The three women were walking through the hallway leading deeper to the mansion. As they walked, they're having a peaceful and pleasant conversation
"Is that so? You never had a boyfriend?
Chelly asked Ilaya as the topic got sidetracked to boys. Well, to be fair, when women gather, they usually talk about men and lovelife. That's an undisputable fact. Ilaya shyly said
"Yes. I don't have much experience in interacting with men. So I'm clueless how to start a conversation"
Ivana smiled at Ilaya and said
"It's so easy to swoon a man. As long as you make a plan, and of course, stick to it"
Ilaya noticed that Ivana emphasized the words 'plan' and 'stick to it'. She couldn't help but feel guilty. But she really needed to be on her side. If she goes on a rampage. Then, maybe she can stopped her for a bit before calling help from Nicole and her company
Meanwhile, Chelly agreed with Ivana
"That's right. Lady Arieta was correct. With your beauty, will get any man you desires"
'Of course, that's out of the window now. You and your friend will die a tragic death in this mansion'
Chelly thought mockingly as she led them to a room. Then, she opened the door and said
"We're here. Come inside"
Ivana walked inside unhesitant, while Ilaya walked like a frightened deer. Then, they saw that there's many displays inside a wide room. Ilaya glanced around and saw many ancient artifacts and swords encased in glasses. As Ilaya noticed Ivana was watching intently to the swords, she realized something
'Thats right. Ivana was a collector of blades. She certainly wants to see other collection that she wasn't able to get her hands on'
Then, Ilaya carefully inched towards Ivana and said
"What is this sword?"
Ivana stared at the sword without blinking and said with certainty
"It's a jian. A sword from ancient China. This type of sword came about 2500 years ago. Or maybe even longer. This one is a single handed sword. And based on its design and craftsmanship, it was certainly one of the oldest swords that was found. And its value today can reach half a million dollars. Or maybe even more depending on the buyer"
Ilaya was shocked at her knowledge, and Chelly certainly didn't expect that Ivana was expert at identifying swords. Then, her jealousy surged as she said to Ivana
"My! You're so knowledgeable Lady Arieta. Can you also tell what is this then"
Chelly pointed at a strange looking blade beside the jian sword. Then, Ivana looked at it and stared at Chelly strangely
"Isnt this a Kusarigama? It's a weapon developed and used during the Muromachi period in this country. You're Japanese and you didn't know this?"
As Ilaya heard her words, she nearly covered her face at the bluntness and how straight Ivana was. She shouted in her mind
'That's too much Kyora! Can't you be subtle!? I bet she was dying of embarrassment now!'
Ilaya secretly glanced at Chelly and as expected, her face was red as a tomato. Ilaya felt pity for her and she didn't know what to do. Then, she decided to help her as she said
"I don't know this either. You're always knowledgeable when it comes to blades, but you're clueless about love life too aren't you?"
Ivana started to walked towards other weapons as she said
"If you're talking about my love life, then I'm inexperienced. But I know all the psychology about the emotion of love. Sometimes, people often confuse love with lust. A man gets attracted to a beautiful woman? That's their preference about their prospective mate. That's an instinct ingrained in our very being. The same goes for women. The true love that I know is when you're willing to let them go, even if it's better to just die. You will choose to bear the pain. That's true love. If you choose to die because you can't bear to tell go of someone, then, it's anything but love"
Ilaya initially wanted to complain about her untimely lecture about love, but she was hit hard by her words. Her words reached through her heart as she thought
'So. If I truly loved someone, I must let go of them? Then, if I loved Mars and the owner, could I let go of them? To not see them again?'
Ilaya momentarily forgot about her mission as she felt an intense sadness and grief course through her heart. Then, the silence was broken by Chelly who said
"Wow! What a nice perception of love. Sora must be truly lucky to have you! I have to say you're intelligent, Lady Arieta"
Then, she joked
"Did you perhaps graduated in psychology"
Ivana yawns before looking at Chelly and saying
"Yes. I finished my college degree in this city. And my course is psychology. Well done guessing"
Chelly's smile froze as she realized that she's in front of a certified psychiatrist. She was starting to worry if she had somehow let out any clues that she could detect. And in turn, escape her trap. As thought swirled around Chelly's mind, Ilaya was also shocked
Of course, she didn't ask her. They're supposed to be best friends. So not knowing her school life is strange and they will be caught. She just looked at Ivana and thought
'So she's a psychiatrist? I'm guessing that she had chosen that path as a way to cure her curse, but it seems that she's not very successful. Maybe I can consult her about my trauma?'
Then, Chelly said to them
"Ahh! I forgot something, can I leave you two here for a minute. I'll be back immediately"
Ivana and Ilaya looked at each other before Ivana said
"It's okay. Take your time"
Then, Ilaya added
"Yes, we're going to look around while waiting for you"
Then, Chelly smiled and said
"Thank you for understanding. I'll be back soon okay?"
As the two nodded, Chelly walked out of the room. The door closed and Ivana immediately said you Ilaya
"Why did you disobey my order?"
Ivana then glared at Ilaya and said
"You better give me a sufficient excuse or you'll suffer from me"
Ivana suddenly smiled
"Now that I think about it, my guards would not call you here for no reason. They are all elites and they certainly know what I'm capable of. Are you going to say now your true reason for being here?"
Suddenly, she held up her hand as she thought out loud
"Wait. I think I can figure it out. Only Nicole and Kazuki knew the reason as to why I sheltered you. Because we're the same. Aside from that, there's no other things that they could've wanted from you. So… it's because of our powers then"
Ivana smiled at Ilaya
"And the fact that I've made a feasible plan, and yet, you decided to disobey my order and accompany me here, where it's extremely dangerous, means that you're trying to protect me from something…"
She stopped for a moment before looking at Ilaya deeply
"Or trying to protect others… from me"
Ilaya nervously looked at Ivana as she cautiously said
"Kyora. There's something strange happening to you. There's so many signs that your guards are starting to get scared and panicked. That's why I immediately rushed here. And I also noticed your abnormality. I'm here to help you"
Ivana's eyes started to glow red and a dense blood red aura started to appear around her. Ilaya was startled and nearly entered combat mode to protect herself. As when Ilaya thought that Ivana was going to attack her, she yawns and the unsettling signs disappeared from her
Ilaya looked cautiously at Ivana as she heard her said
"I'm sleepy"
Then, Ivana looked at Ilaya and smirked
"Your worry is unwanted. I know what I'm doing, Ilaya. Now, you've entered an evil den, and would experience the horrors with me. If we failed, were certainly going to be raped and passed around. Then killed before the sun rises. You'll never be able to see your loved ones again. And suffer fate worse than death. Is it worth it? Are you starting to regret it?"
Ilaya looked at the increasingly sleepy Ivana and said to her softly
"Still. No matter what happens. I will not leave you alone. If hope is truly lost, then we just need to let go of our shackles and go into rampage. Whether we live or die doesn't matter anymore. So just trust me, your guards, and your plan. We'll adapt if something goes wrong and survive somehow"
Ivana stared at Ilaya before looking away. Then she asked in a quiet voice
"Why?... Why are you going through such lengths for me?"
Ilaya walked towards Ivana and hugged her tightly. She softly said
"Because you are my friend, my mentor, and someone I cared for. Is that enough reason?"