Chapter 16: How I felt
Jeez. this little demon really knew how to lay it on. No one had ever been able to make me feel this bad about anything, and I had done some downright despicable things in my time. Still, I clearly needed it.
"Well, I guess I really am the asshole here," I sighed, and Lyra patted my arm.
"You're a man, so Women shouldn't expect you to understand our complicated feelings. As a woman, I also know how hard it is to say what you really mean when talking to someone that you care about like she seems to do for you," Lyra explained, and I nodded.
With a newfound perspective, I left the room with Lyra, deciding that I needed to find Shelli and have a serious talk with her. The guilt and regret were eating at me, and I couldn't ignore them any longer.
I found Shelli in the main area of the warehouse, overseeing the guards who were keeping an eye on the demons. She looked up as I approached, her expression uncertain.
"Shelli, we need to talk," I said, trying to keep my tone calm.
Her eyes widened, and she nodded quickly. "O-of course, Leon. What's on your mind?"
I took a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts. "I've been thinking about how I treated you earlier. I realize now that I was too harsh, and I want to apologize. I don't know your situation or what you've been through, and I shouldn't have judged you so quickly."
Shelli's eyes softened, and she seemed surprised by my apology. "Leon, you don't have to apologize. I understand that you're under a lot of pressure, and I just want to help."
I shook my head. "No, I need to apologize. I've been so focused on my own goals and suspicions that I neglected to consider your feelings. I want us to work together, and I need to trust you. Can you forgive me?"
I knew that the way I had been acting wasn't wrong, but I also couldn't ignore the fact that I had only thought of myself. I hadn't taken the time to think about things, or try to ask the proper questions.
Shelli smiled warmly, and it seemed genuine. "Of course, Leon. I appreciate your honesty, and I'm here to support you. We'll figure things out together."
Feeling a weight lift off my shoulders, I nodded. "Thank you, Shelli. Now, we have a bigger issue at hand. The demons are under some kind of cursed mark controlled by a Dark Sorcerer. I've decided not to harm them, but I have run into a bit of a wall."
"Wall? She asked, but Lyra spoke up for me.
"Leon is going to take us in, but we must create the mark of love first," Lyra explained, but for some reason, that news gave Shelli a hopeful look.
"You know what that means, right?" I asked, and Shelli blushed and nodded.
"I was hoping that you could do that with me as well. Maybe then you would be able to trust me more," Shelli said shyly, and I took a step back in shock, feeling a horrible feeling pass over me like a wave.
I needed air.
Turning, I walked out of the warehouse, but no one said anything as I did. The moment the door was closed, I sprinted to the edge of the town, hopped the fence, and walked a bit farther. When I felt I was far enough away, I let it all out, screaming a guttural roar that could have probably been heard for miles.
I felt annoyed with myself, even though I knew it was reasonable for me to act the way I did. The moment that she had just said it, everything that Shelli had done up to this point made perfectly good sense. Now I was left to deal with my actions.
Of course she was being controlled. She basically told me with a nod when we first met. What had she been trying to do the entire time? Get me to have sex with her, which would give her this mark of love, and probably get rid of it!
More anger at myself bubbled up, and I began slamming my fists into the ground, causing an explosion of dirt to fly up in the air. I kept doing this until my body felt tired, and then I sank to my knees.
This was honestly the worst I had ever felt about anything in my entire life, but I had said it before. If I was wrong, I would apologize later, and that was exactly what I needed to do, even though I had already done it. I hated the feelings that I was having, but I did understand why I was feeling them.
I actually really liked Shelli, and I had wanted to believe in her. Now that I knew the source of my mistrust, I needed to bottle it up, and do damage control, if there was any to be actually had. Shelli was so understanding of my feelings, but I think that was the reason why I was out here, alone.
Getting back up, I turned around, and both girls were standing fifteen feet away from me, and most of the town was behind them. Seeing them all suddenly made me feel self-conscious about the fit I had just thrown, but the girls both walked over to me.
I stood there, not knowing what to say. The guilt and regret still gnawed at me, but I had to face the consequences of my actions. Shelli was the first to speak.
"Leon, are you okay?" she asked, concern evident in her eyes.
I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. "Shelli, I owe you an apology. I should have trusted you from the beginning and not let my suspicions get in the way. I was wrong, and I'm sorry."
Shelli's expression softened, and she shook her head. "You don't have to apologize, Leon. I understand that you're going through a lot, and I want to help you."
I nodded, appreciating her understanding. Then, I turned to Lyra. "And you, I apologize for treating you like a prisoner. I want to find a way to break the cursed mark and help you and your demons. Can you guide us through the ritual you mentioned?"
Rather than Lyra responding, Shelli coughed, and I looked at her. She was blushing very hard.
"Umm, I know how to do the ritual, so I think that we can do it on our own. Can we also talk about this somewhere that everyone is watching us?" Shelli asked shyly, and I slapped my hand to my face.
One of these days I was going to stop being an idiot, but I was just glad that things were finally going to be cleared up. I was also glad that I could stop acting like a traditional beta harem MC that had women throwing themselves at me. No more of that!
It was time to finally give away this virginity that I had been holding on to for the last 24 years!