Two Bodies, Two Breakfast

“Excuse me,” the voice said beyond the white door.

It creaked open, revealing a stern-faced maid with brown braided hair in a typical Victorian-era uniform. She had a tray balanced in one hand with a white cloche. She was surprised to find me sitting upright in bed. Tilting her head, she asked, “Lady Carine? You didn’t answer the door so I thought you were asleep. Are you alright?”

Leila, that was her name. She was my one and only personal maid. Despite it being our first meeting, I felt like I had known her for a long time. She was there ever since the start of my life; Carine’s life, I mean.

Realizing I had left her hanging, I quickly answered her question with a nod.

"That's a relief," she said, her voice softening. "I've brought you breakfast, Lady Carine."

Leila walked to the side of my bed, placing down the food tray she was carrying on the table next to me.

Lifting the cloche revealed a feast for the eyes: Toast soldiers dipped in drool-inducing butter, complete with yogurt drizzled with honey, a warm bowl of chicken broth, and a cup of creamy warm milk tea.

It was, in simple terms, the breakfast of dreams.

This, this was a feast fit for a princess. The reality of my new life shined before me in that one single silver tray.

Gone were the days of burnt toast and cold canned coffees from the office. Gone were the soul-crushing monotone days of being treated like livestock.

I was Carine Sareid, the sole inheritor of the proud Sareid name, a high-ranking aristocrat, basically a princess! I was a girl though, but the benefits outweighed that part tenfold!

Besides, I felt comfortable wearing a nightgown… too comfortable, actually.

I thought to myself, that in this new life, I could finally kick back, relax, and enjoy the luxury I never had in my past life. Well, that was the plan anyway, a plan I had to cancel as I remembered my other half, Feyt.

—

The dark brown wooden door before me creaked open and revealed a woman with long, braided wheat-blonde hair. She wore a simple garb as she approached me with a small wooden table carrying a bowl and a cup.

“Feyt, mommy made your favorite soup!” She said with a tune to her voice.

She was my mom, Teffa. She sat on the side of my bed and placed the wooden table above my lap.

The aromatic smell of the soup hit my nose and my stomach grumbled in response.

When was the last time I had mom’s cooking? As Feyt, I ate it all the time but, it felt so nostalgic now…

The breakfast laid out in front of me was nothing compared to Carine’s. A bowl of warm vegetable soup, a plate of hard barley bread, and a wooden cup filled with water.

Despite its simplicity, it felt warming. The thought that she worked hard to make the soup just for me because it was my favorite warmed my heart.

“Thanks, mom,” I said as Feyt. It didn’t feel unnatural at all to call the woman in front of me “Mom”. I had truly become Feyt both in and out.

I extended my hand to pick up the wooden spoon beside the bowl, but I realized that Feyt’s hand was moving alongside Carine’s.

Ah, this. I guess it’s time to test the theory.

I relaxed my focus on Carine, focusing entirely on Feyt. With that, I could pick up the spoon and begin drinking the soup. It was good, really good. My face melted into bliss. Mom was watching me eat with… sparkly eyes? Almost as if she was admiring a cute animal.

“It’s good, right?”

I nodded in response. It really was good. It warmed me to the core, physically and mentally. I wouldn’t mind eating this for the rest of eternity.

After taking a few spoonfuls of the soup, my mind was brought to my other body as I saw Leila staring at me—Carine—with concern.

“Lady Carine, are you alright? Is the food not to your liking?”

Ah, I forgot to eat my breakfast as Carine.

In the same way I focused on Feyt, I did so with Carine. With delicate movement with my small pale hands, I grabbed one of the bread soldier pieces and ate it.

It was crispy and buttery on the outside, but soft and warm on the inside. Who knew that medieval times could have such tasty bread?

Alright, individual movement, get!!

But I couldn’t live as both Carine and Feyt by switching back and forth like this. Thus, my next experiment. I needed to find a way to move both bodies with different actions at the same time.

Simultaneous movement… If I can’t do that, I’m doomed.

How would I do that, however? While I ponder that, I continue eating breakfast as both Carine and Feyt, switching my focus back and forth every few bites.

Thankfully, neither Mom nor Leila noticed anything off. It was weird how they kept staring at us though.

As if sensing my discomfort, Leila stood up. “I shall leave you to enjoy the breakfast, My Lady. Please call for me when you are finished, I shall wait outside.”

Leila left the room with a bow, closing the door gently. The perfect maid indeed.

Okay, one less pair of eyes to worry about.

Mom, however, kept adoring me silently with a wide smile.

Alright, first course of action, theorizing. I could move independently for each body by focusing on one body only, so, my first theory would be somehow doubling my focus.

I thought it would be impossible at first until I realized that I technically had two brains. Does that mean double the thinking power?

“Come on, it’ll be easy.” I hyped myself up. “It’s like clenching my right fist while opening the left one, just now with brains! I can control two hands, why not two brains?”

I squinted both pairs of my eyes as I focused more than I ever had before in my life. I was sure it looked weird in front of Mom, I looked as if I was suspicious of the soup in front of me like it committed a murder or something. But I paid it no mind as I focused more and more.

A sweat formed on both of my foreheads. With a slow movement, I lifted my right arm as Carine, holding one of the bread soldiers, and my left arm as Feyt, holding a spoonful of the soup.

““Yes!!”” Both of me shouted, nearly dropping both the bread, and the spoonful of soup.

“Ack!” Mom flinched. “You scared me! What happened? Is the soup that good?”

At the same time, a knock came on Carine’s door. “Lady Carine? Is something the matter?”

““I-it’s nothing!”” I answered simultaneously.

Next goal: tone down my excitement.