Chapter 4 – Whispers in the East Wing
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The Royal Palace – East Wing
Morning After the Court
The Royal Palace shimmered beneath the rising sun, its ivory towers casting long shadows across cobbled walkways. Morning doves cooed from the spires, and somewhere below, fountains whispered like restless memories.
Aeron stepped into his temporary quarters.
The room was too large.
High-vaulted ceilings, silk-draped windows, a marble hearth, and golden embroidery lining every edge—it felt like the palace was trying too hard to impress a guest they had long discarded.
He walked to the window, pulling the curtain aside.
Below him, the eastern courtyard came to life. Servants moved in orderly fashion, knights patrolled in pairs, and noble heirs strutted like peacocks. All pawns of a kingdom on the edge of collapse, wrapped in gold to hide the rot beneath.
...
[Void System – Observation Mode: Active]
[Dominion Influence: +0.4% | Royal Court Exposure Detected]
[Affinity Pulse Detected: Subject – Selene Estelle Rindell]
Emotion: Conflicted (Curiosity / Contempt /… Guilt)
...
Aeron smirked. So she's thinking of me already.
He turned from the window just as a soft knock echoed on the door.
"Enter," he said.
A young maid stepped in. Pale, wide-eyed, carrying a silver tray with fresh tea and an assortment of fruits. Her movements were precise—graceful even—but there was something in her gaze that didn't match the usual servant fear.
"Your morning tea, Lord Blackthorn," she said, her voice quiet and clear.
He studied her as she placed the tray on the table. Slim figure. Chestnut hair pulled into a tight braid. Her uniform too clean, posture too perfect.
"You're not a maid," he said plainly.
She paused.
"…I was instructed not to speak to you unless necessary."
Aeron tilted his head. "And yet, you just did."
The girl hesitated, then slowly raised her eyes to meet his. Green. Unusually sharp. Not dull or humble like a servant's.
"I'm here to… observe," she said at last.
He walked toward her, not menacing—just curious.
"Spy," he corrected gently.
She lowered her eyes.
"On whose orders?"
A beat of silence.
Then she spoke again, but this time her voice held weight.
"Her Highness. Princess Selene."
Aeron blinked. Then—laughed.
The girl stiffened, clearly unsure what to make of his reaction.
"She's that worried?" he asked. "I must've made quite the impression."
"She… was unsettled," the girl admitted. "You weren't supposed to speak like that. Or look like… you."
"Ah," he murmured, pouring himself tea. "Because the broken heir of Blackthorn is supposed to grovel and crawl."
He sipped. "Tell her I don't do either."
The maid—spy, whatever she was—stood still for a moment longer, then turned to leave. Before she reached the door, Aeron's voice stopped her.
"What's your name?"
She hesitated. "Lyssa."
He noted the flicker in her expression. A fake name.
"Tell your princess," he said softly, "that if she's going to send spies into my chambers, she should pick someone less obvious."
Lyssa didn't respond. The door closed gently behind her.
...
[System Notification: Minor Emotional Impact Triggered – Selene]
[+20 Harem Points | +0.2% Affinity Progress]
[Path of Thorns: Evolving]
...
Aeron finished his tea in silence.
Meanwhile…
Royal Garden, West Pavilion
Selene stood alone.
The morning wind tugged gently at her silver-blonde hair. She wore no crown, no royal regalia—just a simple sky-blue gown that softened her usually commanding presence.
And yet, her mind was anything but soft.
He hadn't knelt.
He hadn't even flinched.
She clenched her fists, remembering the look in Aeron's eyes—that calm, unnerving stillness. Like he was looking at her through lifetimes. Like he knew her better than she knew herself.
She had wanted him humiliated.
Instead, she had felt something tighten in her chest when he walked away.
Was it regret?
…No.
She had nothing to regret. The past was the past.
Wasn't it?
"You're distracted, Your Highness."
Selene turned. Her personal bodyguard, Lysien, stood a few paces behind. Tall, broad, clad in enchanted silver mail.
"I am not," she said quietly.
"He unsettled you."
"No more than a fly on my sleeve," she replied curtly. But her tone lacked fire.
Lysien bowed. "Shall I keep watch on his quarters?"
Selene considered it.
"No. Let him think he has freedom."
She looked out across the gardens again.
"But keep Lyssa close."
Back in the East Wing
That Night
The palace dimmed as twilight crept across the sky. Aeron sat cross-legged on the chamber floor, his fingers outstretched as shimmering runes pulsed in the air before him.
A small orb of violet-black magic spun slowly at the center.
...
[Void Rune Calibration – 42% Complete]
[Forbidden Spell: Shadow Threading]
Description: Allows host to pass unnoticed through magical barriers and surveillance zones for 6 minutes. Cooldown: 1 hour.
Status: Incomplete – Needs Anchor Sigil
...
Aeron frowned.
He'd gained the partial spell from the System after confronting the court. But without the Anchor Sigil—a magic glyph that bonded the Void essence to reality—it wouldn't hold.
And the only place he was likely to find one?
The Royal Library.
Or more specifically, the Sealed Annex—restricted to royal mages and High Circle scholars.
A place he'd once helped design, centuries ago.
His lips curled into a faint smirk.
"I wonder if they still use my glyph patterns."
A knock broke his concentration.
"Who is it?" he asked without rising.
"It's Lyssa… I mean, the maid."
He smiled. "Come in."
She stepped in—no tray this time. Just herself, hair now untied and falling in soft waves over her shoulder.
"I… came to apologize," she said.
"For spying?" he asked.
"For being obvious."
That made him laugh again.
She stepped closer, eyes sharp yet strangely sincere.
"Princess Selene… she isn't what people think. She's cold, yes. But not cruel. Not anymore."
Aeron raised an eyebrow. "You're rather loyal to her."
"She saved my family," Lyssa said simply.
"And you're here to protect her?"
She nodded. "Even if it means watching you."
Aeron rose, walked slowly to her. Stopped just a foot away.
"You know," he said, voice low, "in another life, I might've trusted you."
Her lips parted slightly—but no words came.
For a heartbeat, the room was filled with tension—not danger, but something else. A subtle spark. Something not yet born, but waiting.
"I'll be visiting the library tomorrow," he said.
She blinked. "That section is restricted."
"I know."
She opened her mouth, as if to protest—but then closed it.
"You're insane."
"Perhaps," he agreed.
Then, after a pause, he added softly:
"Thank you for the tea."
She flushed slightly. "You didn't like it."
"No," he admitted. "But I appreciated the attempt."
She turned to leave. But this time, she hesitated at the door.
"…Good night, Lord Aeron."
He didn't reply.
Just smiled.
...
[System Update: Affinity Progress – 4.3%]
[Sub-Quest Unlocked – "Lyssa's Veil"]
Objective: Uncover Lyssa's true identity
Reward: Memory Trace Access (Tier I)
Harem Points: 260
Dominion Influence: 2.2%
Void Seed Sync: 12%
...
.
.