Ashley stepped back into the physician's office just in time to see the doctor practically SPRINTING down the corridor like a man escaping death.
She blinked.
Then looked at Noel, who was sitting peacefully on the examination bed.
Ashley:
"You finished torturing him?" 😎
Noel:
"BUT I WAS JUST TALKING—!" 😤
Ashley:
"That's exactly what I'm talking about." 😑
Noel:
"YOU'RE SO MEAN!"
Ashley was about to respond when the door opened again.
Elda and Aaron walked into the room.
Ashley immediately turned toward Aaron.
Ashley:
"Aar—" 😶
But Aaron didn't even glance at her.
He walked straight past her, his attention fixed entirely on Noel.
Aaron:
"What did the doctor say?" 😐
Ashley froze.
Again?
HE'S IGNORING ME AGAIN?!
Meanwhile, Noel sat up straighter.
Noel:
"Uhm… he said after a week, I'll know my second gender." 😅
Aaron nodded thoughtfully.
Aaron:
"Hmm." 😐
He stood beside her, apparently satisfied that nothing serious had happened.
Elda, however, frowned.
Elda:
"But we all discovered ours at eighteen. She looks around twenty-three. So why did he say a week?" 🧐
Ashley crossed her arms.
Ashley:
"Probably because it wasn't detectable before. It'll take some days for her core to recover… and her mate-sense too." 😤
Noel immediately turned toward her.
Noel:
"Wait, wait, wait. What's mate-sense?"
Ashley:
"The ability to sense other people's secondary genders."
Noel:
"Ohhh!"
She nodded as though she'd understood everything.
She hadn't.
Not even remotely.
Noel (thought):
So basically, this world has built-in gender detection.
Cool.
Absolutely terrifying, but cool.
Elda:
"Ohh."
For a moment, the three royals seemed satisfied with the explanation.
Then—
Noel:
"Excuse me, guys?" 😅
Elda slowly turned toward her.
Elda:
"What now?" 😐
Noel:
"May I know your ages, please?"
All three stared at her.
Aaron:
"…Why?" 😐
Noel:
"Just curious!"
Elda answered first.
Elda:
"Twenty-five. Why?" 😐
Ashley immediately smirked.
Ashley:
"I'm older than you. I'm twenty-six."
She tilted her chin proudly.
Ashley:
"Call me sis." 😎
Elda:
"You're older than me by ONE YEAR."
Ashley:
"Exactly. Respect your elders." 😌
Elda:
"You're twenty-six, not sixty-two!"
Ashley:
"AGE IS AGE!"
Noel watched their argument with great interest.
Meanwhile, Aaron seemed to have stopped listening.
Aaron:
"Twenty-six? Why…"
He paused.
A memory crossed his mind.
His expression changed slightly, and he looked away.
Ashley noticed immediately.
Her smile faded.
Ashley:
"…You're the same as—"
She stopped.
Aaron ignored her again.
For a moment, the room became uncomfortably quiet.
Ashley lowered her eyes.
He still remembers.
Of course he remembers.
She clenched her fingers, forcing herself to maintain her usual expression.
She couldn't blame him for avoiding her.
Not when he had seen a future in which she betrayed him.
Still…
It hurt.
Elda:
"Anyway, why are you asking about our ages?" 😐
Noel stared at her.
Then at Ashley.
Then at Aaron.
Her expression slowly transformed.
Noel:
"What the—seriously?" 😶
Aaron:
"Noel, what happened?" 😐
Noel suddenly stood up.
She placed both hands on her hips and lifted her chin with the confidence of someone about to announce a royal decree.
Noel:
"From today onward, you three should call me sis." 😎
Silence.
Aaron:
"Huh?" 😐
Elda:
"Huh?" 😐
Ashley:
"HUH—WHY?!" 😶
Noel pointed at herself.
Noel:
"Because I'm older than all of you!" 😎
The three royals exchanged glances.
Then looked back at her.
Elda:
"Don't tell me you're twenty-seven." 😎
Ashley:
"I'm NOT calling someone only one year older than me—si—" 😤
She stopped herself.
Her mouth remained open.
Ashley:
"…Wait."
Noel's smile widened.
Noel:
"I'm thirty-two." 😎
THE ROOM FROZE.
Aaron: "…" 😶
Elda: "Huh…?" 😶
Ashley: "WHAT THE FISH—?!" 😱
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Aaron slowly looked Noel up and down.
Aaron:
"…You're thirty-two?" 😐
Noel:
"Yes!"
Aaron:
"You're sure?"
Noel:
"DO I LOOK LIKE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW HER OWN AGE?!" 😤
Aaron:
"Honestly? A little." 😑
Noel:
"YOU—!"
Elda leaned forward, studying Noel's face.
Elda:
"Wait. You look twenty-three at most."
Noel:
"THANK YOU!"
Elda:
"That wasn't a compliment. I'm trying to understand how you can look so young while being thirty-two."
Noel:
"GENETICS!"
Ashley:
"NO. NO WAY."
Ashley grabbed Noel by the shoulders.
Ashley:
"YOU'RE TELLING ME I'VE BEEN CALLING A THIRTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD WOMAN 'GIRL' THIS ENTIRE TIME?!"
Noel:
"Yes."
Ashley:
"AND I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP?!"
Noel:
"Several times."
Ashley:
"AND I CALLED YOU AN IDIOT?!"
Noel:
"Repeatedly."
Ashley released her shoulders and took three steps backward.
Ashley:
"…I need to sit down." 😵
Elda:
"You're already standing beside a chair."
Ashley:
"I NEED A BETTER CHAIR!"
Meanwhile, Aaron was staring at Noel with a strange expression.
Aaron:
"Wait… if you're thirty-two, then technically—"
Noel:
"Yes, little brother?" 😎
Aaron's mouth fell open.
Aaron:
"LITTLE BROTHER?!"
Noel:
"That's right. From now on, you will address me with the appropriate respect."
Aaron:
"YOU'RE IN MY KINGDOM!"
Noel:
"AND I'M OLDER THAN YOU!"
Aaron:
"I'M THE KING!"
Noel:
"AND I'M THIRTY-TWO!"
Aaron:
"THAT DOESN'T MAKE YOU ROYALTY!"
Noel:
"IT MAKES ME YOUR ELDER!"
Elda covered her face.
Ashley stared at the ceiling, questioning every decision that had led her to this moment.
And Aaron?
Aaron looked at Noel as though he'd just discovered the most dangerous creature in the entire kingdom.
Aaron (thought):
She's thirty-two.
She opened a gate I couldn't open.
She argues with me without fear.
And now she wants me to call her SIS?
He slowly turned toward Elda.
Aaron:
"Can we send her back to the future now?" 😐
Noel:
"I CAN HEAR YOU, LITTLE BROTHER!" 😤
Aaron:
"…I regret everything." 😶
To be continued...