Spring, summer, autumn, winter. The cycle repeated, again and again. The seasons turned until they required ten fingers to count. Each rotation altered the colors of the world at the edge of the horizon, and the Evarn County was no exception. Snow had not yet fallen, but the biting wind suggested it would arrive any moment. Slender fingers traced the frame of a window clouded with frost. Beyond the glass, waves crashed against the shore with rhythmic violence. Sunlight, now m

[Eaton] "Pardon?" [Lafitte] "Excuse me, Your Highness?" Eaton and Lafitte reacted with identical shock before Kalart even finished announcing his departure for Kyrien. Ignoring them both, Kalart divided the mountain of documents on his desk in half. One pile consisted of reviewed papers; the other contained tasks yet to be addressed. Pointing to the latter with his chin, he spoke. [Kalart] "Hand these over to the Imperial Secretary. I will be absent for three days." [Lafitte]

[Kalart] "It is nothing much." His voice lacked its usual steady confidence. He averted his gaze, offering the words like a reluctant excuse. [Kalart] "They informed me the investiture staff would take a few days to arrive...... so take this instead." [Roserikta] "Your Highness." He had come to find her. He now held out a hairpin encrusted with several large, brilliant diamonds. It was an imperial treasure with a storied history—an object most people would never even glimpse

It was a relief that the debuff had vanished. From now on, she wouldn't need to hesitate whenever she wanted to check someone's Loathing. Using it twice a day wouldn't pose much of a problem. Yet, despite the good news, she couldn't bring herself to be entirely happy. There was a specific phrasing that weighed on her mind. [The conditions to "Lift the Debuff when Checking Loathing" have been met.] The phrasing "conditions have been met." The status window had used a similar e

[The conditions to nullify the Price of Checking Loathing: 24-Hour Physical/Mental Debuff have been met!] [Would you like to lift the 24-hour physical/mental debuff? If lifted, you will no longer need to pay a price to check Loathing levels. (Note: The limit of 2 uses remains in effect.) YES / NO] [If NO is selected, lifting the price for Loathing will be permanently impossible.] The moment she saw the status window, she realized the truth. The shift in my vision just now was

[Johan's Loathing: 50] I knew it. There was only one emotion that made his voice sound like that. Jealousy toward another man. When she had played through the <Reverse Harem Route> in her past life, she had intentionally chosen every option that Johan hated. Through that, she had once managed to push his Loathing level to exactly 50. It was a voice that emerged when one could not fully trust the other person due to repeated disappointments, yet still harbored a lingering trac

She didn't look away. His face paled to the color of parchment, drained of all vitality. Shock and despair radiated from him—the crushing weight of a prisoner receiving a final death sentence. He stood motionless, his eyelids and fingertips frozen, breath trapped in his lungs. The sight left her feeling hollow. She had repeated these same words for an eternity. In the past, and now in the present. His sudden shock only proved how much his own heart had changed. She pushed asi

Julian shook Declan’s hand off his shoulder, his skin still tingling from the crushing grip. He winced, nursing the lingering ache, and struggled to continue. [Julian] "It’s obviously an excuse." [Declan] "An excuse? What do you mean......" [Julian] "Think. Would she scrap a royal wedding without a plausible lie? Calling off an engagement that massive makes both sides look like fools. A public excuse was mandatory. I heard Lady Rohawk retreated to the Evarn County for 'recupe

[Roserikta] "......Nothing else, Your Highness." He leaned his head against the back of the sofa, his brow furrowed. His eyelids hung heavy with exhaustion. [Kalart] "That is an order. Think of something else." [Roserikta] "Allowing me to use the sapphire is more than enough." [Kalart] "I know you want for nothing; that is precisely why I want you to think. Take your time. To put it plainly, I have no desire to leave yet." [Roserikta] "But......" [Kalart] "I wish to stay by y

[Elona] "I know of one. A sapphire of that magnitude resides right here, in the Crown Prince’s Palace." She met Elona behind the staircase leading to the basement of the dining hall. Tucked away beside the dining room fireplace, a small, hidden door opened into a passage used exclusively by the maids—a perfect sanctuary for a clandestine meeting. [Roserikta] "It is here in the palace?" Fortunately, Elona possessed a vast knowledge of gemstones; her relatives served as the roy

[Johan] "All military personnel attending the ball today, report for assembly immediately." [Marco] "Hmm? Haha. What's gotten into His Highness? I'm not in the Navy, so I'm sure it'll be fine." As if hearing his idle chatter, a stern voice barked from the magical microphone. [Johan] "This applies to everyone, regardless of which branch you belong to. Anyone ranking lower than me—everyone, regardless of affiliation—assemble immediately." [Marco] "Haaah... What annoying timing.

She offered a smile toward the dark-complexioned potato of a man. [Odette] "Ah. Corporal Marco. I’ve heard your name before. It’s a pleasure to meet you." [Marco] "Haha! I’m sure you have. If you had feigned ignorance, My Lady, you would have witnessed quite a spectacle. I may not look it, but I have a very venomous side." Yes. I’m sure you do. You look exactly like a potato swollen with venom. She reached out with a friendly air and plucked a loose thread from the medal on C

All the romantic words Johan had prepared vanished, leaving his mind a total blank. His tongue felt heavy and useless in his mouth. In all his life, he had never felt this embarrassed in front of anyone. A pretty, remarkably small girl stood before him. In that moment, he forgot that he was a Transcendent and she was a Purifier. His throat went dry, and his breath hitched. She had teal eyes that reminded him of the sea and platinum-blonde hair as delicate as a butterfly's win

[Hayden] "Vanessa." He reached out, but the sight of her brimming eyes froze his hand mid-air. Her spirit lay in ruins, leaving no room even for guilt toward the man before her. A tidal wave of emotion, far more violent than anything she had ever endured, crashed over her. News of Declan’s impending death snapped the tension within her like a frayed thread. Terror, remorse, and a thousand nameless agonies suffocated her. A strange pain flared in her chest, distinct from the f

The week leading to the Covenant Ceremony drifted by like water. Vanessa could not shake the growing conviction that she was wasting her time, letting it slip through her fingers like dry sand. The moment she acknowledged her lack of anticipation—or even greed—regarding her marriage to Hayden, her heart grew hollow. What would become of her once she became his wife? The future remained a hazy, distant blur. No matter how hard she tried, she could not conjure a vision of herse

[Lafitte] "It seems your grip on your duties has loosened." Countess Aldwin, the Head Maid, glared at him instantly. [Aldwin] "Is that directed at me, Baron?" [Lafitte] "I merely state the undeniable." Baron Lafitte, the Chamberlain, took a sip of his tea with practiced elegance. The brew tasted exceptionally bitter today—resembling dishwater more than Darjeeling. Given his recent friction with the Head Maid, he suspected she might have actually used a floor mop to brew it. [