Taming The Villainesses

(EP-317.2) Destined Rivals #3

317 – The Twins Are Destined Rivals #3

“What? Playing card games… without me knowing? Sir Theo, is that true? When did this happen?”

An arrow flying at me all of a sudden? I glanced at Narmi who’s mouthing something. She was probably asking me to cover for her.

“Well, um, it was recently. During our trip to the wall, we stayed at various inns. It happened then.”

“You never told me anything about that. You promised to tell me everything.”

I was screwed. I couldn’t understand how the conversation had taken such a turn, but if this continued, things would get much worse. Just then, Narmi jumped in to help me.

“Why do I have to tell you everything we did together?”

“Because we shared the same body! Don’t you remember how I would take care of you and heal you if you ate something bad or got hurt somewhere? There were so many injuries you didn’t tell me that I’m surprised.”

Narmi frowned, looking offended by Mirna’s attitude that seems to be blaming her.

She looked on the verge of tears from frustration and indignation.

“So, what you’re saying is that you never trusted me! Fine then! Now that we’re separated, you won’t have to deal with those surprises anymore!”

With that, Narmi’s tirade ended.

Seeing her sulking, Mirna seemed at a loss for words. Eventually, she turned to me and asked, “Shouldn’t I be the one angry here? Don’t you agree, Sir Theo?”

At that moment, I remembered a saying. Reconciling two women was harder than unifying a continent. I thought it was a joke, but maybe conquering a continent would be easier.

I could only admit it.

* * *

Regardless of the squabble, the investigation of the cave had to continue.

Work and personal life.

It was better to keep them strictly separate, both for efficiency and survival. Narmi and Mirna seemed to know that as well.

The sisters, who moments ago had been at each other’s throats, were now sharing their observations of the murals and carvings around them.

“There are words written here in ancient language. Let’s see…, ‘This is the cave of the enlightened. For those who seek guidance, face your reflection on the water.’ What could it mean?”

I pondered over Mirna’s question, but before I could respond, Narmi, who had been silently listening by my side, interjected.

“It’s not ‘water,’ it’s ‘mirror.’ Doesn’t she know that ‘ektul’ means mirror in ancient language? Theo, tell Unnie that her interpretation is wrong.”

“That’s what she says.”

“But contextually, it makes more sense to interpret it as water, not a mirror. Water was often used as a metaphorical tool by the ancients.”

“That’s what she says, too.”

Caught between the twins, I felt like a translator. I wondered why they insisted on going through me when they could just talk to each other directly.

Still, both were diligently working to uncover the secrets of the cave. Their investigation eventually led to a stone door with a red orb in the center, resembling a button.

Creak, groan.

As Mirna pressed the orb, she said.

“A sealed door. It seems to have been untouched for a very long time. I can’t say for certain, but it’s ancient. However, it doesn’t work.”

“Can’t say for certain? I can tell at a glance that it hasn’t been opened for over a millennium. It’s the sealing technique of the ancient fairy kingdom—tell Unnie that.”

My patience began to fray.

So I clapped my hands together loudly on purpose. Both Mirna and Narmi looked at me in surprise.

“Let’s act like adults. How long do you expect me to keep playing along with this back-and-forth? Stop bickering and make peace, and decide whether we can pass through this sealed door.”

They blinked at me in silence.

But they must have felt that I was right, as they awkwardly turned their heads away, making sounds like “hmph” or “huh.”

Watching them, a recent realization crossed my mind.

Whether dealing with men or women, success depends on how you handle the situation. Especially if I’m pursuing a royal harem, it would be ridiculous if I couldn’t even manage women’s relationships.

I need to handle things properly.

Buzz.

At that moment, I felt a vibration from Marmar’s tail coiled around my wrist.

This meant Marmar was contacting me. Leaving the awkward sisters behind, I turned my attention to the incoming call.

「Marmar, what’s going on?」

「Nothing major, but we found this weird sealed door while moving forward! It looks like an incredibly old seal. I was wondering how things were on your side!」

「A sealed door? What did Professor Stella say?」

「She says it’s a door that hasn’t been touched by humans for a long time! We tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. She mentioned there might be a button somewhere that needs to be activated at the same time.」

A door that wouldn’t open.

A button that had to be activated simultaneously.

「Does the door have an orb-like button in the center?」

I asked Marmar about the shape of the stone door. Her response was surprisingly identical to the one in our location.

「Yes! A blue orb!」

A red orb here, a blue orb there.

Twin doors that had to be opened simultaneously.

With no better options, we decided to test it. We would press the orb-like buttons in the center of our respective doors at the same time.

One, two, three.

Creak.

Clunk, grind.

Then, a strange noise came from the sealed door, which had not reacted until now. It felt like various mechanisms were moving. Just as I started to feel tension—

Kugugugugugugu-.

The cave began to shake.

“What—!?”

“What’s happening!?”

Narmi and Mirna exclaimed in shock.

Soon, we witnessed the massive stone door grinding upward. But more important was what lay beyond it.

A fairly large and spacious area. And at its center sat a peculiar, red-hued statue sitting cross-legged.

It looked like an Asura with terrifyingly protruding fangs, an axe in its hand, and four heads

As an unsettling feeling crept over me, it was Mirna who reacted first.

“T-That’s….”