My lips parted to let a yawn slip from my mouth. A week had passed since that whole fiasco with Nayeon happened, and now Tzuyu and I were making our way to the academy.
Tzuyu and Mina still haven't found any clues about the two princesses, and we haven't heard from Taeyeon ever since she departed for the 2nd world.
According to rumours, Taeyeon was still at the Elf Queen's palace and has yet to escape. Ms. Boss even thought of storming the place and getting the information herself, but Mina had slapped some sense into her by saying her idea would only cause us even more trouble.
Thankfully, Mina's scolding worked on her. If there's one person who could do such a thing as giving The Great Holy Knight a reality check, then it's Mina.
All hail Myoui Mina!
As for Nayeon, she seems to be doing well in the 3rd World. As always, she and Sana were getting along nicely, and the Fairy Queen was very cooperative when Nayeon told her not to tell anyone that she was there.
So far, things have been smooth sailing for us. There was nothing unusual going on, and none of Dilariel's subordinates have come to cause a commotion. I could only hope it stays this way until my powers are unsealed.
"I heard Lady Queen is about to go insane because she still can't find Nayeon" Tzuyu said while pushing her hands into her uniform's pockets.
I kind of felt bad for Jihyo since she's apparently been searching nonstop for Nayeon ever since that bunny decided to go missing.
But there really wasn't much I could do about it other than beg Ms. Boss to force Jihyo into taking a break. Hopefully, my fake aunt will be able to convince her later.
"I'm sure she'll be fine" I replied nonchalantly, adjusting my barely fixed mask.
Speaking of Nayeon, I wonder what I'm going to do with her. I still can't forget about how she kissed me last week. Every time I remember her lips brushing against mine, I turn into a flustered mess.
I mean, it was pretty obvious she likes me. She's shown signs of interest towards me ever since our trainee days, but I've been turning a blind eye to her feelings just in case my assumptions turn out to be wrong.
Nayeon is a woman who likes to flaunt her beauty every chance she gets– her confidence was something I really liked about her. She didn't pretend to be a humble and innocent girl, and proudly praises herself in public.
She deserves to be proud, though. With a face like hers and a body so alluring, Nayeon was one of the top beauties in the 6 worlds.
However, I had too much on my mind to be thinking about something like this. So instead of dealing with it right away, I'll keep pushing it aside until I retake my name and bury those bastards six feet under.
Tzuyu swung her arm over my shoulder and pulled me closer. "Are you nervous?"
"About what?"
"About everything" Tzuyu gave gentle squeezes to my shoulder, making me smile at the small act of comfort. "You've been spacing out a lot lately"
I giggled and leaned on her as we walked to the academy. "Are you worried about me?"
"No"
"Really?" I looked at her, feigning sadness to force out an honest answer.
She looked back at me, almost wincing at how my eyes expressed so much sorrow before clicking her tongue in defeat.
"Yes, I'm worried..."
I cackled at her reddening ears and pinched her soft cheeks. I was tempted to bite them, but I know she'd break my jaw before I can.
She was always horrible at showing concern for me, but when she does, I can never stop myself from wanting to baby her. She's just so cute, it makes me want to cry at how adorable she is.
Although, she has gotten better at comforting people. She still hasn't stopped rubbing my arm and squeezing my shoulder ever so gently.
I've lied enough this month, so now I'll be honest and admit that what she's doing is soothing me in more ways than one. I let out another breathy laugh and dragged my finger across her jawline.
"I'm fine, don't worry" My assurance didn't seem to fully convince her, but she didn't bother pushing it and just continued walking.
Soon enough, we arrived at the academy's gates and took long strides inside the campus. And not even a minute later, my ears caught the sound of a familiar voice yelling angrily.
"That's Dahyun screaming, right?" Tzuyu asked, turning to the large crowd standing at the courtyard.
My brows furrowed as I wrapped my fingers around the hilt of my sword. Tzuyu did the same before the both of us quickly made our way to where the commotion was taking place.
We pushed through the bodies of nosy students, pulling and shoving everyone out of our way when Dahyun's yells only got louder.
After pushing the last person aside, what welcomed us was the shaking Chaeyoung hiding behind Dahyun and Momo who had their weapons out.
And standing oh-so menacingly across them were Taehyung and Jennie...
Tzuyu held the back of my uniform, stopping me from taking another step forward. I looked at her and saw her shaking her head, a gesture that told me not to interfere.
I wanted to slap her hand away and save those 3 from whatever was going on, but the risks and consequences of butting in now held on to me like chains.
She was about to drag me out of the crowd, but then the sound of Jennie's irritated sigh and the sight of her pulling out her sacred weapon made us freeze.
"I told you to move, didn't I?" She said and went for Dahyun, raising her sword to attack.
And without even bothering to think twice, I got out of Tzuyu's hold and jumped in, blocking Jennie's blade just before it could reach the defenseless Dahyun.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I spat, voice low and dead serious.
Jennie's hard glare softened into a fond gaze full of yearning. "Y/n..."
Now, it was my turn to glare. "Kim Jennie, who gave you permission to attack a trainee?" I dropped all the honorifics and let my anger overpower any other emotion I felt.
She immediately backed down and took a step back, looking guilty. "Sor- Sorry, I just–"
"She's right, Jen. I understand why you're upset, but you shouldn't have attacked her" Taehyung emerged from behind her and held her shoulder, pulling her back.
He turned to me and bowed his head. "Sorry about my sister, what she did was really uncalled for. We have no excuses, I hope you'll be able to forgive us"
A knight must never raise their weapon at an innocent civilian. Even if you're an elite knight born into royalty, The Great Holy Knight won't make any exceptions and will slap some manners into you.
It was a rule all knights must follow. Defy it once, and a prison cell is where you'll be sleeping for a couple of months.
Jennie huffed before slapping his hand away, offended by what her brother said. "I wasn't going to actually hurt her. I was only planning to break her blade, so she backs off"
She glared at Taehyung who only rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say" He flicked his wrist, dismissing her before placing his attention back on me. "You're Lady Lee's niece, Y/n Granbell, right?"
I cautiously nodded, shielding Dahyun and the other 2 when I noticed him glancing at the trio. "What business do you have with these three?"
"We're here to–" Jennie was about to answer, but the exaggerated gasps and loud screams of excitement interrupted her.
Our attention was quickly moved to the figure that was walking through the tall gates of the academy. Her shining armor blinded those who looked too closely as her electric blue hair swayed with every subtle movement she made.
She sparkled like a celebrity and stood out among everyone else, captivating all that laid eyes on her.
And the familiar sacred weapon that was carried by the baldric she wore gave her an air of importance and greatness.
"Yo" A charming smile was sent to the crowd that immediately went wild upon seeing it.
A large grin that I haven't seen in years decorated Taehyung's face. "Y/n, you're finally here!"
My mood dropped like an anchor to the very bottom of the ocean as I stared at the pretentious motherfucker that wore my face. My jaw clenched, and the grip I had on my sword tightened.
My fingers had left dents on the hilt, and Momo couldn't contain the jitters that made her gulp nervously when she saw it.
"Y- Y/n?" The elf did careful tugs on my uniform. "You look like you're about to murder someone, you alright?"
I didn't reply, or more like, I couldn't process a reply since my ears had blocked out any other sound and only listened to the conversation Taehyung and Dilariel were having.
"Why haven't you captured our target yet?"
"Well, we're facing a few... problems" Taehyung said the last part while awkwardly looking at me.
The moment Dilariel and I made eye contact, a frigid silence that had everyone shivering fell over us. Veins popped on my forehead when an ominous smirk stretched on his lips.
I recognize him, and he recognizes me. It took every last bit of effort I had to fully control myself and hold back all the curse words I wanted to throw at him.
If it was just the two of us, I would've pounced on him and tore him apart limb by limb. Then I'd stuff him in a bag and feed him to Pluffy.
It hasn't even been 2 minutes since he arrived, but my patience was already nearing its limit. If this bastard doesn't get out of my sight when I can no longer restrain myself, I'm gonna slice his head off.
Dilariel confidently approached me without a single fear in the world, the smirk he had only growing bigger when I cautiously stepped back.
"Where is Son Chaeyoung?" He asked after coming face to face with me.
My eyebrow quirked. It doesn't look like he plans to attack yet, but what the hell does he want with Chaeyoung?
Dahyun held my shoulder for support, her wobbly legs threatening to give up on her as she answered for me. "Wh- Why are you looking for her?"
He looked somewhat surprised by Dahyun's question before chuckling haughtily. "What makes you think I'll answer that?"
"You don't answer a question with another question" I rudely spat, earning hushed gasps from the crowd and a questioning look from Taehyung.
"Oi, trainee, you don't talk to elite knights like that–" Taehyung was about to step forward, but Dilariel raised his hand to stop him.
"It's alright" He said before facing me again with a fake smile. "I don't think you'll gain anything from starting a scene here, so how about you move aside and hand over Son Chaeyoung?"
I scoffed and rolled my eyes to the sky. "I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me what you want with her" Anything this guy does leads to trouble. If I do what he wants, who knows what he'll do to Chaeyoung?
I'm not going to sacrifice Chaeyoung just to keep myself safe. I'd be a disgrace as a knight, and I just know Ms. Boss will feed me a knuckle sandwich if I abandon these girls.
A hand pressed on my back, making me look back to see Chaeyoung there with tears streaming down her cheeks. My expression softened when she looked at me with pleading eyes that were begging me to save her.
"I don't want to go with them, they're going to take me back to that damned palace..."
My head tilted to the side. What palace?
My attention was brought back to Dilariel when he sighed and tapped his foot repeatedly and impatiently on the ground. "You don't have much of a choice here, your majesty"
Your majesty?...
Taehyung joined him and crossed his arms before proceeding to drop a massive bombshell on the school that stunned both students and teachers alike.
"Your mother, the reigning queen of the 4th world, is looking for you, Princess Chaeyoung"
And here I thought this school had enough gasps for today, but everyone, including me, just had to suck in one last shocked breath.
Tzuyu's jaw dropped when she found out the princess she's been looking for had actually been a few neighbourhoods away from her this whole time.
"That shortie is the giant princess!?"
"You're the giant princess?!" I yelled after Tzuyu, staring at Chaeyoung with astonishment and disbelief.
She looked away, embarrassed by the fact that she's actually the member of the 4th world's royal family that disappeared last year without a trace.
The runaway princess of the Giant World, Son Chaeyoung.
This short little bean was a giant all along...
"Your mother's subordinates had to go through hell just to find you" Taehyung pointed at Chaeyoung before motioning her to come closer and surrender. "She sent us here to escort you back home, so let's not cause any more commotions and head to the 4th world right away"
Chaeyoung flinched when Dilariel stepped forward. Dahyun protectively wrapped her arms around Chaeyoung and shielded her from the incoming impostor.
Momo yanked my arm and made me face her. The pleading look she had told me everything she wanted to say. Her desperation, her concerns for Chaeyoung, her wish to keep both of them safe, she poured it all into one look.
A look that was directed at me– someone who she was sure would protect them. Someone who she could trust with her life and DubChaeng's lives.
"Please..." She begged and that one word was all it took for me to hoist her up on my left shoulder before hoisting the other two on my right.
Tzuyu immediately pulled out the smokescreens she had in her pocket and threw them on the ground.
A cloud of purple smoke restricted their field of vision and gave us the chance to run away as we quickly zoomed out of the academy.
My strides were long and hurried, legs jumping over every obstacle in my way and dodging all the innocent citizens that walked on the busy streets.
Dahyun shrieked like a little girl at how fast I was going while Tzuyu was about to bust a lung, trying to keep up with me.
Momo held on for dear life, practically stitching herself to my uniform, afraid that she might fall if she lets go for even a second.
"She's carrying 3 people at once but can somehow run this fast..."
"Trust me, she can go faster than that" Tzuyu's reply only added to Chaeyoung's amazement, and the trio were once again reminded of how overpowered I truly was.
I had no clear destination in mind as I ran aimlessly through the capital city. We needed a place to hide before Dilariel and the Kim Siblings catch up to us.
Taking refuge in Ms. Boss's house would be ideal, but it would do more bad than good. I can't drag her into this mess and have her deal with the aftermath.
Taehyung and Jennie might lose their trust in my fake aunt if Ms. Boss covers for us. The stunts her nieces pulled were too extreme to be considered a harmless prank, so defending us was equivalent to losing her image as the Fair and Upright Leader of Knights.
Other than Ms. Boss's home, Sana's palace was the only place I could feel safe in. And let's not forget about Nayeon, who was currently guarding that place.
No one can enter the 3rd World's palace without Sana's permission, so Dilariel would never be able to step a foot in there if Sana refuses his entry.
It was our last and only option.
My foot turned to a corner that led to where the portal was. "We're heading to Queen Sana's palace!"
Tzuyu huffed and gasped as she tried to speed up each time she was about to get left behind. "Can't you just beat the crap out of those guys!?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Tzuyu! That bastard is stronger than Ciferio! With my current state, beating that asshole is like trying to light the ocean on fire"
"So, you admit he's stronger than you?"
"Tzuyu, darling, if I could just unseal my powers then that fucker is as good as dead. Trust me, he doesn't stand a chance against the real deal!"
Tzuyu blushed at the endearment I used as Dahyun butted in when her curiosity got the best of her. "What are you two even talking about!?"
I chuckled at her before jumping over a barrel, making her shriek. A jab to my head is what I earned.
For now, all I can do for these girls is give them a safe place to hide. I'll deal with the consequences of my actions later and ask Nayeon for help.
If Sana and Nayeon are able to convince Jihyo into joining our side, then Dilariel's reign will come to an end sooner than he thinks. With 2 queens, one famous elite knight and The Great Holy Knight, we'll be unstoppable.
But as always, nothing seems to go my way...
"That's as far as you go"
Clicking my tongue, my heels screeched against the pavement when I came to an abrupt stop after seeing my own figure land in front of us.
I looked back and saw Taehyung there with a large scowl while Jennie came up from behind Dilariel and stood next to him.
All 3 of them summoned their sacred weapons and pointed them at us. I almost snorted when I saw the cheap copy of Calamitrous, but I pushed it back down my throat to avoid making Taehyung angrier than he already was.
We've been cornered just when we were about to reach the portal. If I make any more mistakes, these guys might do more than just scold us for interfering with their mission.
"Tzuyu, being Lee Jieun's niece means you are obligated to behave so you don't tarnish her good name, and yet you helped this troublemaking cousin of yours do something so outrageous!" Taehyung's voice was loud and clear, reaching the ears of nosy passerby and intriguing them to come closer.
Now we had another crowd circling us, listening to every word and watching our every move.
Tzuyu couldn't contain the mocking scoff she directed at Taehyung and shook her head in amusement. "I'd rather eat shit than listen to you scold me"
Mina had told me about Tzuyu holding a grudge against everyone who believed Dilariel's lies– and Sir V, a knight who she used to look up to, was no exception to that.
The way she was looking at him and Jennie with so much disapproval just showed how angry she was at them for betraying me. If she could just punch the truth into them, she would've done it a long time ago.
"Also, you seem to be misunderstanding something here. I don't wanna die," She said and unsheathed her sword. "and if my aunt finds out I abandoned the first friends I made, she'll be feeding me knuckle sandwhiches for the rest of the week"
She exaggerated that a bit, but she wasn't lying. Tzuyu had no friends when she was younger because all she did was start fights and cling to me, so Ms. Boss was worried about her for not acting like a normal child.
So when I told her about Tzuyu becoming friends with Momo, Dahyun and Chaeyoung, she was relieved and happy for her.
If her aunt finds out she left them in the dust without trying to help in the slightest, she'd get an earful later on. She almost did earlier, and fortunately for her, I saved her from that.
"Y/n, put us down" Dahyun said, forcing me to focus on her instead of Dilariel.
"Ah, righ–"
But that was a mistake, a very BIG mistake that took away all of my chances at turning the tables.
The moment Dilariel had been waiting for has come.
As soon as I got distracted by Dahyun, he leapt forward and swung his sword at me– or more specifically, my mask.
At that moment, my defeat was guaranteed.
Screams and gasps erupted like a volcano in the capital city, flooding the streets and taking the citizens by surprise.
The unforeseen had befallen on Stardust, leaving everyone in confusion and bombarding the person next to them with questions that could not be answered.
This was the biggest plot twist the 5th world has ever seen.
Standing at the center of the giant crowd were two people who had the exact same face– two captains with same name.
"Y/n!" Tzuyu and Taehyung yelled at the same time, directing their calls to different Y/ns.
When I fell on my bottom after failing to dodge Dilariel's blade, the three went down with me and got out of my hold.
Momo's breath got stuck in her throat when she saw my face. She had to slap herself a few times to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
Dahyun's already pale skin went even paler, making her look like a piece of paper that was cut-out in the shape of a human as she stared at me with a dropped jaw.
Shock came hammering on Chaeyoung's head, each strike helping her understand the reasons behind why I was so powerful despite being a mere trainee.
"Shit" I was about to get up, but then Dilariel's smirk told me it was all over for me.
"So I was right! Lady Lee's so-called niece was planning to trick everyone and take my name by wearing my face!" He yelled, raising his voice– or shall we say, my voice with every lie he spat out.
I could feel my blood boil by how shameless and infuriating this asshole was. Now that he's exposed my true identity, I had nothing to lose.
Just as I was about to summon Calamitrous, someone suddenly slammed my front against the ground, holding me down and pressing my arms on my back to restrain me.
"You filthy brat, so you've been an impostor all this time?" Taehyung's words dripped with venom.
I couldn't even bring myself to be shocked at this point. Dilariel has Taehyung and everyone else wrapped around his finger, it was an automatic reaction for them to believe him right away.
So instead of trying to convince him that the motherfucker in front of us was lying, I looked at the pair of eyes that's been watching us this whole time.
Even with a mask, Myoui Mina would never go unnoticed by me. And judging by the plastic bags she was carrying, she had just finished doing the groceries and happened to stumble upon us getting caught.
Using my head, I gestured her to fly away and report to Ms. Boss immediately while mouthing the words Queen Sana's palace when no one was looking.
She was clearly reluctant on leaving us here, but after Tzuyu signaled her to hurry up and go, the fairy turned around and disappeared from our sight.
"Jennie, grab the giant princess. Y/n and I are throwing this impostor and her friends behind bars" Taehyung said while forcing me up and using his other hand to grab Tzuyu by the collar.
Dahyun's expression was painted with panic while trying to shield Chaeyoung from Jennie. "Don't you dare fucking touch her!"
"Dahyun, watch out!" Momo yelled when she noticed Dilariel coming up behind Dahyun.
Unfortunately, the pale girl was too slow and couldn't dodge Dilariel in time. A karate chop was sent to her neck, instantly knocking her out cold.
"Dahyun!" Chaeyoung cried, reaching her hand out to grab her friend, but the impostor interfered by warning her with a glare.
The princess froze, fear swallowing her whole as her hand stopped midway. Chaeyoung could only watch Dilariel drag Dahyun and Momo away to where the prison cells were located. Taehyung followed and took us with him, harshly tugging us forward.
Things aren't going to look good for Ms. Boss now that her nieces had flipped the capital city upside down. Hopefully, Mina gets to her in time and takes her to the 3rd world where both of them will be safe.
"Jennie, what are you doing? Hurry it up!" Taehyung yelled after noticing his sister rooted in her place.
Jennie immediately snapped out of her trance and let her wobbly legs kneel down beside Chaeyoung. "Sor- Sorry" She apologized to her brother and gestured him to go on ahead.
And as soon as Taehyung turned around, I was immediately caught off guard by the way Jennie had gazed at me.
Knowing her, she'd definitely do much worse than her brother if an impostor were to even breathe the same air as her.
So, I was expecting her to glare lasers at me, to lash out, yell out a storm of curses and maybe even punch my teeth in. I thought she would at least roll her eyes, to at least flip me off and stick her tongue out mockingly, but for some reason, she didn't.
Instead of doing the most outrageous and childish things, Jennie looked at me with so much relief and longing I almost thought my eyes were broken.
I glanced at her and Chaeyoung one last time before facing forward, following Taehyung to where I'll be sleeping tonight.
-