Villainess Of Hearts

The Time Man smiled but shook his head, "Nothing, Your Majesty," he saw the expression on her face soured itself and it was amusing to watch that, even a little nostalgic. She didn't remember much, but perhaps that was his own fault—but to give her a new perspective was a necessary thing.

"You're a liar, but keep whatever secret that you wish for yourself," she huffed at him, "I do not care at all."

Rosalyn Lockhart resumed drinking her tea and eating the desserts on the table, even her earlier words of asking to send her back were no longer insisted. She would have never been this compliant before, the Queen of Hearts would have threatened to chop off his head even if she wasn't actually capable of actually doing that.

Perhaps in the future she would?

The possibilities were endless, the potential always there—if pushed to the right direction. He noticed that the teacup of hers was already empty, and she was giving him another look. He stifled a chuckle and picked up the teapot, "Your Majesty, do you think it is possible to fill your teacup to the brim and then pour some more?"

"Do you want the tea to spill all over the table?" she raised a brow at him, "Be my guest, as long as you clean it up. It does seem that this situation of yours has bored you out of your mind and has made rare guests like me a treat, does it not?"

She was trying to read and understand him.

That was new. How many times did it take for her to reach this stage? It wasn't exactly what he had been aiming for in the past loops, but perhaps this was a surprise gift in its way. He raised his head and looked at her, "You're my guest though."

She frowned at him, displeasure apparent in her face.

All of the little quirks and expressions were readable, and that wasn't to say that he could read her like a book. She still surprised him. She surprised him almost every time that the two of them met and it was a good thing, because perhaps to some extent, she was right that he did experience boredom.

Even if he had his own tasks to accomplish—and yet, that was easy when one had a lot of time in his hands.

"My tea?"

He blinked and began to pour the tea, chiding himself for getting lost in his thoughts. It was almost hard to tell how long when a minute to him could have been a decade to her—it took some concentration to focus on the present. Either he was caught up in the past or the future, but the gift was now, "Here you go, Your Majesty. Are you by any chance still interested in learning the brew?"

"You did say that it's impossible to replicate this recipe."

He did say that, didn't he? He sighed and took out a notepad from thin air along with a quill, "I can jot them down for you, a map perhaps would be good so you can have your Knight gather the ingredients for you. A somewhat perilous journey perhaps?"

"I don't have the time to send my Knight for a tea hunt expedition," she pursed her lips at him and then shook her head. She was resigned to the situation, "thank you however for the thoughts, I doubt that I'll remember everything even if you show me the list."

Rosalyn Lockhart practically inhaled a cupcake and reached for another one.

He winced at the sight.

It wouldn't exactly fatten her up, her actual body not actually here but this was how she acted now. "Your Majesty, it was simply a suggestion. You're a little tight at this particular moment it seems."

"That's only natural—I am in an environment that I do not know and under the whims of a man that I don't even know, but I am under your mercy."

She was once lively and determined, determined to put an end to Alice's life perhaps, but that was a sight to see. He had somewhat enjoyed those times, if not somewhat admiring her resolution. Perhaps her people were frightened of her demeanor, and yet the fitness was there. 

He sighed but could not exactly argue with it. She would have argued before but multiple attempts and failures had reduced her to this state. He was almost a little afraid… pensive to see the results if all of her memory were returned. She could end up catatonic or lash out.

Maybe he could understand the fear that was in the hearts of the people despite his own nature.

And all of that was only possible because of her.

"I do recall our first conversation" —in this loop at least— "where I stated that I favored you."

She looked at him, a reddening color appearing on her cheeks, "You said that you didn't favor her, that Alice, that's completely different from favoring me," she shook her head, insistence in her tone. A pout formed on her lips, "I am here because I convinced you to help me, at least that's what you had said in another one of our meetings. As for this time, you're the one at fault for this."

… She was right. And that was a slip of his tongue, he chided himself. He poured himself his own cup of tea and shrugged, "Your previous self, well, it was still you who convinced me of it. I am simply honouring our agreement."

"Even if I were to wish to renounce it?"

This development was the latest one, and even he was starting to consider it. Albeit his reasons for it, were perhaps a little more selfish. She had pointed out that he was lonely, and that also held true, but there were things that even she didn't manage to see. He could at least still hold on to that small thing that would never cross her mind.

And yet he didn't want to act on it, at least for her sake.

He shook his head, "You can be quite finicky, Your Majesty. There was one time that you insisted on killing Alice but you instead did it to the King, and that was where…" he coughed, "I believe you understand what I am going for?"

"You're terrible."

Her words stung slightly.

But he had also heard even more harsher words. 'Time is cruel' and such things, but perhaps other words that might have applied as of recently is the fact that 'Time is different to everyone' more so than 'Time treats everyone fairly.' and yet was this not in his jurisdiction? There were people who weren't even supposed to be in her world and yet there they were. If space could bend and change to accommodate people from other worlds, if life itself and death would consider other people fighting to change their fortune, then time could do as he pleased.

"Oi—oi!" Her red eyes stared at him at a closer distance.

He hadn't even noticed that she had stood up and walked over to him. Her blond hair falling over slightly over her shoulder, she was tilting her head and looking at him. Looking at him with that intent look on her eyes. She raised two fingers at him,

'What use is there to focus on time? Focus on life instead while you can.'

But those were only words and they didn't even know that he existed so she stabbed her two fingers at him—he caught her hand before she could poke him in the eyes. He sighed softly and looked at her, "You do know that I could have prevented that from actually happening, slow you down and poke you instead."

"You weren't paying attention."

The grumble that escaped her lips, it was endearing. He shook his head, "I still do not understand how that warranted you the idea that you'd try to blind me."

"Of course you wouldn't actually get hurt," she frowned and looked down. "But, I thought you'd ignore me until I do something to catch your attention."

"...a novel idea," he admitted with a shake of his head, "but what is it that you wish from someone as terrible as me?"

She spluttered and gave him an embarrassed look, "If you plan on keeping me around for some time, then at least pay attention so I wouldn't go insane from boredom."

"Did I say that?"

"You were spouting about being lonely, what else was I supposed to think?" the Queen of Hearts straightened up, she wasn't exactly pulling her hand away from his, "I could also use a quick break from everything, a time to recuperate and think about my strategies if you insist that I keep my words of succeeding with my plans."

"Ah."

It was good that she still focused on that, that had been the aim of this situation regardless of anything that was to happen. He bit back a chuckle, "This almost reminds me of other situations," of times where heroes and heroines took their rest, where they would use it to learn more than normal and such. He was drifting too much, it wasn't exactly per se his own concern compared to her. He coughed and released her hand, "I have no problem with that, but I may ask you to forgive the ambiance and backdrop."

"Could you not change it like the dress?"

"I suppose I could but such things like this are not exactly within my jurisdiction, or competencies rather."

"There are a lot of things that one seems to take into consideration in this place, having your own territory and whatnot. It's like another world of its own."

Or the point in-between worlds but he probably shouldn't say more.