Chapter 52: Discovered?

I don’t know how long passed.

The sunlight outside the window had shifted from slanted golden threads to the blazing white of noon, spreading a large patch of dazzling light on the floor.

On the bed, two Celias lay sprawled side by side.

Both in identical poses—limbs splayed wide, silver hair scattered messily across the pillows, chests rising and falling faintly, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

Even their expressions were the same—cheeks flushed, tear stains still fresh at the corners of their eyes, lips slightly parted as if they didn’t have the strength to close them.

Onyxia sat on the edge of the bed, fully dressed, looking at her handiwork with satisfaction.

She reached out and poked the left Celia.

The left Celia trembled, letting out a weak whimper.

She reached out and poked the right Celia.

The right Celia also trembled, letting out the same weak whimper.

“So fun.”

Both Celias simultaneously glared at her with their last bit of strength.

But that look held no danger—it only made her want to bully them more.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

“Onyxia? Celia?”

The voice from outside carried a familiar tone—it was Olivia.

Onyxia’s tail shot straight up. ‘Why her?’

“Are you two awake?”

Olivia’s voice came through the door panel.

“Madame asked me to check on you. She said you haven’t come downstairs by noon and was worried something might be wrong.”

Onyxia took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound normal.

“Yep, we’re awake! We’ll be right down!”

As she spoke, she frantically signaled the two Celias with her eyes.

‘Dismiss the clone! Hurry, dismiss the clone!’

Celia understood what her gaze meant.

Her consciousness sank toward the System Panel.

Then she opened her eyes and shook her head in despair.

‘No strength. Not even enough strength to dismiss the clone.’

Onyxia’s face turned pale.

She didn’t want Olivia to know that Celia could split into two.

“Then open the door first,” Olivia’s voice rang out again, with a hint of suspicion.

“Why so long?”

“W-wait!”

Onyxia hurriedly shouted.

“I haven’t gotten dressed yet!”

There was a second of silence outside.

Then Olivia’s voice came again, this time with a knowing smile in her tone.

“Not dressed yet? Madame told me to personally see you two get up. Don’t tell me you’re still at it even at noon?”

“N-no!”

Onyxia was about to explain when she heard the doorknob turn.

click.

‘Damn, it’s not locked.’

She never locked the door at home.

After all, this was her own house.

No one ever came in without knocking.

The doorknob had already turned halfway.

Onyxia’s mind went blank.

Then her body moved faster than her consciousness.

She yanked up the blanket and shoved both Celias underneath it.

The blanket bulged into a large lump.

The two Celias squeezed inside, face to face, legs tangled, even their breaths intertwined.

“Don’t move!”

Onyxia ordered in a low voice.

Then she took a deep breath, tugged at her own disheveled pajamas, and tried to look normal.

The door opened.

Olivia poked her head in, scanning the room.

Her eyes finally landed on Onyxia sitting at the edge of the bed—and the extremely unnatural bulge of the blanket behind her.

“You’re already dressed. Where’s Celia? Why are you alone?”

“She… she’s not awake yet. Sleeping under the covers.”

“Sleeping?”

Olivia’s gaze returned to the bulging blanket.

That blanket—no matter how you looked at it, it didn’t seem like only one person was lying under it.

“Madame’s orders were to wake both of you up. Call her out.”

Under the blanket, the two Celias stiffened simultaneously.

They exchanged glances, seeing the same panic in each other’s eyes.

‘What now? Not respond? Olivia won’t leave. Respond? How?’

There was no choice.

Celia gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and tried to make her voice sound normal.

“I… I’m awake.”

Probably because it was their first time using a clone, both Celias spoke at the same time.

Their voices overlapped, like some eerie duet emerging from under the blanket.

Onyxia’s face instantly went pale.

Olivia’s face was full of surprise.

“I knew your voice would be hoarse after something like this, but no one told me you could produce an echo.”

Onyxia shot to her feet.

“Y-you misheard!”

“Misheard? Onyxia, you can’t doubt a Dragon’s hearing.”

She took a step forward.

“And—”

Her eyes went back to the bulging blanket.

“Your blanket is so lumpy, it doesn’t look like only one person is lying there. Fess up. What’s really going on with Celia?”

Celia took a deep breath.

She knew things had gone wrong.

She immediately poked her head out from under the blanket.

Her silver hair spilled down, her still-flushed face exposed to the noon sunlight.

“I… it’s nothing.”

Her voice was terribly hoarse.

Her eyes squinted against the sunlight.

She looked like someone who had been thoroughly tormented.

But Olivia only glanced at her before her gaze returned to the blanket lump—still bulging, clearly more than one person.

“Oh? Nothing?”

She took another step forward.

Onyxia immediately blocked her path.

“Stop right there!”

Olivia stopped.

Her smile deepened.

“Why are you so nervous?”

“I-I’m not nervous!”

“Not nervous, then why are you blocking me?”

“Because—because—”

Onyxia stuttered for ages without producing a reason.

Olivia didn’t bother to wait for her explanation.

She simply sidestepped, trying to go around Onyxia.

Onyxia immediately moved with her, continuing to block.

The two faced off like that—one advancing, one blocking—neither willing to yield.

The tension grew thicker.

Finally, Celia couldn’t hold back and shouted.

“I’m not dressed!!”

Olivia stopped moving.

She turned around, facing away from the bed.

“Fine. Get dressed first. We’ll talk after you’re done.”

Celia and Onyxia exchanged glances.

What now?

“What? Still not changing?”

Olivia continued.

“Or do you want me to help?”

“No!!”

Celia was already in despair.

The bedroom was only so big: the wardrobe in the corner, the door on the other side, the window at the foot of the bed.

There was nowhere to hide another person.

And Olivia was standing right in front, her back to the bed, but if she turned around, nothing could be hidden.

No choice.

Two silver heads emerged from under the blanket at the same time.

Onyxia looked at the left Celia, then the right Celia, then at the silhouette at the door.

She knew it was over—completely over.

No choice.

At least they could get Celia dressed first.

“Done yet?”

Olivia had run out of patience.

“Wait!”

“You have three minutes…”