Pavor frowned at this revelation. "Aren't all your sisters already married and living in different kingdoms?"
"Yes…." Princess Minerva balled her hands into fist.
"All of them are missing?"
"Yes…."
"They should have strong protection from their husband's guards so…. How could they be missing?" Pavor was quite perplexed.
"They were taken, but only I know that they were. Because they were replaced."
"Replaced?"
She took off a necklace that was well-hidden inside her clothes collar. It was a simple chain, with pearls of different colors. No doubt representing something.
"My sisters gave this to me once I was the only unmarried princess of Sagacitur left out of all of us. They each married different nobles from different kingdoms. So the colors are meant to represent where they are now."
She pointed at the red-orange pearl. "This is from my eldest sister, Fethinoper. She married the son of the Magnates in Vissus. Vermillion is the color of their flag, hence she gave me a vermillion pearl."
"This one…." She presented a red-violet one. "The Magenta pearl is meant to represent my second eldest sister, Thera. She married the Princeps of Liberia."
She twisted a yellow-green pearl. "The Chartreuse pearl is from my sister Eiarene in Calicas. She is one of the wives of the highest chieftain there."
And finally, she explained the origin of the blue-violet one.
"The Indigo pearl. This is from my sister Heima, in Danatusarga….. That is the true name of Donatus, what its people call it. She married one of the overlords there."
Pavor rubbed his chin. "Your parents are smart to marry off your sister in all four directions of this world. Vissus on the north, Donatus on the south, Liberia on the west and Calicas in the east..."
He pointed to himself. "Amoreas in the center. They have all diplomatic relations covered, even if they don't do the same with the other kingdoms. At least they have allies on all sides."
Princess Minerva fumed. "Personally, I find it conniving and unnecessary."
"Oh? Why?"
"Sagacitur should strengthen itself by developing its countries military and economy, not pimping out their daughters for protection." She crossed her arms. "We're humans too, not just bargaining chips."
Pavor raised his eyebrows at this. Though she seemed meek, there were also times when Princess Minerva was quite bold with her words.
He can't say he disagrees. Sagacitur prides itself from having the smartest god as its patron, but do they not trust their own intelligence to keep their kingdom afloat?
Diplomatic relation through arranged marriages is so underhanded, and so predictable in his eyes. Besides….
Who needs allies when you are strong enough to stand on your own two feet?
"You are right." He said. "It is rather contrived. Surely someone should have realized it sooner, but I guess mankind is so simple-minded. When given a gift, especially a pretty woman, they just receive it without hesitation."
Princess Minerva was pleased by this. "Right? You understand it... You really are different from all of them, Prince Pavor….."
"Understand what?"
She did not answer and just kept smiling to herself. Pavor frowned from that pure adoration in her eyes when she looked at him.
Then that smile faltered, and she twisted the pearls on her necklace. "Anyway….. When I visited my sisters, they all seemed different. Someone….. or something else had replaced them...."
"How do you know?" Pavor asked.
"My suspicions started four months ago, when I saw Fethinoper. My parents wanted to visit them all to tell them the news of my betrothal, and just socialize with their allies. Make sure everything is in order and give fancy gifts to gain favors."
There was a visible shakiness in her voice when she added: "But they didn't notice what's wrong with Feth at all. They're too busy being chummy with the Magnates of Vissus."
Pavor could feel this strong fear of something being not as it was. The fear of something that poses as a human, but is not.
The fear of mimics, imposters, clones, doppelgangers... This was called Clonophobia.
It applies to the uncanny valley, to that dread one feels when perceiving something being human-like but not, and afraid of such deception.
Such fear was so strong and it made Pavor salivate compared to the food on the tray. He was also in a weakened state, and so he wasn't able to control himself anymore...
And pounced on the princess!
"P-Prince Pavor….!?" She yelped as she was pinned on the bed.
Pavor looked at her eyes directly, and whispered in a low, chilling voice. "What does it look like? This stranger posing as your sister... Show me."
She was immediately struck by the dread powers, her eyes widening and her breathing getting rougher.
She resisted at first, but the dark energy penetrated through her and reached the deepest parts of her psyche. It was more painful than anything else she experienced. She whimpered, and tried to push Pavor off but it was to no avail.
"No….. no….. Please, stop….. It hurts….. I don't want to..."
"Show me. Let me in." Pavor commanded. "Let me in your memory…."
[Trauma Searching skill activated.]
Pavor's crimson eyes seemed to bore into her until he had finally found it. The memory of when she was sitting across this mimic posing as her sister.
The castle of Vissus was quite different from the one in Amoreas, which was made of smooth, polished marble. Everything there was rough and rugged, even the people.
People in Vissus were often regarded as barbarians by other countries. But the Magnates and their son were actually very accommodating, and they laughed loudly at the jokes by the King and Queen of Sagacitur.
But the princesses did not join the conversation. Instead, they locked eyes for a long time without saying anything.
Princess Minerva could not stop staring at this….. Whatever this is.
This thing... It resembled her sister but everything was slightly wrong. The brows were a little too high, the nose a little too tall, the chin a little too sharp, skin too smooth.....
But what bothered her the most was its eyes.
It almost looked like glass. It was too shiny, but also too realistic for a doll's eyes. In fact, it somehow looked even more realistic than a regular human's eyes.
Every detail was vivid, and seemed to look deep into her soul. Yet at the same time, it looked so empty. As if it was only gazing for the sake of gazing, no thought in its mind.
"Would you like some ale?" She offered.
"No….. I do not drink. You know that, sister." Princess Minerva said warily.
She nodded. "Ah, of course. Silly me, I have forgotten because it has been quite so long... sister."
The way she spoke felt very artificial. She never breathed in between her words.
She doesn't even seem to breathe at all unless you pay attention to it. Then her chest would rise and fall just as your suspicions were being raised, but it was all too perfectly timed.
She poured ale on her own goblet and drank. But her throat did not even seem to move when she gulped.
It's like she was just pouring the ale inside her hollow body, just as hollow as the goblet.
'Princes Fethinoper' smiled at her and said. "You have quite lovely skin, sister. Positively glowing….. Full of life…. And your face is so animated. It is quite envious."
Even its compliments were abnormal. Princess Minerva could not take it anymore and excused herself.
And the worst part was that she had to go through it three more times as she visited her other sisters the following months.
She tried bringing it up to her parents when they were away from the castles and sailing through their fancy boat with an owl on the headpost. "Mother, Father…. Don't you think that Feth is much different now?"
"Is she? Must have adjusted to life in Vissus now. They have a vastly different way of life from ours, dear." Her mother explained.
"But she isn't behaving like how people from Vissus are either. She is—-"
The king chuckled. "Isn't that a relief? Those brutes only know to drink, fight, and act rowdy. It's best if she doesn't act completely like them…."
He went on to complain and forget about his daughter's concern. "Ugh, do you see how dirty Magnate Harald's face was with that thick bush on his face? He should shave it off or trim it at least….."
Princess Minerva felt paranoid because of this, distrusting every person she saw. Looking into their eyes to make sure it's not those glassy ones that her 'sisters' had.
She doesn't know what to do at all. When she went back to Sagacitur, she sought the library for a solution.
Then she found about the Bow of Erudition, which was said to be just as powerful as the sword blessed by Amore in vanquishing Phobodemons.
Since she was not a Retaliator, she thought that it was her only chance to fight against these creatures without asking for help from anyone. Regular weapons would not be as effective and would be too dangerous.
She had to steal it.
But whenever she saw the image of that imposter again…. With its slightly crooked features, poreless skin, and glassy eyes….
She could almost feel the fear creeping like worms into her skin, trying to replace her too.
"Stop... Too much...."
The Clonophobia was starting to manifest, as Princess Minerva could see a silhouette forming on the side, right beside Pavor.
It seemed to be a drawing of her, flat and two-dimensional. But the eyes were always glassy and hyper-realistic, always watching her but impossible to guess what it was thinking.
"Ahhh... It's coming….. C-Closer….."
Pavor could not hear her at all because her voice was too weak. He focused on consuming her trauma and fears.
But then—
Crash!
"Y-Your Highness!?"
The sound of crashing glass and that loud yelp snapped him out of it. The voice itself even cracked worse than the glass.
He looked up, and it was Tudo. A vial that seemed to be some kind of healing potion was on the ground, the contents spilling out from the crack.
"I-I'm so sorry for ruining your intimate moment! I shall take my leave at once!"
He left in a hurry and slammed the door shut!
Pavor: "..."
He immediately shouted:
"It's not what you think at all, idiot!"