"Phew! What a game!"
Meliora leaned back in her chair with a satisfied smile, her gaze sweeping over the group of hooligans who had dared to bind her before. The chessboard in front of her bore the marks of yet another win—her tenth win in a row.
She scoffed, her chin raised with pride.
[Master, you do know that I am the one who helped you with that game, right?] Crucifix reminded her, and Meliora's jaw clenched in anger. Crucifix didn't even let her bask in her countless victories; instead, there he was, stealing her smile. Tch.
The four men raised their heads and caught her gaze. They looked at her with awe and admiration, as if she had just given them fine wine.
"Alright, let's step back!" She ordered, her eyes twitching from being looked at like that. Think about it—they had tied her up, and even after she had said those heartfelt words, they still wanted something more from her.
'Greedy people!' She cursed internally.
The men straightened in their seats, eagerly waiting for a new game, even though time was already ticking. Meliora hadn't realized that Lucie and Rylan were searching for her everywhere.
The sun was already high up, and the birds chirped, signaling morning. But Meliora, with her legs spread, reached for the chess pieces, her fingers moving with practiced speed as she reset the board.
Yet no one knew that the one giving her directions was Crucifix himself, who projected the directions and explanations for her so she could gain an advantage.
[Now say this to them...]
"The key to winning isn't just about making the right moves; it's about anticipating your opponent's strategy and staying two steps ahead." Meliora read out the words from the screen, her eyes dancing with mischief.
The fatty clapped his hands happily, and Meliora chuckled, unable to help herself.
"Now, who wants to try and be my challenger for the next round? Remember, it's all about learning from your mistakes and improving with each game." She asked as she glanced at each one of them.
They all exchanged glances and sighed. The mature one was about to speak when the door swung open. A burly woman in a cotton dress with an apron draped over her walked in, and with her big soup spoon, she hit all four men on the head.
"Woah!" Meliora shifted back in her seat, wary of this woman with rage written all over her face. To Meliora, she looked like one of those characters she wouldn't want to mess with in the game.
[That's Asharte.] Crucifix informed, and Meliora's heart skipped a beat. She tilted her head at the burly woman for a second before her brows bunched into a frown.
'Was she always this scary?' Meliora quietly asked Crucifix in her mind, something she thought would be better since she didn't want children to cry.
[Only to the boys.] Crucifix pointed out, and Meliora rolled her eyes, sticking to observing the men who were trembling under Asharte's scolding. She didn't even notice Meliora behind her until she released a heavy sigh.
The men had scrambled and stood farther away from her. Meliora slowly followed Asharte's movement as she turned and met Meliora's gaze.
Both of them shook in surprise, and within a matter of seconds, Asharte slumped to her knees, her head low in a bow.
"Your Esteemed Princess!" She greeted, her voice sounding softer and weaker than before. At that moment, the tough lady facade with the dangerous soup spoon was gone.
"You can just call me Livia, Nana..." Meliora softly spoke as she grabbed Asharte's arms and slowly lifted her to stand up. She was so glad that the Meliora from before left her memory intact; if not, she would have been in serious trouble.
Asharte raised her head to look at her with unshed tears in her eyes. Meliora didn't know how to handle a crying woman, so she could only behave like the men she saw on TikTok.
"There, there, Nana, why are you crying? You look ugly when you cry!" She pulled Asharte into a hug and patted her on the back. But at that moment, Asharte pulled back, gasping in surprise.
"Do I look that bad?" She turned to the guys, her voice frantic as she covered her face, and they all nodded in unison. Meliora turned and glared at them.
What's with men in this world, being overly honest?
Meliora pressed her lips into a thin line, grabbed Asharte by the arm, and turned her. "I don't have time for this; we have to talk, stat!" She declared as she stared into Asharte's trembling eyes.
"Stat?" Asharte asked in a confused tone, furrowing her brows at Meliora. She wondered if Meliora always had this mysterious glint in her eyes, so she decided to tell the boys to leave.
She turned to them, and they straightened their backs as if ready for a battle...
"Now listen, guys, I will be returning home, so I am leaving the cooking to you." She deadpanned, her voice thicker than what she used when talking to Meliora.
They all nodded. Asharte turned around to face Meliora, a bright beam on her face as she took her by the hand and went for the door.
And as always, Meliora followed like a puppet being dragged.
Asharte's House
"Your cheeks are so soft and smooth; I could pinch them all day," Asharte teased as she squealed, pulling on Meliora's cheek.
Meliora didn't even know what to do but sit there and get abused. That was when a red light flashed before her eyes—an alert light signaling that registration time was approaching.
She slapped Asharte's hands off her cheeks and drew them away so she could squeeze them.
"You need to tell me about this scar on my face!" Meliora demanded, her eyes widening anxiously. The smile on Asharte's face dimmed as she pressed her lips into a thin line.
"You came to me because of this?" She grimly asked, her gaze darkening, confusing Meliora.
[Master, an hour before the registration event.]
"Yes, I came. I need to get this scar off my face, and I need to know how it came about to do that," Meliora explained, and a spark flashed in her eyes.
"But you are powerless to do anything about it," Asharte declared, and Meliora narrowed her eyes.
"Do you notice anything different about me, Nana?" Meliora asked, a cold smile hanging at the corner of her lips.
[56 minutes left, Master.]
"Are you not Livia?" Asharte mused, doubt hanging at the tip of her tongue, but she chose to swallow it down. There was no way it was another person standing in front of her; it was not possible. Yet Asharte knew that this was now Livia.
"It's been a long time since you left the West Palace. It would only make sense if I changed because of the constant bullying in the palace," Meliora lied with a straight face. Asharte gulped, remembering the fact that Meliora hadn't lived her best life.
"I am sorry..." Asharte squeezed out through the lump in her throat, her eyes downcast as if she was about to cry.
"I have a way to remove this scar, but I need to know where it came from. Can you help me?" Meliora demanded as she leaned in and squeezed Asharte's hand.
The latter took a deep breath with her eyes shut. When she opened them again, determination gleamed within.
"However I can be of help, Your Esteemed Princess," Asharte's deep voice coaxed Meliora's heart, and she could not help but smile.
[60 minutes, Master. We have to leave now!]
"Will you dress me up again?" Meliora ignored Crucifix and gave Asharte a warm smile.
And Asharte threw her head back and laughed. "Anything you want, my little firecracker!