"Are you alright, Countess?" the Baroness asked the following morning as she and Lucina enjoyed some tea in the mansion's garden. The sun was shining down and bathed the garden in its bright light while the two ladies sat at their table under a large umbrella. Four maids were silently standing off to the side waiting for orders, and Lucina noticed that two of the four had the same slightly shallow cheeks and paler than normal skin that Tress had while the other two looked perfectly healthy. "You look tired. Were you not able to get enough sleep last night?"

"…" Now that she was alone with the Baroness, the maids seemed less eager to insult and annoy Lucina and they barely paid any attention to her. This confirmed Lucina's theory that the Baron held the power, but didn't explain the Baroness' strange demeanor. "I've always had trouble sleeping since my time in the war, please don't trouble yourself over it, Baroness."

"How could you say that?" the Baroness asked and sounded insulted by Lucina's dismissive remark. "Getting enough sleep is important to growing up!" She had a determined look on her face as she offered, "If you'd like, I often drink a special tea that helps me fall asleep and I'd be more than happy to share some with you."

"You have trouble sleeping, Baroness?" Lucina inquired as she wanted to learn all she could about the Baron's family for her upcoming plan.

"…Yes," the Baroness somberly replied and her normally happy face drooped with a deep sadness.

One of the healthy-looking maids tried to step in, "Madam, you shouldn't-"

"It's alright," the Baroness reassured her maid before falling silent in thought. After taking a few moments to collect herself she continued, "My son, Augustus, was a…difficult birth. My dream was to have a large family with our mansion filled with the cries and laughter of multiple children…" Her hands idly traced the rim of her teacup and her eyes lost focus. "But it seems that was never meant to be. I barely managed to survive having our first son so my husband refused to have any more children since my body can't handle going through childbirth a second time… Even after all these years I still sometimes feel the pain from that day in my dreams and it makes me lose sleep. My husband found a reliable alchemist and the special tea they prepare helps calm my mind and I never have those nightmares when I take it."

"I'm sorry," Lucina gave an apology as a basic courtesy.

"It's alright," the Baroness justified to herself. "Even if that initial dream didn't come true, we were still blessed with Augustus who makes me so proud with how far he's come." The light of joy returned to the Baroness' face as she chuckled, "To think, my son became friends with the Crown Princess? He keeps surprising me all the time."

"Hopefully, he grows up to be a better baron than his father," Lucina cast out some bait to see the Baroness' response. The maids, who Lucina thought would glare at her for the remark, all stared intently out of the corners of their eyes at the Baroness with looks of unease.

"Of course, he will," the pride in the Baroness' voice proved that Lucina's insult went over her head. "He's made both of us so proud, so I have no doubt he'll surpass his father when he takes over the barony." The maids partially relaxed, though they kept a close eye on the Baroness.

"I, too, look forward to working with him to help Solfin prosper." Lucina needed a new, more direct approach if she was going to get anything more out of the Baroness. "The slum problem is something that desperately needs addressing, after all."

"The slums?" the Baroness asked while tilting her head to the side in confusion. "Why would you need to do anything about that?"

"Because I'm the Countess of Solfin," Lucina explained and was getting a strange feeling from the Baroness. "It's important that I do what I can for my county, and the slums are the most noticeable problem that needs fixing."

"Is it?"

"…" The genuine curiosity in the Baroness' question stunned Lucina into silence. The maids looked nervous and the less healthy ones had hints of anger in their eyes. "While I've only been here for a day, there was such a large slum outside the walls that it's impossible not to notice."

"But those people are choosing to live like that," the Baroness justified, completely serious.

"…They're homeless."

"That's because they don't want to buy a house."

"!?!" Lucina had no idea how to respond and her mouth opened and closed as it tried to find the right words to use. Another glance at the maids showed how obviously uncomfortable they were, though the healthy two were doing a better job at hiding it than their peers. "…I see." Lucina finally understood what was going on. Yesterday when she met the Baron, the Baroness mentioned how she rarely got to enjoy tea with anyone which was strange for someone who appeared so friendly. The Baroness wore a loose-fitting dress that was adorned in jewelry and lace accents while drinking tea from the finest tea sets Lucina had ever seen. Deserts made from the finest ingredients, topped with cream and freshly cut fruits, filled the table along with the tea which left nothing lacking. When the Baron wasn't personally around, four maids were to wait upon the Baroness for all her needs which was excessive for someone of her status. The city was in decline but the Baron's wealth and opulence increased with a direction focused on his wife. His wife who almost died in childbirth and whose body was too weak for more children despite once dreaming of a large family. "That's one way to look at it." The Baroness was a beautiful, wounded bird that the Baron kept in the most expensive birdcage.

"If they don't want to help themselves, then why should we force change on them?" A beautiful, wounded bird that no longer dreamed of the sky and was content with the bars that surrounded her. "Besides, we let them live against our walls free of charge while most other lords would have driven them out completely. I'm sure they'll come around, eventually." She had completely diluted herself to the world around her to cope with her life and the Baron's extravagance only fueled that dissolution. This had obviously been going on for quite some time and Lucina guessed that the war only exasperated the issue to what it was now.

"…Let's hope so." This conversation was making Lucina uncomfortable and she learned all she needed to from it. Seeing the maid's reactions also revealed another important piece of information Lucina would be able to use later; the servants weren't loyal to the Baron, they were only doing what they needed to survive. Servants who served the master's of the house of high-ranking nobles were usually selected from lower-ranking families or distinguished non-noble families, but barons were at the bottom of the hierarchy and would usually only employ from the commoners who lived in their lands. Every servant in this mansion knew that there was nothing left for them or their family if they were let go so they worked tirelessly to appease the Baron and suck up to the Baroness. "Perhaps it will happen sooner rather than later?" Lucina teased as she sipped her tea and kept the Baroness company for the afternoon.

***

"How exhausting." When the Baroness gets going, she doesn't stop talking. I'm going to have to be more careful when I have tea time with her if I don't want my ears falling off. At least now that I'm back in my room I won't be disturbed since the maids seem to ignore me if I don't leave my room. I might keep a few of them when I take over this place… "It's quiet." The sun was setting and Jeremy was still out in town so I had nothing to do but sit in this silent room by myself and wait.

"How rude~. I'm here too~!" With only one annoyance.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Go away," I told the fake Olivia who was sitting on my bed as if she owned it.

"You used to cuddle up in my arms during the war~," they teased to get a rise out of me. "What happened to my adorable little Lucina to make her this cold to me~?"

"…" If I ignore it, it might go away.

"No, I won't~."

"…Then just don't talk." It was tiring dealing with the fake when the feeling of being with the real Olivia was still fresh in my mind. The brilliance of her figure. The glow of her smile. The warmth of her arms around me.

"Please, you'll make me blush~." None of that is with this one. Their arms are cold and send shivers down my spine when they wrap around me. Their smile is a poisoned blade that tricks me into surrendering to it. Their figure is a mockery of Olivia's that makes me want to grab it and-… What?

"!?!" What was I just thinking about doing!?

"Oh my~! To think you see me like that~?" The fake blushed and held up a hand to their mouth to hide the smile I knew was under it. "But, we're still both too young~! If you can wait until we're both older-"

"Shut up!" I had to get them to shut up so I could think rationally! What did I want to do to their…to Olivia's body? I just…wanted to see it! That's right! Before the war, we would sometimes bathe together whenever I stayed in Wortrest so it's normal for me to want to see her body since I always did in the past. It's been years since we last did that so I was just curious to see how she's grown! There's no other…reason. "…" The tightness in my chest returned and my heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand. Why?

"If all you wanted to do was see, then why didn't you ask~?" Huh? What was the fake do-!?!

"Stop it!" Why were they untying the back of their dress!?

"But you said you wanted to see~," it teased and took a few steps toward me. "I'm all the way back in Gorinville but that doesn't mean you can't use your imagination~." It flicked one of the dress' shoulder straps off its shoulder making the sleeve hang down their arm. The sleeve was so low that their chest was partially…!?!

"…Stop." This is confusing. Why am I feeling this way? It's just a fake Olivia…but…

"Why~?" They moved to flick the other strap.

"Stop." It's just a fake that was all in my head…but it felt wrong to do this!

"Then why are you getting excited~?"

"…" My heart is only beating fast because I'm uncomfortable with this!

"Uncomfortable~? Because we're both girls~?" Both girls? Why would- "I'm engaged to the Crown Prince, had a boyfriend in my past life, and even when mentioning other candidates for lovers I only mentioned men~. Right~?"

"Y-Yeah? So what?" Why would I care about who Olivia's lover was, or why she only talks romantically about boys?

"Because it will never be you~!" …Huh? My heart…? "No matter how special you are to me, all you'll ever be is my childhood friend~."

"W-…What's wrong with that?" Why does my heart feel like it's being stabbed with a knife?

"Plus, now that you're a countess you won't have as much time to visit me since you're so far away, so it's obvious I'll start getting closer to other people~." Their…Her eyes… "With other boys~."

"Sh-Shut up!" Olivia would never leave m-

"But I already am~!" Her hands reached up and cupped my cheeks. They were freezing cold. "Augustus is a definite candidate since he's such a gentleman~. He also spends most of the year in the capital which makes it easy to see him~."

"Because he's going to start attending the royal academy this year!" Why am I making excuses for him?

"Then why was I with him so much last year, too~? I mentioned him in my letters, remember~?"

"…" I hate this. Why do I hate this?

"Since we'll have to have this talk someday, why not now~?" She…pulled her sleeve back up and retied her dress? Wasn't she going to show me- "We should stop seeing each other as much as possible~."

"What!?!" Why!?! I reached out to her but she…pulled away from me!?

"Because I'm going to be a married woman~." I already knew she would get married, so why does hearing it hurt my chest? "We'll drift apart anyway once I start a family with James~."

"…Family?"

"Of course, silly~." I heard her heels clack against the floor as she approached me. Her voice trickled into my ear like a poison, "I need to give James at least one heir to the throne~. And after that, who knows what will happen~? What if I have the same kind of dream as the Baroness and want loads of kids~?"

"…Stop it." Why is hearing this disgusting me?

"I wonder what my child with Augustus will look like~?"

"Stop it!" I put my hands over my ears! I don't want to hear this! Even though it's obvious, why does it hurt!?

"Say~? Since you're my childhood friend, will you be their godmother~?"

"Shut up!" My ears were plugged but her words kept ringing in my head! I had to make her stop! If I look at the floor she'll go away, right!? Why does it hurt!?

"You know, Jeremy and Elise are quite vocal when they go at it~. I wonder if James will make me scream like that~?"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Why!? Why!? Why!? Why!? Why am I reacting like this to the obvious future!? She must be doing something to me! She has to stop! I'll make her stop! My thorns! During Toldrin she was standing on my soul reflection! It interacts with her! I can make her shut up!

"Oh~!?" The briars work! They weave and coil around her! "Luci…na~!?" Around her neck! "Lu-" Tighter around-

***

A loud cracking sound snapped Lucina out of the trance she had put herself in. She swallowed a lump in her throat and was desperately gasping for air as she realized she had forgotten to breathe. The thorny vines of her soul were pouring out of her chest and completely enveloped the room and furniture. But, what made the cracking noise? Looking up from the floor, Lucina saw the fake Olivia bound in her briar and strung up like a puppet on strings. Unlike with the real Olivia, Lucina's briars dug deep into the fake's skin and were yanking her limbs as if trying to rip the fake apart. There was also a rather strong-looking vine around the fake's neck.

"…Hey?" The vine around her neck was the tightest and its thorns dug deep into the fake's flesh causing blood to trickle down her body.

"…"

"H-Hey?" Lucina took a hesitant step toward the fake.

"…" Why were they so unnaturally quiet?

"S-Stop trying to-" Lucina retracted her soul reflection and the fake's body lifelessly fell to the floor with a heavy thud. "…O-…Olivia?" All understanding of this being a fake quickly evaporated from Lucina's mind as she rushed over to the fake's side. "O-Olivia!?!"

"…" The fake's head slumped back and their lifeless eyes stared blankly ahead. The coldness Lucina usually felt was far harsher than before and seeped into Lucina's bones as she grabbed the fake and started shaking them.

"W-Wake up! Please, wake-!" The bruising from Lucina's briars around the fake's neck showed why there wasn't a response. "I-…I'm sorry!" Lucina pleaded with the fake's 'corpse'; with Olivia's 'corpse'. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"…"

"N-No!" Lucina bolted away from the fake and ran to the wardrobe. She threw open the doors and yanked out the sack she had stuffed inside and poured the contents out onto the floor; Olivia's letters from the war. Olivia's handwriting adorned each letter with love and care, and Lucina scooped them into her arms as if hugging them would fix everything. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She started rocking back and forth while she clutched the letters to her chest. "I-"

"Shhhh~. It's okay~." The fake rematerialized behind Lucina and draped her arms over Lucina's shoulders so she could hold Lucina's trembling hands. The cold seeped through Lucina's whole body and calmed her down. "It's okay~."

"O-Olivia!" Lucina breathed a sigh of relief as tears flooded down her face and stained the letters in her arms.

"That's right, I'm right here~," the fake soothed as she whispered into Lucina's ear. "It's not your fault~. You were just angry at the world we live in so how could I ever blame you~? It's not your fault, my Lucina~."

"Y-Yes!" Lucina accepted the flimsy justifications and allowed herself to bask in the cold of the fake's embrace. She swore she could smell Olivia's sweet scent as the fake comforted her which further dulled Lucina's mind. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

"I was too harsh~. It's my fault for saying such hurtful things~. You don't hate me, right~?" Sailest's light poured in through the windows as the planet peeked over Solfin's wall.

"Yes…"

"You still love me, right~? My Lucina~?" The super storm, Sailest's 'pupil', stared down from the sky at Lucina.

"Yes…my Olivia~."

"Countess?" Jeremy called and knocked on Lucina's door.

"…" In a daze, Lucina got to her feet while letting the letters fall to the floor and walked over to answer the door.

"…Countess?" Jeremy was immediately concerned by the face Lucina was making when he saw her because it felt like a sword being pressed against his throat. He glanced inside the dark room and saw Olivia's letters strewn across the floor. "Are…you alri-"

"Come in and report." Lucina's eyes could barely focus, yet her voice still held its authority.

"At once, Countess." It was obvious Lucina was getting closer to the gods, but at least now her life wasn't in any immediate danger like it was on the battlefield so Jeremy felt relieved she could safely continue her holy journey. He just wished it didn't make it harder to talk to her. "Elise has made contact with the temple of Lord Sen and secured cooperation from Elder Philip. I've written his testimony for you to look over, here." Jeremy entered the room and handed Lucina a stack of papers that she started thumbing through.

"Hmm," she hummed to herself as she read over the document. "This is a good start. Is that other stack of papers you have the report on Carl's findings?"

"Yes, Countess." Jeremy held out the other report he brought with him which was much thicker than Elise's. "The children Carl found were very talkative and surprisingly knowledgeable on the goings on of Solfin. I wanted to inform you as soon as I could so I'm still waiting on the knights to verify all the claims, but with what material we currently have we can expect everything to go in your favor. Once I meet with them tomorrow and gather everything together, we'll be ready to move on to the next step."

"Good." Lucina looked through the report while the fake Olivia was still leaning on her shoulders.

"Oh my~! To think such things were going on in our empire~?" They nestled their face closer to Lucina's and added, "I would never stand for this if I knew~. I might even throw Augustus away after learning about what his family's been up to~."

"We'll proceed tomorrow!" Lucina's heart skipped a beat at the thought of Olivia getting rid of Augustus. She spread out the documents on a table and motioned for Jeremy to stand next to her as she ordered, "Begin surgical strikes on these three locations at high noon tomorrow. After the knights finish their assignments, have them all gather here at the mansion at two o'clock."

"And the mansion's gate guards?"

"Kill them," Lucina replied matter-of-factly. "Also, don't expect any sleep tonight since I'm going to need your help writing a speech to ease the commoners."

"Then, if I may, we should start with…" Jeremy and Lucina got to work sorting through the documents and drafting a speech as Lucina was no longer willing to lay low. She didn't want to disappoint Olivia by allowing such blatant corruption to continue to exist. She would never do that to her Olivia.