The moment Moe asks me whether I mind if she goes shopping with Lis, I smile and tell her it’s fine.
Like hell!
My lips are about to fall off from smiling atthat, especially when inside I’m imagining all the ways I can torture that Lis.
But Moe already told me off once for being overbearing. I have to at least pretend I amnot. I have to at least keep up appearances so Moe won’t be mad at me.
But shopping? Why can’t she go shopping withme? Why does she need to go with Lis? Or is it because Lis has more tokens than me? By all accounts, she’s hoarding points without any plans to leave Aimaxion. So it stands to reason she’s filthy rich.
Could it be that she won’t go with me because she doesn’t want to spend my tokens?
All kinds of thoughts cross my mind in that moment. Moe is far too kind and innocent, and once someone recognizes that, it’s easy to take advantage of her. She probably feels bad for spending our money so she accepted Lis’s invitation?
By the Seven! I’ll just fight more, earn more, get more tokens.
What type of male am I if I can’t even provide for my female?
But this seed of doubt continues to grow in my mind. Lis is up to something, and she’s usingshoppingas a way to lure my innocent Moe away from me.
So of course I do the only acceptable thing—I follow them.
At a distance—astrategicdistance. Far enough not to be noticed but close enough to intervene the instant Lis inevitably reveals her nefarious intentions.
The district they enter is one of the more affluent parts of Aimaxion, crowded with jewel merchants, silk vendors, perfumers, and artisan stalls overflowing with expensive nonsense no one here truly needs. To be able to buy from any of these, one must be a high-ranked warrior.
Lis is one. I amnot.
Damn it!
Once more, jealousy rears its ugly head, as does the realization that no matter how much I advance, there will always be someone better than me.
Unacceptable.I cannot afford to lag behindanyoneif it means there’s even the slightest chance I might lose my Moe.
The atmosphere here is completely different. People seem more carefree—and of course they are when they can avail themselves of all types of luxuries. Even the air smells of spice, sugar, and perfume.
Intoxicating.
But regardless of my sweet tooth, I barely register any of it.
My entire attention is fixed onthem.
Lis walks at Moe’s side with infuriating ease, listening while Moe speaks animatedly about something or other. She gives her full attention to every word, her gaze fixed on Moe with that same measured intensity I noticed before.
It’stoofocused,tooattentive.
Almost…predatory.
And I don’t like it!
Then she leans in slightly when Moe speaks.
My eyes narrow just as my hands ball into fists.
Is she testing the boundaries? Trying to see how close she can get tomyMoe?
Moe, of course, notices nothing. She still thinks this is an innocent outing; that thisLishas good intentions toward her.
Of course she does. My Moe thinks the best of everyone after all—to my advantage, too. She did decide to trust me and to put her life in my hands. But that is a different matter altogether. She shouldonlytrust me; only see the good in me and in no one else.
