Arthur raised his hand and pointed.
Everyone turned their eyes toward the Manor.
To everyone's astonishment, the interior of the Manor, strewn with fallen leaves, its buildings crumbling at the edges and faintly shrouded in desolation, suddenly came alive at Arthur's gesture.
The fallen leaves remained.
The damaged buildings had not been repaired, either.
Yet no one could feel that desolation anymore.
There was only vitality.
Even on this winter day, they could feel it clearly.
It seemed...
The deathly aura had been swept away.
Or, more precisely, sucked dry.
And Arthur was the only one who could have done it.
Arthur ignored everyone's astonishment and merely said softly to Malinda-
"Out with the old, in with the new. Let all things flourish!
It is ready to welcome its new owner!
Please, my lady."
As Arthur spoke, he even bowed with a convincing show of ceremony.
Everyone watching marveled at Arthur's wondrous abilities, and at the affection between him and Malinda.
No one thought Arthur had lowered himself by bowing.
Everyone could see that this was a little game between lovers, something to deepen their affection.
Who hadn't gone through that inseparable stage?
During that stage, both men and women burned with passion, like two lanterns swaying in a gale. One moment he chased her, the next she chased him, until an accidental collision set them both ablaze in heedless passion, shining brighter and giving off searing heat.
And in the end?
They rose into the night sky in a wisp of smoke, entwined for lifetime after lifetime.
At least, that was what they believed at the time.
That was why they held nothing back, paid no heed to everything around them that they set alight, and cared even less about how the world saw them.
Of course, more often