II
1505 Words
“So you’re telling me you’re Eleanor Bloomfield. The two of us really died during that ambush, and right now you and I are in the body of fifth imperial princess Eleanor and fourth imperial prince Edmund respectively, the same people from the stories you told me when I was a kid, which is actually not a story but the story of your previous life. We’re currently both twelve and we’re twins.” Edmund said with narrowed eyes while I nodded my head.
To calm him down, I immediately explained to him what was going on. Well it involved hitting him in the face but it probably did not even hurt.
“That’s bullsh*t.”
“Dude, don’t say such crass words in the form of a twelve year old.”
“Twelve? This kid’s twelve? He’s so scrawny! I thought this body's eight or something. Are you a family of midgets?”
“Hey! That’s my brother you’re talking about! And I ain't a b****y midget either!”
“You’re not pulling my leg, are you?”
“Nope.”
“So we’re really in some sort of isekai-sh*t like those light novels we used to read? Did we seriously transmigrated or something?”
“Yep.” I replied, popping the ‘p’.
“b****y hell.” Ed was silent for a few seconds.
-He’s probably contemplating at the situation. At least he’s being mature about it. As expected of a feared mafia boss.
While looking at Edmund, a sudden thought suddenly came across my mind.
-Wait, if Edmund Hunter is inside my brother, what happened to my twin brother? Did he really-
“It cannot be helped. The evidence is irrefutable. I hate being in such a chibi form but there’s no helping it now.” he sighed and then called my name. “Hey E, if that is really the situation, I deeply apologize.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Me being here, doesn’t that mean I stole your brother’s body?”
-Oh, that. It’s like he read my mind.
“I… It’s fine.” I said with a sigh after a short internal deliberation. “I think it’s better if my twin won’t live this life. He… between the two of us, he was the one who took it hard the most.”
“Are you not mad about it?”
-I’m not sure…
“I don’t know. We’ll have to see. And besides, you little rascal has always been a sort of brother to me, so I suppose it is fine.”
Edmund sighed and hugged me.
“E, I’ll be the little brother in his stead. I will make sure to protect you and love you in his stead.”
Those words broke the mental dam I had put up to stop the tears. I cried hard, no I was probably wailing rather than crying. Images of my twin brother flashed on my mind. I was both sad and relieved but one thing remained…
-I will never be able to see you again Eddie. I’ll miss you. I love you.
I was not sure how long I cried, or when I fell asleep, but when I opened my eyes, the sun was already teaching the horizon and I could feel myself wrapped tightly in someone’s embrace. I could also hear a few other voices.
“Stay away from us!” I could hear Ed growl at someone.
“Please your h- young sir, let us tend to your wounds.”
“F*ck off!”
-What’s going on? Why is Edmund swearing?
“Ed?” I called in a low voice.
“E, are you awake?”
“Yeah. Let go of me for a sec.” I said, pushing the arms he wrapped around me.
“Oh, right. Yeah.”
-It seems like he had been trying to protect the two of us. I did tell him of my first life in the form of a fairytale.
While Edmund grew up in my care back on Earth, I told him my life story as if it was some sort of fictional story. He already knew we were the poor pair of twins in the story so he probably figured out that we could not trust anyone. At least not yet.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“These cronies tried to take you away from me! They were also trying to touch me!”
-'Cronies'? Pfft. Wait, is it just me, or is the way he talks being too childish? Is it the effect of possessing the body of a child?
I looked up at the strangers who were crowding the bed we were in. I recognized one of the imperial doctors and two nurses from the crowd. Other than them, I also recognized a face I never thought I’d see again; Madame Ally.
-Noble Consort Katherine already sent her? Is she making her move on us already?
Madame Ally was Noble Consort Katherine’s head lady-in-waiting. She used to be the noble consort’s nanny and entered the Imperial City with her when she married into the imperial family. Behind that demure façade of hers, Madame Ally was one ruthless woman. She was the one who usually carried out the noble consort’s dark deeds.
-That old woman would kill someone without batting an eye if the noble consort asked her.
I instinctively gripped Edmund’s arm and pulled him into a hug immediately. I was glaring at Madame Ally and the maids with her but it looked like I was glaring at everyone since they were crowding together, coaxing us to let them examine us.
But Ed and I did not budge, even though I was shaking like a leaf.
The door was suddenly flung open and two people entered.
-Dark orange hair the color of sunset and a pair of red eyes only those with Primaverean imperial blood possessed. They’re first imperial princess Anastasia and her younger twin brother, second imperial prince Hugo!
“What is going on here?” Anastasia exclaimed and strode in our direction.
““Your highnesses.”” Everyone greeted and immediately bowed.
“What seems to be the problem imperial doctor?” Hugo asked, his eyes on us.
I made a brief eye contact with Edmund and the two of us nodded our heads.
Years of spending time together made the two of us understand each other’s body languages. The two of us were very close to the point that we could even tell what the other was thinking based on their facial expression and gaze.
It was like we were really twins.
“We heard crying in the room and when we went to see what was going on, the young sir was hugging he young miss who passed out.” answered the imperial doctor, his head still bowed. “We tried to check on them but he won’t let us touch the two of them and would growl at us.”
I saw Anastasia sigh and rubbed her hand to her temples.
“Doctor, they grew up being abused in the slave house where we saved them.” Anastasia replied. “Of course they’d be warry of other people. You were able to check on them previously because they were unconscious.”
The doctor seemed to have realized it and just nodded his head. I met his gaze and it was full of pity.
-Well, given our situation, even I would pity ourselves. This scene has never happened before though, but this is actually a chance.
I let go of Edmund and dragged him off the bed. I ran towards Anastasia and hid both of us behind her. I felt myself shake, a response I couldn’t seem to stop.
-Damn it. Instinct really is something a child is born with.
I then realized that the reason I was shaking before was because I was afraid of Madame Ally, even though I knew it too late. My body and mind were reminded how much we suffered in her hands.
“You two…” Anastasia called.
I swallowed the lump on my throat.
-Time to bring out the best of your acting skills Eleanor. To survive this, I have to make sure we won’t fall in the noble consort’s hands!
“You… I-I-I remember you.” I said, my body still shaking and my voice breaking. “Y-yo-you saved us from that place. You’re… you’re a good person.”
“Uhn.” Edmund seconded with a nod of his head.
-His face says it all. He’s totally being awkward about this.
“Please don’t leave us.” I cried, clutching Anastasia’s dress tightly.
“Please don’t leave us!” Edmund repeated and started crying.
Seeing him cry, I also cried as well.
“Ssh. Don’t cry.” she dropped to one knee and hugged the two of us. “I won’t leave you. You’re safe now.”
“”Really?””
“Yes. No one will harm you ever again.”
- Writer
