Chapter 112

Ending his praying once those loud anguished cries came to an end, Swordmaster Veyl turned to me and said.

“I believe I shall take my leave now, Blake and Ms. Clare.”

What, he's leaving now?

“You're leaving. Surely you could stay for a bit longer.”

“I’m afraid I cannot, as my business here has already concluded.”

He really doesn’t want to be here, and I can’t blame him. Still, though, I want him to stay as a precaution in case my doppelganger does anything or, on a lesser note, when I open the box later today.

“Oh, I see; that is unfortunate, though this matter is yet to be handled.”

Looking at my doppelganger as I said that, I was thinking about how we would deal with her once Alice had calmed down with Alex, since it was kind of our fault, mainly not mine, that caused her to happen.

After a bit of a back and forth, I just managed to get him to stay just a bit longer, though he would be waiting nowhere near her.

Then, I turn my attention to my doppelganger, whom I really got to give a name to. She was glaring at me when I wasn’t looking at her but immediately backed off and looked frightened when I looked back.

I guess for the time being, I should just watch her until Alice cools off, hopefully before the fourth knight order comes by to pick up the evidence Clare had gathered.

I signal to Clare to pull the hood on my cloak up for her, to take her back to my room while making sure nobody saw her face.

Entering my room, I sank into a chair by the window, feeling completely drained and lethargic after she had drained nearly all of my mana.

Taking a tired breath, I told Clare about what happened. When I told her about Alex’s sword, the sudden, blindingly bright light, and her showing up out of nowhere after that. Shock flashed across her face, and we both looked toward the supposed sword.

“You spawn of that devil, what are you going to do to me?”

That again? Spawn of a devil now… huh… Tilting my head and hearing her say that as she was in the farthest corner away from me, I couldn’t help but think that.

I wanted to speak with her in my old world’s language, but it was far too risky, since I knew nothing about her except that she was an ego weapon capable of transforming. My best guess is that my mana inadvertently gave her that form when I was refilling her with my mana, in which some aspects of me must have been copied into her, though it may have been a stretch.

Looking at Clare to gauge her reaction while carefully hiding my own, we exchanged glances, and I sensed in Clare’s mind that she was just wondering what my doppelganger was saying.

“She’s definitely afraid of me, Clare. I think you should approach her instead of me.”

“I agree, my lady.”

Doing that, she approached her with a gentle smile. Calmly, to not frighten her any more than she already was, she knelt, introduced herself, and, placing a hand over her chest, slowly said her name aloud.

“Hello there, I’m Clare.”

Clare, introducing herself, seemed to calm her down a bit. Taking her hand, my doppelganger cautiously held it and then gently held her hand with both of hers.

With the expression of an abandoned puppy or kitten, which was still a really weird sight to see since she had my face, I don’t know why, but Clare seemed to have some sort of reaction seeing that expression.

Wait? Is Clare getting charmed by her?

Examining Clare closely, I saw she was breathing slightly roughly, her shoulders tensing, her jaw clenching like she was trying to hold something back.

Before something happened, I called out for her, which managed to snap her out of whatever she was in.

“Yes, my lady?”

Taking a moment or two to compose herself, I think it’s best that I separate these two.

“I think I can handle things from here. Since Alice is busy with Alex, could you take care of the preparations for the Fourth Knight Order arriving this afternoon?”

Getting up to stand, my doppelganger suddenly clung onto Clare, now looking like a lost child. Clinging to her waist, Clare froze for a bit, looking in her childlike eyes, given that I was still a kid and she was using her facial expression, something I’ve never actually been able to achieve.

Looking at her, for a good second…

“About that, my lady, there is no need. Everything has already been handled.”

If I could raise an eyebrow at will, I would—Clare was really charmed by her, just like that, with those eyes. I’ll admit I’m good-looking, but Clare gave in far too easily, way too easily. Am I really that charming if I were to be able to fully express myself?

“I know, but this is for her. We don’t want anyone finding her when we have no idea what is going on or what to do with her. Plus, I need to recuperate my mana, since she drained nearly all of it.”

Sensing my will to do what I said, she wanted to stay with my doppelganger. She did what I’d asked, but before she left, Clare spoke to her, though my doppelganger didn’t understand a word she was saying. Instead, from seeing her troubled expression and tone, she knew that she would be left alone with me, which made her cling to Clare even more. However, one cough stopped her in her tracks as she let go of Clare, with despair all over her face.

The look on her face made me seem like a villain about to do something terrible. Since she looked exactly like me, it was as if the story was that I, her older twin, was bullying my younger sister for being weak-hearted, as some backstory between us.

Anyways, back to her, I wonder what she has to say, so I could get any idea of what is going on.

I looked at her, her legs trembling, and I heard her speak.

“Damn you, why do you have to be that stupid lizard’s offspring? You even have his eyes and hair color. Why must someone like you be around the master?”

Offspring of what lizard? Why does she keep calling me that?

Taking a moment to think about it, after all that had happened, and since this is a fantasy world, is she referring to a dragon? After finding out that people who can use magic have dragon blood in them is in fact true, it’s a stretch, but highly likely.

Seeing my reaction, where I pretended to tilt my head to show that I didn’t know what the heck she was even saying, emboldened her, as a dam of emotions had burst, and I was unfortunately the only person she was directing them toward.

“I hate you, I hate you. Always working me to the point I’d break, you're a—”

Geez, what did I even do to her? The mouth on her is just… a bit much, don’t you say?

“You hear that. Of course not; you can’t with your stupid lizard brain.”

Red-faced and breathing roughly from shouting all that out, the urge to just talk to her in my old world’s language grew because it would be really simple to do so, but that would create a whole lot of other problems, given my situation.

“Haaah… just why?” Seemingly no longer afraid of me, or that I might do anything other than just look at her, she paced by the window, frustrated.

“That woman, what will that whore do to Master? I must find out. I must find out. I must find out.”

She repeated that to herself, stopped, and looked out the window. No, she was looking at her reflection with a look of complete disgust.

“Damn, with this face, I definitely could seduce Master, but…” holding her hair, “why does it have to be with these disgusting colors?” Why did Master even let her hold me?”

What’s wrong with my hair and eyes? But more importantly, she definitely knows that I’m a girl.

That is going to be troublesome but manageable because she doesn’t know this world’s language. I have to talk to Clare about this.

“So then, you…”

Suddenly caught off guard when she called out for me, she pointed a finger and demanded, a bit haughtily, a 180 from a couple of minutes before.

“Tell me where my master is!"

She then ordered me to take her to Alex as compensation for whatever wrong I had committed against her.

I tilted my head once more to feign confusion, which caused her to pull her hair and say.

“God damnit, of course you wouldn’t understand, since that goddamn lizard never actually had any brains to begin with. I—”

Suddenly stopping what she was doing out of the blue, a moment or two later, she then said.

“Master… he’s in danger.” snapping her head to a random wall like she was looking through it, with much panic. “Oh NO!! Master, I’m coming; I must protect your chastity!!!”

What the— Before I could finish that, though, in my mind, my doppelganger suddenly radiated with a blinding light, swallowing everything in my room.

After roughly a whole minute, I slowly regained my vision to find that my doppelganger was no longer in the room.

Where the hell did she go?

Running outside, she said something about Alex and chastity and whatnot. Did she just teleport to Alex?

I rushed to Alex’s room as quickly as I could, only to hear the sound of objects crashing and breaking in the adjacent room, which belonged to Alice.

Without a moment to lose, I rush to Alice’s room, open the door, and immediately pause, rethinking my sudden and rash decisions.

“You bitch!"

“Fuck off. How dare you interrupt us?”

“Shut up! I’ll rip your pretty hair out for touching my master!”

“Keep barking, you psycho— I’ll shut you up myself!”

Neither of them understood a word from the other. Yet they kept cursing at each other like there was no tomorrow, somehow grasping the intent behind the words despite speaking different languages.

Rolling on the floor, they were pulling on each other's hair and trying to scratch each other’s eyes out, all the while knocking everything and anything down. This was all the while as I heard someone sniffling in a corner. Turning to look, it was Alex, of course, who was shirtless for some reason and looked scared out of his mind.

We looked at each other, and he desperately shouted my name, scrambling on all fours before pushing himself onto his feet, running toward me.

“Nyx, PLEASE—”

Without a moment of hesitation, I slammed the door closed, holding the knob to keep Alex in there as much as my strength allowed.

Feeling the doorknob desperately trying to turn open, I held it firm with my grip.

“NYX!!! PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR!! I need to get OUT!!!”

“No way! You’re the only one who can calm them down. There’s no way I’m getting involved in that!”

Hearing Alex banging on the door, I stood firm, praying that my hand wouldn’t slip.

“Please let me out!!! I’m begging you! Let me out, please!!!”

However, as I continued to hold the door shut, Alex’s strength gradually began to overpower me, the doorknob turning slowly and desperately. He was inherently stronger, and I was holding it closed using only my right hand, since I couldn’t use my left.

Panicking a bit as I struggled to decide what to do as Alex became increasingly more desperate with how increasingly louder my doppelganger and Alice were getting.

Should I shock him with my magic? I can’t because my doppelganger drained away most of my mana. I need time to recuperate, just enough mana to shock him hard enough to paralyze him.

“Blake, what is going on?”

Like a savior coming to my rescue during my time of need, I quickly turned to Swordmaster Veyl.

“Quickly!” Raising my voice a bit, I said, “Help me hold this doorknob; don’t let it open at any cost.”

“What?! Master Veyl, is that you? Please, master, get me out of here! I won’t run away anymore; I don’t want to die in here!”

“Oh, quiet, Alex! You won’t die, just barely breathing. Don’t worry, we will heal you when it’s all over, probably.”

“Heh? What’s with the probably"?

Pleading to Swordmaster Veyl, I caught the conflicted look in his eyes; however…

“Swordmaster Veyl, if you’d rather not get involved in a lovers’ quarrel between those two girls and him, then please, help me keep this door closed and let them cool off in there!”

Now, understanding the direness of our situation, he immediately acted, helping me hold the doorknob firmly so that it stayed completely shut.

“What, Master Veyl, don’t listen—”

Cutting him off, the noise from my doppelganger's and Alice's fight grew even more fierce, and more swearing was heard. I don’t know what was going on in there, but I heard them rolling toward the door, slamming it with Alex.

“GAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”

Hearing a painful scream, we did not let go of the doorknob as we both clearly heard what both of them said.

“HEY! Don’t you dare lay a hand on my master, you bitch!!!”

“SHUT IT, you man-stealing whore!”

“SOMEONE SAVE ME!!!!”

“Quiet, Alex! You're mine! I won’t ever let someone steal you from me!”

Quiet, Master! I’m here to save you! Just get out of the way!”

Saying that, at roughly the same time, I heard them try to punch one another. However, instead of punching one another, I heard both of their fists landing on Alex’s face somehow.

Realizing that, I felt them glaring at one another as they both said, overlapping one another again.

“I won’t forgive you for laying hands on him!”

“You just harmed my master! Die!”

Hearing them begin to tussle with one another on the ground once again, this time with Alex screaming in the middle of them, like he was being torn apart, given how Alice and my doppelganger yelled out that Alex was theirs, like two kids fighting over a stuffed animal that was about to be torn apart.

When the doorknob stopped moving, Swordmaster Veyl and I let go. He stepped back from the door while I fell to the floor, onto my butt, noticing the sweat on my back and forehead.

Perhaps I should pray for his survival, trapped between two lionesses clashing over him. I might even let go of my grudge from yesterday, because, man, I can’t help but feel some pity as his cries gradually grow quieter.

I breathed out a relieved breath and sighed because of what I am going to do now, since Alice is currently occupied right now, and I doubt she would be presentable to the Fourth Knight Order when they arrive in a few hours, given the noise I am hearing inside.

For now, why don’t I go to Clare to tell her about the sudden development?

Getting up since Alex didn’t seem to be able to escape, I asked Swordmaster Veyl.

“Could you watch this door for me and go to Alice’s office once they’ve calmed down?”

Sighing. “Today’s plans have been severely disrupted. There’s a lot of work to do before our guest arrives.”

Hearing me say that, he gave a troubled look. “I apologize for everything that has happened so far.”

A bit surprised, “Oh, there is no need for that." I am not blaming you. I worded it improperly. Things had already gone awry since yesterday.”

“Ah, I see.”

Nodding, I made my way to Clare, who was busy with paperwork. After explaining everything and letting out a sigh, she rang for a maid and instructed the staff to adjust the preparations.

Somewhat surprisingly, the maid bowed even more politely to Clare than to me as she left. Given that she was working in Alice’s office, I suppose the staff saw her as the manor’s unofficial head maid, considering how capable she was.

Then, putting down her pen after finishing up a document, she said, “Shale, go back to your room and change, my lady? Her Majesty Queen Amalee has even sent a dress for this occasion.”

“Wait, what? Queen Amalee did what now?”

“Her majesty has sent a dress for you, my lady. It’s different from the one you tried on two days ago. But there’s no need to worry—I’m sure you’ll be very pleased with Her Majesty's choice.”

Well, that was another unexpected surprise for me today. Jeez, what is up with today? Just one surprise after another; it hasn’t even been noon already.

“Do I have to, Clare?”

“Yes, my lady, it’s a very nice dress.”

“Man…”

Muttering that, and a few more complaints, we left Alice’s office and went back to my room.

When I returned, Clare went straight to the closet and eagerly pulled out a blue-and-white ankle-length dress.

At first, it looks relatively plain, how I typically like my dresses. But when you look closely, you can see the intricate detail on it.

Looking it over, the top was a nice blouse, saturated with mana and stitched underneath with numerous defensive magic circles. The skirt fell to my ankles, layered with a shorter half-skirt, its outer layer cut with a slit on the right that rose to my thigh.

The inner layer was a very light blue, while the outer layer was a deep, dark blue. Like the blouse, it was saturated with mana and was stitched with numerous defensive magic circles.

Huh… when did Queen Amalee have the time to get someone to make this? The materials are definitely from monsters, strong ones at that.

Now, feeling around the dress, which I was kind of liking, I noticed several holsters and two straps that I hadn’t noticed under the outer skirt.

“Clare, what are these for?”

“For this, my lady.”

Clare pulled out a medium-sized wooden box and opened it, revealing my engraved throwing knives inside.

“There is more.”

Then, taking a familiar-looking sword, which was my sword that Queen Amalee had confiscated, I just wonder… “Where did you get all this, Clare?”

“The dress just arrived yesterday, my lady. As for your weapons, that was a couple of weeks after you enrolled in the Royal Academy; Her Majesty had them repaired and replaced any that were lost or beyond repair. She entrusted me with safeguarding everything she had confiscated from you until I deem it necessary.”

“Wait, so you’ve kept them all this time?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Huh… I don’t know how to feel about that.

“Shall I prepare a bath for you, my lady?”

"Umm... yeah, okay.”

Waiting for Clare to prepare the bath, I sat down on a chair and focused on replenishing my mana. I continue to do that when I enter the bath and get out, in which I ask Clare for my choker to start filling it with mana as she dries my hair.

Then, helping me put on the dress and braid my hair a bit, in addition to a bunch of other stuff, by the end of it, with a satisfied smile, since we don’t do this often.

At last, I slid my throwing knives into the dress’s holders before strapping on my sword and rapier.

Looking at myself in the mirror, the dress fit me perfectly, but what truly surprised me was how normal it looked, even with every weapon strapped and hidden on me. It concealed everything flawlessly, whether I moved or sat, while still giving me easy access whenever I reached for it.

All I need to do now is wait for the fourth knight order to come, which should be an hour from now.