The throne room was colder than usual.
Not physically—but politically. Ethan could feel it in the way the courtiers' smiles tightened and the subtle flicks of fans concealed daggered glares. King Daelin sat reclined on the sapphire-inlaid throne, listening to yet another noble's tedious proposal about wheat tariffs. Beside him, Princess Irelia—the sharp-tongued third princess—sat with a disinterested expression, twirling a wine glass in her fingers.
Ethan, standing with the minor attendants near the dais, tried not to look like he wanted to punch himself in the face from boredom. The only thing keeping him awake was—
[SYSTEM INTERFACE ACTIVE]
Congratulations! You've survived five royal court sessions without losing your sanity.
REWARD: +1 Willpower | Bonus Quest Unlocked: "Bore Them to Death"
[Optional Objective: Annoy a noble so hard they storm out.]
Ethan coughed violently, stifling a laugh.
(Seriously? Now it wants me to troll the nobility?)
Irelia's eyes flicked over. "Something amusing, Lord Ethan?"
Crap. He'd drawn attention.
He bowed with practiced ease. "Just reflecting on the noble's innovative use of crop taxation to ensure the peasants starve more efficiently, Your Highness."
A few muffled chuckles. One nobleman's eye twitched.
Irelia gave the faintest smirk. "Wit in the court? How rare."
That was the thing about Irelia. She was dangerous, but fun. Unlike her older siblings—who treated the palace as a battlefield—Irelia floated through it like a drunk sword-dancer: always smiling, always one step ahead of being stabbed. Or doing the stabbing herself.
After court, she intercepted Ethan outside the marble corridors.
"You're either brave or stupid," she said, stepping close. "Mocking Lord Vandren like that."
"Can't I be both?" Ethan replied.
She arched a brow. "Flirting with me now?"
His heart thumped. This was bad. Irelia was untouchable—not because she wasn't interested (oh, she played the game), but because she had leverage. Political teeth. And rumors swirled that she was aligning with the Eastern Trade Faction.
"Let's walk," she said, without asking. "I'm bored."
As they strolled through the palace gardens, Ethan noticed two things: One, the petals of the moonlotus flowers had wilted early—unusual for this time of year. And two, a servant was following at a distance, too quietly.
Irelia noticed too.
"New faces always attract watchers," she murmured, linking her arm into his. "You're being tested."
"Tested for what?"
"Loyalty. Weakness. Sex appeal, maybe. Who knows with these people."
[SYSTEM INTERRUPTION]
Warning: You are being targeted for poisoning.
Detection: 1x Substance "Seraphine's Kiss" detected in vicinity.
Status: Harmless if ingested. Fatal if inhaled.
Source: Unidentified. Recommendation: Relocate IMMEDIATELY.
Ethan stopped mid-step.
"Something wrong?" Irelia asked.
"Just realized I left my brain in the war room," he muttered. Then louder: "Apologies, Your Highness. I forgot I had an audience with Minister Ralken."
"Funny," she said, not letting go of his arm. "Because Ralken's halfway to Eastport right now."
Damn.
Then he saw it—glimmering under the bench nearby. A faint mist, almost invisible in daylight, leaking from a tiny, hollowed sculpture.
His instincts kicked in.
Without warning, he yanked Irelia into his arms and flipped them both over the low garden wall into the fountain pool beyond.
SPLASH.
Water drenched them head to toe. The mist drifted up, thin and venomous, before dissipating harmlessly in the air.
"What—" she sputtered, soaked, her dress clinging to every curve. "Are you insane?!"
"I think someone just tried to kill us," he said. "Or you. Or both."
She blinked. Then... laughed. "You just saved a princess and ruined my dress. How scandalous."
[QUEST COMPLETE: "Avoid Getting Murdered By Mist"]
+2 Awareness | +1 Luck
New Passive: "Paranoia Reflex" unlocked. Your gut instincts now scream louder.
As guards ran over, Irelia waved them off, her expression shifting subtly.
"That bench," she said. "Take it apart. Quietly."
Ethan climbed out of the fountain and helped her up. She didn't let go of his hand.
"You just made enemies, Ethan. Probably the kind that wear crowns in private."
He nodded. "I was getting bored anyway."
Later that night, back in his quarters, the system pinged again.
[New Mission: "Dance of Daggers"]
Objective: Identify the assassin faction behind the poison attempt.
Bonus Objective: Seduce one political rival's supporter.
Reward: Unknown
Ethan stared at the glowing text.
"Seduce one… political rival's… supporter?"
He groaned. "This system is definitely trying to get me killed."