"You should be very careful from here on out."
…
Manon blinked, her right brown eye squinting as she stared at Remy. But the boy didn't falter, though he wore a…subtle smile on his mouth.
"Do you trust this place, Manon?"
The use of her name made things uncomfortable. As was his intention. The brunette took one single step back as she watched Remy hold his hand behind his back, posture upright and perfect. Eyes glinting with the flickering of the lamp he stood next to.
"Of course not." She replied, checking Remy's AP again. It hadn't changed. It was still the same. He nodded in response, slowly blinking as if he expected her answer, a smile skewed into a frowning one.
"You see…" He came closer, making her back up another step as he spoke evenly. "Your fate was already decided the moment you came here with Colette." He said, eyes boring into hers. He looked as if he were going to say more- but Manon could tell from how his eyes shook, that he diverted, instead taking another approach.
"You should take off those earrings for now. If you want to change your fate, that is." He smiled, leaning back to halt Manon's steps. The girl's brows furrowed, her hand reaching up to touch the black pearl studs on her ears.
"Any particular reason that's more specific?" She asked, and she could see the AP above Remy's head flicker which made her hold her breath. The number went down. Just by 2. It had previously raised to 22, and now was back down to 20.
"Someone wants to save you." He shrugged, less amused now. It seems she hit a sore spot.
"Prince Antoni?" She inquired, making Remy snicker. It was as if he were reverting to whom she knew him to be right before her eyes, their previous rapport meaning nothing. But as soon as the expression came it went away, his expression settling into a stoic one.
"Would you trust me? I happen to like you a little bit." He said, tilting his head, arms crossed now. Manon's upper lip curled with distaste.
Could she? She found Remy and his information useful- but trust was another thing entirely. But it also seemed as though he definitely needed her to trust him for reasons beyond himself. Could she possibly use that to her advantage?
"Maybe I could. If you can look into something for me." She finally said after a beat, tilting her chin up. Remy's AP flickered again. 24. Interesting. The boy grinned, gesturing for her to continue.
Manon reached into her pocket and took out the wax seal she had peeled off of the scroll Colette showed her the other night. After a brief moment of hesitation, she handed it to Remy. The boy's fingers brushed her own as he took it, turning it between his fingertips. Manon could not see his eyes as he was hunched slightly now as he looked down.
"What house does this belong to?" She asked directly.
"....."
The silence was deafening as she waited for a response. It was clear that he knew. He knew very well.
But he didn't answer. He just laughed, shoulders shaking as he tried to be quiet. Manon grew frustrated, her brows furrowing again as she tapped her foot in impatience.
"Hello? Let me in on this joke?" She would have said more but was taken aback, as Remy looked up, literal tears in his eyes from his held back laughter, grey eyes shining with something like excitement and shock at the same time as he held the seal up to her.
[AP: 30]
"Oh Manon….you've given me something to work with, and for that I thank you." He put a hand on her shoulder, bringing the seal between his fingers to her brown eye.
"Listen very closely. I can't tell you exactly who this is. But what I can tell you is that it's the key to your survival…..even if it'll be a bit unpleasant." He said, tapping the pearl earring on her lobe with a single finger.
"So in the end, you want me to trust you without knowing anything." She said, shaking her head.
Remy nodded, his smile not faltering as he tucked the seal into his own pocket.
"I won't have you do anything crazy. Just 3 things. No running. No secret lair. No risking your life beyond what you will already have to do for this next test." He promised, holding up his pinky.
Well…what did she have to lose? He didn't say she couldn't tell Colette. And Colette would get her out of here anyways. If Remy was saying he would further help then it couldn't hurt, right? And she was sure she could beat him up if anything happened.
The girl reached forward and linked her pinky with his. A light flashed between them, bright and so quick she could have missed it if not for the static shock that made her wince. Remy acted as if it never occurred, hands crossed over his chest again as he leaned against the desk behind him.
"These are the 3 tasks I have for you. If you do not follow them, you will probably die. But don't ask me why. I can't answer you." He said seriously, his eyes darkening before he continued.
"1. Take off the earrings until you leave the noble orphanage. You will need them later. 2. After tonight's test, when the little fox is asleep, write in that little journal Colette gave you." He paused before stating the last request. "3…..Do not talk directly to any adults aside from your attendant until you leave the noble orphanage."
Aside from being weirded out that he knew about the journal, Manon thought all the tasks were in fact, simple.
"....Alright."
…
…
…
"What exactly did Remington pull you aside for?" Colette asked as they ate lunch, concerned.
They were eating in their rooms today, a table setup allowing them to eat comfortably without being fed by Maria and Clare, who were out at the moment preparing other things.
Colette's copper brows were furrowed, her expression conflicted as she watched Manon chew on a piece of steak. Manon shook her head.
"He said something about danger looming over me and to be careful. Made me promise to not wear the earrings until the adoption ends, write in my journal, and not talk to any adults besides the attendants." She answered, Colette's eyebrows rising with each item on the checklist. It was all trivial to the brunette. "I think Prince Antoni commissioned him to do it? I figured if we all have the same goal of my survival, it shouldn't matter." Manon added. Colette nodded slowly, picking at her meat.
"I'm sorry I can't be more helpful. That didn't happen in the game- or not to my knowledge at least." She sighed, but then suddenly became very serious. "I do have a plan though, and the prince should send for me after the adoption. I'll immediately have him adopt you into a lesser noble house close to mine, so that you don't have to get wrapped up in the main storyline anymore. I'm sure he already thought of this, though. At least the adoption part." Colette explained, eating her vegetables. She picked around the brussel sprouts though.
"I guess you're right. That sounds like the best idea." Manon nodded, and all the pieces began to fall together.
Remy hadn't even said to keep things secret from Colette- he probably just didn't want anything to happen with her adoption. After all, she would be adopted into a Ducal house, which would mean any connection to her is valuable. Manon smiled.
"Any specific houses you're thinking of?"
"Yes! 2 specifically. Baron Jackson and Viscount Petit. Both wealthy but lower nobles with little to no fief because they work directly under my soon to be adoptive father. So we will live within minutes of each other. It's safer that way." Colette said, making Manon nod.
Would she…have to live in this world forever? To hide from the main characters and avoid getting roped into things forever?
It was not her style. But more than that- she wanted to go home. She did not want to live here, as much as she missed the old friendship her and Colette had. There were things that…still bothered her.
Manon looked up as Colette cleared her throat. The ginger gave her a tight smile.
"Listen…I did a tarot reading last night because I couldn't sleep." She said, Manon raising both her eyebrows.
"Tarot? Like fortune telling?" Colette nodded.
"It's a feature in the game, a deck you sometimes find in Anya's room. But anyways…" She proceeded, telling Manon all about the reading. "It's indicated that you should…really fight against what the system wants you to do. We need to get you out of this world, right? So just like you fought back for the right to make your own choices, when the time comes, I think we need to have you fight for your right to return." Colette contemplated. "It told me that I need to make sure the story goes as planned. But you- yours is the opposite. That's why to protect you, until we get the chance to have you fight back- we need to keep you away from the prince, Remy, every love interest or things could spell disaster." She breathed.
Manon was…really touched. Colette had really given this so much thought, and she was truly beginning to see her side of things. Beyond her struggle for autonomy, Manon really wanted the ability to choose her own destiny and story- even if she were to play this game as intended. But after hearing what Colette had to say- she also thought that the best way for her to do that would be stepping away from the main story to begin with in order to avoid clashing with the system's desires.
"I think you're right. I really do. We'll find a way back for you too- even if I have to wait until you finish the storyline." Manon said, reaching for Colette's hand. The two girls wove their fingers together, grinning as another thread of their frayed friendship mended itself.
….
…
…
[Semifinal Trial: The Race]
[Objective: Escape the world behind the door before your opponent]
[Each child will face off against 1 other child]
[The two children will walk through the portal door one at a time, dropped to another location within 5KM of each other in the same area/world they are taken to.]
[The portal will open a third time to a location directly in between where the two children were dropped off]
[The children must use the clues provided to find their way to the door first]
[The first child to return wins the race]
Unfortunately, there was not much Colette could have done to prepare Manon for this test besides telling her exactly what the system said and what she remembered from the outside.
Much to her credit, Colette did say that Beckham and Remy both lost. She also told Manon that she remembered the brunette would enter a world that looked very white and Remy through one that was very black, and that they would end up finding the door somewhere that had both. This would hopefully prove very helpful.
According to Colette, the clues could be virtually anything, from lamps that flickered an unnatural light, to a trail of bread crumbs. It changed with every gameplay. So Manon also kept this in mind.
Something that made her uncomfortable though, was that they were always dressed like dolls for every activity and every occasion. Even now, the girls wore frilly white and black dresses while the boys wore frilly shirts and trousers in the same colors. Manon and Remy in White and Colette and Beckham in black. It was unsettling.
Sir Lionel was not to be present for this round, for an unknown reason. It meant only Sister Anya, Maria, and that ogre nun Manon did not like were currently overseeing the children.
To Manon's acute surprise, the very portal door that was being used was the one Colette had shown her before- the one that led to beautiful green grassy fields with flowers and a stream over the hill.
But right now- that scene could not be found as Maria opened the door after Anya's direction.
There were no grassy green fields and a bright blue skyline.
There was only a dreary, murky, disgusting smelling swamp that even Shrek would be jealous of.
Manon plugged her nose, staring at Colette who did not look excited but didn't seem shocked either.
Anya turned to the children from their left, grinning widely as she gestured to the doorway.
"Colette and Beckham. You'll be up first."