Nightmare

"You're too trusting," [He] said suddenly, shaking Callisto out of the stupor of relaxation she was in.

They were sprawled across the couch, having a nice day in after weeks of grueling work.

Callisto propped her chin up against his chest, looking at [His] face as he continued to check his phone, like he didn't say the most ominous thing ever.

"Explain." His eyes flicked down to hers, smiling as he put his phone down. [He] pushed his torso up and against the armrest, shifting his weight so that Callisto could comfortably rest her head in the crook of his neck.

"Putting aside the countless scams you fall for, the fact that had let me crash after I got black-out drunk, despite the fact that I was a random stranger, says so much about your naivety-"

"Shouldn't you be glad that I didn't let you pass out in an alleyway?" He wrapped his hands around the dip of her back and give her a gentle pinch, eliciting a yelp from her. Callisto smacked the back of his head not-so-gently in response.

"Do you know how dangerous it is for a pretty girl to be inviting random drunk men into her home?"

"Well, it worked out didn't it?"

"That's not the point."

"Well, it's not like it'll happen again."

"But it shouldn't have happened in the first place."

"That's why you're here."

"Damn, is this how you feel all the time?" He threw his head back over the armrest in frustration, but Callisto's muffled snickers slowly made him laugh as well.

After a while, [He] pulled her head away from his body, gripping her shoulders and looking into her eyes with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

"How are you going to function when I'm gone?"

"Your business trips only last around a month each. I'll be fine."

"No, as in, what if I die? What are you going to do?"

"If you die?" Callisto's voice barely reached a whisper, her eyes wide, as if it was a sudden realization.

"No one knows when they die, darling." His voice was soft, with thick mirth in his voice to hide the traces of worry intertwined.

'He's never this serious. Did something happen?' A brief panic washed over her, imagining going back to the lonely, empty life she lived before meeting [Him].

"I don't think I could be without you, [ ]."

"Well then, what would you do?"

The voice that came out of her in response didn't seem like her own, yet the resolve behind it was very much so.

"I'd destroy everything."

He smiled broadly.

"Good."

------

Callisto woke up just three hours later to the sound of things beings packed and people moving around. Getting up from bed and moving the drapes, she saw several maids doing exactly what she had heard.

"What's going on?"

"Lady Callisto, the lord says that you will be leaving for the capital posthaste. The prince has graciously offered to take the lady back with him to the capital in his royal stagecoach."

The prince himself offered? There was no way.

"Did the duke say why I must go to the capital now?"

"He said to talk to him personally, milady."

After getting dressed by maids, Callisto once again found herself walking towards the duke's office. At least this time, the dress didn't feel so heavy.

The constitution of this body has definitely increased thanks to Callisto's daily training. Though her polearm mastery was still lackluster compared to the other main characters of the world, combined with magic prowess, she made quite a threat.

Servants milled around preparing for their nobles to leave, and she saw some of the royal guards waiting outside on horseback through the windows of the manor.

Before she was about to knock on the large wooden door to the duke's office, it opened up without warning, and she came face to face with Nox and Ethyl. This is not how she wanted her day to start.

"Isn't she supposed to be under investigation?" Callisto gestured at the green-haired girl, ignoring the fact that the aforementioned person was right in front of her.

"She has a name." Nox hissed at her, a protective arm guarding Ethyl against Callisto.

Has this man become a fool or what? If you have an obsessive fiance, the last thing you should be doing is showing off a new lover, right?

"Callisto, just come in. We need to talk." She brushed by the couple and closed the door behind her, sighing heavily as she stood in front of Cordelia's father.

This was not good. The more Ethyl had time with the male leads, the stronger they could become. So far, all she's accomplished is speeding up the storyline and covering up Cordelia's dark history.

"What's wrong? Why do you look so upset?"

"It's nothing, Duke Azel. Could you explain to me the rush to the capital?"

"Oh, yes," The duke handed her a letter, the wax stamp engraved in the shape of a large halo behind a golden eagle. The sigil of the royal family.

"It's the official invitation to the capital debutante. The other upper nobility received there's almost a month ago, but because of your…circumstances, I didn't wish for you to go until I believed you were mature enough."

Callisto ripped open the letter, ignoring the grunt of displeasure coming from the old man as she scanned through the letter.

"The ball's in two weeks. That's not nearly enough time to get a dress prepared."

"You'll have to figure something out."

'How helpful.'

"Also, regarding that girl," The duke's voice dropped in volume as if he was concerned that someone would overhear them.

"There's reason to believe that she's the next saintess of Lux."

"Don't tell me she'll be coming to the capital as well."

"Why wouldn't she? The church needs to verify the legitimacy of the claim."

"It doesn't explain how she managed to sneak into the ball."

"Well, now she has church immunity. It's best for you to move on and get on her good side, especially if she ends up being the saintess."

Great. Now everyone knew. At this rate, she'll be dead within the week.

"I'll take my leave now, duke." As Callisto turned to leave, he called out to her.

"Whatever happened to father?"

She looked back at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"You never call me father anymore."

What does he want her to say? As if she didn't have more problems to deal with, now 'family issues' was tacked onto that list.

"I find no reason to. I'll be off now."

Callisto didn't bother waiting for a response, too preoccupied with her other matters. She went back into the hustle of the manor, stacks of luggage in the foyer as servants rushed around to get everything done in time.

And in a flurry of work and movement, Callisto found herself awkwardly standing in front of the royal carriage next to Nox and Ethyl.

It was a stand-off between her and Ethyl, but outside of the slight it would be to make Callisto sit somewhere else, it wasn't like she wanted to sit with a man who so clearly did not like her presence.

"Lady Ethyl, your carriage is this way." A familiar pink-haired man approached the girl, and Callisto coughed to cover up her shock.

Who invited Drakven and made him the decision-maker? Ethyl went along without complaint as well, something that Callisto took note of.

She may have read Ethyl incorrectly upon their first meeting since she appeared much less unreasonable now. Nox also didn't make an issue out of the assigned seating, though it could simply be a facade with so many eyes watching.

Callisto boarded the exquisite stagecoach with the prince, settling for a long journey. With the sound of a snapping whip, the royal caravan set off for the capital.

None of the Azel family saw to Callisto's departure, and all she had for a farewell was a signed letter by Blake Azel to allow access to the royal library. Only took about six months.

Apart from the outside noises and occasional road bumps knocking around the carriage, there was an unpleasant silence within the small enclosure that she was trapped in. Nox had his arms folded, eyes closed, but on occasion, she could feel his eyes trained on her like he was trying to dissect her.

After hours of looking at the scenery, Callisto decided she would try to initiate a conversation.

"Is there something you want to ask me?"

She saw his eyes turn a dark, steely grey as they continued to train on her, before he turned to look out at the rolling hills as well.

"Your eyes…" He began, and Callisto instinctively felt a rush of anxiety and apprehension go through her. Six months in a new body couldn't erase the years of people staring at her eyes, looking at her like a zoo exhibition.

"What about my eyes?" She said, a little bit on edge. Her tone of voice made Nox adjust his posture, now leaning forward with his hands folded between his legs.

It was a position that made him look like he was interrogating her, something she didn't like a single bit.

She folded her hands across her lap, summoning the faintest magical aura around her gloves as a threat to the crown prince.

"Do you notice that your eyes change shape sometime?"

Callisto's heart stopped. Her eyes...changing shape?