Astra placed a hand gently on Ella's shoulder, the warmth of the gesture sharply contrasting the gravity of her words.
"Because, Ella," she said calmly, "an assassin isn't merely a killer. An assassin can be a trump card—a shadow that protects from the dark, silently."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, thoughtful. "Do you know why I placed you last among my guardians?"
Ella shook her head. "No, Your Highness."
A faint, mysterious smile curved Astra's lips—one that made Ella's heart skip uneasily.
"Because you will be my ultimate mystery," Astra continued, her voice lowering. "My hidden blade."
She leaned closer, her tone unwavering. "You will be my seventh guardian—the assassin, Deadly Flower."
For a moment, Ella forgot how to breathe.
The weight of Astra's belief pressed heavily against her chest.
She wasn't confident in herself—not entirely. Doubt had always lingered, clinging like a second skin. And yet, Astra's conviction was absolute. There was no hesitation in her gaze, no uncertainty in her voice.
How… how can she trust her this much?
Deadly Flower… Her?
She wasn't even sure she deserved to stand beside the others. Her past, her darkness—those were things she had never spoken of.
The way Astra said it… that unwavering tone cut through her doubts like a blade through silk.
Something stirred deep inside Ella, something long dormant. A quiet resolve unfurled, petal by petal.
Deadly Flower, she repeated inwardly. Fine.
If that was the role the Princess trusted her with, she would not falter. She would be the thorn-laced bloom that cut down all dangers. No threat would reach the princess.
Dropping to one knee, she lowered her head in solemn resolve.
"I understand. I will not disappoint you. I will learn everything in this book diligently, Your Highness."
The question of why the book looked brand new, despite 'Deadly Shadow' vanishing centuries ago, never once crossed Ella's mind.
Astra smiled. She could see it already — the blooming of a killer cloaked in silence, hidden beneath loyalty and steel.
—
Not long after, the rest of Astra's chosen ones gathered before her, each wearing the same unmistakable expression of confusion.
Melinda spoke first, arms crossed tightly as she held up a thick, leather-bound book. A frown was etched deeply between her brows.
"Your Highness, I don't mean to question you," she said cautiously, "but what is this? A cookbook? No—wait… this is a tome on poison cuisine. Why did you give this to me?"
Beside her, Cassia clutched an equally thick manual, its pages filled with obscure runes and diagrams of ancient formations.
"Mine is… a summoning grimoire?" she said weakly.
Gerald, the most composed of them all, stood silently without saying anything.
Astra faced them calmly, her expression unreadable.
Lily glanced down at her own book, lips parting. "Mine is—"
Before she could start, Astra raised a hand.
"I know you're all confused," Astra said evenly. "And I will answer your questions. But not right now."
"But Your highness—" Cassia began.
"I said not now." Astra's voice carried an unusual steel, quiet but sharp.
It wasn't loud, yet it left no room for arguments. The room fell silent instantly.
"You must read those books," Astra continued. "Memorize them. Practice their teachings. Each one was selected specifically for the person i gave it to."
"But—" Cassia started, only to be cut off.
"No buts," Astra said, turning to her, her expression softening just a fraction.
"I know you have doubts. That's natural."
Her gaze swept over all of them.
"But trust me. Every one of you has potential you've buried—or never even realized existed. For now, read those books. Memorize. Practice."
A brief pause followed, heavy with meaning.
"The day will come," Astra finished calmly, "when the answers will be clear."
Still uneasy, the group slowly departed. With their heads slightly bowed, one by one they left the room, still puzzled but unable to ignore the strange confidence that Astra radiated.
But just as they began to leave, Cassia turned one last time.
"I don't understand… But, I'll try," she murmured.
Astra smiled, a rare warmth lighting her face. "That's all I ask."
—
When the room fell silent once more, Astra waved her hand lightly. A shimmering panel materialized mid-air, glowing with soft blue light.
>>>
[Character Information]
[Name: Lily. ]
[Identity: Maid of the Black Rose Palace (Twin sister of Lora) ]
[Relation: Servant. ]
[[ Skills:
Cooking: Basic (22)
Combat: None (0)
Defence: None (0)
Agility: None (0)
Intelligence: Average (19) ]]
[Abilities: Chores, laundry, cleaning. ]
[Special Ability: None. ]
[Characteristics: Cheerful, Determined, a bit silly. ]
[Potential: Has potential for magic. ]
[Trait: Optimistic and resilient; lifts others' moods with her warmth. Loves her sister very much. finds the princess adorable. ]
[Preference: Enjoys playful moments and laughter; dislikes tension or arguments. ]
[Backstory: A commoner who adored magic since youth, but never dared to dream of becoming a mage due to her birth.]
>>>
[Character Information]
[Name: Lora ]
[Identity: Maid of the Black Rose Palace ]
[Relation: Servant ]
[[ Skills:
Cooking: Adept (15)
Combat: Basic (10)
Defence: Novice (7)
Agility: Beginner (5)
Intelligence: Clever (27) ]]
[Abilities: Household work. ]
[Special Ability: Can imitate swordsmanship with sticks. ]
[Characteristics: A bit defensive, strong-willed, determined. ]
[Potential: Great potential for swordsmanship if trained properly. ]
[Trait: Courageous and disciplined; has a strong sense of justice. Fiercely protective of her sister. Finds the princess adorable. ]
[Preference: Values discipline and order; dislikes frivolous behavior. ]
[Backstory: Aspired to become a swordmaster since childhood but was denied the chance due to social status.]
"Why do they both think I'm adorable?" Astra muttered under her breath, slightly flustered. "Must be a twin thing."
She nodded thoughtfully at Lora's status panel. "Swordmaster in disguise. She just needs the right push."
She moved on to Melinda's profile.
>>>
[Character Information]
[Name: Melinda ]
[Identity: Head Chef of the Black Rose Palace.]
[Relation: Servant ]
[[ Skills:
Cooking: Highly Skilled (49)
Combat: None (0)
Defence: None (0)
Agility: None (0)
Intelligence: Clever (29) ]]
[Abilities: Culinary arts, cleaning.]
[Special Ability: Poison Affinity – Absolute immunity to toxins; poisons have no effect on her body.
Toxic Adaptation – Her body can adjust and harmonize with any poison, refining it into strength rather than harm. ]
[Characteristics: Hot-tempered, very strict.]
[Potential: Poison Mastery – Has the potential to become a supreme poison master. ]
[Trait: Strict and hot-tempered, yet diligent in her duties toward the princess.]
[Preference: Loves experimenting with flavors; dislikes food waste.]
[Backstory:
Born into a bloodline comparability with poison—kept it secret for fear of persecution. Applied to the palace to pursue her dream of cooking. But she got assigned to the Black Rose Palace. Even though the princess always throwed tantrum over food and always complaint, she still fulfilled her duties diligently. ]
Astra's expression darkened a little.
"Poison comparability... if trained well, she could be a formidable poison master."
She remembered someone like that from long ago. The thought made her chest tighten.
With a shake of her head, she cleared the thought away and opened the next panel.
>>>
[Character Information]
[Name: Ella ]
[Identity: Maid of the Black Rose Palace.]
[Relation: Servant ]
[[ Skills:
Cooking: Decent (12)
Combat: Proficient (24)
Defence: Vigilant (20)
Agility: Adept (14)
Intelligence: Sharp (34) ]]
[Abilities: Cleaning, basic chores.]
[Special Ability: Skilled with sharp objects like knives. ]
[Characteristics: Quiet, dark aura, dangerous when angered. ]
[Potential: Natural killing intent when provoked. ]
[Trait: Sharp-eyed and calculating; unshakable once she commits to something. Withdrawn and brooding, shaped by a dark past. Has a bleak view of the world; occasionally has suicidal thoughts. ]
[Preference: Prefers silence and solitude; dislikes loud or rowdy behavior. ]
[Backstory:
Survived an attempted assault in her youth. Killed her attacker with a glass shard. Since then, grew quiet, withdrew into herself and trained obsessively with blades. ]