I quickly moved to shut the door. "I don't think you could've hit him any louder."

"I don't think you could've given a shorter notice." Victoria stared down at the fallen body. "You said there was going to be a fight."

I walked towards them and crouched down next to Oliver. "And there was." I put my finger under his nose. Still breathing.

"He's unawakened. Since when has one-sided brutality been considered an honorable battle?" Her aura flared.

Fuck. I knew she'd react like this.

"Look, I didn't know who'd come to deliver my food. All I knew was that they'd have to be knocked out, and unfortunately, the world chose poor Oliver here to be your opponent."

His eyes were still wide open in surprise, and I closed them gently. "Trust me, I felt no pleasure watching him get tossed like a ragdoll."

Victoria's aura dissipated. "You used me. Royals are.. we're meant to be the protector of the people."

"We're using each other, aren't we?" I glanced up towards her. "If I thought I could do it myself, I would've."

"Unfortunately.." I reached under Oliver. "I'm not the strongest at the moment."

My right arm went under his legs, while my left supported his back. I got up and began to walk towards the bed. With a muffled thump, he rolled onto the mattress.

"I'm sorry for making you do something distasteful. But, this was necessary in order to save Sera."

Victoria didn't respond. Wordlessly, she came up next to me. We stood there for a moment, overlooking Oliver like a pair of sentinels.

She broke the silence. "Tell me your plan."

I let out a breath of relief. "We need to go to the kitchen. There's a clue there on how to get to Sera."

"And how do you know that?"

I hesitated. "A piece of my memory came back."

She spun towards me. "Memory? Are you-"

"No, don't worry. It was nothing major. I just know that something, or someone, in the kitchen can help us."

Victoria paused. "Then what's his role in all this?"

I looked at Oliver's limp body, similar to mine in stature. Flaxen hair spilled messily across crumpled sheets. At a quick glance, it'd be indistinguishable from my own blond color.

"How hard did you hit him?" I said abruptly.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "I pulled my punch before it landed, but aura-enhanced attacks can wreak havoc on an unawakened's system. There'll be some broken bones, and he'll be out for at least a day."

"Any serious damage?"

"..No."

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"Good. That's good."

I tilted my head downwards.

Sorry Oliver. I told you, didn't I? After this quest is over, I'll make sure to use my newfound 'nobility' to compensate you to the best of my ability.

I grasped the lapels of his clothes.

Damn. And I thought I was done with suits.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We walked through a shadowed corridor. Moonlight flowed in through large arched windows on our right, drawing criss-crossed shapes on the floor.

I tugged at my collar. "You know the way, right?"

"Yes."

Barefoot, Victoria walked with steps that were light as feathers. Her nightgown was loose, shuffling with each movement, and it cut off mid-thigh, exposing smooth, slender legs. Paired with the night atmosphere, she was a mysterious, haunting beauty gliding through hallowed halls

Of course, this virtuous impression was shattered the moment she opened her mouth.

"Never thought I'd see the great Alexander Luncan wear a servant's clothes."

"Tall talk for a princess without shoes," I shot back.

"Didn't have the time because of a certain someone." She snorted. "Those oafs guarding my room are now entirely convinced that the Princess had to use the restroom so badly that she forgot to put on her footwear."

"That was your excuse?"

Victoria shrugged. "It was the most convenient one. Elena wasn't there to help take me out this time, and despite my guards' incompetency, one of their knightly values is chivalry. They wouldn't dare infringe on my royal chastity."

Despite her vulgarity, I was grateful for Victoria's wit. If not for her quick arrival to my room, Oliver may have escaped, and I wouldn't have a guide to walk me to the kitchen.

In the time between the girls' exit and Oliver's delivery, I'd thought hard about how to circumvent the two major issues that sprung up from the IMMEDIATE clue. During our prior conversation, Elena had said that she wouldn't be able to help during the night due to Sir Alfred's suspicions. Therefore, we would have to make do without her.

So. How was I to leave my room undetected, and how would I get to the kitchen?

That's when I remembered that a kitchen servant would come to bring my meal.

Furious brainstorming had formed me multiple plans, ranging from threatening the servant, to somehow convincing them to bring me along when they left.

In the end, I'd settled on a nice medium.

First, I would call Victoria with the ring, and to stall for time, I would show an unexpectedly friendly demeanor to the servant.

On her arrival, she'd take advantage of the surprise to quickly defeat them. Then, it could go two ways: if the servant was a girl, then Victoria would dress in her clothes and go by herself to the kitchen, while I kept an eye on the room. Otherwise..

I grinned. If anyone were to check on 'me', they'd see a yellow-haired boy sleeping with his back towards the door.

I wasn't delusional though. In reality, my plan was impossible at worst, and flimsy at best. Any unaccounted variable could've completely derailed it, such as if Alfred himself came to bring my food, or if Victoria wasn't able to dodge her guards to come join me.

However, I'd pulled through. It wasn't the time to count my blessings, though - I had to stay focused. I had to see this thing through.

Oliver's face flashed through my mind, his excitement morphing into an expression of abject fear. I had put up a tough front for Victoria, claiming reasons such as 'necessity', but.. I felt dirty.

The goddess had treated my life as disposable, putting me in this world solely for her own amusement. And, I couldn't help but see parallels in my own actions.

I had manipulated Oliver, brought his hopes up, and then crushed them all in the name of the 'quest'.

She and I were NOT the same. After I saved Sera, I would compensate him, give him enough wealth that he would never have to lift a finger ever again.

Still. I couldn't help but feel dirty.

"We're almost there," Victoria whispered.

I shook my head. Before I had noticed, we were in the entrance to a stairwell.

"It's down here, watch your step."

The stairwell was wide, with enough space for me to reach both arms out yet not touch either side. Light spilled out of diamond-shaped crystals that were set in the wall, brightening our path.

Tock. Tock. Tock.

Victoria halted. "Stop."

The steps continued to spiral down, but there was an entrance to another hallway. Across it, I saw a door nearly double my length, and wide enough that if I laid down on the ground, I would still fit.

"In there?"

"Yes." She peeked into the hallway, turning left and right. "We should go quick, before anyone comes."

"Alright."

I moved to the door, and grabbed the handle - the metal cold to the touch. Slowly the large wooden mass creaked open..