The king rose from his throne.
The moment he stood, the pressure in the hall doubled.
His steps were slow, unhurried, echoing as he descended the short set of stairs. He didn't approach her immediately—he circled instead, hands clasped behind his back, eyes never leaving her for long. It felt deliberate, like a predator inspecting prey it had already bought.
"You know," King Aren began casually, "you were very expensive."
He stopped in front of her, looking down as though she were an object placed at his feet.
"So expensive that I actually wondered what could possibly justify such a price."
He chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"I kept reading. Page after page. Record after record."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "Then I saw it."
He turned away again, pacing.
"Class S threat."
He laughed this time—openly.
"I'll be honest, I was confused. How could a little girl be classified as a Class S threat?" He gestured vaguely toward her with one hand. "You don't look like much. No army. No title. No kingdom behind you."
He stopped walking.
"But then I continued reading."
The hall went quiet.
"And that's when I saw it."
He turned back to her, his expression no longer amused.
"The Crimson Genocide."
The words landed heavily, like a sentence being read aloud.
"That," he said slowly, "was impressive."
Queen Aries shifted slightly on the throne, her eyes sharpening with interest.
"Entire sectors wiped clean," the king continued. "Mana signatures erased. Cities reduced to silence. No witnesses. No survivors."
He tilted his head. "And you were at the center of it all."
He leaned down slightly, meeting her eyes.
"That still wasn't the most shocking part."
He straightened.
"You were on sale."
His lips curved into a thin smile.
"On sale. Can you imagine that?" He spread his hands. "A walking catastrophe, discounted and traded like livestock."
His gaze hardened.
"I couldn't allow that."
He turned, walking back toward the throne.
"What if another kingdom had noticed you? What if someone with less restraint got their hands on you?" He clicked his tongue. "Unacceptable."
He sat back down, resting one elbow on the armrest.
"So I bought you."
A pause.
"Which means," he said calmly, "you now serve under me."
The chains were gone. The runes were gone.
But for the first time, the weight on her chest felt heavier than all of them combined.
"You will do what I want," the king continued. "You will act when I command. You will kill when I say so."
A faint smile. "In return, you live. Comfortably."
He glanced at her up and down.
"You'll serve as my personal guard when needed. And when discretion is required…"
His eyes glinted. "My assassin."
He leaned back.
"You've got work on your hands, little girl."
Then, almost as an afterthought:
"Of course, you're not quite strong enough yet."
Queen Aries finally spoke, her voice smooth.
"Not refined."
The king nodded.
"So you'll train."
He tapped a finger against the armrest.
"I'll place you under one of the best tutors I know."
A pause.
"Well—best might not be the right word."
His smile turned sharp.
"She's… a wild card."
The girl remained kneeling.
Silent.
Her fists clenched slowly at her sides.
"Ah," King Aren added, waving his hand dismissively. "She should arrive tomorrow."
He looked at her one last time.
"Rest while you can."
Because whether she liked it or not—
Her life no longer belonged to her.