Trap

{6}

⚠Everything in this story is fictionalized. Nothing's connected in real life. There would be cursing and errors. My third language is English, but I'm not that good at it.⚠

{Story reminders!

Bold - author narrating the story

Italic - characters' thoughts}

"It's a king's order."

"Sigh............. we think that the person behind this is....................."

"Y-Your Majesty? Her Ladyworship is looking for you."

"Lea? What does she want?"

"She's worried about you, Your Majesty. And she said that she wants to eat lunch with you."

"Oh................"

"Luka, you should leave."

"Connor, I-"

"You don't want to keep your girlfriend waiting, do you?"

"According to science, there's a 98% chance that if you leave your girlfriend all alone without notice, she'll be sad and disappointed at you. Will you still not leave, Your Majesty?"

"Call me Luka, and fine, I'll leave. But you three better tell me the next time around, alright?"

They just nodded.

"Guards, let them talk for as long as they want. Don't disturb them or anything, alright? And make sure no one is around them, not even you guys."

"Certainly, Your Majesty."

"Good."

"Ah, Luka? Let me fix your coat," Colton said, slightly brushing Luka's shoulders and tapping them.

They sighed in relief after Luka had left.

"Thank God we have more privacy now."

"Mhm."

"Wait, that 98% thingy, is that real?" asked Carson

"What? Of course, not. I just had to make him leave."

"Now, where were we?"

"We were talking about how she planned all of this," said Colton.

"Oh, right. I remember how much it's hurting my brain."

"No matter how much it hurts your brain, we have to get you out of here. Now, think."

"He's scary when he's serious......................" Carson thought.

"It can't possibly be a double or another Connor, or just....... ugh......... Even my brain can't think of a- hold up........."

"Um, Colton, didn't you say that Luka is under a love spell?"

"So, he doesn't love that b***h?!"

"Nope," said Connor.

"Ooh, look at you all smiling there, huh?" Carson teased him.

"Hey~"

Carson continued to wiggle his eyebrows while Colton continued to put the puzzle pieces together.

"Colton, what if......... it's magic?"

"Magic? Magic is real?" asked Carson.

"Yes, it's real."

"WOW-"

"That's it! Magic! How else could this have happened? Of course!" Colton placed his fist on the table

"Wait, aren't we gonna talk about that someone who pretended to be you and came to the castle? Who knows what that son of a b***h fed me, and Luka!"

"Hm, that's suspicious too, isn't it."

"S-So.... you mean, the man we saw that day is............ not the real............ one?" asked Carson.

"It's most probably a ghost. Or cyborg."

"Connor, cyborgs are still under testing," said Colton.

"O-Oh."

"Not cyborgs, ghost aren't technically real, your counterparts aren't werewolf............" Colton pressed his temples before tapping them.

"What could the reason be?"

"Okay, now I have a conjecture."

"What is it?"

"I'm pretty sure that's also because of the same person. That person used magic!"

"Why does magic have to be the answer for everything?" asked Carson.

"Do you expect God to be the answer? God won't help us with this, Carson."

"Well..............."

"But who is the magician behind all of this??? Hm....."

"Colton, I know you're smart, but don't think about that for now. It's like trying to read something that was written without an ink."

"Fine, fine. But if we connect the dots- Holy......... shit...... no way............ This is impossible."

"What do you mean?"

"Wait, Connor is calling."

"Eh?"

"The other me," he told Carson. "Hi, Connor!"

"Hi, Connor!"

"What's up?"

"Something is not right."

"Did Alex, Asher, and Carson fight?"

"No."

"Did you and Luka fight?"

"Nope."

"What is it?"

"Lea wasn't supposed to appear."

"Huh?"

"Lea isn't supposed to be there, being with Luka. Something's not right. It's either you messed something up, or someone is trying to sabotage your life in the worst way possible."

"Connor..................." Colton looked at him.

"Maybe we should tell him."

"Sigh, fine."

"I'm in prison."

"What did you do?" he asked sternly.

"Nothing! I swear! I was framed!"

"By who?"

"By Lea!"

"Her again? Something is not right with her. She was not in the plan."

"What plan?"

"No, no. Forget about that for now. What did she do to you?"

"She framed me of murder."

"WHAT?!"

"Relax, we already know her motive and how she did it."

"How?"

"Magic," Colton simply said.

"Hi, Colton! WAIT, MAGIC? W-"

"Yes, magic is real."

"Hi, other Carson! Of course, I know magic is real..... It's just that...... there are only a few mages left in that world."

"How do you know about mages?"

"My brother is a mage. He knows."

"I see."

"What was the motive?"

"To get me away from Luka."

"Hmm.........."

"Do you think it's possible that someone can disguise as a different person? Like, even the voice is the same?"

"It's possible as long as you have the disguise potion with the picture of the person you're trying to copy."

"Holy....................."

"Why?"

"Then, the one who came as you.........," he turned to Colton.

"It's that b***h who drank the disguise potion and looked at my handsome photo," he angrily stated.

"What about the love potion? Connor, does it really make you fall in love with someone?"

"Yeah. But it only works mentally."

"M-Mentally?"

"The potion makes you think that you feel something for the person who used it against you."

"Eh?"

"i***t," said Colton. "You won't be able to love that person. Your brain will just be programmed to trick you once the potion is in your brain."

"That's............ evil."

"I guess? Why do you ask, though?"

"Luka's food had love potion in it.........."

"What?!"

"Th-Then........."

"That's right, Connor. Lady Lea planned this all from the start," said Colton.

"THAT b***h!" said Connor.

"Calm down," said the other Connor. "I knew that something wasn't right when you said Luka has a girlfriend."

"Would you mind explaining, Mr. Other Connor?"

"I can't. It's better if your brother explains it when the right time comes."

"Oh, okay."

"We have to tell Luka," said Carson.

"Yes," said Connor.

"No," said Colton.

"What is it really?"

"Why, Colton?"

"We need evidence, you i***t! We can't come running to the king without solid evidence. That's like saying you're happy even though your heart is in pain and deep sadness."

"How do we gather the pieces of evidence, though?"

"Not a problem," said Colton.

"Really?"

"We just need a plan. First, we have to make her admit that she's the one who did this to you. Next, she needs to admit that she pretended to be me. Lastly, the love potion."

"That's not so bad. Your brother is very smart, Connor."

"I know. Wait, how do we follow your plan?"

"Like mocking her in a way that is obvious but not mentioning her name at all."

"How?"

"Ooh~ I wonder who could be so desperate? Framing someone to jail? Ugh, disgusting. Am I right, Lady Lea?"

"So, like, provoking her?"

"Mhm. Provoke her until she admits it."

"What about the disguise potion and love potion?"

"Let's worry about that later on."

"Sure?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm gonna get fired if I do it," said Carson.

"Connor will do it."

"As much I still want to know all of your plans, I have to go. Manager's calling. Bye! And be sure to update me, okay?"

"Sure! Bye~!"

"Bye!"

"Bye."

"Now, where were we?"

"You will provoke her, Connor."

"How will I provoke her? I'm in prison."

"We all know I'm genius, right?"

"No need to rub it in our face, but yes."

"I already have a plan for that."

"What is it, Colton?"

"We just need evidence that it's not you."

"But my face is literally in those photos!"

"What day was that? When they said "you" murdered someone?"

"Wednesday."

"Wait, weren't you with Luka the whole day that time?" asked Carson.

"Yes, I was."

"Does Luka know about the day?"

"I don't think so."

"The crime scene was nighttime. Where were you that night?"

"I was at a convenience store."

"Convenience store? Connor, you're the bodyguard of a king. What were you doing at a convenience store that night?"

"He told me to buy him food from there!"

"Holy....... sigh."

"Wait, wasn't the crime scene near a convenience store?" asked Carson.

"Yes. Yes, it is. Now, what? She planned this so smoothly," said Connor.

"What time was the crime scene?"

"9 PM," said Carson.

"What time were you there?"

"9 PM.........."

"What were you wearing?"

"Black pants and blue shirt."

"What was the fake you wearing in the photos?"

"Black pants and blue shirt.........."

"Were there bloodstains in your shirt?"

"Yes."

"WHAT?!"

"I hurt myself! I borrowed a knife from the staff cuz I can't open a packet! I accidentally sliced my arm, and blood dripped, okay?"

"Oh, that's why you were wearing bandage?" asked Carson.

"Yes."

"Okay, we have our first proof."

"What's next?"

"Do you remember the exact time you were there and what time you came back?"

"I left at exactly 9 PM and went back at 9:37 PM."

"Carson, exact time of the start of the murder and the exact end."

"9:20 and 9:50 PM."

"See? 2nd proof. Now we need to make Luka our testimony. You're always with him."

"How will we make him a testimony? He might choose that b***h over Connor."

"You never know. Besides, he said he trusts me."

Let's put his statement to a test, shall we?

"What did he say when you said you trusted him?"

"He was happy about it, and he said he was being framed."

"Framed? Pathetic. He's just fooling you."

"Fooling me? Connor won't do that."

"So you really trust him more than me? Your girlfriend?"

"N-No, it's not like that, Lea. He has been my friend for a very long time-"

"You only met him for more than 3 months, Luka."

"We've been friends since we were younger."

"Even though. You're a fool to think he can't fool you."

"L-Lea............."

"You can't let him fool you. You're the king of this country, you hear me? A king. You can't be a fool."

"W-What should I do then.............?"

"Find out what they were doing. I heard him, his brother, and your assistant was talking about."

"Why?"

"They might try to frame me since I'm the one who gathered all the evidence. If they do, inform me."

"Of course."

Back to the three.

"I don't know about that, Connor."

"Why?" he asked Colton.

"Carson is right........ He might choose her over you."

"W-What..........."

"If Luka framed me if he was making you believe that it was really me, will you believe him? And just like right now, the pieces of evidence are too convincing and are leading to me. If that's how everything became, who would you choose?"

"I-I........................ I..........."

"See? That's how Luka feels right now."

"Told ya."

"But since he has a big trust in you, we can build it up even more."

"How is that?"

"We need to take a risk."

"A risk?"

"We need to tell him our evidence."

"Aren't we planning to do that earlier, though?"

"How is it a risk then?" Carson asked.

"I managed to add a chip on his back that will be hardly noticed. I can hear every conversation he's having right now."

"Y-You do? When did you-"

"Attach it? When he was leaving. I tapped his shoulders, right?"

"Woah, Connor, your brother is no joke."

"It was dubious that Lady Lea was looking for him to eat lunch."

"Eh? Why? Isn't it normal for a girlfriend to want his boyfriend to have lunch together with her?"

"For this case scenario, no. She already ate lunch with him."

"Th-Then why did he eat lunch with me?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"I told you not to rub your intelligence in our faces!!" said Carson.

"She wanted to know what Connor thinks right now. I heard His Majesty's conversation with Lady Lea. Him eating with you was just a scheme to know what you're thinking right now. She probably wants to push you off a cliff."

"B-But........... why would she hate me this much?" asked Connor.

"To be honest, I don't know. But right now, let's focus on getting you out here."

"......................"

"We need to take this risk. You all hear me?"

"......................"

"Of course," said Carson.

"Connor? I need your approval, Connor. Connor? Connor! Connor, answer me."

Connor told himself that a man shouldn't cry, but what's the point, right? He got used to it. He got used to the pain. But he can't understand why.

"Connor................"

Colton got up and sat beside Connor. He wiped his brother's tears and hugged him.

"Hey, I know you're having a hard time....... You just got from a recent heartbreak after discovering that he has a girlfriend, and now you're suddenly being framed. It's all going to be okay, Connor."

"I just.........."

"Yes?"

"I just want to love him silently. Is that so bad?"

"C-Connor.................."

"I'm not committing treason. I didn't murder anyone. I just want to love someone freely. Is that a crime?"

"It's not, Connor........."

"Then why is the world so against it?" he hugged Colton.

"Shhhh, it's okay, Connor. Even if the world is against you, Carson and I are here for you, alright?"

"I don't wanna be in pain anymore," he cried. "I-It's too much........... Make it stop........"

Luka was watching. He exactly entered when Connor started crying. He just stood there. He was mentally blocked. He felt sorry for him, and at the same time, he was sure enough that Connor was really being framed.

He came in, pretending to be shocked that Connor was crying.

"Wh-What happened?" he asked.

"He just feels frustrated, Your Majesty."

"About?"

"Please leave, Your Majesty," said Connor.

"What? "Your Majesty"? Is there something wrong? Did I do something wrong, Connor?"

"I can't take this. Please, leave."

"C-Connor?" he asked him, feeling confused.

"I don't want to see you, so leave," he told him politely, but a hint of anger can be heard from his voice.

"Why? Wh-What did I do?"

"Your face makes me throw up. GO!"

"C-Connor?"

"I'll kill myself before you if you don't leave, you hear me? This knife............ will be under my throat in a matter of seconds."

"I-I'll leave, I'll leave. Just..... don't do that............"

He immediately left, feeling baffled.

"Why is he mad at me?" he asked himself.

Connor closed his eyes, letting out his breath after sitting down and massaging his temples.

"H-Hey, you alright? Should I tell him not to visit you for a while?"

"How was my acting? Was it good?"

"A-Acting?" Carson asked. "That was all an act?"

"Why would I tell the love of my life to stay away from me?"

"Then, why did you say that?"

"I have a plan."

"What plan is that, my brother?"

"We won't take the risk you were saying. It's too sketchy."

"What should we do then?" Colton smiled. "I know that smile................ When his anger kicks in, his brilliance kicks in too."

"Guilt."

"Eh?? What do you mean?" Carson asked.

"If I use my anger against him, he will have no choice but to get me out of prison even if we don't have concrete evidence that I'm not the real killer. And that's all going to happen because of guilt."

"Woah.......... Is this really the Connor Cunningham that I know?"

"His anger connects with his brilliance, so don't mind it."

"Don't mind it- Yah, you two are both geniuses!!!"

"Can you explain further, dear brother?"

"Whenever he visits me, I'll pretend to be angry."

"Don't you need a reason behind your anger?"

"I've already thought about that. I'll tell him that I know that he already ate lunch with her because you told me you saw them."

"Then?"

"I'll tell him that it was dubious of him, and it can't be out of pity because you also heard them talking about knowing my regards and that it was despicable of him. Spying on me is something I don't like. You two know that alright? And I'll say that he doesn't trust me enough, though I've already risked my life twice for him."

"Twice?"

"Don't you remember when someone tried to shoot him? And when someone tried to kill him while the three of us were hanging out in the other world?"

"R-Right........."

"So, he knows you're a............"

"I had to take that risk to show him I really trust him. I can use that as a little blackmail, you know?"

"Just how smart can you go?" Carson asked.

"Oh, I don't know. But for now, I have to make sure that he falls for this. I will make sure he will trust me more than her."

"What will we do then?"

"We all know the main lead needs supporting characters, right? All you have to do is give supporting statements if he ever asks something. If everything goes according to plan, his guilt will overflow just like his trust in me."

"W-Woah.............. That's really genius! Well, not in an angel way, but ya know. But still, woah!!!!"

"Let's start by my dear big brother telling His Majesty to still visit me despite of my anger. Are you ready, dear brother?"

"Of course. Should I start now?" he smiled.

~To Be Continued~