Back to Charlie…

  I walked toward the elevator in my penthouse, stretching my arms over my head in a long, luxurious yawn that cracked every vertebra in my spine.

  “Honestly,” I muttered to no one, “being a queen is so exhausting.” Another yawn tore out of me, even bigger. I grinned at myself. “Pushed all that temple nonsense to… well—other people. Good delegation. I deserve snacks.”

  One of the best perks of having a single merged body now? Meditation worked in both realms. One session per day. One calm-down timer. A faint, imaginary image of my mom’s disapproving face flashed across my mind like a ghost-debuff.

  I shuddered.

  Fine. Two meditations. For safety. For health. For avoiding mother-shaped trauma.

  With that settled, I stepped into my company’s corporate cafeteria.

  The room was quietly bustling; office workers hunched over bowls, holo-screens above tables, the comforting hum of coffee machines battling the clatter of forks. It smelled of cinnamon, curry, and I stared down on everyone from the posters.

  I was getting used to it; it wasn’t that—

  Bad thought! No!

  At the far end, in the bright corner that still had a view of the outside, I spotted Lunaris. She sat hunched over a plate, smiling nervously as NightSwallow loomed beside her like an emotional support shadow. Lunaris was looking entirely too innocent for someone I absolutely needed to scold.

  A few tables behind them were Yuki, Phèdre and Tramar. Was she already starting the quest? Whoa, she was fast.

  I made a beeline for the snack bar, but my brain was already rehearsing the lecture.

  How does one scold Lunaris? Is there a manual? A protocol? A “Handling Your Overexcited Future Best Swords-woman for Dummies” handbook?

  Why did I not have one?!

  The lady behind the food counter gave me a warm, toothy smile.

  She was surrounded by trays, soups, pastries, glass jars of sweets, and one stainless-steel box emitting suspicious fog.

  “What would you like, Lady?” she asked.

  I blinked. “Uh… what’s the most popular thing?”

  Her smile turned mysterious. “Ah. The favorite.”

  She reached beneath the counter and produced something that looked… brown. Like a pancake. A nicely browned pancake. Except it moved. Slightly. Like a gelatin creature trying very hard to pretend to be normal food.

  She placed it delicately on a blue dish embossed with a tiny silver snowflake. “Queen’s Surprise,” she said proudly.

  I stared at it.

  Then at her.

  Then back at the… sentient?… pastry? “…Queen’s surprise?” I repeated slowly, raising an eyebrow.

  She only smiled wider. “It is made by our secret chef. Most popular item.”

  A secret chef. Poundcake?

  I grinned. “Great. Fantastic. Can’t wait.” I thanked her, picked up my suspiciously wiggly dish, and headed straight toward Lunaris, ready for round one of the “How to Keep My Cute Warrior Disaster Alive” talk.

  The cake wriggled on the plate.

  I slid into the seat beside them, and my eyes immediately caught the disaster on the table:

  At least ten identical blue plates stacked like Lunaris had been trying to drown her feelings in sentient dessert. She sat slumped forward, shoulders small, her usual sparkle dimmed to a flicker.

  The moment she noticed me, her whole body jolted. Her eyes widened, huge, glossy, and she swallowed hard.

  “H-hello Lady…” she whispered.

  NightSwallow gave a tight, disciplined nod, the kind that tried to hide the fact she was clearly worried. “Queen.”

  “Hey, both of you,” I said, settling across from them.

  The silence sat heavy… Luna staring at the table, Swallow half-hovering like she was ready to physically block sadness if needed. My spoon dipped into the “surprise,” which jiggled like it had stage fright.

  I took a bite.

  Soft sweetness… warm… strangely nostalgic… then—

  BAM.

  A flavor explosion so good I nearly moaned. I blinked aggressively to hide it. “So,” I said, clearing my throat, “let’s not beat around the bush.”

  Lunaris nodded nervously, hands twisting in her lap. “I’ll resign tomorrow.”

  “What?!”

  Swallow and I said at the same time.

  “I failed the team—” Lunaris began, voice cracking, but Swallow was faster. She leaned in, cutting her off.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “What about Sir Leafington?”

  I froze and blinked. “…Who?”

  Swallow’s lips twitched. She actually giggled, then immediately sat bolt upright, spine rigid, voice perfectly deadpan. “She loves Sir Leafington like her boyfriend.”

  Lunaris squeaked, face flaming, and punched Swallow’s arm with all the force of a sad kitten. I leaned forward. “No quitting,” I said firmly. “Swallow literally risked her life for you, so nope. Not allowed.”

  Lunaris wilted, staring at her trembling hands.

  “But…” I continued, leveling a look at her, “I expect you to work double as hard to catch up. Overtime. Mandatory training. Whatever Lola assigns for you to have better decision making. Understood?”

  Her breath hitched. “But… I lost my class. My sword, my cape… everything.” Her voice was so soft it barely rose above the cafeteria hum.

  The pain in her eyes hit harder than any boss fight.

  I turned to Swallow, eyebrow raised.

  She shook her head immediately. “I haven’t told her yet, only just arrived… I was helping at the square. Because they needed the princess of— I mean— uh— nevermind.”

  She blushed.

  I blinked at her. Lunaris blinked at both of us. “What… what?” she asked weakly.

  I inhaled and pulled up my inventory mentally. The connection answered and I could feel it. Would it work here?

  Well… you never know until you try.

  I reached into empty air, and the air shimmered.

  The Chronosblade Shard materialized in my palm. At the same moment, a notification flickered in front of my eyes:

  [Attention!]

  You used inventory. This was not intended to smuggle items between realms.

  Please refrain from intentionally bringing items… permanently… to Earth.

  You do not want to lose this privilege.

  The girls didn’t see the warning. They were too busy staring at the shard in my palm. “Swallow risked everything and snagged it from Brian,” I said, holding it out so Lunaris could see it properly. “Sadly, she didn’t get your sword or your cape.”

  NightSwallow’s cheeks immediately flushed, and she looked away, embarrassed, maybe a little proud, and very aware Luna was watching. Then she realized I’d pulled the shard onto Earth. Her head snapped back so fast cute black bow almost slipped.

  “How?” Lunaris asked first, breathless.

  I shrugged and grinned. “Because Juliette is amazing?”

  NightSwallow’s glare could’ve cut stone.

  I winked.

  Lunaris shook her head, confused. “I mean… how did you get it here?!” I closed my hand, letting the shard vanish back into my inventory. It took a lot more mana and focus, like pushing power through syrup, but it worked.

  “I told you I’m real,” I mumbled. “That Rimelion is real. That all of this is real.”

  They both nodded slowly. And honestly? If I were in their place, I would’ve fainted or screamed or demanded a science explanation from Yuki.

  But they took it like champs.

  Lunaris looked so small, so worried, so lost… and suddenly, an idea blossomed in my brain.

  Oh, I can weaponize this. I can force her to train. Last time she said she was tired and watched TokTak.

  Perfect.

  “You,” I said, pointing at Lunaris with my spoon, “need to ask your boyfriend for sword tips.”

  Her ears twitched. “Wh— Ian is… um…”

  “Bad,” NightSwallow said immediately. “Luna is ten times better; he’s just a buffoon.”

  Lunaris gasped and slapped at Swallow’s arm in a tiny, offended flail. Swallow effortlessly leaned out of range, expression smooth, except for the corner of her mouth, which betrayed a smile she absolutely didn’t want seen.

  “No,” I said, waving a hand. “He knows Mister Kai. He can teach you. I think.” I bit my lip and leaned in. “But I need you to train. Really train. He’s probably in some random monastery, being super zen. At least he won’t speak about bread as if it has a deeper meaning.”

  Lunaris stared at her hands. She nodded. Barely. “I… will.”

  “Good,” I said. “Because only then…” I tapped my now empty plate with my spoon. “Only then will I give you another chance with the shard.”

  She looked up at me, and her mouth quivered until the tears came. Big ones. Quiet, trembling, “don’t look at me” tears.

  Oh, Saevrin, damn me. I made her cry. Before I could say anything, Lunaris twisted her chair.

  Then she bowed so low her hair spilled over the chair.

  “Yes, Queen!” she declared, voice fierce in a way that startled half the cafeteria into silence. “I won’t disappoint you again! And I won’t leave the monastery until I’ve completed your task!”

  She then whispered a shaky thank-you to NightSwallow, bowed to me again and rocketed out of the cafeteria on her chair like a critical missile.

  I blinked at the space where she’d been. “…Okay, wow,” I breathed, turning slowly toward NightSwallow. “You know her better. Is this… normal?”

  NightSwallow chuckled under her breath and then shrugged. “You gave her a mission,” she said, like that explained everything. “She won’t stop.”

  I rubbed my temple. “I didn’t mean it literally.”

  Swallow’s shoulders lifted just a fraction. “I know,” she said. “But she doesn’t.”

  I slumped back in my chair, staring at the wiggly remains of the Queen’s Surprise like maybe it had answers.

  “Great,” I sighed.

  Back to Yuki, some time back…

  “Okay,” Yuki murmured, stretching her arms above her head. “Okayokayokay… we get food, we rest, and tomorrow… the dungeon.”

  Tramar rubbed his face. “I need coffee. And an IV drip. And maybe a resurrection spell.”

  Phèdre patted his cheek. “You’ll live, chéri. Probably.”

  They filed into the elevator, descending onto the main cafeteria floor. The moment the doors slid open, warm light and the smell of fresh sweets washed over them.

  Yuki inhaled deeply. “I can’t wait to be in the dungeon. Finally.” The words tumbled out bright and unfiltered, glowing with anticipation.

  They ordered quickly. Rice bowls for Tramar, an elaborate soup for Phèdre, something vegetable-heavy for Yuki, and turned to find seats.

  Yuki’s smile faltered the moment she spotted Lunaris.

  The duelist sat alone at a table near the wall, hunched over, shoulders trembling slightly. Her mismatched eyes were fixed on the untouched food in front of her. No spark. No manic sword-nerd energy.

  Just… quiet.

  Yuki’s feet moved automatically toward her, but Phèdre’s hand closed gently around her arm. “Not now,” the healer murmured, her touch soft. She guided Yuki toward a table a little farther away.

  Yuki stumbled after her, confused. “Why? She’s—she looks—why?”

  Phèdre arched a brow. “You don’t know what happened?”

  “No,” Yuki whispered. “Last thing I saw was her running away alone. Did… did something happen after?”

  They sat down. Tramar sighed and stabbed his rice as if snuffed his fire. Phèdre waited until the noise of the cafeteria wrapped around them. Then she leaned in slightly, voice low. “Lunaris fought Lisa’s classmate. She lost.”

  Yuki’s heart clenched. “Oh…”

  “She lost more than the fight,” Phèdre continued. “She lost her legendary sword. Her class. And her cape with the sock.”

  Yuki’s fingers tightened around her bowl.

  Her mind spun backward, Luna laughing at Katherine tripping, Luna cheering during the search for the sword, Luna proudly wearing her absurd sock-banner.

  She risked another glance.

  Juliette had moved beside Lunaris, awkwardly patting her back, like someone comforting a wounded kitten terrified to lift its head. “Poor Luna…” Yuki whispered. “I should’ve… I don’t know… helped? But she just ran, and then—”

  “You cannot save everyone, mon c?ur,” she whispered.

  Yuki swallowed hard and Queen Charlie had entered.

  Tramar let out a low whistle. “Wow. She looks exactly like in the posters.”

  Yuki snorted. “That’s because she is the poster.”

  They laughed briefly and ate their meal.

  A bit later, Lunaris moved as if lightning had hit her spine, and her chair scraped violently.

  “Yes, Queen!” she cried. “I won’t disappoint you again! And I won’t leave the monastery until I’ve completed your task!”

  Yuki froze.

  Monastery? Task? Had Charlie… sent her?

  Charlie’s expression was impossible to read as Phèdre leaned in, whispering in a tone meant only for their table. “So it’s true. Her reputation. She sent Luna to the monastery for her failure? And Luna agreed?”

  Yuki didn’t know.

  Charlie’s gaze swept the room and landed briefly on Yuki.

  Yuki panicked and waved.

  Charlie’s expression softened, but Yuki turned back to the table, voice barely a breath.

  “We need to succeed.”