(From Blue''s Perspective)


    "These are the ones," Dem said as if he was talking about objects, not living creatures.


    "So, the Queen is here to interrogate us now? What did you think, you filthy bastards, we are going to tell you everything? We will never!" a boy with bright yellow eyes yelled.


    "Should I just kill him?" Dem muttered, beside me.


    I did not mind him. There was something else that caught my attention. Around the boys and girls, there were ck strings, almost invisible. They were attached to their heart and head the most.


    "This..."


    "What''s wrong?" he asked, concerned.


    "I hate the Queen even more. She came out of nowhere and suddenly she is the Queen," a girl yelled.


    "Shut the fuck up!" Dem yelled back.


    He did not care when they were badmouthing him, but when they badmouthed me, he seemed to get too angry.


    "It''s alright, Dem. Please wait a bit. I need to do something," I said, holding his hand.


    "What do you need to do?"


    I stepped near the boy who had bright yellow eyes like fire. "What do you want? Do you want to hit me?"


    I did not say anything, just grabbed the almost invisible ck string. As I thought, I could grab it. I twisted it a little between my fingers and the ck string faded away slowly and the boy lost his consciousness.


    "What the hell? What the fuck did you do to him?" another boy yelled.


    "What happened?" Dem asked. "He suddenly... Is that brat dead?"


    "I don''t think so," I mumbled. "He is just not a marite anymore."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I will exin everything. Let me just cut these strings first," I said.


    I started cutting the strings and removing the ck mana in them. The amount was very little and it was getting absorbed by me. The amount that I was absorbing was very little, but the mana I was using to cut those strings was more. Besides, my power was not awakened fully. Perhaps that was the reason I was getting tired with each passing minute.


    Dem was not asking anything. He was just observing me as I told him that I would exin everything to himter.


    After I managed to cut all the strings attached to them, I could sigh in relief. At least, they were not under the control of any dark mage now. All of them were unconscious and I was not sure when they would get up, but they surely would.


    "Haa, phew... It''s done," I said.


    "Care to exin what just happened?" Dem asked.


    "Yeah, let me tell you... Ow...!"


    "Whoa, be careful..."


    Dem quickly held me as I almost fell. It was a good thing that he was too fast. "I feel a bit dizzy..."


    "You don''t look good at all. I will carry you. Let''s go back," he said and picked me up. I did not stop him. I had a feeling that I would not be able to take more than two steps now.


    "I will be fine if I rest a bit... I actually could track the ck mana. The head mage said that if the amount is too little, they cannot track ck mana. The amount of ck mana that I transferred unconsciously in Sapphire is small too since a cat''s body cannot hold much mana. But I could see it...


    I saw it once, but I had a feeling that if there is ck mana in those boys'' and girls'' as well, I would be able to track them. I followed Luc''s advice and tried to concentrate. It worked... I also guess that I might be able to absorb the ck mana and tried to do so... I have used too much mana to cut those strings and absorb the ck mana. That''s why I am a bit tired..."


    "You... Why did you go this far?" he asked, gritting his teeth.


    "It''s to help both of us. I mean, you need them toe to their senses, right...?"


    My head felt too heavy. My sight got blurry and my head was spinning. I was losing consciousness.


    "Blue? Wake up!"


    I could hear his voice, but I could not open my eyes. It was alright. I would be fine after a while.


    When I woke up again, it was nighttime. My clothes were changed and I was wearing a nightgown. And my husband was smoking, sitting beside the bed in a chair. He looked oddly calm, just the way he looked when he was too angry. Did I worry him too much?


    "... What time is it?" I asked as I struggled to sit up.


    "That''s the thing you say when you wake up after worrying me so fucking much?"


    "I..."


    "I will tell the servants to get your food. You must be hungry. You were unconscious the whole day."


    He pulled the rope above his head while smoking continuously. He seemed very angry, but he was controlling himself, just for my sake.


    "I am sorry for worrying you... I didn''t know I would pass out..."


    "You don''t know a lot of things. You find out only after you do it," he muttered. "Are you happy? Do you like seeing me worrying so much?"


    "No! Of course not! How can you say that?"


    "Don''t move too much. You will get a headache."


    "But I did not intend to... I was just trying to help."


    "Yes, you did help. Thanks to you, those brats calmed down, but they are still against us. It''s just a little less now," he said.


    "Ah, I see..."


    It was not like I expected them toe to our side now. They were not fully controlled. It was true that they were messed with a bit, but it was not too much. Now, I just needed to know what caused them to hate the Dem and me so much.


    The servants had already brought my dinner to the bedroom. Dem motioned for them to leave and just like always, he started feeding me. He put out his cigar as well.


    "I am sorry...," I mumbled. "I only wanted to help."


    "I don''t need your help if it means hurting yourself," he said tly. "I don''t need your help at all. It doesn''t matter if I am losing or now, if you don''t want to, you don''t have to help me. All I want is for you to stay by my side. It''s okay if you help me as long as it''s your choice. But that doesn''t mean I will let you get hurt while helping me."


    "I did not know I would get hurt..."


    "You are too careless."


    "Were you here the whole time?"


    "No," he replied.


    ''Yeah, but you surely were here most of the time. It''s just clear...''


    "Did you eat?"


    "Are you worried about me now?"


    "Of course. You are my husband. Shouldn''t I be worried?"


    "You should be worried about yourself now. Pushing yourself too hard all the time no matter what I say... Why don''t you ever listen to me?"


    "Ever?" I repeated. "... Dem, I listen to you about almost every single thing. Especially you don''t have the right to say this. Don''t say things like this and make me feel guilty. I listen to you.


    I always listen to you... This time, I just wanted to help... I know I made you worry, but you cannot say it to me... You just can''t..."


    Tears began to roll down my cheeks. He sighed and kissed my forehead. Without uttering a word, he began to pat me on my back.


    "I am angry at you, but even now, you are making me feel warm and loved... I... I hate this..."


    "Finish your dinner. You need sleep," he said.


    "Why are you doing this?" I sobbed, holding his sleeve.


    "Must be because your husband is a crazy bastard," he chuckled bittered.


    I looked at him again, but this time, I concentrated. I wished there was a ck string around him. That would mean that he was under the control of a dark mage and if I cut that string, he would be free and would not think and talk this way. But disappointing me, there was no ck string.


    Now the person in front of me was his real self. If he did not take steps to improve, it was impossible. He needed help and I was trying to help him as much as I could, but was it enough?


    After the dinner, he called the servants again and they cleaned everything. Dem stood up and threw a file on the nket in front of me.


    "I know what you want to know. Don''t go around looking for answers yourself. Ask for my help and don''t put yourself in danger. Discuss everything with me beforehand. That way, I can make sure that you don''t get hurt."