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Chapter Text

Her name was Emilia, just Emilia and right now she was in a world of trouble. She was out of breath and frantic. Why you might ask? Well the details aren't really important but at the moment she was being chased by a voracious beast who was out for blood. Hers to be more specific and after an intense game of cat and mouse throughout the halls of the Milord manor the half-elf found herself stuck in a dead-end hallway with no means to escape.

Talk about rotten luck!

Emilia gulped nervously, knowing that her end was near.

A crack on the floorboards nearly made the girl jump out of her skin as the sound of approaching footsteps reverberated all around her, drawing closer with each second.

Emilia knew she was out of time and options. What else could the half-elf do except to grovel and beg for mercy from her would be assailant.

"Found you." A vicious voice that sent a shiver down her spine spoke, causing Emilia to flinch. "I've got you right where I want you. There's nowhere left to run."

'It would appear so.' Emilia grimaced, finally seeing that resistance was futile as the figure moved forward, slow and methodical as if savoring their impending victory.

The half-elf closed her eyes, not wanting to bear witness to the looming catastrophe about to unfold.

The figure hastened their pace, rushing towards her at breakneck speed before wrapping their arms around her waist and tackling her to the floor.

"Oof!" Emilia felt the air leave her lungs as she and her attacker tumbled over.

"Ow, ow, ow," Emilia grumbled, more out of annoyance than any real pain.

"Tag. You're it!" her pursuer said gleefully.

Emilia glared; okay it was more of a pout, but it still got the point across that she wasn't exactly pleased with the bundle of joy sprawled out on top of her.

"Yes, yes, you got me." Emilia sighed, her annoyance soon giving way to a serene smile. "You've gotten really good at this game Subaru-chan."

A black-haired boy who couldn't have been older than five years old gave her a wide, toothy grin.

He was dressed in a black long sleeve shirt, with brown trousers and an orange scarf wrapped around his neck courtesy of a certain beast maid who thought it would make him look more dashing. Emilia couldn't help but agree with that assessment!

"That's because Meili Nee-san taught me all about hunting down and corning my prey!" He said, with a pleased look and his chest puffed out proudly.

Emilia sweat dropped. The half-elf made a mental note to have a talk with their resident assassin later. The last thing she wanted was for Meili to corrupt the poor boy!

"Hey! Emi-neetan!"

"Hm? What is it?"

Subaru gave her a set of puppy eyes that nearly made the half-elf lurch back in shock.

"Do you want to play again! Pretty please!" the boy begged, his lips wobbling cutely in hopes that Emilia would cave into his demands.

And Emilia was tempted to do exactly that, only stopping herself short when she reminded herself that Ram would be really mad at her if she slacked off on her studies again and the last thing she wanted was to make the temperamental maid upset.

"Sorry Subaru-chan, maybe later." Emilia said, as she poked the boy's forehead getting an endearing mew from him as he rubbed the sore spot.

The raven-haired boy with creepy eyes (that had a sort of appeal to them) scrunched up his face adorably as he pouted.

"Your no fun,"

Emilia rolled her eyes, "Don't give me that. I seem to remember that a certain someone has their own lessons to attend." She said teasingly, which elicited a nervous reaction from the youth who seemed almost abashed.

"I don't wanna," he mumbled.

"Oh?" Emilia rose a brow.

"Frederica Nee-san is a taskmaster."

Subaru grumbled which made Emilia burst into laughter.

"Nee-tan! It isn't funny!" Subaru squeaked, as he turned as bright as an appa.

"I-I'm sorry Subaru-chan, I couldn't help it." As the half-elf tried and failed to hold in her wheezing.

Subaru gave her the stink eye and turned away with a huff.

"Meanie."

Emilia sighed, okay now she really did feel bad about messing with the kid. But could you blame her? His reactions were absolutely delectable.

And she wanted more of them!

"Oh, I'm a meanie huh?" Emilia drawled, with something dark creeping into her voice.

Subaru's eyes widened, his face paling as he realized where this was going

Heh, too late.

"D-Did I say meanie!" Subaru shook his head fiercely, "No, what I meant to say was that you're the best sister ever!" The boy said in a poor attempt to save himself. But Emilia wasn't buying it.

"Subaru, Subaru, Subaru," Emilia said with a mocking tint in her voice, "It looks like I'm going to correct this bad behavior of yours."

The half-elf said, taking a bit of enjoyment out of seeing the boy squirm.

Then he bolted as Emilia knew he would as she shot to her feet and wrapped the boy in her loving embrace, his head shoved deep into her chest.

"Let me go!" Subaru let out a muffled cry.

"Not happening!"

"You better let me go or else I'll -"

"Or you'll what Subaru-chan," Emilia grinned wickedly while putting emphasis on his status as a baby, "You'll cry again?" She mocked.

Subaru squawked then sputtered.

"I've never cried?!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Oh really, so that time you teared up when Garf-kun ate the last slice of cake was just for show then?"

Subaru gave a pitiful whine.

Hehehe. Too easy.

"I thought so," Emilia smirked triumphantly as she adjusted the boy in her arms so she'd have a better grip, "But now that I have you at my mercy what sort of punishment should I dish out." She hummed, letting his fear marinate.

"You're so mean!" Subaru began to tear up "I hate you! You're a monster!"

Oh, how precious. Emilia smirked.

"That's not a very nice thing to say Subaru." Emilia playfully scolded before pretending to have an epiphany. "But maybe you're right. Perhaps I am a monster."

Emilia said with something sinister in her eyes.

Subaru swallowed nervously.

"What are you saying?"

Emilia smirked viciously, "Well monsters gobble up rude little boys who don't respect their elders!"

Subaru's eyes grew as wide as saucers, his voice on the verge of trembling

"Nee-tan you wouldn't,"

"I don't know Subaru-chan you do look pretty tasty right about now," Emilia licked her lips, drawing closer as if preparing to take a huge bite out of the frightened child.

"Noooooo!" Subaru wailed in terror.

"What are you two idiots doing!" A sharp voice rang out, drawing both their attention.

'Uh, crap.'

Emilia's smile faltered. "Oh, Ram! I didn't see you there. We were just – "

"Ram-neesama help! Emi-neetan is trying to eat me!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

Ram pinched the bridge of her nose. "Emilia-sama, I believe you still have lessons to attend, am I correct?"

"Hai," Emilia's shoulders slouched glumly as Subaru gave her a smug look.

Little brat!

Ram's crimsons then bored into the child who shuttered under the venomous glare.

"As for you Pride," Ram said with a level of seriousness not uncommon for the maid, "Wasn't Garf and the Merchant supposed to be watching you.

"Uh…."

"Well, speak up!"

"I might have snuck away after they started arguing," Subaru made a funny face. "Garf-nii and Otto-nii always get into fights about stupid things.

That they did. Emilia nodded sagely. Ram was less impressed.

"I'm going to wring those idiots' necks when I get my hands on them." Ram deadpanned as if it were a simple fact of life. "For now, you're sticking with me. We can't have a prisoner wandering around on their own unattended."

Emilia frowned. Logically she knew what Ram was saying wasn't completely wrong in fact it was a sensible decision especially when it came to dealing with a member of the Witch Cult. But still it rubbed her the long way for some reason.

Subaru was a good boy. He shouldn't be treated as some scoundrel.

"That wasn't very nice Ram." Emilia scolded, feeling a harsh ache in her chest at the dejected look Subaru gave at the maid's crass tone. "You don't need to treat him so harshly,"

"Forgive me Emilia-sama but I disagree. Our guest," She began sarcastically, "-is a Sin Archbishop. One of several known for wreaking havoc throughout the world. It would be foolish to lower our guard and not to take the necessary precautions just because he's been reduced to such a pitiful state.

Emilia sighed in defeat; she knew there was no changing the maids mind on this especially when she was entirely wrong.

Subaru…was a threat as much as it pained her to admit it. Despite his outward appearance as a sweet little boy Emilia couldn't forget that this person was once the Sin Archbishop of Pride. One of those who led the devastating attack on Priestella over a year ago and it was only thanks to the joint efforts of both Reinhard Astrea and her knight Garfiel Tinsel that they were able to come out of that battle in one piece.

But the cost had been great. Many were affected; injured or killed. One of those being Crusch Karsten, someone she considered a friend despite being a rival candidate.

The Duchess had been one of the victims of the Sin Archbishop of Lust, her blood tainted by the vile cultist. It was sickening and her knight Felix Argyle was left devastated in the wake of being unable to cure whatever ailment that had befell her.

Things seemed grim but it wasn't a total loss. For the first time ever, a Sin Archbishop had been captured and identified due the miasma he admitted. It was a huge win and despite pleading his innocence, no one bought into his lies, especially when the one who pointed him out was none other than the Great Spirit Beatrice, her partner.

Emilia really wasn't really sure what had become of him after. At the time she didn't want to think about that horrible man and only wanted to put the whole fiasco behind her and get on with her life.

That was until a few months ago when each of the camps received an emergency message to reconvene in the capital.

Emilia didn't know all the details about what happened, and she didn't have the nerves to ask due to the graphic nature but apparently Felix and Sir Julius had been the ones put in charge of interrogating the Cultist and from what she heard It wasn't pretty There even rumors that certain methods had been used to get a confession that would make your stomach churn.

But even so! The Cultists were a cruel bunch, and no one would bat an eye or weep for one of their leaders getting his just deserts.

No, the main issue revolved around one of Felix's latest tests which resulted in unintended consequences.

The cultist who she remembered as a mean faced and nasty villain had changed, turned into a child if you could believe it, with no memories of his previous affiliation with the Witch Cult.

That begged the question. What did you do with a boy who had no memories of all the wicked deeds he'd committed?

Some in the Sage's Council and the nobility argued that the Sin Archbishop should be disposed of anyways due to the risk he posed.

That idea had left Emilia feeling ill.

Thankfully cooler minds prevailed and Miklotov and the Captain of the Royal Guard Marcos Gildark left it up to the camps to determine what would become of the Archbishop since they had been pivotal to his capture in the first place.

Predictably things got off to a rocky start.

Felix Argyle who was representing Crusch at the time due to the latter's poor health had been the most vocal in securing Archbishop for his camp, arguing that he had been on the verge of a major breakthrough and if he had more time with the cultist, he'd be able to uncover a cure for all those that had been affected by Lust.

The Knight of Blue who was known for being an eccentric albeit well-meaning person seemed almost off. Emilia didn't know how else to explain it but the half-elf didn't like the look in his eyes whenever the Archbishop was brought up.

Those feelings only grew more intense when at one point Marcos asked how the knight intended to extract such information from a child who couldn't even remember his own name, much less the means to reverse an Authority.

Felix only responded coldly, "Nyah! There are other ways to get a Cultist to start talking then just using your words."

The answer had made Emilia feel uneasy.

Even if he was an Archbishop, the idea of harming a child, well it was a bit much wasn't it?

Surprisingly it was Priscilla who spoke out against such an arrangement, calling Felix a lot of vulgar names which led to the healer having to be restrained when it looked as though he might very well attack the noblewoman.

"I shall be the one to take the Archbishop! His talents are wasted on you lot!"

The redhead had declared, her arrogance rubbing everyone the wrong way.

Unsurprisingly it was Felt who was the first to speak out against handing anything over to the entitled Baroness, much less one of the most powerful members of a terrorist organization.

Anastasia Hoshin was the next to make her voice heard and in a surprising twist announced that she had no desire for the Archbishop and that the others were free to do what they wanted with him.

This seemingly generous act surprised everyone and led to a few suspicious glances being thrown at the self-proclaimed 'greedy gal' who none believed would let an opportunity of snatching up a valuable asset slip through her fingers.

Emilia was one of those skeptics but a cursory glance at the man standing next to the merchant princess painted a much different image and left the silver-haired half-elf feeling as though she had missed something vital.

Julius Juukulius, also known as the Finest Knight due to his impeccable record, had remained strangely silent throughout the proceedings. Seeing as he was the one who spent the most time around the Archbishop, you'd think he'd want to stick his own claim on him. But instead, the knight looked almost depressed, as if a dark cloud was hanging over him.

'What could have happened? What changed?' Emilia thought worriedly.

"Screw you all!" a hand slammed on the table as crimson eyes bored into each of those present, "I'm not trusting any of you to handle this? The kid is coming with me, end of story?!"

Felt had exclaimed as if baiting one of them to tell her differently.

The blonde had never been fully on board with imprisoning the Archbishop. A fact which had baffled all of them. Emilia always assumed that it had something to do with her distrust with the system that had looked down on her whole life, but when asked about her reasoning for this all Felt could say was that it felt 'wrong.'

Emilia didn't know what to make of that, neither did the others she'd wager. But it seemed as though Felt harbored some sympathy for the Archbishop and was willing to fight tooth and nail in order to get him.

This was something Emilia couldn't allow. The half-elf loved her surrogate little sister dearly and refused to let Felt put herself into harm's way just to help someone who didn't deserve it.

So, Emilia made her choice. The Sin Archbishop of Pride would be hers! She wouldn't take no for an answer.

It was a bold move which shocked even her closest allies. Emilia could feel Beako's annoyance even through their mental link, but Emilia weathered the criticism. Right now, trying to get everyone on board with her plan was the top priority.

So, Emilia went into further detail. Adding that her camp would be responsible in making sure that the Sin Archbishop stayed out of trouble while using their past accomplishments against the Witch Cult and the Great Rabbit as the backbone to her argument.

It was a tough fight, with negotiations lasting well into the night but eventually Emilia was able to get everyone on her side. Well, almost everyone.

Priscilla had stormed out of the meeting halfway through while throwing insults at each of them.

At least her Knight Al seemed sympathetic and embarrassed for causing a scene and apologized profusely before chasing after his furious liege. But considering that the Baroness wasn't really well liked amongst her fellow candidates to begin with, her absence only helped to promote Emilia's plans further.

When all was said and done the half-elf got exactly what she wanted. The Archbishop belonged to her now!

Next came the difficult part, meeting the Cultist himself.

To say Emilia was nervous would be an understatement. She was terrified, but now wasn't the time to second guess herself. She had to see this through no matter what!

Thankfully her camp had been fully supportive of her decision and agreed to make the trip with her to the prison where the Archbishop was being kept.

They were nervous of course, fearful even, who could blame them. But looking back Emilia didn't think anything could have prepared them for what they found when they arrived at that horrible dungeon..

Poke. Poke. Poke.

"Nee-tan, are you okay?"

Emilia snapped out of her reflections as she felt a finger shove itself into her cheek. Subaru was staring at her with a deep concern, something that Emilia couldn't help but find heartwarming.

Ah, he was such a good boy!

She hugged Subaru tighter, ignoring his renewed protests and shrieks of indignations. Ram was also giving her an unimpressed look, but Emilia couldn't care less.

She needed this!

Subaru may have been a scary Archbishop but he was still someone she was beginning to take a liking to and nothing would stand between them.

After a few more minutes of coos and cuddles, Emilia passed the boy off to Ram promising to visit him later.

And so, with a skip in her steps, Emilia found herself actually looking forward to her lessons for once. Her goal was to become ruler after all and create a Kingdom where everyone could smile and work together as equals.

And it may have been naïve of her to think this, but a part of the half-elf hoped that dream included a certain Archbishop as well.

...

With Emilia's departure Ram was left alone with the villainous Cultist, a fact that left her more exasperated with the situation then frightened.

(Tch) "Honestly mingling with a Witch Cultist was one thing but playing games with him? What the hell is that half-elf thinking?"

Don't get the wrong idea. Ram loved Emilia dearly, the two had been through thick and thin together and she would always support her no matter what. But she would be a horrible friend and servant if she didn't call the idiotic elf out on her bad behavior. Ugh, talk about being reckless!

Ram felt a tug on her sleeves and a pair of soft brown eyes peering up at the maid with joyful innocence.

"Hey Ram Nee-sama! I'm hungry!"

Ram snorted.

"And I suppose you'd like me to prepare you something?"

"Yes please!" Pride nodded excitedly, "Can you make some of your steamed tatoes! They taste really yummy!"

"..."

"Nee-sama?!"

Ram put a hand over her face and muttered.

"A murdering psychopath shouldn't be this infectious."

"Eh?" Subaru tilted his head in confusion.

"It's nothing, come along Barusu."

She said, forgoing her usual title for the brat in favor of the one she started using when it was just the two of them. For some reason the nickname felt familiar, almost comfortable on her tongue. It didn't make any sense. But that wasn't the only strange occurrence. The Cultists' arrival had sparked something in each of them although no one would acknowledge it. It was as if a vital piece they hadn't even known had been missing was suddenly returned to its proper place.

Despite the initial wariness, the Cultist had managed to worm his way into the hearts of those in the manor with surprising ease, with most seeing him as a little brother in the case of Emilia, Garfiel, Otto, Meili and Petra or a surrogate son as was the opinion of those like Frederica and Lady Beatrice.

It didn't make any sense. Had they all gone insane?! Was this the power of the Archbishop at play making all those within this mansion prey to his insidious charm. If so, they were all in serious danger and she had to act fast before it was to late -

"Nee-sama!"

"...What is it?"

Subaru gave her a warm smile.

"I love you."

Ram didn't respond, then again, the sight of blood leaking from her nose was enough of an answer.

"Let's get you something to eat Barusu." Ram responded curtly.

"Hai!" the Sin Archbishop of Pride responded cheerfully.

If this turns out to be some elaborate ploy to get them to lower their guards then Ram could say with the utmost certainty that they were doomed.

Really, a Sin Archbishop can't be this fucking cute!

Chapter Text

Meili Portroute wasn't sure when the changes began, all she knew was that they were fairly recent and not all of them had been unpleasant. At least she seemed to think so, the others would agree with her considering that their moods had taken a dramatic shift since HE arrived. They were nicer, less anxious, and rude. As if everyone had suddenly gotten eight straight hours of straight sleep and a new lease on life. It was super weird, but then again so were these people. Especially the half-elf who was in a pleasant mood lately - smiling brightly at everyone and everything and laughing delightfully with a spring in her steps, and the occasional hum fluttering from her lips, when she thought no one was looking or paying attention. It was a soft and carefree tune that spoke of a peace many could only hope to achieve.

Meili was intrigued, since the one to cause this abrupt shift was well – He was the same as her, wasn't he? Or he should have been at least. She had heard a lot about what he and the other Cultists had done and how he had been a part of the attack in Priestella and had hurt lots of innocent people. She had expected a lot of things from the Sin Archbishop Natsuki Subaru, Pride. He should have been mean, wicked and cruel like her, like Mama.

But instead, what she was met with was –

"Higher! Higher! Bring me higher Nee-san!" A cheerful voice demanded, giggling madly with joyous innocence that was honestly sickening, annoying and outright grating on her ears that it made Meili want to vomit.

So why did she want to hear it all the same? Today and every day afterwards, for as long as she lived. Why did it make her feel warm and light and want to keep listening forever?

Meili, the cold-blooded killer who had no qualms about ending a life if it suited her interests, lips parted into a smile. A genuine one and not the fake or cruel ones she usually wore when she wanted to inflict as much pain on an opponent before she sicked her pets on them, but a friendly one that offered 'security' and 'comfort' as expected from any big sister.

The girl, a teenager really who had hit a growth spurt fairy recently craned her neck up at the sound of flapping wings and shrill screeches coming from right above her.

To anyone else it would have been a sight that would have elicited a feeling of terror and dread as dozens of small mabeasts – 'black winged mice' carried a small, defenseless dark-haired boy in their clutches. But those who knew of such things and were familiar with it - would simply shrug and leave the child to continue "playing" his favorite game. Seeing as he did not seem frightened or concerned for his safety at all.

"What a pushy brat." Meili said with mirth. She knew how excited her 'little brother' got when he started 'playing' with her pets and who was she to ruin his fun. "But I could never say no to you."

She really couldn't. It was a bad trait. One she wasn't looking to break anytime soon as she cheerfully ordered her pets to lift the child further up, causing his laughter to grow and Meili's mood along with it.

Ah! Music to my ears! ~

She giggled, admiring the sight and burning into her memories. She'd let the boy have five more minutes of fun before bringing him back down. But looking at the worried wart standing next to her, that might as well have been five whole days!

"Do you have to bring him so high up?" Petra said, her words coated in fear and anxiety as the teenagers stood in a large grassy field outside the Milord manor. Petra never liked it when Meili played with Subaru – she didn't like Meili being near Subaru at all and thought she was a terrible role model for someone so impressionable. And I mean - she wasn't exactly wrong!

"It's what Subaru wanted." Meili shrugged, giving the maid a lazy grin and ridding herself of any part she had in this, while knowing that there was a fine grey area somewhere for letting a toddler make such a risky decision himself.

Petra was not so easily convinced and shot her frenemy an ugly look, one Meili recognized, but still chose to beat out like a dry, dusty rug because she enjoyed goading the housekeeper and getting a rise out of her. Talk about being way too easy. ~

"You know what I mean! Don't play dumb Meili-chan! Petra scolded, nose wrinkling in revulsion at the girl's lax attitude in this, before flipping back to her little brother and gaping when she saw Subaru begin to do somersaults in midair.

This made Petra's trepidation's soar to new levels and the poor girl seemed to be on the verge of a full-blown panic attack as Meili barely kept herself from cackling like a mad woman and pointing and laughing at her - this was too good!

'Petra could be such a 'mother hen,' trying to ensure her baby boy was safe and out of harm's way. How sweet.' Meili snickered, knowing that if it were up to the irate maid, she would have swaddled Subaru up a long time ago and stashed away somewhere him in her room where no one could find him, and she could pamper and coddle him for the rest of his life. He meant that much to her and more.

Meili would be lying if she said she didn't agree with the sentiment and wouldn't have tried to do the same thing if her room hadn't been in the manor's basement.

I mean a creepy dungeon? Talk about being WAY too obvious. That would be the first place they'd look for him if she did do something like that.

Not that she still wouldn't be tempted to try anyways, consequences be damned.

"So, when will lunch be ready?" Meili asked, feigning boredom, and wanting to steer this conversation in the opposite direction. Petra's brow furrowed. The unspoken 'really?' was not hard to miss and Meili responded by patting her stomach mockingly with a smirk. "What? Girls gotta eat and I've worked up quite an appetite today. ~" she drawled, in a long, sullen way that was meant to invoke sympathy for her plight.

Too bad Petra wasn't buying it. She was fully aware of what game Meili was playing and bit the inside of her cheek to stop a snappy remark from leaving her mouth. This was just another one of the 'beast tamers' mean tricks to get her to lose her composure.

Well, she wasn't falling for it. Not this time. No way!

Petra shook her head, determined not to let Meili get the better of her again.

"And why would I make you anything!" Petra said, arms crossed challengingly with heat in her voice that would make most backs go rigid. This time she would be the one to turn the tables on the bratty girl!

Meili tilted her head, impressed by Petra's boldness. She didn't think she had it in her. It was truly refreshing. Buutttt! Wasn't it a bit too late for Petra of all people to grow a spine? Meili seemed to think so and soon got to work putting the girl back in her proper place.

UNDERNEATH HER!

"Oh, that's too bad." Meili said with a hint of mockery that made Petra's left eye twitch in annoyance. "Guess I'll have to eat somewhere else then, huh?"

"That's right!" Petra said, glad that Meili was finally getting it through her thick head that she couldn't bully people to get what she wanted. Actions had consequences and maybe this would serve as a lesson for the mean girl!

"Well, I suppose that can't be helped." Meili sighed, shoulders slouched, "I'll just have to make a quick trip to the capital and grab something to eat there and be back lickety split." Meili said, clasping her hands together as a mischievous smirk suddenly crawled its way onto her face. "Of course I'll be taking Subaru-chan with me as well."

Petra froze.

"Huh?!" The young girl choked,

Meili eyes lit up with sadistic glee. "Why of course. He must be famished too, and I wouldn't be a good Big Sister if I let my baby brother starve, so I'll take him with me. Don't worry, we won't be gone long!" She said, laying it on thick as she suspected Petra would lash out almost at once.

'Which Meili suspected would be right about - '

"Whatttt!" Petra said, sputtering and pointing her fingers at her malicious friend scandalously.

'Now.'

'Y-You can't do that!" Petra said, though she looked unsure. Meili scoffed.

"And who's going to stop me? You?" She growled, taking a threatening step forward, causing Petra to flinch and instinctively reel back much to Meili's pleasure.

Hah! Like she said - Too easy!

"I'll tell the others and they'll - " Petra tried to put on a brave front only to have it be immediately bulldozed by Meili's commanding presence

"And paint yourself as a tattletale!" Meili sneered at the ultimate crime any person their age could commit. Disgusting. "Your pathetic Petra!" she said coldly, as the girl began to shake and whine, and tears stung her eyes.

"I-I…" Petra said huskily, hunched over - making herself appear smaller, more docile, and meeker. Good. Meili preferred it when her 'friend' understood who was boss!

"Now," Meili started, pressing her advantage and approached the girl, using her height to her advantage to cast the little know it all in 'her' shadow and looked down on her. "About that lunch ~" she said, silky, with one hand pressed to her hip while the other patted Petra's head, as though she were an obedient pet adhering to her master's wishes. Meili's eyes almost glowed with triumph.

"A-Alright. Fine." Petra whimpered and surrendered without a word of protest.

Heh, victory never tasted so delicious.

"Good girl." Meili smirked as she spun on her heels, ignoring Petra's sniffles and hiccups as she turned her attention back to what was really important.

She cupped her hands together and shouted into the air -

"Subaru-chan! It's time to come down! Petra is making food for us!" Meili said, gleefully. Unable to resist taking one last dig at the maid's expense.

Subaru's face lit up. Ecstatic.

"Yay! Food!" He squealed eagerly, waving his arms animatedly as the rat-like beasts keeping him afloat began to jerk and squeak at the sudden bout of movement.

Meili chuckled, amused. Petra - not so much as she practically begged the beast tamer to bring the boy down right now while latching onto her shoulder and shaking her frantically - she didn't know how much more of this she could take. Petra absolutely detested the idea that Subaru could be put in harm's way. He should be with her, wrapped in her warm embrace, where she could spoil and dot him endlessly - AND more importantly keep him far away from unruly troublemakers!

Petra eyed Meili pointedly, who in turn gave the angry girl a condescending smile.

Eventually, Meili kept her promise, and Subaru was returned safely to the floor - no worse for wear and elated. He enjoyed it when his Meili 'played' with him. She was the best! The most amazing big sis someone like him could ask for - which showed when the moment the child's feet touched the ground and he thanked Meili's 'nice' and 'fluffy' pets politely for carrying him all day (because he was a good boy and Emilia Nee-san and Frederica Nee-san always told him to be kind and courteous to everyone her met no matter who or 'what' they were!) He quickly bounded toward one of the people he loved most in the entire world and vice versa and wrapped himself around her waist.

Subaru dug his head into Meili's stomach, squeezing tightly with all the strength he could muster - receiving a strained and exasperated grunt in return followed by a laugh and soft fingers digging into his scalp and ruffling his hair in gentle strokes.

Subaru sighed in contentment, leaning into the touches that he'd grown fond of and how safe and secure he felt because of them.

"~Did you enjoy the ride?" Meili said knowingly, pressing him closer, feeling his warmth against her, with a teasing glint that no one else in the manor could hope to compete with!

Well except maybe Ram Nee-sama, but she was in a league of her own! Her dry sense of humor as Frederica called it never failed to make Subaru giggle which perhaps did more harm than good as it added more ammo to Ram's already plentiful barrage of insults - poor Otto, ever the easy target of the Oni's verbal tongue lashings and ice cold quips was beside himself and would bemoan his treatment and rue the day he ever involved himself with this ungrateful lot!

(But in truth it was a well-guarded secret amongst the Emilia camp that for all his drunken outbursts and bouts of clumsiness, Otto kept this 'act' going so that he could keep Subaru - who enjoyed seeing his older brother's exaggerated reactions and EPIC screw ups, would be kept thoroughly entertained.)

And he succeeded!

Or that's what he told everyone anyway - they didn't really believe. Mostly because they got a good laugh out of seeing Otto fall on his luck, only to lift himself back up and make a spectacle of himself free of charge! Could you ask for anything better!

Unsurprisingly Emilia was not a fan of this and thought they were being overly cruel. But it was Ram who assured her that it was all in good fun, harmless and Otto was in on the joke. Besides, wouldn't it be a shame if Subaru was deprived of such leisurely distractions provided to him free of charge by someone who he deeply cared for and would never wish misfortune upon him.

Emilia was skeptical but acquiesced once she saw Otto lying on the floor in his usual pathetic heap with Subaru sitting on his chest, grinning widely while poking fun at the man's silly antics.

Emilia cooed when she saw the two boys genuinely getting along and having a fun time together. Ram was merely glad that the merchant would continue to act as her personal jester for the years to come.

Regardless, Subaru was pleased with how things had turned out today and nodded with an affirmative hum passing through his lips to Meili's question. His grip on her tightened, never wanting to let go.

"Yep! It was lots of fun! Can we do it again? Can we, Meili-Nee?!" Subaru asked, with a smile that was worth more than a thousand holy coins.

'Now that just isn't fair.' Meili complained at the trusting look Subaru was giving her in spades - he really loved her that much, didn't he? Part of Meili was aware of that. It was just - okay on an emotional level, both of them were as thick as thieves. And often it was Meili who watched over the little boy when the others were too preoccupied with Emilia's political affairs. Here they would spend hours inside her room - making dolls, cracking jokes and taking long naps together. They were some of her most cherished memories since she had come to live inside the manor, and it threw the doors open on up a new chapter in Meili's life that she still wasn't sure how to feel about just yet.

After Elsa - her big sister's sudden death, the thought of getting vengeance on the ones who she blamed for causing that tragedy had been the only thing keeping her going. That bastard Garfiel Tinsel had to pay for what he'd done! She'd kill him no matter what! That was a promise, and she would have already if not for -

Meili licked her front teeth. Displeasure showering her face. Subaru cared a lot about Garfiel and if he ever found out that she had been the one responsible for taking his life he'd be beyond upset! Meili didn't want that - she didn't want that at all! The thought of her little brother hating her made Meili's stomach twist in the most frustrating way possible. So much so that she was beginning to have second thoughts about going through with it. Perhaps she wouldn't sick her beasties on that man - at least not yet. Surely postponing it for a few years until she was good and ready would not be the worst thing.

And who knows, perhaps by then she would have convinced Subaru that the only person he needed was her! And he'd finally ditch these losers and agree to tag along with her on adventures and stuff! Wouldn't that be neat! Meili could only hope that pipe dream would someday be a reality!

Especially with recent events that might make things awkward between them soon.

Meili's mind trailed off to what Emilia had spoken to her about in length just a few weeks ago about a mission her and the other camps were preparing to go on and - if successful could lead to those who were grotesquely changed in Priestella by the authorities of Lust and Gluttony being returned to normal.

A journey to see the Sage. One that hasn't been carried out since - well never. It was a foolish gamble, and Meili had reservations about whether this would prove worthwhile or lead them to an early grave. But everyone was adamant and needed Meili's help to navigate them through the Augria Sand Dunes and to the Pleiades Towers where it was said the Sage lived. How wonderful. ~

In the end, Meili had no choice but to comply - she was a prisoner, no matter how much they tried to sugar coat it. On the bright side she would have her room upstairs if all went well and they managed to pull this off, so that was sweet!"

But Meili's biggest gripe had to do with how Subaru would handle them being gone for so long. While the planning was still in the works and they were ironing out the kinks, most of the camp was fully on board with the expedition to the tower, (Emilia with her spirit and knight, Beatrice and Garfiel. Otto who'd be in charge of leading the carriages and Ram who hoped that the Sage would have answers to rousing her sister from her slumber.)

Subaru would be left far behind with Petra and Frederica - which Meili sympathized with greatly.

They would have to break the news to him soon and she has a feeling that it would not be pretty.

Meanwhile Petra was wallowing in her own self-pity as she dug her nails into her palms and glowered at Meili for upstaging her and hogging Subaru for herself again! Ugh and she was putting her grubby mitts all over him! Taking the affection that was rightfully hers! The INJUSTICE! She wanted that! Subaru should be coming to her for endless hugs!

The youngest maid sulked. The world could be so unfair!

"Eh?" Subaru watched in dumb confusion at the sudden shift in both of his sisters' attitudes. He wasn't sure what had caused it - everything was fine a minute ago! But they were so sad now - and - he had to fix it! He HATED seeing people he cared about get upset."

AND so -

"Meili-Nee! Petra-Nee!" Subaru with a strange determination that caught both girls by surprise. He ushered Petra over and, when she was close enough, placed a hand on her head - the same for Meili - and patted them comfortably as if trying to wipe away their worries.

"It's okay. Please don't be sad. Everything will be fine. So don't cry, k'ay. He said with a level of seriousness that was genuine and adorable.

Both girls turned to look at one another. All ill feelings between them were thrown aside when they saw what Subaru was trying to do and grinned almost simultaneously.

"Oh my! Is our Baru worried about us?" Meili said teasingly, trying to ease the mood. "Awe, isn't he precious Petra-chan?"

"Yes, he certainly is Meili-chan." Petra nodded along energetically as she rubbed her bottom chin with slight amusement. "And for being such a good boy, I for one think our Subaru deserves a well-earned treat, don't you think?"

"Hm-Hm, I concur! ~"

"H-Huh?" Subaru's eyes widened when without warning, both girls moved as one and planted a kiss on opposite sides of his cheeks.

Subaru squawked, turning crimson red and sputtered until ultimately hiding himself in the crook of Meili's neck as he mewed.

"Gross! You got germs on me!"

The girls then descended into another tangent of laughter and playful egging, eliminating any tension in the air.

Subaru continued to frown and pretend to ignore the mischievous ridicule for a while longer until his sisters finally gave up trying to coax him with words and instead grabbed his sides and began to tickle him senselessly.

Meili and Petra could be SUPER mean when they wanted too.

But then -

They held him in a warm hug and lulled him into a sense of security.

It was relieving.

It was calming.

It was everything he could ask for and more.

Subaru really did love his family.

Chapter Text

"Haaah - N-Natsuki-san - Huuuh - please slow down." Otto panted, completely winded and out of it, his lungs reeling as if they could collapse any second, not to mention his legs were aching sore and what were those black specks appearing in his visions? Agh, he felt terrible. "At least give me a minute to catch my breath will you."

The man said miserably, rueing the day he ever agreed to do this - he was a merchant, a tradesman in goods and secrets and the Internal Affairs Officer of the Emilia Camp. He wasn't cut out to BABYSIT or supervise a toddler, especially one as energetic and rambunctious as -"

"Natsuki Subaru, if you don't slow down right this second young man, you're going to be in so much trouble mister!" Otto threatened, as he failed to catch up with the exuberant five-year-old who was running up and down the mansion halls at a terrifying speed for someone so young, all while laughing with an almost endless supply of cheer in his voice.

"You're going have to catch me first Otto-Nii," Subaru said teasingly, at last pausing in their little game of cat and mouse if only to taunt his big brother figure as he poked his head out of one of the many guest bedrooms sprawled throughout the manor with a huge grin on his face. Cocky brat!

Otto felt like crying. It was bad enough that he was made the butt of every joke by Ram, Garfiel and Emilia when she joined in to poke fun at the unfortunate merchant. But now even a child was bullying him! T-That was - that was so unfair!

"Can't we call it even," Otto huffed, at last given leeway in his chase as he let out ragged breaths that were draining and crouched down and gripped his knees for support as to not fall over, "If you do, I'll even give you some of that delicious candy I had brought over from Kararagi that I know you like so much. He tried to negotiate and or bribe the boy. It wasn't the most ideal or responsible thing to do, but if it allowed him to move in and grab the little scamp before he knew what hit him, then Otto was willing to try it.

Subaru titled his head, giving the merchant a contemplative look that assured the boy would accept, only for Subaru to huff at the critical juncture and give Otto a baleful stare as if he had gravely offended him, much to the merchant's shock.

"Baka, Nii-san." Subaru pouted, glaring. "Everyone knows that a real man never gives up, no matter how good the price of surrender sounds."

Subaru retorted, defiant. However, his words sounded off, almost rehearsed. Otto wasn't sure how else to describe it, but there was an itch at the back of his head telling him he'd heard those exact words somewhere before. Ah, WAIT a minute!

"Subaru! Have you been reading Garfiel's Vollachian Novels again?" Otto pressed, upset and apparently he hit the Guiltylowe square in the nose as Subaru chokes and looks as if he had gotten his hands caught in the cookie jar (again), "You know we've told you many times before to stay away from those." They aren't meant for children! You know better than that!" Otto scolded, waving his fingers at the naughty boy who was biting his own lips now with flushed cheeks and a guilty look.

"B-But - Garf says stuff like that all the time and no one ever seems to get mad at him when he does it." Subaru grumbled, lamenting the double standards of being called out for doing the exact same thing as everyone else. Just because he was the youngest and considered a baby that didn't know any better by his older siblings! It was so unfair!

"Garf, shouldn't be reading those books either!" Otto stressed.

While he was glad, ecstatic even that Garfiel had taken up reading as a hobby in his free time, his choice of literature left much to be desired. Usually revolving around the violent and often gory clashes and tragedies that the 'Bloody' Empire was often embroiled in. Then there were his other colorful books that fancied his more lucrative interests and - alright to be fair to his surrogate brother he was still a growing boy, so he was willing to overlook some of his more "spicier" flavors of reading. What he couldn't ignore however was when Frederica caught Subaru with an adult novel that he had snuck out of Garfiel's room that revolved around the women of Shudrak. It went without much needing to be said that she was quite furious.

Oh, who was he kidding, she was apocalyptic and quickly confiscated the explicit material and all but threatened bodily harm on her 'idiot,' brother. Inconsequentially Subaru may have signed the Knight of Emilia's death warrant that day when he asked, albeit innocently, 'Why the pretty women on the cover of said book weren't wearing any clothes?'

Frederica was mortified and furious that HER Subaru had been exposed to such 'filth' and would have beaten her little brother to death with her bare hands if not for Emilia and Ram intervening and preventing her from doing so, but if the furious expressions the two women wore afterwards were any clear indication of how they felt they had been half-tempted to join her and gladly.

From then on Garfiel was expressly prohibited from engaging in his extracurriculars during the day and was to keep all adult content under lock and key and away from a curious child might stumble across it.

'Clearly, that hadn't worked and now Garfiel was mincemeat.' Otto lamented, already mourning for the loss of his brother who was certainly going to end up in an early grave once his older sister got wind of this.

"Just promise me you won't do it again and you'll keep it our little secret okay." Otto said, with both hands clasped together and a frigid smile that conveyed his desperation.

'He was trying to save Garfiel's LIFE here so please except Natsuki-san!'

Subaru hummed, not entirely sure what he wanted to do.

"But Emilia-Neesan said lying was bad and if I did it enough evil fairies would swoop in one day when I was in bed and snatch me away." Subaru shivered, not desiring such a fate to befall him.

"It's not lying…per say," Otto said nervously, knowing that he was on thin ice and that he was wrong on so many levels. Telling a child to lie was a terrible thing to do no matter the circumstances - BUT Garf could die! Brutally! He didn't want that! He didn't want that at all! So, in the grand scheme of things wasn't this the lesser of two evils? Right?

Otto swallowed, "It's embellishing the truth!" he decided, but at the confused look Subaru gave him at the unfamiliar word, Otto might well have said that the world was round. The man corrected himself quickly, "A white lie…you know, the kind that we use not to hurt others or make them feel bad."

Both physically and emotionally.

Otto grimaced at the memory of the bloody pulp Frederica had reduced her brother too with her fists.

"Oh - OH, I get it now!" Subaru said, his eyes igniting up with a profound understanding that made Otto perk up slightly. Could it be?

"You do?" the man asked, hope creeping into his voice despite conditions in the past showing how much of a fool's gamble that was.

"Hmhm," Subaru made a noise of agreement, bobbing his head up and down idly as he said – "Kind of like when everyone says Otto-nii isn't the most reliable person in the manor, but still calls him a drunkard behind his back, right."

Subaru preened, expecting riveting praise for demolishing whatever self-esteem his brother had left in him.

"ACK!" Otto unceremoniously buckled and collapsed onto his hands and knees with a feeble sound leaving the back of his throat.

"Otto?" Subaru said worriedly, his face twisted in a sore grimace at the stricken look on the man's face. He seemed devastated.

Subaru felt as though he'd taken a gut punch.

That - hadn't been Subaru's attention. He never wanted to make Otto feel bad! Subaru honestly thought he was doing the right thing! Even though it sounded a bit mean and made him feel awful. Subaru really believed that his words were the ones Otto wanted! B-But maybe he was wrong.

Subaru shook his head. No, he definitely was. This was a mistake. He should never have said something so mean spirited in the first place and he needed to apologize right away or else Otto would hate him and -

"N-No it's fine!" Otto croaked, his voice sounding like rough sandpaper, as he tried to regather his bearings from such an unexpected jab at his character."

"Otto?" Subaru whispered, the way said it, as if he were on the verge of tears. Damn it. A sense of guilt twisted in Otto's chest, making him clench his teeth so hard it nearly chipped. He'd miscalculated, badly. His goal wasn't to make Subaru cry. What kind of crummy older brother that anyways!"

"Sorry Natsuki, your Nii-san is just being silly. So, feel free to ignore him!" Otto said, hopping back to his feet with a blusterous laugh, that was a bit over the top and dramatic for his liking, but it worked did as it was intended to and cut through suffocating tension as a small smile eventually worked its way up to Subaru's lips, slowly and surely. The boy opened back up.

"Y-You're not upset with me then?" Subaru said hesitantly, gripping his fists tightly. Otto shook his head. Because when it came to Subaru -

"Well sort of." Otto admitted, slouching his shoulders in a minuscule way "You did hurt my feeling a bit – "

Subaru flinched, rooting himself in place - believing he was going to be yelled at or hit. He braced himself for what would surely come next.

Otto continued,

"-but I can't be mad at you for it," he said, assuredly, causing Subaru's eyes to widen incredulously. "It would be hypocritical of me since I was the one who tried to get you to lie in the first place only for it to backfire in my face. Just like everything else I'm afraid." Otto sighed gloomily.

'Ah, I see,' Subaru thought, relaxing, ever so slightly, 'So that's it, huh.'

"That was a mean trick, Otto-Nii." Subaru eventually said, exasperated, but very much relieved that Otto wasn't mad at him. Not really, "You almost gave me a fright." Subaru said, blinking away the mist that had begun to build in in the boy's eyes as he glared hotly at the ashen haired man.

"No one says 'fright' anymore Subaru-chan," Otto admonished, soothingly, trying to get back into the swing of their regular routine. "I think you're spending WAY too much time around Lady Emilia for your own good." He chuckled, working his way to familiar territory that Subaru was comfortable with and wouldn't respond badly too.

"Nuh-huh," Subaru protested, sticking his tongue out to get a rise out of him. No chance of that happening, but yet he persevered and tested his luck anyways, "You're just jealous that I'm Millia's favorite. She told me so herself," the boy declared brazenly.

Otto couldn't really muster up the courage to repudiate the boys' claims. Subaru was the closest thing that Emilia had to a best friend other than Ram and Lady Beatrice of course.

"Ah, I see." Otto said, folding his arms and drawing a suspicious look from the dark-haired boy who was scrutinizing his every move. "Forgive me for my ignorance Subaru-sama. I had no idea I was intruding on such a sacred pact," Otto said, histrionically, placing a hand over his forehead, "I'll try not to trample on it so frivolously next time."

Otto had to bite his cheek to keep the bubbling laughter in his throat at bay.

"You better not," Subaru said imperiously, blowing hot air into his cheeks to emphasize his outrage in Otto's callous words. "Trust between siblings is important, Otto. Just ask Ram and Rem-Rin!"

Subaru said, perking up at the mention of the sleeping girl who'd Emilia had brought back with her following the 'Battle with the White Whale' and the 'Sin Archbishop of Sloth,' due to the similarities that she shared with the pink headed maid.

"I'm not sure how much that really counts Natsuki," Otto said, scratching the back of his quizzingly, "Ram doesn't really remember her so I don't think – "

Subaru cut Otto off with an octave cough, before he could land himself into deeper water by getting on Ram's bad side. If she ever learned anyone tried to disparage her sisterly love for Rem - nothing would save him from getting catapulted into the nearest mountain side.

After a bit of self-reflection Otto seemed to come to a similar epiphany. His body going ramrod stiff, eyes glazing over and sweat beading down his pours as if he was reliving a waking nightmare, he was unable to pull himself out from.

Ram had that effect on people, Subaru's seen her do it plenty of times to know the warning signs when someone was in for a rude awakening and Ram usually took EXTRA care in making sure whatever unfortunate soul who'd caught her in a foul mood wet ended hightailing it out of there as quickly as possible scared out of their pants.

'A suitable punishment for imbeciles and lack wits' as she so often quipped with her coveted grin, while making sure to hammer home into Subaru's young mind the importance of correcting such foolish behavior when or wherever it reared its ugly head.

Subaru being the sponge that he was, had taken these lessons to heart and was quick to soak up all of Ram's tenants. The level of trust he had for his big sister was nothing short of extraordinary and incredibly alarming for someone like Otto who'd been subjected to the Maid's unrelenting taunts and brusque comments since the moment he stepped foot in this place and didn't want Subaru to pick the same habits.

"Don't be mean to Rem, Nii-san!" Subaru suddenly said heatedly, his glare was about as lethal as a pair of plastic shives but still managed to tear through and cut deep enough into the merchant to feel a ping of guilt. Subaru refused to let anyone make light of Rem's situation. Mainly because it was insensitive and the boy was strangely affectionate and had a soft spot for the blue-haired girl - a victim of Gluttony, one of several hundred possibly thousands who'd been subsumed by the horrifying Authority. The possibility of getting her back to the person she used to be was slim to none.

But - Otto wasn't a cruel person. By no means was he a good one either, but he wasn't a scumbag, surely not, nor did he take pleasure in pouring salt on an already open wound. And Ram - despite her misgivings and habit of looking at him like something she'd accidentally stepped on and gotten stuck between the soles of her shoes, Otto had come to think of her as a friend if nothing else. He'd gotten to know her well enough to know how much she loved her baby sister and wanted her back and if she was willing to run headlong into the maw of death to a place like 'Pleiades' to save her then who was he to stand in her way.

And then there was Subaru who was unintentionally feeding into the Ram impatience by simply being an overly bright and attentive kid who wanted the girl he'd spent months visiting - reading stories and talking endlessly about his day with to finally open her eyes.

It was a difficult thing to watch, particularly when Subaru would comfort Ram at the end of these sessions - hugging her close and tight and trying to ease her grief. Ram appreciated it, Otto knew she did and even though she initially distrusted Subaru, for what he USED to be, that suspicion had withered and burned once she came to the realization of who exactly Subaru was now in the present moment and what he wanted (what they all wanted really) was for Ram to be happy and reunited with Rem, however long that may take.

"Your right, Subaru," Otto resolved himself, pressing a finger up against his temple to get his thoughts in order, "I shouldn't give up on Miss Rem so easily. I don't know what I was thinking," he said sheepishly.

"Dummy." Subaru blew a raspberry at him; Grown-ups can be so silly. Otto laughed, neither confirming nor denying the boy's words. Perhaps there was some truth in what he was saying.

"Why don't we head back hmm?" Otto took a step forward. There was a lot to plan and draw up for the coming weeks ahead. The Felt camp would be arriving the day after tomorrow at the latest with the Crusch's and Anastasia's following closely behind them as they mapped out their mission to the tower. The former was apparently excited to meet Subaru and vice versa – not surprising, having exchanged letters with the Emilia camp for months now Felt had become something of a pen pale to the little tyke and who Subaru was eager to meet the most and hang out with – she'd even gone ahead volunteered (bullied) the Sword Saint to play with him – a miraculous feat that had Subaru jumping for joy and sliding across the floor of manor for days. He couldn't wait!

But as Otto reached out, intending to take Subaru by the hand, the boy pulled away at the last possible second, confusing him. Otto approached again only for Subaru to put more distance between them. A mischievous smile slowly crawled to his face.

Oh no.

"Natsuki-san!" Otto warned, pleaded, having an inkling to what the child was planning and hoped to head it off before it made a full pivot "D-Don't –"

"Sorry Otto!" Subaru grinned widely, not sounding apologetic one bit as he plunged into the room, he lingered outside until now before shutting it closed behind him, saying, "You know the rules, if you want me. You'll have to work for it." as he disappeared out of sight.

Otto expelled the air from his lungs. Wanting to rip chunks of his own hair out. But like a dog used to have his leash yanked, he trudged along, trying to keep up with the crow-haired boy, knowing the consequences of losing him outweighed any short physical effort he'd exert.

Barreling into the room, Otto's eyes quickly scanned for any sign of the energetic troublemaker only to come up short, when he saw no hide or hair of him. Otto's heart sank into the pits of his stomach.

"Subaru!" Otto exclaimed, startled as he practically tore the room apart in his rush to find him.

He searched everywhere, ripping the covers off the mattress, checking under the bed and rummaging through the closet space. Nothing, Subaru was gone, as if he had up and vanished into thin air.

Panic had begun to set in when a playful cry brought Otto back from the depths of looming despair.

"Nii-san!" the man swiftly turned, his neck nearly snapping under the force of the action. Yes he felt relief hearing THAT voice, but also, anger and amazement in seeing Subaru leaning against the door of the room opposite from him, donning a deriding grin and waving casually as if he hadn't nearly given his brother a fatal heart attack.

"W-Wait, huh? H-How did you - b-but I could have sworn that - !" Poor Otto sputtered and flapped around like a bird who'd gotten its wings clipped as he pointed at Subaru then at the room he had CLEARLY seen him waltz into with confusion pouring from him in droves.

Subaru didn't elaborate - only cupping his hands over his mouth to stifle his giggles.

That does it. Otto stalked closer, cautious, but just like clockwork Subaru booked it when he was within a few feet of him - turning tail and running into room, leaving Otto momentarily stunned before thinking better of it and giving chase.

Unsurprisingly by the time Otto arrived the place was completely vacant. Otto's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

"Oh, Otto! ~"

The man turned and gaped to see Subaru peeking out from a different room further down the hall - eyes still shining, egging him on.

Otto groaned as the process repeated itself anew.

This went on for nearly half an hour with Otto shuffling from one room to the other, catching only the barest glimpse of Subaru before the boy would disappear behind an ajar door or closet and pop up someplace else. Otto was miserable. Subaru never stopped laughing throughout this.

Eventually Otto had to call it quits.

Gasping faintly he fell onto his hands and knees with beads of sweat sprawled out across his forehead as if he had run a whole marathon.

Subaru had beat him soundly. Somehow, someway he did and that left the ashen-haired man feeling more worthless than what tended to be the norm.

"I-I give..." Otto said hoarsely, his world was spinning on its head as footsteps stalked towards him, but Otto barely spared them a glance.

"You think he expired I suppose?" a child-like voice said flatly, with only the barest traces of hope dabbed in there.

"Eh! Why would you say that Beako-nee!" Someone else exclaimed, distressed. "Otto can't - he won't die, he's too important too!" he protested, sounding pleasantly sure of himself. Otto wished he could say the same.

"U-Ugh, Subaru? Lady Beatrice?" Otto blinked dizzily, feeling nauseous.

"Otto, thank goodness!" Subaru spoke, relief showing on his person. The same sentiments weren't shared by the Spirit standing beside him, with Beatrice appearing dead set on glaring menacingly at Otto, but there was nothing new there. Ever since he (accidentally) burnt the manor down - hence the Great Spirits library, into a charred crisp back during their fight against Elsa, Beatrice had it out for Otto and was intent on making the merchant pay her back WITH interest for his grave sin - no matter how long it took!

"W-What happened?" Otto asked, wincing at the vertigo he was feeling. Subaru shuffled in place, guilt racking his movements while Beatrice seemed to pipe up a bit, looking oh so smug.

"Well -" Subaru began awkwardly.

To make a long story short, it turns out that Beatrice had utilized her 'Door Crossing Ability' to play a mean 'prank' on Otto by transporting Subaru from room in the manor to the next in quick succession as she watched from the sidelines - taking great enjoyment out of seeing Otto make a bumbling idiot of himself over and over again for her own personal amusement.

Naturally the man in question failed to see the humor in this.

"I can't believe you dragged Subaru into something like this." Otto ran a hand through his shabby hair, as he gave Beatrice the most disappointed leer he could muster. But given the circumstances Beatrice wasn't bothered by it all that much nor did she have any sense of shame flooding her system for using a child in the manner in which she did.

'What's the big deal, I suppose," Beatrice shrugged, guiltless. "Subaru had fun, you were humiliated and I was thoroughly entertained. It was a win - win situation, in fact."

Her butterfly eyes were showered in delight at seeing Otto's ever reddening face.

"That's not the point!" Otto gritted his teeth, "You used him to get to me. How low can you get."

Beatrice's distinctive doll-like appearance went eerily blank.

"Do you really want to go this route, I suppose." she said with an ominous undertone.

Otto flinched, becoming increasingly uneasy, "What are you talking about - "

"I heard everything," she said succinctly, her smirk growing wider by the minute as a dawning look of hair raising horror came to the merchant - ballooning in his chest "And it would be a real shame if the Beast Maid caught wind of this, umm?"

"You wouldn't -!"

Beatrice's brow lifts to her hairline, as if daring him to test her patience. 

Otto wisely decides to keep his trap shut, lest he provoke her in going through in dishing out her unspoken threat.

"What's going on?" Subaru asked, confused, sensing the tension bleeding out between his siblings, but was unable to decipher what it could mean.

"Heh, don't worry your pretty little head over it, Baru." Beatrice glimmered, an abrupt turn from how she'd spoken to Otto thus far, "Betty and that man over there just decided that you've been such a GOOD boy that you've earned yourself a scrumptious treat today." she declared, tapping the tip of her chin as if in deep contemplation, "But what should we have, I suppose?"

Subaru beamed excitedly, any concern he'd had over the situation is quickly forgotten as anticipation for a yummy snack rattles his core, "Oh! Can we get some of those sweet cakes from Arlam! The one's Petra-nee's mommy sales!"

The Spirit girl chuckled.

"Of course, we can," Beatrice cooed, intertwining the smaller boy's hands with her own and leading him along. "Your big brother has already agreed to pay for all of us, quite generous, isn't he?"

Beatrice shot Otto an arrogant smirk over her shoulders. Otto wanted to cry, but he held back the tears forming in his eyes.

"Let's go shall we!~"

Subaru cheers as Otto trudged along like a man heading towards his own execution.

After; the three arrive at the village and Subaru and Beatrice pilfer Otto's wallet for all that's its worth until he's flat broke.

Being the good boy that he is Subaru shares his dessert with his Beako and she savors every bite at the expense of the person she hated the most.

Ah, revenge never tasted so sweet.

...

Less than a day later, Frederica is tipped off by an anonymous source that airs out both Otto's and Garfiel's dirty laundry. A chase ensues and the two are nearly torn to shreds by a pissed off beast maid who nearly skew the idiot duo on the spot, before Emilia arrives just in time to save them from her wrathful fury.

Otto really hated Beatrice.

Chapter Text

The sun had already begun its slow descent by the time Beatrice reached the last pages of her book, casting an eerie glow on the world, marking the end of one day and the beginning of Lunar time.

The Spirit sighed, a billowing breath brushing past her lips as she decided to call it quits for today and pushed the cover of the large tome, she'd been reading for the past few hours closed with a resounding 'thump'. The book wasn't remarkable or noteworthy; truth be told it paled compared to the collection that had once been housed in her forbidden library. A stark reminder that always left Beatrice feeling somewhat miffed and depressed for the complete and total loss of Mothers lifework. And the one who caused it.

'That rotten merchant! What kind of nitwit burnt a whole library to the ground? All that knowledge - gone, reduced to a charred ruin. What a waste.' Beatrice cursed Otto's name with all the venom she could muster before slumping her shoulders in defeat.

Beatrice realized the circumstances which led to her old home being set alight had been compounded by a series of events orchestrated by Roswaal. She wasn't sure what the man had been thinking back then - hiring armed killers to break into the manor? Setting loose the Great Hare on the unsuspecting people of Sanctuary who'd all have certainly perished if it wasn't for her contractor uprooting all the Clown's clever scheming and saving everyone.

It was madness!

Emilia would have certainly been well within her rights to demand recompense and punish the Mage for his transgression; however, she saw fit too. But Emilia - her foolish contractor, ever the bleeding heart forgave the man, who in turn vowed to support her in all her endeavors to become this country's next King.

Good grief. Honestly, Beatrice often worried that Emilia's forgiving attitude would come back to bite her one of these days if she wasn't careful. First, Roswaal, then the Beast Tamer, Meili and now Subaru, a Sin Archbishop of Sin. The compassion shown for the less savory members of their group while commendable was starting to become a little worrisome.

Then again, was she really in a position to judge given her past history with Roswaal - who despite the prior bad acts committed against Betty's Emilia, she still found it in herself to forgive her old friend?

As for Meili and Subaru - you could say the pair was slowly beginning to grow on Beatrice. Mainly because the latter was nearly joined at the hip with the child assassin. Subaru was special to Beatrice - it was the best way to describe the emotions she felt for the little scamp. There was just something about him which caused Beatrice to lose track of herself and devote every possible second, she had to catering to his whims no matter how ridiculous they were. It was super embarrassing and unbecoming of a Spirit of her stature, but Emilia found the whole thing to be adorably cute and would encourage their relationship whenever Subaru and Beatrice were together - with the boy latching onto the sleeves of her shirt with sticky fingers and beg his 'Beako-neesan' to show him her 'cool' magic.

Beatrice refused – at first, but eventually the blonde would cave and do as she was told, leaving the Spirit utterly baffled for how a child could have so much sway over her.

Meili was the opposite. While Subaru was a kind and caring boy, who'd flinch and cry if he so much as stepped on a bug, Meili appeared to be the type of kid who'd gladly rip the wings off a butterfly and take great enjoyment from it. The girl was cruel and manipulative through and through, there was no denying this. Still - Subaru seemed to like her well enough and appreciated her company in ways the Spirit never couldn't and because Beatrice trusted the boy's talent for spotting shady characters, she was willing to overlook the girls' less than savory traits if only to avoid stirring the pot. Anyways it wasn't as if Meili desired to do anything uncouth – not to Subaru at least. Meili cared for him, it was probably her only redeeming quality and the sole reason Beatrice hadn't blown her to smithereens or reduced her mincemeat yet for the stunts she's pulled.

Beatrice grimaced, recalling the dozens of incidents that had occurred where Meili would her drag into whatever hijinks she and Subaru would get up to and strongarm her into using her magic for the most frivolous tasks - whether it would be winning a game of hide and seek using her door crossing to sneak a second helping of dessert by transporting it straight into their rooms or healing their cuts, bumps and bruises when they tripped and fell.

It was all infuriating - the nerves of those two! Using a magnificent being such as Betty for something so idiotic, hmph!

Yet, it was not all terrible. Admittedly, there were moments she did enjoy. Sure, they were few and far between but those that stuck out the most were some of the best days Beatrice had in years as she, Meili and Subaru would prance around Arlam getting into all sorts of mischief along with the other village children

It was exhilarating, carefree and fun in ways she hadn't experienced before!

Was it bad if she never wanted them to end?

"Mou, Betty, you have a scary look on your face again." a voice mimicking the soothing chimes of silver bells announced, yanking the Spirit away from her mulling as a dainty finger implanted itself into the side of her cheeks - eliciting a cute reaction from the girl which would have certainly caused anyone near enough to hear to drop dead from a sugar rush.

"E-Emilia!" Beatrice complained cutely, tiny balled fists hitting the air wildly in frustration.

The half-elf chuckled, "Sorry," Emilia replied, not sounding apologetic at all as she fought to keep her amusement for her Spirit's antics to a bare minimum. But it was a challenge as you can clearly tell. "What were you thinking about just now Betty?" Emilia asked, amethyst glowing in delight from her incessant teasing.

"Nothing," Beatrice muttered, rubbing the sore spot-on cheeks with a petulant glare directed at the floor. Emilia lifted a well-shaped brow, not buying Beatrice's subpar response, but didn't push it. Instead, she gave an indistinct hum as she leaned back in her chair. Stretching her legs out from beneath her desk and feeling her aching muscles stretch and pop, a telltale sign of having not moved in an inch from her spot as she siphoned through a stack of letters exchanged between her and the other camps for the past few months.

They were nothing to gawk at - surprisingly enough most had to do with their supply situation and the amount of food and clothing each camp was able to handle and what the conditions would be for their trip to Pleiades

Beatrice was keeping her company during this, the little girl having planted her butt on Emilia's lap and sequestered herself to the woman's side, with the former welcoming her presence and snuggling her close as if she were a security blanket.

One Emilia desperately needed given the most news she'd received.

The elf's blemishless features pinched together, eyes tracing the letter she'd been staring at for an exorbitant amount of time, trying to come up with a pliable excuse that wouldn't ruffle any feathers.

"Why the long face, I suppose?" Beatrice asked, noticing her distress. No matter how much she tried to hide it. Emilia lips parted, a dismal at the root of her mouth before thinking better of it. Beatrice would see past it anyways. She always did and Emilia was never one to get anything over on the blonde and that wouldn't start now.

Wordlessly, Emilia handed the paper to Beatrice, whose butterfly irises scanned the inked words on the page with an intense focus.

After a beat of silence, she finally spoke.

"The Karsten woman is dying," Beatrice concluded, there was no surprise in the way she said this as if it were a foregone conclusion. Crusch's failing health hadn't been a secret and was one of the key reasons pushing them to go to the tower with due haste. But from the notable folds showing on her forehead Beatrice had more to say on the matter. "The Cat Healer wishes to bring Subaru along with us," she said in a low voice now painted with suspicion. Emilia nodded gravely, having similar thoughts, her expression taking on a myriad of emotions

To be fair to Felix, he wasn't the only one to bring up this faux pas. There had been others, even amongst her own camp, who'd hinted at putting the ex-cultist to good use. The reasons varied depending on who you asked, but the vast majority agreed that Subaru's presence could be useful when or if it came to entering the tower. Though there were those who disagreed and were of the sharp mindset that bringing a Sin Archbishop along with them would pose a serious flight risk - what was preventing the Witch Cult from trying to free one of their captured leaders if they were attacked? Those among this group advocated to keep Subaru confined, perhaps with several knights watching his person at all hours.

Emilia was lodged between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, she was ABSOLUTELY against bringing Subaru near that dreaded place - Archbishop or not a child shouldn't be needlessly thrown into the jaws of a Guiltylowe and used as a sacrificial lamb. Subaru wasn't a tool, and she refused to treat him as such. Yet if she showed herself to be too lenient, some would take it as a warning of her becoming attached to a member of the Witch Cult and would try to force Subaru away from those who deeply loved him.

Emilia couldn't - wouldn't let that happen! She'd fight them on it if push came to shove. But she'd like to avoid violence if possible.

"Felix," Emilia grimaced, trying to keep her voice at an amicable level, "Felix, is going through a difficult time right now," Emilia eventually said. She knew the knight had a lot on his plate. She truly did, neither Crusch nor Felix deserved the hand the world had cruelly dealt them with and despite both being royal candidates Emilia saw Crusch as more of a friend than a competing rival vying for Lugunica's throne. So yes, Emilia understood where Felix was coming from but just BECAUSE she did was no excuse to turn a blind eye to what the Demi-Human was really after, "Naturally, I'll refuse him," Emilia said tamely, pretending not to notice the tension oozing out from Beatrice at her decision.

"Good." Beatrice said in a clipped tone, unlike Emilia she wasn't close enough to the Duchess to care what fate befell her and was only holding herself back from saying anything too callous on the account of the woman being on friendly terms with Emilia. However, this didn't mean Beatrice would sugarcoat her words or remain mute or oblivious on a matter that so heavily involved someone dear to her, "He wants to hurt that boy, in fact." Beatrice said darkly, power radiating from her in droves at the idea of anyone bringing harm to HER Subaru.

Emilia winced slightly at Beatrice's statement. It was understandable – more so, given what they know now and what horrible, awful things were done to Subaru when he was in the custody of the Knights and – Felix.

The half-elf's eyes narrowed into slits.

A part of Emilia wished to give the healer the benefit of the doubt. He earned that much at least and Subaru – the villain she met back in Priestella was an irreparable monster. The way he tried to manipulate and steal Betty from her was unforgivable. She hated him. She hated everything about him and what he presented, and part of Emilia was ecstatic that such a person no longer existed, and she'd gotten a cute little brother in his stead. So, no Emilia had zero sympathy for the man, an Archbishop who'd been dragged towards his well-deserved punishment for all the lives he'd surely ruined in pursuit of his own twisted goals.

But Baru, by contrast, was a clean slate, a boy who woke up scared, confused and alone in a dark cold dungeon without any memory of what he could have done to call for such cruel treatment!

Emilia felt herself grow apoplectic thinking back to those first few weeks when Subaru would rouse in the middle of the night - shaking and sobbing with snot running down his nose from a terrible nightmare involving 'bad men' who poked and prodded and committed so MANY stomach inducing things to him that it made Emilia skin crawl.

It was disgusting! Horrendous! Her head continued to buzz as she was having nails driven into her skull at hearing a child recount something so - so EVIL, in such graphic detail! Emilia sneered at the grotesque reality she was confronted with. Of course she comforted him during these episodes. Along with the others. They'd hug him tightly, promising nothing like that would EVER happen again and invite him into their beds to rest, all the while whispering soothing words into his ears.

For the Knights to take part - and encourage Felix's brutal treatment of such an innocent soul. What did that say about them? What did it say about her and the camps competing for going along with it?

Emilia really didn't wish to think about it, especially when Subaru's mutilated body still haunted her waking dreams. He was nearly a corpse when they found him - with rags barely clinging onto his small, boney frame (practically a living corpse) with scars and other injuries covering him from head to toe. Then there was the smell…

The half-elf grounded her molars as nails dug into her skin upon seeing the boy who made her heart flutter so vulnerable and helpless.

Pleading for someone - anyone to bring an end to his suffering.

"Don't worry Betty, it'll all work out. You'll see." Emilia said gingerly, putting on a brave front. She needed to be. Emilia was the leader of her camp. The one everyone else turned to for guidance and inspiration when times were tough. If she faltered now then - No, griping over the past was useless! What's done and is done and all they could do was make peace with their mistakes and move past them.

"Besides, Felt and her camp will be here." Emilia continued with a wry smile at the mention of the tiny spitfire. "And you know she cares a lot about Subaru and would step in if the worst were to happen."

Beatrice frowned, brows knit together, but nodded, nonetheless. Felt was the only candidate other than Emilia who had stood up on her feet and defended Subaru against those who wanted to execute him.

(Including her - but that was neither here nor there.)

And while Beatrice wasn't a fan of the boorish girl, Felt had a good head on her shoulders and could be relied upon when it mattered most.

"Let's just hope her vulgar attitude doesn't rub off on Subaru while she's here, in fact." Beatrice scrunched up her nose as if she had caught a whiff of something putrid. "He has enough bad role models as it is already without adding more to the mix." She huffed, folding her arms.

"Are you sure you're not just getting antsy that perhaps Baru will fall madly in love with and call another small blonde 'big sis' rather than you," Emilia said slyly, with a knowing grin. Beatrice's cheeks flared and puffed up like a blowfish as she began to hurl a barrage of furious punches at the elf's ample chest. They didn't hurt, but it was still entertaining to watch.

"L-Lia!" Beatrice whined as the silver haired woman chortled, growing less anxious.

T-That's right. She had to stay positive - it would all workout. It always had before, why would this be any different? Emilia assured herself, despite looming worries.

The camps would be arriving at the manor soon as they prepared to set out towards Augria - and it was here that discussions of what would be done with Subaru would be at the forefront of everyone's mind.

'They won't get him!' Emilia vowed - steeling her resolve. Subaru was - he was someone Emilia LOVED deeply, he brought joy and laughter and warmth where there was none before. A life without him now - it was unthinkable.

Emilia knew she wasn't the only one who held to this belief firmly.

Natsuki Subaru was someone special, unforgettable. He wouldn't leave them, not if she had the final say.

"Well, that's enough mopping for one day, don't you think?" Emilia scooted backwards, her chair scraping against the floor as she rose from her seat - dragging a surprised and flailing Beatrice along for the ride. The girl struggled a little, but in the face of the half-elf's peerless strength it was far from a competition. "How about we see what Subaru and the others are up to!"

Emilia declared. Beatrice's struggles had ceased, but she still had enough fight left in her to give the elf a vicious sneer that was supposed to be threatening but only tempted Emila to pinch her cheeks and never let go.

"You only want to avoid doing any more work, in fact." Beatrice grumbled, seeing past her cleverly laid ruse. Drat! Foiled again!

Emilia laughed, but didn't refute the claim, as they set out in finding her precious little brother.

...

Emilia stared incredulously, her eyes round, hazy and mouth agape, taking on an 'o' shape as her heart beat thunderously against her chest as she unwittingly stumbled into a horrifying scene.

"Emilia-nee!" Subaru exclaimed, gravitating towards her the second she stepped foot into the room - Meili's room to be more precise, which now that Emilia considered it, should have been a prelude for what she'd come across. "Look what Meili-neesan made for me!"

The boy said vivaciously, snatching Emilia's right leg while being obtuse to the woman's soaring panic as Subaru tried to show her the 'gift' the assassin gave him. Meili was so thoughtful!

"No need to thank me, Baru," Meili said with a nurturing smile full of love and patience and a wicked glimmer in her eyes, as she sat at the foot of her bed, kicking her legs idly.

The girl's words were heartfelt; she meant every word of it, but the direction of her gaze was aimed solely at Emilia. Triumphed, just as if she had won some grand prize or pulled off some great trick. In a way she had.

Because bunched up in Subaru's pudgy hands was a doll. Which was not unusual - Meili made toys for Subaru regularly and she was surprisingly good at it and only improved when they decided her ebullient knack of stabbing things should be swapped for a needle and thread, and it worked! Kind of - yeah, the dolls the blue haired girl made weren't the most age-appropriate. Oh, who was she kidding? They were flat out disturbing and gave her the willies, but Subaru was obsessed with his big sister's craft and that alone kept her motivated to continue. Which was good, she guessed?

But part of Emilia, the suspicious side who was always waiting for the next shoe to drop, was sure this would backfire in some spectacular way, and it seemed no time was better than the present.

The 'doll', despite its faults, was brilliantly made, with black hair cascading from its head, dark buttoned eyes and a sickening smile that churned up unpleasant memories.

Emilia grew paler as Subaru confirmed her worst fears.

"Her name is Elsa!" the child said and - oh no he sounded so pleased too. Say it isn't so! "Meili says she'll protect me whenever I'm alone and she'll scare the bad guys away!" Subaru gripped the doll tightly to his chest, delighted and jumping with joy. Elsa was the greatest thing ever! Subaru loved her so much!

Emilia's eyes creased, seeing the person well - a mini version of the woman who tried to slice her belly open in the grip of her baby brother, it was driving her crazy!

That may have been the point Meili was trying to make.

"She even comes with her own knives too!" Meili said innocently, the brat was eating this up and savoring the despair her gracious host was providing her. Ah, tasty! ~"

"Subaru, maybe this isn't - " Emilia began, but stopped herself when she saw the hopeful little smile the boy was wearing and - Od help her. She didn't have the strength to crush such innocents so effortlessly and so - "Never mind. She's - lovely," Emilia said with a jagged smile and bitterness. She'd let Meili have her win for - now.

Beatrice, who had been strangely silent despite the absurdity of the situation unfolding around her, studied the toy Subaru was showing off with a hard look. She turned to Meili who refused to back down under the scrutiny of the Spirit.

"You made this yourself, I suppose?" she asked candidly, giving nothing away of her true intentions.

Meili shrugged, lazily, "What can I say, it's a natural gift. ~"

The girl smirked; she normally didn't gloat - but her skills for doll making had improved significantly over the years. Probably because of the excess material she had to work with now, which significantly improved the quality of her figures.

Beatrice's face became contemplative, caressing her chin as if she was having an internal debate with herself.

Subaru smiled warmly

"Meili dolls are amazing, even Frederica-neesan says she has a real 'nap' for it!" Subaru said, beaming proudly at his sister's accomplishment!

"It's 'knack' Baru" Meili corrected, stroking her tinted cheeks with her fingertips at the praise being delivered at her feet.

For someone who only believed her value lay in the number of kills she'd garnered, it was a pleasant surprise when someone told her differently.

"Anyways," Meili coughed into her closed fist, "I don't think she meant -"

Subaru shook his head from side to side vigorously, denying any self-deprecating comments Meili had lined up for herself.

Meili was a gift and deserved to know that.

"Rica-nee, isn't a liar," Subaru remarked earnestly, brow furrowed, "She liked the OTHER doll she asked you to make for her, right?"

Meili stiffened. Beatrice became intrigued.

"Huh? Frederica asked Meili to -" Emilia gave the girl a subtle glance from the corner of her eye as the teenagers' principal smile slowly melted away like a block of solid ice on scalding asphalt,

"Subaru!" Meili blurted out, scandalized

But Subaru was undaunted. "Hai!" he confirmed, to Meili's distress.

Frederica was the first to see how the toy's Meili created in her free time had captured Subaru's imagination and wanted one made unique to only him.

She asked for Meili help in this and went the extra mile to foot the cost for its commission.

And the results were - highly unusual to say nothing else.

"Can we see this doll, Subaru?" Beatrice pushed not unkindly, pretending not to hear the symphony of choking sounds coming from Meili, who seemed unsure of herself now.

Subaru bobbed his head, he didn't need to be told twice, as he made a mad dash for Meili's bed, while continuing to keep his hold on 'Elsa,' as he ducked down underneath and rummaged through the personal effect he kept hidden in the narrow space.

Meili wasn't against this arrangement. For how often Subaru was here, one could argue that this was as much his room as it was hers and so she saw no reason NOT to let him store his stuff here.

"Here it is!" Subaru declared as he wretched backwards, toppling over as he pulled out a silhouette that left Emilia and Beatrice deafly silent.

Meili groaned, covering her face with her hands to drown out her increasing embarrassment as Subaru revealed what could only be described as the cutest thing either of the girls ever laid eyes on.

"His name is Lepus," Subaru explained, gesturing to the doll - a white rabbit, with floppy ears and two red beads for eyes. "Frederica got him just for me! Isn't he great!" The boy grinned.

"Y-Yes he is," Emilia affirmed, recovering swiftly. She turned to Meili who looked as if she wanted to melt into the floor.

Perhaps she had judged the little girl too harshly - if she could create something this FETCHING, she couldn't be all bad!

Beatrice had reached a similar conclusion albeit for an entirely different reason from her partner. With the reveal being the final confirmation Beatrice needed in making her decision.

"Huh? What are you -!" Meili stumbled as Beatrice strode across to the room and stood over the Beast Tamer. Her face frigid with not a trace of emotion to be seen anywhere on her porcelain complexation.

"Meili." The Spirit started, making the girl incredibly wary.

"Y-Yes?" She said, trying to hide her inkling of fear behind a bold front in the face of such overwhelming authority.

"I have a job for you, in fact." Beatrice said, her tone sharp and unwavering, leaving no room for discussion.

Meili gulped as a sense of deep dread ballooned within her chest that was only further accentuated by seeing her own rapidly paling reflection staring back at her within those bright butterfly irises.

Beatrice refused to let the beast maid show her up again - it was purely unacceptable and if she had to work Meili to the bone to keep her spot as Subaru's favorite sibling then the Assassin better prepare herself, because either way she was in for a rough ride.

...

The following day; with bandages covering a majority of her aching fingers from pulling an all-nighter with a sewing needle, Meili had given Subaru ANOTHER doll, this one courtesy of Beatrice.

A pale faced doll with long hair and black eyes shining with intelligence.

And similarly to Lepus and Elsa - Echidna, would keep the monsters hiding under his bed at bay as he slept soundly at night.