After handing the first Overlord volume to Bel, I said, "Please don't stain or tear it. This is the draft. I don't have another copy." I should have asked Elma to make a copy, but I fot.

  "What!? This is the draft? I think I'd better not keep it!" Bel said and tried to return it to me, but I didn't accept it.

  "Don't worry, I trust you. You just o be careful." I chuckled and took a sip of the jui front of me.

  "Are you sure?"

  "Yes."

  "Alright! I'll protect this with my life! As soon as I finish reading it, I'll return it to you. Tomorrow! By tomorrow, I'll have finished aur."

  "Hey, I want to read it too!" Meteria pined. "Lua me have it for a day after Bel finishes, please." Her eyes filled with tears, and I sighed.

  "Alright, but you have to promise to be very careful."

  "Don't worry, everything will be fine!" she said enthusiastically. "You heard that, didn't you? As soon as you finish, you have to hand it to me."

  "Luan, you should rethink this decision."

  "Bel!"

  "My mom isn't careful at all! I'm sure she'll stain or tear a page. You'd better ge your mind!"

  "Bel! Stop making up lies!"

  "It's not a lie!"

  The two gred at each other.

  Meteria was staring at Bel as if she wao kill her, but Bel didn't seem to care. She was determio make me ge my mind, even if it meant arguing with her mother.

  "Don't worry. Even if something happens, I rewrite it. I have everything memorized—it won't be a problem."

  "But…" Bel still seemed worried.

  "You heard him, didn't you? He's already decided! Stop saying unnecessary things."

  "Tsk!"

  "Did you just click your to your mother? You should respect me."

  "I'm just ahat you want the draft only to stain or tear it!"

  "I won't do that! Stop saying these things!"

  "Alright, that's enough, stuing." I lost my patience. "Bel, you should treat your mother with more respect. And you, Meteria, you're ag very childish—you're her mother. I trust you, and that's all that matters."

  "Fine…" Bel finally gave up.

  "Sorry," Meteria said, pouting.

  She acts like a teenager. If I didn't know she is Bel's mother, I'd think she is a teenager based on her behavior and appearance.

  "Alright. Read the first volume while I work on the sketchs for you. I'll return in two days to deliver the drawings ahe draft back." I stood up.

  "Wait, are you leaving already? Why don't you stay a bit longer?" Meteria got up and held my hands. "You even stay the night if you want."

  "Mom!"

  "That's impossible. I promised the Goddess I'd return early. I o leave now."

  "Aww... Okay." Meteria said, disappointed.

  "I'll walk you out, Luan."

  "Thank you."

  Bel left the first volume of Overlord oable, and we left the dining room. Shortly after, we exited the house.

  Oside, I said goodbye to Bel again and finally left.

  "They're both eaining..."

  ####

  *Bel's POV*

  When Lua, I returned and headed to the dining room. But when I got there and looked at the table, the draft was gone!

  My mother is gooo.

  "Mom!" I shouted and ran upstairs to her bedroom. But when I tried to open the door, it was locked. "Mom! You took the draft, didn't you!? Lua it to me first. Give it baow!"

  "..."

  There was no response.

  "I o read it quickly so I prepare for the illustrations!"

  "..."

  Still, no response.

  I kept banging the door and calling for my mom, but she didn't open it. Frustrated, I was about to try breaking the door down. But to my surprise, before I could, the door slowly opened.

  "Sniff... Sniff... Bel..."

  It was my mom, tears streaming down her face.

  "What do I do now?... Sniff... Sniff..." she asked as tears tio fall. She held Luan's draft in her hands, pletely soaked and e.

  Juice!

  The ink on some of the pages had started to e off and stain the paper. It was being illegible.

  I froze, not knowing what to do. Meanwhile, my mom kept g desperately.

  "Give me that!" I snatched the juice-soaked papers from her hands and saved a few pages. But the first pages were so wet that the ink had already e off, ruining the paper entirely.

  I fell to my knees, staring at the ruined pages.

  My mom approached me slowly, sniffling.

  "Sniff... Sniff... Is everything okay?"

  "Of course not, you idiot!" I yelled.

  "Waaaaaa!!!" Then my mom started g again.

  'Damn it... What do I do now?'

  I was on the verge of tears myself.

  ####

  *Luan's POV*

  I woke up the following day with Lili by my bedside, waking me up.

  As soon as I opened my eyes and saw her, I grabbed and pulled her onto the bed, huggiightly. But she began squirming to escape, saying, "Wait a sed! Someone downstairs wants to talk to you. Something serious happened!"

  I let her go and got up.

  "Who is it?"

  "It's a girl named Bel. I've never seen her before."

  "Bel is here? She's the artist who makes the covers for my books. But what happened?"

  "Well... You'd better e down and see for yourself."

  "..."

  I started thinking about what might have happened.

  Then, the first volume of Overlord came to mind.

  'They did something, didn't they?'

  I let out a long sigh and headed downstairs.

  ParodyGirl