Eternal Melody



AKANE

Renna reached over with a towel and started wiping Sumire's hair. "Stay still my lady. How did you get wet?"

"Jacks has the water ability, and when I had him cornered. He subconsciously used it."

Renna looked over at Jacks with a glare. "If the lady catches a cold, I will tell the Lord why."

Jacks shuddered. "Hold on Renna, it was an accident. I'm sure we can come to a compromise."

"If we need to punish him, Miss Renna. Then I will simply not give him any of these treats." Martha the head cook stepped into the training area with a basket of freshly made bakeries.

Akane's gaze fell on Sumire's smiling face, her chest aches seeing the girl so happy.

'I feel so conflicted. Ibuki truly looks happy being here. I knew from the very moment I saw the position notice, that Ibuki wasn't being treated as a regular captive. But, this is different. Lucifer has made this place home for Ibuki.'

There are those who are hostile to Ibuki here. But, Akane is keeping an eye out on those jealous girls. Aside from them, everyone in the manor loves Ibuki.

Her thoughts break off when Sumire hands her a plate with an apple tart in front of her. "Here have some Akane-chan."

"Thank you."

Sumire reached over and wiped her sweat with a hand towel. "Akane-chan, you look very pale."

"I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping much."

Mashima doesn't just stop at doing it once. Then again, 'More?' the image of Mashima saying those words to her appeared in her head and she felt her cheeks flush.

"My lady, if Akane-san isn't getting enough sleep it's surely because of her boyfriend." Renna commented. 

Sumire tilted her head puzzled. "Is your boyfriend a noisy sleeper Akane-chan? Maybe you need those noise cancellation headphones."

Oh how wrong she is. When Toh sleeps he barely makes a noise. Not that she had much of an opportunity to see him sleep, considering how he is keeping her awake most of the night.

Renna shakes her head and then pauses. "It's exactly what you and the Lord do every few days, except Akane-san experiences it everyday."

At those words Sumire's cheeks turn red. "Oh. Oh, right. Uh." Sumire trailed off. "Actually, I may need your advice on that Akane-chan. H-how does it feel-I mean- to do-"

'The more time I spend with her, the more I see that Ibuki is just like a normal girl.' 

Of course she is. Those rumors have been going on for so long now that others don't bother trying to see past it anymore.

"As you can tell from my current condition. It is very exhausting. It depends on the partner. The person I am seeing for example is very large, I'm sure the Lord is the same."

Sumire's cheeks coloured more and occasionally she would give her cheeks a little slap.

A few months back she would never have expected to have this type of conversation with Ibuki of all people. 

In the middle of this, the Lord walked over and grabbed hold of Sumire's hands. He frowned. "Why are you hurting yourself?"

"O-oh Lucifer, welcome back."

Lucifer was inspecting her cheeks. "Your cheeks have gone red."

Akane sighed deeply. Sometimes the Lord can be very oblivious. The reason her cheeks are red is because Sumire must have envisioned what it would feel like to be in the Lord's sheets for several days.

She was about to say something when Lucifer leaned down and kissed Sumire. It wasn't a simple peck on the lips however, but a passionate kiss that definitely belonged indoors.

"Lucifer." Sumire panted. "Remember what I said? We can't do this out here."

Lucifer sighed deeply. "I apologize wife. You're very modest unlike the others around here."

Akane paused. 'Wrong thing to say.'

Sure enough Sumire's gaze dimmed and she pulled away from Lucifer and folded her arms across her chest.

"Others?"

Uh oh, this doesn't look good.

"Fine. Go to those others if you don't like my modesty."

Before Lucifer had the chance to say anything, Sumire was already storming away. 

Jacks was about to chase after her but Lucifer turned to her. "You go."

Akane blinked surprised. Her of all people? Even though Lucifer accepted her to be one of Ibuki's ladies maids. Akane knew whenever she was alone with Sumire, other guards would follow.

"Well?" Lucifer said sharply.

Akane bowed and quickly chased after Sumire. Thankfully the girl hadn't gotten too far. Near the training grounds there is a stream that is secluded. There she found perched on one of the large rocks and she was kicking her feet under the water. For a moment Akane paused. There was something elegant looking about this scene. It looks like a scene that belongs in a painting.

"Akane-chan?" Sumire mumbled.

Akane nodded and stepped out from behind the tree. "I apologize for startling you."

  "It seems Lucifer is too busy with those others he mentioned to chase after me himself." Sumire said bitterly.

"Have you two been fighting often?" Akane wondered.

Last time she was here, the two seemed to be getting along very well. 

Sumire sighed but nodded. "Well, it's more like I am learning more about what he has been doing during the time we were apart."

'I wonder if she has seen the harem yet. I stumbled upon it on my first day and I wasn't surprised. There are places like that in the company and the organisation too.'

"I know I am being silly. I dated others during our time apart together. However, his relationships - I mean I don't think I can really call it that."

Akane nods. "You're right. I don't think the Lord has been in a proper relationship."

"That's why I can't get too angry at him. I know he isn't serious about those other girls. But, I keep hearing different stories from the staff. Lucifer is very kind to me, e-even when we are in bed. However from the stories I hear, he uh-"

"-is rough and acts like an animal with others?"

Sumire's cheeks reddened and she nodded. "I-I've heard he isn't exactly a nice guy. Since more than one person have said it, I-I start to wonder what else he is hiding from me. Is he only being gentle with me for now? W-what if he hurts me?"

"If he did, you'd fight back right?" Akane wondered.

"Of course I would!" Sumire exclaimed. "I'm not some damsel in distress."

Right, memories or not. It's hard to erase her true personality. Ibuki has been a member of the underworld since she was a child, she has seen enough darkness and blood shed for it to be engraved into her body.

*Unedited*