Chapter 106 – Revenge

Matt could take back control whenever he wanted.

That hadn't changed.

Years ago he had done the same thing with Iris.

When she controlled his body, Matt could push her back into the mental world if he concentrated hard enough.

He could do it now too.

He could feel it.

His body was still his.

The girl was simply using it because Matt hadn't decided to take it back yet.

And he had a reason.

Clapton was still biting Lucrecia's leg. The smaller creatures had stopped around her.

Matt was watching them from the floating window.

“Should I devour that princess?”

The question stopped mattering to him for a few seconds.

Matt went on looking at the creatures.

A miniature version of his own body. White hair, red dress, and enough strength to face Lucrecia head-on.

And the worst part was the ability to create weapons out of mana.

The other copies, on the other hand…

Matt didn't even know how many she had made.

'How…?' Matt thought.

Noxx and he had been separated for less than two days.

Two.

The girl who was now using his body shouldn't have any experience.

She shouldn't know how to control a physical body properly.

Iris had needed time for that. Noxx a little less, thanks to her own effort.

But the first movements of both of them had always been strange.

Walking.

Keeping her balance.

Calculating force correctly.

Moving fingers she hadn't had before.

That learning had existed.

Not with this one.

She had appeared.

She had taken his body.

She had pushed Lucrecia away.

She had kicked her.

And then she had created those things.

Matt looked at Clapton.

The little one was still holding her sword.

'Even her copies know how to create weapons,' Matt thought, worried.

She was a tiny copy just formed out of blood, and she had generated a mana sword as if it were nothing.

Matt brought his attention back to the girl.

When had she learned all of this?

Had she been staying hidden?

Had she been watching?

But since when?

Noxx had barely left.

Matt hadn't even had enough time to get used to being alone inside his own head again.

And now he already had another person in there.

Worse.

A person who seemed fairly comfortable.

Too comfortable.

Matt took a breath.

“Leave her.”

The girl went on looking at Lucrecia from outside.

'Huh?' the girl thought.

“You won.”

Matt kept his tone firm.

“Leave Lucrecia alone.”

The body opened its mouth.

"But Pa…"

“Don't talk out loud!”

The girl stopped.

Lucrecia raised her head a little.

Matt continued from the mental world.

“If you're controlling my body, learn to answer me with your thoughts.”

The girl looked off to one side.

'Why?' the girl thought.

“I don't want the whole castle finding out I've got another person stuck in my head.”

'Ah,' the girl thought.

She seemed to understand.

She cleared her throat, though there was no need.

'Well…' the girl thought.

Matt waited.

'I'll do it. There's no need to get so annoyed, Papa,' the girl thought, sadly.

Matt closed his eyes.

“Don't call me that.”

The girl looked at Lucrecia. Her expression lost part of its cheer.

'I don't like her,' the girl thought, annoyed.

“You've known her for ten minutes.”

'She touched your body,' the girl thought.

Matt remembered Lucrecia poking his forehead while he was inside the mental world.

“You don't need to try to eat her over that.”

The girl made a small face.

'Well…' the girl thought.

Matt pointed at the creatures from inside.

“And put that away.”

'Clapton?' the girl thought.

“All of it.”

The girl raised her hand.

"Clapton."

The small version of Matt let go of Lucrecia's leg. The insect-sized creatures left her arms and her neck as well.

Clapton looked at the girl and she held out her hand. The tiny body lost its shape.

Blood.

The other creatures did the same.

All the blood gathered around Matt's hand and slowly returned to his body.

Lucrecia let her head drop against the floor.

"What an unpleasant experience."

The girl looked down at her.

Lucrecia's wounds were still closing, more slowly now.

"What did you do?"

The girl took a step toward her and the leg gave slightly. Matt noticed, but she corrected her posture immediately.

“Ah.”

So she wasn't perfect.

She was simply hiding it.

That made more sense.

The girl crouched down beside Lucrecia carefully.

"Keep going."

Lucrecia raised an eyebrow.

"With what?"

"What you were saying."

"Now you're curious?"

The girl didn't answer.

Lucrecia let out a small laugh.

"A few minutes ago you were eating cookies and pretending you weren't interested."

"Talk."

Lucrecia watched her.

"What a change."

The girl raised a hand.

Matt stepped in.

“No.”

She lowered the hand.

Lucrecia seemed amused.

"All right."

She propped herself up on her elbows.

"Yes. Conversion and reproduction are the only known methods."

The girl tilted her head.

"There isn't another one?"

"Not that I know of." Lucrecia pointed at Matt. "But after what I saw today, I think I should be the one asking you."

The girl didn't answer.

"First Iris." Lucrecia raised a finger. "Then that new sister of yours."

Another finger.

"And now…"

She looked at Matt's body.

"Whatever just happened."

The girl smiled.

"That's none of your business."

Lucrecia laughed.

"I knew you'd say that."

She tried to sit up.

She couldn't.

Lucrecia went back down to the floor.

"But I'm going to give you a piece of advice."

The girl looked at her with obvious annoyance.

Lucrecia continued.

"The fact that there are now two princesses who look like you already has half the continent wondering what you did."

Matt paid attention.

"Other kingdoms are going to investigate."

The girl didn't change position.

"Let them."

"You can say that here."

Lucrecia looked around.

"You're inside Elyra's castle."

Lucrecia smiled.

"Nobody's going to touch you here."

The girl lowered her eyes toward her a little.

"But if you leave…"

Matt already knew where this was going.

Lucrecia continued.

"I hope you aren't planning on having a third…"

The girl sat down on her stomach.

"Ugh!"

The air went out of Lucrecia.

"What are you doing?"

The girl settled her legs.

"Revenge."

"For what?"

The girl extended a nail and Lucrecia's eyes went wide.

"Wait."

The girl scratched her forehead.

"Ah!"

Lucrecia tried to push her off, but couldn't move her. She was still too weak.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

The girl drew the nail across again.

"That's what you did."

"Because you went still in the middle of the duel!"

Another scratch.

"Ah!"

"You poked me a lot of times."

"I was checking whether you were alive!"

"Well, I was alive."

"I noticed!"

Matt watched the scene.

“Enough.”

The girl made a face.

'But…' the girl thought.

“Now.”

She stopped scratching her.

Lucrecia tried to shove her off again.

Nothing.

The girl crossed her arms.

"Papa is such a whiner…"

Lucrecia stopped shoving.

"What did you say?"

The girl looked at her.

So did Matt.

Lucrecia narrowed her eyes.

"Did you say father?"

The girl opened her mouth.

Matt took back control.

The change was immediate. His back straightened. The playful expression disappeared. Matt looked at Lucrecia underneath him.

"Don't go imagining things."

Lucrecia said nothing.

Matt stood up and she was left lying on the floor again.

Matt walked toward the door.

"You're leaving already?"

"Yes."

Matt kept going. Lucrecia raised a hand.

"That was fun."

Matt reached the door.

"I want a rematch."

He didn't answer.

"We're still tied."

Matt opened it.

"One win for you and one for me."

Matt went out.

"And I brought honey!"

He kept walking.

"A maid put it away for you!"

Nothing.

"At least try it!"

Matt closed the door.

The voice appeared inside his head immediately.

“Papa, why are you annoyed?”

Matt walked down the corridor.

'Shut up,' Matt thought.

Two maids passed him.

"Good afternoon, Princess."

Matt kept going.

Another maid appeared from a side corridor.

Matt stopped.

"I need the visiting room cleaned."

The maid inclined her head.

"Did something happen?"

"A small duel."

The woman looked at the blood on his clothes. Then toward the corridor he had come from.

"Understood."

"Some furniture will need repairing too."

"I'll see to it."

"Thank you."

Matt kept walking.

◇◆◇

Noxx wasn't in the room.

Matt remembered she had said something about walking around the castle.

Perfect.

He needed to be alone.

Matt closed the door and sat down on the bed.

“Papa, you don't have to come in so fast…”

Matt went still.

“I'm behaving…”

Matt was about to answer.

Then another voice appeared.

"Mmm…"

Aurora.

Matt lifted his head.

'Aurora?' Matt thought.

"Ah…"

The voice came out lower.

"Don't touch there!"

Matt closed his eyes.

The other girl laughed.

“But a while ago you wanted to know what I was going to do to you.”

"That doesn't mean you can touch me wherever you want!"

Matt took a breath.

He wanted to say a lot of things.

He said none of them.

The girl could hear his thoughts.

He had to remember that.

Matt lay back on the bed and looked at the ceiling.

He couldn't think freely.

He couldn't be alone.

And he didn't even know how long that girl had been inside his head listening to him.

Matt closed his eyes.

No.

Better not to think about that now.

Because if he had understood the situation correctly…

He was going to have to live with somebody inside his mind again.

Someone possibly more of a nuisance than Noxx.

And, from what he had just seen…

Someone probably more dangerous than Iris.