Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win-Chapter 82: Date a Live [2]

Akamir blinked slowly.

"All right," he muttered. "That’s... definitely weird."

Inara slowly opened her eyes as a faint smile formed on her lips. "I told you it would be."

"But," he said, tilting his head, "not laughable. Just strange. Is this magic?"

Inara knelt and stretched out her hand.

A little hedgehog toddled over and nudged against her fingers.

"I don’t know what it is exactly," she said.

"It started when I was a child. Animals... just come to me. They’re not scared. I don’t call them, not really. They just know."

"That’s not normal," Akamir said, his eyes narrowing slightly with curiosity. "Do you control them?"

"No. That’s the thing. I can’t. They come if they want to. Leave if they want to." She looked at him.

"But they never hurt me. Even wolves. Even the wildest ones."

One of the rabbits hopped near Akamir and sniffed at his boot before darting back toward Inara’s feet.

"So," he said slowly, "you’re like some kind of forest princess."

"I am a princess."

"You know what I mean."

Inara smiled. "It’s why I brought you here. I’ve never shown anyone else. Not since the maid incident."

Akamir looked around at the sea of tiny creatures. "Not even your family?"

"Especially not my family."

He nodded once. "So why me?"

"I don’t know." She looked at him quietly. "Maybe because you don’t look at me like I’m fragile. Or broken. You don’t flatter me. Or try to use me."

Akamir didn’t answer right away.

He just stared at her as the breeze picked up, ruffling the folds of her dress and the fur of the animals around her. freewebnσvel.cѳm

She looked like a part of the forest herself, like someone born from the wild.

"I don’t flatter people because I hate being flattered myself," he said finally. "And I’ve never liked being used. So maybe I’m just selfish."

"Selfish people don’t sit on benches and listen when someone tells sad stories about poisoned tea."

Akamir gave a half-smile. "Maybe I was just bored."

"You’re terrible at taking compliments."

"I am charming then?"

"No."

"...Thought I’d try."

She gave him a smile... something that hinted she was lying.

Akamir rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But... what really is your ability?"

Nayomi, who floated beside him, moved closer to Inara as she inspected her.

"It’s Akira’s skill," she finally concluded, looking at him. "It’s her bloodline ability."

Akamir frowned. ’What, how?’

Wasn’t the last member of his family dead?

Just to be sure, he proposed the idea to Inara.

"Say, what if it’s your bloodline ability?" he asked, looking at her. "The same one that the founding ancestor of Krivos Kingdom had?"

Inara gave him a weird look.

"Didn’t I tell you, his bloodline is already dead?" she replied, tilting her head. "How could I have inherited it?"

"He had a lot of children, didn’t he?" Akamir replied, trying to find a reason.

"What if one of his children moved to Lythanis Kingdom? Maybe it was your mother’s side that gave you the bloodline ability?"

Inara looked at him, puzzled. "My mother’s side...?"

Akamir nodded in response. "I do think that it’s highly possible."

Nayomi leaned away from Inara as she moved towards him.

"I am sure it’s Akira’s skill," she replied confidently. "Somehow she inherited it."

Akamir nodded silently as he stood up, slowly walking towards Inara, careful not to startle the animals.

He looked into her eyes. "If you have Akira’s blood... that’s not a small thing, Inara."

She smiled softly. "I know, but I was expecting something else."

Akamir tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"I was hoping it was a skill like my idol," she replied with a bright smile. "I wanted to be like her."

Akamir’s interest spiked up in an instant. "And who is your idol?"

"Empress Seraphina Lilith Sylvan," she replied, looking at him. "She is the current ruler of the elves."

Akamir blinked. "The Seraphina Lilith Sylvan?"

Inara nodded, her eyes lighting up. "You’ve heard of her?"

"I have no idea," Akamir replied, slowly sitting down close to the flock of animals. "Tell me about her."

I hope no snake bites my ass, he thought, keeping an eye out for small snakes.

"She can control an entire battlefield with a single word," Inara said with a dreamy look.

"And she doesn’t just fight. She makes even her enemies respect her. She’s everything I wanted to be growing up."

Akamir raised an eyebrow. "That’s a pretty high standard."

"I know." Inara chuckled. "But she’s the only one I ever looked up to. When things were hard at the palace... when I felt invisible or unwanted, I’d imagine what she’d do."

"And what would she do?"

"Smile like she wasn’t afraid. Walk like she belonged. Speak like her words were law." Inara sighed softly. "She’s powerful in every way that matters."

"She sounds like she is too good to be true."

"She is," Inara smiled softly. "That’s why she is cursed."

Akamir tilted his head. "What?"

"People say if anyone, no matter the race or gender, sees her face, they will immediately be bewitched by her,"

Inara explained, looking at him. "Once you see her, you will be her slave for eternity."

Akamir blinked slowly, processing her words. "That... sounds like a fairy tale."

Inara gave a small shrug. "It’s true. My old tutor used to say even kings lowered their eyes when she walked past."

He whistled low. "Damn."

"I used to practice in front of a mirror," Inara said, almost shyly.

"Trying to copy her posture. Her voice. I’d even pretend to command armies."

She laughed at herself. "I was probably the least terrifying little general you’ve ever seen."

"I don’t know," Akamir said, smirking. "The hedgehog army looks pretty loyal."

As if on cue, the hedgehog by Inara’s foot sneezed and waddled in a small circle.

Inara grinned. "Make your own army and we fight a war, the winner will be the dominant one in our relationship."

Akamir’s first thought was the army of mimickers that he had, ready to kill anyone or anything at his command.

"...Yeah." He mumbled with an awkward smile. "Let’s not do that."

"Scared, pretty boy?"

"No," he replied, standing up. "I just don’t want to lose my fiancée for such petty reasons."

Inara laughed softly as she whispered something once again.

The small animals quickly ran away, and within seconds the place was once again empty.

Akamir turned around. "We should head back—"

"Wait," Inara said, grabbing his arm. "I want to show you one last thing."

Akamir tilted his head in confusion as she took a step back.

"Inara—?"

His words died down as she grabbed her frock from her waist and raised her hand, taking them off.

...What is she doing?

Akamir wondered, looking at her bare pale white skin.

The only thing that covered her private parts was a sky-blue bikini.

Akamir froze.

He wasn’t sure where to look—his eyes darted to the trees, then the grass, then the sky.

Anywhere but directly at her.

Inara stood there without shame, her expression calm, almost serene.

"I’m not doing this to seduce you," she said softly, almost reading his thoughts. "It’s a part of the story."

’Fuck it.’

He looked directly at her. "I highly doubt you aren’t."

She just smiled and grabbed his fingers with both her hands.

"Come with me."

Akamir let her drag him closer to the water.

He looked past her at the river; it wasn’t too deep but definitely deep.

Akamir looked back at her. "Are you trying to drown me or something?"

Inara stepped into the water, the surface rippling gently around her ankles.

Akamir followed slowly, the coolness of the stream biting at his skin.

He was still trying to figure out what exactly she was doing—if this was some kind of test, or just another layer of the strange day she had given him.

Then he saw it.

Her legs changing their shape.

Akamir blinked.

Her pale legs, delicate and slim, were slowly fusing together.

The skin turned glossy and iridescent, like silver-blue glass catching the sun.

Scales shimmered where her knees used to be.

Fins unfurled from the sides of her hips, soft and elegant like silk drifting through water.

The water around him stirred again, brushing up against his calf.

Inara touched him with what used to be her legs.

For the first time in a long while, Akamir was in true shock.

"...No way in hell."

He mumbled, looking at her smiling face.

"You’re a mermaid?"