Chapter 303 - 298 — Lies
"Why did you do it? Why did you attack the fortress?"
Lumi’s eyes dimmed, and she clenched both fists. From her expression, it seemed she’d already realized that was the reason for his current anger.
Then, feeling his unmoving gaze, she sighed and traced a figure in the air with her fingers, mimicking a person.
"Malach?" Zephyrion asked.
Lumi immediately nodded, then slowly swiped a finger across her neck before pointing at him.
Zephyrion nodded in understanding.
"You wanted to kill Malach... because of me?"
Lumi nodded and signed:
Yes.
Zephyrion frowned. "But I never asked you to do that. No, forget that. Why did you even think you needed to protect me? Did you think Malach was a threat to me?"
Lumi furiously shook her head, even waving both hands for good measure. Then, her expression twisted with indignation as she quickly explained.
Protect you? No. I was angry. He put a bounty on you. How dare he?
Zephyrion wasn’t quite certain how to react.
On one hand, he understood why Lumi had done what she’d done. It wasn’t exactly to protect him. Apparently, she had simply taken Malach putting a bounty on his head as a personal insult and decided that death was the appropriate response.
However, on the other hand, he still couldn’t tolerate such reckless behavior. What if, instead of Malach, it had been Frost she’d attacked like this? There was no question about it. She would be dead.
"Listen to me, Lumi."
Lumi blinked at Zephyrion’s cold tone.
"I understand why you did it. But from now on, whenever you get the urge to go off and kill someone because of me, you come to me first. Always. Understand?"
Lumi immediately nodded. Then, carefully gauging his expression, she hesitantly signed,
Are you... still angry with me?
Zephyrion stared at her. The truth was, he had never truly been angry. More than anything, he was cautious and worried that something like this could happen again.
However, rather than simply tell her no, he realized this actually wasn’t the end of the problem. There were still other matters to address. Even more important ones.
"Why have you been avoiding me?"
Lumi stiffened, clearly not having expected the question. She awkwardly cleared her throat, then tried to stand and escape, only for Zephyrion to step directly into her path, frowning.
"Sit down and answer the question."
Lumi tried to veer off and escape in another direction, but Zephyrion casually formed a metal wall, cutting off her path.
Lumi scrunched up her face, furiously pointing at him and signing,
Isn’t this cheating?
Zephyrion shook his head and tilted it toward the bed. Lumi understood exactly what he meant, and after a long moment of looking around, clearly plotting another escape route before remembering she was facing Zephyrion, she released a weary sigh and lowered her head.
Settling back down on the bed, she nervously fiddled with her fingers, seemingly trying to gather the courage to speak.
Zephyrion waited patiently.
Thankfully, she eventually found it. Without meeting his eyes, she slowly began to sign.
I thought... you might abandon me.
Zephyrion’s frown deepened. "Why would I abandon you?"
Hesitating for a moment, Lumi sighed.
I heard boys don’t like girls who are too clingy.
Zephyrion could only stare at her, utterly baffled.
"...who told you that?"
It took Lumi a moment to recount everything. After her initial hesitation, however, she seemed to loosen up, explaining how she had overheard those girls talking and then asked her friend about it afterward. Each of them had told her the same thing.
Men didn’t like clingy women.
When she was done, there was a long moment of silence.
Right now, Zephyrion felt... wronged. He’d expected something. Anything substantial. Maybe something he’d done, something he’d said. To think all of this had been caused by something this stupid.
"You could have just asked me. Instead, you decided to avoid me based on something you overheard?"
Lumi shook her head and signed.
You could have lied to me.
"...lied?"
Lumi nodded, then continued.
You like being in control. You lie when it helps you get what you want.
Zephyrion blinked, utterly stunned.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of doubt on Lumi’s face. She had said it like she was merely stating an obvious fact.
And she was definitely not wrong. Zephyrion would lie to accomplish his goals. What stunned him, however, was the fact that Lumi had apparently known this all along. Even more, it was quite clear she knew that she wasn’t somehow excluded from those lies.
He would lie to keep her serving him. She knew that. And yet, she still chose to stay by his side?
’What exactly is wrong with this girl?’
Zephyrion stared at Lumi, who silently stared back at him. She blinked. Then, suddenly, he found himself replaying her words in his head.
’I like to be in control...’
She had said it like it was a bad thing.
Zephyrion had always seen control as something necessary. Without control, people were unstable, unpredictable, capable of doing the worst of things. When he thought about it, even his goal of controlling the world was ultimately a good thing. He would be getting rid of conflict as they knew it, of needless death and carnage.
’Control isn’t the problem. People are.’
There was simply no way control itself could be bad.
Suddenly, Lumi tapped him. Turning to her, Zephyrion found her staring at him worriedly. Slowly, she signed,
Are you angry again?
Zephyrion stared at her, and just like that, his previous conclusion shattered into thousands of pieces.
’...No. I’m wrong.’
Control could be a bad thing. After all, he was staring at living proof of it.
Lumi was a girl who had lived a truly terrible and troubled life. She had been forced to flee at a very young age and had spent most of her life secluded from civilization. She could barely read, barely understand social cues, and she clung to him because he was practically her only source of comfort and happiness in the world.
It was a sad thing.
However, when he found her, because he wanted control, he had ignored all of that and focused almost entirely on teaching her how to fight.
He had deliberately avoided teaching her how to socialize so she would remain deeply attached to him and obey his every word. He hadn’t even pushed her to further her education, all so she wouldn’t develop too much of a mind of her own.
It was no wonder she could be so easily swayed by a few damning words.
All this time, because he wanted to remain in control, he’d limited her in almost every possible way.
Was control truly... good?
’No. Not this kind. This is just selfish.’