"Why do you hate that man so much?" asked a completely naked woman, wrapped in white sheets.
The place he found himself in could have been any hotel in the city.
"Hate, no," Miya replied calmly. "Tell me, Lina, do you hate rats?"
The girl moved closer to Miya, who remained seated, watching the moon through the window.
"Yes, like anyone else."
"And why?"
"They're disgusting. They live in garbage and in sewers. Besides, if I'm not mistaken, centuries ago the worst of all bacteria, the Black Death, spread because of them."
"You have a point. Millions of people died back then. But wouldn't it be discriminatory to say it was only the rats' fault? After all, there are other rodents, like squirrels or hamsters, that belong to the same family and could also carry the same plague."
"Maybe, but what does that have to do with what I asked you?"
"Rats are hated for their repulsiveness and their way of life. In my case, what I feel for that person is not hatred, not even for what he did to me. The past is the past, and it stays there. The only thing that matters to me is the present."
"So it's not about revenge," the girl murmured, sliding her hand along Miya's leg.
"Exactly. It's just an interest," Miya replied, turning to look at her. "I'm grateful for everything you do for me."
With a slow gesture, Miya took the girl by the chin and kissed her.
"And what do you want me to do with Sanli now?"
"Keep him like that, maybe two, perhaps four more days in bed. After that, let him go or do whatever you want."
"Sometimes you scare me when you talk like that."
Miya didn't respond. Instead, she mounted her, silencing any other words.
"But you love me like this, don't you?"
"Yes. I love you like this."
Then the girl, who didn't seem to have lost control at any point, twisted her body with an agile movement until she was on top of Miya.
"I really feel jealous of that boy, but I understand it. I understand that you want to be happy, that you want a normal life. And because of that… I'm glad."
Between soft kisses, Miya replied:
"Thank you."
After a brief contact between them, the girl looked at her curiously before asking:
"Miya… why do you love that boy so much? You never told me."
"…That boy is my world to me. He's the person I love the most. He was there when I needed someone the most. He saved me… and I will be his savior now."
Miya sighed, slowly brushing her lips against the girl's neck.
"Do you know what makes me happiest about him?" Miya murmured. "That when he looks at me, he always shows me such a pure smile."
The room fell silent for a moment. The girl pressed her lips to Miya's shoulder calmly, almost absentmindedly.
"I'm sure he's very beautiful."
"Yes, too much."
The girl lifted her face slightly, watching her closely.
"And what if one day he discovers everything we do here?"
Miya frowned slightly, as if the question had caught her off guard.
"The only way he'd find out is if you tell him."
The girl smiled to the side, playfully, and raised her gaze to meet hers.
"And what if I get jealous? What if I want to keep a little piece of him?"
The atmosphere immediately grew tense.
"Don't you dare. He is mine."
Miya gripped her waist tightly, never breaking eye contact.
"I understand, I understand," the girl replied. "I was just asking."
Miya searched for the girl's face, and when she had it in front of her, she lifted her gaze and said:
"You should look for someone for yourself, Lina."
"Someone like your prince charming?"
"No," Miya said. "Besides, he is not my prince. I am his prince. I was the one who rescued him from his loneliness so that we can live happily ever after."
Lina smiled, resting her forehead against hers.
"Then I don't have to look for anyone. I already have you, my prince."
Chapter 26: Warning