Chương 35: Chapter 34

During the two hours of discussion, Lily and Rosa had become rather close. Not close in the sense that Rosa had completely forgotten who Lily was or why she was there, but close enough that Rosa had begun sharing things she normally kept hidden. Small worries, personal thoughts, and concerns that she would rarely speak about with someone she had only just met. One of those concerns was what would happen after Lily left. Rosa understood Lily's method. This identity was not meant to remain by her side permanently.

It existed for a specific purpose, for a specific situation. Once the banquet was over, once the problem was solved, Lily would return to being someone else. And that was what worried Rosa.

"The medicine should help within three days," Rosa said quietly.

"But what if someone invites me somewhere before then?" Lily looked at her. Rosa lowered her gaze.

"It always happens after gatherings like this. Someone will invite me to a picnic, a noble gathering, or some other event." She touched the corner of her face unconsciously.

"Normally, I would just go." She paused.

"But if my face is still like this..." Her voice became quieter.

"I don't know what I should do." Lily listened silently. Rosa was not worried about the illness itself. She was worried about the timing. The medicine would fix the problem eventually, but there was a period between now and then where she would still have to exist as herself. And that was the difficult part. Lily thought about the situation. There was a simple solution. Before she could respond, however, the door opened.

"Rosa, sweetie, are you alright?" Mrs. Roosevelt entered the room quickly, her expression filled with concern.

"Did that person hurt you?" Her voice immediately carried worry. However, the moment she stepped inside, she stopped. There were two versions of her daughter standing in front of her. For a brief moment, Mrs. Roosevelt stared. Two identical appearances. Two identical faces. Yet there was no hesitation. She immediately walked toward one of them. Her hands gently cupped Rosa's cheeks as she carefully examined her.

"Sweetie, are you alright?"

"Did she take anything from you?"

"A piece of your hair?"

"Did she draw blood?" Her eyes moved over her daughter anxiously.

"What happened?"

"Are you still the Rosa I know?"

"Are you still my daughter?" Rosa, who had been speaking with Lily only moments earlier, froze. She looked at her mother. Then she understood. Her mother had known immediately. Despite seeing two identical faces, Mrs. Roosevelt had never hesitated. She did not need proof. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She did not need to compare. She simply knew. Something inside Rosa tightened. Her eyes slowly became wet.

"Mom..." Her voice trembled. Then she moved forward and hugged her mother. Lily watched the scene quietly. She had expected suspicion. Fear. Questions. But seeing a mother recognize her child instantly, even when faced with an identical appearance, was something she had not expected. She looked away slightly. This was not a situation where she had any useful input. She was better suited for gathering information and solving problems, not standing in the middle of emotional family reunions.

A moment later, another person arrived. Mr. Roosevelt. He had followed after his wife, calling for her to wait, but the moment he entered the room, he stopped. His eyes moved across the scene. His wife was holding Rosa. The daughter he knew was crying in her arms. Then his gaze shifted toward the other woman. The woman he had brought earlier. The woman who looked almost exactly like his daughter. For a moment, he was stunned. The resemblance was far greater than he had expected.

If he had not known beforehand that there was another person in the room, he might have believed that something impossible had occurred. However... After observing her carefully, his expression changed. The appearance was the same. But the feeling was different. The way she looked at him. The way she carried herself. The subtle differences that could only be noticed by someone who had spent years with Rosa. She was not his daughter. Relief quietly appeared in his heart.

Because if this person could truly become Rosa completely... If she could replicate not only appearance but every detail of his daughter... Then she would have been an unimaginable threat. A disguise like that would be dangerous. But she could not. She could only copy the surface. Still... Seeing Rosa crying in his wife's arms caused anger to rise within him. He did not know what had happened in this room. He did not know what this woman had done. But he knew one thing. His daughter was upset.

And this woman was involved. His expression hardened as he stepped forward.

"What did you do to my daughter?" His voice carried authority. His anger had blinded him. If not for the strange instinctive feeling that appeared whenever he looked at "Nina", the feeling that made him hesitate and prevented him from immediately treating her as an enemy, he would have already ordered the guards to restrain her and taken her away for questioning. However, he still understood the situation. The person in front of him was the one he had brought here.

The one whose abilities would be necessary for the banquet later that day. He had no intention of truly harming her. This was only a warning. A way to pressure her into revealing whether she was a threat. A small test. He released only a minimal amount of magical pressure. It was not enough to injure an ordinary person. At most, it would make someone uncomfortable. A reminder. A demonstration of the difference in power between them. However... Lily's current body was not ordinary.

The System had created the body according to the identity she represented. A fragile body. A body that was constantly ill. A body where even simple physical strain could become exhausting. The pressure descended. Lily immediately felt the effect. Her body weakened. Her expression changed. Then she dropped to one knee. A cough escaped her mouth. Blood spilled onto the floor. Inside her mind, Lily immediately began cursing the System. Of all the things it needed to recreate... It had to recreate the weakness as well?

She did not even notice that the pressure had already disappeared. Mr. Roosevelt froze. That was not the reaction he expected. The amount of pressure he had used should not have caused this. Not even close. The moment he saw blood, his anger disappeared. Shock replaced it. Even Mrs. Roosevelt, who had been focused completely on Rosa, turned around. Her expression changed immediately.

"Are you serious?" Her voice became cold.

"She did not hurt Rosa."

"And you still did this?"

"You crossed a line." Mr. Roosevelt remained silent. He looked at Lily. Then at Rosa. Then back at Lily. The situation had changed completely. Meanwhile, Rosa had already reacted. She turned toward the door.

"Someone!" A maid immediately appeared.

"Bring a basin."

"Bring medicine."

"And hot water."

"Quickly." Rosa moved toward Lily, her expression filled with worry as she gathered several handkerchiefs to clean the blood. The room that had started as a simple conversation had suddenly become chaotic. And Lily, who had only intended to learn more about Rosa, found herself once again dealing with an unexpected situation.