Disaster.

Disaster. The only response that came with his nascent feelings.

Falling in love isn’t something to be taken as such. On the contrary, to find oneself able to fall in love with someone is something to be celebrated, the proof of a heart that still beats with emotions—a heart that has not died. 
Whether for demons, humans or any other species, love is an emotion that should be preserved and nurtured.

To the lumberjack striving for a fulfilled life, this is the summit of his ideal.
If it wasn’t for the fact that it’s a robot he’d be falling in love with.

“What do I do what do I do.”

Making rounds and rounds around the room, his hands on his hips with his head looking down at his feet, the stress of this revelation makes him sweat uncontrollably.

This cannot be happening, he fights his emotions from the inside. With a robot? No, that can’t be. Not a robot, I mean, it’s not even alive!

Lios has been taught about the nature of robots by his teacher, among the many things he learned from him. Robots are machines, creations without a soul. They are conceived to achieve a certain goal, to not defy the will of their manufacturers. Obeying their programs and scripts without fail, no matter the means or the outcome. 
So he knows well enough that no matter how advanced, no matter how human-like, a robot is a robot—something without a soul, an empty shell with no emotion.

Actually, how do I even find her cute? Sure, she has beautiful hair like the glittering stones below the most pristine rivers. Olive eyes that remind me of the hidden clearings untouched by man and protected by nature. Fair skin that only the eternal snow of the eastern mountain ranges rivals. And her expressions that openly portray all of her emotions, be it anger, sadness or longing—ah, how radiant she looked when she stared outside the window–WHAT AM I EVEN THINKING!!

Burying his head on the mattress again, he forces himself to calm down and think rationally.
Seriously though, how did I end like that? She is a robot—one of the machines that…

His self-questioning is not without reason. Robots, as well as humans, inflicted a deep psychological scar in his heart, one that won’t heal even after three decades. 
While he could let go of his contempt of humans, Lios was never able to get over his fear and hatred of the autonomous mechanical machines—of robots. 
It would not have been strange if he attacked her on sight the moment she fell. And yet…

And yet, I find her cute? This can’t possibly be happening.
I have my own mission, my own aspirations, and duties that I must carry out. If I were to fall in love, and with a robot of all things. Not only that would hurt me to no extent, but it would jeopardize all that I’ve worked for until now!

The redhead sits on his bed, meditating on what he should do from now on. Separating from her? Too late, he cornered himself into a situation where he must be with her at nearly all times. If only I was less of a helping hand, he laments for the first time in his life.
His only recourse now is to keep some distance with her.

And making sure that she doesn’t know that he is in truth a forest-elf: The specie hunted down by all species.

This peaceful life I earned, my ability to coexist among humans, I cannot let it be in vain.
No matter what, I will not fall in love with that beauty!!

◊・◊・◊

Meanwhile, Mei Model MFSC010 went back into the room where she was kept captive. Its appearance is no different from the lounge’s, if not for its reduced size and the furniture that lets it be known it’s a bedroom. 
Looking into the closet, she finds many blankets inside—an unreasonable amount of blankets—to replace those that the lumberjack used to restrain her, and then sliced to free her.

Laying one of those neatly on the bed, taking off most of her used and molten military gear, she finally starts to rest after her eventful, and unbelievably long day.
She buries her head in the pillows. With one wild thought running in her head:

…Oh no, he’s hot.

She too, is attracted to the other person.

What the hell? Why did my heart, beat so fast when I was staring at him? Sure he looks cool with his red hair, red eyes, that dashing face, and his persistent attitude that won’t let him be ordered around. At first I was seriously angry at him, but the way he took control of the situation… WHAT AM I EVEN THINKING???

Smashing her head into the mattress again and again, she fights to make those thoughts go out of her mind. Then suddenly standing up, she makes turns around the room to calm down, and think about the situation.

Alright chill Mei. Remember your mission.
I have to get to the capital, and using him would get it done faster. There is no reason to refuse as long as I keep masquerading as an android. Just like mom said when I was a kid, unlike in my time, the ancient demons are bloodthirsty monsters that spend their time plotting, gaining the trust of humans, to then eat their flesh and grind their bones into accessories.

Such tales are common in the future, or rather, among the many stories to scare the children into behaving. Stories such as The Monster in the Forest or The River Spirit. They would say: ‘If you don’t behave, the ancient demons will eat you whole.’

Mei, took those stories seriously. Even to this day. It made her scared straight of the demon-kind even in the future, 1200 years later, despite being in her late twenties.

Is that really it? Do I really have a crush on a demon-kind? No… No way!
I-I, I just find him attractive, that’s all, yeah! Not every person you find hot is someone you’ll fall in love with. They say you have at least fifteen crushes before finding the right one, and I’m pretty sure he’s my first. My first, crush…

The notion of that dashing red-haired red-eyes demon being her first crush made her blush and audibly gasp in that shocking realization, like a high-schooler drowning in her fantasies about a loved one.

Oh no, this is bad this is bad.

“What do I do, what do I do?”

What am I gonna do? Like, I’m glad he’s not a forest-elf, that would have been ten times worse. But traveling with a mountain-demon is not that reassuring.

Still, Lios doesn’t seem all that bad. He’s cautious, but still kind. He’s assertive, but generous—it’s been a while since I ate cookies with milk. So much of a goodie-two-shoes that he cornered me into a permanent situation of proximity with him. But why?

Does he plan to make me his next meal after all? To make my ribs into shin guards, my collar bone into jewelry, and my hips into a coat rack? I can’t let that happen… Never!
Just being face to face while eating together was so embarrassing, I even had to go by the window just so he wouldn’t notice my red face. I can’t look too much into his eyes either, or he would see through me—and then, it’s game over!

She looks at the candlelight above her, her eyes closed, calming her overheating mind.
Next she opens them, she takes a determined expression.

I have too much to live for, too much to accomplish before the end. So that demon cannot know that I am human—that I am a pure-blood human with the proud name of the Rokuhara!

In the name of humanity, I will not fall in love with that handsome!!

The human covering up as a robot kept that resolve in mind.
And in turn, the forest-elf with the facade of a demon did the same.
Since that day, a contest of the most unusual began, without either of them realizing it.