Taking a deep breath, I blew away the soap bubbles drifting in front of me.

I should have realized she was up to something.

The small cloud of bubbles drifted into the air before floating back down.

She agreed way to easily to my demands.

They landed gently on the thick layer of soap bubbles coating the surface of the water.

I should have guessed she wasn’t going to play fair.

With a soft groan, I sunk up to my chin in the scented water.

But what was I supposed to do? I really didn’t have much of a choice.

Annoyed, I tipped my head back and then stared up at the ceiling.

Besides, they’d never understand why I didn’t want to take a bath.

The bathroom was obscenely large, easily four-fold the size of my former dormitory apartment, all because it had to fit a bathtub that could double as a small swimming pool.

Honestly, I could do laps in it, and right now it was filled almost to the brim with very warm water coated in a thick layer of scented bubbles that had the entire room smelling of vanilla and strawberries.

Damn it. It’s making me crave ice-cream or a jumbo-sized parfait.

My eyes widened in a sudden panic.

Wait, wait, wait—only girls eat parfaits!

My hands shot up out of the water and I grabbed my head.

No! That’s just me being sexist. There are plenty of guys who indulge themselves in a pretty, pink parfait.

I sat up in the tub, but it was so deep that only my head, shoulders, and the tops of Mirai’s breasts were exposed.

What am I thinking? What is wrong with me?

Grinding my molars together I slapped myself twice.

“Come on, Isabel! Get a grip!”

I slapped myself again, then yelped.

“Damn it, that hurt—ah!”

A sudden realization made me cry out in a brief panic.

“That’s it! This is part of their master plan!”

Leaning back against the smooth, contoured end of the pool, I regarded the corner where the ceiling met the wall farthest from me.

“Why didn’t I realize it before…?”

I’d done my damnedest to build up a wall around me, one that I hoped would protect me from lowering my guard whenever I was shown a modicum of respect and goodwill. It was there to keep me from making the mistake of trusting or accepting someone too easily. So perhaps this was nothing more than Fatina’s attempt to soften me up before I met the ruler of House Novis, Phelan Sanreal. And yet, it felt like such an odd stunt to pull before meeting him that I had to wonder if something else was afoot.

Was there something more subversive at work here?

Was this how the Sanreals were planning to elicit my cooperation, by smothering me in wanton luxury? By seducing me with their wealth and money? By appealing to my vanity—though I wasn’t sure if I was sufficiently vain for that to work.

Yet an old saying came to mind: Every man has his price.

I frowned as my gaze drifted up to the ceiling.

But what about a woman?

My frown deepened as I grew troubled.

Okay. So, if I’m something of a mixed bag then what’s my price?

My gaze drifted over the outlines of the swirling, flowery patterns engraved into the ceiling.

I’d honestly like to say I don’t have a price…

The warm water and steamy scented air were eroding my efforts to remain awake. Coupled with the stress and exhaustion I’d incurred at the hands of Erina, Tabitha, Straus, Arnval, and the maid from Hell – Fatina – it was becoming a real struggle to keep my eyes open.

…but the problem is that I can get used to this…

Little by little, my eyes began to close as each successive blink grew longer.

…and all this running around…is really wearing me out….

Eventually, my eyelids closed shut and I drifted into slumber.

- # -

So how did I end up taking the aforementioned bath?

Well, it was because that damned head maid exploited my Achilles Heel.

It was the one chink in my stubborn armor that only an equally stubborn arrow could penetrate.

You may already know what I’m alluding to, but I’ll tell you anyway.

With Mirai’s preternatural abilities, it’s hard to ambush me. For example, if I concentrate my vision on my surroundings, I can see the aura of living beings faintly through walls. Because I happened to be using this ability at the time, I wasn’t taken by surprise by the dozen or more maids lying in wait for me inside the living area of the luxurious suite I’d been allocated on the second floor of the palatial villa.

At the time, I wasn’t certain they were maids, but from their aura alone I recognized them as Simulacra, and something about the way their lifeforce radiated made me suspect they were female. I honestly couldn’t put a finger to the reason, other than to say it was something that I understood on an instinctual level.

The first maid to come flying at me made a dull whump sound when she rebounded off a nearby wall that I tossed her into.

She promptly collapsed unconscious on the floor.

The second maid screamed in pain when I grabbed her by the back of her head, and then slammed her forehead into another wall, knocking her equally unconscious.

The third maid I sent careening into a living room sofa. She tumbled over it, her skirts fluttering and her shoes kicking the air before she disappeared behind it.

Mind you, I did glimpse her white panties as she went over.

With three of their comrades down, the remaining dozen maids got serious, and swiftly drew their weapons.

I suddenly faced an assortment of handguns, stun guns, stun batons, a telescoping cattle prod, a battle flail…and a broom.

At sight of their arsenal, my Awareness kicked in its afterburners and accelerated into an overclocked state.

Honestly, I was shocked – no pun intended – at the nature of the weapons they had been hiding in their dresses. The saying ‘more than meets the eye’ was a clear understatement when applied to these maids. And yet, I was most concerned about the broom. Compared to the other weapons it was an incongruous choice, and thus demanded the most attention.

As the maids fanned out, I dropped into a defensive crouch.

However, before the situation could escalate into an all-out melee, Fatina blew a loud whistle while standing a safe distance behind her girls.

Clapping her hands, she forcefully announced, “Abort. Abort. All of you stand down.”

A collective ‘Eh’ went up from the maids, but none of them relinquished or withdrew their weapons. In that respect, they reminded me of Arnval’s security people. They had trouble following orders as well. Was it a common trait of the House Novis Simulacra?

“I’m declaring Plan-A a failure,” Fatina stated firmly. “We’re switching to Plan-B.”

Glaring at her past the maids standing in front of me, I angrily asked, “What the Hell are you trying to do?”

“To ensure you take the bubble bath we’ve prepared for you.”

My head jerked back in disbelief. “The bubble bath?”

“Correct.”

“You had them attack me because of a bubble bath?”

“Correct again. However, Plan-A failed so we are now employing Plan-B.”

Mirai’s intuition was telling me that I could be in trouble…and I agreed. “So what’s Plan-B?”

The maids stepped aside, making way for Fatina as approached me.

She stopped well out of my reach, and from her apron’s pocket, she retrieved a slim rectangular package that she held up for me to see.

“This is Plan-B.”

Recognizing it as a holovid case, I soon bellowed a loud gasp when I saw the cover.

“…it can’t be….”

“But it is,” Fatina asserted. “Only a hundred were ever released. A limited-edition holovid and projecbeam production chronicling the making of her bestselling album, and it includes the raw, unedited ‘A Day in the Life of Mercy Haddaway’. It was released when her career was at its peak and only available to the first hundred buyers.”

“Hey, take that back,” I demanded. “Her career hasn’t peaked yet!”

“Oh, really?” She goaded me with a smirk. “Her merchandise sales are down seven percent this year compared to last year. And she’s fallen from third place to fourth place in the popularity rankings.”

“She’s still got steam in her. Don’t count her chickens yet!”

“Regardless. Her career has passed its zenith.” Fatina held the rectangular case a little higher. “This little item was purchased on an online auction. Master Sanreal fetched it for a hefty price.”

“How—how much?”

“It’s best that you don’t know.”

I swallowed loudly and then cautiously asked, “Why would he do that?”

“Do you really need to ask? Are you not a Mercy Haddaway fan?”

I swallowed again as an unpleasant sensation of déjà vu swirled in my chest. “So why are you showing me that?”

“Because if you take a bath, like a lady should, then you get to keep this. Consider it both a bribe and a gift from your…father.”

Confronted by the unexpected carrot Fatina was dangling before me, my defensive stance began to weaken, so too my determination not to capitulate, prompting me to question her sincerity.

“How do I know you’re not lying? How can I trust you?”

“That’s not the question you should be asking.” She waved the case at me. “The question you should be asking yourself is, ‘Do I want this or not’?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “I could just take it from you.”

Fatina arched an eyebrow at me. “Is that what you think?”

She opened the slim case to reveal it was empty inside – the photronic card containing a petabyte of data was missing.

That figures.

Fatina smiled confidently at me. “Take the bath, and you’ll get what you desire.”

What I desire? Is that what you think I desire? How little do you understand me….

Telling her what I truly desired would be a waste of time because she wasn’t in a position to grant my wish.

However, I recognized what the Sanreals were offering me.

It wasn’t just an extremely limited piece of Mercy Haddaway’s gravure existence.

It was an olive branch that came with strings attached.

At least, that’s what I suspected.

As the saying goes, time would tell if I was wrong or not.

- # -

Thus, I chose to accept the offer and took the bubble bath the maid platoon had prepared for me in the swimming pool sized tub.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

For the time being, I would play along.

If the Sanreals believed they could use my obsession with Mercy Haddaway to play me like a fiddle, then so be it. I’d string them along as they were stringing me and gain important items to add to my collection that I was starting anew since my existing collection of Mercy memorabilia belonged to Ronin Kassius.

That pained me, and I sank deeper into the water.

Who am I kidding? I gave into my obsession. Those bastards know me too well.

I felt like grabbing my head again, but instead blew bubbles just below the water’s surface.

I’m so tired of all this crap…tired of all these weirdos messing up my life…tired of being manipulated…tired of being told Mercy Haddaway is past her prime…give me back my delusions…give me back my peaceful life…give me back my old life….

Arnval’s face with its taunting smile and amused eyes appeared uninvited behind my closed eyelids.

Annoyed, I wondered why I was thinking of him now, while grudgingly conceding he was a new problem I needed to contend with.

I’m going to wipe that smile off his face.

His expression was an open challenge, but I didn’t believe I was ready to fight him yet.

No, there was too much I didn’t know or understand about this body – about Mirai.

She was still a veritable mystery.

I had moved pretty well back at the parkland, but I needed to know why that was possible. What kind of training did Mirai’s body possess, and how had she been trained? Ghost had said she’d been imprinted but who’s imprinting did it belong to?

Those were just a few of the questions that I wanted answered.

The ancient adage of knowing yourself and knowing your enemy such that you won’t fear a hundred battles could be twisted to suit my situation. Before I knew my enemy, I needed to understand myself because stepping onto the battlefield without preparation was to invite defeat.

With that understanding in mind, I realized that I had all but accepted that Arnval and I would fight. It didn’t mean I was willing to fight him. Rather, I was resigned to fight him, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. But Arnval was an unexpected and unpleasant obstacle that had popped up, and the only way to get past him was to give him the battle he wanted and resoundingly defeat him.

As such, our reasons for fighting couldn’t be more different.

Arnval desired pitting himself against me.

I was going to fight him simply because he was standing in my way. Thus, it had practically nothing to do with the translocation fiasco that had nearly cost Erina her life. Nor did it have anything to do with him pulling that gun on me back at the park.

Instead, our inevitable duel would have all the depth and meaning of a schoolyard bout.

How pathetic.

I snorted softly under my breath.

Is this my true nature?

After so many years avoiding the spotlight and not drawing attention to myself so that I could live a relatively peaceful, uneventful school life, was I now revealing my true colors?

Was resorting to violence the only way I knew how to deal with problems?

Was I nothing more than a bully?

I didn’t know how to deal with situations the way Straus had suggested. I honestly couldn’t do passive aggressive. So how was I supposed to handle Arnval, Fatina, and the Sanreals?

“…princess…Princess…Princess…wake up now, please….”

My eyelids fluttered open, but I had some difficulty keeping them open, and my eyes had trouble focusing.

Had I fallen asleep?

Noticing someone to my right beside the pool – I mean bathtub – my heart jumped into my throat. Then I saw that it was Ghost dressed in a butler’s suit, complete with a neatly folded hand towel over one arm. His projection into my mind was so realistic, even the way I had trouble bringing him into focus, that it made me shiver uneasily.

“Princess, if you fall asleep in the bathwater, you may catch a cold.”

Had he noticed my shiver?

I had to wonder if he was watching me from the outside despite projecting himself into my mind from the inside of my head. If true, it implied he’d hacked into the bathroom’s surveillance cameras and was using them to observe me.

If that wasn’t enough to warrant me hurriedly crossing my arms over my breasts and sinking into the water up to my eyeballs, then I don’t know what was.

From underwater, I yelled at him, “What the Hell are you doing here? Are you a pervert?”

At least, that’s what I wanted to yell, but it was garbled and muffled by the water.

Unsurprisingly, Ghost understood me. “I came to see if you wanted to talk?”

While glaring at him, I felt a frown crinkle my brow.

“Talk?” I bubbled.

“Indeed.”

I raised my head until my mouth was out of the water, then pointedly swept my gaze over the luxurious bathroom. “Is it safe…?”

Ghost bowed his head slightly. “I have infiltrated the bathroom’s surveillance systems. We have a few minutes at least before they notice the anomaly in the system and respond to it.”

My suspicion was on the money.

With it confirmed, I glanced at the bathwater.

The surface was still covered in bubbles, and though they had lost much of their volume, I decided that for the moment my modesty was safe.

I nonetheless remained submerged up to my chin as I eyed Ghost with open suspicion. “Don’t you dare peek.”

“I assure you, Princess. I would do no such thing.”

“As if I’d trust you. You’re a guy. I’m a guy. I know my kind all too well.”

Ghost arched his eyebrows at me. “Indeed, one could say your perspective is unique. Do you know the story of Tiresias?”

I shook my head.

Ghost nodded thoughtfully. “I suggest you look him up.”

“Why? Who was he?”

“According to ancient Greek mythology, he was a blind prophet of Apollo who was turned into a woman for a period of seven years. Afterwards he returned to be a man, though his life was tragic.”

“He was blind as a woman?”

“No, he was blinded after regaining his masculinity.”

I couldn’t help but frown up at him. “Why? I mean how?”

Ghost sighed. “Well, accounts vary but one popular theory is that he was the victim of an argument between the gods.”

I hesitated before asking, “What was the argument about?”

“Who enjoys sex more? A man or a woman?”

“Eh?”

“His sorry tale does make for interesting reading.”

I wasn’t so convinced, and decided not to take Ghost’s word for it, but I will admit that I was intrigued. Usually there was a moral to be found in the stories surrounding ancient myths. Would I find something pertinent to me in the story of this Tiresias?

Holding onto my frown, I realized Ghost’s conversational side trip had settled my state of mind a little. That didn’t mean I was entirely comfortable with him standing beside the bathtub, but I wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it. However, as I moved my body and sat a little higher in the bathtub, I made request of him.

“Okay. I guess I do have a few questions for you.” Lifting a hand out of the water, I twirled a finger in a circle. “But could you turn around, please.”

Ghost expressed a hint of confusion in his eyes. “Princess?”

“I’d feel more comfortable if you turned around.”

“Ah, I see. If it helps, I can”—he snapped the fingers of his free hand—“disappear.”

“No, no. Don’t do that.” I twirled my hand again. “Just turn around. I know that you can see me anyway, so it won’t make a difference, but I still feel more comfortable seeing you face the other way.”

Ghost considered me with a thoughtful look, then nodded before acceding to my request. “As you wish, Princess.”

I resumed covering my breasts with both my hands and arms. “You probably think I’m weird.” I chuckled bitterly. “I’m a boy in a girl’s body. I shouldn’t care if you see me. I mean, guys don’t care if they see each other naked, right.”

“Not at all, Princess. It is quite all right.”

“No, it’s not. I shouldn’t care, but for some reason I do.” I stared at the water for a while before looking up at Ghost. “Do you know that back at the dorm when I put on the Telos Academy uniform, I kept my eyes closed most of the time.” I chuckled softly but anyone could have heard how pitiful I sounded. “I—I couldn’t even look at myself, and I made sure I was facing away from the mirror above the vanity.” A shiver ran down my back and I stared down at the water. “Erina really did a number on me. I’m totally messed up.”

“On the contrary. Considering all you have endured of late, you are doing remarkably well.”

My feelings soured in a heartbeat, and I threw him a sullen glance. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

Ghost was quiet for a short while before speaking again. “Princess, may I remind you of what you said to me aboard the Sanreal Crest?”

I shook my head weakly. “What did I say…?”

“That you had chosen to move forward. That you would live as Isabel and fight as Mirai.”

I stiffened slightly as I regarded the multicolor bubbles covering the water above my body. “I did say that, didn’t I….”

“Perhaps it is not as easy as it sounds.”

His remark pricked at me, but I couldn’t disagree with him. “That’s true.”

“However, was it a lie?”

This time his words stabbed me, and so I snapped at him, “No, it wasn’t a lie.”

“Have you changed your mind since then?”

I started to shake my head but then stopped. “That’s not it.”

Ghost turned slightly to peer at me over a shoulder. “Then what is it?”

I didn’t give him an answer right away. That was because I had trouble voicing the reason why I was having doubts about my decision back aboard the superyacht.

“Princess?”

I took a deep breath, and felt Mirai’s large breasts rise and fall, buoyed by the water. “Because it means giving up.”

“Giving up?”

I nodded gently while staring at the bubbles blanketing the water. “Giving up on any chance of going back.”

“Going back to your life as a boy?”

I met his gaze. “Yes.”

Studying me over his shoulder, Ghost pursed his lips into a thin line before reminding me, “Princess, that is not possible. The longer your mind spends in that body, in that brain, the more you will adapt to being female—”

“I know!” I bent my legs and tucked my knees against Mirai’s bosom. “I know. I know that…I know that….” Clenching my hands, I rubbed the heels of my palms into my eyes. “I know….”

I felt tears well up in my eyes, so I squeezed them shut while continuing to press my palms into them.

“…it just…really sucks…really frekking sucks….”

Even if time was ticking along, and my opportunity to talk to Ghost and gain answers to the questions I had was slipping away, I couldn’t bring myself to ask them because at the moment they didn’t feel important anymore.

I was awash with intense feelings of regret and denial, but burning resentment clamped around my chest, making it hard to breathe and impossible to talk. Thus constricted, I couldn’t bring myself to say or do anything but huddle up against the back of the bathtub, and quietly sob.

“Princess, I understand this is hard for you. I imagine that in your position, I would feel the same. But you must see this through. Do not be anchored to the past. See this as an opportunity to—”

“To what?” I yelled at him as I lowered my hands away from my tear-streaked face. “To what, Ghost? To live as a girl. To accept that I’m now a girl! That I have no choice but to be Isabel and Mirai!”

Ghost’s expression reflected momentary surprise before he calmly replied, “Yes. To be Isabel val Sanreal. To be the Gun Princess Mirai. To live as a girl and much more. To accept what you are now and move on. To keep your promise to me.”

I clenched my jaw as I jumped to my feet, splashing water out of the bathtub without regard. Despite past assertions, I was angry enough not to care that I was standing naked before him. “I never promised you that.”

“Well, it sounded like a promise to me. You said it yourself back in Ar Telica. You cannot go back. You can only go forward. But you have a choice to make. You can either fight what you are and inevitably drive yourself into a ditch. Or you can accept it and make new opportunities for yourself.”

My arms trembled as my anger and resentment bubbled and frothed within me.

“Frek you,” I hissed at him.

Ghost met my glare with stoic calm. “What are you afraid of?”

“Afraid? I’m not afraid of anything!” I screamed at him and kicked the bathwater in his direction, but it passed right through his body “You piece of shit! Get a body so I can punch you—you frekking asshole!” I kicked more water at him even though it was pointless. “Face me like a real man would!”

“Is that what it will take?”

I stopped in mid-kick and had to recover my balance in a hurry. “What?”

“Is that what it will take to have you accept reality? If you can kick and punch me, will that shake some sense into you?”

Rage continued to make my body tremble, but I wasn’t lashing out anymore, though my self-control was paper thin.

Ghost crossed his arms without dropping the hand towel he carried. “I am waiting for an answer.”

I sucked in air through clenched teeth. “Are you calling me a coward?”

“Pardon me?”

“Is that what you’re saying? Is that what you’re implying?” I dipped my chin at him. “Are you saying that I’m afraid of being a girl?”

“You are jumping to conclusions.”

“Am I wrong? Stop mincing words and give me an answer.”

“I have never thought of you as a coward.”

I nodded tersely. “That’s good because I’m not a coward.”

“Very well. Then what are you?”

“I am not a coward.”

“Then what are you.” Ghost raised his chin and looked down at me. “Or should I be asking, who are you?”

That was a very good question.

Who was I? Was I still Ronin? Was I Isabel? Or was I Mirai? Or was I all of the above – a composite entity and thereby an amalgamation of different people?

I flinched inwardly.

Was that what I was afraid of becoming? Was it the reason I couldn’t let go of my past despite claiming that I would? No, that wasn’t right. I never made that claim. I merely said that I’d accepted my past and would move forward. But I wasn’t moving forward at all because I hadn’t accepted the choice I’d made.

I was lying to myself and I was lying to the people around me.

Why? Because I believed there had to be another better option, and thus I couldn’t give up.

I refused to accept the situation was purely black or white.

But that didn’t answer Ghost’s question.

“I don’t know,” I admitted in a harsh, somewhat guttural whisper. “I don’t frekking know who I am….”

“Then perhaps that should be your goal. Determining who you are. Finding your true self.”

I shook my head. “No. My goal is going back.”

“And here we go again. Back to square one.” Ghost exhaled softly in evident disappointment. “Princess, you cannot return to that life that was never yours.”

“There has to be a way.”

“You are not Ronin Kassius. You have a copy of his mind, his memories, but you are not him. Ronin Kassius lies in a med capsule undergoing regeneration—a process that will take months to complete due to the extent of the injuries he sustained.” Ghost leaned a few centimeters toward me. “Or is it your intention to terminate him and somehow assume his identity?”

“Shut up.”

He sighed heavily as he straightened. “I expected more from you.”

“I said, shut up!” I strode through the water until I arrived at the edge of the bathtub closest to him. “I’m tired of hearing your sanctimonious crap. Speaking down to me like you know better!”

Ghost shook his head slowly. “Does this mean you are not going to listen to me?”

I glared up at him.

Truthfully, if I could throttle him, I would.

“Not if you’re going to say the same thing over and over again.”

“That is the kettle calling the pot black.”

“Oh, shut up!” I pointed at the bathroom’s exit. “And get out.”

“That is not how it works.”

“Then get the Hell out of my head.”

Ghost sighed again and almost sounded condescending. “Truly, Princess, you need to stop acting like a child.”

“I am a child. I’m sixteen years old. You can’t expect me to act like an adult.”

“You are a teenage girl, and I remind you that human females mature earlier than their male counterparts.”

“I am not a teenage girl.”

“Then what are you?” Again, he leaned toward me as though pressing me for an answer. “From where I am standing you look like a girl to me.”

“Only on the outside.”

Ghost blinked rapidly before sheepishly scratching a cheek. “Is that what you think?”

“Huh?” My eyes widened for a second then narrowed sharply. “Stop beating around the bush. If you’ve got something to say, then say it.”

“Does that mean you will listen to me?”

“I’ll hear you out this time!”

“Very well, Princess. No need to shout.”

I growled at him while trembling in anger. “Well, let’s hear it then.”

“According to your data, you are a girl on the outside…and the inside.”

Confusion shattered the glare on my face. “What was that?”

“It seems that your unique Ultra Grade Simulacrum body is a girl on the outside and the inside.”

Yeah, that’s what I thought he’d said.

Shivers broke out all over my body. “I’m a girl…on the inside…?”

“Correct, Princess.”

“No way….”

“Yes way.”

My stomach clenched painfully, and my heart beat anxiously in my chest.

I was almost too afraid to ask, “How…how much of a girl?”

“Be on your guard during Prom Night.”

I stopped shivering and grew rigid with shock. “You—you can’t be serious….”

“I am completely serious.”

At this my voice broke and crumbled to a whisper. “I…I can get pregnant…?”

“Well, that remains to be seen. Your body is fresh out of the maturation tank. However, according to your sister’s notes, it is highly likely that you will ultimately experience the monthly monster.”

It took several seconds for his words to sink into my consciousness.

Afterwards, I felt as though every string holding me upright was cut at once.

My legs lost their strength and I fell back into the bathtub with a big splash that spilled water over its rim. The impact jarred my spine and numbed my butt, yet it failed to jolt my awareness free of the abject disbelief running rampant inside my head.

“…what kind of body is this…?”

I heard myself ask the question, yet it sounded as though it came from someone else.

Then I looked down at Mirai’s large breasts bobbing in the water.

“…what the Hell kind of body did Erina make…?”

A short while later, I listened to Ghost’s solemn reply. “An Ultra-Grade Simulacrum of the highest caliber. And a girl to boot.”

Under different circumstances I may have glared daggers at him. But sitting spread-eagled in the bathtub, and with water lapping the tops of my breasts, all I managed was to gape at him in a stupor before closing my mouth with an audible clack.

In one fell swoop, all the fiery fight had been doused from my body, and nothing but cooling embers remained.