A new day arrived. After another normal breakfast, I decided it was time to return home as Feyt. Staying in a room with myself alone felt weird, and a bit sad if you think about it.

I called upon the doctor. He didn’t arrive though, it was the nurse who answered my call.

I only ever saw her bring in food for me occasionally, it would seem she was rarely here. Most of my time in this clinic was spent alone with the doctor, so I didn’t mind this change of pace.

“What is it?” she asked, her brown eyes gentle and caring.

“I’d like to go home now, can I get my stuff?”

She pondered for a moment. “Hmm… Surely you don’t plan on going alone? I’d be more than happy to walk with you until you’re safely home.”

She was kind, as expected. Her previous tenseness for being in the same room as Carine had dampened, which was a huge relief. I prefer this over her stammering all the time.

I considered her offer to walk me home for a bit. After that whole ordeal, I was a bit iffy about going home alone… I kept wondering to myself, what if I get kidnapped again?

Sure, lightning never strikes the same place twice, but the fear was still there, you know? Besides, I was a teenager, I was a bit sensitive emotions-wise.

In need of a soothing presence to calm my nerves, I decided to nod to her offer. “Sure, thanks a lot, miss!”

She flashed a warm gentle smile. “Alright then! Please wait here a minute. I’ll go grab your belongings.”

She left the room at a gentle pace. I was grateful that she was so kind, I wouldn’t know what to do if everyone kept being tense all around me just because of Carine.

Maybe I need to make this “show others I’m not a tyrant thing’” a habit.

I attentively listened to the nurse’s steps as she moved around the building. Then, I heard another set of footsteps from what I could hear was the entrance. Judging from the weight and pace of the steps, I knew who it was immediately.

Then, the nurse almost bumped into the visitor as she was descending the creaky wooden stairs.

“L-Lord Sareid! F-Forgive me! I didn’t see where I was going, I–” I could practically hear her twisting her body to bow up and down fervently.

Father chuckled, interrupting her. “Haha, don’t mind it. By the way, whose clothes do you have there?”

“—? This? It’s Feyt’s clothes, I’m about to walk him home since he has recovered enough to walk.”

Father fell silent a bit, contemplating something. Then, with an intrigued tone of voice, spoke up. “If I may, can you allow me to walk him home?”

“Huh?” The nurse blurted.

“Huh?” I echoed inside the room.

What is Father planning?!

My heart sank hearing what they were discussing outside. I didn’t know what Father was planning, but I could only hope it wasn’t another schedule planning. If he insisted on the previous night’s plans, I would need to find a way to turn down his training offer.

…

The door swung open vigorously as an energetic—yet calm—old man burst through.

"Good morning!" Father said—not quite a shout, but it had the same lively energy.

“Morning, Father,” I answered him as Carine as I usually would.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

In response, Father raised an eyebrow. “Hm? You’re not surprised I’m here?”

Yeah, I could literally hear him coming from a mile away. Not like I had any reason to tell him that though, so I kept that thought in my heart.

Father cleared his throat and approached Feyt’s bed. “Feyt, you’re going home, right?” He said, my clothes draped over his right arm.

I reluctantly nodded my head. “Y-Yes, why?”

A gentle smile crept upon his face. “Can I come with?”

I raised an eyebrow. “I mean, sure…?” I would prefer having someone walk me home, but does it have to be him? The nurse stood at the doorway, looking defeated.

“Why though?” I had to ask.

“It is nothing special, I was just planning on heading over there myself, so I might as well. I promised your Father a drink, you see?”

“Ahh…” I understood now. “Well, sure, I can lead the way.”

Killing two birds with one stone, so that was his plan… or was it?

“Great!” Father responded. He turned his gaze to Carine. “You’re coming with, Carine.”

““Huh?!”” Both my bodies exclaimed, a look of dumbfoundedness spread over both of our faces.

—

And so, I was walking beside myselves, Father keeping pace with us from behind us, keeping his eyes open.

The mood was awkward, to say the least. Father practically forced me—Carine—to come with him to Feyt’s home. I spent the first few minutes of the walk, pondering how I should introduce myself to my own family.

Should I just introduce Carine as Feyt, or as her?

What should I say to not make things awkward?

Will Sis worsen things up? I was sure she would, I then began trying to think up ways to not arouse her teasing.

As we continued walking, Father asked with a worried tone, noticing our silence. “Is something the matter, you two?”

Both of me jumped a bit to the sudden question. Father then placed a hand on my shoulders, his grip gentle but firm. “You two are going to be training together from now on. So I need you two to get along, don’t be shy. Go on, introduce yourselves properly!”

Wait, I’m not ready yet!!

G-Give me five—no—ten minutes! Please!

“Come on!” Father nudged our shoulders. “Don’t be shy!”

Father said it like it was the easy thing to do. I mean, it was, for others at least…

This nervousness was unbefitting of Carine, but I couldn’t think of a good way to not make this conversation awkward!

Staying silent any longer would be weird, though. So, I had no other option but to swallow my nervousness as best as I could, and just ad-lib it.

“M-My name is C-Carine Sareid… N-Nice to meet you…” my voice trailed off at the end.

“M-My name is Feyt… Nice to m-meet you too…”

T-That was stiff as hell...

Father seemed to notice the tenseness of our voices. He raised a worried tone and asked, “Carine, are you still unwell? I never saw you speak like that before.”

I knew it, I couldn’t keep up the act as Carine like this. I couldn’t think of any excuses either, so I just stayed silent, my cheeks blushing from embarrassment.

To think I screw up an introduction so badly…

I decided, that if time permitted, I would practice talking to myself in the future…

—

Kyrat was astonished. For the first time in his life, he saw his daughter blush…

He rarely even saw her put out a genuine smile, but here she was, hanging her head to hide her tomato-red face. Her ears, however, betrayed her.

What would cause such a strong reaction from his daughter? he asked himself. He turned his attention to the boy, whose shoulder he was gripping with his left hand.

He too, hung his head low, ears blaring red.

As the three continued walking in awkward silence, Kyrat used the time to piece together the clues.

He wasn’t a detective, so he was easily baffled by the clues before him. Actually, that wasn’t quite right; he understood them just fine—it was more that he refused to accept them.

Feyt and Carine had been kidnapped together and fought back to escape a life-threatening situation. Now, Carine, who was always composed, was blushing and stammering in front of Feyt.

Any sane person could deduce what was happening, and Kyrat believed he was still sane, so, reluctantly, he realized the truth.

Kyrat stopped in his tracks, confusing the teens in front of him.

“C-C-Carine… A-And Feyt too…”

“F-Father?” Carine asked, her face still blushing slightly. “What’s wrong?”

Kyrat’s grip on both of their shoulders tightened, the question he wanted to ask felt stuck in his throat, but he had to make sure.

“Are you two… in love?”

““Not a chance!!!”” The two responded synchronously instantly with a shout, their faces went even redder than before.

Seeing Carine so flustered, Kyrat finally accepted that his theory was true. He had to come to terms with reality.

He leaned closer to Feyt, who was still beet-red. In a low, almost theatrical tone, he whispered, “I shall see if you’re worthy of my daughter. Prepare yourself.”

“Please stop it! This is a misunderstanding!!” he shouted.

Carine too seemed even more worried and flustered, as if she knew what he had whispered to Feyt’s ear, which meant she too was on the same page as him.

Kyrat couldn’t hold it in, tears of joy were welling in his eyes.

“M-My Carine… is in love!! I-I-I have to tell Reina! L-L-Leila too—!”

“Like I said, this is all a misunderstanding!!!” she shouted.

Unfortunately, her words would never reach his ears.

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image [https://i.imgur.com/RdC5Gde.png]