|The man on the cross

“What’s wrong?” I said to Rona who was visibly distressed.

“I’m sorry for disrupting your conversation.”

“Skip all the apologies. Take a seat and take a deep breath.”

Charlotte stared at me, her eyes wide open.

“Voyan, who is she??”

“That’s not important. Rona, why are you here?”

“Right. It’s Princess Viesta. I-I think she…”

Can’t I take a break already, Viesta??

“What did she do??”

“I think she abducted my family. I know it’s disrespectful for me to even suggest this but I think she….”

“Hey, what the hell do you think you’re saying?” Charlotte raised her voice, nearly breaking the cup in her hand.

“What do you mean by that??? Coming here in and of itself is your first sin, but dragging Viesta’s name through the mud?? I haven’t heard of any Antons before. You sure as hell aren’t royalty, that much I can see. So what gives you the ri---”

“Charlotte, this is not helping.”

“But..”

“Rona, I’m listening to you. I think it’s strange too but accusing her wouldn’t make this case any better.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just…I don’t know..I don’t know what to think anymore. Please help me.”

She knelt down with her hands covering her face. I could feel part of her helplessness and I knew where that feeling was coming from.

“I promised to protect you and I’m a man of my word. Besides, I have to agree that my sister is actually the main suspect here.”

She’s right, though.. Viesta already gave off an ominous feeling from the beginning. Shit, this must be a domino effect from that day. My lack of knowledge made me stick to Rona, who in turn made Viesta target her. This is absolutely my fault.

“I’m sorry. I did this to you.”

“.…..”

“I’m fixing this. Let’s go.”

“Yes, your highness….”

“Hold on. What about our tea d--- I mean tea party??”

Take a hint already……

“I have somewhere else to be, so we must cut this meeting short. Rest assured, you can send as many invites as you want, I’ll be there.”

“Your words.”

“Of course. Now, I’ll have to take my leave.”

We both left the Enzo residence immediately, returning to the royal castle. We had to first find Viesta.

“Hmm?? Your family is missing??”

In her room, she nonchalantly uttered these words while staring at the book she was reading.

“Hey, hey. Who said you could enter my room?”

“She’s with me..”

“I don’t know, big brother. She’s in my personal space. As she can see, I’m preoccupied right now.”

“We came to ask you about something.”

“My dear big brother needs something, huh?? Well, I’ll allow her speak.”

“No, I’ll do the talking.”

She might not be able to convey all her worries with as much effectiveness. A conversation on equal footing is best.

“Okay.”

“Rona’s parents and siblings were missing this morning. We are trying to look for them. Do you know anything??”

“HAHAHAHAHAHA.”

She turned on her bed, laughing hysterically.

“Well, firstly, that won’t do. I mean, aside from big bro Gil, you have the most effective information sources among us siblings so if you don’t know about this, why do you think I will?? You have eyes and ears all over this kingdom.”

She does have a point. I am a Prince, yet I’m acting like some clueless, powerless idiot. Information source?? The hell is that even about??

“If I found the answers, I wouldn’t be here.”

“You mean you wouldn’t come and see me today??”

“Another reason I’m asking you of all people is that…I believe you know something.”

“Is that so??”

She pursed an evil smirk while covering part of her face with her book.

“That’s a pretty mean thing for you to say. Labelling your cute little sister as a suspect of such an act. My heart is shattered.”

Does she know how much time she is wasting with this?? I can’t yell at her. That will only have the opposite effect.

“Actually when you think of it, it’s my heart that is shattered.”

I’m sorry for being so tactless, Rona, but please bear with me for a bit.

“How is that so?”

“One of my favourite maids had her family taken away while she was on duty. I can’t help but feel that whoever did this must have done this just to spite me.”

“Isn’t that a leap in logic?? Why would anyone attack a mere maid of the royal family out of hatred for the royal family?”

“In any case, I can’t allow that. Rona is not just any maid.”

“Hey, you. How do you feel right now??” said Viesta as she pointed her book at Rona, who was behind me.

“Your highness, I’m….”

“You’re??”

“Extremely delighted.”

Of course she couldn’t say it. Viesta, you demon.

“Not that surprising. I mean, my brother just lauded you. Moments like this are probably rare for you. You may die happy now. Wait, maybe that’s what happened to your family.”

“Viesta!!!”

“Relax,brother. I was just joking.”

“This is pretty serious, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah. My bad. I’ll make it up to you by telling you everything I know. Will that make you happy?”

“Yes.”

“There’s a catch though. I’ll tell you everything through a friendly chat as we go round town.”

“Haa.”

“What is that reaction? It’s going to be fun. It’s been long since we’ve gone undercover together.”

“I have another condition, then. Rona comes along.”

“Are you in any position to be making demands?”

“Well, I thought you simply wanted to apologize to your big brother. Is this a negotiation??”

“Sort of. I mean…”

“.……”

“Fine. The peasant may tag along as a third wheel. It won’t ruin the fun, I guess. If she is silent throughout, that is.”

If this will make her talk about Rona’s family and their whereabouts, then I have to give her the time of her life. Her emotions are directly related to how well this goes so….

“Let’s go and have the time of our lives!!!”

“Y-Yeahhhh!!!”

She threw her book on the ground and jumped up to slap my hand that was in the air. It was a light, friendly gesture that really showed just how excited she really was for this. Rona looked in disbelief and slight embarrassment. Seeing two sides of the same person in such a quick interval will leave anyone feeling some type of way.

Without any hesitation, we snuck out of the royal castle. We were both given the “robes of disguise” by Viesta. She wore a black wig and I was given a blonde wig because my freckles gave me away far too easily. We all went to different spots just for the fun of it, although only one-third of us were actually having fun. 

We visited different stalls like the fruit store, the weapon shop and even the artifact store that had a very weird merchant with multiple piercings. We also went to different restaurants and tasted varieties of exotic food. What caught my attention was the tiger kebab we ate on the way to do the Tavern. It was undoubtedly the spiciest thing I had tasted. Inside the Tavern, there were drinks being passed around endlessly, people normally didn’t even drink water this frequently. We felt so out of place there. The flirty women that approached me were driven off just from Viesta’s cold gaze. This was all it was about, though.

The Tavern was a duelling place for everyone. Prostitutes, mercenaries and scum in general, but at that moment, we all seemed like old friends. I guess that was the influence of the alcohol. The three of us drank, even though I was not really sure if Viesta was supposed to be drinking at all. However, it all went well and we left there with smiles on our faces. Rona was pretending, just so we could get some results out of this round about trip. After leaving the well structured areas, we began entering a different part of town. There were less buildings and less people out in the open.

We arrived at an abandoned house that looked pretty messed up on the outside, all the bricks and wood were left exposed like holes in a basket.

“What is this place? Are they being held here?”

“According to my sources, this place is just a landmark.”

“Landmark??”

“Tch, such ugly buildings need to be destroyed. It only taints the appeal of Havendore as a whole.”

“Well, it looks pretty run-down. And from what I’ve seen, even the poor neighbourhoods have better buildings.”

“Of course. We rise by lifting others, after all. That’s why we are the greatest kingdom.”

“So where are we headed to next?”

“If my memory serves me right, we are meant to keep walking just a few miles up ahead.”

“That would lead us to the outskirts of town, won’t it?”

“Unlike our fancy academy, this area is basically lawless, so we have to be on high alert.”

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“You’re right. Well, this journey wouldn’t complete itself. You may speak now, commoner.”

“You have my eternal gratitude, Princess Viesta.”

“Heh, keep it. Let’s go.”

The more we walked, the more I found all of this extremely odd, yet she was helping us so I couldn’t question it. We kept walking, hoping we could spot a building nearby. The one we walked past earlier was empty. As it got darker and darker, we were still moving. It felt like a field trip on foot or a journey in the desert. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel any sort of fatigue, although I couldn’t say the same for Rona who was pushing herself past her limit trying to catch up. Nightfall set in and we still found ourselves walking. Suddenly, she stopped and pointed to something in front.

“This is the place.”

In front of us was a wooden platform, built like a stage. It was covered by an enormous,dark cloth. The people behind the stage were about a dozen. It seemed like they had been waiting for us.

“This is your surprise. Welcome to the show.”

“What is the meaning of this, Viesta??”

“It’s not a set up. As I said, it’s a show. And we’re the main characters here. Relax a bit.”

“What do you mean b--”

The cloth came off and the horrors I witnessed glued my feet to the ground. We were stunned and frozen as the four figures in front of us looked at us with tears in their eyes. I could hear gritting of teeth from behind me. The four family members of Rona were hung on two pieces of wood(each) that formed a cross.

“This was initially just a forest but I cleared the middle for this. You see. I told you it’s a show. Veronica Anton is the main character and we’re just supporting characters so we have to do our jobs right.”

“W-What the hell are you even saying?? Just..why?? You promised.”

“I only promised not to harm her. And I kept to that, unlike someone I know.”

“Why did you do this?”

Keep calm.

“What do you mean?? It’s not like I nailed them to it or anythi--”

“What is wrong with you?? Are you unhinged??? Are you just a monster??”

Keep calm, damn it!!!

“I don’t like that, big brother.”

“I… won’t raise my voice anymore. So please release them already.”

“You just don’t get it, do you?”

She snapped her fingers and suddenly, the men beside the platform lit up a fire that burned everything underneath the platform. The wood they were forced to hang on with the help of ropes were still high up but slowly, the ropes began to come undone.

“You remember the story about the man on the cross, yes?”

I’ve read that folktale before.

“It's about the story of two famous bandits who have spent years disrupting multiple communities.”

“Correct. Their heists saw countless treasures stolen by different powerful people and families. The kings, the nobles, the priests.They were the biggest bandits in history. On their last heist in which they were caught by the town guards, there was a merchant who was declared guilty for being at the same scene of the crime. He pleaded endlessly but ended up getting the same death penalty as the two bandits. At the time, it was the most appropriate punishment given by the high priest. It was not burning at the stake, neither was it the famous guillotine. They were to be tortured nearly to death, then nailed to a cross, waiting for death to come and relive them of their pain. Of course, the merchant was there, right in the middle. Some say he continues cursing the two bandits and their bloodline, even to this very day. What's the morale of that story?"

"Even if you do nothing wrong, you can still be considered guilty?"

"You failed spectacularly. The morale is that anyone can be guilty by association, that is why it is extremely wise to choose your friends carefully. In this case, nothing can be done since they are family. You get my point now?"

"I don't. I don't understand why you're doing this."

“Well, anyone who gets in the way of family needs to be dealt with. In other words, this is her punishment.”

“But she did nothing wrong.”

“Hmmph. How come she hasn’t said any words yet??”

“K-k-KILL.”

“There we go.”

“I’LL KILL YOU!!!!”

“I didn’t expect anything less. Anyway, you aren’t going to do anything. Don’t be foolish. Now, out of this wholesome family reunion, I’ll be letting just three leave with their lives. The main character has to live, though that depends on how she acts. Now the remaining two.”

She turned her gaze to me, walking forward and placing her hands behind her. The flames only highlighted her smile. The smile of a devil.

“I’m sorry,Voyan. I initially wanted you to choose but it will be more interesting if she picks herself. I won’t remove their mouth tapes so you won’t get too confused. So, the rules are pretty simple.Between your father and mother, only one can be left alive. Same goes for your brother and sister. With all that being said, now pick away.”

“This is insane.”

“Big brother, stop stealing her spotlight. Only she can be the hero of this show.”

Hero, my ass. How could we escape such a situation?? Rona’s mind was in clear disarray. Just what could I do for her?? What could I do at this moment to save her family??

“If you can’t speak, we’ll make this a countdo--”

A cluster of wind swept past her, hitting the bare ground and everything in it’s path before reaching the wooden platform which it successfully destroyed. I made sure the angle was just right so that the people I'm trying to save wouldn't get hit in the process. The flames had gone out,the rope came undone and they all landed on the ground safely. However, the main problem still wasn’t solved. Far from it, in fact.

“If you’re so eager to interrupt, then…”

In a split second, she leaped forward and appeared directly in front of me. Keeping up with her speed was a task too difficult for the current me. Just how fast was she??

“We’ll do this. Don’t go easy on me. You could die, you know??”

She aimed for the guts, punching me so hard I could feel my consciousness detaching from my body. I was swept up my feet by the sheer force and was sent flying into the forest.

“Guys, take care of this.”

She ran into the woods to chase after me.Well, to be fair, I was flying after that hit landed so I wasn't exactly running away.

“Don’t run from me.”

I landed cleanly on my feet after a couple of flips in the air. It was like my body was already used to being thrown around like a doll. The first thing I saw was the sight of Viesta running viciously through the forest to attack me. It was then and there that I forfeited the fight. I was painfully aware of how strong she was.To add insult to injury, that blow had the same intensity as heaven’s fall, maybe even more. The only reason I was still standing was due to this sturdy body. So it was clear, I couldn’t beat her in a fight. The only other option was a dialogue.

“Viesta, let’s talk.”

“NO!!!”

This time she jumped and made a flying kick to the chest.It shook my ribs, definitely damaging them. Once again, I flew and landed on my feet like a cat. She kept coming at me with plain hits. Punches, kicks. She even pushed me and I still ended up above the ground. So this is the terrifying strength that the Leopolds possessed. Even Rumi and Martial couldn’t compare. At some point, I started getting dizzy.

“You should be able to dodge all that quite easily.”

“I just want to talk.”

“I’m not allowing that.”

“Don’t be unreasonable.”

“You’re the one being unreasonable.”

That slipped out. I just fanned the flames of her wrath and I did quite an amazing job too. But then, before she could gather the momentum to swing a punch, I went closer to her face. She halted for a couple of seconds before hitting me right below the belt with her leg and slapping me in the face. This time, it was only a few meters back I fell. I also didn’t feel the hit.

“Just listen to me.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Because I’m wrong.”

She stopped attacking and crossed her arms, with the way she looked, it was as though she finally knocked some sense into me. The only way I could save Rona was by settling things with her. My pride was nothing to hold onto in this dire situation.

“Why are you wrong?? Tell me.”

“Back then, on the day after my wedding, I shouldn’t have acted that way. I was still under immense stress and I ended up lashing out on you. I caused Rona much more trouble than I could ever imagine. Just because of a single slip up. I already apologized but I’ll do so again. I’m sorry.”

“You…”

“Huh??”

“YOU ARE SO FUCKING DENSE!!”

She extended her arm and hit me right in the face. It was not a swing. Just a simple linear motion, but it hurt so much. This time, blood rushed out from my nose. She immediately retracted her fists and attempted giving me a cloth to wipe my nose but didn’t.

“Rona this Rona that. Who the flying fuck is Rona?? Since when did you even care about a maid?? You keep apologizing for the wrong shit every fucking time.”

“.…”

“You think it’s because of the wedding??? Even before that, you’ve been acting strange. Acting like I don’t matter all of a sudden.”

“But you do. You’re my cute little sister.”

“That’s just what you say to get me to keep my mouth shut. Playing with me is a chore to you, isn’t it??”

“It’s not. I do enjoy spending time with you.”

“You enjoy it so much that you haven’t spent any time with me for a month, huh??”

“I’ve been busy with..”

“Nothing is more important than family!!”

“I know. But Rumi is my family.”

“No she’s not. I have to pretend everyday and call her big sister. Truth is, she’s just an intruder.”

“Viesta, you’ll understand everything when you grow up.”

“If growing up will separate me from you then I don’t want to grow up.”

“It’s inevitable. You will have to grow up sooner or later. I’ll still be there with you.”

“Voyan.”

“Just like how Mother has been there for me all this time. I know I haven’t been paying much attention to you. I’m sorry for that. I’ll make sure we spend as much time together as possible. So do you forgive me??”

“As long as you keep to your promise this time.”

And with that being said, I successfully made a deal with the devil.

“Speaking of promises, I also promised Rona that I will keep her safe. Please, you need to call off the attack.”

“All right. I will…On one condition, though.”

“What is it?”

“You give me a piggy back ride. My shoes got spoilt so..”

“That’s not a problem.”

I bent down and waited for her to settle on my back before lifting her up.

“Odd request.”

“It’s just been long.”

I jumped with as much energy as I could muster, seeing as the trees beside me grew only farther in sight. We could see the entire forest around us with how high I jumped. She kept on screaming in excitement. The only reason I jumped was to get to Rona as fast as possible. After all, I did fly a considerable distance away from her after the first hit. From a distance, I could spot a figure.

“Please remember. If we have any issues in the future, talk to me about them instead of pulling something like this.”

“I know, I know.So, big brother. It is true that I did all this just to get your attention. But, I also did it for another reason.”

As we landed on the ground, in the middle of the forest, what we encountered was preceded by the smell of blood. It was so strong that I had the urge to cover my nose but my body was also used to it. What stood in front of us couldn’t be considered human. It was still the Rona that I knew, but she seemed possessed. Her eyes were glowing red and her clothes were ripped and covered in blood. Her thin, brown tail came shooting out, while her fluffy ears stood like an antenna.Her arms and legs were covered in fur. Indeed, she wasn’t human. Never did I expect to encounter one here. It was a beastman.

“ Beastmen. Rare species that should be extinct, according to legend anyway. I always suspected her.”

“How could you tell?”

“The moment I hit her about two weeks ago or something, just for a moment, I saw her eyes change colour then revert back. From what I know, some have these features naturally while others need certain triggers to activate them. I guess intense emotions are major triggers. With that ear, you look even cuter, Veronica. Though, all that blood you’ve got on you must be from my men. I can’t say I appreciate that.”

She stood on all fours, stretching her body backward in an attempt to attack us.

“Don’t. That’s foolish.”

“Viesta, let me handle this.”

“.….Fine.”

“Rona?? Are you still there?”

“Step aside, Prince Voyan.”

Luckily, she had full control of her mind and body, even in this state.

“Just listen to me. We came here as soon as possible. Are they still alive?? They’re the first people we need to attend to. I don’t want to see any of your family members die.”

“They’re barely alive.”

“Let’s get them some medical care, then.”

“There’s nothing that can be done for them now.”

“You’re lying.”

There’s no way anyone will say something like that about their own loved ones without trying their absolute best. Even then, they wouldn’t say such.

“...”

“They’re actually fine, right?”

“Step aside, your highness.”

“You want revenge that badly?”

“What the hell do you expect me to do??? After everything that happened, this is the only thing I can think of. I can’t do anything for them. I might as well fight the person that did this to them.”

“That won’t make their current condition any better. What they need is a physician, not vengeance. If you insist on taking that road, kill me instead. Don’t touch my sister.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Because I know you have a heart of gold.”

“That’s…That’s wrong.”

“Let’s help them, okay?”

“DAMN IT!!”

She hit the ground repeatedly while she screamed her lungs out. It was clear what her answer was.

“Viesta, do you know any physicians around?”

“Not really. But I can find one around these parts. Shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“Please do. I’m counting on you.”

As she left, I took my “robe of disguise” and put it around Rona. Sitting down with such a bloody nose, she couldn’t help but clean it for me, despite her rage. She just finished murdering a dozen men but a bloody nose was what got to her. I hadn’t seen such kindness in anyone, aside from a single person in my entire life.

“You don’t think I’m disgusting?”

“Quite the opposite. You look even prettier, if you’re asking me.”

“Such flattery..”

“I know a thing or two about medical care. I can see what I ca--”

“They’re fine. They were not harmed prior to what we saw. They just need some rest.”

“Rona. This is all my fault. No amount of apologies will be enough. I hurt you because of something as stupid as my pride.”

“I do not blame you. As much as I want to, I can’t blame you for anything. My hatred starts and stops at Princess Viesta.”

“So you don’t hate me??”

She shook her head slowly.

“The truth is, I love you, your highness.”

“I..don’t think I love you. Not yet at least.”

“Does that mean??”

“Rona, can I trust you with my life?”

“Of course.”

Here goes nothing…

“You see, the truth is,I’m not really Voyan. My real name is Hachiya. I entered this body by accident about two weeks ago and have been living as Voyan ever since.”

“Well, that explains a lot.”

Didn't expect that reaction.....

“I’ve been acting strange, haven’t I?”

“Err, yes but.. I didn’t think much of it. In the first place, I had no idea it was even possible to enter another person’s body.”

“So it’s not common here??”

“I’ve not even heard of this in any tales or stories. I still find it pretty hard to believe but things add up with that logic.”

“I’m telling you this because I need your help. I don’t intend on keeping your prince locked out of his body. I just want to find my own body and return to it safely. That’s all. So to keep up this lie.”

“You need an accomplice.”

“Well, when you put it like that...”

“I don’t mind.”

“Huh?”

“After all, it was this Voyan I fell in love with in the first place.”

I stared at her for a couple of seconds before laying down on the empty grass.

“That’s a relief.”

“In truth, I was thinking of running away with my family and looking for a job at the adventurer’s guild.That could sustain us. But then, you trusted me with such a burden. So I’ll carry it with you. For better or for worse.”

“Sounds like wedding vows.”

“Hehe.”

“Thanks, Rona.”

“It’s my pleasure, Voyan.”

I did it. I finally uncovered my secret to someone else. Someone I could fully trust. I’m sorry, Voyan. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Some were unavoidable and some, I probably shouldn’t have made. I cried in your stead even though you’ve been carrying this burden on your own just fine. I was not strong enough. I’m sure you had your reasons too. For not shedding tears in front of your mother. Forgive me for tainting your resolve. I said a whole lot of things just to momentarily escape weird situations,too. I also lied to everyone, even your family by continuing this act. I even made your sister angry to the point that she planned something so extreme just to get my…no…your attention. Forgive me.

“You said I have a heart of gold but in truth,you’re the one with a heart of gold.”

“Come on.”

“That reminds me.”

She stood up, basked in the moonlight, and extended her hand to me. Tonight, I was her Saviour but she was also my Saviour, too.

“Welcome to Havendore, Hachiya.”

I’m sorry for everything, Voyan. But I will continue this lie for a little longer, until the point where I can find a solution that will satisfy everyone. This is not the end, far from it. This is just the beginning.

“Glad to be here.”