The great gates of the central city stood wide open.
Evelin and Urano returned from their journey, ready to face Evelin's parents… and His Majesty. Judging by the guards waiting at the entrance, they assumed their little adventure was no longer a secret.
They already had a strategy: they'd present the whole affair as a rushed wedding between two impulsive young lovers — which conveniently matched public perception.
But their real concern wasn't the marriage. It was how to explain the unexpected arrival of Irina — the elf — and Jana — the spider demon — now posing as their new maids.
Days earlier, Evelin had spoken with Urano about a disturbing message from the system: his character had been "contaminated."
Although Urano was directly affected, the warning hadn't been shown to him — but to Evelin. Her theory was that, under certain conditions, the player and the character could synchronize so deeply that the player would begin to lose parts of their true self.
Even more disturbing was the fact that the corrupted wouldn't be notified — only others could see it. As if the system were favoring someone else.
To reduce the risk, Urano had lowered his sync rate from 40% to 15%. With meditation and focused breathing, he tried to distinguish his real memories from the ones embedded by the synchronization, treating them more like film scenes than personal experiences.
Still, Evelin noticed changes in him — subtle, but persistent. It wasn't obvious, but something in his reactions, his judgment, and even his aura had shifted. He seemed less shaken by killing someone, more composed with Nora, and carried an unusual nobility in his posture.
Inside the carriage, Urano sat in silence. He spoke briefly with Evelin, slowly opening and closing his hands, trying to "feel" himself. Logically, he knew he was the same… but emotionally, something felt off.
Yes, the weight of taking a life was there. Yes, he knew his future was at risk. But the emotional burden was far lighter than expected.
Was it the contamination… or had he always been this way?
While he pondered, Nora hugged him from behind and kissed his neck. Strangely, it didn't bother him. In fact… did he care for her?
The question wasn't urgent, but it lingered.
The coachman interrupted his thoughts: they had arrived at the castle gates. As a civilian, the driver couldn't go further. They would have to walk.
Urano and Evelin exchanged glances and nodded. Nora climbed out behind them, followed by Jana and Irina.
During the trip, Evelin had revealed her identity to them. The girls had chosen to stay — they had nowhere else to go, and they wanted time.
Urano and Evelin had discovered the real reason the two had fled together… they were in love.
A guard approached Urano and greeted him formally.
"His Majesty awaits you in his chamber. The Dukes await Lady Evelin in the guest hall."
Both nodded.
Urano instructed Nora to accompany Jana and Irina and assign them a servant's room. They would be their new attendants.
Nora bowed slightly and led them away, bracing herself for the next "social battle."
On the way, Urano checked his system interface. He had received bonus points for eliminating one of the rebellion's sources. Oddly, the death had not been instant, but delayed. He had assumed the poison had worked immediately, but hadn't thought much of it.
Still, their most urgent mission remained: helping Evelin acquire the Staff of Reincarnation.
In the original novel, the hero took the castle and, in a climactic battle against the king, both the monarch and his brother perished. Then, thanks to one of his companions, they used the Staff of Reincarnation — stolen from the royal vault — to revive the king and give the story its bittersweet happy ending.
The problem: the vault was heavily guarded. Stealing it was suicide. It had to be given willingly.
The plan: Urano would convince the king to gift it… as a wedding present.
The good news? The king didn't know the staff's true power. He thought it was just a magic-enhancing artifact.
The bad news? How the hell would Urano convince him?
—
When Urano entered the royal study, his brother was seated behind the desk, fingers interlocked, wearing a severe expression.
"Do you realize the chaos you've caused?" the king asked.
Urano swallowed hard.
"The imperial family, the most respected in the land, has become the subject of gossip across the continent."
"Brother, wait… I—"
"Silence! I am speaking."
The monarch's voice cracked through the room like a whip.
"You not only married without notice — you ran away. For fifteen days, the Dukes have waited in this castle for their daughter. What do you think they felt when she disappeared with you?
And now the nobles whisper: 'How can a king rule when he cannot even control his own brother?'"
System activated: Automatic Court Language Translation.
Urano heard the alert. He couldn't speak with proper formality, so the system would assist.
"Dear brother… You, who wear the crown, have never lived in another's shadow. Never been ignored, forgotten, or humiliated by the nobles."
What the hell am I saying? Urano thought. That's not what I meant.
"But beyond the sword… for the first time, I found something I truly desired — and I took it. I apologize for the inconvenience, Your Majesty. But I do not regret it."
It wasn't what he meant to say. But it was said.
Silence.
What Urano didn't know was that his brother, deep down, was pleased.
He had feared the engagement would be broken. The kingdom desperately needed the Dukes' support. Restoration efforts were expensive, and if he had to use his brother to secure them — so be it.
The recordings from undercover guards — including the infamous dress scene with the duchess watching fondly — confirmed the bond was real.
The king didn't care about noble pressure. He had taken the throne by force, killing his own father. No noble dared challenge him… unless they shared his blood. And Urano had no ambition for the crown.
But recklessness could not go unpunished. Had the secret guards not discovered Urano's location, things could have gone very wrong.
"I've already decided your punishment," said the king. "You are under house arrest in the castle for four months. You will actively participate in the planning of the noble wedding. And you are forbidden from sword training for a month."
Urano tensed.
No sword access meant he'd be defenseless if the rebellion began.
Still… time was on their side. His character had good standing with the knights — he might be able to work around it.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The king reclined, visibly more relaxed.
"You may leave."
Urano didn't move.
"Something else?"
"I request access to the royal vault."
The king blinked.
He dares ask for a gift after all this? "You dare ask me—?"
"It's not for me. It's for my future wife. A wedding gift."
Pause.
Actually… not a bad idea. A strong gift would reinforce the alliance with the Dukes.
"I grant you permission. Tell your bride it is a gift from the kingdom to bless your union."
Urano smiled inwardly and left.
As he walked toward his room to meet Evelin, he thought: Everything's going perfectly. Now, we just have to survive the rebellion.
—
Far away, screams and curses echoed… and a head rolled across the floor, drenched in blood.
"The next one to contradict me loses their head! You've been warned!"
A young man in black armor glared at the stunned mercenaries.
Only moments ago, their captain had begged them to serve under this man as his dying wish. Then this newcomer had beheaded those who opposed him and declared himself leader of Lambda.
This was Aurelio, the king's illegitimate son — and leader of the rebellion.
He had just crushed a mutiny.
Three women and two men approached. One of them, dressed in overly elegant clothes, glared at another.
"Do you know how hard it was to spread those rumors about the king? I had to beg the Norbarti nobles. If the king hadn't been distracted, they would've executed me and my whole family!"
"Maybe if your lies weren't so boring. A romantic runaway completely overshadowed your gossip," replied the other woman coldly.
Aurelio sighed.
"Enough. We have bigger problems."
The elegant woman was Ruby Norbarti, daughter of a noble who served the previous king. Some rumors claimed she was actually his daughter.
The other was Luna, a famous assassin, now loyal to Aurelio.
"The third prince isn't as useless as we thought," said Rafel, a disheveled mage vying for control of the Magic Tower.
"No matter. Our boss can handle anything," replied Marco, Aurelio's loyal tactician.
But Aurelio was seething.
His plan was collapsing.
Months of spreading rumors comparing the king to his corrupt father had stirred hatred. But the king had fought back — with results. People were no longer dying in the streets.
And now… the prince's engagement had become the nation's favorite drama. Love songs, economic revival, Duke-funded aid.
Rebellion sign-ups had dropped by 40%.
Worse: the continent's most powerful mercenary commander, who once supported Aurelio, had been assassinated. The resulting chaos forced Aurelio to crush his own ranks.
After considering everything, the culprit was obvious: Evelin. She had interfered. Not for politics… but for love.
So, they formed a new plan: break that relationship.
"Yuri," Aurelio said to a girl in the corner. "We're counting on you."
The young woman, dressed in disguise, smiled faintly… and accepted the mission.