The ballroom was still, but the air buzzed like a drawn blade.
All eyes were on Aria. Selene stood frozen, one slipper twisted awkwardly behind her, cheeks flushed with shame.
Aria stepped back with a gracious smile, as if she hadn't just humiliated the darling of the nobility.
"Do forgive me, sister," she said lightly. "I'm sure no one noticed."
A few nobles choked on their champagne.
Selene quickly curtsied and muttered something incoherent before fleeing into the crowd, her carefully rehearsed entrance ruined.
[Target destabilized. Emotional equilibrium: -30%]
[New sub-mission unlocked: Discredit Selene in the Noble Circle.]
"Poor girl," someone whispered behind a fan.
"She used to be so charming."
Aria turned, slow and calculated. She could feel it—the shift in perception, the ripple of doubt she'd created.
And then—him.
Crown Prince Kael approached.
Up close, he was even more dangerous than she remembered. His dark uniform was pristine, edged in silver embroidery that marked his royal status. He walked like a man who had never once been told no.
"Lady Valenhardt," he said, voice low and smooth. "That was… an interesting save."
"Would Your Highness prefer I had let her fall flat on her face?"
A beat of silence.
Then—a flicker of amusement in his cold gaze. "That depends. Would you?"
She tilted her head. "I suppose it depends on who was watching."
Their eyes locked, and the world quieted.
This man had condemned her once.
He didn't recognize her. Not yet.
But he would.
[System Notification: Major Character Interaction Triggered.]
[Mission Path Unlocked: Seduce or Sabotage the Crown Prince.]
[Choose Path:
(A) Win his favor – gain influence and protection
(B) Destroy his reputation – gain noble support and fear
Warning: Path is permanent once selected.]
Aria sipped her wine, considering.
He raised an eyebrow. "You look like you're plotting something."
She smiled over the rim of her glass.
"Oh, Your Highness… I always am."