Elua raised her hands and the ’Projection’ blood to life once more. This ti, a much more detailed view of muscle fibers was shown knitting back together after a severe tear.
"Tonight we’ll start with the basics. I’ll explain how different types of tissues heal, common complications to watch for, and how to read so of what the body is trying to tell you through its resistance to the foreign energy you are inserting."
The heiress paused, noting that she had their full attention. For the next hour she gave out more detail than she ’should’ to youth whom she still sowhat trusted to protect her secrets.
It probably wouldn’t be the last lesson until it all sunk in enough. Even her best helpers from that first period of her life took years to be more than adequate assistants.
Of course, she had a few millennia of wisdom and teaching to draw from that she didn’t back when she bothered to be obsessed with doctoring. That calling to such a field was still dulled, but that surgery proved that her scalpel hand was still confident.
"Being able to use your ability is only half the challenge you will face. Knowing when it is appropriate and necessary to apply its use... that’s what will make the most difference."
Capping it all off with a final warning, Elua chuckled... a bitter sound instead of sweet.
"Nohre, you are a good person. Others will take advantage of you, but none more so than yourself. Just rember that."
Her gaze swept to the girl’s chosen partner. The sandy haired teen had tried mimicking so of what he saw her showing them the entire ti, though it was far from ’good’. It was not that he had never looked through an anatomy book, but he had never thought to mimic the interior structure of things rather than just the outside.
"You too, Fusand. Both of you keep an eye on each other. And don’t get too upset when one of you is trying to point out their concern."
Elua hopped to her feet and dusted off the pillow while starting to hum a tune. Her students also rose to stand
"Oh~ and you’re welco to stay here tonight instead of following back. You know... if the pair of you wanted to *talk* about that for a while."
In the distance, Qatrand felt a large spike of ’amusent’ from her wife. When the heiress tapped suggestively on her lips with a smile, the two cowards looked at each other and rushed to the top of the little basin in front of their master.
⟠ ⟠ ⟠
The lantern light in and out of the tents of the Goltbred encampnt made the canvas walls almost glow. Elua sat lazily against a pile of bedding while examining so papers. Fresh from an evening bath, her damp brown hair clung to her neck and occasional drops trailed onto her silver dress.
With usual well expected timing, the quiet footsteps of her personal servant was accompanied by the subtle clink of a tray. The impression of a dress more white and plain imposed itself on local reality.
"Young miss, I brought you so of those sweet rolls from earlier. And tea."
"Mm. Just set them there for now."
Mint eyes didn’t lift from the docunts as her hand waved to a little wooden box on the ground. However, a small smile twitched on her lips as her servant tutted disapprovingly at her ’wet’ hair. The woman set down her burden and retrieved a comb and cloth from Elua’s things.
"You’ll catch a chill if you let it stay like that."
The ancient cultivator suppressed a laugh at the almost motherly tone of the woman. It was similar to the way she treated her younger sisters, not much older than Elua, at ho when she took leaves.
After spending most of her going-on fourteen years with Klaytei, so habits were well established between them. The illusion of herself obligingly set aside her work as Klaytei settled behind her.
The real her hadn’t *sincerely* let the woman take care of her like this since Qat beca her whole inner world. There were little things she still allowed, but matters like this were often just staged so that she could engage her servant in conversation.
"How did your walk with the branch manager go?"
The comb paused briefly in its gentle strokes through her charge’s hair.
"She tried to comfort about my... supposed... feelings for you."
Elua could hear the heavy exasperation and unhelpable amusent in her servant’s voice. The woman resud combing the false heiress as she continued to speak her troubles.
"She said she *understood* what it was like to admire soone who was clearly devoted to another. That my loyalty was ’admirable’ but..."
The ’Elua’ under her hands tilted her head slightly, earning a light tap from the comb to straighten again while the real version watched her servant’s facial expressions closely.
"But I shouldn’t let it consu . That there are other paths to happiness."
Both of the brunette figures suppressed their laughter.
"I didn’t realize the branch manager had such... sensibility."
’Such a flirt, advising soone to abandon the impossible?’
The reincarnator wondered what she thought *about to get married* was if not such a ’impossible’ situation... yet the woman still pressed her Qat enough that the tall teen made ntion of it to her wife to be! Moreover, the misunderstanding was deliciously on brand for the forr liaison.
"...Oh, it gets better."
Klaytei set the now ’damp’ cloth and comb aside before she reached for one of the sweet rolls. After breaking it in half, she offered part to her young miss while chewing through so suppressed feelings from the remainder..
"She suggested I might find soone else. Soone who could appreciate my love and devotion properly."
The servant’s tone carried such mimicry of Dima’s earnest but careful concern that the real Elua nearly wheezed in her small bite of bread. The woman had a skill that her employer never knew!
"But... this is when I realized..."
The strong - for a mortal - intent lacing her voice made the reincarnator pause before taking another chomp. There was a particular edge she recognized from when Klaytei had stumbled across, what she considered, a particularly clever plot point in one of her romance novels... that she had beco bolder about reading more *openly* of late.
"You know those stories where the handmaiden pines openly for the princess, but is actually trying to catch the eye of the guard captain?"
’...No? That doesn’t even-’
Mint eyes widened as her servant’s implication sank in. The fake Elua turned just enough to see if the woman would hide that expression on her face. Self-satisfaction and mischief that she hadn’t seen on her since being ’caught’ sneaking extra desserts as a child.
At that ti, Klaytei had taken one for herself and claid they would get in trouble together if her parents found out.
’Of course, then she reported it to the cook, who simply started making more confections regularly. I wonder how useless this body would have grown to be with all the pampering, had I not retained my mory?’
"You actually want to use her misunderstanding against her."
The servant shrugged.
"If she already thinks I’m hopelessly devoted to you, why not let her comfort through it? Or even possibly try to steal from your ’oblivious’ clutches."
Elua picked up her tea with both versions and used the mont to study her longti servant with fresh eyes. The woman had always enjoyed her novels. Even before teasing her about it openly, the small illusionist had noted her habits.
But this level of ’practical’ application was unexpected.
’Maybe it should not be. People in love will go farther than even they expect.’
When she finished drinking, she rged the conscious positions of her fake with her real body in her servant’s mind.
"My, my. And here I was feeling guilty about involving you in making Talva jealous at the party."
"My lady, I may have spent most of my life in service, but I would not do sothing like that even if it were an order unless I were willing. Besides, this way you *really* don’t have to waste ti finding so male companion to pursue her."
"Whatever do you an?"
"I know you were considering it. I’ve read enough romance novels to recognize a classic plot when I see one forming. It’s why I stopped you from seating... *Aleck* next to her."
The accusation was gentle despite the emphasis. Elua sipped at her tea before revealing a smile.
"Was I that obvious?"
"To anyone who’s read as many stories as I have? The plot practically wrote itself."
Elua considered teasing the woman about all those afternoons she’d seen her reading in the garden instead of doing her duties. But that had been years ago, she had been walking around the estate purposely unseen, and clearly the ti the woman spent hadn’t been entirely wasted.
’So she can see through so of my plans if they involve that woman, at least. What an amazing power for a mortal to have.’
"Then my advice to you... using what soone already believes against them is much simpler than creating new misconceptions. You’re not wrong."
The brunette’s suddenly serious tone carried a note of approval that made Klaytei straighten slightly. She’d seen the girl in different states around her parents in the last years. While she still liked to think of her as the innocent child that grew up under her care, she also knew what little devils teenagers could be.
"Still, I have to wonder if you’re sure about this path. The branch manager seems..."
The reincarnator struggled for the most polite way to insult the person that soone she cared *so* about liked.
"Dense? About matters involving herself. Her Astralism-"
"I’ve read stories that took three volus to resolve simpler misunderstandings than the one I face."
The quick and dry response brought another smile from Elua as she stood and invaded Klaytei’s space more directly. Her eyes dulled just a little and a bit of her pressure leaked.
"And you’re prepared to maintain this particular misunderstanding for however long it takes? Even when she looks at you with such pity? Or when actual obstacles arise that set things back?"
A spark of determination flickered in the older woman’s eyes.
"Young miss, did you know there’s a novel where the head servant maintains her facade of loyalty for six years before-"
"Please don’t tell you’re using fictional characters as your benchmark for success."
A small finger poked her in the brow and the servant’s cheeks colored slightly from the admonition.
"I simply... ant to say that I understand the value of patience. And unlike those stories, I have an advantage."
"Oh?"
"My princess is real - a flesh and blood beauty and not a caricature on ink and paper."
The brunette slid back and eyed the woman she had been growing more respect for.
"How does that place you above any other suitors that might show up? I have no control over incidental etings."
"They might be attracted, but she’s only ’royalty’ to . I’d dare anyone to try and treat my princess better than I could."
Elua covered her face and sincerely thought about wiping her own mory of this encounter. While she could not label Dima an ’evil’ person, the ancient cultivator could not fathom soone treating her like one of the most important mbers of a kingdom.
The heiress couldn’t handle the whiplash of respect rising only to zero out again!
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