After our bath, we return to the same spot as yesterday—the roof of the Gilded Horn—each holding a steaming cup of chocolate milk. A chilly breeze drifts by, making the cup’s warmth feel even more comforting. There’s something undeniably soothing about sipping sweet chocolate under a starry sky.

It’s part of Eris’s nightly ritual to spend a few minutes like this, unwinding in the moonlight. Now that I’ve tried it myself, I can fully appreciate why she does it. Gazing at the quiet heavens above feels calming, as though nothing else matters in this brief, peaceful moment.

It’s as if the whole world shrinks away, leaving only the two of us here under the stars.

“As long as I’m here, Felicia, I’ll protect you. There’s nothing to worry about,” Eris says gently, her voice mingling with the soft night air.

“Nn.” I nod, then rest my head against her shoulder. “Thank you, Eris, for looking out for me.”

Right now, we’re still waiting for Gordon to return so he can confirm whether necromancy can be used on those thugs.

In the Eldenwald Kingdom, the Crimson Order is labeled one of the top terrorist organizations—a direct threat to public safety—and the authorities aim to eradicate them completely. However, progress is limited. These criminals use forged IDs to remain elusive, and they often operate from hidden bases within dungeons, making them extremely difficult to track down.

Whenever a member is captured or killed, they have precautions in place to block necromancy. A simple yet brutal curse activates a few minutes after death, erasing any trace of the organization from the victim’s soul. Most people wouldn’t dare tamper with a soul, given its sacred nature, but these villains seem willing to do anything in pursuit of their twisted cause, their hateful ideology, and the wealth they gain from slave trading. It’s revolting to think about, but it’s also the stark reality.

Suddenly, Eris turns her head and gently squeezes my hand.

“Now that we’ve talked everything through, Felicia, may I ask you a question?”

I look up and meet her eyes. They’re large and bright, but there’s a serious glint there that sends a nervous flutter through my chest.

“Of course,” she continues, narrowing her gaze. “You can refuse to answer if you’d rather not. I won’t blame you.”

For some reason, her sincerity only makes me more anxious. My heart thumps harder as I wonder what she wants to know. Did I do something wrong? I’m not sure, but I have a sinking feeling about this.

“Yes?” I reply, my voice starting to tremble a bit.

Then, she speaks..

“Who are you?”

Her words are like thunder.

…

…Huh?

“Felicia, who are you?”

It’s as if a bolt of lightning has struck me, paralyzing me. My whole body goes rigid, and I can’t move or even breathe. My mind swirls in a storm of panic, searching for anything to say—but nothing comes out.

“W-what do you mean?” I mutter, my hands shaking. My heart is pounding so hard that I try to pull away, but Eris’s grip is too firm.

She exhales, sighs, then begins explaining the reasons behind her suspicions.

“At first, I thought you were an aristocrat who somehow got lost in the dungeon. The dress you wore and the jewelry you carried looked more beautiful and majestic than anything I’ve seen, even among this kingdom’s royals. Your magic abilities are extremely mysterious, too—none of them match any known records. I assumed you might be part of a secret household that wants to remain hidden, which would explain why there’s no data on you and why you lied about losing your memories to protect yourself.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“W-wait! You knew I was lying!?” I stammer, my body shaking more than ever.

A sense of doom creeping in.

So… she knew…

I’m so fucked…

“Yeah,” Eris replies with a smug look. “Your expression and body language made it pretty obvious, you know? You may think you are a good liar, but you aren’t. Besides, you just confirmed my suspicion with that last sentence.”

Huh?

Last sentence?

I then remember, asking her something like… ‘you knew I was lying?’.

…

Oh, crap!

I gasp, covering my mouth.

Damn it!

I was so stupid!

“If… if that was the case,” I mutter. “…then why have you still been so kind to me? Why help me even though I’m obviously lying?”

I brace myself for Eris to turn serious now that I’ve been exposed.

But then, her expression softens instead.

“Hey, relax,” she says with a gentle smile. “Everyone has one or two secrets, right? I understand you can’t trust just anyone from the start, including me, so it’s fine. Besides, the only thing that matters is you really did need my help, and I couldn’t leave you on your own.”

Hearing that, my chest tightens.

Eris… she’s so kind…

And yet, I still lied to her… taking advantage of her…

“I-I’m sorry…” I say, my ears drooping.

“It’s okay,” Eris says softly. But suddenly, she pinches my cheeks and laughs loudly. “Haha, but to think you even went as far as forcing yourself to eat those vegetable! Very impressive. To be honest, it was so convincing that I was fooled for a second!”

“Eh? Vegetable?”

“Yeah,” Eris blinks.

A moment of silence follows.

Is she… talking about the time when I tried to eat the salad downstairs?

…

“WAIT!” she suddenly gasps. “You were SERIOUSLY trying to eat those vegetables? You’re a CAT Furren!”

“Y-yeah…” I murmur, my eyes darting aside in embarrassment. “I-I really didn’t know I couldn’t eat that!”

“WHAT?! Now I’m even more confused!” Eris exclaims. “So you really did lose some memories? And maybe even your common sense? What?” Her eyes widen in shock. “And not only that, you seem to be of aristocratic origin—your hands are definitely not those of someone who does manual labor—yet you went into the kitchen and chopped those vegetables perfectly, like a professional? Agh, what the hell? None of this makes any sense!”

I’m not sure why, but her frustrated expression makes me chuckle, easing the tension a bit. Yes, she’s figured out that I lied, but she still hasn’t connected all the dots just yet.

“And you were even using sword aura!” Eris exclaims.

“Huh? Sword aura?”

“Uh-huh.”

“What… is that? Is it some kind of skill? I’ve never even used a sword.”

“Wait… seriously? You don’t know what it is or even realize you’re using it?”

I shake my head. “This is the first time I’m hearing about sword aura.”

“Aaaagghhh…” Eris groans. “What is going on here? Alright, sword aura is—” she pauses briefly, as if trying to recall an exact definition—“it’s basically a phenomenon only someone with a very high skill level can produce. They enter a state where they become one with the sword…”

Now that Eris mentions it, I remember feeling something odd when I was chopping vegetables. It was like being in a state of flow. Time seemed to slow down, and every slice, every movement, flowed with smooth efficiency. My cutting speed felt at least five times faster than in my old life. Back then, I assumed it was because I’m now a cat Furren, and cats are famous for being fast.

“Was that… sword aura?” I blink.

“Yeah!” Eris confirms. “But you’re telling me you weren’t using it consciously? How is that even possible?”

“Maybe I’m just that good at cooking,” I say proudly, sticking out my non existence chest a bit.

“Yeah, maybe….” Eris replies. “Aaaaa, I don’t know anymoreeee…” She then flops onto her back with a dramatic groan. “And then there’s the biggest question of all: how did you break free from the Nightmare Orchid’s illusion? Unless you have a high magic level like I do, it’s impossible to resist that flower’s effects. So are you… maybe… hiding your power too?”

“Ah… that… I…”

It wasn’t me who resisted the flower’s effect—it was the real Felicia. Somehow, she destroyed the nightmare and pulled me back into reality. But at this point, I have no idea how to explain that to Eris without revealing everything.

“It’s okay, Felicia…” Eris says gently, tightening her grip on my hands and sitting back up. “Like I said, we all have our secrets. You don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable.”

With her free hand, she brushes away a stray lock of my hair.

“If anything,” she whispers softly while leaning a bit closer, “it just makes me more curious about you…”

My heart flutters again—ba-dump!

Eris chuckles. “And you’re very easy to fluster too,” she teases.

“Ahhh, Eris!” I groan in embarrassment.

So, in the end, it’s just Eris’s curiosity. She knows I’m hiding something but respects my privacy.

We settle back into companionable silence, sipping our milk.

But now… with the secret partially out…

I think it’s time.

“Eris… what if… I’m from another world?”

“Huh?” she replies, staring at me with wide eyes.