[Trinity's POV]
I blinked before my brain started working again. I slapped her hands away and put distance between us. "I thought that you're a believer of the church."
Dorothy's face wrinkled. "Oh please! I'll believe whatever is convenient. I'll worship a vampire and fuck a werewolf if it saves my life."
My eyes closed shut when my veins pounded hard against my head. "That doesn't matter. First, tell me what ointment and creams you used and how much of it did you put on your skin."
"Why?" Dorothy frowned, and she took a step back. "Are you going to change me back?"
I sighed exaggeratedly into the ceiling. "Sooner or later, you will change back whether you like it or not. That thing you have on your face is not permanent. I have to know which ointment you used and the dosage so I can make the exact appearance you have now.
"And besides. Who knew when you'd grow animal features again? I have to cure it if you don't want the humans after you with pitchforks in their hands."
Dorothy's lips pressed tight. She looked at the side, and a sweat broke out on her face. "I . . . I don't know . . . I kinda' just . . . put everything on."
I was attacked with waves of nausea, and I almost fell to my knees. I regained my breathing and glared at her. "Didn't you know that there is a certain amount that you should put on your face and only at certain times even when you're taking medicine? You can't just . . . PASTE it all on your skin!"
Dorothy's lips puckered. "It's not my fault. It doesn't have instructions on it. It doesn't even have labels."
I massaged my temple. "You know what? It's fine. I'll figure it out."
I looked at her seriously in the eyes and asked, "Are you really willing to follow me? And do everything I tell you?"
I didn't have a choice. Killing her was not an option, neither does leaving her alone in here with her unstable appearance. My carelessness brought this event, and I was going to take responsibility for it.
I'll plan what I'll do with her in the future, but for now . . .
Dorothy returned my gaze and nodded her head. "Yes. To keep this beauty, I am willing to sacrifice my soul to a witch."
I gave her the side-eyes. "I don't take soul as payment. Just make sure that you seal your lips, do everything I tell you and pack your things. We won't be living here starting today."
----
"I can't believe this," Dorothy squealed, "Michael. THE Michael is going with us?!"
"Lower your voice and cover your face. Haven't I told you already why Michael will be coming with us?"
I told everything to Dorothy. It would make things easier and require fewer explanations in the future. Since I was planning to make her my sidekick, for the time being, it was important that she knew my goals and helped me achieve them, or else I'd rather turn her into a goat.
I wasn't worried about her spouting our secret since . . . she was Dorothy. Though she became beautiful, her character was the same. She had this uncanny ability that made everything she says as a joke.
Besides, even she told everyone about the Shadowfell, they would just laugh straight on her face.
But the woman was more excited about being with Michael than knowing the truth that he was the true Saintess.
"Yeah. Yeah. I know. Get Michael to become the Saintess and save the world from these shadowy things, right? Yeah, I know."
Did she really know? Didn't she know the dangers of their mission? Or was it because she wasn't exposed to the outside world to be this carefree?
But anyway . . . I plan to train her in combat from now on, and when she experienced her first-ever taste of danger, that was when I'd ask her again if she wanted to continue being with me.
"Are you sure you want to put Michael in the Saintess's position? I did tell you why he wanted to be a Saintess, right?"
Dorothy's smile fell into a scowl. "Honestly, all of this felt surreal. In one day, I became a beauty that could topple cities and found out that I had been living with a witch for more than five years. Not only that, I was told that the world I'm living in is about to end with the invasion of this little shadowy thing."
"Shadowfell," I corrected.
Dorothy didn't mind me and continued, "And then I suddenly found out that the man I love loved another and wanted to be the Saintess so he could marry her."
Dorothy pinched her still pointy chin, but this time, it went well with her small face and big eyes, and pouty lips. "Come to think of it. I'm rather remarkable myself for taking it all in."
Or you are just simple-minded. I thought.
Dorothy then extended her still flat chest and crossed her arms. "But I'm confident that I can get Michael to love me. As you said, putting him in the Saintess isn't going to happen overnight. It takes months, and within those months, I'm confident that I could make him fall in love with me."
I gave her the side-eye. "I wish you luck then."
As Dorothy was busy planning her future with Michael, I shifted my attention to the man himself, who was busy entertaining the ladies with his dimpled smile and fish.
We had no problem leaving town since he was mostly out of town anyway. And he told me that his pretend father was his late mother's most loyal servant. He served as his guard as well. The old man was named Ricardo, Ric, for short, and he would also be traveling with us.
Ric looked about fifty years old with a touch of dignified grey hairs and beard. He always wore a commoner's vest under a long-sleeve shirt and I knew the muscles filling out his frame that he was an experience fighter.
He must be a Knight before. I thought.
I bit my thumb and thought of our plan.
To get to Crown Prince Zen, there was only one fast way. To travel all the way to Venezia town in a month in time for their Spring's Harvest Festival, where the Crown Prince visits every year. It was also the time when he announced his engagement to Emerald Venezia.
Traveling from here to Venezia by carriage took roughly four days, but since the festival was still a month from now, I planned to stop by the town of Roselake and see if we could expand our list of allies.
I didn't know much about the human world, but I was sure that Earl Triton Roselake was on Prince Zen's side. I plan to use him to secure our meeting with the Crown Prince in Venezia.
But of course, it all depended on Michael's performance.
When our eyes met, Michael threw a wink at me. I just hoped that his noble blood would surface and take over him when we meet the Earl and the Prince. He needed to look dignified and act like a true gentleman when the time came.
----
A/N
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