having a boy put something in her mouth~?’,’BEGONE, THOT!’)
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