#146. Homecoming (3)
Gasp!
A startled intake of breath sounded right behind them.
Sasha, who already knew how much she resembled Naïna, kept her composure. But the others, unaware of this fact, couldn’t hide their shock.
“Is she a relative of Madam’s?”
“If not, how could anyone look so similar? Honestly, even sisters rarely look this alike.”
The murmurs grew louder until they reached Sasha’s ears.
She raised her voice on purpose and greeted the newcomer.
“Thank you for coming all this way, Miss Naïna. Oh, is it all right if I call you that?”
“…Yes.”
Naïna mumbled, dropping her gaze, her tone surprisingly shy for someone who’d been greeted first.
“If you’d prefer a different title, just let me know.”
Sasha offered gently, but Naïna only bit her lip.
Her face didn’t change dramatically, but Sasha didn’t miss the brief flash of irritation.
Is she displeased with my reaction?
She had half-expected this. Pavel hadn’t been completely forthright in his letters, but Sasha had pieced things together from context. By cross-checking Pavel’s messages with Igor’s reports and the note Nikolai had sent, it was obvious.
She seems to have her eyes on Pavel… So, of course, she wouldn’t like me, his wife.
It wasn’t the first time a woman had taken an interest in Pavel. But unlike before, Naïna had a unique “weapon”—she looked strikingly like Sasha herself.
Sasha didn’t believe for a second that Pavel would be swayed by such a thing, but—
Still, it’s hard not to be bothered by just how much she looks like me.
Sasha observed Naïna closely. It really was uncanny—almost like staring into a living mirror.
Up close, there were subtle differences. But at a glance, their features and aura were nearly identical.
She could feel the continued buzz behind her—everyone else clearly saw the resemblance too. Anyone would mistake them for the same person if they didn’t look twice.
…This could easily be used against me. I’ll have to be careful.
Just as Sasha was thinking this—
Whoosh!
“!”
The thin magical barrier Sasha always wore suddenly rippled.
Something just hit my shield.
She scanned her surroundings, but nothing seemed amiss. If anything obvious had been thrown, the knights would’ve reacted.
In that case…
She looked directly at the most suspicious person—Naïna. Their eyes met, both startled by something unexpected.
Naïna’s face showed clear surprise, as if she’d seen something she hadn’t intended.
“What did you just do?”
Sasha asked quietly.
“W-what do you mean?”
Naïna’s composure returned in an instant as she blinked innocently.
Was she really clueless, or just pretending? Sasha couldn’t quite tell.
She felt unsettled, but she couldn’t challenge or expel someone who’d returned from war a hero—and who now wore the title of “prophet.”
Besides, Sasha had already decided how she would treat Naïna, based on exchanges with Pavel.
“Maybe I was mistaken,” Sasha said lightly, smoothing things over. “I heard you’ll be staying at the castle for a while. Since we’ll be seeing each other often, let’s just greet each other for now and let you rest. Olga!”
“Yes, Madam.”
Olga, who’d been waiting nearby, came forward.
Sasha introduced them.
“This is Olga, the head maid. She’ll help you with anything you need.”
“Yes.”
Naïna looked Olga up and down, as if judging the value of an object, her gaze far from pleasant.
…That must have annoyed Olga, Sasha thought, so she made a deliberate motion with her arm to break Naïna’s stare.
When Naïna’s eyes moved from Olga to Sasha, Sasha gave her a gentle smile and continued the introductions.
“Olga, Miss Naïna will be staying with us for a while. Please show her to her room.”
“Understood.”
Olga bowed to Sasha, then addressed Naïna.
“This way, please.”
Sasha watched silently as Naïna followed Olga to the guest room.
Just as I thought, that first impression was less than ideal—for both of us, probably.
Sasha recalled Naïna’s attitude throughout the meeting.
She suspected Naïna might even be more hostile than she herself felt.
Was that magic just now? Sasha wondered.
In this life, Sasha’s own magical talent wasn’t great. Even after years of training, she’d never progressed much.
That hadn’t bothered her before, since there weren’t many powerful mages around who could threaten her.
But whoever had just rattled her shield was no ordinary mage.
A prophet and a mage, too?
Her suspicion of Naïna rose to its peak.
She knew almost nothing for certain about her. She’d already searched her memory palace, scoured for related information, even sent people to investigate—but found next to nothing.
That, if anything, only increased Sasha’s wariness.
So she’d decided to bring Naïna here—where Sasha and Pavel held the advantage. It was easier to gather information when the other party’s guard was down.
[I’ll watch her closely and report back right away. Don’t worry, Alexandra.]
Sasha’s most trusted informant—a mid-rank spirit—flew off to keep an eye on Naïna.
At least she could rest assured that Naïna couldn’t pull anything in the castle without being noticed.
Still, I can’t let my guard down. I need to figure her out quickly, Sasha resolved, her mind racing.
The welcome feast for the knights returning from war was held in the grand hall.
Ever since word of victory had reached them, preparations had been underway.
Sasha herself had worked with the chef to plan the menu, select the best ingredients and wine, and decorate the hall, taking suggestions from the staff.
It was such an important occasion, she’d checked everything over and over.
Even after arriving at the castle, Sasha’s first stop was the banquet hall.
She could hear the noise from a distance—the doors weren’t even fully shut, and laughter and voices spilled out.
Sasha peeked inside and was reassured by the festive atmosphere.
Knights, freshly bathed and dressed in comfortable clothes, filled the room with energy. Age, rank, and old friendships didn’t matter tonight; everyone mingled and talked, their faces cheerful.
Thank goodness.
With her worries about the event’s success gone, Sasha relaxed and scanned the hall.
The tables were heaped with food; the knights were eating and drinking to their hearts’ content.
“Wow, what is this? I’ve never tasted anything like it! Hey, Nikolai, try this!”
“What’s the name of this wine? I want to take some home.”
But not everyone was celebrating. In the far corner, Sasha noticed some figures hunched over. At first, she thought they were just sleeping, but then realized—they were crying.
There were only a few now, but she had a feeling more would join.
Of course. Not everyone made it back.
She thought of the knights whose numbers were now slightly fewer than when they’d left, of those still healing from wounds.
Sasha’s medicine would help the injured recover soon, but for those who had died in battle—only a brief funeral and a period of mourning awaited.
Dmitri’s funeral had been short and simple, but there would soon be a time to grieve for all the lost.
“Madam.”
Pulled from her thoughts by a familiar voice, Sasha turned.
“Olga.”
Olga had finished settling Naïna in.
But—
“Your face doesn’t look happy.”
Olga’s expression was tense, unable to hide her annoyance.
“I’m sorry for my sour mood, Madam.”
“No need to apologize for that. But what happened?”
At Sasha’s pointed question, Olga answered immediately.
“That woman! She’s sly and useless.”
“Why?”
“She dropped the mask as soon as we were alone. Didn’t even bother to hide her true face, talking to herself and everything. Do you know what she said, Madam?”
Sasha shook her head, and Olga continued, voice low and urgent.
“She had the nerve to complain about being given such a shabby room! She called it a pathetic attempt to show off.”
While Olga was seething, Sasha stayed calm.
“Really? She actually said that?”
“Yes! So arrogant, and the complaints just wouldn’t stop!”
Olga’s anger was all the greater because she knew how much care Sasha had put into preparing Naïna’s room. The guest rooms were always luxurious, but Naïna’s quarters were even more so—just shy of the Grand Duchess’s own bedroom.
And yet this woman dares to sneer at Madam’s hospitality?
Recalling Naïna inspecting the room with a sour face only made Olga angrier.
“How was the rest?”
At Sasha’s prompt, Olga thought for a moment before voicing her suspicion.
“Well… she seemed strangely familiar with the place.”
“Familiar, you say?”
