Once upon a time, in a different future or maybe some random past...

"Say, Zombie. Don't you think that we spend too much time together?"

​​

The red-haired villainess, Cranberry put down her book and looked up at the blue-skinned corpse puppet whose lap she was using as a comfortable cooling chair.

"No."

Zombie's answer was instantaneous and definite.

"...ha... me neither actually... well, but you know, if we're with each other twenty-four hours a day, every day. Won't we eventually get tired of each other?"

The red-haired girl continued even after the initial response.

"Cranberry, you have literally told me something completely opposite many times already. What got into you all of a sudden?"

Zombie furrowed his brows and tilted his head in utter confusion, staring at the red-haired girl.

"...you must promise me that you won't laugh at me first..."

Cranberry suddenly blushed and looked away in embarrassment.

"Sure...?"

...causing even more confusion to her undead companion, who still ended up agreeing nonetheless.

"Alright, so... haa... the thing is I've read in this book that sometimes the distance can strengthen a good relationship, and that we start appreciating each other more if we spend some time apart and I kind of want to try that out..."

Cranberry fidgetted innocently on Zombie's lap and mumbled out without raising her head, too bashful to check for Zombie's reaction.

"...I'll need to have a talk with Claymore, they've been feeding you some really cheezy romance novels... but yeah sure let's try this."

The blue undead ended up sighing and shrugging his shoulders in defeat.

"No, they were not...!"

The girl denied, hurriedly covering the title of her cheezy romance novel with both hands.

"Oh, and that reminds me - didn't Martin invite you and Claymore for a day out in the city?"

Zombie suddenly remembered and asked.

"Yes, she did... but could you stop calling her by different names at least while she's not around? What's the point of teasing someone who's not there?"

Cranberry nodded and asked with a cloudy expression.

"Nah, no way - I'll get used to calling her Mary and slip out once we actually meet and the whole joke will be ruined - she's seriously convinced that I can't remember her name, let's not ruin the magic for her."

The blue undead shook his head vigorously and waved his hand dismissively.

"...haa... you act like such a kid sometimes..."

Cranberry sighed and shook her head with a soft smile.

"Alright. Mary said that if I'll be up for some shopping, she will be waiting by the side Respite until ten o'clock - since I'm going after all, I'll better get ready."

She laughed and jumped off of Zombie's lap and hurried to the closet by the other side of their bedroom.

After some time, she was standing by the door ready to leave and was looking expectantly at the blue undead.

"Khahaha."

Zombie giggled, stood up from his seat, and approached her.

"Have fun."

*peck*

He leaned down and kissed the girl's cheek.

"I will, I will - I'm only worried about you. Can you even find something to do while I'll be gone?"

Cranberry furrowed her brows and tilted her head.

"Hey, don't get too cocky, why wouldn't I find something to do in those few hours?"

*poke*

"Nnn...!"

Zombie snorted and poked at Cranberry's forehead, causing the girl to let out a cute sound.

"Ha ha! Enjoy your day off! See you in the afternoon!"

Cranberry laughed back, hugged him quickly, and then walked out after waving at him before closing the door.

Zombie waved back and after the door closed, he straightened his back and breathed in.

"Well then. A day off, huh... that gives me a lot of opportunities to do all the things I..."

...

...

"...'m so booooooooooooooooooooooooooored...!"

One and a half hours later the blue undead pushed his face into a blue griffin's soft feathers and let out a pained cry.

---

"Umm, Ro, don't you think that we should go and ask him what's wrong...?"

Cherry, a man who had cheerfulness and kindheartedness written all over his face, froze with the hammer raised above his head ready to strike the red hot iron, as he looked at the undead in anguish.

"He's been petting Blueberry for over an hour and now he started screaming into her fluffy wings..."

He added with a worried face while checking if the intricate silver and gold wedding ring he was wearing as a pendant attached to the thin metal chain was still in place.

"Hmm...?"

Rotte, a muscular man slightly on the clubbing side, poked his head from inside the smithy and had a look for himself.

"Mmmh. No, he will be fine. He has his monsters."

Rotte shook his head causing the intricate silver and gold wedding ring to shake on the thin metal chain it was attached to.

---

"Skwee...! (Daddy, don't be sad!)"

The blue emperor griffin Blueberry hooved and screeched trying to cheer the blue undead up.

"(Master, we could always go for a flight, that usually cheers you up.)"

Baron's bellowing voice resounded in Zombie's and Blueberry's heads.

"...you know what...? That doesn't sound half bad. Let's go, you two."

Zombie nodded with a smile and nimbly jumped on top of his ride.

---

Two shadows passed the group of playing children, getting their attention instantly.

"Ah! It's mister Baron and Blueberry!"

One of the older kids jumped up with joy and within instantly the whole group was waving and happily screaming towards two shapes, one blue and one red, soaring high in the sky.

"Hey, hey you all, watch your steps or you'll fu... ehem... or you'll fall over."

The black-haired elf, Lairs, who was making sure that all the children were safe, hurriedly warned them - carefully to not let any curse word slip.

"Relax, they'll be fine."

The copper-eyed Ti laughed and waved her hand dismissively while passing by with a big bag of groceries in her arms.

"Kiddos, there's going to be a stew for dinner!"

She turned to the children and declared.

"Eeeh...?! Ti's stew...?! Can't Mrs. Lairs make us something else? Please?"

"Oi!"

The children cried out causing the woman to blush.

---

The flight was rather uneventful, the view was gorgeous but Zombie felt that it would be much better if he could've seen it together with Cranberry.

He jumped down from Baron and patted his massive side.

But then, all of a sudden.

*hug*

He felt familiar arms locking him into an embrace.

"Hey there, Cranberry. Weren't you supposed to be away all-day?"

Zombie asked, looking back and seeing the red-haired villainess nuzzling her face against his back.

"...half day's worth of separation was more than enough... I missed you..."

She confessed while hiding her blushing face.

"And I missed you too. Next time let's just go somewhere together."

Zombie breathed out in relief and hugged her back.