Chapter 139: First Layer of the Forest of Disruption? [8]
Half an hour later, they decided to head back to their tents.
"Where are you sleeping, Millis?" Lillian asked, curiously.
"Hm? Well! Ya know those groups of girls I was chatting up? I'm sleeping in one of their tents!" She said, puffing out her chest with a smug look. "Aren't I amazing? Now I don't gotta bother ya guys by being a third-wheel."
Lillian's eyes blinked in amusement. She then smiled.
"What made you think we were going to let you sleep in our tent?"
"E-eh...? Y-ya was going to let me sleep outside like a dog?" She stared at her with teary eyes.
Lillian rolled hers and said:
"I'm only joking. And you wouldn't bother us one bit." After she said that, she got a strange look from her.
"Yeah... I'm sure ya won't. Can't say much for red-eyes, though." She then pushed herself up from the log and began to talk towards the crowded bunch of tents.
"Later, Lil'! See ya tomorrow!" She then turned back and snickered, "Do try to keep ya hands to yourself! The tents aren't soundproof, I think!"
"S-shut up, Millis!" Lillian growled at the retreating Millis before sighing. She then got up from the campfire, wandered over to one of the tents and got someone else to go on lookout.
After that, she went back to hers and unzipped the entrance before crawling inside. Once she had entered, she found Marionette sitting in the corner, her legs fully stretched out—her right leg over her left—reading a book.
Surprisingly, the book she was reading wasn't The Art of Seduction, but one that didn't display a title.
Marionette raised her eyes from the pages and stared at her:
"Oh. You're here. Welcome."
"Ah— shouldn't you be sleeping?"
"Hm? Like I said before..." She put away her book, "I can stay up all night. And it's not like I have to listen to you."
She then moved around, lowering her side onto the floor of the tent.
"And also..." She patted the spot in front of her, "I wanted to sleep at the same time as you..."
Lillian froze for a bit before quickly turning her face to the side and whispering:
"You and your flirts..."
"... It wasn't a flirt, though..." Marionette responded with a naive glint in her eyes.
"W-well! It sounded like one!" She collapsed onto the spot Marionette patted and stared at her.
Marionette smirked at her words, "And it sounds like I wouldn't need to do much in the future to get you flustered." She raised her arms and pushed them over Lillian's arm and around her back.
Lillian felt herself being pulled in towards her, but...
She couldn't really do anything due to something holding her hands and arm back.
"Eh?" She glanced down and saw some kind of long, wooden rope wrapped around the wrists of her hands and hips.
It was Marionette's Lively Whip.
"W-wha—!" She fidgetted around, trying to pull her hands out from the unexpected binding, "What do you think you're doin—"
Before she could finish her sentence, she felt Marionette's finger place itself onto her lips followed by a soft...
"Shhh..."
Marionette hushed her, wrapped her arm around her tighter and pulled her in, "Just go to sleep, Lillian..."
"B-bu— do you really need me tied up for that!?"
"... It'll help keep you still as I hug you, Lillian."
The Rabbit gave a flustered and shaky sigh at her words, "Honestly... Marionette, get rid of the whip."
"... Alright."
Lillian felt the hold from the whip disappear. She was quite surprised that Marionette was so easily convinced.
"That was... easy."
"Why wouldn't it be?" Marionette looked at her curiously.
"I just thought—"
"You thought I would say no?"
"Well... yeah, actually."
Marionette chuckled a bit, "I'll respect your wishes, Lillian. If you don't like what I'm doing, you can tell me. Communication is best when it comes to matters like these."
"..." Lillian silently stared at her, a bit surprised.
Before Marionette could say anything, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. She then shivered a bit.
She glanced down and found Lillian's face somewhat buried in the crevice of her neck. She then heard her whisper:
"Same for me as well... you can tell me about anything I do, that you don't like."
Due to Lillian's current line of sight, she wasn't able to see the shaky smile on Marionette's lips.
"I-... Is that so?"
Lillian then felt a hand rest on the back of her head, gently pushing her face further into Marionette's neck.
The Assassin then slightly leaned down—beside Lillian's ear—and whispered:
"I don't think I'll need to. You don't do anything wrong, after all..." She spoke in a deep and breathy tone, "And you'll never will... right?"
Marionette then waited for a response but none came. She glanced down and found that Lillian was already fast asleep.
"... Already, hm? Having already slept for so long on the bus... to think you could fall asleep this fast." She rubbed the back of Lillian's head, "But you not answering my question has made it a bit awkward... so I'll answer for you."
She then paused for a split second before speaking in an ominous tone:
"I'll get rid of the things that could possibly make you do something wrong..."
***
The night then passed and soon enough, the next day arrived.
And Marionette... was in quite a situation...
She glanced down at Lillian's sleeping face that was still in the crevice of her neck and at her lips, which were pressed against her skin.
She had almost reflectively pushed her off her a second ago, but right now... she wasn't sure whether or not to wake her up or leave her like this for a bit until someone arrived to get them.
She shivered again as Lillian moved a bit in her sleep, brushing her soft lips against her skin.
A slight blush appeared on her cheeks as she thought about what to do. She then sighed, deciding against what she wanted and waking her up.