Such Concerned Royalty:

He’s mocking her. Taunting her. Playing on her stuttered hesitance with only the intentions of humouring her– Or really, making her feel inadequate. Stupid for making up such a horrendous, fantasy-esque lie. Princess Aoko and the Asshole Phantom Thief. A LARP that she knew she didn’t want to be a part of, because he only mocked her with every word spoken.

She tried to keep her cool, watching the door be flung open and yet not really budging. If she moved closer to block him at the door, he could make it around her to get the window. He was a magician– It was a shock he hadn’t just passed her already.

Oh wait– No it wasn’t. He was staying because he knows she hates him. What a joke.

❝ But dear bard– If the dragons have been hungry and chasing you for some time now… Wouldn’t they know your obvious escape through a window? Wouldn’t they be prepared? I’m sure there are a few dragons already out there, ready to capture you as soon as your wings take flight. It’s best if you just stay here! Before you get eaten! You can’t perform anymore if you’re swallowed up whole, right? ❞

The only option she had was to play along, seeing as she threw herself into this mess. She almost wanted the ground to swallow herself whole she was that embarrassed– But knowing she could help capture the bane of her existence by staying, that’s what kept her going.

A gloved finger waved back and forth in the air, a small, silent disagreement as Kid allowed his eyes to close. (Guard still up, switching his focus between listening down the hallway and back in the room.)

“Ah, but ojou-san, even the hungriest dragons couldn’t prepare for every possible route their prey could take. If they tried, there wouldn’t be enough of them to take their target down. And I can’t perform if I’m kept to one room, either, lovely and accommodating as the audience I have here is. Far better to fly through fire than stay in this castle.”

…No sounds yet. Either Nakamouri-keibu took a different route, or expected him to be somewhere else… So many different routes he could go with this situation. At best… well, Aoko wouldn’t have been here, but escaping from here had been the plan tonight instead of from the roof. It hadn’t been a joke to say there were too many routes to try to prepare for on the police (and Snake’s) end, it was up to him to choose which one to take. Even now, trying to plan a new route in his head, it seemed more and more like the safest ideas involved knocking Aoko out before escaping…