NOVEL NEXT 176- Like Prince Charming.
We head to our usual bench in the gardens. I can tell Vincent has something he wants to say to me, so once we're sitting side by side, I let him talk.
"Bianca..." he begins while looking for my eyes.
He's not shy, and I like that about him. Actually, I'm the one staring down at the pebbled ground and my shoes, feeling a bit embarrassed for assuming he'd be going to the ball alone. I feel his fingers gently slip under my chin, tilting it up. Our eyes meet.
"Bianca, I noticed earlier that you seemed thrown off when I mentioned going to the ball with Karina. I want to apologize, I should have told you in private."
"It's fine."
"No, it's not. I don't like being inconsiderate, especially not with you. I hadn't asked anyone because I was hoping I could go with you. I hadn't asked Karina either, but yesterday, when she found out I didn't have a partner, she offered to accompany me. Honestly, it wasn't something I could turn down. Even my parents are coming, and they'd be offended if their son showed up without a date."
He tells me this with worry in those beautiful golden eyes of his. He's every inch a Prince Charming from the fairy tales back on Earth. I can't help but sigh.
And steal a kiss...
After a few seconds of savoring the sweet taste of his lips, we pull apart.
"I think I'm the inconsiderate one, keeping you waiting until the last minute."
Actually, I just realized there's no point in going to Solstar to find Marco and break things off at the last second. Vincent is going with Karina. I'll go with Marco and tell him straight at the ball, somewhere private.
"Not at all." He smiles and gently brushes a few strands of hair from my face. "I like being with you. I can wait. There will be many more balls."
I glance sideways at the bodyguard. Before, I'd mentally filed him away as part of the background and forgotten about him. Ever since I learned he has air magic and used it to eavesdrop, that's changed.
As for Vincent, I don't know if he was going to give me another kiss, but he follows my gaze, and that reminder that we're not alone makes him pull back a bit more. I can no longer feel the tickle of his breath on my face.
"So, what did you want to tell me?" he asks.
"Besides that you're perfect?" I tease. "It's about my dog: I'd like to get him some armor so he doesn't get hurt by accident."
"Your pet doesn't look like a battle companion. You should leave him at the academy when you go into dungeons."
"I've gotten used to carrying him in my pocket. He's adorable. I don't want to leave him all alone."
As if hearing me, the little pup pokes his head out of my uniform jacket.
"I can see that." He nods toward him. "Since he's one of those who can shrink down, and he's still a pup, so he needs to finish growing, I understand you're looking for magical armor that adapts to his size."
I nod.
"Well, there are a couple of artisans in the capital who can make it. It's very expensive, but with your share of the loot, you can afford it no problem. If you want, I can give you a letter of recommendation for the best one, he's the one who makes my family's equipment."
"That would be amazing, thank you so much!"
Though if the artisan asks me what size my "dog" is expected to grow to, I'll have a problem, since the divine beast is much larger than any adult dog. I hope that won't be necessary.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
We say goodbye, and I head to my room. In the hallway, waiting by my door, is Berta.
"Miss," she says, "your parents' coachman has arrived to pick you up and take you to lunch in Solstar, where the counts are already waiting. Would you like me to help you dress and do your hair?"
Ever since I told her I didn't need help, she's left me alone in that regard, but if I'm having lunch with Bianca's parents...
"Yes, thank you."
The truth is, Berta could be a great ally in helping deal with the memory loss situation. I mean, if she picks out an appropriate dress—the kind the real Bianca would wear for the occasion—and styles my hair accordingly, at least the first impression I give the counts won't be screaming "Something's still wrong. I'm not your daughter."
Since we're alone in the room, while she braids my hair, I ask her:
"Could you remind me how I address my parents?"
Her hands don't stop. We already had the conversation about whether I'm an impostor or not. She does take a few more moments than usual to answer me, though:
"Father and Mother. Your siblings by their first names."
Good, that was something that worried me during my first encounter with them in this world.
"I was less talkative before, wasn't I?"
"More measured. You talked plenty, but not the first thing that popped into your head. And you acted much more in accordance with your social position."
Ouch. Does she think that about me too?
"More in accordance?"
"Let's say you were clearly conscious of your position as a noble and would never have shown that familiarity and casual attitude with someone of higher rank like most of your current friends, nor would you have spoken without a sense of superiority to someone of lower rank."
She doesn't say it, but she's probably thinking about Mary. Or herself?
Hmm, probably not herself. She was her trusted lady's maid, plus the closest thing to a mother she could have among the staff at the count's estate.
I thank her.
I've decided not to claim that my head hurts or that I'm feeling unwell. If my "parents" think I'm acting strange and comment on it, I'll tell them that my time at the academy has been intensely educational and has helped me mature. Plus, since they must be blown away after the headmaster contacted them about me being an exceptional student, they can associate such a drastic change in my magical potential with a personality change.
They weren't told I'd developed more elements, just that I stood out among the first-year students. Even just going from low earth affinity with undeveloped spells to medium affinity and new, improved spells should justify some change.
Of course, earth users tend to be more reflective... I'll have to restrain myself around them and watch what I say.
"You're all set, miss," Berta tells me as she steps back, giving me plenty of room to get up from the chair and look at myself in the bedroom mirror.
I'm wearing one of the dresses I brought when I first arrived at the academy. I hadn't worn it before. It's yellow, with ribbons and some ruffles on the skirt. It has a corset, which I don't like since it keeps me from breathing freely. It's too ornate for my taste, but I like the image the mirror reflects back. The dress and hairstyle look good on me.
Obviously, I'm not me—Elisa—but I'm getting more and more used to Bianca's image and body. It's almost as if it has always been this way, and I have trouble remembering the details of what my face or body looked like before. I remember the general idea, but the specific details are fading from my memory. It's like when you stop seeing a loved one for a long time—it gets harder and harder to picture their face in your mind. You're left with expressions, with feelings, but you forget things like the exact shape of their nose. In my case, this is happening in just a few months.
"Thank you, let's go then."
"As you wish, miss. The coachman is waiting for you."
She accompanies me, and together we leave the academy building. I carry a small purse, and I've asked the pup to settle inside. I'm not going out without him. After the assassin incident, it would be reckless.
Berta saw me pick him up and said nothing. I imagine she thinks I want to bring my spoiled little pet. The seed's concealment, to pass as a little dog, hasn't failed once—not with the headmaster or Duskmere. Not with spy Berta either.
Or so I believe.
Because if she's figured it out and is keeping quiet...
No, impossible. If that were the case, she would have done something by now. No one—not from this kingdom or any neighboring one—discovers a future demon queen and just carries on like nothing happened. They either try to kill her or make a deal with her.
So I drop the paranoid thoughts. To Berta, whatever espionage skills she might have, the pup is nothing more than an innocent little dog.
We reach the area where the academy carriage usually waits. There are dozens of them this time, from different noble houses that have sent for their children. So many that some don't fit in the designated area and are parked outside, like my parents'. I greet the coachman and climb inside.
I mentally prepare myself for a lunch I don't want in the slightest and that certainly seems more dangerous than fighting the yeti.
Lunch, dinner, ball... If social events weren't my thing back on Earth, they're so much less appealing here, where I have to pretend to be someone else.
Especially since I've been myself with my friends, and now I'll have to hold back so people who knew Bianca don't notice how different I really am.