"I don't think anything can shock anymore," I said, my voice flat, emotionless.
I ant it—or at least, I thought I did.
Tris stared at with an amused glint in her eyes, her lips curling into a knowing smile that made feel like I'd just walked into a trap.
"Well, I'm sure you're already aware that Johanne was actually a woman to begin with, right?" she said casually, like she was talking about the weather.
I kept my face still, expression unreadable, but inside, a flicker of surprise pulsed through .
That... wasn't what I expected her to say. Not from her. Not like this, at least.
"When did you find out?" she asked, voice light but laced with curiosity.
"During the King's Ga," I answered honestly. There was no point in lying.
But the how—the actual circumstances of finding out—that was sothing I'd be keeping to myself.
Her eyes widened just slightly, and she let out a small chuckle.
"That long ago? Damn, it's already been over a year, hasn't it?" she said, her voice laced with disbelief before soft laughter followed. "As for , I've known for a lot longer. Since we were kids, actually. I overheard a conversation once—just a snippet—between the Lord Sword Saint and my father. That's how I learned the truth. That Johanne wasn't born a man."
She smiled again—sweet and calm—but there was mischief buried in that look, a playfulness she didn't bother hiding.
"Isn't it fascinating?" she said as she rose to her feet, her tone shifting like the snap of fingers. "An ability that lets you change your gender—just like that."
I leaned back slightly, my gaze sharpening.
"Sounds like you know more than you let on."
"Fufufu." She let out that sa strange giggle, her eyes narrowing as if she were sharing a forbidden secret. "I've got great ears, you know? I've heard a lot of things I probably shouldn't have. Stuff that had nothing to do with . But I rember all of it."
"Alright," I said, voice firm. "Enough of the charades. Why did you call here?"
Her smile faded, replaced by sothing deeper. It was seriousness.
"I want to help Johanne."
Her voice turned serious, her eyes steady now, sharp like a blade honed to perfection.
It was like the mask she always wore—the cheerful, teasing otaku girl—just shattered in an instant, revealing soone far more complex underneath.
In that mont, I realized—she could switch expressions so quickly, and so cleanly.
Maybe she was raised that way, taught to smile no matter what, to act like a lady in every situation. It wasn't just impressive..
...it was… admirable, in its own way.
"Help her how?" I asked.
"The Lord Sword Saint went to a witch the mont Johanne was born," she said slowly. "He didn't want a daughter. So he had her sex changed into a male."
Her expression shifted back to that playful, mischievous grin.
"But I think you already know that part, don't you?" she added with a sly grin. "Johanne is a woman. But since she was turned into a man before she even had a grasp of her own existence, she grew up thinking that was who she really was," Tris continued, pacing slowly. "Now that she's back to being a woman, she doesn't realize this is her real self. Her true form. And it seems like… she wants to go back to being a man."
She looked right at , her gaze unwavering, her playful smirk gone again.
"But I don't want her to go back."
"You don't?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope," she replied, voice soft but confident. "I know Johanne doesn't feel like a woman right now, but I truly believe she'll get there. Eventually. She just needs ti. And when she does… I believe she can finally be happy. Real happiness. The kind she couldn't find while pretending to be soone else. I an, if she married —well, that wouldn't be fair to her. Marrying won't exactly bring her the happiness she deserves."
I studied her face for a mont.
Tris wasn't as drop-dead gorgeous as the girls I usually surrounded myself with. But that didn't an she was ugly. Far from it.
Her features were unique, and her presence had its own charm.
Maybe this world just had absurdly high standards when it ca to beauty.
"I don't think marrying you ans she wouldn't be happy," I said.
"What's that supposed to an?" she asked, tilting her head with a grin that stretched just a bit too wide—an almost eerie grin. "Don't tell … are you planning to add to your little collection? Because if you are, Leon, I have to admit… my heart just fluttered a little."
Then she snorted.
"But sorry, it's not gonna work. I'd rather you do it with Johanne instead."
I narrowed my eyes slightly. "Your brain's overflowing with boy's love fantasies, huh? And that scenario doesn't really apply here. Johanne's technically a girl."
"Still," she said, her voice giddy with imagination. "Don't you think it's such an interesting concept? A girl who was turned into a boy, falling in love with a man… and then, because of that love, turns back into a girl. But even then, she can't bring herself to love him, 'cause in her mind, she's still a man. And a man loving another man feels kinda weird to her—but also kind of hot, I think. She fights it, resists it, but she still ends up chasing after him in the end. Wouldn't that make a damn good story? I'm thinking about writing it."
"Please don't use my na," I muttered.
"I won't. My characters are Leo and John."
Well… even if the nas were clearly based on us, they weren't exactly the sa. So maybe I could let it slide. Probably.
"And I asked you to co here because I want your help," she said, her voice calm but firm. "I can't exactly handle this all on my own. Right now, I'm trying to keep the fact that Johanne's a girl hidden from our families as much as possible. But sooner or later, they're going to find out. No matter how careful I am, no matter how much I try to minimize the clues, it's only going to make things more complicated in the end. That's why I need your help."
It wasn't really the request itself that bothered . But the more I thought about it, the more it felt like Tris had an ulterior motive, like she was doing all of this with so deeper purpose in mind.
"What's your reason for doing this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly.
"Fufufu…" She let out that familiar chuckle and adjusted her glasses, pushing them up along the bridge of her nose. "I believe I don't have any real motive and no ulterior agenda behind this. I'm doing it purely for Johanne," she said with a serene tone. "I just don't want her ending up like those poor souls who were forced into marriages by their families, only for their lives to spiral downhill until the only way out they saw was to end it all. And Johanne's situation… her consequences are much harsher than theirs. That's why I'm afraid. I think, eventually, she'll do exactly what I'm scared of."
I looked her in the eye, locking my gaze with hers.
"You're talking like you've been through sothing like this yourself," I said quietly.
She smiled faintly. "A personal experience? Well… you could say that," she said with a slight shrug. "But now you understand what I'm saying, right? I want to help Johanne face her emotions, guide her through them… until she accepts her fate as a woman."
"If that's what you really want," I said, folding my arms, "then shouldn't we start by finding the witch who originally cast the spell and have her permanently change Johanne back into a woman? Because right now, I don't think this transformation is permanent."
She gave another soft smile.
"You don't have to worry," she said with confidence. "Because I've already found her."
***
The next day, Tris and I agreed to et up in the Pleasure City.
It had been a while since I last visited this place.
I'd t a lot of won here. Had sex with more than I could count.
This city was a haven for anyone craving sex. A playground for the lustful.
Brothels and prostitutes lined the streets, from male to female, every type you could think of. You could spot them from a mile away, offering everything you could ever want.
Of course, the place had changed over ti. Thanks to modernization, it looked different now.
It was a strange blend of elegance and filth.
As I walked around, I tried not to get pulled in by the countless prostitutes eyeing like hungry wolves. So of them looked like they'd gladly fuck for free. Honestly, it was getting annoying.
Still, the person I ca to et was nowhere to be seen.
She was late.
But then, soone else caught my eye.
"Fuhahahahahaha! Now, all of you, kneel before my feet and revere !"
The voice was loud and haughty.
I knew that person all too well.
Isiliraiellyn Pantagruel.
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