____

"Phew..." I breathe out a sigh of relief as soon as I finished my bath. Honestly speaking, I feel more fresh than earlier when I looked like a haggard potato.

I wore a simple white shirt tucked inside a smooth black pants. Since I have nowhere to go at the moment, I really didn't need to make myself look fashionable.

Thank goodness I wasn't a girl. Even if you stay at home, they still go on and on for hours with their dress, hair, and jewelry preparation. That's how the society in this era is for you, I guess.

As I ruffled my hair dry with a neat towel, Jamie respectfully handled it as soon as I finished, before combing my hair.

I was just stiff, not knowing what to do next once I finished my routine. I mean, look at that! The moody deity is staring at my every move, as if a modern CCTV camera from the modern days!

My movement seems limited, as if telling me to either hurry up and talk or don't do anything stupid. I massaged my temples after combing my hair neat, but with my bangs still covering my forehead. I prefer this style better than waxing it upwards like Johnny Bravo.

"Jamie, Mia, Ria." The maids attentively whirled their heads towards me, as I gave them a hand signal. They understood, and soon left the room. Now it was just me and Eldest.

She didn't move an inch, still seated accross the couch she was once seated when I braided her hair before. Her legs and arms were crossed, as if to give a vibes of dominance or intimidation like any CEO or Principals would do.

I didn't bother doing the same. I humbly sat on the opposite couch, minding my facial expression. Who knows when this deity will stop favoring me and end up exploding at me?

"I'm not." Eldest bluntly spoke, making me blink my eyes. I think she managed to read my mind there, but there's nothing I could do. Even with enough efforts in putting up filters, it would be useless against a deity.

"Let me explain." Was my first words to initiate the conversation. "I did manage to get back here in my palace when we went back home. But the thing is, it felt as if I stepped into a different dimension when I entered. And it is."

She nods, surprisingly have no blunt or sarcastic remarks. My silver orbs almost trembled at the sight of the calm deity. This is so new, I can't believe my eyes.

"A-as I said, the dimension I got transported into, was like a parallel world to this world. But the timeline is different. The Clydeur there is dead, Klydeur from there looks like he's about to become a madman, while I also saw an adult version of yours."

I thought she'd stare at me blankly and let me continue, but I finally got a reaction. Her shoulder blades shook, not so relaxed like earlier. "Another me?"

I nodded, hesitantly. "Yes?"

"Another deity that looks like me?" She asked again, as if to make sure.

"...yes."

Sealing my lips awkwardly, I watched as Eldest stood from the couch. "You had your guardian that moment, didn't you? Summon him. I'll interrogate him."

"Er—sure?" Even if I feel like something problematic will happen later on, I still obliged. As I managed to summon my guardian, the wolf let out a howl, which got interrupted when Eldest smacked his face.

Smacked. His. Face.

I gawked at the sight, hesitating whether to step up and help the surprised pikachu faced Wolf, or remain silent under the intimidating aura around Eldest.

"You. Did you see the book?" From the way she spoke, I can clearly tell she's containing her patience.

Glancing to my guardian who suddenly became a wolf cub, probably due to shock of getting a bitch-slap, I desperately chanted: Please say yes, please say yes!

Yesss! I beamed happily, relief dawning on my face while Eldest only furrowed her brows. "And where is it?"

From that blunt response, I had to avoid the death glare sent by a deity. "I'm not sure if I have to describe you as stupid or naive." She commented with a blank look on her face. Well, atleast she's back at her usual mood of roasting me.

"I held it tightly, I swear!" I reasoned, which is true, before frowning to myself. "But I did lost my grip when she sent me back."

She blinked her eyes upon hearing something that either intrigued or piqued her attention. "She? Who is she?"

"The other you."

"The other world deity."

It was a silent moment between us. My guardian and I replied almost at the same time. She lowered her gaze towards the wolf with her golden eyes shining with annoyance, before looking back to me.

"Who sent you to the other world in the first place?"

"Well, according to the other you who helped me get back here, it was someone named Ashley who sent me there. She knew about it too, she's cool—"

Eldest rolled her eyes. "This Florida princess is desperate to sign her death certificate. I presume she didn't even exist in the other world."

I shrugged, not minding the fact she cut my words off. "I guess."

Again, my wolf also responded to Eldest. Her face distorted into a confused yet frustrated one.

"Hey, I'm not talking to you." Reaching out an arm towards my guardian, the latter instinctively clawed her arm, probably not wanting to get a moment of getting slapped 2.0.

Eldest scowled, staring at her bleeding arm momentarily. "Dafuq?"

I blinked my eyes repeatedly at the scenario infront of me. This—this totally feels like deja vu! Even the other deity reacted the same way. Eldest sure is the same no matter what world she is from.

However, Eldest from this world continued to bleed, making me crease my forehead in worry. "Hey, you're bleeding! Can't you heal it?" I panicked and tried to look for a handkerchief, but Eldest already dismissed my worry.

"Why bother?" She tilted her head on the side, before she quickly grabbed the wolf by the neck. In a blink of an eye, she turned into an adult, raising the wolf whose struggling from her grip.

What the—

"Hey! Put him down!" Her action surprised me. Why is she angry at him?! Because he clawed her?! But the other Eldest didn't do it like she did! Besides, she smacked him first!

But Eldest didn't acknowledge my protests. Instead, she stared at the wolf with a smirk on her face. For a moment, she looks like she's gone pyscho. "Listen here wolfy, you had one job yet you're incompetent."

Ouch. Those words were also the same to what the other Eldest said to him. Why are they both rude to my guardian anyway?!

"This doesn't concern you, fallen deity."

I salute my guardian. He's got guts. He deserves to go back unscathed to his furry magical world.

She rolled her eyes at his response. "You dare talk back, you insolent thing? Atleast do better when I'm not around!"

"Stop that! It's not his fault." I countered, before freeing the guardian and sending him back home, making him poof and vanish into the air.

Poor wolf got roughed up by a stressed deity. As if smacking him while doing his grand entrance wasn't enough, now he had to get strangled before leaving.

There was silence. I just realized I also had the guts to face Eldest head on without my guardian now.

"Tsk, sure, but if it's not his, then do you admit it's yours?" She retorted, a frown maintained in her face. It's obvious she's displeased with everything that's happening already.

Not like I disagree, in fact, I get it. We just had fun the past 3 days, but the moment we went back to the palace, I got sent to another world instead. It's a miracle someone helped me get back here.

I sighed, feeling the same distress as she does. I'm sure that book means a lot, but how am I even going to get it back? I already thought of this earlier. Even if I ask Ashley to send me to the other world again, who knows if there are other worlds aside that certain world?

I once believed that parallel universe exists. I guess I do now, with a stronger evidence in this fantasy world.

"Without that book, you'll never know why you're here in the first place." I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard her voice, it was low and slow, as if she's the one whose dissapointed for losing it.

In the end, I decided to apologize again. I'm sure she put effort into compiling every bit of the truth into that book, yet I lost it. "Sorry."

She grimaced. "It's the other bitch's fault." I gave her a blank stare when she suddenly blamed herself from another world. "Have you even ever met her before than this? You returned here thanks to her, but I can definitely feel the same trace like back then."

"Back then what?" When was it? Oh wait, is it the time when I was planning a show of persuasion to clean up my rumors from the nobles? The other Eldest talked about it briefly too, saying I lied to her and she sent me back.

I never knew Eldest felt the trace of the other world's deity. It's been so long yet she never asked about it before, so maybe she raised that suspicion the moment she felt it again.

"Is it different from yours? I mean, you two are the same although you came from different worlds." I questioned, a bit curious if she have the same quality of power as the other.

"It's different." She waved a hand and in an instant, her once bleeding arm that got clawed earlier has now fully healed. Not even a single drop of blood or a sight of a scar remained.

"I'm omnipotent and she isn't."

I raised a brow, confused yet intrigued. "How come?" I can clearly tell the other world Eldest is smart and strong. She can read my mind with ease, sent me back to my world like a piece of cake, her healing ability is also top-tier, and she's also an adult there!

Instead of getting a reply, I'm greeted by her menacing stare. "What did I do now?" I asked, tilting my head on the side. "I guess you read my mind?"

"Ob.vious.ly." She emphasized, before transforming back to a kid. "And it really doesn't matter. The other me sucks, I'm way better."

I suppose Eldest here can also read my mind, monologue even, with ease. And with the way she healed the wound in her arm as if it didn't exist or happen in the first place, I think she have every rights to be confident.

"Sureee." But I wonder what the other Eldest would say if she heard her statement. There might be a war against deities. We can't let that happen!

And even if I feel regretful for losing the book, I wonder what will happen to the other world. The Clydeur there was already dead, Klydeur probably became Emperor, Jamie is accused, and is the Empress ill in bed? Or did she retired? Or did she...

Die?

The thought of a strong tyrant Empress dying scares me. There's no way she died from her age, considering that she's still young than the rest of the other parent nobles and aristocrats. So the only thing I could think of is the fact that Klydeur schemed it all.

He blamed and accused Jamie, saying it was an attempted assasination, which is what I remembered when I saw that situation from the other world.

Then, is the death of Clydeur also his plan? Did he used the Empress to kill off his own brother, then used his brother and nanny to become bait in killing the Empress?

All these makes sense. But I can't believe that the child who was favored, the child who was loved, and the child who was adored even by the whole empire's citizens was actually a fake.

Will the Klydeur of this world be the same?

____

Yep, you saw it right. A double update! Anyways, excuse the errors you might have seen in the chapters. I'll have them fixed if I get the time to reread the chapters again. I also had a change of plans, so it would take a bit long before we reach the point of Clydeur's coming of age. Thank you for understanding, and happy reading!

-☕