…Solitär had to admit that Fíliya's words had shaken some of her most deeply held beliefs.
But just as she was about to ask Fíliya another question, she saw that Fíliya was already getting up.
"Fíliya?"
She watched as Fíliya, without any attempt at concealment, slowly began to dress in front of her.
"What, are you that eager to eat me up?... Relax, I'm really tired today. I don't want to talk about any more grand topics. Can't we just get some sleep first?"
Fíliya said, letting out a yawn.
"By the way, where am I sleeping?"
Fíliya rubbed her eyes again.
…With a heavy heart, Solitär no longer felt like continuing her bath. Or perhaps, she never had such a habit to begin with.
Since Fíliya was out, what was the point of her staying in?
So, she too stepped out of the wooden tub.
"Come with me, Fíliya."
Solitär spoke, walking over to Fíliya's side in a state of unconcerned nakedness.
"Stop. Can we please put on some clothes first?"
Fíliya instinctively glanced over Solitär's body, then quickly averted her eyes.
"Hm? Didn't you just say it yourself, Fíliya? When creatures of different species see each other's naked bodies, there shouldn't be any psychological reaction, right? What are your eyes dodging for?"
Solitär covered her mouth and chuckled, as if she had finally scored a point against Fíliya.
Tch…
Fíliya bit her lip, feeling as if she had been underestimated.
"…You're right."
Though her expression was slightly awkward, Miss Fíliya quickly took off the clothes she had just put on.
Fine, then. If you're not wearing anything, I won't either. Who's afraid of whom?
Miss Fíliya thought, a little defiantly.
And so, in a manner that could easily be misinterpreted, the two of them slowly went upstairs and entered the bedroom.
"Wait a minute?"
Fíliya stared at the single, small bed, her scalp tingling with dread. She desperately looked around for another bed, but found nothing.
"You're not planning to…"
Fíliya's tone grew tense.
"Well, I am a reclusive greater demon. Why would I have a second bed?"
Solitär said with an innocent look on her face.
"Aren't you tired, Fíliya? Come on, let's sleep together."
As she spoke, Solitär took Fíliya's hand again, trying to pull her toward the bed.
At first, Fíliya could convince herself it was fine. After all, Solitär was just a humanoid creature; she couldn't be treated as a 'woman' in the same way she was.
But the closer she got to the bed, the more Fíliya could clearly feel her heartbeat quicken.
After all, setting aside her preconceptions, Solitär was, in every aspect, a perfect match for her aesthetic preferences.
Tch, I really can't lie to myself.
She thought to herself.
So, Miss Fíliya took two deep breaths and then grabbed Solitär's wrist in a reverse grip.
"Hm?"
Solitär looked at Fíliya with a beaming smile, her eyes shining with what seemed like the light of victory.
"Alright, you win… Can we put on clothes now?"
Miss Fíliya puffed her cheeks and turned her head away.
…And so, after Fíliya conceded defeat, the two finally returned from their primitive state to the civilized world.
Fíliya's mood was even worse now, not because she had conceded, but because she was now wearing Solitär's pajamas.
Her travel pack only contained her regular clothes, after all. Who brings pajamas on an adventure?
Fortunately, these strange clothes didn't carry Solitär's characteristic stench of corpses. Otherwise, she'd be too disgusted to sleep.
"Where did these clothes come from? Don't tell me you made them yourself."
Because the bed was so small, Fíliya's and Solitär's shoulders were inevitably pressed together.
"Hm? Why would that be impossible? I'm a greater demon who has studied humans for hundreds of years, you know. I'm quite fond of many human skills."
Solitär said casually.
"Cut the crap. Even if you knew how to tailor, you couldn't have made these clothes. Otherwise, how could they not reek of corpses?"
"Mm, you're so smart, Fíliya."
"Smart how? Any normal person could figure that out."
Fíliya said irritably.
"Actually, I stole them. I occasionally attack merchant caravans. Things like clothes, tea sets, furniture... they're all stolen from humans."
"Tch, a monster that lives by plunder, just as I thought."
"Pfft, 'living by plunder' is a virtue for the Demon Race, you know? Besides, your focus is strange, Fíliya. Shouldn't you be asking what I did with those humans?"
"Don't tell me. I don't want to know."
Fíliya said coldly.
She could perfectly imagine the fate of anyone who fell into this creature's hands, which was why she told Solitär to shut up.
"Oh, is Fíliya angry?"
Solitär had a moment of realization, recalling the scene from earlier that day when she had first brought Fíliya into her home.
After seeing those human specimens, Fíliya had been just like this, her tone toward her suddenly becoming much colder.
"What do you think? I have no desire to listen to a cold-blooded monster brag about her exploits in my ear."
Solitär fell silent.
Seeing this, Fíliya continued.
"By the way, the Demon Race doesn't actually need to eat humans, right? You can eat all the same food humans eat and draw nourishment from it to survive. So why do you still think about eating people?"
"Hmm, because of instinct? The memories in our bloodline tell us that humans are the highest priority food source."
Solitär answered honestly.
"So that means… I still have to find a way to remove this 'mental imprint' from the Demon Race."
Fíliya sighed softly. This wasn't something that could be done just by wanting to.
For humans and the Demon Race to coexist, the first problem to solve is the demons' habit of eating people.
Humans could never accept coexisting with a species that eats them. As long as the Demon Race continues to eat humans, this war between humans and demons will never end, not until the Demon Race is extinct.
Growing more and more agitated by these thoughts, she simply rolled over, turning her back to Solitär.
Solitär clearly noticed this. She looked at Fíliya's rejecting posture, unsure of what to do.
Her knowledge of anthropology offered no answer for this situation.
After all, she had never before met a human she was reluctant to kill, nor had any human ever gotten this close to her, so she had no experience in 'consolation'.
So, she could only close her eyes and hope that Fíliya's mood would naturally improve after a night's sleep.
"Solitär?"
Hearing her name, Solitär immediately opened her eyes.
She saw that Fíliya had, at some point, turned back to face her.
"Can you promise me one thing?"
Fíliya asked tentatively.
Solitär nodded hastily.
"Um, at least while you're with me, could you not eat people? Otherwise, it'll be very difficult for me to interact with you normally, and you'll have a lot less fun."
Fíliya asked with a serious expression.
"Eh? Are you actually such a kind person, Fíliya?"
Solitär's expression was one of slight surprise.
Kind?... Fíliya shook her head.
If only her own humanity could be summed up so simply... she thought.
Whether it's kindness or evil, both can give a person a sense of peace.
Those who are extremely good or extremely evil can fully commit to their principles without any hesitation.
But she...
It's precisely because she wasn't kind enough, yet not evil enough.
That she was plagued by such troubles.
Fíliya gave a self-deprecating smile, then looked back at Solitär.
"Your answer?"
"Hmm, alright. If it will make you feel better, Fíliya, I can accept this proposal."
Solitär nodded and once again offered Fíliya a smile.
"Mm, thank you."
Fíliya took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
She never thought the day would come when she would be sleeping together with a member of the Demon Race.
______
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