Urano and Evelin were ready to leave the city.
They had paid a coachman a generous sum—enough to cover five passengers—and were now hiding among the bundles in the back of the wagon, dressed as commoners in old cloaks with their hoods pulled low. Their hearts pounded as they watched the Royal Guard march toward the church where, just hours earlier, they had sealed their scandalous union.
Chaos spread through the streets as they neared the main gate. Shouts, rumors, and hurried footsteps filled the air. Urano knew well: if they were caught, he'd be imprisoned, and Evelin would be returned to her family. The original story would resume its course, ending—like always—with death.
They were nearing the checkpoint now. A guard was inspecting each traveler's documents. Though the city hadn't been fully locked down yet, inspections had already begun.
"What do we do now?" Evelin whispered, her voice tense. They hadn't expected the authorities to respond so quickly.
Urano eyed the slow-moving line. Every second mattered.
Evelin's face—or rather, the face of her character "Suzy"—wasn't widely known yet. But he… he was the missing third prince. Even with a hood, it was too risky.
"I have an idea," he muttered, reaching into his inner pocket.
He pulled out a small leather pouch with copper and silver coins. Hidden beneath were two tiny vials. Part of his contingency plan. He picked one filled with a glowing yellow liquid and handed it to Evelin.
"Drink this."
"What is it?" she asked, suspicious.
"A potion to temporarily change your hair color. It'll turn you blonde for a few hours."
"How convenient… And you?"
"I have another, but I'd rather save it. Changing my hair won't help if someone recognizes me. But if I look like a slave… maybe. Actually, I've got a better idea."
Without waiting for a reply, Urano jumped off the cart, rubbed dirt on his face, stomped his cloak to dirty it, and threw it back on. Then he grabbed a rope, tied it around his neck, and handed the other end to Evelin.
"What the hell are you doing!? This is not the time for your weird fetishes!" she snapped.
"Listen," he hissed. "Slavery is still legal here… within certain limits. You're going to pretend I'm your slave. With your Dark Charm, it might just work."
Evelin stared at him in silence. She knew he was right. Dark Charm didn't control minds—it reinforced what people were already inclined to believe. If the guard was gullible enough, they had a chance.
"How many passengers?" asked the coachman.
"Two, heading to Vernaz," Evelin replied smoothly.
Only two travelers ahead. Everything now depended on a lie… and a little magic.
A knight approached the wagon. He'd been ordered to inspect all those leaving the city. He didn't know the full story—only that something serious had happened in the plaza. He reached the back of the cart and saw a blonde woman with hazel eyes, dressed too neatly for a commoner. Beside her was a hunched man in rags.
"All in order, good sir," Evelin said sweetly, her voice almost melodic.
The guard blinked. Her words alone made him falter. His face flushed.
"We just need to verify... May I inspect your slave?"
"Is that really necessary?" Evelin asked, tilting her head slightly. "He's a bit unruly… I'd hate to cause trouble for someone as busy as yourself."
The guard's heart jumped. Still, he had orders. He reached for the slave's hood.
Urano saw it coming. He braced himself to strike—but Evelin suddenly shoved him down onto the wagon floor.
—System: Auto-Translation Activated!—
"How dare you raise your hand in front of a noble knight?" Evelin snapped, her voice deeper and commanding. "You're nothing but a rat I bought on clearance! Don't move without my permission!"
She shoved him again and kicked him—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to look real. Urano felt the air knocked out of him. More than pain, it was humiliating.
Evelin looked at him coldly. Inside, her heart ached. She didn't want to hurt him. She had hesitated. But it was necessary.
The guard's gaze shifted. He no longer saw a sweet girl—but a spoiled noble, cruel and proud.
"You may pass," he muttered, stepping aside.
Once they were far from the checkpoint, Urano pulled off his hood and collapsed onto his back, gasping.
"I can't believe it ended like this… kicked by Evelin."
"It wasn't that hard," she muttered, avoiding his gaze—though she kept stealing glances. She was worried… and guilty.
Silence fell between them for several minutes. Then, as if nothing had happened, they talked about trivial things—about Earth, about old memories.
But Urano kept watching her. Something didn't add up. Evelin dodged key questions. She used abilities outside her class. And the most troubling thing? She seemed too comfortable in this world… like she'd lived in it before.
And that Dark Charm… Was she using it on him?
His mind had started accepting illogical things too easily… only to question them much later. Like a spell that faded over time.
"I can't fully trust her… not yet," he thought.
And yet, something in him whispered that Evelin wouldn't betray him. There was something about her… worth keeping close.
They traveled for a week through rural roads: sleeping under the stars, eating hard bread and stolen fruit, bathing in cold rivers, and sharing campfires. Urano felt like he was truly living. In his past life, he spent more than 16 hours a day staring at a screen. This… this was freedom.
Evelin, meanwhile, was a whirlwind of restlessness. She walked in circles, climbed rocks for no reason, and talked nonstop. On her worst days, she was pure chaos.
"Do you have ADHD or something?" Urano joked one night.
"No! I just… always had something to study. Silence makes me crazy! And I don't even have my phone!"
Urano chuckled softly. For all her mystery, she was deeply human.
He'd seriously considered knocking her out with a rock more than once. But like a mischievous child, Evelin was annoying in the most lovable way. Without something to do, she became a professional nuisance: endless questions, bad jokes, random pranks. And yet, he liked having her around.
One night, they arrived at a ruined inn. Only one room left… and a donkey was sleeping in it.
"Does that count as a guest or a pet?" Urano asked, confused.
"Depends," said the innkeeper. "If you don't wake it up, I won't charge you."
They ended up sleeping in the stable, next to the donkey.
"Did you know donkeys can't vomit?" Evelin said, lying on a hay sack.
"Great. Now I'll think about that every time I try to sleep."
"Sometimes I still think this is all a dream," Urano muttered, staring at the stars through a hole in the ceiling.
"At least it's a good one… right?" Evelin replied softly, swallowing.
"Maybe. You said we'd only be here a month, right? Until the revolution starts…"
"Yes… I think so."
"You were famous, right? I think you even made it into a magazine once," she added, surprised. It had been a long time since she followed author news, but she remembered his name.
"I was… But I'm not even sure writing excites me anymore," he said, turning away to avoid more questions.
Eventually, they arrived at the city of Arton. Their target awaited.
As they got off the carriage, Urano checked his pouch—he had already spent 70% of his money.
"Don't worry, I brought coins," Evelin said proudly.
"You brought gold? Are you insane? That makes us walking targets!"
"I've got it well hidden. And we're not here to go shopping… We're here to kill a general."
The target: Ruan, leader of the mercenary band The Mist. Known for surgical assassinations, deep political ties, and a personal army of over 100 men. He had burned villages, overthrown dukes… and sold his services to the highest bidder.
In the original story, the hero saved him, and Ruan became his strategist.
But this time, they'd eliminate him first.
As they walked through the market, Evelin paused before a starving child. She knelt down, gave him some bread, and gently patted his head.
"It's not much… but it's something."
Urano watched her silently. She was chaos and kindness. Madness and heart.
Just as he thought he could enjoy a moment of peace…
"It's shopping time!" Evelin chirped, tugging on his arm.
"Oh no… What if I wait for you at the inn?"
"Come on, it'll be fun!" she said, dragging him with a smile that could conquer kingdoms.
Urano sighed. At that moment, he seriously doubted there were fates worse than death.
But that night… someone was watching them.
From the rooftop…
A man in a skull-shaped steel mask.
And behind the metal,
two glowing red eyes burned like embers.