The Villainess and I, her Zombie

"Lord Blackberry, if I may."

Zombie, sitting next to the red-haired Cranberry by the inn's table watching as she ate, straightened his back and asked the bespectacled man – but even while he was talking to him in a polite voice, his eyes were stuck on the eating girl.

"I'm listening."

Lord Blackberry turned to him, more than happy to take his mind off of the subpar food that he was served... honestly, having a childish taste like his daughter would be a blessing since it looked like the cook of the inn's kitchen never heard of any kind of spices whatsoever – or was too excited having to serve a high noble and forgot to use any...

"My former parents run a shop with magic stones, they do have a good head for business, so they would most definitely try to use this situation to gain some sort of advantage or even a favor, I dare say."

The boy spoke calmly but by the end of his sentence his lips twisted in a sour expression.

"Why, yes, I expect them to do something like that. I'm sure that since they are taking so long they are writing quite a play for us to enjoy."

The bespectacled man smiled while cutting up the cardboard-like steak and putting it to his mouth while closing his eyes and hoping for the best.

"..."

Zombie managed to look away from Cranberry for a moment and looked into Lord Blackberry's face.

"The villagers use locally grown herbs and try to convince themselves that's how the taste should be. You have my condolences since none of them will admit how much they are lying to themselves with that."

"Pffft...!"

The blue boy nodded his head a little with an apologetic smirk which caused the bespectacled man to snort so hard that he had to clench his nose with his right arm to stop the food trying to escape through there.

"...there's something wrong with the food...? I thought that it's tasty..."

Their conversation and such unexpected reaction from her father made the red-haired girl stop moving the knife and fork and look between the two with a slightly timid expression.

"Because it is tasty for someone hungry. There's nothing wrong with the food. On the other hand, you are the amazing one, enjoying it so much! I can tell you that if someone wants to travel the world, a quality like that is simply required~!"

Zombie quickly shook his head and explained in a very serious manner... while simultaneously reaching for a napkin and wiping down a smudge of food from the girl's cheek in an effortless manner.

"Thank you. Ha... so you're saying I would make a good traveler?"

Cranberry blushed slightly and nodded to the blue boy before breathing out and asking curiously.

"I meant more like an adventurer, but the choice is yours."

Zombie tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders before smiling so cheerfully that the red-haired girl had to look away, blushing, from the brightness that he radiated.

"Oh, I like you, Zombie. But that only makes me more curious to see your appraisal results."

Lord Blackberry – who already managed to compose himself after the laughing fit – rejoined the conversation and squinted his eyes curiously at the undead sitting in front of him.

"Lord, if I may. Are we actually waiting for my former parents to show up because you're interested to ask about how I was in life? If so it would be much more favorable for me if you talked with a person who took me in while I was three years old as my parents couldn't handle my behavior anymore."

Zombie's eyes turned serious and for the first time since the three of them entered the inn he actually focused all of his attention on the bespectacled man.

"More favorable for you, you say...? Curious."

Lord Blackberry smiled in response and put his elbows on the table after pushing away the plate with half-eaten food.

"What sort of horror stories will they tell us about a child that somewhat was able to kill a bicorn on his own?"

He asked resting his chin on his hands while his glasses reflected the light in a menacing way.

"Nothing much. Just a living who developed way too fast and was a really terrible, terrible bully to his poor innocent older sister who never did him any wrong."

Zombie shrugged his shoulders lightly and his smirk became a little bit more mocking.

"Depends on your history of bullying girls, I might have to reconsider allowing you to stay with my daughter."

The bespectacled man shrugged back with a similar expression.

"..."

Zombie's face didn't change at all, not even a single muscle has budged, but his eyes grew dark.

|He has the guts to say something like that even with everything that's happening in his own house...?|

Because internally, the blue boy was as far away from staying calm as he could.

|He doesn't have anything to say about that – since his wife is now the avatar, she has absolute control of their family – he might actually be unaware about what is happening because that woman might simply tell him to believe that's the truth.|

Patience pointed out in a composed voice and explained properly.

|At the same time, I'm also fairly sure that he is joking about separating the two of you – he seems like a guy who enjoys spicy banter – why not go wild and entertain him? Of course, don't go too far.|

She added sounding as if she was grinning mockingly.

"Oh... that piece of fil... my sister, is a special case. Because we're not talking about some childish bullying either – I still am intending on killing her once she outlives her usefulness after all - but if we're talking about some innocent teasing..."

Zombie laughed, leaning back on his chair and turning to the red-haired girl who had a hard time keeping up with the conversation with how much she was eating...

|...that woman is already starving her, isn't she...|

|...most likely...|

The blue boy asked internally and got instant confirmation from the sealed overseer.

"If it's just a little bit of teasing... would I be pardoned...?"

He asked and lightly poked Cranberry in the side...

"KYAH! *hick*!"

Which caused the red-haired girl to jump up with a short  shocked scream and start hiccuping almost instantly.

"ZOMBIE!"

She cried out massaging her side in baffled  disbelief.

"How could- *hick* -you?!"

She pouted and hiccuped adorably which caused her to blush even harder.

"Here."

The blue boy poured a glass of water and passed it to her while his eyes sparkled with joy.

"I'm learning some interesting things for sure... Tell me. Are you by any chance someone that Pomegranate trained and sent over?"

Lord Blackberry smiled and asked suddenly as if hoping to take the blue boy by surprise and make him confess.

"Pomegranate? Ah, you mean the younger brother of the current avatar of wrath?"

|Pomegranate Wrath's older brother is still alive, right? RIGHT?!|

Zombie asked calmly while watching over the drinking Cranberry to make sure she drinks the water slowly to not choke herself with a sudden hiccup – but once again, on the inside, he was a panicking mess.

|It's alright, Pomegranate isn't the avatar of wrath yet, you're in the clear – if you wanted to make yourself look like someone secretly trained by the Wrath family, that is.|

Patience confirmed and rolled her eyes.

|Hey. Cranberry's mother is definitely banning him from contacting any of his friends anyway, this will never surface.|

|Not for now.|

Zombie shrugged it off but Patience corrected him in a serious manner.

"I knew it. How is he these days? I've heard he has a daughter now too."

Lord Blackberry perked up and leaned forward, just as starved for any news from his old acquaintances as his daughter was for food.

"My little Kiwi!"

But it wasn't the right moment for him to satiate that craving since a pair of a husband and wife approached their table and the woman burst in tears at the sight of the blue-skinned boy.