It was so quiet that he could even hear his breathing.
Dimmed by the cold touch of unjust suspicion, Asahi turned his head toward the windows and saw the crisp, sparkling ocean stretching for kilometers of unseen land.
The moonlight glazed over the sky like cream spreading on a patisserie.
He took a cold sigh, turned away from the windows, and mumbled as he heard the distant crashes of the waves below.
"How high up is this place? Am I still in Pladtioa?"
As he reached halfway through the hallway, Asahi turned to one of the many closed doors and wrapped his fingers over a golden doorknob.
Slowly, it clicked, followed by a slight creaking noise.
(Click)
The door slowly opened, revealing a room filled with mirrors. From each direction, there were many mirrors of varying sizes. Some were round and small; others were rectangular and huge.
Two windows spanned the sides of the room, while only one shelf was placed over the right corner.
Asahi felt a cold, nervous sensation creep up his back as he walked into the room.
"What is this?"
Upon wandering the room and gazing at the mirrors, he suddenly heard a faint voice echoing.
"Please…"
Asahi's eyes shrank in fear. He hastily raced out of the room and closed the door shut, not wanting to go inside that room again.
"What was that?!"
Despite the encounter, Asahi continued to open each door in the hallway. Starting from the first, he opened it.
Strangely, it was a replica of the previous room, filled with mirrors and creeping voices.
"Help…"
This constantly occurred to Asahi as he opened each door in that hallway, a pattern that piqued his curiosity.
The voices seemed to whisper secrets meant to be out of reach, and the reflections in the mirrors almost seemed to move with a purpose of their own.
It nearly freaked Asahi out, thinking of the possibilities of what the rooms were for.
Was there a connection between the mirrors and the voices?
Perhaps these rooms served a greater purpose, hinting at some hidden truth about the palace.
Nevertheless, as he approached the last door, he remembered what the guard said about not touching anything.
Swiftly, Asahi raced through the hallway, hearing voices follow him in his tracks.
"Please… help us."
"I'm trapped."
"Destroy the mirrors. Please…"
Unfortunately, because of Asahi's fear, he couldn't hear the voices.
After racing through five hallways of the same design, at least he reached what looked to be a ballroom with a massive mirror suspended from the ceiling. Asahi slowly shook his head, feeling anxiety creep upon him.
Sure, the room was filled with lights, but the sleek tiled floor was so polished that Asahi could see each reflection of himself. He shuddered in fear.
"This palace… is so strange."
Given Asahi's weariness, he sprinted through the ballroom, accidentally toppling tables and chairs. The ballroom was circular, with a ceiling that reached the height of two-story buildings. His footsteps echoed, his nervous breaths flew in the air, and the voices continued to follow him.
At last, approaching two massive, fancy wooden doorways, Asahi let out a sigh of relief and pressed his hands against them, feeling a chill on his back. He desperately summoned all his strength to the doorways, and in one swift motion, they swung open, revealing a large, open room with ceiling lights, stairways, and paintings.
As Asahi hurried through the doors, suddenly…
"OUCH!" A voice sounded in front.
Asahi tripped toward the ground and planted his face toward a warm surface.
"Eh?"
Asahi fainted.
* * *
Not much time later.
Insects chirped, and the cold, gentle chill swept over his face. Asahi heard windows flapping open, followed by the silk texture of a blanket brushing against his chest. Slowly, he lifted from the floor and rubbed his eyes, releasing a loud yawn.
"W-Where… am I?"
Suddenly, as Asahi tried to pull his arm up, he felt something grasp and anchor it to the floor. Asahi's face brightened.
"W-Wait…"
There, he saw her arm lying next to the edge of the bed. Asahi immediately lost his voice, his face turning so red it stung. His breathing quickened.
"H-Huh… is that--"
Asahi lifted his head and saw a beautiful toffee-haired woman with her knees bent and her back pressed against the blankets.
Those fierce, sienna-brown eyes, fringed with her long lashes, and the cinnamon hue of her smooth skin; Asahi immediately knew who she was.
"..."
She wore a rather elegant brown dress that stretched down to her ankles. It glittered and shone just like Aletha's attire, but instead of actual luminescent lights, it had a sparkling, glittery texture. Asahi's chest rose and fell… mumbling.
"N-N…Narcissa?"
At that moment, Asahi bounced off the floor and flinched. It was clear to him that he wasn't supposed to be here, but he had suspicions that someone had placed him here. Either some silly folk placed him here, or this was genuine. Nonetheless, Asahi denied and questioned.
"What is going on?! I-I thought…"
He rushed toward the window and swiftly shut it, raising his voice to try to wake her up.
"Tell me and explain to me what is going on!"
As Narcissa continued to rest against the bed, the same high-pitched voice sounded from the door.
"Pfft, I can't believe you don't know what's happening."
Standing and leaning against the door, with a smug look beaming on her face, was the same blond-haired maid, now with a more precise and vivid appearance.
Her hair was short, and so was her height. Her arms were slender, with ashen skin. In a surprise, Asahi swiftly sprinted to the girl and pushed her against the door, gritting his teeth in anger.
The girl looked down at Asahi for a moment.
"H-HUH!?"
She swiftly cocked her head up to his face and whined as she tried to push him away weakly.
"G-Get away from me. Lady Narcissa…"
Asahi interrupted.
"That's the same question I'm asking you. Wait… what? What do you mean by that?! I'll ask you one more time, what is going on…?! "
The maid breathed heavily, feeling Asahi's chest pressing against her. She jumped up and pushed Asahi, her face red with anger.
"Stop!"
Asahi swiftly skidded his feet backward and trembled.
"O-Oh… no. Sorry, this is a misunderstanding. I'm not interested in this."
The maid blushed.
"L-L…LIAR! LADY NARCISSA WILL BE--"
Suddenly, rising from the bed… was no other than the royalty herself. Swiftly, the maid raced out from the door, holding her mouth and trying desperately to hide her blush. As Asahi scratched his head, falling into a state of pure confusion, Narcissa asked with her gentle voice.
"H-Hello…? Maid… are you there?"
Her eyes broadened.
"WHAT?! W-Who are you?!"
Her eyes widened in shock, with her face reddening so bright that it was as if she were a red cherry. She then squinted at Asahi's silver eyes, backing up and tripping on things, as if she was going to faint. Just like Asahi, shock robbed Narcissa of's speech.
"I…I…I…"
Though she asked Asahi who he was, despite meeting her a few hours ago, on the condition that he read that book with Devlin, Asahi knew that the Narcissa who was blushing and trembling in front of him right now was the ORIGINAL Narcissa.
(Don't forget.)
Recalling the reason he got here, Asahi mumbled to himself.
"I need to find a way to make her release her curse. That's all I'm here for."
Narcissa bent her head, a confused look on her face, and asked.
"Huh? W-W-What are you saying? What are you doing in my room… a-and--
Asahi interrupted, stepping forward and closing his eyes.
"Don't worry… I'm just as confused as you are."
As Narcissa peered tremblingly into Asahi's eyes, he tried to calm her down and lowered his voice.
"You're the real Narcissa, yes?"
She replied with a gulp.
"Y-Yeah…?"
Faced with a difficult decision, Asahi thought silently as Narcissa stared at him.
There were two pathways he could take from this conversation. He could either flee like a coward or genuinely speak to his motives and explain who he was.
And after he saw the innocent look in Narcissa's brown eyes, Asahi took a deep breath, chose his path, and explained it vividly.
"The reason I'm here is that I read your book. The prophecy within its pages mentioned a 'suitable interest,' a person destined to help lift the curse affecting you and the nation.
This prophecy described that person as possessing attributes like intelligence, bravery, and a caring heart—qualities that you seem to recognize in me."
Narcissa's eyes widened. She backed up in shock, her voice filled with confusion.
"You read my book?!"
Asahi stammered while speaking.
"Yeah, but now I realized… that… out of all the people you met, I'm… apparently the only one to be your suitable interest. From your actions alone, I can see that you are attracted to me. And that's exactly what was prophesied in the pages."
Narcissa silently nodded and quivered her lips, recollecting what her reflection witnessed during the day when Asahi first awakened here. She knew what she was feeling at this current moment and realized.
As she stared deep into Asahi's white hair, Narcissa nodded and replied in a trembling voice.
"I heard from my reflections that… you're smart, you're clean, and you're really, really brave. I don't understand either why the curse requires this type of person, but... I'm okay with it. As long as you help."
She bent her head to the ground, clenching her trembling fists and taking short breaths.
"Look, I have never felt this feeling for so long; you don't understand. The only time I felt this… was when I was with my tutor. I couldn't feel this way about anyone else. I don't know why. But when I see you… I feel genuine attraction. An emotion I have never felt for many years. It's as if you're the key. D-Do you know about my tutor?"
Asahi nodded his head with a nervous smile.
"Indeed."
Narcissa raised an eyebrow.
"Wow!"
She smiled with genuine happiness and looked away from Asahi, trying to hide her blush.
"T-Then…"
Her eyes started to water.
"Y-You… are the one I waited so long for… to relieve me of my curse. You could save my father, you could save this nation, and you can save me! All the while you maintain your appearance."
Narcissa bloomed with joy, jumping left and right, laughing and clapping happily.
"Haha, haha. Hehehehe! This is a great wish. A wish I wanted for so long! It almost feels like Heaven for me."
Asahi stood there and gave a slight grin, keeping the promise of Devlin in mind. As Narcissa slowly began to calm down, she walked up toward Asahi and whispered.
"So… suitable interest~, do you know the tradition?"
Asahi genuinely had no idea what Narcissa meant by 'tradition'. So, to keep her happy, he slowly shook his head and replied.
"I'm sorry… I don't."
Narcissa shook her head and gave a passive smile. As the moonlight shone on Asahi and Narcissa, she stepped forward, touched Asahi's ear, and whispered with a bright, energetic tone.
"Tee hee. It's fine! The tradition is that we have to go on a date to relieve the curse."
Asahi looked suspicious. Narcissa stepped forward and flailed her hands in the air nervously, screaming at a shy and fast pace.
"D-Don't worry, it can be anywhere! It doesn't have to be in a particular area. B-But there is one thing we have to do. And that is…."
She twiddled her thumbs and played with her hair. A silence erupted in the room. As Asahi stared at Narcissa, patiently waiting for an answer, Narcissa closed her eyes and bowed her head down, revealing.
"I-In order to remove the curse… w-we both have to share one… secret. Not just any secret, but one that is sacred and precious to you.
One that reveals something about you, one that is genuinely kept in your heart. That would show Vanity, the direct opposite of Narcissism. B-By doing that… we can remove the curse!"
Asahi nodded his head and squinted at Narcissa, asking.
"Is there… anything else… we have to do?"
Narcissa hastily shook her head and replied with an energetic voice.
"NO! T-That's it."
Asahi gave a nervous chuckle and scratched his head.
"Hope you realize now, I'm a Ruler."
Narcissa jumped up in wonder.
"Y-YOU'RE A RULER?!"
She rolled her thumbs and continued.
"Well, that makes the Vanity all the better! Say, let me change and wait outside the door, will ya?"
Asahi slowly nodded and stepped out of the room, smiling at Narcissa and waving at her.
"O…Okay…"
(Slam)
The door closed roughly. It echoed over the walls, toward the mirrors. As Asahi patiently waited for Narcissa to change into her 'date' clothes, he pondered what had just happened.
"I can't believe it. Why did Narcissa act like that? She behaved like a ten-year-old inside a twenty-five-year-old body."
A spark of realization erupted in Asahi.
"OHHH!"
Hearing Narcissa hum happily behind the door, assuming she was changing, Asahi hunched against the door and mumbled quietly.
"So… when I saw the original Narcissa, the one that I just encountered at night, she acted more playful, energetic, and overall childish compared to when I met her when I first awakened in this place.
The Narcissa that I saw before acted more serious, moody, and mature during the day. WAIT A SECOND"
He snapped his fingers, not realizing that his voice was loud.
"Does that mean that the clone could actually REFLECT Narcissa's personality as well?! If… that's the case, her action would be justified and make a lot more sense!"
(Click)
The door opened. Narcissa asked while peering through the crease of the door.
"Hey, suitable interest… could you keep it down?~"
Asahi swiftly nodded his head and covered his mouth.
"O-Okay…"
"Thank you!" She said happily as she closed the door.
(Slam)
Narcissa resumed changing into her dress while humming.
Asahi pushed himself up and walked to the window. As his crystal gray eyes peered at the vast sparkling ocean and the bright moon, he slowly closed his eyes. Abruptly, the face of Devlin flashed in his mind. Sighing and opening his eyes, Asahi whispered.
"Don't worry, Devlin. I'm not abandoning you."
Then, the vision of Aletha's face filled his head. Although he doesn't know that she is starting a rebellion, all he wants is for his sister to be safe. Asahi slowly closed his fingers and muttered as he stared at his reflection in the window.
"Sis, when I'm finished with this date with Narcissa, we can FINALLY be free from the problems of this nation and move on to what's beyond the sea."
He took a deep sigh and turned to the door, mumbling while drumming his fingers against the floor.
"But… until then… we are stuck here. I hope you're safe, sis. For all that I want, I wish…"
He stared at the 'S' mark on his reflection's face, forming a small tear in his eye.
"...I wish the rest of the family were still alive."