The Villainess and I, her Zombie

After hearing the queen's offer, the master-servant pair decided to stay at the royal castle until the day of the royal ball - the ball that they actually chose to attend even after knowing full well that it has an unsettlingly huge chance to turn into a condemnation event for Cranberry, who was the villainess after all.

The two of them also showed some benevolence and didn't take over the royal chambers and settled simply on the second-best guest rooms prepared in case the foreign royalty would be visiting - as a sign of their goodwill.

"Haa... the greed of Greeds knows no bounds."

Cranberry breathed out softly while laying on the king-sized bed and turning the pages of some rare book straight from the castle's precious secret library.

"I don't know, that living was surprisingly cooperative. Too cooperative if you ask me. As soon as she learned about us wanting to take over the world she offered to deal with all aftermath - what does that suppose to mean?"

Zombie was laying on his back next to the red-haired girl, staring at the ceiling - the only spot where he could look at without seeing the life signatures of all the annoying living he hated so much.

"She's taking a risk - a huge risk - by betting on the two of us."

Cranberry shrugged her shoulders and explained, though she wasn't very clear in her explanation...

"There's a risk? We will take over the world and crush everyone who stands in our way, simple as that. Where's the risk? Could it be that you are still worried about my sister being this whole savior that's supposed to make things right or whatever?"

The blue undead rolled over to his side and looked at the red-haired girl whose expression suddenly turned dark.

"...ha... it's annoying that even with your rotten brain you were able to figure that out so easily. I must be a real failure of a simpleton to be that easy to read..."

Cranberry gritted her teeth and buried her face into the pillow she used for supporting her chin as she read.

"...!"

Hearing that Zombie flinched and furrowed his brows.

"That sounded like something your mother would say. What came over you to call yourself that?"

He asked while moving himself close to the unresponsive girl.

"..."

"It's not a good time for the silent treatment, you know? How many times already had things went awkward because you forgot or had no time to let me in on your plan? It's just like that, tell me what's bothering you."

"...haa..."

He nudged her in the side but the only response was a long sigh.

"Sorry for being a failure at communicating."

The red-haired villainess finally said something, but what she spoke was just more of the self-loathing stuff.

"You are not a failure, Cranberry. A way too prideful, cunning, short-tempered girl with some psychopathic tendencies - sure. But definitely not a failure."

The blue undead reached over, got his arms onto the red-haired girl's waist, and pulled her into his calming, pleasantly cool embrace.

"Haa... the only thing I take from that, is that psycho and psychopathic are the same word and are definitely not an expression of fondness as you tried to pass them as. You rotten brain."

Cranberry grumbled, with her face against Zombie's chest - but she certainly didn't seem to mind her position, and she sounded quite pleased despite the words she used.

"Really? I have no idea what you are talking about."

Zombie tilted his head and stared innocently at the girl in his arms.

"Haa... It's kind of amazing how once the system control faded, you've suddenly become such a convincing liar."

Cranberry breathed out and nuzzled against him and closed her eyes with a calm smile.

"Not became, I always was a good liar, both during the short time that I was alive in this world as well as during my life in my previous world - at least as far as my memories are telling me."

The blue undead shrugged and rested his chin on the red-haired girl's head.

"Say, Zombie... there is one thing I would like to ask you about your past life."

Cranberry fidgeted nervously in Zombie's arms, making him furrow his brows.

"Oh? Only one? Sure, I don't mind answering whatever question you have. I'll answer as long as I'll remember it. Honestly, it's all quite fuzzy, doesn't really feel like it was my life anymore."

He gave her permission with a smug smile.

"Well, it's actually something that might help us with dealing with the so-called savior."

Cranberry didn't answer straight up but rather picked and chose the roundabout way.

"Alright, ask away."

Zombie nodded, still on with the idea.

"The thing that Mary said about her senior, so your sister in this world, Caramel... Mary, she said that Caramel is looking for her beloved man from her previous life... and even Patience had said that you were brought as a hostage for the savior, so once again Caramel, in order to force her to save this world..."

"Stop right there."

"...?!"

Cranberry's words were interrupted by Zombie suddenly standing up, leaving her alone on the bed.

"Eh...? Wh-what is it, did I say something wrong...?"

The red-haired girl also stood up and then she trembled as she asked.

"Listen, Zombie, you wanted me to talk about my worries then here I go. I'm worried that this whole savior is actually someone like your lover from your previous life and I am worried sick that now with your free will back you will choose her over me and-mpfh...?"

She wanted to say more but suddenly two cold fingers gently pressed into her lips stopping her from talking.

"...?"

The red-haired girl tried to look at them, they were undoubtedly a part of the blue left arm that was unmistakably connected to the rest of her blue corpse puppet's body.

But then she looked up at the face of her undead and.

"!!!"

She shuddered, as for the first time since their first meeting, she saw the blue undead as terrifying.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Cranberry."

Zombie's voice was much colder and much scarier than ever before.

"Let me just tell you one thing... if that girl is actually the one who had the guts to call me her beloved in our previous lives..."

Zombie bared his teeth in pure fury and his body began glowing with an intense violet light while his eyes turned red.

"Then I will be the one to tear that fucking freak limb from limb and then spit on her remains."