The day after their temple visit, Fiona woke up to find Marianne already waiting outside her door.
"…Good morning?" Fiona said hesitantly.
Marianne's arms were crossed, her expression dead serious.
"Jeannie, I want to spend the entire day with you."
Fiona felt every alarm in her brain go off.
She squinted. "Why?"
Marianne smiled.
It was not a nice smile.
"It's been a while since we trained together, hasn't it?"
Fiona immediately wanted to run.
Marianne wasn't just suspicious anymore.
She was hunting for proof.
Marianne dragged Fiona to the training grounds.
The moment Fiona picked up a sword, she knew this wasn't training. This was an interrogation disguised as sparring.
"Are you ready?" Marianne asked, stepping into position, adjusted her stance.
Fiona gripped her sword.
"…Sure."
Then—Marianne attacked with full force.
Fiona narrowed her eyes in surprise, barely dodged in time.
'What the hell?! Are you serious?!'
Marianne was not holding back.
If Fiona hadn't dodged, she might have actually been injured.
"What the hell was that?!" Fiona hissed.
Marianne didn't answer.
She attacked again.
Fiona blocked, but her body—Jeannie's body—instinctively moved in a way she wasn't used to.
It made her slower and more restricted.
Marianne also noticed it.
"You're off," she said.
Fiona gritted her teeth. "What?"
Marianne's eyes gleamed with challenge.
"You're still slower than before. Your movements are still different. Your stance isn't quite right. Even if you tried to fix it, i know you are struggling in just one look. You're always like this since you wake up back then."
She pressed forward, swinging harder, faster.
Fiona was forced to keep dodging.
If she fought properly, she'd expose herself.
If she lost too easily, it'd be suspicious. She had to made it more natural.
"…Maybe I'm just tired at all.." she lied.
Marianne narrowed her eyes.
"Oh! That's the funniest one. You've never gotten tired before."
'Damn it.', She cursed her inside.
Then—
PMarianne suddenly changed tactics.
She swung her sword directly at Fiona's head.
Fiona reacted on instinct.
Her body moved at demonic speed.
She dodged—too fast.
She landed ten feet away, sword raised.
Silence.
The knights watching stared.
Marianne slowly lowered her blade.
"That was inhumanly fast."
Fiona's stomach dropped.
She had slipped up.
She needed a cover-up—fast.
"…I've been training my reflexes?" she said weakly.
Marianne did not look convinced.
But she didn't press further—yet. After the sparring match, she walked away quickly.
Fiona had survived the first test.
But she knew—Marianne wasn't done. This night, the real challenge would begin.
'That inhuman speed.. What's wrong her?! Am i just dreaming or what?!'
Mariannesat alone at the rooftop, thinking about what have just happened at the sparring match.
'Just what are you hiding from me?! Why?!', She was frustated.
Marianne wasn't stupid at all.
She knew something was off, but She was hesitant. Jeannie was her only closest friend after Aldric.
"Are you looking for beautiful views, or do you have something stupid again in your mind, Captain Marianne Devearux?"
Suddenly, a knight came behind Marianne.
She looked at him with annoyed expression.
"It's none of your business. Besides, do you come here just to argue with me as usual, Aldric?"
It was Sir Aldric Manteuffel, her close partner in combat, and second in command in Marianne's knight group.
Aldric was silence for a moment, then replied.
"I see. So there's something bothering you right now. I am not here to calm you down unfortunately."
He walked and stood besides Marianne.
"I just want to have a small talk with my friend who choose to still protecting this kingdom like a loyal dog."
Hearing his sharp words, Marianne closed her eyes, did not disturb with his words.
"If you just want to mock me, then so be it. I admit that this kingdom is rotten from the inside. But i will not betray the innocent peoples of this kingdom, and i will never let anyone harm them. They dd not know anything."
Aldric was stunned for one second and he show a rare tiny smile, just a complex smile, full of deep meaning.
"Well, i know you will say something like this. That is very Marianne Devearux that i know. You did not change at all since our first meeting."
Aldric started to walked away, leaving her alone.
"Aldric,you idiot.", Marianne whispered with a sad face that rarely seen before.
Later that evening, Marianne sat down with Fiona at the knight's dining hall.
"Jeannie," she said with a flat expression. "Let's talk about old times."
Fiona's hand froze mid-bite.
She knew what this was.
Marianne was going to test her memories.
Fiona kept her face calm. "Sure."
Marianne smiled.
"What was the name of our first mission together?"
Fiona's mind went blank
First mission? She even had no idea about every mission!
'Think, think!! Just think a bout a moment!—'
"Oh, you know," she said vaguely, stalling for time. "The one with the…uh…bandits?"
Marianne leaned in with dark expression.
"We fought the lizardmens at a small village..."
Fiona internally cursed.
Marianne's eyes bored into her.
"What about the mission where we got lost in the mountains? How did we find our way back?"
"…The stars?", Fiona answered with question.
Marianne stared.
"We used a map."
'Damn it. It seems that this is the last night for me.'
Fiona was failing.
At night, Marianne set up her last, most dangerous trap. Her patient was already long gone.
When they walked together, Marianne looked at Fiona.
"Jeannie."
Fiona tensed. "Yes?"
Marianne watched her carefully.
"I want to spar with you again. Alone. Just you, and me!"
Fiona's heart skipped a beat, and then she sighed
This was it.
If she failed here—she would be exposed.
She forced a confident smile.
"…Fine."
They stepped into the empty training hall. The only sounds were the flickering torches and the quiet echo of their breathing.
Fiona gripped her sword.
Marianne watched her carefully.
Then—she attacked.
This time, she wasn't testing speed.
She was testing reaction.
She aimed directly at Fiona's weak points.
A real knight would counter instinctively.
Fiona had to hold back.
She dodged—but slightly slower, and her block was still awkward like a newbie knight.
Marianne's eyes narrowed.
Then she feinted, leaving herself completely open.
Fiona did not attack.
The training ground was full silence.
Marianne stepped back.
"I see it now..You really aren't yourself. You are not Jeannie that i know."
Fiona's chest tightened.
Marianne lowered her sword.
And then, she whispered with a vibrating voice
"Tell me…Who are you?"