Chapter 4: The Hidden Boss Beats Up the Hidden Boss
It was the day after we obtained the elixirs and found out my sword was everything I could’ve wanted in a sword. We had nothing more that we could do in preparation against my other self. She could be coming to this world tomorrow, next week, or even a year from now. I planned to spend my days until her inevitable arrival as I normally did, organizing documents and visiting villages that were under construction for expansion. But today, I wanted to relax. I felt pretty exhausted after everything that had happened over the past couple of days.
Maybe I’ll read a book. It’s been a while since I’ve done that. I could even go out and buy myself a new book as a treat, I thought to myself as I looked through the mansion’s library. It was a peaceful, relaxing day. It had been so calm that it seemed like the idea of my other self coming to this world was something that Lemn had dreamed up.
Soon enough, evening fell, and it looked like I would finally get to end a day without anything strange occurring. Less than a second after that thought came to my mind, a voice called out from my shadow.
“Miss! I’ve confirmed a warp in this dimension! You have to come, right away!” The black-haired god appeared in my shadow, looking agitated.
Huh? She’s already here?
◆◆◆
I called for Patrick as I ran out of the estate. We had been prepared, so I was able to move out fully equipped at a moment’s notice. Eleanora would be staying home, or rather, she would likely demand that she come along as well if we explained the situation, so we’d elected to keep all talk of parallel worlds a secret from her.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“It’s right nearby,” Lemn responded from within my shadow.
“Okay, Ryuu can stay back too, then.”
“Why? Wouldn’t that dragon be useful in battle?”
“Excuse me?! Are you trying to make me bring Ryuu somewhere dangerous?!”
“Oh, um, I’m sorry.”
I followed Lemn’s directions as if he were my own personal GPS in my shadow, running towards the place he told me to go. Patrick, who had left a little after me, finally caught up with us.
“We didn’t even get a chance to rest, did we?” he panted.
“We really didn’t,” I agreed.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s somewhere not too far,” I said, glancing down at my shadow. “Where is it, Lemn?”
Lemn explained that we would be there in several minutes. It was a location not too far from Dolkness Village. Considering the pace at which we were moving, if we were going to be there in a few minutes, the location must be around where Duke Hillrose had been waiting for me when I encountered him on the day of his failed coup. I wasn’t sure whether I should be grateful or upset that the place to which we were heading was close to town, but still outside it. At the very least, it was nice that it seemed like we would be able to avoid harming the town itself.
It was obvious when we arrived.
Lemn described it as a warp in this dimension, and that’s exactly what it looked like—the space had been warped, and I could see a twisted view of the other side.
“Is this it?” Patrick asked.
“Looks like it,” I said.
We stopped at a distance from the warp. Lemn was still lurking in the shadows. I stared, observing the contorted space.
I want to see it up close. I wonder what would happen if I touched it.
My curiosity was getting the better of me, and I was about to run towards the warp when Patrick grabbed my shoulder.
“Hey, what are you trying to do?”
“I thought I could touch it, just a little bit.”
“That thing is obviously dangerous.”
“Humans have made so much progress because of their endless pursuit of knowledge. Just touching it a little would be fine, don’t you think?” Patrick’s only response was to strengthen his grip on my shoulder.
It’s not like some deadly laser is going to shoot out the second I touch it. I don’t think it would hurt anything if I gave the warp a little poke. I’m sure it’s safer than a demon core, and nuclear scientists touch those all the time without issue.
“Fine, fine,” I grumbled reluctantly. “I can throw a rock at it though, right?”
“Well, I guess...” Patrick directed his next question towards the shadow at my feet. “Would that be okay?”
“It’s probably fine,” Lemn replied offhandedly.
Nice, now that I have permission from the god of darkness himself, let’s throw a rock at it.
I was so curious to see what would happen—would the rock disappear into the parallel world on the other side of the warp? Would it change its trajectory because of the warp in space? Or would the rock not be affected at all?
I picked up a reasonably sized pebble from the ground and tossed it gently at the warp. At the very instant that the rock left my palm, the twisted space of the dimensional warp began to wobble and distort. The waves grew larger, and from within the warp appeared...my other self. It was the Yumiella from the parallel world. The rock hit her smack in the face.
“Oops,” I said under my breath.
“What a brutal welcome...” she murmured.
I’m sorry, it wasn’t on purpose. Please don’t get mad at me.
My other self didn’t appear to be the slightest bit hurt—she was Yumiella, after all. Of course, she looked exactly like me. The only real difference between us was the length of our hair. Her untrimmed black hair completely covered her right eye. The other big difference was our radically disparate fashion choices. This Yumiella wore the same kind of black, gothic-lolita-style dress that I remembered seeing on the hidden boss in the game.
Where did she get that from?
My other self looked at Patrick, then at me. “I see, so that’s what’s going on,” she muttered. “I get it. That makes me like you even less.”
“Excuse me, um... What should I call you?” I asked, keeping a healthy distance between us. I had considered the possibility that she might not be willing to talk to me at all, but she responded at once.
“There’s no way you don’t know my name. I’m Yumiella Dolkness. Call me whatever you want.”
“Wouldn’t things be a bit confusing, since I’m Yumiella too?”
“You’re right,” she snapped. “Why don’t you change your name to ‘idiot,’ then. You certainly look like an idiot.”
“If our faces are the same, though,” I pointed out, “doesn’t that mean we both look like idiots?”
The other Yumiella looked shocked, as if she hadn’t realized that.
Could it be that she’s a little dumb? I decided to properly think about what to call her. There’s Yumiella Alter, Dark Yumiella, Another Yumiella... Hmm, actually, between the two of us, I feel like I’m the more Alter-Dark-Another version. She’s closer to the original Yumiella in the game, after all. So maybe I should be the one to change my name? But I feel like if I change my name, I’m taking a backseat to her. Maybe we should just keep it simple and use numbers.
“Let’s use 1 and 2, then,” I suggested. “I’ll be 1 and you’ll be 2.”
“What? Why do I have to take second place to you?”
“Okay, then you’ll be 1 and I’ll be V3.”
Her confusion and annoyance mounted higher. “Why did you skip over 2?! Also, where did the ‘V’ come from?!”
What? Come on. That’s too many complaints. I suggested V3 as an alternative since she didn’t like the strong 1 and the powerful 2. I suppose that, in her defense, skipping over a number is weird. It would also be awkward to deal with if a third me were to show up. In that case, she can be 1 and I’ll be an adjacent number...
“Okay, if you don’t want to skip over numbers, then let’s use 0 and 1. You’ll be 1, and I’ll be Zeronos.”
“Again with the discrepancies! Why is there something extra on your name?!”
“You mean Zeronos? Wait...what is that? I don’t remember hearing that name before, but it makes me feel sad for some reason...”
“You’re the one who brought it up!”
Although I was admittedly messing with her a bit, it wasn’t just for my own amusement, because I was now certain that she was definitely not anything like me. She was a completely different person, with no memories of Japan or its popular television shows. If she had been a Yumiella with memories of the same past life as me, we would’ve been having a throw-down fight over who got to call themselves Zeronos.
“Let’s each say our favorite Rider’s name. You can pick whoever you want, even Amazon or KickHopper.”
“Fine,” she huffed. “I’ll be 2... You’ll be 1.”
“Huh? I guess, if you’re okay with that...”
I was a little disappointed, but perhaps going with something simple like “1” and “2” was the most straightforward solution.
I put my right hand on my hip and lifted up my left arm at an angle as I yelled, “Transform!”
“What are you doing...?” Yumiella 2 asked, her voice cold.
Unable to withstand her withering glare, I looked to Patrick for help, but he, too, was regarding me with disapproval.
Hey, I had to do it. I’m Yumiella 1.
I had to admit, I felt a little embarrassed at reliving my childhood a bit too intensely, but it was time to move on. I cleared my throat dramatically and declared, “Now that we’ve decided what to call each other for practical purposes...am I correct to assume that you’re here for me, 2?”
“That’s right. You’re my target.”
I knew it. She wants to take me down and unlock her level cap.
Yumiella 2, her face still frozen in an expression of evidently perpetual displeasure, turned her attention to Patrick. “So, what’s his deal?”
“I’m—”
As Patrick opened his mouth to introduce himself, I came to a shocking realization—the way 2 looked at him was completely different from how she looked at me. She seemed to be disgusted by my having the gall to take up space in her field of vision at all, but she seemed almost excited whenever her gaze rested on Patrick.
This is... I guess even if we’re different people, we’re attracted to the same type. This is bad. She has the same face as me. Patrick, who is smitten by my beauty, might even fall for 2. If she’s capable of destroying an entire world, surely she’d be willing to steal someone else’s boyfriend without even blinking.
All these thoughts ran through my head within two-tenths of a second. I needed to jump in before they could actually have a conversation. I leaped to Patrick’s side, intending to grab on to his arm, but I was a little too forceful and ended up jabbing him in his side with my elbow instead. Patrick let out a pained groan, but I was able to stop them from talking, so I considered this outcome a success.
“He’s my boyfriend, why do you ask? Oh, we’re also engaged. We’re going to get married in a few months.”
“Ow...” Patrick hissed. “What are you doing out of nowhere, Yumiella?”
“See?” I smiled broadly at Yumiella 2, then turned back to Patrick. “Whisper passionate, sweet nothings to me like you always do!”
“Like I...always do?” He seemed at a loss.
I pleaded with my eyes for him to stay quiet. I couldn’t let 2 know that this was the first time he’d whispered anything even approaching a sweet nothing. I glanced over at her and saw that she was glaring daggers.
All right, it’s working.
“Stop flirting,” 2 commanded in a tone so cold that I could feel my blood solidify in my veins.
“Huh? Did it look like we were flirting? Isn’t this normal?” I asked, all innocence. “Oh... I guess you wouldn’t know since you don’t have a boyfriend. I’m sorry. Also, I’m stronger than you.” The battle had already begun, and I was dominating the early stages.
I knew how deeply the question “Why don’t you get a boyfriend?” could cut. It did bonus damage when the person asking it sounded genuinely confused. The final blow was following it up with a heartfelt apology for asking the question in the first place.
Feel the pain, 2! Even if we know the same kinds of pain, right now, we’re enemies. I won’t hold back.
Yumiella 2 cast down her eyes, her hand tightening into a fist. I started to feel a little embarrassed, so I let go of Patrick’s arm and took a step closer to 2. I bent down so that I could crane my head up to look at her face from below.
“Are you crying? It seems like you’re all alone, but don’t get too down on yourself.” I followed this sympathetic observation up with a quick reminder. “Also, I’m stronger than you.”
“Look there...” she said, gesturing to a point below both of our heads.
Huh? Is there something on the ground? I wondered, as I looked down and scanned the area, but there was nothing there. Right as I was about to ask her what she wanted to show me, I felt an impact from above, followed by a sudden pain running through the back of my head.
I only realized that I had taken a heel kick to the head when my face slammed into the ground.
“Coward...” I grumbled, my voice muffled by the dirt.
“But I thought you were stronger than me?” 2 taunted. “Why don’t you get up already?”
I tried to get up and tell her exactly what I thought about her antisocial behavior, but there was once again an impact to my head from above. It happened again...and again...and again. She persistently continued to stomp on the back of my head, shoving my face deeper into the earth. After a while, 2 finally stopped stomping on me and began grinding her foot against my head instead.
“Did you pass out? You’re all talk—”
“Remember, you’re the one who started this,” I said, reaching behind my head and grabbing 2’s ankle. Even if I was lying on the ground, I could still fight back. Yumiella 2 tried to pull her leg away from my grip...but I wasn’t letting her go.
“What is this?” she protested, trying and failing to pull free. “Let go of me. You should just stay right there and roll around on the ground.”
“Roll? Got it.”
“Ack!”
Just as she’d suggested, I began to roll my body while still holding on to her by the ankle. As soon as I was facing up, I used my other hand to strengthen my hold on her, and then I continued rolling. Unable to endure the momentum of my roll, 2 lost her balance. I continued spinning, using the weight of my body to pull my opponent off her feet. The gothic lolita, badly-in-need-of-a-haircut Yumiella fell face-first into the ground.
“Hell yeah!” I roared, letting out a cry of victory. But the real fight had only just begun.
I leaped to my feet, keeping hold of 2’s ankle, and then repeatedly lifted her up and slammed her down, as if I were using Yumiella 2 like a hammer to drive nails into the ground. I did it again...and again...and again.
Of course, I made sure that I was holding her at an angle so that her head would be sure to dig into the earth. I was an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a face in the dirt for a face in the dirt. It was then that Patrick gestured for me to stop.
“That’s enough,” he said, in a tone that seemed genuinely sad. I ceased swinging 2 against the ground and examined her. The girl before me, lying completely limp on the ground, looked exactly like me... I took a breath and returned my gaze to Patrick.
“It’s more painful than I thought it would be to watch two Yumiellas beating each other up...” he explained in a shaky voice.
“Patrick...”
I kind of understand where he’s coming from. If I saw an unrestrained battle between Patrick and someone who looked like Patrick, I would also... Wait. Actually, I would join in on the battle on the side of my Patrick. I mean, even if the other one had the same face, they’d still be someone else entirely.
“Wait, does that mean you’re on 2’s side?” I asked. “Do you not care who you support, as long as they have my face?”
“No, I just mean I can’t bear watching it...”
“I see, so you are siding with 2.” I pouted. “She’s the one who started it.”
“You’re also at fault. You taunted her too much when you didn’t need to.”
I didn’t remember taunting anyone. All I had done was establish my emotional dominance over her. I wasn’t taunting her, I was merely demonstrating my superiority. Though, now that I put it that way, I wasn’t actually sure which option was meaner.
Well... I guess I’m at fault too. Maybe I was the one who baited her into a fight. I won’t apologize, though.
I looked away from Patrick, sulking, as 2 dragged herself back to her feet.
“You must think that having a boyfriend makes you special,” she said, glaring at me as she tried to fix her outfit.
“Huh?”
“Normal people all over the world have friends and significant others. That’s normal. They get married and have kids. That’s also normal.”
“Uh...” I didn’t follow. “Yes, they do?”
“Isn’t it pathetic to use something so normal as a demonstration of superiority? You’re like a teenager proud of being able to do something as simple as tying their own shoes. That’s something only appropriate for a small child to be proud of. Boasting about something any adult can do is the height of being pitiful.”
I felt the weight of her words. “You’re exactly right...”
I’m gonna cry... The truth hurts even more coming from someone who has the same face as me. I might’ve been thinking the same thing somewhere deep in my heart. I taunted her a bunch, and then I sulked when Patrick stopped me. I really do have the worst personality.
As I stood there on the verge of tears, Yumiella 2 continued, the corners of her mouth turning up into a smirk. “Also, people who are actually happy don’t feel the need to show off how happy they are. When I saw you deliberately flirting with your dear boyfriend, I thought, ‘Wow, this relationship isn’t going so well.’”
“We’re doing great...” I protested weakly. “We even have a date for our wedding.”
“So you’ll get married, and then what? Do you think that your relationship will automatically progress once you get married, and things will just go well? Marriage isn’t some kind of magical ceremony, nor is it the end goal of life.”
Don’t criticize marriage when you’ve never been married. You don’t even have a boyfriend... No, it’s too late, I’ve already lost the upper hand that I had based on the fact that I had a boyfriend. Ugh... I can’t say anything back to her.
Using my silence to her advantage, 2 continued to pile on the insults. “I thought it was weird in the first place. I mean, even if we’re ostensibly different people, you’re still me. You’re Yumiella Dolkness. There’s no way you’re capable of having a proper relationship. Your feelings are probably being manipulated by that margrave’s kid.”
I was about to look at Patrick, to see if he really was deceiving me and my feelings. But I stopped myself, because I knew that if I did, it would mean that I didn’t trust him. Right now, all of my attention was directed towards Yumiella 2’s face rather than Patrick’s. And all of my intentions were directed towards punching rather than looking.
“Don’t talk badly about Patrick!” I lunged at Yumiella 2, and exactly as I intended, punched her right in the face. I bowled her over entirely with the force of my attack, pushing her down to the ground, then I sat on top of her and continued to punch her with alternating fists.
Yumiella 2 retaliated from her prone position with punches of her own, but her swings from below weren’t as strong as mine and didn’t hurt a bit.
How futile! Useless, useless, useless!
“Stop it, Yumiella! Don’t you feel bad for Yumiella?” Patrick was quick to stop us once again. He grabbed my shoulder and pulled at me.
Part of why I had used “Don’t talk badly about Patrick!” as my battle cry was that I had been hoping to make him less sympathetic towards the other Yumiella, but my clever strategy seemed like it had been ineffective. Perhaps he’d realized that I had decided to settle things with my fists because I knew that I wouldn’t win with words.
Patrick pulled me completely off 2, who remained on the ground. He held me firmly by my shoulder as 2 and I glared at each other. Finally, I gave in and relaxed, and Patrick let out a heavy sigh.
“Why do you guys so persistently go for each other’s faces?”
“Because I don’t like her face,” we both replied in unison.
For a disconcerting moment, I thought that my voice had developed a mysterious echo, but then I realized that it was because 2 and I had the exact same voice. Regardless of how similar we were, it was abundantly clear that we would never get along. But surprisingly, neither of us had even once made a serious attempt to kill the other yet.
“What do you want to do now?” I asked 2, watching her stand up and dust herself off once again. “It’s going to get dark soon. Do you want to stay over?”
“I don’t want to sleep at your house,” she responded disdainfully.
“Okay, you can camp out here, then. I’ll come again tomorrow?”
“Excuse me?” Now she seemed strangely offended. “Shouldn’t you be begging me to come stay with you?”
Oh, she does want to stay over. But she doesn’t want to owe me any favors. What an annoying personality. I’ll be the bigger person and bow my head, asking her to please come to my home... No way, I don’t want to. Maybe I really should just let her camp out here. By herself. Without a tent.
“What’s your intention here?” Patrick asked, whispering into my ear. “Is it really okay to invite her over?”
“I think it’ll be fine. I’m finding 2 surprisingly friendly.”
“Friendly...?”
“I mean, she hasn’t used magic even once.”
Though we had now beaten each other up a couple of times, 2 and I weren’t seriously hurting one another. If either of us had truly wanted to kill the other, using Black Hole as a first move would’ve been the safest bet. Not only had she not used magic, but 2 hadn’t even brought out any weapons. Surely this must mean that she was open to a peaceful discussion. Patrick seemed to understand that as well.
“Oh, I see...” He nodded. “I didn’t think that far after being forced to witness that horrific beatdown...”
“Horrific? Neither of us are bleeding, though.” We weren’t bleeding, nor were we likely to have any scars or bruises from today. Admittedly, we hadn’t held back our punches completely. It had so far been somewhat-strong Yumiella punches against really strong Yumiella defense. The latter had just been stronger.
While Patrick and I whispered to each other, discussing what to do, 2 seemed to think she was being ignored.
“Fine! I get it!” she snapped, sounding both frustrated and slightly nervous. “Please let me stay at your house. There, are you happy?”
“I wouldn’t actually let you camp out here alone...” I started to reassure her, and then reconsidered her reasons for being so standoffish. “Oh, are you maybe too used to being alone? Ha, even I’m not that much of a social reject.”
“I’ll kill you,” 2 said, leaping forward to punch me once again.
This time she tried to get on top of me, but wanting to have the advantage, I caught her and flipped her over. We both ended up on the ground, switching between being above and below, trying to hit each other as we rolled around in the dirt. As the earth and sky scrolled by my field of vision, continuously interchanging, I could hear Patrick’s voice somewhere above us.
“I’m not even going to bother trying to stop you guys anymore. You’re both equally at fault for everything.”
Aren’t you being a little too easy on Yumiella 2, Patrick? There’s me, your fiancée, and 2, who you just met. You should obviously be taking your fiancée’s side, no? Is it because of her face? That must be it. There’s no doubt that 2 is exactly Patrick’s type as far as her appearance goes. But even if she has the same face, he shouldn’t be... Did she maybe seduce him without me noticing?
Spurred on by these thoughts, I elected to add insults to the injuries I was already inflicting.
“Don’t come on to Patrick, you one-eyed gothic lolita!” I hissed.
“What?! I’ve done no such thing!” she protested. “You’re just a lousy girlfriend!”
“Says the person with no dating experience.”
“All you’ve been talking about is dating and romance... Is your mind just a field of flowers?”
“No, it’s not!” I immediately thought better of shooting down her suggestion. “That’s not to say that I’m not a young maiden who would fit right in in a field of flowers, though!”
“Excuse me?! You expressionless freak! It’s unsettling how I can’t tell what you’re thinking!”
“The same goes for you too! That makes the both of us expressionless freaks!”
“Your appetites must be as bland as your vacant face. I bet you can’t eat bell peppers either! You have the palate of a child!”
“I can eat them, so there...” I smugly responded. “But you don’t look good in that frilly dress!”
“Really? That’s great for you... Your taste in fashion is boring!”
Our rolling battle of insults continued apace, but after a while, both 2 and I started to run out of things to say.
“Stupid!”
“Idiot!”
Why are we doing this? I wondered, as we rolled across the ground. Then, without either of us actually saying anything, we both abruptly stopped punching each other. I can’t even remember what I was upset about.
“Why did we end up doing this...?” I asked.
“Who knows? I’ve forgotten.” 2 didn’t know the reason for our fighting either.
We both got up and faced each other, tilting our heads in the same direction, mirroring each other’s movements. I tried raising my right arm, and she raised her left arm. I waved my raised arm, and she waved back.
“Oh, it’s just like a mirror,” we both mumbled. We were perfectly in sync. All I needed now was some balls—one that bounced and one that didn’t—so that I could replicate that cool trick where it looked like you were bouncing a ball through a mirror. Maybe 2 and I could go viral. I looked around to see if there was anything else I could use in place of the balls, and as I scanned the ground for some likely looking rocks, my eyes met Patrick’s; he was standing a little to the side, watching us.
“Do you guys get along?” he asked curiously. “Or do you not?”
“We don’t,” I replied.
“Isn’t it obvious?” 2 added on.
If you were to use any common sense, you would know that you obviously wouldn’t beat up someone you considered a friend. I was lost as to what made Patrick think that 2 and I could possibly get along. The atmosphere between us was clearly stormy. First of all, getting along with someone who looked like me was impossible. It was also unpleasant that our personalities were kind of similar, even though we were supposed to be different people. She was probably thinking something along the same lines.
Ugh, I hate this.
The sun had set while we were fighting. I wanted to get home before it got pitch-black.
“Let’s go home, then,” I said with a sigh. “You’re coming too, right, 2?”
“Only because you insisted.”
Did I? I mused. I felt like she had been the one to ask to stay, but if I pointed this out, then it was possible that we would start punching each other again. I’ll stay quiet about this one.
“It’s not like you’ve never been there,” I reminded her. “You lived at the Dolkness estate before too, right?”
“I don’t have any attachments to that place. I just stayed in my room and spent my days sleeping, getting up, and eating. The person I spoke to the most was the tutor that visited me.”
“Oh, I wasn’t too different not that long ago. I basically did that at the Academy dorms too. There wasn’t anywhere to go back to, right?”
“I see,” she said quietly. “I almost forgot that you’re also Yumiella.”
“What? Of course I am.”
“Then why... You and I are... Never mind, it’s nothing,” Yumiella 2 mumbled, looking towards the distance. I looked the same way, wondering whether she was looking at something, but there was nothing out there but the dark sky.
We headed home wreathed in awkward silence. Ever since 2 appeared, Patrick had seemed slightly down, and Lemn had stayed silently hidden in my shadow. Yumiella 2 herself made it abundantly clear that she was in a foul mood. Even I felt gloomy.
So, how should I explain who 2 is to everyone at home? I can’t say that she’s destroyed a world, and it would be pushing it to try and pretend she’s someone who looks exactly like me that I met by coincidence. I don’t even know if I should let Eleanora meet her. The only reason I’m being friendly with 2 right now is that she doesn’t currently seem like a threat. And I know that even if things are okay for the moment, we’ll eventually have to fight to the death.
Even though Patrick and I could put our feelings aside and understand that this was a doomed situation with an inevitable bad ending, Eleanora might not understand that.
We walked silently through the town of Dolkness, Patrick and I side by side as 2 followed behind. We chose a path that generally saw less traffic, and luckily we didn’t pass by anyone else. No one was around to realize that I was the countess, nor that there was someone who looked exactly like me, and even if there had been anyone about to see, they wouldn’t have recognized us thanks to the dim light of the evening. Because of our high levels, the three of us were probably the only ones in the whole county who could see in the dark as clearly as if it were daytime.
The mansion came into view—we were already close to home.
I should’ve taken a longer route and bought myself more time to think. I haven’t figured out how I’m going to explain to anyone at home who 2 is.
I wasn’t sure why, but it felt like things would go badly if I brought her into my estate, even though I was the one who’d suggested it. I’d had relatively peaceful interactions with 2 up to this point, fighting and playing the mirror game, but if I brought her into the manor, it felt like something fundamental would change.
I can still turn back, I thought, fully not wanting to go home as I stared at the walls of the mansion growing ever taller as we approached ever closer. Just then, an incredibly adorable face popped out from the shadows of my backyard. The large, scaly head craned over the roof of the mansion, scanning the three of us and finding me at once.
“Ryuu! I’m home!” I exclaimed.
My dear Ryuu was as cute as he always was. He was cute yesterday, and he would surely be cute tomorrow. I couldn’t admit that I didn’t want to go home, even if someone had put a gun to my head, when such an adorable dragon was there. Who cared about Yumiella 2? I could just say that I found her somewhere. And I would kick her out of my house at once if she were ever to do something detrimental to Ryuu’s happiness.
Freed of my worries, I ran towards Ryuu. My concerns had been ridiculous. Almost everything in the world was unconcerning when compared to how adorable Ryuu was. Ryuu welcomed me home with equal enthusiasm, effortlessly flying over the two-story estate with a single flap of his wings and landing in the front yard between us and the front door of the mansion.
Even though we saw each other every day, and even though we had seen each other just a few hours ago, each time we reunited after an absence of any length, Ryuu would get just as excited as if we hadn’t seen each other in years. I responded to his excitement with full force.
Ryuu craned his neck down to lower his head, which I attacked with affection at once. I began aggressively petting his chin.
“Ryuu! You’re such a good boy! You’re such a good boy for welcoming us home! You’re such a good boy for purring!”
This was pure bliss. Hearing the rumbling sound Ryuu’s throat made was life. Watching his cute gestures? Life. I’d continue living if for no other reason than to rub my face against his slightly cool scales. My past, present, and future were all for Ryuu. As I luxuriated in this healing time with Ryuu, I heard voices from behind me.
Oh, that’s right, I thought dismissively. There’s some rando called Yumiella 2 over there. I listened to her and Patrick talk, but I didn’t pay their words much mind.
“What the hell am I looking at?” 2 asked.
“Um, that’s...” Patrick trailed off, at a loss. “You just have to accept it and get used to it.”
“What about that did you fall in love with? Are you crazy?”
“Well, I probably am somewhat crazy...”
I reluctantly let go of Ryuu and turned back to my companions. Yumiella 2 was openly staring Ryuu up and down. Ryuu also noticed her, and his eyes widened in surprise. He looked back and forth between 2 and me.
Right, of course you’d be surprised by seeing someone who looks just like me.
I wasn’t certain that 2 was worthy of Ryuu’s majesty, but I decided to introduce my son, my pride and joy, to her anyway.
“This is Ryuu. Isn’t he cute?”
“A dragon that’s friendly to people...” She sniffed disdainfully. “Gross.”
How could she say that? I thought. I quickly looked to Ryuu, who seemed sad that someone who looked just like me had called him gross.
“Hey! How could you say something so horrible?!”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize he understood human language.”
“Ryuu, don’t worry about her. We’re different people, I promise!” I comforted him.
My poor baby, he’s so upset. Yumiella 2 and I are irreconcilable after all, I thought as I stroked Ryuu’s adorable head and glared at her.
“Ugh, my bad,” 2 amended, somewhat reluctantly. “Your pet isn’t so bad.”
“Excuse me?!” I sprang to Ryuu’s defense. “He’s my family, not my pet!”
“I see, your family... Oh, what does he eat, then? What’s his feed?”
“What?! He doesn’t eat ‘feed’! He’s not an animal. He eats normal food!”
She snorted dismissively. “You’re so annoying.”
Not only did she insult Ryuu, but now she’s saying I’m annoying? A fight can’t be avoided. I’m gonna pummel her! Pummel!
I couldn’t not use magic anymore. The best first move in a Yumiella vs. Yumiella battle was Black Hole, after all. If I destroyed Yumiella 2, leaving no trace of her, then all of our problems would be solved.
I win! The third volume comes to an end!
Suddenly, I heard a pathetic sound from behind me. I looked back and saw Ryuu with sadness in his eyes, whining piteously at me. I could tell what he was trying to say—he was asking us not to fight because of him.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I’m sorry for being such a violent mother. You’re right, it’s not right to solve things with violence. You’re such a kind boy, Ryuu.”
“What the hell am I witnessing?” 2 grumbled.
And so, our final battle was delayed.
You’re lucky Ryuu is so kind. Anyway, I can’t cuddle with Ryuu out here forever. We should head inside.
“Yumiella?” a voice called out to me, a voice that I absolutely did not want to hear. “I was worried since you left so suddenly.”
Uh-oh, Eleanora found us. I wonder how I should explain this to her, I thought as I looked at 2, who seemed displeased. Oh, of course she knows who Eleanora is.
“Why is the duke’s daughter here?” she complained.
“A lot of things happened and the nobility of the Hillrose family was revoked...” I explained. “Now she’s like...a freeloader?”
“What? What does that—” 2 tried to ask for a more thorough account, but we likely wouldn’t be able to have a conversation like that for a while. Now that Eleanora was here, we would be marching to her drum.
Eleanora followed my voice right to us, but she made a beeline for 2 instead of me, since I was half hidden in Ryuu’s shadow.
I’m sure she’ll notice the difference in hairstyle and clothes once she’s up close—
“Oh my! What a wonderful dress!” Eleanora gushed. “Where did you get this? You usually hate wearing frills. Oh no, your hair has grown so much in the short time that I haven’t seen you. We must get it cut soon.”
She’s not noticing.
Eleanora walked around 2, who seemed irritated, trying to inspect her gothic lolita dress.
“Hey, you’re too close!” 2 snapped. “Get away from me!”
“Just as I thought, you look lovely in black as well, Yumiella! You look truly magnificent!”
“Hey! I’m not the Yumiella you know!”
“I know that very well. I’m very happy that I get to see a side of you I’ve never seen before!” Lady Eleanora’s mind was as dense as a brick wall, utterly oblivious to negativity. It reaffirmed that Ryuu, who had been so hurt by 2’s harsh words, was a very sensitive boy.
I was starting to feel bad for Yumiella 2, so I tapped Eleanora on the shoulder—taking the full brunt of Eleanora’s enthusiasm required serious fortitude.
“Um, I’m over here.”
“What? Yumiella?”
“I’m the usual Yumiella. The other one is...a doppelgänger.”
Eleanora looked at me, then at 2, silently comparing us.
I just blurted it out, but maybe she wouldn’t believe—
“You really do look alike!” she said wonderingly. “I can’t tell you apart at all!”
“Huh?”
Wait, really? You’re just gonna believe that? I think you’re past the bounds of simple naivete if you believe that sorry excuse.
“It’s nice to meet you, Yumiella’s doppelgänger. I’m Eleanora. What’s your name?”
“Yumiella.”
“Wow!” she cried with an artless and genuine excitement. “Even your names are the same! What an amazing coincidence!”
I might have been underestimating the tenacity of Lady Eleanora’s innocence. I unironically thought she was incredible. I recalled the time when I used to still believe in Santa, and I wondered when I had lost that kind of purity.
Eleanora began examining 2 once again. In order to see well in the dimness, she brought her face in quite close, enough that her nose was almost touching the other Yumiella. In contrast, 2 was turning away with a scowl. She could have pushed Eleanora away if she had really wanted to, but she was just letting Eleanora have her way. I couldn’t help but feel like maybe 2 wasn’t that bad of a person after all, but then, she did destroy an entire world.
“Hey, do something about this!” 2 complained, negating her previous patience with a glare at me.
“Oh! Your manner of speaking is slightly different,” Eleanora observed. “I feel like I’ll be able to tell the difference once I talk to you a bit more!”
“Lady Eleanora, my doppelgänger seems to be troubled,” I said, taking Eleanora gently by the shoulders and peeling her off Yumiella 2. Eleanora seemed reluctant, but she didn’t resist. I continued holding her by the shoulders as I guided her towards the mansion. “Let’s go inside now.” I turned to Ryuu. “I’m sorry I couldn’t play with you that much.”
Though it pained me to do so, we left Ryuu behind and headed inside. As soon as we entered, Rita welcomed us home.
“Welcome back. Dinner is ready. Would you like to sit down to your meal at once?”
“Oh, about that, would it be possible to prepare an extra seat?” I asked Rita. “We have a guest.”
“That should be fine, but...a guest?” Rita’s eyes widened in astonishment at this unusual occurrence. It was only natural for her to be surprised; we rarely had guests.
Yeah, maybe I should start expanding my circle of acquaintances.
There were footsteps behind me—2 and Patrick joined us in the foyer.
Rita bowed reflexively in greeting, but when she lifted her head, she froze upon catching sight of the guest in question.
“Welcome... What? Lady Yumiella?”
“So you’re here too,” she said. “I expected it, but it really is all familiar faces. Did you quit being an errand girl to the master and mistress? You chose to side with the stronger one, I see?”
Yumiella 2 apparently didn’t like Rita either.
I guess it can’t be helped if their relationship didn’t advance past where ours started out. Rita did attempt to poison me, after all.
Going by what I knew of the other me’s life, she likely only ever saw Rita as a mouthpiece for 2’s negligent parents. Things would’ve been the same between Rita and me if it weren’t for the time I caught her trying to assassinate me. But it didn’t seem fair for 2 to direct her frustrations towards this world’s Rita. I was about to defend my head servant, who seemed completely at a loss, when 2 spoke up.
“I’m sorry...” she said, dropping the attitude. “The you here doesn’t have anything to do with what happened to me.”
Rita’s eyes swam in confusion at having just been berated and then immediately apologized to by someone who looked exactly like me. She probably wasn’t sure what she should say.
“Rita, this person is our guest,” I began. “She’s just...someone who looks like me. Oh, also, I’m sorry for the trouble, but could you prepare the guest room as well?”
“If you insist, Lady Yumiella...”
“Thank you.”
Yumiella 2 was obviously not just someone who looked like me, but Rita nodded and obliged without question. She didn’t share the quality of Eleanora’s remarkable obliviousness, but her trust in me made her willing to go along with the situation without question.
◆◆◆
We headed to the dining room and sat down to dinner. Arrayed around the table were Two Yumiellas, One Patrick, and One Eleanora. If you considered nothing but the names of those present, nothing would have seemed out of the ordinary.
I meditatively slurped a spoonful of stew as I observed my other self, who was elegantly partaking in the meal while doggedly attempting to ignore Eleanora’s burning stare.
Man, not only do we look alike, but even our movements are similar. Wait, no, I’m just the tiniest bit more graceful.
“I’m not sure how to phrase this, but...” Eleanora began, her gaze still trained upon my counterpart. “This Yumiella seems to have more class.”
“I’m much classier!” I protested.
“Hey, can you not yell while others are trying their best to eat?” 2 complained. “Is this a gathering of barbarians?” The classy 2 allowed her lips to settle into a condescending smile.
I can’t stay silent if she’s going to call me a barbarian. We should settle this with another fistfight... Oh, now that I think about it, that’s a pretty barbaric idea.
I sat there and gritted my teeth, unable to come up with any kind of nonbarbaric retort.
Yumiella 2 sighed. “I haven’t had a warm meal in a while, so can I just savor it a little?”
“What have you been eating until now...?” I asked curiously.
“There are a plethora of foods that can be preserved.”
It was true that there were nonperishable foods used by the military forces of this world, as well as foods with a long shelf life. But unlike in modern Japan, this world hadn’t figured out any methods of canning, and preservation methods were simple. Most shelf-stable foods were overly salty dried meats, or hard breads that were made without flavor in mind—generally, nonperishables were considered disgusting, and rightly so.
“You should’ve cooked for yourself,” I admonished her.
“Why do you think I can cook?” 2 asked. “You can’t either, can you?”
“I can cook,” I refuted.
“Liar.”
These kinds of differences are probably why I have a boyfriend and she doesn’t, I thought with an internal sigh. Even I can cook. It’s a necessary skill for hot girls.
Just a short while ago, I had prepared a wonderful meal made with lots of love for Patrick. He’d ended up in bed for three days, and I’d ended up banned from entering the kitchen, but surely this was proof enough that I could cook.
You should tell 2 all about that since she went straight to assuming I lied, I thought as I gave Patrick a significant look, but he cast his eyes in every direction except mine. Huh...? Well, Eleanora didn’t eat any of it, but she saw what I made. I turned my attention to her, but she also averted her gaze. Why doesn’t anyone have my back on this?
Yumiella 2 smiled triumphantly. “See, you’re a liar after all.”
“I’m not lying.” I pouted. Yumiella 2, who probably couldn’t even boil water, looked at me with pity.
I totally can cook. I would show her right now if I weren’t banned from the kitchen.
As we sat there, chewing in awkward silence, I was forced to remind myself that Yumiella 2 really had actually destroyed her entire world. She was living alone in an empty realm. It was surprisingly depressing to hear that she hadn’t even had a warm meal in a while.
I knew I should’ve been feeling much worse for all of the people that had died as a direct result of her actions, but I couldn’t help but empathize with Yumiella 2.
She wasn’t a bad person. I mean, sure, she had definitely committed an irredeemable, terrible crime, but at her core she wasn’t evil. She clearly knew the difference between right and wrong, and she wasn’t just indiscriminately spewing her hate at everyone around her now that she was in my world.
As I watched her silently eat, she seemed much more docile than I was...
I’d thought that this matter would be settled by defeating the hidden-bossified Yumiella, but now? There wasn’t a resolution in sight.
◆◆◆
We didn’t really talk much for the rest of dinner, and Yumiella 2 quickly finished her meal and retired to the guest room, saying she was tired. Patrick and I headed to my chambers, where the topic of conversation immediately turned to our guest.
“She’s not what I expected at all,” I sighed. “If she were more like, I don’t know, a cackling, wicked villain or something, this would’ve been a heck of a lot easier to deal with.”
“I agree, she’s much too...” He couldn’t seem to find the right word, but I knew what he was trying to say.
“Maybe we should just have her move here...” I shook my head. “Hm, that doesn’t really seem right either.”
I sympathized with Yumiella 2, but I wasn’t sure if it was right (or even possible) to forgive her for her misdeeds. The destruction of a whole world was much too grave a sin to just sweep under the rug. I couldn’t even imagine how she’d begin to atone for such a crime.
“I think she’s a lot like how you were when we first met,” Patrick said. “She seems like she keeps herself aloof from everyone around her, including herself, as if she’s observing her own life from the outside in. It’s almost as if she doesn’t consider herself to be part of the world around her...”
“I guess I might have been like that in the past. I always thought that if things got bad enough, I could just flee this kingdom.”
That was how I had felt a long time ago, but things were different now—these days, I had too many precious things that I needed to protect. I didn’t have anything back then. Even if I had cut off all the people in my life and fled the kingdom, I would have had very little to lose. She was probably in the same situation. She didn’t have anything or anyone, which left her completely adrift.
“You know, thinking back on the things she’s said to us so far, do you think 2 feels bad about what she did? Does she understand that what she did is wrong?”
“She definitely does,” Patrick immediately responded. He always made it clear when something was just his opinion or an assumption, so it was surprising for him to state that so definitively. “There’s no way that she thinks what she did was right,” he continued. “She’s seen you. She’s seen a different outcome her life could’ve had, so...”
“The only reason our lives turned out differently is because of my memories of my previous life,” I pointed out.
“That shouldn’t matter to her. She’s seen that there’s a Yumiella Dolkness leading a happy life. That fact in itself should be enough.”
I see. My existence itself proves that everything in her life was a terrible mistake. Even if it wasn’t my intention, my life is basically saying that all of her efforts were meaningless, that she made a string of horrifically wrong decisions. If she had just made a couple of different choices, perhaps she could have at the very least avoided the worst outcome. She could’ve even been more successful than I am if she’d played her cards right. All because of a handful of small differences between us.
“I’m... I’m just a little bit smarter, and a little bit more feminine, and a little more sociable, and more than anything, I’m a bit stronger than her, and those are the only real differences between us...”
Patrick snorted. “Wasn’t this a serious conversation...?”
“Huh? This is a serious conversation. Putting aside whatever 2 was thinking about the destruction of her world until now, we’re discussing how meeting me forced her to realize that she undoubtedly made the wrong choice, right?”
Patrick seemed to be keeping his face carefully neutral. We’re having a really serious conversation right now, I grumbled internally. What’s wrong with him?
He cleared his throat as if he were collecting himself. “Well, let’s drop the differences between you two for now. I was thinking that 2 might...try to escape all this.”
“Escape...? Like she would run away from me, back to her old world?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
After committing such a heinous crime and giving up on absolutely everything, where was a girl like her with nothing to hold on to supposed to run?
“What do you mean, then?” I asked Patrick, who seemed hesitant to explain. “What is she escaping from?”
“From living...”
“What? No, she wouldn’t...”
“Looking at her, I felt like she might disappear at any moment. She has an air of tragedy around her that reminds me of the way you used to be, but there’s something different about the way she carries herself. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ultimately chose death.”
What...? I know this is just a theory on Patrick’s part, but I can’t say it’s impossible. How foolish would it be for her to destroy her entire world and then die herself, like she’s going down with all of humanity?
I recalled the last time I’d seen her today. She had just finished eating, and she’d looked satisfied.
Unable to keep still, I leaped up and ran out of my room.
“I’m going to go check on 2!” I called over my shoulder.
No, don’t do it, Yumiella 2! I don’t know the answers, I don’t know what to do, and I don’t have any advice to give, but I do know that dying is the wrong choice.
I ran down the hallway towards the guest room that she had been assigned. It was the largest room in the estate, which was always kept meticulously clean despite the fact that we never had any guests. I had a bad feeling, and I flung the door open without knocking or giving her a chance to respond.
“Are you alive?!” I practically shouted.
“You scared me!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing?”
Yumiella 2 was standing by the window, looking out. Her black hair and the tenebrous night beyond the window blended into each other, and for a moment it looked like she really was going to disappear into the darkness.
Could it be... Is she trying to jump out of the window?!
“No!” I cried.
“Huh? What? What are you trying to do?”
I ran across the room to 2 and held her from behind so she couldn’t jump, gripping her arms tightly. Yumiella 2 resisted with all her might, thrashing around to try and free herself from my restricting embrace.
You want to throw yourself out the window that badly? I won’t let you!
I continued to hold her as I dragged her away from the window, letting her go only when I was satisfied that we had retreated to a distance that made autodefenestration impossible.
“I thought I was going to die,” she panted, working to catch her breath.
“So you were planning to die after all.”
“Excuse me? I’m talking about how you almost killed me.”
“Huh? I thought you were going to throw yourself out the window because you were tired of living.”
Wait, did I misunderstand something? Actually, in this case I think I can blame Patrick for this particular misunderstanding. I felt embarrassed by my presumption, but also relieved that my counterpart was not, in fact, contemplating death.
“First of all, there’s no way I would die jumping out a window at this height,” 2 pointed out with a theatrical sigh.
“Oh...” She was right. I had panicked for no reason, though I didn’t really feel as if it was a wasted effort on my part since I had been able to confirm that she wasn’t planning on dying.
“Also, when I do die, I’m planning on bringing down some despicable fiends along with me. Doesn’t that sound amusing?” she asked with a laugh that could only be described as a cackle. I guess she was evil after all.
Is there even anyone for her to bring down with her? There aren’t any people left in her world.
“I mean, do you even have any despicable fiends left to be brought down?” I asked.
“You know, I find you somewhat despicable.” She tilted her head in an innocent manner as if to call me out for not realizing at once that I was the fiend she’d been talking about. I was shocked by this unexpected declaration of war, but I’d barely begun to process the idea when Yumiella abruptly redirected the conversation, pulling at the collar of her dress and declaring, “Hey, I want to take a bath.”
“Oh, uh, sure... I’ll have one drawn for you.”
Was this the audaciousness of a hidden boss? Perhaps my life would’ve been easier if I had learned earlier in my life to be as impudent as she was.
Maybe she was just that excited for a bath, but 2 began humming a tune, seemingly pleased. It was as if I wasn’t even there. I left the guest room feeling slightly unsatisfied.
Patrick was waiting for me outside the room, leaning against the wall. He had probably followed me out of shared concern for 2. We walked down the hall together.
“Did you hear our conversation?”
“Only part of it.”
“It looks like it was just a misunderstanding. I don’t think she has any intention of taking herself out of the picture like that.” I glanced to my side and saw that Patrick seemed happy about this, despite his efforts to try and maintain a neutral expression. I wasn’t sure if he was genuinely happy that 2 wasn’t in immediate danger, but I had to admit that I didn’t feel bad about this new information either.
Just then, after a silence so protracted that I had almost forgotten he was there, a certain wet blanket spoke up from my shadow. “That’s too bad. Things would be easier if the miss from the parallel world just died on her own without us having to do anything.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re such a bad god, Lemn...”
“Why? She’s a dangerous person who destroyed an entire world. It’s only natural for me to want her to disappear, for the sake of this world’s safety.”
The god of darkness seemed to care about the collective good just a little too much for my tastes. While I could see where he was coming from, given his position as a god who oversaw the world, he understood far too little about human emotions.
“Is Yumiella 2 really dangerous?” I asked him.
“Of course she is.”
“What if she were to live the rest of her life without harming anyone ever again?”
“That wouldn’t change the fact that she’s a dangerous being. She has the power to destroy an entire world on her own. I wouldn’t even joke about letting someone like that live.”
Not only did Lemn consistently fail at understanding human emotion, he didn’t seem to be used to interacting with humans at all.
“A dangerous being that has the power to destroy a world is a description that applies to this Yumiella as well,” Patrick said, pointing out the flaw in Lemn’s logic.
“Oh...” Lemn digested that for a moment. “But you’re on my side, right, miss? You wouldn’t like it if the world was gone, right?”
I was finally starting to understand how Lemn’s mind worked. He prioritized the collective above all else in order to protect the world. He didn’t care how many individuals he had to sacrifice, as long as it was for the collective benefit of the whole. He was probably only being friendly with me right now because of the more pressing threat of Yumiella 2. The way he refused to call anyone by their given names was likely a manifestation of how little he prioritized individual people.
“I don’t think about grandiose things like ‘protecting the world.’ It’s not exactly top of mind for someone like me.”
“I thought you were willing to fight her, miss.”
“If 2 tries to hurt me or those around me, then sure, I’ll fight her. I only protect what’s within my power.” Even if I was strong enough to destroy a world, it wasn’t within my power to make everyone in the world happy. That’s why I’d decided to look at things practically and protect what I could.
“Well,” Lemn said begrudgingly, “I guess our interests are aligned for now.”
“Also, if it’s possible, I want to save 2 as well.”
“You should give up on that. It won’t be possible. Even if your reach extends farther than your average human’s, it doesn’t stretch that far.”
I wanted to ask Lemn how I ought to proceed with her from now on, but it was clear that he wasn’t going to offer me any useful guidance.
Still, what Lemn was saying was true. It was reckless to try and save my other self, someone who had destroyed an entire world.
What do I do here? If I or those close to me end up getting sacrificed to save her, that would just be getting my priorities backwards...
Over the course of our conversation with the god in my shadow, we had arrived at my room. Only then did it occur to me to ask the obvious question.
“Oh, Lemn, why haven’t you said anything until now?” I asked. “Is there a reason you’re hiding from 2?” Crickets. “Uh... Lemn?”
There was no response from my shadow. It seemed like he’d once again disappeared. Thinking back to how he’d described it, Lemn could enter and exit any shadow, but I wasn’t sure about the specifics beyond that.
At a loss for how to respond, I turned to Patrick, who was glaring down at my feet.
“What’s with that terrifying expression?” I asked him. “Maybe he left because you scared him off.”
“Oh, sorry. It’s just that I find that god of darkness to be such a deplorable guy. I can’t tell if he’s on our side or not.”
“The same could be said for 2.”
I was sure we wouldn’t be feeling so stressed out if it were easier to tell who was an ally and who was an enemy. I honestly didn’t want either of them to be our enemy, but things weren’t that simple.
I wonder if I’ll really be forced to have an actual fight with Yumiella 2. I don’t want to, and anyway, it would be pointless since I’m clearly stronger than her.
I sighed. “I think I want to be alone for a bit and think.”
“Okay,” Patrick said with a small smile. “Call for me as soon as you get tired of being alone.”
◆◆◆
I left Patrick and returned to my room alone. My mind was teeming with thoughts about my other self.
She was especially hostile towards me, but I just couldn’t bring myself to resent her. I didn’t like that she had the same face as me, and I was offended at how she had bad-mouthed me, but that was different from a true hatred from deep within one’s heart.
When I’d noticed how her hair had gotten so long that it covered one eye because she didn’t have anyone to cut it, my heart had ached for her. On top of that, her frilly gothic-lolita-style dress was... Well, that was probably just a difference in taste.
Okay, no, upon further reflection, I thought her choice in clothing was unbelievable. I was suspicious of her sanity if she could wear something so whimsical without batting an eye. Her choice to wear that dress was so crazy that it was honestly easier to understand why she had destroyed her world.
But in a weird way, I was perhaps grateful for her clothes, since they were an easy way to tell us apart. If we had the same haircut and similar clothing, would anyone be able to tell us apart? I bet that if we also tried to talk in a similar manner, then it would become nearly impossible to say which of us was which.
Oh no, I’ve come up with a more intense version of a twin-swapping prank, and it would definitely be super fun. Now I really wanna do it.
“All right, let’s do it,” I said to myself with a determined nod. Coincidentally, I was alone right now. Obviously, the reason I’d felt the need to ask Patrick to give me space was because I needed to pull this prank, not because I wanted to think. That had definitely been my intention all along.
I ran out of my room and hurried down the stairs, being careful to make sure no one heard me, of course—it had become a habit to walk around silently. My destination was the mansion’s bathroom, where 2 was likely in the process of bathing.
You must have really let your guard down in order to feel comfortable taking off your clothes in enemy territory!
I slowly entered the changing area of the bathroom. Just beyond the inner door was the bathing area. I could hear the sounds of bathwater splashing on the other side.
All right, where did she put her dress? I thought to myself, prepared to let the pranking begin.
Just then, a sharp voice yelled out, “Hey! Who’s there?” 2’s ability to sense people was incredible. Everything was under control, though, because I’d come up with a plan for this exact contingency.
“I’ve brought you a change of clothes,” I said, pitching my voice a little higher.
“You should really communicate with the other servants.” 2’s voice through the door dripped with disdain. “Like I said earlier, I’m not planning on wearing anything other than those same clothes.”
“I apologize, madam. I’ll excuse myself.”
Huh? You’re going to wear those clothes to sleep in too? That’s a little insane. You should wear something more normal to bed at the very least.
I needed to flee the scene in order to not arouse any suspicion, but I’d located her clothes quickly enough. I gently picked them up and left the changing area. Of course, I left a different outfit for her—my normal pajamas that I always wore to bed.
After obtaining 2’s gothic lolita dress, I quickly returned to my room to change—when that was done I’d head in Patrick’s direction.
Will he notice? I wondered giddily. Man, these kinds of pranks are the best.
Unfortunately, it took a while to get into clothes that I wasn’t used to putting on. There were buttons in weird places, and it didn’t seem like an outfit that someone could don without additional help.
I only have until 2 finishes her bath, I reminded myself. I have to move quickly.
I moved sneakily down the halls, irritated by the rustle of frills that I wasn’t used to, when I ran into Eleanora.
Even though 2 had been nothing but cold to Eleanora, that sweet girl still gave me a smile.
“Oh!” She looked at me uncertainly. “Um, is it okay to just call you Yumiella?”
“Call me whatever you want,” I said in what I hoped was a haughty tone. “I guess you can call me 2 like that other one does if it’s too confusing for you.”
“That isn’t a very cute name,” Eleanora said with a charming little pout. “Yumiella’s always so careless about these sorts of things... Oh, when I said Yumiella I meant the usual Yumiella—”
“I get it! Stop saying ‘Yumiella’ so much.”
Whoa, Eleanora actually thinks I’m 2! These clothes are really effective. It’s probably because of my acting skills too. Since we’re the same person, we sound exactly the same if I just copy her manner of speech. I guess the only thing I can’t replicate is her hairstyle.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, Eleanora noticed that very thing.
“Oh? Your long hair has been...”
“I cut it off because it was getting annoying,” I scrambled to improvise. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“Are you perhaps...Yumiella?”
“Excuse me? I’ve told you plenty of times already, my name is Yumiella.”
Uh-oh, I guess my hair raised suspicion.
Eleanora tilted her head as she looked at me suspiciously.
“Hm...? Huh...?”
“What?” I cut off her curious noises rudely. “If you don’t have anything intelligent to say, then I’m going to leave.”
“Oh, yes, good night...?”
I ended our conversation abruptly, since it seemed like she was onto me, and sailed past her. She didn’t for sure know it was me, but she clearly thought that it seemed like there was something off. Eleanora was sometimes strangely perceptive.
I quickly left Eleanora behind and headed to Patrick’s room. Patrick didn’t have anything approaching Eleanora’s natural intuition, so he probably wouldn’t be able to tell it was me. I braced myself before knocking on the door to his room.
“Come in. Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
“Yumiella?”
“Excuse me? Why is that even a question? Do you not know the sound of your own girlfriend’s voice?” I grumbled as I opened the door.
Saying something nasty right away, right on. I definitely got a full ten points on how 2-like that dialogue sounded. I should easily be able to trick Patrick like this.
Patrick turned his head to glance at me as I entered, then returned his attention to his desk, where he was writing something. This wasn’t the reaction I had hoped for. I had expected that he would freeze up if 2 entered his room.
“How are you feeling? You seemed unusually stressed earlier,” he began, his back still turned to me. “Also, what’s with those clothes?”
“I’ve always been wearing these clothes...” I hazarded. Then, feigning outrage: “What, did you mistake me for her? My hair’s different because I cut it; it was getting in my way.”
“I mean, you’re Yumiella, aren’t you?”
I wasn’t getting anywhere. He was way too casual with 2—or rather, me dressed as 2—standing before him. Patrick wasn’t acting as I had expected.
But I can’t let him see my concern. Right now, I’m Yumiella 2. I can’t show any outward signs of my feelings for him.
I tried again. “Yumiella is indeed my name. I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”
“I should’ve phrased it more clearly. Well...” Patrick spun around in his chair and looked me right in the eye. “I don’t really like calling you ‘1’... How about this? You’re my Yumiella, right?”
“Your Yumiella? Referring to someone in such a possessive way is, um...”
“You’re mine and mine alone, though, aren’t you? In a romantic sense?”
“Yes...” I admitted after a short pause.
I mean, I don’t belong to Patrick, but...I guess that’s technically true, I’m Patrick’s Yumiella, committed to him alone. I see now; he knew it was me from the start. That’s why his responses weren’t making sense.
“How did you know?” I asked. “I thought I was exactly like 2, aside from the hairstyle.”
“Well... I guess it’s like you have a distinctive air about you, or the way I sense your presence... There’s something about you where I can always just tell it’s you.”
“What does that even mean?”
Does that mean there’s no logical reason for him to know? He can just sort of tell that I’m me, based on his own intuition and senses? I mean...doesn’t that mean he’s, like, way too in love with me?
Patrick looked me up and down and observed, “You look really good in that kind of dress, by the way.”
“Oh, this is, um, it’s just so I can disguise myself as 2. I’m never wearing it again.”
The moment I realized he was looking at me as me, I was filled with embarrassment. I was currently standing before Patrick in a gothic lolita dress I had said I would never wear. My fun prank had turned into a shameful display.
“I’m surprised,” Patrick said as I contemplated my escape options.
“It’s not like that! I didn’t secretly want to wear this or anything!”
“Not that, I’m surprised that she lent you those clothes.”
“Oh, I might be in trouble if I don’t get them back to her soon,” I admitted.
I wanted to believe Yumiella 2 was someone who liked long baths.
I take really short baths though. I mean, I don’t think they’re short, but sometimes Rita doesn’t even believe that I took a bath at all. I always have to be careful about it, or else she’ll try to insist on going in with me and washing my body. That’s why I recently started counting to two hundred when I’m in there instead of just one hundred like I used to... As my mind wandered, a loud noise rang out from downstairs. Oh no, I’m too late.
It wouldn’t be good for 2 to cause a commotion at the other end of the house, so I popped my head out into the hallway and called out, “I’m here! On the second floor!” I could hear the loud stomps that announced that she was barging up the stairs. Yumiella 2 appeared with remarkable speed, with only a towel wrapped around her. “Why are you running around dressed in just that?!” I demanded, scandalized.
“I knew it, it was you!” Her eyes blazed accusingly. “I can’t believe you!”
What I can’t believe is how you’re dressed. Patrick can see you!
The half naked girl forced her way into the room.
Oh, I see she is at least wearing the triangle nightcap. I guess she didn’t like the polka-dot pajamas.
“I’m sorry,” I exclaimed. “I’m so sorry!”
“Give me my clothes back if you’re so sorry! Come on, take them off!” 2 grabbed on to me, still only wrapped in a towel, trying to tear her dress off me.
At this rate there are going to be two Yumiellas that are basically naked. Who benefits from this...? I guess Patrick might. I mean, he’s a guy after all. It’s only natural for him to want to see the naked body of the beautiful girl he loves. Maybe it’s okay if I let this happen? I’m going to let him see me naked one day anyway. If I just think of this as a future event happening early... Well, it’s probably something not that far in the future. It’s at least going to happen before the future in which all humans wear jet-packs and have flying cars.
“All right, chill out, I’ll take it off.”
“You’re lying! You’re just going to run, aren’t you?! You can’t fool me!” Yumiella 2, with her strange attachment to this gothic lolita dress, whipped her wet hair around as she pulled insistently at the fabric. The towel wrapped around her threatened to fall off at any moment.
Wait... Isn’t 2 more arousing in this situation than I am? After having this scene burned into his memory, Patrick’s going to end up lusting after 2... This is bad, this is really bad.
My imagination had conjured the worst possible ending for my future, and so I decided that I needed to find a way to cancel this R-rated occurrence. I grabbed 2’s hands and pulled them down against her sides as I tried to think of a way to stop her from tearing the clothes off my back.
Come on, isn’t she embarrassed by this? She’s in front of a guy wearing only a towel. Maybe she’s so upset about the dress that she hasn’t even noticed that Patrick is here? Way to be hotheaded.
“Haven’t you noticed?” I asked. “Patrick is right there.”
She snorted. “He left as soon as I came in.”
“Huh...?” I looked around the room, but she was right: Patrick was nowhere to be found. He had apparently made his exit quite quickly. Perhaps I was the hotheaded one here. I stood there blankly.
“So come on, take the dress off already,” she insisted.
“I’ll take it off,” I grumbled. “Calm down.”
Yumiella 2 forcefully undressed me, removing her dress from my body.
I would’ve taken it off myself, you know.
In the blink of an eye, she had returned herself to all her gothic lolita glory.
So, what am I supposed to wear?
“Hey, what am I going to wear?” I demanded.
“Why should I care?”
I was facing yet another crisis—there was nothing in the immediate vicinity for me to put on. I’d thought we could just swap clothes, but she had come up here with only a single towel wrapped around her.
Fine, I guess I’ll have to ask 2 to get my clothes for me.
When I verbalized my perfectly reasonable request, 2 responded with a snicker. She opened the door as she said, “Well, the rest is up to you.”
“Huh? Wait, what about my—” I was cut off by the door slamming shut.
Damn you! She walked off knowing full well what she was doing! Is this revenge for me borrowing her dress? I guess she was pretty upset. But what the heck do I do in this situation? This is Patrick’s room, so I don’t think there’s anything I could... Just then, I caught sight of a dress shirt sloppily draped over the back of his chair.
It was surprising for someone as organized as Patrick to have his clothes strewn about like this, but considering the circumstances, it was a lucky surprise for me. I figured it would be good enough for now, and I pulled his shirt over my head. It was pretty big on me, but it worked out perfectly because it was long enough to cover my lower body as well. It basically fit me like a dress.
All right, I’ve got some clothes, and I accomplished what I set out to do. It’s time for bed. Although I guess I should say something to Patrick first.
I exited his room and roamed the hallways in search of him. I figured I would pass by someone sooner or later, and I could ask them if they’d seen him.
As I walked down a hallway on the second floor, I saw Patrick walking in the opposite direction towards me.
Perfect!
“There you are, Patrick. Sorry for causing a ruckus in your room. It’s pretty much 2’s fault.”
“Yumiella?! What’s with that...?”
I looked down at myself, uncertain as to what might have prompted such a strong reaction on his part.
Oh, right, I’m wearing nothing but Patrick’s shirt right now. I should let him know that I’m borrowing his clothes.
“Oh, yeah, I’m going to borrow this for a bit. Yumiella 2 took my— Well, okay, her clothes that I was wearing.”
“O-Oh, I see...” Patrick said, his eyes swimming.
I should also thank him for stepping out when 2 ran in.
“Thanks for surrendering your room to us earlier. Even if she’s not me, it was kind of embarrassing with her dressed like that.”
“Y-Yeah, she might feel embarrassed about it later on too...”
He also did it out of consideration towards her, given that she was dressed only in a towel? Patrick’s such a saint. If I ran into him half naked, I would totally come up with a bunch of excuses to keep sneaking glances. But even if he’s being a gentleman right now, it would also be so cute if he was actually trying to suppress an overwhelming desire to hug her... But that would never happen, though; that’s completely out of the question.
“I guess you’re free to imagine whatever you want,” I mumbled, only a little distracted.
“Hurry up and put on some clothes, Yumiella,” he scolded. “It would be bad if someone saw you.”
“Huh? I am wearing clothes, though. I guess underneath I’m only wearing underwear, but it’s hardly any different from wearing a day dress.”
“How is that even remotely the same?! You shouldn’t walk around dressed like that!”
Now Patrick was acting really strange, and I noticed that he kept avoiding making eye contact with me.
What’s going on here? He’s bringing up how I’m dressed, but I’m properly clothed in his shirt. I get embarrassed, unlike 2, so I wouldn’t be out in public in any kind of suggestive outfit. What’s going on? Does he not like other people borrowing his clothes? If that’s the case, I feel bad.
“Oh, I’m sorry for taking your shirt without asking. I’ll give it back to you right away.”
“No, don’t take it off! Don’t!” He sounded desperate.
“I’m not taking it off here!”
Why is he saying something so ridiculous out of nowhere?! I’m not the kind of person who just takes off their clothes in front of others, and I certainly would never make someone get naked in front of me! He should know that by now, considering how long we’ve known each other!
“Just please go back to your room and get changed, and hurry.”
“What? Okay...” Still confused, I found myself marched back to my room and shoved through the door.
I had no idea what had caused Patrick such apparent distress, but one thing I did gather from this incident was that I might not be capable of making Patrick’s heart race after all.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login