Reincarnated into Two Bodies-Chapter 225: Sudden Guests

Well…

This is mortifying.

Both of my bodies stood far apart in the private training chamber, swords in hand, idly twiddling my thumbs on the grip just to pull my mind out of this mess.

“I am very sorry for intruding on your… training session, Lady Carine,” Eveliana said with an apologetic tone. ”I hope our arrival hadn’t interrupted anything…?” she said, almost unsure.

“It’s… nothing,” I reluctantly answered.

“Ooh! So this is how you look like up close,” Mirabelle said, studying Feyt’s face like it was a book.

“It’s… nice to meet you?” I could only offer an awkward smile as she stared at me intensely.

“Hmm, I finally got to meet this Feyt I keep seeing and hearing!” Lionne said with a bright smile. She shot her hand forward. “Nice to meet you! I’m Lionne, a friend of Lady Carine!”

I stared at myself as Carine; Lionne and Mirabelle had surrounded him like hunters to their prey. This wasn’t how I imagined introducing Feyt to Carine’s friends, especially not with what happened earlier.

As I reached my hand out to shake Lionne’s hand, she looked to the side, directly at Carine, and immediately retracted her hand and waved in a panic. “O-Oh! Sorry, no handshakes! M-My bad, Lady Carine!”

I raised an eyebrow. Why did she back off all of a sudden?

I let out a silent sigh as I turned to the final guest in the room, Villius.

He stood not far behind Eveliana, silent the whole time, whilst looking at the ground, like he lost a needle on the floor or something. Occasionally, he would shoot his eyes towards Feyt before quickly turning back to the floor again, grumbling in silence.

“Villius?” I called softly. “Are you alright?”

His head jerked up, eyes wide with the startled look of someone caught mid-thought. “I-It's nothing, Lady Carine…”

“Right…”

I doubted it was nothing. After answering me, his eyes turned everywhere but me. It looked like he had many questions, theories perhaps. Was the sight earlier brought him that much to ponder?

It was for me, at least.

“So… Feyt, was it?” Mirabelle asked. “I’ve been curious this whole time, but how did you meet up with Lady Carine?”

“Well… it’s nothing special really,” I said, trying to make myself sound as disinterested as possible. “We met when I trained at her house, that’s all.”

Mirabelle’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing my face like I stole her cookie. “Really?”

“Uhh, yeah?”

“Hmm…” Mirabelle continued to stare at me, curious. At least she didn’t ask any more questions, though.

Lionne approached Mirabelle from behind, pulling at her slightly. “Now, now… Don’t bother Sir Feyt… Before Lady Carine gets mad.”

How did you even reach that train of thought?

I turned back to the matter at hand. “Eve,” I addressed the young lady before me. “Could you tell me what brings you here? Something important, I assume?”

If it involved breaking into my private training session, it must be something serious, right?

Though… it was my own fault for not locking the doors.

Don’t tell me, is this karma?

“I'm glad you asked, Lady Carine.” She clasped her hands in front of her, wearing a serene smile. “Do you recall what the instructor mentioned this morning?”

“This morning?”

The question hung in the air while I rifled through my memories. That morning, my mind was rather preoccupied with Ricent's situation and what to do during the sparring session. I barely paid attention to the lessons, since once again, they were theories I already read before.

“Yes.” Her tone carried no reproach, only gentle prompting. “We were instructed to vote for a class representative, and—”

“—Oh, class representative…” I said, connecting the dots.

Now that she mentioned it, I recalled the instructor's voice droning in the distance while I scribbled down everything into my notes. I'd been so absorbed in my own concerns that I'd transcribed his entire announcement word for word without registering a single syllable.

Now that I have that picture in my head, I remember the details clearly.

“I take it the voting concluded?” I asked.

Eveliana nodded, that quiet smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. “It did. A few students had already departed, so not everyone participated, but the results were decisive enough that we agreed their participation wasn’t needed.”

The few who didn't vote. She meant me, certainly. But who were the others? The class had always this kind of strange tension, like a few of the students were clearly too busy in their own worlds. But if I had to say, Lechter was probably one of the few who didn’t vote too. That boy exited classrooms faster than I could notice at times.

“Lionne and I searched for you afterward,” Eveliana continued. “We checked the library, the gardens, your usual spots. Then a passing instructor mentioned you'd reserved a training chamber, so…” She gestured vaguely at our surroundings. “Here we are.”

“I see…”

My gaze swept across the room’s guests. Mirabelle was still eyeing at Feyt, perhaps to ask more questions. Villius was still staring at the floor, long enough to convince me he found a gold coin there.

“What about them? Why are they here?”

None of those two were related to my class, after all.

“We encountered them along the way. After I let them know we were searching for you, they insisted on accompanying us. Though…” Her voice dropped, barely above a whisper meant only for me, and Feyt’s ears. “I suspect at least one of them is reconsidering that choice now.”

Who? Villius?

It was true that he looked like he wanted to be anywhere else than here, though.

I shook my head and cleared my throat, hoping it was enough to clear out my thoughts. “Well then, tell me. The results. Who did the class select as representative?”

Eveliana's expression settled into something serene and slightly mischievous. “Isn't it obvious?”

A sinking feeling brewed in my stomach.

No… Please don’t…

Lionne bounced between us with a bright smile. “It's you, Lady Carine! I nominated you myself!”

Why?!

Why would you betray me like this?!

I thought of you as a friend!

The words lodged in my throat, trapped behind the mask of ice that I couldn’t quite take off. Inside, however, I wanted to scream like it was the end of the world.

…Actually, Feyt’s face was rather obvious with my discomfort about the idea. Good to see I still had my emotions.

If I became a representative, I’d have even less free time as an Honors student. One of my weekdays was already taken by extra classes, and there was now a chance the last remaining free day would be taken away by administrative work.

No… This is unacceptable!

My free time is precious!

Under no circumstances was I going to accept that role.

I straightened myself fully and delivered a bow so solemn it could have been used at a press conference. "Forgive me, but I will not be accepting that position."

The chamber fell silent.

Eveliana recovered first, her head tilting with genuine curiosity. "Might I ask why, Lady Carine?"

Because I want to stay sane and not work all day?

"It's simply that I have numerous obligations demanding my attention. I fear I would be unable to dedicate proper time and mind to representative duties."

"Obligations?" Lionne parroted, her earlier enthusiasm dimming slightly. "Well, I suppose you would be busy, being an heir and all..."

Thank you for being understanding… If only you were as understanding when you thought to nominate me.

Eveliana wasn't finished. "If I may ask," she pressed gently, "what sort of obligations occupy your time, Lady Carine?"

None of your business.

But that wasn't an acceptable answer. I scrambled for something legitimate, something that would justify my refusal without revealing that my primary concern was avoiding additional work.

"Well..." I cast about for inspiration. "Sparring, for one."

Well, that was weak. I just came up with something on the spot. Though it was true that sparring was an important duty of mine. A blade needs its sharpening, you know?

“Sparring?” she parroted. She turned to gaze at the room, then specifically at Feyt, then back to Carine. “Do you spar with your bodyguard often?”

I seized the opportunity, gathering my usual confidence. "Yes. As the future head of the Sareid family, I cannot allow my swordsmanship to falter. Thus, I dedicate considerable time to training."

There. That sounded properly noble… I think.

Lionne's expression shifted to something I couldn't quite read—skeptical, perhaps, or calculating.

“Isn’t that just a reason to…” she mumbled to herself. If it weren’t for Feyt’s ears, I wouldn’t be able to hear her.

Then, as if a light bulb had appeared above her head, her face lit up. “So that’s how it is!”

What?

What do you mean by that?

I didn't know what scheme was brewing behind those bright eyes, but I knew with absolute certainty that I wanted no part of it.

“Whatever it is you’re thinking, Lionne… scrap it.” My voice was low and cold, almost similar to Mother’s.

She took a step back so fast she nearly tripped over her own feet. The smile vanished, replaced by the wide-eyed terror of someone who'd just remembered exactly who she was talking to.

"Y-Yes, sorry... Lady Carine..."

I purposefully let out a sigh as I turned to Eveliana.

"Eve," I said, choosing my words carefully, "surely there must be another candidate. Someone with more... time."

"There were other nominations, yes. But the vote was overwhelmingly in your favor." She paused, letting her words sink in. “I doubt the class would accept anyone else.”

Aren’t you guys voting for me just because I’m the number one student?

Just vote for Lechter for God's sake!

I held my ground, meeting Eveliana's serene gaze with one of my own. "Overwhelming or not, my answer remains the same. I cannot accept."

Lionne stepped closer to us. "But Lady Carine, everyone was so excited! They said you'd be perfect because you're—"

“—I appreciate the compliments, but I am firm with my decision.”

Eveliana studied me for a long moment, her head tilted as she studied my face, seemingly deeper than I wanted. "Sparring means a lot to you, doesn’t it, Lady Carine?"

“Yes, it is.”

It’s one of the few fun things I could do here, after all.

Eveliana's smile didn't waver, but something in her eyes suggested she wasn't entirely convinced. Still, she nodded gracefully. "Very well, Lady Carine. If you're certain, we won't force the matter."

Lionne's head whipped toward her friend. "Eve! We can't just—"

"We can and we will." Eveliana placed a gentle hand on Lionne's arm. "You heard her loud and clear, Lionne. Lady Carine has made her position clear. It would be disrespectful to pressure her further."

Lionne looked between us, her expression cycling through confusion, frustration, and finally resignation. "Fine," she muttered. "But I still think you'd be perfect, Lady Carine."

I had a slight feeling that me being class representative had something to do with her ulterior motives… But oh well, not like I was going to be one anyway.

Before I could respond, Eveliana spoke again. "Of course, the vote won't officially close until next week. If you ever reconsider between now and then, we would happily welcome you as our class representative."

Yeah.

That ain’t gonna happen.

"I'll consider it," I lied as naturally as swinging a sword.

"Good to hear that, Lady Carine." She turned gracefully to Lionne. "We shall be taking our leave now. We wouldn’t want to bother your sparring session any longer.”

Lionne nodded and fell into step beside her. “See you soon, Lady Carine!”

She gave me one last cheerful look before both of them disappeared through the door that Leila held open.

The moment it closed, Mirabelle detached herself from Feyt’s orbit where she'd been lurking about, and approached with an almost smug smile already in place

Oh, right, she’s here too.

"Mirabelle." I inclined my head. "What brings you here?"

"Ohoho, do I require any other reason to seek my friend?" She waved a hand airily. "I simply wished to see how you were faring. It's been some time since we last spoke properly." She paused, her smile proud. "But I won't impose further. You clearly have training to resume."

Her consideration was unexpected but appreciated. But didn’t we see each other just a few days ago in the infirmary? Though I suppose that couldn’t count as a proper meeting.

"I see. Thank you for checking in, Mirabelle. Please take care of yourself as well."

“I will!”

Before she turned on her heel, though, she stepped closer onto me and whispered.

“If we have the time, please introduce me to your… bodyguard, yes?”

I will not.

And just like that, she left the room with a bright and almost expectant smile.

I turned to face the only remaining guest.

Villius had wandered near the training equipment sometime during my discussion with Eveliana, seemingly fascinated by the grain of the wooden practice swords. But as I approached, he straightened, smoothed his expression into something approaching casual, and scratched the back of his head with nonchalance.

“Villius. May I ask what brings you here?”

He had seemed to regain his composure. "It's... mostly the same as Mirabelle, actually." He shrugged, the gesture meant to look careless. "I just wanted to see your face. Haven't seen you in a while, after all."

We saw each other last week during lunch, didn’t we?

"I see." I studied him for a moment, noting the way his eyes didn't quite meet mine. Was there something that I did? "I appreciate you stopping by.”

“Yes…”

The room went silent, almost awkward.

Then, he finally spoke up. “I-I won’t keep you from your training any longer, Lady Carine… I shall take my leave.”

I gave a nod, just glad that things were over. “Take care then.”

“You as well, Lady Carine.”

He turned on his heel and left the chamber, the door closed behind him by Leila.

The room was silent once again.

I took deep breaths with both bodies.

Then, in one smooth motion… I dropped to my knees.

They… They saw me…

They saw me… the both of me… in that position…

All those days spent distancing myselves…

Wasted…

I held back tears of anguish as I contemplated the loss of my efforts.

Indeed…

What a devastating loss it was…