Flashback to Ten Years Ago

The child Lila's routine in the mountains was straightforward.

Pick out herbs for her Sister. Sell the unneeded fruits and veggies for the elders; then, if possible, beg for some sewing and stitches to fix her Sister's bedding.

Simple, monotone, yet a little tiring. Just a little.

Yet even her unchanging routine was sometimes interrupted.

However, it was not by a wild and dangerous animal this time.

Well, unfortunately, it is not in that sense.

"Hey hey!"

Because even the most ferocious predator wouldn't match Mel's stubbornness.

Lila frowned as she treached through the grassland, her back stinging as she stormed away from a grinning pink-head.

"This is our fifth time meeting! Why did you avoid me?!"

"Oh, please, I told you I don't need help!"

Lila sent a disgusted glare behind her, annoyed.

The sun overhead always draped her forehead with sweat, as she shifted back to the child Mel in her orange, villager robe.

"I also told you, though, this is not me helping."

Yet as if unbothered, Mel's hand held up for a large V-sign.

Her back held the same straw basket as Lila's.

"I'm courting you as a wife! As well as ensuring my Sister-in-law's health."

"Being all weird like that again..."

The young Lila let out a cute, squeaky sigh. Help for her came in precious form, yet Mel's persistence was almost borderline suspicious.

Expensive herbs were on her doorstep, and there were recipes for better medicines, not to mention requesting her 'sister', Knight Saria's aid, to renew their house.

She should feel gratitude, but Lila couldn't help but be suspicious of Mel's true goal when help became overwhelming.

"Aw."

Mel hugged herself, smiling. "Even a doubting Lila was so cute... heh heh..."

"Shush!"

Lila's cheeks blushed furiously as she yelped. "Sta-state your intention, creep! Who asked for your help in a time like this?"

"Hm? But I shouted it at our every encounter, though..."

Mel scratched her chin, as her lips curled to a wry smile. "Sorry. Even I was new to this 'seducing' business, so I chose the cutest one that matched my age first!"

"Hic!"

Embarrassed tears threatened to escape Lila's eyes as she turned around and gripped onto the straw straps of her basket.

"Fi-fine..."

Lila mumbled, her doubts finally chipped away by Mel's sincerity. "Just don't get in my way?"

"Yay! Thanks, Lila!"

The pink-haired woman threw her arms in celebration as she glanced over her shoulder.

A subtle smile flashed at Lila's lips, yet she quickly retracted them for a stern face.

Over time, the sun began to set and dye an orange-red, as the duo descended the mountains with filled herbs in their baskets.

Their fingers were, however, chapped with soil as they dug out the herbs with their bare hands, the hard earth unmerciful to their thin fingers.

"Hm..."

Mel shuddered a little as Lila walked and pretended indifference to Mel's suffering.

Unbeknownst to Lila, they walked together, getting closer with some of Mel's poor teases and jokes.

"Painful...?" Lila glanced at Mel's fingers. "It's like that in a while. Don't mind it."

"Hehe... thanks." Mel's eyes swept over Lila's steady expression. "Makes you seem more impressive, having to scrape out all the plants yourself."

"Of-of course!"

Lila stammered, the childish pride in her urging to brag more. "I love my sister! She's my only family, so I should at least show this much... uh, dedication."

"Yes yes. My Lila was the most impressive sister I've seen yet!"

"Mhm mhm..." Lila nodded approvingly before her face flushed again. "He-hey! Who's your Lila?! Stop labelling me as yours when I haven't agreed to anything!"

"Heh heh... my bad."

Then, Mel's fingers lifted Lila's, soils mingling as they brushed their bruised skins together.

"I heard..." Mel mumbled. "If we hold each other like this, we can also share in our pain and love."

With a little smirk, Mel tilted her head to admire Lila's blush. "Would you like to share then? Your pain and your love for your sister?"

Lila's lips paused; Mel's tender voice slipped into the crack of her vulnerability.

She hung her head, unsure.

"Ah. But of course, there's a price!"

Yet Mel's eyes beamed as she teased. "You'll hug me in turn afterward for hearing you out! How about it? It's rare to get a hug from a beauty like me, you know?"

"Oh shut it..."

Lila rolled her eyes, yet her fingers stilled obediently within Mel's grasp.

"Don't..." She uttered. "Don't you let go then. I'll feel even more embarrassed if you do."

"Of course."

Lila only knew later, when she grew up, how kindness was a burden to her shoulders, as if to expose how lonely and petty she truly was.

Yet, as if to be considerate, Mel would always put perverted jokes afterwards to ease that guilt.

-------------------------

Current

Memories drifted in her mind as Lila's cheek leaned onto Mel's shoulder.

Distant as they were back then, she couldn't have imagined how she would place Mel as irreplaceable as her Sister.

So, it was only responsible for her to hear Mel's true thoughts as well.

"How you destroy the World.... hm."

Mel's lips curled up, her hand patting Lila's back as she sighed.

"Lila. Perhaps you've mistaken, but the World wasn't necessarily... destroyed per se."

"But I must've done things unspeakable... didn't I?"

Lila folded herself more into Mel's chest. "I wasn't... I know, Mel. What tragedy you're trying to prevent..."

Mel's arm wrapped around Lila, her lover trembling slightly.

"I would offer no excuse," Lila muttered. "My Sister was... my World to me. And I couldn't bear a second if she was harmed in any way."

"I know."

Mel nodded, her shoulder shifting for her Lila's comfort. "That's why you don't need to-"

"No, I want to."

A determination flashed in Lila's gaze. "I want to know who that senior I just fought was, why Pride waged wars against us, and..."

Lila shut her lips, hesitating before she spoke.

"What my future would've looked like without you, Mel."

Mel blinked, her expression melting upon glancing down at Lila's sincere gaze.

Her hand hovered again, hesitating, almost contemplating glossing everything over with a pervy joke as always.

Yet Lila took hers in the air; she reminded Mel again.

"To share in love and pain..."

With a confident smile, Lila teased. "Come on... we aren't going to... well, fulfill our requests if you continue to stammer like that, you know?"

Mel raised her brows, her cheeks blushing at Lila's activeness.

She remembered.

"Hic! Mel?!"

For that, an immeasurable happiness bloomed in Mel's chest as she hugged Lila and slid them over to the bed.

"Ah, Lila..."

Mel breathed out. "I love you. I love you. I love you so much that it hurts..."

"Sto-stop it..." Lila whimpered as she sank more into Mel's embrace. "I'm gonna implode in embarrassment at this rate..."

"Heh heh... I'm sorry."

A few more heated chuckles slipped from Mel's lips as she raised herself over Lila's lips.

As Lila narrowed her eyes in a silent submission, Mel pecked a soft kiss at Lila's lips.

Pulling back, her hands hugged Lila again, her chest staying at Lila's collarbone.

"Then..."

Mel puffed hot air onto Lila's neck. "I'll tell you most of everything, at least the one I'm sure of."

Aside from her partner's identity, she'll confess all her doubts to Lila.

What she couldn't have done in the past, Mel'll do so now.

And more importantly... she needed someone other than her maid to confide in.

She pursed her lips, her tender eyes locking with Lila's as she muttered.

"Let's start with the future I know." She grinned. "And the Senior you met back in the forest."

Alongside her theory about Wrath's potential... regression.