"Eepop, confine yourself to your room."

"But Mother, I-"

"Just do as I say."

Eepop reluctantly glanced back at Popee before she was forcefully dragged away by the arm with her persistent attendants in tow. Popee shot back a look of concern at her as well, but the instant he tried to perceive her, he voluntarily averted his eyes, which made her heart ache knowing that his eyes weren't so intently locked on hers.

For Ipap was watching.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Tick-tick. Tick-tick.

About forty-five minutes has now passed, and the minutes dragged on by as indicated on the elegant clockwork shown upon the oak pendulum clock hung upon the wall. It was an antique that Eepop's family has saved and passed down through generations. Regardless of Eepop thinking of it as the most uninteresting and boring thing present within her room, she couldn't help but look at it while pondering some troublesome thoughts.. And she thus gratefully took the clock as a convenient distraction, its sounds similar to thudding coins falling unto a counter repetitively. Meanwhile her innermost thoughts heckled her, back and forth within the confines of her mind, never promising to cease at any given moment. Though they had something in common, and it was mostly concerned about Popee, who was enclosed in the main parlor with her mother.

"Oh dear God," she sobbed, covering her palms over tired eyes, now dreadfully weary from crying. "I can't take this any longer.. Popee doesn't deserve this. Please, please don't let anything horrible happen to him."

Kedamono looked up at the girl, whimpering as Eepop stroked his fur. Perhaps something terrible would happen after all.

He had a premonition, and it may be a knock on wood, but he knew that he felt it.

And it was vastly unsettling.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

"So, I have seen that you have touched my daughter." Ipap briskly interposed, giving him a hard stare. "Now pray tell me what was that all about."

Popee wasn't looking directly at Ipap, rather, he continued to look terribly disconnected, refusing to make eye contact with her. The old dame was standing by the doorway initially as if to block it, but seeing as her guest was pacified but inherently alert about his surroundings didn't give her comfort either. A small part of her felt flattered that another man was pursuing her daughter, but the other half hastily admonished her for her short-lived pride that was the one who ruined her elaborate plans. Marrying off Eepop to a rich man was no longer a possibility in the near future, and the door of opportunity has thus deftly closed itself upon the eager family. Taking his profound silence into careful consideration, Ipap decided to push his buttons further by agitating him intentionally.

"You know, I didn't train my daughter to become a whore. But your lust for her has made her into one; she might as well have two husbands now thanks to your arrogance."

At this statement Popee felt intense heat flare up on his cheeks, turning into a bright red. Her sharp words about Eepop and himself in a polygamous relationship made his blood boil, because he knew that the poor girl wouldn't do such a thing in her life.

"Keep Eepop out of this. You already know that she does not love me." Popee answered back tersely. He prudently checked his own brash tongue from insulting the great woman, not due to her higher position, but mostly because she was Eepop's mother.

Then and there, Ipap was keenly aware that she hit a soft spot with him, and that her words shot through him like a bullet. His gruff reply indicated to her that he didn't have any motivation to insult her, but remain cold yet cordial. Like a soldier planning on attacking a highly fortified castle, Ipap knew that he was immediately on the defensive side in this present situation. All she had to do was make him crumple down and heel to her every want and whim.

"Surely, she does." Ipap walked around him, as if interrogating a disobedient and slacking house servant who refused to comply with her request. "She obviously enjoys your company, and reads with you, and have picnics with you, and have long walks with you in the evenings." Ipap says as she counted those past instances they spent with one another with her delicately gloved fingers. "Why do you think, that 'lovely' scene played out in flower field, hm? Could you explain that? I'm not stupid, nor was I born yesterday, boy. I know when two young people are deeply in love with each another, and it is obvious that you two are becoming into something more-"

"She does not have eyes for me." Popee interrupted her, once again responding curtly. "Madam, it's not possible for her to-"

"But you do love her. And that possibility already became a reality."

Popee froze on the spot, and his heart felt like it was about to stop. The truth was finally leaked out, which was shot through Ipap's prodding lips reeking of incessant chatter. The icy blueness of his glacier-ridden eyes now clouded over, as if it wanted to hide the truth purposefully brought about by this annoyingly persistent middle-aged woman. Seeing his weakness, Ipap now grinned to herself, knowing that she succeeded in her dogged pursuit and hence received the desired result thanks to her efforts. He coldly glared down at her, only to meet her eyes, those eyes which deeply contrasted his own and pierced like the fiery, unforgiving sun. Her intense, bright rays of light given by her stare caused the frozen, rigid floes of his own to crack under pressure, which made him silently shudder.

Seating herself down by a single, elegant, and tall chair that was put in the middle of the room by the grand and wide window, Ipap folded her legs together and asserted her dominance by staring at him some more, till he can no longer take it and looked away. The light provided by the window was also unforgivingly glaring, and she faced her captive with prideful triumph and her back now facing the window and the chair.

"Tell you what, darling." Ipap added shortly, "Since I am a very merciful, kind, forgiving, and oh-so gracious woman, I'll give you one more chance." She softly grinned at him, ending her sentence with a chuckle. "If you are a good boy and listen to what I have to say, and act accordingly, then you and I shall leave each other on good terms."

"But. Refuse to do what I ask, and then it can be safely assured that you are no longer welcome here, nor in my presence, my daughter's." She asserted, "We wouldn't want that, now, would we?"

"What are you suggesting?" Popee muttered under his breath, disturbed.

"I'm forcing an ultimatum, my dear boy. You can either openly reject those feelings you have for Eepop, and confess your genuinely thorough rejection of her, right in front of her face in my presence. Or, you remain silent about this whole ordeal, leave the mansion, and never come back on the pretense that you will never show your face here nor in the shire."

"again." Ipap slyly commanded him, her eyes now narrowing at the young man, his pupils sharply contracting now as if by instinct- he was notably shocked and aggravated by her ruthless demands.

"But I can't do that to her. I would have to feed her a lie!" Popee remarked, profoundly agitated at her request.

"Well," Ipap smirked, "what other choice do you have..?"

Distraught and weary, Popee immediately slumped himself on a nearby chair and leaned forward, setting his elbows on his knees and his fingers in his tussled blonde hair. Ipap gets up from her own chair and walks up to Popee's, lifting up his chin and forcing him to make eye contact with her.

"Don't forget that I hold a lot of power here, darling." She said as she leans in towards him. "I could make everyone turn against you, make your life miserable, and make you want to kneel over and die, in this very spot."

"Because, as long as you're here, in my house-"

"I won't let you take advantage of my power and position that easily." Ipap hissed, sharply.

Tick-tick. Tick-tick.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Due to her own contagious apprehension, Eepop anxiously peeped out from one the upper rooms of the staircase, and saw Popee open up the great oaken door of the main parlor for her mother. Soundly mistaking that their meeting went remarkably well, she happily ran down the steps, almost falling over her own feet. Popee looks up, since Eepop's silk slippers made a soft pitter-patter upon the steps along with Kedamono's paws. She was about to eagerly start towards him, but instantly stops herself upon being perceived by her mother and about two male servants present within the room, intently watching her, making her blush from embarrassment.

She felt as if everyone was staring.

"Ohhhh, Eepop! It is a good thing that you are here!" Ipap's voice joyously rang out, "Popee.. Has something to tell you. Isn't that right, darling?" Looking over at the manservants who are about to leave the room, she whispered, 'No, no. Stay; we need a few witnesses.' Raising their eyebrows, they remained, but did not question her abrupt instruction.

"Eepop, I-"

He felt Ipap's stare burn into his back.

Eepop gasped, in heavy anticipation. This is it. This is when he will tell her that he'll stay, that he will always be by her side, that he'll-

"Eepop, I have to go."

Eepop felt as if her heart was about to drop, on this very floor, like as if it was about to shatter into a million pieces. She carefully disregarded the deep feeling of disappointment and sadness that grew within her with the deliberate denial of his words. Shaking off the feeling at once, she giggled awkwardly, and remarked,

"P-Popee, you're just being silly, right?" Her eyes fell on him, looking at him from head to toe, searching for something, anything, that would prove that she was right this whole time, that he actually wanted to stay with her, that what he just said was truly a lie.

"... Right?"

Popee no longer focused his gaze on her, and his facial features looked absolutely distraught. Turning pale, his blue eyes dulled over at her inquiry, in the same way that they deemed nearly lifeless when he almost died from Onomadek's attacks in that dark alley. It was as if he was gradually turning gray as he spent more time with her at this very moment, which was rather odd and unsightly, since his complexion would sport otherwise. Typically the opposite would happen, and Eepop knew at once that something went horribly wrong. She eventually stared at Ipap, who was trying her very best to control herself and contain her laughter at the sight.

'M-mother..? What is going on?' Her eyes cried out, suddenly distressed, and now welling up with tears, frantically searching for answers that would comfort her and release her from out of the growing darkness which is soon becoming the pitch-black unknown.

"Someone, fetch my things." He motioned towards one of the servants, who nodded at him in approval and left the room. "I need to leave as soon as possible."

"Wh... Why..?"

Ignoring Eepop, Popee led himself towards the front door, disregarding the cold hard stares being aimed about him in the room. He took his dark coat from the rack and put it on, his back turned against Eepop, Kedamono, Ipap, and the servant. Unfortunately, Eepop remained in denial, and followed after him briskly. She refused to give up and stop in her pursuit of him.

"Popee, n-no. You don't want this." Eepop continued to assert, her voice now shaking. She proceeded to take his left hand with both of her hands, and she desperately entwined his long fingers into hers. Her warm touch startled him, and he wanted to tighten his grip around her hand to reassure her, that everything was going to be okay. And most importantly, promise her that he will come back to see her again, in due time. But, remembering what Ipap said, he stopped himself.

"You can either openly reject those feelings you have for Eepop, and confess your genuinely thorough rejection of her, right in front of her face and in my presence."

She proceeded to return the grasp in his hand, further tightening her grip as she clasped his left arm.

"Or, you remain silent about this whole ordeal, and leave the mansion."

Clenching his right fist, Popee loosened his grip on her hands.

"Don't forget that I hold a lot of power here, darling."

Eepop looked up at him in inherent fear. "P-Popee..?"

"Because as long as you're here, in my house-"

"N-no, this can't be." Eepop said, sobbing, and shaking her head deliberately.

"I won't let you take advantage of my power and position easily."

... And so he finally tossed her hands aside from his arms, as if her actions meant absolutely nothing to him. Roughly shoving her aside, Popee turns away with an air of indifference and leaves the girl behind, who was now crying pitifully. Initially, she tried to walk after him in a last ditch effort to convince him to stay, but instead she ended up trudging forward a few steps before she gave up on herself completely and crumbled to the floor on both knees in despair..

Servants and maids, hearing the noise of Eepop's sobbing, eventually crowded into the room by twos and solemnly watched the scene. Whispers and gossip erupted around the main portal.

"Oh, that poor girl. He.. Has left her."

"Quiet, we all knew this was going to happen. He- truly, didn't want her."

'That's it. Show them that you're the monster that you really are.' Ipap thought, as she grinned widely behind Eepop's back. Everything was going according to plan.

In this case, her plan.

Disconcerted, Eepop covered her face with her palms, continuing to cry, ashamed and heartbroken. "O-oh, Popee.." She sniffled. "Wh-why did you have to go..." Kedamono trailed behind Eepop, looking out at the door where Popee previously took his bags and left so suddenly. The hound whined softly at the door, and then turned, whimpering once he faced his grieving companion. He nudged his muzzle against her arms, and Eepop lifts her face up, her wails gradually becoming even quieter, and started to pet him for comfort. She started crying loudly yet again, and embraced Kedamono around the neck in order to muffle her sobs. In the meantime, Kedamono gazed down at Eepop's back thoughtfully as she embraced him tightly, and then happened to gaze upwards to the rising chatter of the servants in the room.

Something was not right.

In the midst of all the chaos and happenings in the room, there was only one person who didn't attempt to cause any further uproar nor chatter.

Somehow Kedamono was able to single Ipap out from the bustle of the crowd, and she had her arms crossed, and appeared to remain very calm. As if.. She knew that this was supposed to happen.

'Why is the great lady in the room smiling...?' Kedamono thought, puzzled.

'... Unless.. Sh-she...'