Eyes on me

Ami trembled as the possessed Shamir charged towards her with sword drawn. 

Flop!

"H- Huh? This body... WHY WON'T IT MOVE!?" the possessed Shamir cried as she suddenly fell to the floor face-first.

A smirk appeared on Ami's face as she tilted her hat up. "Oh? Did you really think we'd just walk into your little trap?"

"Wh- What do you mean!?"

"Heh? Did you forget the reason why you invited me, "Duke Ararat"? It was because you were actually cursed to bare NO heirs, so you needed me to create a homunculus to pose as your nonexistent daughter-"

"DON'T PLAY TRICKS WITH ME! I saw her get out of the carriage! I saw her enter the mansion!"

"And then? Your eyes were more drawn to me than her."

Pompi's teeth clattered in furry as he remembered the incident just before everyone entered the ballroom. "You riled up Mannelig to distract me! That's when you swapped out Shamir!"

 "Bingo! Oh, and but the record, the one who came with us was never Shamir."

"HUH!?"

"That was none other than..."

SLAM!

We all looked up towards the second floor as the captain appeared and slammed her boot down on the railing before ripping off her dress, revealing her armor beneath. "I'm Captain Shaina Arzakh of the 1st division of the Knight's Order of Blintz! By my authority, I'm placing Duke Ham D' Ararat under arrest for conspiracy against the state!"

Pompi began contorting the homunculus' face in many different directions. "DON'T YOU DARE TRY AND PLAY THAT CARD ON ME!" he roared as he attempted to abandon the homunculus' body. "Ngh!? Why? Why can't I-" 

And then the homunculus began to glow gold. 

"AHHHHHGH! NO! WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" Pompi cried.

"Simple, I made that homunculus as a prison to trap and execute you in," Ami smirked. 

"NO! YOU COULDN'T HAVE! NGH, SAVE ME!" 

The servants quickly began closing in.

"I think this'll be a nice cooldown after your brawl in Bisochos, wouldn't you say?" Ami grinned. 

"I'd say so," I grinned back as I quickly sent all the attackers flying. 

"NO! I'M FADING! FADING! GUH- AAAAAAHHHH!" Pompi cried as the homunculus' body suddenly turned to white goop. 

Ami went pale as the gold glow began to vanish and Pompi returned to normal. 

"FOUL THING! I THOUGHT YOU WERE A WOMAN! YOU TRICKED ME!" Mannelig roared as he held his cross out. 

"You fat idiot!" Ami shouted. 

"And your plan has failed, Ami!" Pompi cackled as he charged straight for her. 

"Nope, checkmate," Ami smirked as she gave a thumbs down. 

I smiled back at her as I flanked Pompi from behind and slugged him hard in the back of the head, sending him flopping to the floor. 

"WHAT!? NO! WHY AM I GLOWING!?" Pompi cried as his body began to glow gold.

"Because you had your eyes on me until the end, never on my partner," Ami smirked.

Pompi slowly turned around towards me. "You... Why... didn't I-"

And in unceremonious fashion, Pompi turned into gold particles and was no more. The guests were all unable to process things, but more so than them were the servants themselves.

"Th- The master was a dybbuk!?" one trembled.

"He said he was an inquisitor from Ova Sfongia... H- Has he been trying to undermine the kingdom this whole time?" another shuddered.

"What's going on!?" Gabriel cried as he came charging in. 

"Ah, good timing," the captain snarled as she leaped down before him. 

"Y- You, what-" 

"I'm Captain Shaina Azarkh of Division 1 of the Knight's Order. I've come from Traditsye to arrest Duke Ararat on suspicion of treason!" the captain proclaimed. 

"My apologies, but this is outside your-" 

"Commander Gabriel, the supreme commander has ordered me to retrieve you for questioning. Will you resist?" 

Gabriel let out a sigh and held up his hands. "So be it. I have nothing to hide." 

Once the captain finished cuffing Gabriel, she walked over to Duke Ararat and prodded him with her sword. "I sense faint breathing, but considering he was possessed by a dybbuk, there will need to be a trial. As for you, Duke Mannelig," the captain glared as she pointed her sword at Mannelig. "How did you, a bishop, not realize the duke was possessed?"

Mannelig began to tremble in rage as he slowly picked himself off the floor.

"Am I to take your silence as complacency? If so, there won't be any international issues if you're arrested as-"

"HE LIED TO ME! He said I could marry his daughter, but he was a skeleton, and she some witch's doll! He said he was ready to convert, devote himself to the Church of Sirupus, but he lied!"

"Then do you annul the marriage between yourself and Shamir D' Ararat?"

"I CERTAINLY DO! THAT THING WASN'T A WOMAN, IT WAS AN AFFRONT TO HUMANITY!" Mannelig fumed as he pointed at the goop puddle that had been the homunculus.

"Then I shall note your testimony for the report. Now, I'd suggest you leave should you wish to avoid any further questioning by the knights."

Mannelig gave everyone one final glare before snatching all the remaining pies and storming out. Some of the guests, possibly his men, quickly filed out after him. Once they were gone, the captain cuffed Duke Ararat and began dragging him and Gabriel away. The remaining guests began murmuring as me and Ami followed her, after snagging some food for the road of course.

Once we were outside, Ami engulfed us all in wind magic and blasted us all back to Traditsye. We all kept our eyes on Gabriel, but he remained calm and refused to resist the whole way back. 

"And we're here. How'd you rate your experience?" Ami grinned as we landed before the gates of Traditsye.

"The gem's still working, and my stomach's feeling great," I smiled. 

"And you, hurling gorilla?" 

The captain clicked her tongue. "I only hurled the last time because you had me drink a potion beforehand so I'd hurl on Gabriel. This time... Ulp!" 

Gabriel's blank face contorted in panic as he leapt back a few feet. "I'm not resisting! I just don't want to get covered in vomit again!" he cried. 

Duke Ararat ended up being the winner of the captain's vomit raffle. 

"Captain!? What are you doing here!?" one of the guards gasped as the captain stumbled over to him.

"I had a mission... Arrest Duke Ararat, and bring in Commander Gabriel for questioning," the captain grumbled.

"MA'AM! YES, MA'AM!"