216 Homecoming (1/2)
”Why aren't the people around you moving?” Nia Moonchester asked in confusion. ”Did you stop the time or something?”
”I did,” Tilly said proudly. ”But it won't last long so let's make this quick.”
Sadly, she could only stop time in a room for five minutes.
That was one of the things that never failed to make her feel frustrated.
According to Solaris, Soleil Rosenberg (in her peak) was 100x better and stronger than her. God, and she really let Aku Moonchester take everything away from her. Now, she– the inferior ”version” of her former glorious self– had to clean up Soleil Rosenberg's mess.
Nia Moonchester sipped her tea before she asked. ”What do you want with me?”
It kind of irked her that the princess didn't look shock seeing her after five years. Plus, she hated that Nia Moonchester actually looked like she found peace after leaving the palace. Like she was already contented being separated from Aku Moonchester.
Is this the reason why she got herself exiled in the past? For peace of mind?
She found it hard to believe until she realized what kind of a psycho Aku Moonchester was.
I'd probably give up everything too just to get away from him.
”Make a binding vow with me,” Tilly said when she forced herself to focus on her current mission instead of pondering about Nia Moonchester's ”peaceful” look. ”I'm making a deal with your beloved twin brother-slash-lover.”
As expected, the princess scowled in disgust.
”In exchange of working with me to get to the land that drinks blood, I offered him the cure to fix your infertility.”
Nia Moonchester glared at her. ”Are you crazy? Do you think I will let you fix my infertility after I went through a lot just to destroy my reproductive system?”
”I will free your soul if you let us fix your body.”
That immediately calmed the princess down. But she still looked skeptical. ”You were the one who cursed me in the past. But only the Red Phoenix's flame can burn down the string that you tied me and Aku with. And as far as I know, the Red Phoenix is missing. I'm sure that not even my brother knows where exactly your brother is.”
”My people have already found my brother,” she informed her. ”I assure you– I can make the Red Phoenix free you from the curse that I cast on you many years ago. Once your soul is freed, you can get rid of your physical body without dying since you were originally a spirit. Don't you want to become a free Guardian again?”
She wasn't really sure if that was Nia Moonchester's goal all along.
But she was certain that for her, becoming a Guardian might be better than getting tied with Aku Moonchester's soul for all eternities.
My fault, but they deserved it.
Anyway, her thoughts were cut-off when she saw Nia Moonchester's reaction.
”I need to make a binding vow with you to make sure that we won't stab each other in the back while working together,” Tilly continued. ”I will make you the collateral by making the medicine work only after the binding vow is completed.”
Nia Moonchester's brows furrowed in confusion. ”You made the medicine work that way?”
”I'm lucky to have an excellent witch by my side,” she said proudly. ”Anyway, think about my offer carefully, Nia Moonchester. I will not tell Aku Moonchester that I will free your soul once the binding vow is over. That will give you the chance to run away from him. So even if your body is fixed, you can finally return to where you want to be.”
”Do you think you can fool Aku?” she asked with furrowed brows. ”If he knows that you will free my soul, he'll never let us do a binding vow.”
”It will be our little nasty secret,” she said confidently. ”You don't have to trust me, Nia Moonchester. You just have to trust my hunger to bring down Aku Moonchester. Plus, your goal doesn't align with his.” She pointed at herself. ”Your goal is aligned with mine. If you didn't hate my past self so much, you could have worked properly with my mother before. Am I wrong?”
Nia Moonchester avoided her gaze. ”Let me think about it, Lady Nystrom.”
”Of course, Princess Nia,” Tilly said, saying her title sarcastically. ”I'll be waiting for your positive response.”
***
LADY NYSTROM definitely did something.
Aku wasn't sure what it was but he felt strange ever since Nia showed up at the screen. Every fiber of his being was screaming that something was wrong. He just couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was.
”The medicine will only work once the binding vow is over and we get what we need in the land that drinks blood,” Lady Nystrom explained to Nia, then she turned to him once again. ”You know how binding vow works, don't you? If the medicine is fake, the vow will kill me right away. It's an ancient magic that even gods don't mess around with.”
”I know that,” Aku said, then he sipped his tea before he continued. ”And I also know that you won't show up with a fake medicine. You're not that kind of person.”
”Good,” the Supreme said, then she turned to his beloved again. ”If Aku Moonchester breaks the terms of the binding vow, you will die. But you don't have to worry about that, right? After all, you of all people know that Aku won't let you die.”
He knew that it was the purpose of the binding vow.
Still, something was making him feel uncomfortable.
”I have no reason to help you, Lady Nystrom,” Nia said in her usual arrogant tone. ”But getting locked up in this temple for so long is starting to get boring. Maybe going out for a while wouldn't be so bad,” she said, then she put her teacup down on the table. ”Let me think about your offer.”
Now, that was suspicious.
Why does Nia sound like she has already accepted the deal?
”Nia, I'll give you until tomorrow night to decide,” Aku said to his beloved sternly, then he turned to Lady Nystrom. ”If ever Nia decides to make a binding vow with you, you better believe that I will oversee it, Lady Nystrom.”
”Of course,” Tilly said with a confident smile. ”You do you, Aku Moonchester.”
I hate that triumphant smile.
***
”AKU MOONCHESTER is suspicious of me,” Tilly said while she was in the carriage with Luna and Roarke. ”It can't be helped. He knows Nia Moonchester so well that he finds it strange that the princess is even considering my offer.”
”We already expected that, didn't we?” Luna asked. ”That's why we're making a move before you make the binding vow with Nia Moonchester in front of Aku Moonchester.”
”Yeah,” she said while nodding her head. ”I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at how sharp and smart Aku Moonchester is. No matter how much I hate him, I will never underestimate his slyness. He would have never lived this long if he was easy to kill.” She let out a frustrated sigh. ”And you know, a person's survival skills don't depend on strength or Mana alone. You also have to be cunning and smart. Look at what happened to Soleil Rosenberg. She was overpowered but she still lost to Aku Moonchester.”
”It's because you were too soft-hearted in the past, Supreme,” Roarke said. ”But I don't have to worry about that anymore. Your cunning side will give Lord Wixx a heart attack once he returns.”
”I already gave him a glimpse of the new me in the past,” she said, then her brows furrowed. ”Wait. I thought the two of you have something important to report to me?”
Luna and Roarke turned to each other first before they faced her again.