Chapter 173: Enraptured

When did my affection and obsession for Lord Claude begin?

I'm pretty sure it started during that ball years ago when I met him for the first time.

As the daughter of the Dakuaikan family, I was naturally invited to the ball where great nobles gather to socialize. I was there not just for my debut at high society but also to socialize and form connections with other children of the great nobles, whether they are children of Thirteen Night Blades members or not.

"Make connections with the other children, Eliza. This will be your first step towards leading the next generation of the Thirteen Night Blades after all." Said my father back then, encouraging me to socialize with the children who would become my pawns in the future.

I did as I was told and socialized with my future pawns. Many of them quickly tried to curry favors with me, knowing I'm the daughter of house Dakuaikan, the family that ruled over Midgar Kingdom from the shadows.

But there was only one boy who did not curry favors with me and instead spoke to me as if he was my equal, Lord Claude himself.

He was polite and charming. Even I have to admit that I was… enraptured by his handsomeness. But even if he's the son of a Duke, I can't stand being treated as an equal. Me, who will rule over Midgar in the future, being someone's equal? Absurd!

So I conversed with him politely, trying to get close to him in order to perhaps find out his weakness. Then I can safely assert my dominance over him and turn him into just another pawn of mine. A handsome pawn but a pawn nonetheless.

"Ah. It seems that the waltz has started. May I have this dance, my lady?" But it was difficult to do that when he's dominating our entire interaction like that! I found myself falling deeper and deeper into his… No! I musn't fall! That was what I thought at the time we were dancing.

After the dance, he invited me to the balcony where we could converse more privately. He complimented my beauty but at the same time I was complimenting his own beauty in my heart.

Then… he lifted my chin in order to make sure my attention is at him and him alone. I gazed upon his beautiful blue eyes… or was it red? I didn't remember… All I can remember was that… I fell in love right then and there. My past self would've thought "How dare this boy assert his dominance over me like this! How humiliating!" but the me who gazed upon his beautiful eyes… could not even form a single coherent thought let alone words, be it in protest or wanting to go further. In fact, I was expecting a kiss. A kiss! But of course he didn't give me what I wanted and released me from his grasp.

The moment he released my chin, I let go of the breath I didn't even know I was holding. He complimented me one last time and excused himself, leaving me alone and in yearning.

Ever since then, I swore that one day I would make him mine and mine alone.

When I heard that he was considered to be one of Princess Alexia's suitors, I was furious. But thankfully, the princess herself didn't act on it and instead made excuses to avoid interacting with him. In fact, she would later date a lowborn son of a baron. What poor taste she has. But it's good that she couldn't see his charms. A princess would be a difficult opponent to deal with even for me.

In school, I tried to interact with him but he treated me the way he treated everyone else. Why, Lord Claude!? Why did you treat me the way you treated these lesser beings? Why won't you be mine?

And then his betrothal to Princess Iris was announced. I was even more furious, that's why I supported father's efforts to take over the throne wholeheartedly. I would have that red haired bitch executed or sold to slavery and have Lord Claude all to myself.

But then, that bitch Christina Hope just had to get close to him. She even got into first name basis with him. Even I was still addressed as Miss Dakuaikan by him! It's not fair!

Using my connections, I easily removed her from the picture but I wasn't satisfied. And so I tortured her, reminding her of her mistake with each pain I gave her with my torture tools.

One night, when I was about to torment her one last time before letting my subordinates have their way with her, Lord Claude came. Probably for her but… I will use my charms to remind him of my beauty. If that doesn't work, I still have a trump card. With the aid of the pair of Artifacts that the Cult supplied me, I will finally make him mine!

I can already imagine locking him in my room, binding him on a chair and making him beg for my touch. Ohh… how intoxicating!

Now… Lord Claude. Now that you've released that bitch, no one will get in the way anymore. Put on this amulet and let me control you. Let me own you! Let me…

"Heh heh heh. You think such a toy would work on me? You underestimated me greatly, Eliza." Ah! He called me by my first name!

Ahh… He's gazing at me once again with those cold and beautiful red eyes. It's somewhat scary but… he's finally turning his attention to me and no one else! I drowned under his gaze completely and was unable to assert any control over him despite me possessing the Master Amulet and him wearing the Slave Amulet.

"This is not exactly part of the plan but… Shit already happened and so I need to disappear from the public eye for awhile. The main body will take care of the rest." He said things that I was unable to understand but I didn't care… because right now, I belong to him!

"Now. Let us escape together, shall we?" He said as he carried me in a princess carry! Ahh! I'm in total bliss! No longer could I think of making him my slave… for he has already turned me into his slave! Ohh… Lord Claude! I belong to you! Now and forever!

After escaping with Eliza from Count Oyano's mansion, I didn't immediately hand over myself to the Thirteen Night Blades. That would be absurd and the main body would've been mad at me for doing that while he's busy with his schemes for Oriana Kingdom.

And so I hid with Eliza in the undead infested labyrinth underneath the royal capital, the very same labyrinth where the main body went to in search of Rose Oriana alongside Alexia and Natsume Kafka, while waiting for the main body to arrive and give me some instructions.

The German Lich has been revived and upgraded to become more powerful. He's currently standing guard in his boss room next door, making sure no one could discover us.

In order to keep her quiet and compliant, I did put her under hypnosis… but I didn't expect Eliza to be such a horny and slutty masochist though, constantly trying to seduce me or get me to punish her. Every time she gets like that, I had to put her to sleep using hypnosis… though the way she moans even in her sleep suggests that she's having a lewd dream. Dear me. I feel like I've become an incubus without meaning to.

"Clone." I hear the voice of the one I've been waiting for, the main body, dressed in his Necromancer garb. For some reason, he's even more intimidating than usual.

"A-About time you arrive, main body." I say to him, trying to conceal how much I am intimidated by him.

"I've been busy."

"So I've heard. Your victory in Oriana must've been glorious."

"Indeed it was. But you have much explaining to do." He says as he turns his gaze on Eliza, who's currently sleeping on the bed, grinning and moaning from having lewd dreams.

"Didn't think you're into her, Clone."

"Hey hey! That would imply that you're into her as well! Remember that we have the same taste!" Although you get to hoard Sherry all to yourself thanks to being the main body.

"Perhaps so. But anyway, what's your plan now?"

"I was actually expecting YOU to tell me. I'm not as smart as you, after all."

"Ah. That's right. I have not imbued you with a soul, and thus you're still operating with artificial intelligence, though far more advanced than the ones I used on my undead minions." Even as a clone, I still didn't like it when he gazes upon me like a lesser being like that, like he's better than me. Luckily he quickly averts his gaze as he returns to his mind palace, cooking some scheme in his head.

"Letting you pretend to be brain washed and meet the Thirteen Night Blades is not a good idea as they may force you to fight in the civil war on the Thirteen Night Blades side. That would ruin the image of Claude Normann greatly, even with brain washing as an excuse. The image of Claude Normann must remain immaculate and thus, you must stay here." He continues. I also thought the same, which was why I chose to hide here.

"What should I do with her?" I ask him while pointing at the sleeping slut in the bed.

"She will have her uses later. Keep her here for a while." Shit. I was hoping we could dispose of her immediately so I don't have to deal with this slut anymore.

"V-Very well, main body. Let me know when you're ready to execute your evil plans."

"Indeed I shall. Heh heh heh." He simply chuckles before leaving the room.

"Lich. Continue guarding them." I hear him ordering the German Lich, who's standing guard outside.

"Jawohl, mein Herr!" The Lich replies in German while doing a salute. It would've been funny if he does the Nazi salute and address the main body as mein Führer. Even funnier if he says mein Failüre like in those Hitler Rants Parodies.

The Lich is certainly more expressive than I thought he would when I first met him. He said that he has been imbued with a soul ever since the main body discovered how to do so, whereas I… am still functioning with an artificial intelligence…

Hmph. Why do I care? I'm merely a clone, here to fulfill my function as his tool.

I need not think of anything else.

The clone intentionally falling for Eliza's trap is quite unexpected but it sort of presents a fun little opportunity. With both Shadow and Claude gone, I bet the whole kingdom would be shaken if I were to show up in public.

But before I could cook up some plans to set up the perfect stage for it, I was immediately greeted by a worried Sherry the moment I teleported back to my main base in Everick.

"Claude! Where have you been!?" She says as she immediately tackles me and hugs me tight, not wanting to let go.

"Did some things in another world. Remember Thanatos? I defeated him and now his powers are mine." I reply nonchalantly.

"Is that so? You didn't do anything with that vixen while you were there, didn't you?" As usual, she's jealous.

"Of course not."

"Good. Otherwise I would need to kill that slutty fox. But anyway, what's your plan for Midgar now?" She asks with a slight frown. Ah, she must've heard about the clone being captured by Eliza. Even though it's just a clone…

"I do plan to appear in public at least once, in order to remind everyone who is the master of their fates. But I need not do anything else. The killer clown will take care of the Thirteen Night Blades for me. Once they're out of the picture, I'm sure Fenrir will be forced to act more openly… and then I can finally confront my former boss."

"Why the extra steps, Claude? You can kill them all in one fell swoop, can't you? You already know where they keep the hand after all."

"Where's the fun in that? I want to make him think he has a hope of victory, only for me to crush it in an instant, just like I did Mordred." She didn't smile. My little villainess still didn't understand the fun of being evil it seems. To her every evil deed done is just a necessity, not entertainment. But I guess I can use her jealousy and hatred to make her enjoy being evil, even if just a little. Heh heh heh.

"Soon you shall be sent to the battlefield. But remember… don't touch Iris Midgar. As you know, she's an important asset for my plans." I whisper in her ears. Through the close contact between our bodies, I can tell that she's shaken the moment I mention Iris' name. I've always known that she's actually quite angry about my plans to marry the first princess but relented due to her inability to argue with my plans or to concoct a better one.

"Yes… As you say… Claude." She replies in a subdued voice, trying her best to suppress her anger.

I bet she will disregard my words just now and I shall watch the results later. Shall I prepare a pop corn? Because I bet this will be entertaining. Heh heh heh.

Claude…

Are you still alive? Are you safe?

Where are you? Why haven't the Thirteen Night Blades parade you around if they've truly captured you? Why haven't you shown yourself?

I'm hopeless without you. In my pursuit of martial prowess, I've neglected the delicate art of politics, something that my sister actually excelled at more than me, which made me slightly envious of her. Even more so when my lack of political skills made me lose my place as the rightful heir to the throne.

And so, in your absence, I can only do what I do best, which is fighting.

I fought the forces of the Thirteen Night Blades on the front lines, wielding the Artifact which grants me destructive powers to slaughter many of my own countrymen. I used to be hesitant about wielding it, especially against my own people like this… but now I'm desperate enough that I've conquered that inner demon of mine. They are no longer my people… they are the enemy now.

Everytime I captured an enemy fortress, I ordered the Crimson Order to immediately search for Claude in the fortress, hoping that he's there. But so far, I couldn't find him.

All this hopeless fighting… How long must I endure this?

"Your highness! Report! A company of undead forces has been sighted approaching the fortess!" My thoughts are broken by a Crimson Order member reporting me about enemy movements. A battle is about to occur even though we just finished taking a fortress…

So Necromancer has come for my kingdom after taking over Oriana. Without Claude… can I really…?

"Your highness?" Ah… What am I thinking? Now is not the time to despair. No matter what happens, I must fight for the sake of my kingdom.

"Prepare for battle."

Author's Note:

So the clone returns and is hiding with a horny Eliza. Meanwhile Sherry is being yandere.

Masterboy: Nice.

Answer: Thanks.