Chapter 19 - Chapter 2.9: Twin Effect

𝟐.𝟗: Twin effect

Elysia's perspective

𝐈 felt every nerve in my body stiffen when the men finally noticed me.

Like something ripped straight out of a slow-mo movie scene, every single one of them turned to face me in near-perfect sync. 

Their reactions came at me in waves. 

Some of the knights looked genuinely baffled to see me, blinking in a mix of bewilderment and curiosity.

Others zeroed in on the tray I was clutching, their gazes silently analyzing it like starved predators.

A handful, after recognizing it was me, simply went back to their training as though I were nothing more than a passing breeze.

I wasn't used to attention. Never had been.

Even in my past life, where my job occasionally demanded charisma, I'd thrived better behind the scenes. One-on-one conversations were my sweet spot.

But public scrutiny?

A whole field of eyes on me like I was the only act on stage?

It always left my thoughts scrambled and my body trembling from head to toe. Like my fight-or-flight response had accidentally ordered both.

Still, despite the scream in my bones to spin around and make a break for it, I held my ground. Fear wasn't going to ruin this—not today.

I had one shot at this, and judging from the sudden magnetic pull of both Luke and Lucas' eyes toward me, the window was cracking open.

Luke's eyes were a murder scene. As expected.

His vermilion locks blazed under the sun, casting him in an almost demonic glow. If looks could kill, I'd be halfway to reincarnating again.

He scoffed so loudly that even from this distance, I heard the disdain in his voice.

"What the f☆ck is this girl doing now? Is she insane?" he muttered to Lucas, clearly not caring if I could hear or not.

Lucas didn't immediately respond. He just… stared.

His expression wasn't annoyed. Wasn't even surprised. Just unreadable. Those crimson eyes of his always held a certain detachment, like he saw more than he let on. 

After a moment, he let out a tired sigh and dropped the sword and shield in his hands. The clatter of metal meeting sand broke through the tension like a slow, metallic heartbeat.

Then he began walking toward me.

Deliberate steps. Unhurried. Focused.

I tightened my grip on the tray, trying not to let my hands shake too obviously.

When he was close enough that I didn't have to raise my voice, I offered a small smile and said, "I thought you all might be hungry… so I brought refreshments. Should I not have bothered?"

Lucas stopped in front of me, eyes flicking down to the tray of cherry pies before lifting to meet mine again. "Did you bake these yourself?"

The lump in my throat fought hard not to betray me. I swallowed it, lowering my eyes to the pastries. They had lost their heat. A shame. Pies like these deserved to be enjoyed piping hot, fresh from the oven.

"With help from my ladies-in-waiting, yes," I replied, lifting my gaze once more. "I gave them the instructions."

His expression shifted slightly. Curious. "Since when did you know how to bake?"

Crap.

That was a question I hadn't prepared for.

Cassandra had been a resident baker—everyone knew that--everyone being Winfred. Elysia, though? Not once in all the chapters of the original novel did she so much as whip cream, let alone bake a damn pie.

Not even after her arranged marriage to Thorne. Not even when raising their hellion of a child.

This wasn't in character. I was off-script.

Still, I couldn't afford to betray my inner panic.

I smiled brightly. "Well, I spent quite a bit of time in the library yesterday. Came across a few cookbooks. The cherry pie recipe stood out, so I thought I'd try it."

"Indeed?"

Dammit. He didn't sound convinced. Ugh. No wonder his character stats included perceptiveness. Should've targeted meathead Luke instead.

I forced a light laugh, praying to the gods above that it sounded natural. "I've been meaning to pick up a new hobby. Something useful. I figured you could help judge my progress?"

I gestured toward the tray.

Lucas said nothing for a moment, then picked up a pie. He took a bite, and I immediately watched his every micro-expression like a hawk, ready to apologize if he so much as blinked funny.

But… he didn't look displeased.

If anything, he looked pleased.

His brows rose. 

"This is surprising," he muttered after swallowing. "When most people follow a recipe from a book, the outcome's barely edible. But this tastes like it was prepared by someone with real skill."

Heat flooded my cheeks. I tried to remain composed, but the compliment hit harder than I expected. Contrary to what anyone would expect, I'd always been soft to praise. Especially from people who rarely gave it.

"You flatter me, Your Highness," I said, voice quieter. "Thank you. I'll keep practicing."

He nodded. Still unreadable. But something in his gaze lingered.

Then he turned to the sea of knights who'd been silently watching the entire exchange with eyes wide and jaws slack.

"The princess brought enough pies for everyone," he announced, voice firm. "You should all try some."

And just like that, the men surged forward like a pack of starved hounds.

In seconds, they descended on the tray, each grabbing one or two until only a single pie remained.

Luke's.

The said person hadn't moved the entire time. His arms were crossed, his eyes burning a hole through the scene as if trying to kill us with sheer willpower.

I was still reeling at how easily Lucas had diffused the tension, his presence alone enough to sway the knights. If he hadn't stepped in, most of them would've treated me like air.

I felt relieved… and a little grateful.

But that flicker of calm vanished the second Luke began to approach, his steps slow and deliberate, his expression carved from stone.

Every step he took made the sand quake in my mind. My muscles tensed, expecting an outburst or worse—a slap, a shove, a cruel jab. My heart pounded so loud I could barely hear my own thoughts.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Lucas subtly stepping in front of me. Just slightly. But enough to draw a line.

My chest tightened. I didn't have time to process what that meant before Luke was nose-to-nose with his twin.

"What the hell, Lucas?" he hissed. "What the f☆ck do you think you're doing right now?"

His fists were clenched, body trembling. But his eyes…

They were hurt.

Luke was livid, sure. But beneath the rage, I saw betrayal. A twin who expected loyalty and saw his brother siding with the enemy. Me.

"She made refreshments," Lucas said simply. "It would've been rude to waste them."

"F☆ck her refreshments!" Luke snarled. "This slu—"

But he didn't get to finish.

Lucas, with the precision of a seasoned ninja, snatched the final pie and shoved it straight into Luke's mouth mid-insult.

Luke's eyes widened like saucers.

Mine did too.

Lucas snorted. "Your face, Luke—it's like a chipmunk's."

A stunned silence followed.

Then, to my horror and amazement, Luke took a slow bite of the pie. Half fell to the ground, scattering like red-dusted crumbs over the sand. But he chewed.

And then… his scowl shifted.

For just a second, he looked like he enjoyed it.

He caught my eye and immediately reverted to a sneer. "Was she really the one who made this?"

Lucas, still chewing his own bite, nodded. "Allegedly. She claims the recipe came from a book."

Luke turned to me, narrowing his gaze. "This tastes way too good for you to have pulled off from reading. You forced your maids to do it and took the credit, didn't you?"

Ha.

This guy was really fighting for the "A-Hole of the Year" title, wasn't he?

Still… a backhanded compliment was still a compliment.

I bit back a grin. "I decided to pick up a new skill, brother. These pies are the beginning. I'd be honored if you two tried my future creations."

Lucas hummed. "So long as it's not poisoned, I suppose."

Luke growled. "Don't get ahead of yourself." He turned on his heel and stormed away, muttering under his breath.

His reaction wasn't surprising.

But giving up now? Yeah, not happening. Not when I'd just witnessed his affection score tick up—by eleven points.

I could throw a celebration. No, I should.

One for Lucas too. I doubt this would've gone half as well without his silent support.

I turned to him, holding the tray close and bowing low. "Thank you for today, Your Highness. I'm not deserving of your kindness."

He studied me for a long beat. "You asked us to give this a try. I'm just playing my part. Even if this leads nowhere… I want to say I tried. You should head back."

He returned to the training field without another word.

As I turned back toward the palace, I couldn't stop the dazed smile tugging at my lips.

Both princes' affection scores had increased in under an hour.

Luke by 11. And Lucas by 20.

His total now stood at 45.

Not bad for a first batch of cherry pies.