Rascal did not take long to locate us beneath the table in our usual hideaway within the library. Princess barely stirred at her approach.

  “You’re the greatest, you know that?” Rascal declared warmly, her smile brimming with admiration. She happily sprawled on her stomach upon the floor, resting her head on her hands. “You fight evil magians, you paint, and you punch idiots right on the face. You’re the best.”

  “Oh, good. An admirer. I hope you come visit me in the dungeons.”

  “Come on, Aufelia! Nobody ever goes to the dungeons for stuff like this!” even the naive Rascal could tell. “You would have to have killed him, at least. The most you would get would be a mean talking-to, but Fermina can handle that. She’s pretty mad.”

  “Really? How mad?” Princess buried her face deeper between her knees, clearly worried.

  “She said stuff like, ‘This is enough!’ and ‘If everyone insists on raising their hands, we will need mediation!’ Then she told me to come to look for you, and she would get someone to tell them about all of this. Gurrow and his friends went out running. Oh! Arkin said, ‘There will be dire consequences for this!’, but while running away in fear. It was funny.”

  “That orange pest is already a pain to deal with. Now he’s going to go out of his way to mess with me,” Princess predicted, morose.

  “Give Fermina some credit. She will really scold you; she may even spank you… but I’m sure she’ll sort this out. Arkin’s not going to bother you,” Rascal reassured her. She might be correct. Fermina’s reputation, unsullied and well-respected, carried weight among the Cafligen family, even with my less-than-amiable sister.

  “Yes, sure…”

  “Is… something wrong? It’s not just this, is it?” Rascal meant the punching incident. “Something else is really eating you up, huh? You can talk to me.”

  Princess’s mind swirled with the implications of having struck a future Duke, certainly, but it paled in comparison. Somehow, I had wrested control of her body by sheer force of will. It was not Princess who had thrown that punch—it had been entirely my doing. She was only mildly disturbed by my actions, understanding that striking Gurrow had been well deserved. Yet, what weighed more heavily upon her was the unsettling truth that the time she had control over her body was diminishing, and no solution was in sight.

  She was terrified, and rightfully so. Confusion clouded her thoughts, and she could not decide whether trusting me was in her best interest. Doubts about my intentions gnawed at her, and there was no need to voice it. The question loomed: Was I deceiving her in some clandestine bid to seize control of her body? With no one to confide in, she could only retreat beneath the table, desperately holding back tears.

  For whatever solace it might offer, I could not seize control from her whenever I pleased. To confirm, I had tried—attempting to replicate within my mind the very emotions Gurrow had provoked in me—but all to no avail. I had several theories as to why that moment of control had occurred, yet nothing concrete, and no one to share these thoughts with, as Princess refused to listen.

  Princess glanced upward. Rascal’s sincere “You can talk to me” had given her something to consider. I could almost feel her deliberating whether to divulge our secret. It was an utterly dreadful idea.

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  I would entrust Rascal with my life without hesitation. I would wager all I had ever possessed that she would never betray me, not even under the most agonizing duress. That child was pure-hearted and lovable, and I held unwavering faith in her intentions—but in her intentions alone. Rascal was transparent to a fault and a poor liar; it would not take much for someone to coax sensitive information out of our little maiden. Yet, I understood Princess’s plight—despair and her yearning for the emotional support of a confidant aware of the truth.

  “A-are you alright? You look like you’re about to cry…” Rascal’s eyes softened with concern as she drew closer. Perfect! Her eyes were now within view—windows to the soul, indeed.

  “Not her! Do not burden your little sister with this!” I swiftly cautioned. “Aufelia, for the love of all that is sacred, I comprehend what you are enduring. It is your life, and if you wish to take the risk of confiding in others for the sake of feeling safer, I cannot prevent you. But let us discuss this! There must be more… appropriate individuals to place your trust in!”

  “R-Riatna, can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course you can! Anything you want!” Rascal invited but closed her eyes as she smiled.

  “When did you… like me more? No, I guess that’s too weird. When do you have more fun with me? Is it like, when we were just walking and talking with Fermina, when I painted you, or that last bath we had? Please think carefully; this is important,” Princess posed the question with solemn gravity, steeling herself for a response. We both were already acquainted with the answer.

  “You have been amazing lately!” Rascal unknowingly tormented her sister with her response; I could feel our shared heart sinking. “I don’t know what happened, but sometimes, when we’re all alone… y-you become the funniest person I have ever known! You talk about interesting stuff and joke a lot; you talk a little weird and look at me weird, like… I don’t know; you look down my dress a lot.” Fair; I would endeavor to change that. “But I feel like I’m getting to know you all over again. I don’t know how to explain it.”

  “And, Riatna, would you,” Princess paused with each word, struggling to voice it, “would you like me to stay that way… forever?”

  “Princess, do not speak such foolishness!” I intervened when Rascal’s eyes fluttered open, puzzled. “You are sad and frightened, and I fully understand, but do not entertain such thoughts! This is your body and your life. I would never rob you of them—I would rather die a thousand deaths. I adore Rascal; we have been friends for years; of course she likes me. You know this. That question was unfair.”

  “What do you mean?” Rascal, lacking the context, could not grasp the weight of her sister’s sudden melancholy.

  “Nothing. I am being ‘foolish’, I guess,” Princess murmured, burying her face once more in her knees. I did my best to suppress our tears, though I was unsure if it helped. “Could you go and tell Fermina that you found me? I will come… later. I promise. I just need some time alone.”

  Rascal, though unable to grasp what tormented her sister, obediently complied, as a dutiful younger sibling would. She departed after assuring us that we were likely not in any serious trouble and that, should a spanking be too fearsome a prospect, she would speak to Fermina on our behalf.

  I granted Princess several moments of silence, refraining from speaking within our shared mind. She sniffled softly as she crawled out from beneath the table. Metallic rails lined the third floor, and she stared at them with unsettling intent.

  “Do you feel better now?” I inquired, knowing it was not the case.

  “Dubart, I am going to need a show of good faith from you.” She ignored my question—or perhaps saw no need to respond. “I am serious.”

  “Certainly. What would you have me do?” It was true that my recent lack of progress had been concerning.

  “I can’t be alone in this any longer. So not Riatna; fine. Who, then? We have to tell someone, and since I can’t possibly convince them, you will have to do it.”

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