Chapter 29 - Chapter 3.9: System Updates

𝟑.𝟗: System updates

𝐄lysia's chambers were cloaked in a soft hush, the kind that settled deep in your bones and made the world feel momentarily paused.

She lay sprawled on the massive four-poster bed, limbs limp, head tilted toward the high-vaulted ceiling like it held all the answers she didn't know she was asking.

The sheer canopy above stirred slightly with the breeze that filtered in from the open balcony doors, but her gaze didn't follow its movement.

Her mind was elsewhere—far, far away.

It had been hours since everything happened. The reunion. The missions. The apology.

Her thoughts were stuck in a spiral that refused to slow down.

The secret archives. The weight of that knowledge. The bloodline revelations that clung to her like a second skin. Then the collapsing—her world tilting, spinning, blanking out. King Zachary's voice breaking through the haze, tender and heavy with guilt. The physician's gentle touch, her soft-spoken diagnosis confirming she'd only passed out from emotional strain.

And the twins.

Her brothers.

Her… real family?

Elysia let out a shaky breath as she rolled over onto her side, drawing her knees up close in a quiet, protective curl. It was like her body instinctively folded in, curling around something fragile and raw.

She felt it.

Happiness.

Gentle. Unfamiliar. Real.

A warmth she didn't quite know how to hold.

Was it okay to feel like this?

To feel this... peaceful?

Things had moved so fast. Too fast. No time to stop, to think, to breathe.

She'd been thrown into a whirlwind of tension, survival, revelations—and now? Calm. Connection. Reconciliation.

Was it real? Could she trust it?

The words "my brothers" still felt strange in her head, like trying on a new pair of shoes that didn't quite fit but promised to one day.

Family.

Could she call them that?

Maybe it was too soon. Maybe it would always feel too soon.

But still…

There was a part of her—small and soft and aching—that whispered from the shadows: If it's just them... maybe I can make room. Maybe I can let myself believe this is real.

Maybe.

And then came the voice she'd long learned to obey. The one sharpened by years of fear and conditioning. The one that knew better.

Don't be stupid. You can't afford to trust people just because they've stopped hurting you. They're still men. And men still have the power to break you.

Elysia flinched inward at the thought, burying her face halfway into the pillow.

What was she supposed to do with these contradicting feelings?

She didn't have to answer that—because a soft, too-familiar voice interrupted her mental tug-of-war.

[ Host, congratulations on passing both your first side mission and your second main mission. ]

Elysia jolted, sitting upright in bed like a marionette yanked by invisible strings. "Winfred?"

The system interface bloomed before her in a soft red glow, and sure enough, her floating little light ball appeared, wings buzzing softly.

"Oh," she muttered, pushing her tangled hair out of her face. "I totally forgot about this part."

[ That would be expected, given the emotional turbulence. Would you like a detailed reward summary now? ]

She nodded, settling herself against the headboard as a faint holographic screen shimmered into view before her.

—

⪻ Side Mission ⪼ Uncover the hidden history of the Aerelion Family.

⪻ Mission Status ⪼ Cleared

⪻ Experience Earned ⪼ +30 EXP

⪻ Total EXP ⪼ 87 points out of 70 points required for Lv 3

[ ! ] Level Up: Lv 2 ➔ Lv 3

[ ! ] EXP Required for next level — 150

⪻ Current Level ⪼ 3

—

⪻ Side Mission Reward Tier ⪼ Class C

Loading. . .

[ Skill Unlocked: Whisperstep ] — Allows silent movement through palace hallways and quarters, reducing the chance of detection. Useful for nighttime explorations.

[ Inventory Item: Servant's Insight brooch (Low-Tier) ] — Allows you to overhear whispered conversations within a 10-meter radius if worn. Very handy for palace gossip and eavesdropping on schemes.

☉ Status: Added to inventory

—

A small brooch materialized before her, shaped like a dainty rose with an amethyst center. It shimmered briefly before fading into her inventory.

"I guess Christmas arrived early. I'm getting spoiled as f☆ck," she chuckled under her breath.

[ Take it all in stride, Host. ]

She smirked then. "Main mission next?"

[ Of course. ]

—

⪻ Main Mission ⪼ Increase Luke and Lucas' affection levels to 70+

⪻ Mission Status ⪼ Cleared

⪻ Experience Earned ⪼ +100 EXP

[ ! ] Bonus EXP for clearing the mission in time — +50 EXP

⪻ Total EXP ⪼ 237 points out of 150 points required for Lv 4

[ ! ] Level Up: Lv 3 ➔ Lv 4

[ ! ] EXP Required for next level — 265

⪻ Current Level ⪼ 4

—

⪻ Main Mission Reward Tier ⪼ Class B

Loading. . .

[ Potion Acquired: Elixir of Vitalis ] — A strength potion that restores energy and enhances stamina recovery after emotional or physical exhaustion.

☉ Status: +1 Added to inventory

—

A neat icon of a deep red vial shimmered into her inventory list.

Elysia smiled faintly.

"Perfect timing. I feel like I've just run three emotional marathons. The least the universe could do is give me this."

But Winfred wasn't done.

[ Introducing: System Update v1.6 — Host Economy Integration. ]

Elysia narrowed her eyes. "Wait. 'Economy'? What's that about?"

[ New Feature: Coins. Host has earned +10 coins as a bonus reward for mission success and emotional trauma! Congratulations. Coins will now be integrated into your system. ]

A metallic chime echoed and a small gold coin icon appeared in the corner of her vision.

"…I don't know whether to be impressed or scared."

[ It's good to keep your options open, Host. ]

She rubbed her temples. "Okay, wise guy. So what can I use these coins for?"

[ Items in the system shop, additional perks, random loot, access to new features—oh, speaking of features... there's one last update. ]

"Winfred—" she paused. Something in her tone shifted. Less chirpy. More smug.

A warning sign.

"…What did you do?"

The interface flickered.

And then the words appeared in bold:

[ New System Update: Affection Level Visibility has been restricted. To view character affection levels, coins must be spent. ]

Elysia stared at it, stunned.

She blinked once. Twice.

And then exploded. "YOU DID WHAT?!"

[ Precisely. Due to Host's rapid progress and tendency to 'overanalyze' affection bars, the system has now implemented a payment model. Emotional manipulation costs extra now, Host. ]

[ Affection levels are now locked behind a coin paywall. A minimum of 2 coins is required per individual profile access. ]

"You—you—fraud! You absolute capitalist trash heap!" she hissed, throwing a pillow at the empty air.

[ Language. There are minors present. ]

"YOU'RE the minor!"

"And you can't be serious! After all the emotional labor I've suffered through, you're putting up paywalls?!"

[ It is a standard system enhancement to encourage strategic use of emotional resources and currency. ]

"You're the emotional resource leech…" she grumbled, flopping back onto the rest of her pillows.

And just then, as though the universe wanted to test her further, the bedroom door creaked open.

Three elegant figures stepped in, graceful and unaware of the internal crisis blazing behind Elysia's wide eyes.

"Your Highness," Mira greeted softly, followed by Liliette's sweet curtsy and Seraphine's curt nod. "We've come to help you prepare for bed."

Elysia swallowed the scream she wanted to let out and forced her system to fade from view with a sharp mental swipe. It obeyed, but not before she caught a final glimpse:

Above the ladies' heads… blank space.

No color-coded bars. No glowing affection meters. Nothing.

Just blissful, infuriating, opacity.

"Wonderful," Elysia muttered to herself, rising stiffly from the bed like someone heading into battle. "I'm blind now. This is simply marvelous."

And so, with Winfred's smug silence in her ear and her mind screaming about hidden meters and locked affection levels, she allowed her ladies-in-waiting to guide her toward the dressing mirror.

"Long day, my lady?" Mira asked gently, brushing Elysia's silver hair with practiced ease.

"You have no idea," she mumbled back, eyes catching her own reflection.

She looked different now.

Still the same girl… but maybe, just maybe, a little stronger.

And maybe, just maybe... a little less alone.

—

As the ladies bowed and left Elysia's chambers for the night, Elysia leaned her head against the pillows and sighed.

She had a family again. Or at least—a complicated, fragile beginning of one.

She had passed three missions. She had tools, skills, and soon. . . magic.

But she was also navigating blind. Since her system had decided to become a shameless capitalist.

Still, despite the chaos and uncertainty…

For the first time in a long while, her chest didn't feel so heavy.

She smiled quietly to herself, eyes fluttering shut as the soft sound of maids humming in the distance lulled her into half-sleep. Just for tonight, she'd allow herself to feel it.

Peace.