The grand drawing-room of the Zenith estate was dripping in gold leaf and heavy velvet, a room designed to intimidate. Sitting on the primary velvet sofa was Crown Prince Julian. He was undeniably handsome, with sharp, sculpted features, golden hair, and eyes like cold steel.
As Ereba stepped into the room, she felt the temperature drop.
"Ereba," Julian said, his voice laced with absolute disdain. He didn't even stand up. "Sit. We have matters to conclude."
Ereba didn't flinch. She gracefully glided across the polished marble floor and sat on the opposite sofa. She crossed her legs elegantly, resting her hands on her lap. Her calm demeanor caught Julian off guard; usually, she would be throwing herself at his feet or screaming at the guards.
*‘System, pull up his profile,’* Ereba commanded in her mind.
*Ding!*
**[Character: Crown Prince Julian]**
**[Favorability: -50% (Disgust/Hatred)]**
**[Status: Affected by Minor Illusion Magic / Perception Alteration]**
Ereba’s eyes narrowed slightly. As a game developer, she recognized a status debuff when she saw one. Someone had cast a low-level spell on Julian. It didn't control his mind, but it warped his perception—making everything Ereba did look ugly and monstrous, while making Seraphina look like a flawless angel.
Right on cue, Duke Zenith and Seraphina entered, sitting on the adjacent sofa. Seraphina immediately leaned into her father’s side, casting a pitiful, tearful look at the Prince. Julian’s expression softened ever so slightly when he looked at Seraphina, but when his gaze snapped back to Ereba, the coldness returned.
"I will not waste my breath, Ereba," Julian announced, tossing a heavy, wax-sealed scroll onto the glass table between them. "Your continuous cruelty toward your sister, your embarrassing tantrums, and your wretched attitude have proven you are unfit to be the future Empress. Today, I am officially canceling our engagement."
Duke Zenith nodded in agreement. "Your Highness, the Zenith family fully supports your decision. We are deeply apologetic for Ereba's shameful behavior."
Seraphina lowered her head, hiding the triumphant, wicked smirk spreading across her lips. *‘Finally,’* she thought. *‘The crown will be mine.’*
Ereba looked down at the scroll. In the original book, this was the moment Ereba flipped the table, tried to scratch Seraphina's face, and ended up being dragged out by royal knights—cementing her reputation as a psycho.
Instead, Ereba let out a soft, melodious laugh.
The room froze.
"You find this amusing?" Julian demanded, his brow furrowing.
"A little," Ereba said, leaning forward and picking up the scroll. She unrolled it, skimmed the text with a bored expression, and picked up the quill resting on the table. "I was actually wondering when you'd finally bring these papers, Your Highness. Being tied to someone who can't even see what's right in front of his face was getting rather exhausting."
Without a single second of hesitation, she signed her name in flawless, elegant cursive.
*Scratch. Scratch.*
She slid the paper back across the table.
Julian stared at the signature, utterly bewildered. He had prepared an entire army of arguments to counter her begging, but she had just signed it like she was approving a grocery list.
"You... accept this?" Julian muttered, his pride strangely stung by how easily she let him go.
"Of course. If a man wants to leave, I say let him," Ereba smiled beautifully, standing up. "However, Your Highness, as a parting gift, let me offer you a tiny piece of advice."
Julian rose to his feet, staring at her. "Advice? From you?"
Ereba stepped closer, her violet eyes locking onto his cold blue ones. Up close, her beauty was hypnotic, stripped of the desperate rage she usually carried.
"Keep a close eye on the people you allow into your inner circle," Ereba whispered, her voice low and mysterious. "And perhaps, have a high-level holy mage check your mana flow. A wise man once told me that when a person suddenly feels intense, unexplainable disgust toward one person, and intense, unexplainable adoration toward another... it’s rarely their own heart speaking."
Julian’s eyes widened. A sudden, sharp prick of static buzzed in his mind. *'Magic?'*
"Ereba! What nonsense are you spouting now?!" Duke Zenith roared, standing up in a panic.
Seraphina’s face instantly drained of color. Her hands began to tremble beneath her silken sleeves. *‘How does she know? There's no way she could know about the potion!’*
"What do you mean by that, Ereba?" Julian demanded, a seed of genuine doubt instantly taking root in his mind. He looked down at his hands, suddenly feeling a strange, unnatural fog in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed before.
Ereba just gave a mysterious, nonchalant shrug, turning toward the door.
"Oh, don't mind me. It’s just a silly little hunch of mine," Ereba said over her shoulder, her voice airy and calm. "It may or may not be right. But then again... a crown is a very heavy thing to wear when your eyes are wide open, yet completely blind."
With that final, crushing line, she walked out of the drawing-room without looking back once.
*Ding!*
**[Main Quest Completed: The Prince's Visit.]**
**[Quest Grade: S (Flawless Execution & Psychological Damage)]**
**[Reward: +500 Reputation Points]**
**[Current Balance: -98,400]**
**[System Item Shop: UNLOCKED.]**
Ereba smirked as she walked down the grand hallway. *‘Let the doubt simmer. Let’s see how long Seraphina's little illusion lasts now.’
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