Chapter 67 – An Order.

Noxx opened her eyes inside the mental world.

At first, she did not move.

She simply stayed still, feeling her consciousness finish settling into that place she already knew far too well.

Noxx took a deep breath. Then she looked around.

She was not in the bar.

This time, she appeared in a spacious room, though it was a little dark. The walls were smooth, painted in a dull color, and heavy curtains covered the windows.

There was a large bed in one corner. And in front of it, taking up almost the entire center of the room, there was a huge, roomy couch, the kind where several people could sit without touching each other if they wanted.

Matt was sitting there on the couch with his eyes closed, and Aurora was beside him.

The blonde had her head resting against his shoulder, also with her eyes closed. Her hair fell over part of Matt’s arm, and one of her hands rested on her own stomach.

Noxx stayed there, staring at them.

Aurora was asleep. That much was obvious. But what was not so obvious was why she was asleep like that, leaning against Matt, so close to him.

And the strangest part was that Matt had not pushed her away. He did not have that look of extreme annoyance he usually made when someone got too close.

Actually, he looked calm. Tired, yes, but calm.

Noxx swallowed.

'What happened here...?'

Her first reaction was to step back.

Not because she was scared.

Not exactly.

It was more because the scene felt too private. And Noxx did not know where she was supposed to place herself inside something like that.

She looked at the bed.

She could go there.

She could lie down.

She could close her eyes and pretend she had not seen anything.

Maybe that would be the easiest thing to do.

Yes.

That was better.

Noxx took half a step toward the bed.

Then Matt spoke without opening his eyes.

"Hi, Noxx."

Noxx stopped immediately.

Her body went rigid.

"Ah..."

She did not know why she felt caught.

She had not done anything wrong.

She had simply appeared in the mental world, seen a strange scene, and considered discreetly running away.

That was reasonable.

Very reasonable.

But even so, she felt caught.

Noxx swallowed and answered carefully:

"Hi, Matt."

Matt slowly opened his eyes.

He did not move much, perhaps so he would not wake Aurora. His gaze settled on Noxx calmly.

Too calmly.

That was strange too.

Noxx felt the silence stretch longer than necessary, so she ended up speaking first.

"Wow..."

Matt barely raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Noxx looked at Aurora.

Then she looked at Matt. Then she looked at Aurora again.

"I didn’t expect you to get so close to that girl this fast."

Matt lowered his gaze toward the sleeping blonde.

Aurora was breathing peacefully, completely leaned against him.

Matt took a second before answering.

"Her name is Aurora."

Noxx blinked.

"What?"

"Aurora."

Noxx opened her eyes a little wider.

For a moment, the sentence did not properly enter her head. Then she looked at the blonde, then at Matt.

"You gave her that name?"

"Yes."

Noxx fell silent.

She did not know what to say.

That was...

That was important.

Matt had given the blonde a name. That chaotic, loud, intense, jealous ego-weapon that was far too attached to him.

Noxx looked at Aurora again.

The blonde was sleeping with a peaceful expression Noxx had almost never seen on her before.

She did not look nervous.

She did not look desperate for attention.

She did not look ready to jump on top of Matt if he talked to another weapon.

She was just sleeping.

"How long has she been asleep?" Noxx asked.

Matt looked to the side, as if trying to calculate it.

"About two hours."

"Two hours?"

"Or more."

Noxx frowned.

"Or more?"

Matt let out a low sigh.

"I can’t answer properly. I fell asleep with her too."

Noxx stayed still. Then her gaze lowered a little.

Only then did she notice another detail.

Aurora was dressed.

She was wearing a simple black sweater that was a bit too big for her, and comfortable black sweatpants. The clothes covered her body properly, and for the first time since Noxx had known her, she looked like a person who had accepted wearing clothes.

Noxx let out a small laugh.

Matt looked at her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"That doesn’t sound like nothing."

Noxx carefully pointed at Aurora, trying not to move too much.

"I was just wondering how you finally convinced her to get dressed."

Matt looked at her for a few seconds. Then he answered naturally:

"I had to dress her."

Noxx froze.

The sentence entered her head.

Then it passed through again.

Then it stayed there.

"What?"

Matt did not seem to understand the problem.

"I had to dress her."

Noxx felt heat in her face.

She did not know why.

Well.

She did know why.

But she did not want to know.

"You really did that?"

Matt looked at her with a tired expression.

"Yes."

Noxx opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Then opened it again.

"You... dressed her?"

"That’s what I just said."

Noxx looked at Aurora.

The blonde was still asleep.

Very asleep.

Too asleep for someone who, at any other moment, would surely be using that information to tease him, cling to Matt even more, or say something that would make everyone in the room want to look away.

Noxx lowered her voice a little.

"And she let you?"

"She asked for it."

"Ah."

Matt sighed.

"Besides, she was covered in marks from what she tried to do with the blood. I wasn’t going to leave her lying there like that."

Noxx kept looking at Aurora.

The blonde seemed fine now.

She saw no bulging veins.

No trembling.

No pain.

Only sleep.

Noxx felt something strange.

Relief.

And also a small discomfort she did not know how to name.

Maybe it was because Matt was being careful with Aurora.

Maybe it was because Aurora could lean on him like that.

Maybe it was because Noxx did not know if she had the right to get close in the same way.

Noxx tightened her fingers.

Then she gathered a little courage and walked toward the couch.

Matt did not say anything.

He only watched her.

Noxx sat on the same couch, but not too close. She left a clear distance between them.

A safe distance.

She settled down slowly so she would not move the couch too much or wake Aurora.

The blonde did not react. She remained asleep, her head resting on Matt’s shoulder.

Noxx exhaled through her nose.

'She really is asleep...'

That was impressive too.

Matt looked toward her.

"You can talk normally. She doesn’t wake up easily."

Noxx lowered her voice anyway.

"I’d rather not risk it."

"Suit yourself."

The silence returned for a few seconds.

Noxx clasped her hands on her lap.

She did not know how to begin.

There were several things she wanted to say.

Too many.

But each one seemed heavier than the last.

In the end, she chose the one that worried her the most.

"Did you see my conversation with Iris?"

Matt did not react much.

"No."

Noxx lifted her gaze.

"No?"

"No."

"Really?"

Matt gestured toward Aurora with a slight movement of his head.

"I was dealing with Aurora’s whims."

Noxx looked at the sleeping blonde.

Then at Matt.

"Whims?"

"She asked for a name, asked me to repeat it a bunch of times. I had to dress her, and then she almost fell asleep on top of me."

Noxx blinked.

"That sounds..."

"Exhausting."

Noxx let out a quiet laugh, but it faded quickly.

Worry returned to her face, and Matt noticed.

"What happened with Iris?"

Noxx tensed.

She had not expected him to ask so directly, even though it made sense.

Noxx swallowed.

"I don’t know if I acted right."

Matt did not say anything.

Noxx lowered her gaze toward her hands.

"I think I acted wrong..."

"Wrong how?"

"I don’t know." Noxx tightened her fingers. "Maybe I was too quiet. Or too stiff. Or maybe I didn’t answer with enough contempt. Or maybe I answered the wrong way. I felt like Iris was looking at me strangely..."

"That’s normal."

"No..."

Matt watched her in silence.

Noxx felt her chest tighten a little.

"If the queen finds me out..."

The sentence remained unfinished.

There was no need to finish it.

They both knew what it meant.

If Elyra discovered that it was not Matt controlling the body, but Noxx, the entire plan could fall apart.

Or worse.

The queen could attack Noxx directly.

She could seal her.

She could kill her.

She could use Matt’s blood to do something worse than killing her.

Noxx was not sure.

And that scared her even more.

"If the queen finds me out," she repeated in a lower voice, "then..."

"We’ll figure out what to do."

Noxx lifted her head sharply.

Matt was still calm.

He did not sound furious.

He did not sound disappointed.

He did not even sound particularly shaken.

That threw her off.

"We’ll figure out what to do?"

"Yes."

Noxx stared at him.

"That’s it?"

"For now."

"Matt."

"What?"

"I’m telling you I might have ruined everything."

"I didn’t say it wasn’t serious."

"But you’re calm."

"I’m trying to be."

Noxx opened her mouth a little, confused.

"How can you stay calm about this?"

Matt did not answer.

Noxx felt the words start coming out faster.

"If I really mess this up outside, your chance of escaping could become zero. The queen could tighten the surveillance. Iris could become even more suspicious. The others could notice something isn’t right. Even Aurora and I could end up trapped inside the body with no way to help you."

Matt interrupted her.

"I’m not going to escape."

Noxx went still.

The room fell silent.

Even the sound of Aurora’s breathing seemed too clear.

Noxx looked at Matt as if she had misheard him.

"What?"

Matt held her gaze.

"I’m not going to escape."

Noxx took a few seconds to answer. When she did, her voice came out lower.

"Did you really give up?"

Matt looked away slightly.

"I wouldn’t put it that way."

"But you just said you’re not going to escape."

"Because escaping doesn’t solve the problem."

Noxx said nothing.

Matt looked forward, his back resting against the couch, with Aurora still asleep on his shoulder.

"Something I discussed with Aurora is that maybe gaining influence here isn’t such a bad idea."

Noxx frowned.

"Gaining influence?"

"Or replacing the queen."

Noxx felt her body go cold.

Matt said it far too calmly.

Too calmly.

Not as if he was making an impulsive threat.

Not as if it were a line born from anger.

He said it as if he had already thought about it several times.

"Matt..."

"I didn’t say it would be easy."

"That’s not what worries me."

"I know."

Matt lowered his gaze toward his hands.

"But as long as the queen is the one in charge, my family can always be used against me. If I escape, they’ll chase me. If I go back to my mother, I put her in danger. If I try to pretend I don’t care, the queen won’t believe me. And even if the queen disappeared, the clans, Iris, the traitors, and any enemy who knows I have human ties could use that later."

Noxx swallowed.

Matt continued in a calm voice.

"If I have power here, I can protect them better."

"But..."

"And maybe I could visit them occasionally."

Noxx looked at him.

Matt did not seem happy with the idea.

That was what confused her the most.

He did not look excited.

He did not look like he wanted to rule.

He did not look like he enjoyed the plan.

He simply looked like he was accepting that it was a logical option.

"While they keep living their lives," Matt said, "and I keep living mine."

Noxx felt a strange discomfort in her chest.

"I thought you wanted to go back and live with your mother."

Matt let out a low laugh.

"I’m not a kid."

Noxx did not answer.

Matt turned his head slightly toward her.

"I’m pretty old for that."

"But she..."

"My mother can live her life. My sister too. I wanted to go back because it was my home, because it was the only normal thing I had left. I clung to that idea for a long time."

Matt paused, and his fingers closed slightly.

"But at this point, the best thing is for me to live on my own."

Noxx lowered her gaze.

"And for them to live on their own..."

"Yes."

Noxx pressed her lips together.

The graduation.

Matt’s sister.

The promise.

The idea entered her head before she could stop it.

"But your sister’s graduation..."

Matt interrupted her.

"What do you want to do in the future?"

Noxx went completely still.

The question made no sense at first.

Not because she did not understand the words.

She did.

But they did not fit with the rest of the conversation.

They did not fit with the plan.

They did not fit with Matt.

Noxx lifted her gaze.

"What?"

Matt watched her calmly.

"What do you want to do?"

Noxx blinked.

"Are you joking?"

"No."

"Matt."

"I’m serious."

Noxx could not answer.

Matt continued:

"You, Aurora, and the pistols outside have helped me a lot."

Noxx felt something in her throat close up.

"That’s..."

"So you can tell me what you want to do."

Matt spoke without harshness.

Without pressure.

And that made it much worse.

"If I can help you with whatever you want to do, I will."

Noxx stayed there, staring at Matt.

She did not know what expression she had.

But from the way he looked at her, it probably was not a good one.

She lowered her gaze toward her hands.

'What do I want to do?'

The question was absurd.

Stupid.

Unfair.

She was not the one who was supposed to answer that.

She was the one who helped Matt.

That was the structure.

Matt decided.

Matt ordered.

Matt pushed.

Matt made mistakes.

Matt kept going.

She helped him.

She endured.

She learned.

She tried not to fail.

That was her place.

It was not right for him to ask her that.

It was not right for the dynamic to suddenly flip like that.

'I wanted to help him...'

That thought appeared strongly.

'Is he really asking me what I want?'

Noxx felt cold sweat on her forehead.

That was ridiculous.

They were in the mental world.

She should not be sweating.

But she felt it anyway.

Matt watched her for a few more seconds.

Then he spoke calmly:

"You can take your time to think about it."

Noxx snapped back to her senses at once.

"You can’t tell me that."

Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Noxx looked at him with a mix of nerves and irritation.

"Because a decision like that takes time to think about."

Matt watched her.

Then he let out a small laugh.

Noxx tensed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"I’m not making fun of you."

"It sounds like you’re making fun of me."

"A little."

"Matt."

"But not of you."

Noxx looked at him suspiciously.

Matt took a deep breath.

"If you feel pressured, you can take your time. I’ll wait."

Noxx opened her eyes.

"No."

Matt looked at her.

"No?"

"No."

"What’s the problem now?"

Noxx leaned forward a little.

"Then what are you all going to do while I think about that stupid thing?"

"You’ll keep going outside."

Noxx went still.

Matt continued:

"You’ll have to keep interacting with the queen and Iris."

Noxx tightened her fingers over her legs.

"Until when?"

"For as long as you need to make the decision."

Noxx looked at him in silence. Then she spoke in a tenser voice.

"And what happens if it takes me years?"

Matt looked at her.

"Years?"

"Yes."

"I doubt it’ll take you that long to think of an answer."

"And what if it does?"

Matt took a second before answering. Then he barely smiled.

"Then I’d probably wait."

Noxx felt something inside her stir.

It was not relief.

It was not happiness.

It was rejection.

An immediate, strong rejection that was hard to explain.

"No."

Matt blinked.

"You can’t give me that answer."

"Why?"

"Because you’re..."

Noxx stopped.

The words tangled in her throat.

Not because she did not know what she wanted to say.

She knew.

But saying it out loud sounded wrong.

It sounded too clear.

Matt waited.

Noxx clenched her teeth.

"You’re the one in charge!"

Aurora did not move.

Matt did.

But only to raise a finger in front of his lips.

"Lower your voice a little. Aurora is sleeping."

Noxx froze. Then she looked at Aurora.

Sure enough, the blonde was still deeply asleep, leaning against Matt’s shoulder, unaware of anything.

Noxx felt immediate embarrassment.

"Sorry."

Matt lowered his hand.

"It’s fine."

Noxx looked at Aurora in disbelief.

'How is she still asleep?'

The blonde did not even frown.

Nothing.

She was completely surrendered to sleep, as if the mental world had decided to give her permission to disconnect from everything.

Noxx looked back at Matt.

"That doesn’t change what I said."

"I know."

"You should give orders."

Matt watched her.

"I’m giving you an option."

"That’s what’s wrong."

Matt did not answer.

Noxx clenched her hands on her lap.

"You should impose your will."

Matt raised an eyebrow.

"That sounds horrible."

"I don’t mean you should be cruel!"

Noxx raised her voice again.

Aurora remained asleep.

Noxx immediately lowered her volume.

"Sorry."

Matt said nothing.

Noxx took a deep breath.

"I don’t mean that."

"Then explain yourself."

Noxx stayed silent for a few seconds, searching for the right way to say it.

But there was no right way.

That was the frustrating part.

"If the queen hits you, you hit back."

Matt nodded.

"Yes."

"If someone here humiliates you, you hit back."

"Depends."

"Matt."

"Fine. I probably hit back."

"If Iris annoys you, you annoy her back."

"That’s a law of nature."

Noxx stared at him.

"But I don’t mean that."

Matt stayed quiet.

Noxx swallowed.

"I mean you should be more like before!"

The sentence came out louder than she wanted.

Noxx realized it too late.

Her eyes immediately moved toward Aurora.

The blonde was still asleep.

Noxx lowered her head.

"Sorry for raising my voice..."

Matt did not answer.

Noxx carefully lifted her gaze.

Matt was silent.

But he did not look bothered by the volume.

He looked thoughtful.

That made her more nervous.

Much more.

Matt looked forward, without focusing on anything in particular.

Noxx did not know what he was thinking.

But Matt did.

He was thinking about Noxx.

And about Iris.

About how different they were.

Iris and Noxx were opposites in an absurd way.

Iris was lazy, proud, and selfish. She did not obey orders if she did not want to. She did not accept advice. If Matt told her to do something, Iris could do the opposite just because.

Iris did not want Matt to command.

She wanted Matt to give in.

To accept his place.

To surrender to her, to Elyra, to the castle, and to that horrible word everyone repeated with sickening ease.

Princess.

Noxx, on the other hand...

Noxx was almost the complete opposite. She had been born inside Matt’s body. She had learned from him. She had received orders. She had been trained with a harshness Matt now could not look at without feeling guilty.

And yet, that obedience was still there.

Not a peaceful obedience.

Not a healthy obedience.

But it was there.

Even now, after failing so many times, after falling into that depressed attitude, after feeling like she was not useful enough, Noxx was still looking for Matt to tell her what to do.

For him to mark the path.

For him to decide.

For him to command.

And that was...

Worrying.

Matt lowered his gaze toward his hands.

'Great.'

He could not go back to being like before.

Not after what he understood.

Not after seeing Noxx broken because of the way he treated her.

Not after seeing Aurora trembling on the floor and still giving him a thumbs-up so she could keep hurting herself for him.

He could not keep pretending all of that was normal.

But he also could not ignore what Noxx needed.

Noxx was not asking for freedom.

Not yet.

It terrified her.

Matt could see it.

Freedom, for someone like her, did not sound like a gift.

Matt slowly let out a breath.

Noxx was still looking at him, nervous.

"Matt..."

He lifted his gaze.

"If you want an order from me..."

Noxx straightened a little.

Her expression changed immediately.

Attention.

Tension.

Expectation.

Matt looked at her with a calm that did not feel easy.

Then he spoke.

"My order is..."

THE 4-CHAPTER-A-DAY MARATHON WILL CONTINUE UNTIL WE REACH CHAPTER 90 ON PATREON!

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Yesss! The 4-chapter-a-day marathon on Patreon will continue for the next few days, until we finally reach Chapter 90~!

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And over here, I’ll also continue posting 2 chapters a day until the Patreon marathon is over.

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I really hope you enjoy all the upcoming chapters!

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