The Villainess and I, her Zombie

"Hmph! That pink dancer got stronger again!"

Cranberry pouted before she took a bite out of a sandwich prepared by Olive, and chewed on it as if each and every ingredient has done had a great disservice and she was taking revenge on them.

"Ahaha! That's right – Gooseberry complained to me the other day that his kid talks only about you Zombie and Baron nowaday's – you all are really good friends, huh."

The old elf pulled out the chair and sat right by the red-haired girl and messed her hair affectionately while laughing.

"Who's that guy's friend?! If anything he is my rival!"

Cranberry furrowed her brows and complained, but despite her words, she did blush a little bit and fidgetted after hearing the word friends.

"You are saying that he got stronger, but you are the same, right? I've seen you all train just the other day while I was passing by the training ground – believe me when I say that no one in their right mind would think that either you or Zombie are level 1!"

Mirabelle smiled, looking between the red-haired girl and the blue undead on the opposite side of the table while taking another sandwich for herself.

"Of course I did! Even though he can level up and I don't it doesn't mean that I can let him defeat me!"

Cranberry puffed out her chest with pride and declared..

"Mommy is a village elder, I cannot allow myself to be defeated! Ah...!"

She added before she could stop herself – and once she realized what she said she gasped and covered her mouth with both hands and looked down with a bright red face.

"..."

Zombie silently glanced at the elven woman, and smirked – Mirabelle was looking at Cranberry in shock – but the best kind of shock – she looked so happy that she looked on the verge of bursting out in tears.

"Cranberry...!"

She gasped and left her seat.

"...I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... Please, don't be mad at me..."

Cranberry wasn't looking at her and started apologizing as soon as the woman got close to her, thinking that she will receive a scolding.

"Sweetie..."

"...ha...?!"

...that's why the red-haired girl gasped in absolute shock once the elven woman reached out and picked her up from her chair and hugged her.

"Don't apologize sweetie. There's nothing I would like more than having you as my daughter."

Mirabelle smiled nuzzling her cheek against the little girl's head.

"...but... but... my real mother said that I'm a failure..."

Cranberry trembled, clenching her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white.

"...I wish that you were my mother instead... please don't hate me..."

The little girl cried out pitifully, cowering in the elf's arms prepared to be cast aside at any moment.

"..."

Mirabelle got teary-eyed and hugged her much much closer instead.

"...my baby... You aren't a failure! And don't ever say that I could hate you... that woman you talk about clearly didn't realize what treasure she had - I would really love to call you a daughter – I already think about you as my own anyway."

She declared, coddling Cranberry as if she was a little baby.

"!!!!"

Cranberry trembled and raised her head, just to see Mirabelle looking back at her with a motherly smile.

"...really...? I... I will never forgive you if you are lying to me right now..."

Cranberry asked, doing her best to keep her voice serious as her chin and lips were continuously trembling from holding back the tears.

"Of course I'm serious, you silly child!"

Mirabelle laughed and kissed her on the forehead.

"Mommy..."

The red-haired girl opened her fists and wrapped her arms around Mirabelle's neck.

"I'm listening, sweetie."

The woman smiled and asked.

"Mommy!"

The girl cried and desperately hugged the elven woman with all her might.

"I'm here. Cranberry, mommy is very, very proud of you and loves you with all her heart."

"...uuu... Uuuuuuuuuuu...!

Mirabelle snuggled back to the little girl who started openly sobbing in her shoulder.

"Aww... sweetie... It's alright... You can let it all out. Mommy won't leave you."

She patted her back continuing to coddle her.

"Hey, I think that it will be best if the two of us will get an early night today."

Mirabelle added, glancing at the Olive and Zombie – and of course, it was the right choice since it looked like Cranberry wasn't going to let go of her for a while.

"Sure, sure. Don't worry about us, right?"

Olive stealthily wiped the tear that made its way in the corner of his eye and waved his hand dismissively, looking at Zombie for confirmation.

"I'm really happy for both of you."

Zombie nodded at Mirabelle and Cranberry with a bright smile.

"Then... goodnight, gentlemen."

Mirabelle smiled back at the two of them and left the dining room with Cranberry in her arms – as they were moving through the door, the red-haired girl looked up from above her shoulder back at the blue undead staying behind.

Zombie smiled at her and nodded, making the girl smile back at him.

"Thank you."

As they left, Zombie turned to Olive and nodded to him.

"You can't imagine how much it means to me seeing Cranberry happy like this."

He said with a soft smile.

"Heh... funny thing. I was about to thank you for bringing her to us."

The old elf leaned back in his chair and laughed cheerfully.

"That said – I hope you remember that she and I need to show up at the first kill party in the capital the next year – and I don't know whether we will be able to come back here for a while – as far as I know we might show up only after we will be ready to deal with the Envys and the thing they hidden away in their family mansion."

Zombie's smile disappeared and he spoke in a serious voice, carefully watching the elf's expression.

"I remember, that's what you told me right after you arrived at the village after all."

Olive looked up at the ceiling with a melancholic smile and responded with a sigh.

"I'll do everything in my might to protect her, so don't worry."

Zombie declared in a serious voice, wanting to put the old elf at ease.

"...kiddo, Cranberry isn't the only one Mirabelle and I care about, you know? Don't push yourself too hard – it's enough that you got yourself turned into an undead. Don't push yourself that far ever again – if things will go too far, just ask us for help. The two of you are a part of this village and our family."

Olive leaned forward and put his hands on the table, looking the blue undead in the eyes.

|Ever imagined hearing something like this from an elf?|

|Nah, never. Not even from Lairs. But it certainly doesn't feel bad.|

Patience giggled and Zombie responded with a shrug.

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

The blue undead who still looked like a seven years old boy, for the time being, smiled and thanked the guardian of the village that he massacred with no mercy in his first playthrough.