房客(糙汉)何璐程曜坤

"Kuro Aku...? But Aku is the first name? That sounds so foreign and... Wait...! Are you perhaps someone from the Heavenly Star Nation?!"

Kierul tilted her head looking at the black-haired boy with suspicion when suddenly her eyes widened and she gasped with excitement.

"Huh? I... don't know...? Am I...?"

Aku raised his brows taken aback and stuttered unsure about the truth.

"I always wanted to have a servant that's a martial artist! Let's test it out!"

"???"

Kierul trembled in excitement and got up, moving a few steps away from the confused black-haired boy.

"Ember!"

*whooo*

She pointed her hand slightly to the right of the spot where Aku was sitting and chanted, causing a small flickering flame to appear on the ground.

"Whoa?! Is that magic?!"

Aku gaped in shock, leaning forward and staring intently at the dancing fire.

"It is! Now, I've heard that martial artists use spiritual energy within them just like magicians use mana, but with the difference being that instead of using whatever spells they can think of, they are locked into twelve laws. Let's check whether you are a martial artist or not! Law of Aquarius is supposed to get rid of mana, so try using it to get rid of my spell!"

Kierul declared with completely unfounded confidence, puffing out her chest proudly and giving orders as if it was the most natural thing to do.

"...I am not sure about that..."

"Aku. If you are a martial artist then I will make you my servant. You don't know who you really are or whether you have a family or not. Not to mention I found you, so I am your savior, which means you have to listen to me. Now do what I say."

The black-haired boy hesitated, but the red-haired girl overwhelmed him with her pushiness and confidence that only a spoiled noble lady could show.

"..."

Aku could not understand it himself, but he ended up sensing something incredibly familiar about the way Kierul acted and going along with it.

"Aquarius."

*haaaaa*

That's why he reached out his hand toward the flickering flame and said. Honestly, he didn't expect anything to happen but then he felt something stirring up deep within his body, and some kind of energy burst forward, causing the girl's spell to disintegrate and release a sound similar to a person breathing out in relief.

"AH! AHA! You ARE a martial artist!"

Seeing the result, Kierul jumped up from joy and skipped towards Aku who was in deep shock himself, staring at his hands in disbelief.

"Aku! From today onwards, you are mine! I, Kierul Berra Helterose am your master, understand?"

The red-haired girl grabbed Aku's hands and declared in a fiery voice that perfectly befitted her attribute.

"..."

Aku felt incredibly overwhelmed by the situation. He realized that there was something wrong with his memory as he could not recall anything except his name...

And yet, at the same time, the pushiness and hotheadedness of the red-haired girl in front of him were giving him this familiar feeling that carried this odd sense of comfort he could not explain.

|...maybe... maybe if I go along with her whims, my memories will return...?|

Aku thought to himself and gulped down his saliva, making a decision...

"...as you wish, my lady..."

"That's what I like to hear!"

The moment he thought to, he knew exactly what kind of words and tone of voice to use, making Kierul's face light up with a prideful smile.

"Alright, I will guide you back to the mansion. I kind of sneaked out together with a girl whose parents forced to be my friend, but as you can see she got cold feet and ran away. If she is useful, she will call for someone to help us... hopefully not my big brother..."

The red-haired girl nodded and declared while motioning with her head towards a well-trimmed hedge in the distance.

"Huh? You don't like your older...? Urgh...!"

*thump*

Aku furrowed his brows in confusion while trying to stand up, and as he did a jolt of pain pierced both his face and his thigh causing him to fall down.

"...yeah... that's what I expected..."

Kierul breathed out and nodded leaning down to help the black-haired boy get back up as he struggled with the pain.

Sentria did indeed get the help and a few hours later Aku was laying in bed in the Helterose mansion after getting his wounds cleaned up, washed with medicinal herbs, and bandaged while Kierul was literally having a fight with her parents about keeping the wounded boy.

The sun was already setting when Kierul sneaked into the room Aku was staying, without knocking of course.

"Ku-ro A-ku~! I have good news~!"

"My lady?"

The red-haired girl got to the boy's bed and grabbed his hands, intertwining their fingers and making some dance-like motions.

"I convinced my parents to send some people to search the area where I found you and they discovered a carriage destroyed by the giant moles~!"

Kierul hummed excitedly, beaming with joy.

"They found the remains of two adults and a child, all with dark hair just like you~! Their belongings suggest that they were originally form the Heavenly Star Nation~! They must have been your family~! And since they are dead, you really have no one else besides me so it's okay to make you my servant~!"

"Wha...?! I... so... my family is dead...?"

The red-haired girl was ecstatic about the news which was clearly traumatizing for the black-haired boy.

"Yes~! Do you know what that means? I can keep you~!"

Kierul giggled happily continuing the dance-like motion not interested in Aku's feelings.

"I... I... don't know what to say..."

The boy gulped down his saliva feeling something akin to a ball of ice forming in his stomach.

"You don't have to say anything... well, except for – thank you, oh great young lady Kierul~! I've done some researched and found out that amongst the star powers that your people can use the law of Virgo is supposed to be responsible for healing. Go on and try whether can you use it or not, because once you are feeling better, you will start the attendant training so you can become a proper servant for yours truly ~!"

Kierul boasted pridefully, letting go of Aku's hands and starting to play with her hair all smugly.