Webs, huh? I stared at the notification confirming my choice. It made sense. I was part-Spider, after all. Attor would have told me to hoard my choices, but I couldn’t help myself! A new Status window opened, revealing what happens if I use the Tier 4 Spell. Its designated Spellpage glowed an ominous crimson as opposed to the normal translucent blue Spellpage, before shattering and revealing a street wide spiral of Golden webbing in a direction. I expected the massive string of Web to cease eventually, but it kept channeling until the magic caster in the preview ran out of Mana. Even that part of the spell seemed dangerous to use! I would have to save the Tier 4 spell unless I absolutely needed it.

— Skill: Distress Call has been activated. A Hostile Entity is approaching Your Majesty’s Room.

Eh? I looked through the little Spider’s eyes and watched the attacker. Charles II Bohun? Why was he headed to my room, huh? Well, I had nothing to do until dinner time. It was time to leave the library and play with my dear brother, then! It was costly, but I activated the Portal Skill to enter my room. The maids filed in with me. As I stepped inside, I noticed the boy was acting more suspicious through my Queen’s Eye. I smoothed out my dress and waited for him to enter. I assumed he must have caught wind of my shiny gem! I picked up the box and tucked it inside my bag. Ah, a perfect surprise attack meant striking at the most opportune moment. And that moment was now! As his hand was about to reach the door, I swung it open and glared down at the boy. I grinned at my own perfect timing. Have I always been taller than him? Or was this new because of my level up? Charles II looked startled for a moment, but before he could speak I equipped my Human Killer title.

“Oh, what do we have here?” I grinned. “A small rodent coming to my castle, how unpleasant.”

“How dare you speak to me like that, C-Charlotte!” He backed up, but I kept following him. “I m-merely was coming to…”

“Are you running away from your dear sister? That’s awfully rude, O Brother,” I cooed. The Body Spiders were following me, this time with small but sinister smiles on their faces as they watched me. Charles II glared at them.

“Don’t just stand there, teach her some manners!” Charles II begged them, but they immediately went back to being shy after I looked at them. They simply lined up at the elbow of the hallway, as I cornered my Brother.

“Where oh where are you going? There’s only one thing you’d come around from your busy schedule to visit my side of the manor,” I slipped out the Pure Sapphire Star from the bag. “Is for this trinket, I presume?”

“Are you accusing me? Me, of all people, stealing your gem! I ought to tell Father of this insolence,” Charles II glared at me defiantly, though my Human Killer Title and my Passive Buffs began to wear his resistance down. I seized him by the neck and lifted him up.

“What for, dear brother?” I felt his breath bulge out and his muscles become stressed. “I thought this was the part where we play and have fun! You see the stairs, don’t you?”

His eyes glanced over towards the stairs with fear shrouding his forehead in sweat. I smiled and held him over the edge of the first step. This Brother of Mine was quite adorable in such a pitiable state! The maids stood by, prepared for an attack.

“Ah, so you remember what you have done to this body of mine. Good, good,” I dangled him effortlessly as he tried to resist my grip. “You’ve only grown 2 levels since we last saw each other. What in the world has happened to you? Are you slacking off? I’ve been training and training, why, I think I’ve gone and outdid your progress! I think you should run along and get back at it if you want this gem of mine so badly!”

With that, I threw him down the stairs and watched his health take a beating on the way down. Each thump rang like music to my ears, perhaps the satisfaction was from the old Charlotte or from just the simplicity of it all. It was just like tossing the snake into that portal, but with a side of revenge. I took my time climbing down to him, hanging onto the gem. If I knew what was coming next, Father would be coming to his rescue soon. I clicked my tongue.

“Why does a pretender like you get to walk these halls?” I scoffed and kicked his side. Charles II groaned in agony, yet he could not take his eyes off of me. “The Bohun Manor has no need for weaklings like you! Couldn’t even stand up after a tiny fall like that!”

Well, I glanced up the long staircase. It wasn’t so tiny after a second inspection. Someone screamed and I heard loud footsteps lumbering towards me. I forgot that Nobles and other people are always in this Manor! The star of my show was here, I guessed, and too soon. Even the air grew cold as Father approached, yet I felt no intentions from him yet. Could a simple level up help even the odds and buy me time to escape if things get worse from here?

“You dare come to steal this from me, huh?” I yelled at him as I kicked him repeatedly, holding the gem up in exasperation and pretending not to notice Father standing right there. “Next time, you better bring a friend or something, like that Laura girl! She’s a Cleric, isn’t she? Pft!”

“Charlotte,” Father simply said. I froze at the sound of his tone and turned with my best acting voice yet! Take this, O Father!

“Father!” I whined. “He tried to take this from me! Tell him, Brother, tell him!”

Charles II simply groaned as he rolled uselessly over from my repeated kicks.

— Charles II’s HP has dropped to 40%!

“Why didn’t you stop her?” Father sighed, looking at Nana and Sydney. The pair of maids simply hid their faces and backed away, pretending to be afraid of me. Or perhaps, they were actually terrified of me. To my surprise, a small smile flashed on his face. My acting was working? I didn’t even have a Skill for this level of tactics! Hah! Wisdom and Geer’Sha, witness me! “Come with me, Charlotte. We have much to discuss over dinner. You two, take him to the Healer.”

“Dinner?” I straightened out my dress again and perked up. I followed him, but after silence settled over the gawking people and guards I prepared my next improvised trick! Skill: Lying! “I-I was being a good girl! I showed him mercy, just like big sister Elaine taught me!”

— Wisdom’s Intervention activated. Skill: Lying not found in your Skill List.

A sigh escaped the mountain of a man, but he kept walking and soon I found myself in the big dining room with Sigora’s painting in it. Charles grunted at the seat next to the big one and a maid pulled it out for me to sit on as another took the Pure Sapphire Star and placed it inside an odd Skill with a lock on it. The trinket was less important than the beautiful throne awaiting me. It was cushioned? I never had a cushioned chair before and it was amazing! Apprehension filled me as I was scooted in and plates of tasty food were placed in front of me. How do I eat these things? In which order? Furthermore, what do I even say? I waited for Father to start eating, hopefully being enough of a distraction to notice my fidgeting.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“So, I heard you accepted the Leonreim boy’s Proposal,” he tore into a chunk of meat as he spoke. We’re not even going to talk about how I threw his son down the stairs? I gulped as I realized he was not finished speaking. “Why?”

I quietly ate with the utensils. After observing several of the Humans eating outside during my brief excursion into town, it was quite convenient and easy to eat with them. Now was not the time! Quick, me, come up with an excuse! I think I used up all my Lying Skill during the small scuffle with Charles II! Now, Charles I is here!

“Well, Father,” I sounded as innocent as I could. “I just wanted to help the Bohun family out and overheard the Nobles talking about how Leonreims were not peaceful with us, of course! Don’t you believe me?”

“No,” Charles said without any hesitation. Gah! He’s reading me like a book!

It was true that I had no intention of letting that fat Noble live or be together with me, for Demons had no love between each other. Everyone besides him could see that happening, including my Father. It came from a more petty side of me, an inhibition that prevented the old Charlotte from escaping. She wanted to see the Prince’s face twist and contort from being rejected and replaced by another man, but did not specify who. What a better puppet than one so fat with Experience Points and false Stats?

“Okay, okay, Father,” I whined, acting as if he caught me in a lie. “You accepted the Prince’s proposal of giving me away. Why does it matter? If that weak pretender– erm – dear Brother of mine, is to be the next one ruling here then I see no point in being here. Hmph!”

“You would be wise to hold your tongue on him,” Charles chuckled. “He and the Leonreims will be working together. It is true, you will be away for the time being, but know you’ll be back in the Academy’s hands soon enough. And out of mine. For now, celebrations are in order this weekend. For you, whether you want it or not. Do not cause trouble during it. I have one more question. Why are those two so quiet?”

I nearly spat out food, but immediately a cloth cleaned my chin. The pair of Body Spiders posing as maids who have been at my side this whole time stood by with the rest of them, silently attending to me at every turn. If I cleared a plate, it was gone before I noticed it. If a crumb fell on my lap, it was wiped off as if it did not exist. They probably were troublemakers and slackers when they were alive, however, they were no longer a part of the Human Realm as far as I was concerned. I took a sip of the bitter juice inside a glass, realizing that my Poison Immunity once again blocked whatever attacking agent inside the drink from harming me.

“Power isn’t all about beating things into submission, Father,” I smiled darkly. “But it helps sometimes, isn’t that right, Nana?”

The Maid Who Was Nana flinched when she heard her name, but bowed politely before joining the line with the other maids who were waiting. The whole row of them were unnerved by their display and by me. Fear me, O lowly Human servants! Haha! Charles said nothing more, continuing to eat. I did my best to keep up with his pace, but my stomach was full in an instant! Curse this tiny body of mine! How do I level up my stomach to fit the rest of the food inside it?

I made it out alive, thank Geer’Sha and Wisdom, but it was dark. I waited for another assassination attempt to happen, however nothing happened. I was still awake, when I noticed a Message from one of the Spiders inside the Manor called me. I needed to get more of the little guys so I could spread them outside in the city for tomorrow, however, that can wait. I would have ignored it, but a figure in white Church robes attracted my attention. He was headed towards Charles’s office? This ought to be good, I flopped on one of the many pillows on my new bed. A squeak of curiosity made its way in my ears from a Spider Assassin as it observed the Memory Fragment’s screen. Right, I requested him to guard me for the night. No pesky gem thieves shall get through him!

— Skill: Message activated. Active Memory Fragment Recording:::

Dean of Sharra, a Church Priest, clutched the new Awakening Orb in his hand, but took his time to the office of the Manor’s Master while following the lusty Half-Elf maid. He was thankful for the Law of Parallelism this Age, because Elves and Half-Elves were voted into the accepted races of the Light’s Convergence. This beauty, despite her coldheartedness, was enough to ease his own heart walking these halls. The Bohun Territory was a brutish place, far separate from civilized Sharra, due to monsters being nearby anywhere a City wall was not present. Far worse, was the news he had to deliver to the Master regarding that strange child of his.

“Come in,” the Master’s voice was a low growl, like a wild beast’s. The sharp eyes of the Half-Elf encouraged him to enter. Best foot forward, he thought, though he prayed for the Goddess of Light’s protection. “Report.”

The Beast of a Man was going over paperwork, the pen in his hand did not even peek out from the top end of his fist as he wrote notes. Come on, Dean. Report. He took a sharp breath and then held out the Orb.

“A new Orb has been delivered for that creature– Daughter of yours,” Dean declared. The Orb was immediately collected from soft fingers from his own calloused hands. They glided across his skin for a moment, but that was a divine feeling for him. He stared at her blue hair as she moved to deliver it to the Master, who waved her off to put it on a chair nearby. “However, I have troubling news from Brother Yengir.”

The pen stopped its scribbling and the Beast’s eyes looked at him as if he was prey negotiating for his life. Dean gulped, but knew the Master’s silence was waiting on him and threatening to collapse upon him at any second during his hesitation.

“The readings from the other Awakening Orb, sir, were not incorrect,” Dean refrained from stammering, but quickly added the extra news since the chair was pushing back. Don’t attack the messenger, please! “B-Brother Y-Yengir has sensed something off about Lady Charlotte. E-Even though she does not have any stats revealed, he detected a variety of legendary Passive Skills before something stopped him. Alarming Passive Skills. Your daughter has survived many fights in order to get these, although from the initial Awakening Ceremony she did not appear to be scratched at all.”

The chair stopped its scraping and the scowl relaxed. That’s it! Dean, you’re a genius! A few more words and you’ll be a safe genius in the Church!

“Go on,” the Beast seemed intrigued, as he flipped through a separate stack of papers. The name Charlotte was etched on one of the files, indicating to Dean that he was suspicious of his own daughter. What an odd family, this one is.

“Battle Hardened, Mental Fortitude, Extreme Conditioning, Pain Resistance – Such Passive Skills are indicative of a past full of hardship and even violence, Yengir concluded that the poor girl needs a gentler place to be in,” Dean floundered a bit under Master Bohun’s gaze, but regained his footing. “That is what he would recommend, not I. There was something more sinister about the girl in his findings, one I will not reveal to you if you do not wish. It’s indicative of…”

“You may speak,” he insisted, but it was definitely a command to spill the beans or else it would be an incredibly uncomfortable night for the priest.

“Heresy,” Dean concluded his sentence. “The Goddess of Light rejected her, yet her power comes from another source. Your daughter seems to be claimed by Someone else.”

“The Forbidden Woods’s Ancient Goddess,” Master Bohun nodded. “She’s coming back to her home, isn’t she?”

The aura of the room became darker, nearly making the poor priest shrink and cower, but lifted as the beast folded the file back neatly and shoved it aside. Dean wiped a bead of sweat off his brow.

“You’ve given me a lot of things to think over, Priest,” he nodded. “I had my doubts of giving her away to our enemies up north, but if we could appease them with a little ‘gift’ soon both issues will be resolved. A gift of Heresy. Then there would be no Heretics besides those two Brothers and the Leonreims to thwart your Church efforts on the border. We can even send troops to defend against those Spiders. Tell your Brother I have decided to send her away for good, as she is my Daughter and by the Law I cannot bring myself to hurt her any further.”

“You are a kind Father. I shall forward Brother Yengir the good news, Master,” Dean said enthusiastically, though he was more happy with the thought of getting out of the Manor in one piece than whatever its Master was saying. Dean happily skipped out the place and with a final glare from the Half-Elf, he was free to hide in his Church for good.

— The Recorded Memory Fragment has ended.

Hmph! If I am nothing but a bargaining chip, then so be it! I scoffed. Yet, I could not help but feel a little giddy. That Yengir fellow has seen but a small glimpse of my power and the Church has sent me small offerings, so I couldn’t blame them! They must be so mad their plans are being thwarted so easily! Or perhaps, fearful even! A chirping came from the Spider Assassin, yet I could understand what he was trying to communicate. Being Queen of the Fuzzy Butts is awesome!

“No need to hunt that little priest down, dear,” I pat the fuzz between its eight massive eyes. “It’ll go exactly where I want it to. Exactly where…”

I yawned and stretched into sleep’s embrace.