"Are you sure about this, Kallen?"
My eyes darted on Ashen, who stood from a distance as I prepped myself for my mission.
"Yeah," I answered while adjusting my clothes.
"It's only been days and your injury has yet to heal completely." The concern on his face was palpable. "Can you finish the job in that state?"
The side of my mouth lifted. "Who knows?"
No, this isn't me being arrogant. In fact, I'm acting tough but my wound still hurts. However, I can't afford to wait until this injury of mine heals. Time is running, and Princess Odette is running as well.
The crown prince wants her dead.
If I fail to complete my task, he'll surely get rid of us, the people who know about his odious plans to eliminate his sister. There's no way he'd let us live.
So it's not a matter of whether I can do it or not.
I must do it. I must kill the imperial princess.
I was given this role, after all.
"I'll be fine." I gave him a reassuring smile.
Ashen heaved out a deep sigh. "I truly hope so."
For the last time, we shook our hands and bumped our shoulders into one another. After waking up as Kallen, I had a hard time trusting anyone again.
But Ashen made it easier for me.
Because our relationship was strictly professional.
No one tried to get to know the other personally. As long as he gives me a job and I get it done, we were good. A relationship with mutual benefits with money on its center, no strings attached.
But I do admit that I'm very fond of this guy.
He doesn't need to know that, though.
"Report back to me as soon as you're finished with the job." He strictly reminded me for the nth time.
I lazily waved my hand. "Aye-aye."
With that, I left the Solstice fully determined.
As per my usual practice, in order to camouflage myself into the darkness of the night, I donned a black one-piece bodysuit and wore a mask of the same fabric to conceal my face and blonde hair.
The bodysuit hugged my curves and emphasized my fit and tall stature, as well as my lean breasts and plump bottom. This body is effortlessly sexy.
My twin daggers were strapped on each of my boots so that I can easily get my hands on them.
"The gods are crazy." I concluded while stealthily making my way into the inn where the princess stays. "They're wasting my beauty by giving me these insignificant roles. Those guys are blind!"
For some reason, the faces of all the important female characters in this novel flashed on my mind. Fine, I admit defeat. If you put me in the same room with Ingrid, Ruth, and even Princess Odette, I'd look like a potato compared to them.
I may be pretty, but not as pretty as them.
Anyway, I finally arrived at the inn located in the middle of the route connecting the capital and the adjacent city in Muehler. It was a two-storey house wherein the first floor was for serving food and drinks, while the second floor served as the lodgings. It was similar to Solstice, only smaller.
The crown prince informed me that Princess Odette will be meeting her lover in this place.
By now, they should have been reunited and preparing to leave and escape into the south.
"Princess, come out." I mumbled while positioned on a tree branch, eyeing the surroundings closely.
To be honest, I would have preferred to kill her while she had yet to meet the mysterious knight, but I couldn't go out right away due to my injury.
"Well," I seized the twin blades strapped on my boots. "Guess I just have to kill them both."
While waiting for the duo to appear, my mind suddenly noticed a number of notable points.
Why did the roles of the two imperial siblings changed? Who acted out of character first?
Was it Prince Dion? He was supposed to be the male lead, the love interest of the protagonist.
I can only think of two possibilities. First, that the crown prince is aware of the devil within Ingrid and works willingly with her. Second, that he's under the influence of the devil's black magic, that's why he's acting an antagonistic role.
I sincerely hope that it's the latter.
Even so, that doesn't explain why Princess Odette, who's supposed to be evil, is suddenly acting like a pusillanimous character. Why did she change?
I was startled when I saw two figures emerging out of the inn. One was a woman covered with a cloak while the other was an ironclad knight.
"Found you," I whispered. My voice drowned amidst the rustling leaves. "Hello, you two."
I examined the mysterious knight that Prince Dion had warned me about. He was tall, but his height was nothing exceptional. I've seen taller men.
Other than his height, I couldn't gauge anything more since he was covered in steel from head to toe. Still, I managed to conclude some points.
One, that armor must be heavy, so I'll have an advantage in terms of speed. Surely, I'm faster.
Two, however, it makes him more durable against attacks and his defenses will be hard to penetrate.
"There's no point in thinking about it." I gripped the hilt of my daggers tightly. "I have to move."
My jaw clenched. It's now or never.
However, what happened next was unexpected.
The moment I leaped from my hiding place and lunged forward, the princess turned her head on my direction, as if she's expecting my appearance.
"She's here!" Princess Odette enunciated.
Before my blade could even reach her, the knight swiftly moved between us, shielding his master.
In an instant, he unsheathed his sword and swiped my dagger upwards. It seemed like the knight was aiming to strip me of my weapon.
Too bad for him though, because these hands were trained to hold it as long as I'm alive and breathing. And so, I tightened my grip on them.
Since I'm able to move faster than him, I opted to utilize my fists and legs. I battered his armor with consecutive blows and kicked his body nonstop.
It didn't seem like my blows were doing damage, but the knight was pushed back by my consistent attacks. He couldn't even use his sword to counter.
He suddenly swung his sword from my side, but I managed to evade it by splitting and sliding my legs across the ground. I'm very flexible, asshole.
At that moment, I saw an opening.
I mustered all my strength on my leg and attacked him with an axe kick, hitting him straight on the jaw. As a result, I managed to remove his helm.
As soon as his head was exposed, I braced myself and leaped forward to attack him with my blades.
However, as soon as I saw the face on top of that heavy armor, I stopped and my mind went blank.
What the hell?
I subconsciously stepped away from the knight.
My eyes couldn't believe it. How could this person be right in front of me? Is this some kind of joke?
To my shock, the person in the armor isn't a man.
It's a woman. To be exact, a woman with blue eyes and blonde hair styled into a wolf cut. There was also a huge horizontal scar across her cheekbones.
More importantly, it's as if I'm facing a mirror.
The mysterious and ironclad knight... It was me.
Or rather, a version of myself I've yet to possess.
"Ellis!" Princess Odette ran to the knight's side.
At that point, I stiffened on my spot, my mind spinning in confusion. What in the world is this situation? What am I supposed to do with this?
I can't be mistaken. We look identical and there's no way I wouldn't recognize my own face. This person is, technically, my future self, a body that I might possess in the future after I die as Kallen.
"Shit," I muttered grimly. "You can't be serious."
If that's truly the case, then I can't kill this knight!
This is the first time I ever met another version of myself. I might've become Isabelle and Allari, but I've never met any of them before my possession.
If I kill this knight, does it mean that I wouldn't be able to revive as another person if I die as Kallen?
On the other hand, if she kills me and I have to possess her body as a result, does it mean that she'll die and her soul will leave that body?
This is so confusing! Why did I have to meet her?!
The female knight was about to take her fighting stance again when I raised my arms and dropped my daggers, which surprised the two of them.
"Stop." I inhaled sharply. "I can't fight you."
The princess and the knight seemed puzzled.
"Don't be too surprised." I remarked then slowly removed the mask on my head, revealing my face.
As soon as they saw me, they were shocked.
"Huh?" The princess frowned. "You have a twin?"
The knight shook her head. "I'm an only child."
"But she looks exactly like you, Ellis." The princess asserted. "How odd. What is this development?"
I was astounded by Princess Odette's next words.
"In the novel, I never wrote that you have a twin."
It did occur to me once, when I felt so devastated and I wanted someone to blame for my fate. Out of resentment, I thought of it from time to time.
Who is the author of this story?
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