I stood in front of the mirror, barely recognizing myself.
Gone were the prison rags. Instead, I wore a perfectly tailored black suit with silver embroidery that probably cost more than my previous life's rent.
"Stop fidgeting," Eliza said, adjusting my collar. She was wearing an elegant ice-blue gown that made her look less like a terrifying prison captain and more like an actual princess.
**[ELIZA]: ████ HE CLEANS ██████ UP NICE ████ REALLY NICE ██████ STOP STARING ████ YOU'RE THE ██████ CHAPERONE ████ BE PROFESSIONAL ██████ ...BUT THOSE ████ EYES THOUGH ██████
"I look ridiculous," I muttered.
"You look noble. Which is the point. Now remember: read the Duke's chatbox, memorize evidence, don't die."
"Great plan. Very detailed."
"I try."
There was a knock, and Sera entered.
I actually gasped.
She wore a deep crimson dress that hugged her figure perfectly, her hair styled in an elegant updo with a few strategic strands framing her face. She'd traded her usual daggers for what appeared to be decorative hairpins (that were definitely still weapons).
**[SERA]: He's staring. MISSION SUCCESS. Wait. This was for the mission. The mission to... to look good for the mission. Why did I spend three hours getting ready for a MISSION?
"You look..." I started.
"Ridiculous?" she offered, blushing. "I know, dresses aren't really my—"
"Beautiful," I finished.
**[SERA]: BEAUTIFUL. He said BEAUTIFUL. Protocol dictates I should acknowledge the compliment professionally. So why can't I form words? Why is my face on fire?!
She turned bright red and immediately pretended to inspect her hairpins.
"I-It's just camouflage. Blending in. Standard espionage."
**[SERA]: Least convincing lie I've ever told. I'm a PROFESSIONAL SPY. Why can't I lie to him?!
Before the awkward silence could stretch further, Aria entered.
And if Sera looked beautiful, Aria looked ethereal.
She wore white and gold robes that seemed to shimmer with holy light, her blonde hair crowned with a delicate silver circlet. She looked like an actual angel.
**[SISTER ARIA]: He's staring at me now. Good. Wait. Not good. I mean— this is for diplomatic purposes. The fact that I chose this specific outfit because it accentuates my— FOCUS ON THE GODDESS. THINK HOLY THOUGHTS.
"Wow," I said eloquently.
"Too much?" Aria asked, nervously touching her circlet.
"Perfect," I said honestly.
**[SISTER ARIA]: Perfect. PERFECT. He thinks I'm PERFECT. The Goddess teaches humility but right now I want to float. Is floating undignified? I don't care.
Sera's eye twitched.
**[SERA]: He said I was beautiful. Then he said SHE was perfect. Is perfect better than beautiful? SINCE WHEN DO I CARE ABOUT THESE THINGS?!
"We should go," Eliza said, clearly amused by the tension. "The carriage is waiting."
**[ELIZA]: ████ WATCHING KYLE ██████ ACCIDENTALLY FLIRT ████ WITH BOTH ██████ OF THEM ████ IS MY ██████ NEW FAVORITE ████ HOBBY ██████
The carriage ride to Duke Blackwood's mansion was... educational.
Mainly because Sera and Aria kept trying to sit next to me, resulting in both of them squished on either side while Eliza sat across from us, barely containing her laughter.
**[SERA]: This close to him. I can smell his cologne. Is that standard noble cologne or did he choose it specifically? STOP ANALYZING HIS SCENT PROFILE.
**[SISTER ARIA]: Our shoulders are touching. Technically inappropriate. Should move away. Not moving away. The Goddess will forgive me this one transgression. Probably. Hopefully.
"So," Eliza said, "the Duke will likely try to separate us. Standard predator tactics. Kyle, if that happens, signal us immediately."
"How?"
"Tug your left ear for danger. Right ear for 'I found evidence.' Both ears means 'I'm about to do something stupid, stop me.'"
"Specific."
"I've thought this through."
**[ELIZA]: ████ MOSTLY BECAUSE ██████ I KNOW ████ HE'LL DO ██████ SOMETHING STUPID ████ IT'S A ██████ PROTAGONIST ████ TRAIT ██████
We arrived at the Duke's mansion, and "mansion" was an understatement. It was practically a castle, with towers, fountains, and enough guards to siege a small country.
**[DUKE'S GUARD #1]: New arrivals. The Henderson kid and his handlers. Captain Frostborne too? The Duke's not gonna like that.
**[DUKE'S GUARD #2]: Is that prisoner wearing a SUIT? And surrounded by beautiful women? How is that fair? I'm a guard and I can't even get a date.
We entered the ballroom, and it was like stepping into a fantasy novel. Crystal chandeliers, orchestra music, nobles in extravagant outfits, and enough political intrigue you could cut it with a knife.
Every conversation stopped when we entered.
**[NOBLE LADY #1]: Is that Kyle Henderson? The traitor? Why is he HERE?
**[NOBLE LORD #1]: The Ice Princess brought him? Bold. Very bold. The Duke must be furious.
**[NOBLE LADY #2]: ...But why does the condemned prisoner have TWO gorgeous women with him? What is happening?
Duke Blackwood himself approached. He was tall, handsome in a sinister way, with slicked-back dark hair and a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Captain Frostborne," he said smoothly. "What an... unexpected pleasure. And you've brought young Kyle Henderson! How delightful."
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: That little rat. Should've been dead by now. Why is he still alive? No matter. Plenty of accidents can happen at a ball. The Ice Princess won't be able to protect him forever.
I activated my Chatbox Reader ability, trying to see more.
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: The mana crystal shipment arrives tonight. During the ball. Perfect cover. Once it's secured, I'll have enough power to— wait, is he reading me? Impossible. He's just a level 20 nobody.
"Duke Blackwood," Eliza said with perfect courtesy. "Thank you for the invitation. Kyle is under my supervision as part of his rehabilitation."
"Of course, of course! Rehabilitation is so important. Please, enjoy the ball. I insist."
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: Separate them. The boy alone is easy prey. Get the Captain drunk. Distract the handlers. Then eliminate the witness. Simple.
As the Duke walked away, I tugged my right ear.
Eliza's eyes sharpened.
**[ELIZA]: ████ EVIDENCE CONFIRMED ██████ MANA CRYSTAL ████ SHIPMENT ██████ TONIGHT ████ DURING BALL ██████ PERFECT ████ NOW WE ██████ JUST NEED ████ PHYSICAL PROOF ██████
"Let's mingle," she said aloud.
"Mingling" turned out to be a complex dance of social politics, where every conversation was a potential trap.
"Kyle Henderson!" A noblewoman approached, fan fluttering. "I heard you've been pardoned!"
"Not exactly—"
"How wonderful! You must dance! You simply MUST!"
**[NOBLEWOMAN]: The Duke said to keep him busy. Distract him. I'll get a reward. Plus he's actually quite handsome for a criminal.
Before I could refuse, Sera stepped in.
"I'm afraid Kyle's first dance is already reserved," she said with a dangerous smile.
**[SERA]: BACK OFF LADY. He's not dancing with anyone except— wait. Did I just claim his first dance? I did. TOO LATE TO BACK OUT NOW.
The noblewoman retreated hastily.
Aria materialized on my other side.
"And his SECOND dance is also reserved," she added sweetly.
**[SISTER ARIA]: Not letting the spy monopolize him. If there's dancing, I'm participating. For protection purposes. Obviously.
Both girls linked arms with me, effectively creating a human barrier.
The orchestra started a waltz.
"Well?" Sera said, pulling me toward the dance floor. "You DID reserve my dance."
"I— what— I didn't—"
"Too late now!"
**[SERA]: I have no idea how to waltz. I learned assassination techniques, not BALLROOM DANCING. This is going to be a disaster. But I'm not backing down in front of that nun.
We reached the dance floor, and I realized something terrible: I also didn't know how to waltz.
"Uh, Sera? I should mention—"
"Just follow my lead," she said confidently, placing one hand on my shoulder.
**[SERA]: I'M GOING TO FAKE IT. How hard can dancing be? It's just coordinated movement. Like combat. Probably.
We started moving.
It was a disaster.
She stepped on my foot. I stumbled into her. We both nearly crashed into another couple.
**[SERA]: ABORT. ABORT. THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA. Everyone's staring. I'm a trained spy and I can't even— wait. He's laughing. He's actually laughing. Not AT me. Just... laughing. When's the last time someone laughed WITH me during a failure?
"We're terrible at this," I said, grinning.
"The worst," she agreed, and suddenly she was smiling too.
**[SERA]: This is nice. Terrible, but nice. His hand is on my waist. We're both terrible dancers but somehow that makes it better? I don't understand these feelings but I don't want them to stop.
We fumbled through the rest of the dance, laughing at our mutual incompetence, and when it ended, I realized we were both smiling.
"That was..." Sera started.
"Awful?" I offered.
"I was going to say fun."
**[SERA]: FUN. When was the last time I had FUN? Missions aren't fun. Killing isn't fun. But this? This was FUN. I want more of this. More of HIM.
Before I could respond, Aria appeared and literally pulled me away.
"MY turn," she declared.
The next waltz began, and Aria placed her hands in the proper position with perfect form.
"You know how to dance?" I asked, surprised.
"Church training. We learn many skills."
**[SISTER ARIA]: Including seduction techniques but I'm NOT mentioning that. Focus on dancing. Proper, appropriate, definitely-not-romantic dancing.
We began, and unlike with Sera, this was smooth. Graceful. Aria led perfectly, guiding me through the steps.
**[SISTER ARIA]: He's a quick learner. Of course he is. He's good at everything he tries. The way he focuses when learning is adorable. INAPPROPRIATE THOUGHTS. Banish them. Goddess give me strength.
"You're really good at this," I said.
"Thank you. You're... improving."
**[SISTER ARIA]: Lying. He's still terrible. But charmingly terrible. Why is incompetence attractive when HE does it?!
As we danced, I noticed her cheeks were flushed.
"Are you okay? You look warm."
"F-Fine! Perfectly fine! Just... warm from dancing!"
**[SISTER ARIA]: LIES. I'm flushed because we're THIS CLOSE and he smells nice and his hand on my back is making it very hard to remember I'm supposed to be professional and holy and NOT thinking about how nice this feels!
The dance ended, and she stepped back quickly, looking flustered.
From the sidelines, I could see Sera watching with narrowed eyes.
**[SERA]: She danced BETTER than me. Of course she did. Stupid church training. Stupid perfect form. Stupid... stupid way Kyle was looking at her. I need the next dance. IMMEDIATELY.
And Eliza was watching both of them with barely concealed amusement.
**[ELIZA]: ████ THEY'RE BOTH ██████ SO OBVIOUS ████ IT'S PAINFUL ██████ AND ADORABLE ████ ALSO WHY ██████ AM I FEELING ████ LEFT OUT? ██████ I DON'T ████ DANCE ██████ ...DO I ████ WANT TO? ██████
Before either girl could claim another dance, a servant approached.
"Mr. Henderson? The Duke requests your presence in his study. A private matter."
My blood ran cold.
**[SERVANT]: The Duke said to isolate him. Bring him alone. I don't ask questions. I just follow orders and collect my pay.
I tugged both ears.
Eliza immediately moved to intercept.
"I'll accompany him—"
"Actually," the Duke appeared from nowhere, smooth as oil, "I was hoping to speak with the Captain separately. About prison reform policies. Surely you understand the importance of such discussions?"
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: Separate them. The Captain is the real threat. Once she's occupied, the boy is defenseless. Then my men can handle him quietly.
"I'll go with Kyle," Sera said immediately.
"And I," Aria added.
The Duke smiled indulgently.
"I'm afraid this is a private matter regarding young Henderson's family estate. Legal issues, you understand. Quite boring. But I insist the ladies enjoy the refreshments—I've imported the finest wines from the southern provinces."
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: The spy will want to investigate. The nun will want to protect him. But propriety demands they can't just barge into a private legal meeting. Social rules are such useful weapons.
Eliza caught my eye. A subtle nod.
She was telling me to go. To get the evidence we needed.
**[ELIZA]: ████ I HATE ██████ THIS ████ BUT WE ██████ NEED PROOF ████ HE CAN ██████ HANDLE IT ████ PROBABLY ██████ ...I HOPE ████
"It's fine," I said, trying to sound confident. "I'll be right back."
**[SERA]: NO. Absolutely NOT. Every instinct is screaming DANGER. I should grab him and run. Protocol says abort. But if I do, we lose our only chance at evidence—
**[SISTER ARIA]: This is wrong. This is SO wrong. The Goddess is warning me. But if we stop now, Kyle will be in danger forever. We need to end this threat. But what if—
Both girls looked like they wanted to physically restrain me, but social propriety—and Eliza's subtle warning look—kept them in place.
I followed the Duke through the mansion's opulent halls, my heart pounding.
His chatbox was going wild:
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: Alone at last. The study is prepared. "Tragic accident during meeting." The papers are already forged. Captain Frostborne will find his body and have no proof of foul play. Perfect. Unless... no. He's just a boy. What could he possibly do?
We entered his study—a massive room lined with bookshelves, expensive furniture, and large windows overlooking the gardens.
And standing in the shadows were two large men in guard uniforms.
**[GUARD #1]: Target acquired. Orders are clear. Make it look like a fall from the window. Tragic. Young man, overcome with guilt, takes his own life. Happens all the time.
**[GUARD #2]: Poor kid. He's so young. But the Duke pays well. Can't afford morals in this economy.
"Please, sit," the Duke gestured to a chair positioned dangerously close to the open window.
I didn't sit.
"I'd prefer to stand, thank you."
His smile tightened.
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: Suspicious. He's suspicious. Did someone warn him? No matter. We're alone now. No witnesses. Even if he screams, the orchestra will drown it out.
"Kyle," the Duke said, walking to his desk, "I want to discuss what you saw. That night. At the warehouse."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't you?" He pulled out a crystal decanter of wine. "I think you know exactly what I mean. The mana crystals. The illegal importation. You were there."
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: Confirming what he knows. If he admits it, he dies knowing why. If he denies it, he dies confused. Either way, he dies. I do love closure.
My chatbox reading ability was working overtime, pulling every detail:
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: The shipment is in the east warehouse right now. 500 black-market mana crystals from the Demon Territories. Enough to power a small army. Or sell for enough gold to buy the kingdom's next three elections. Once Henderson is dead, there's no witness. The Church is paid off. The Intelligence Division is compromised. I'm untouchable.
Jackpot.
"You're right," I said carefully. "I did see something that night."
His expression sharpened.
"And what exactly did you see?"
"Everything. The crystals. The demon merchants. The Church officials taking bribes. The Intelligence officers looking the other way."
I was bluffing—the original Kyle might have seen that, but I was piecing it together from chatboxes.
The Duke's face went cold.
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: He knows TOO much. How? Even my own men don't know the full scope. This changes nothing. He still has to die. But now I'm curious. Torture first? No. Too risky. Just kill him.
He nodded to the guards.
They advanced.
I backed toward the window—exactly what they wanted—but my hand went to my pocket.
Where I'd hidden a small emergency flare Eliza had given me.
"Before you kill me," I said, "I should mention that I told Captain Frostborne everything."
The Duke laughed.
"You told her? Interesting bluff. But she has no proof."
"Actually," I said, pulling out the flare, "she does now."
I activated it.
Brilliant red light shot through the window, visible across the entire estate.
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: WHAT?! That's a military distress signal! Every guard, every guest will see—KILL HIM NOW!
The guards lunged.
I dove to the side—thank you, Sera's agility training—and grabbed a heavy bookend from the desk.
The first guard's fist crashed into the wall where my head had been.
I swung the bookend with everything I had, catching him in the temple.
[CRITICAL HIT!]
[GUARD #1 STUNNED]
**[GUARD #1]: What the—this kid can FIGHT?! He's supposed to be a soft noble!
The second guard grabbed me from behind in a crushing bear hug.
**[GUARD #2]: Got him! Hold still you little—OW!
I stomped on his instep—Sera's lesson #3: "Attack what they don't protect"—and when his grip loosened, I drove my elbow into his solar plexus.
He dropped me, wheezing.
**[GUARD #2]: Can't breathe... who TRAINED this kid?!
The Duke was frantically trying to hide documents, shoving them into a secret compartment in his desk.
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: Evidence. Get rid of evidence. If the Captain arrives, I need plausible deniability. Damn that boy! How is he still alive?!
The study door EXPLODED inward.
Sera stood in the doorway, daggers drawn, eyes blazing with fury.
"GET. AWAY. FROM. HIM."
**[SERA]: I KNEW IT. I KNEW THIS WAS A TRAP. If they hurt him I will END them. I will end EVERYONE. Nobody touches Kyle. NOBODY.
She was across the room in a heartbeat, a dagger at the Duke's throat before he could even react.
"Move and I open your carotid artery," she said with chilling calm.
**[SERA]: I want to do it. I REALLY want to do it. He tried to kill Kyle. That's unforgivable. But Kyle wouldn't want me to murder a Duke without proof. Ugh. Having a conscience is annoying.
Aria burst in seconds later, holy magic crackling around her hands.
"Kyle! Are you hurt?!"
**[SISTER ARIA]: If he's injured I'm smiting EVERYONE in this room. Goddess forgive me but some people NEED smiting.
"I'm fine!" I said quickly. "The guards tried to throw me out the window, but—"
"THEY WHAT?!" both girls shouted in unison.
The temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees.
**[SERA]: Attempted murder. ATTEMPTED MURDER. I'm going to make them regret being born.
**[SISTER ARIA]: The Goddess teaches mercy. But the Goddess has never met someone who tried to DEFENESTRATE Kyle. Some exceptions must be made.
Eliza arrived last, surveying the scene with satisfaction.
"Well, well. Duke Blackwood, assaulting a prisoner under Royal protection? That's quite serious."
**[ELIZA]: ████ PERFECT ██████ EVERYTHING WENT ████ ACCORDING TO ██████ PLAN ████ MOSTLY ██████ KYLE FIGHTING ████ BACK WAS ██████ UNEXPECTED ████ BUT IMPRESSIVE ██████
"This is a misunderstanding!" the Duke sputtered. "The boy attacked MY guards!"
"Really? Because this military flare suggests otherwise. These are only issued in genuine emergencies."
"He's a criminal! He—"
"Has diplomatic protection under MY authority," Eliza said coldly. "And you just tried to murder him. Guards!"
Royal guards flooded the room—real royal guards, not the Duke's men.
**[ROYAL GUARD CAPTAIN]: Finally. Been investigating this bastard for months. The Ice Princess set the perfect trap.
"Search this study," Eliza commanded. "I have reason to believe the Duke is hiding contraband."
"You can't! I have rights! I demand—"
Sera pressed her dagger slightly deeper.
"You demand nothing," she hissed. "You tried to kill him. You don't get demands."
**[SERA]: Still want to kill him. SO BADLY want to kill him. Kyle's looking at me though. Probably doesn't want me to commit murder at a ball. Fine. FINE. But I'm not happy about it.
The guards found the hidden compartment.
Documents. Ledgers. And most damning: a small sample case of black mana crystals.
"Well," Eliza said with satisfaction, "that's quite condemning, Duke Blackwood."
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: No. NO. This can't be happening. Years of planning. YEARS. Undone by a level 20 nobody and that cursed Ice Princess!
As the guards arrested the Duke, his chatbox showed pure panic:
**[DUKE BLACKWOOD]: The shipment! The warehouse! If they find that, I'm finished! Need to warn the others! Need to—
"The east warehouse," I said aloud. "That's where the main shipment is. 500 black-market mana crystals from the Demon Territories."
Everyone stared at me.
"How did you—" Eliza started.
"Lucky guess?"
**[ELIZA]: ████ HE READ ██████ THE DUKE'S ████ CHATBOX ██████ PERFECTLY ████ THAT ABILITY ██████ IS BROKEN ████ AND I ██████ LOVE IT ████
The Duke went pale.
"Seize the east warehouse immediately," Eliza ordered. "Before anyone can move the contraband."
As the guards dragged the Duke away, still sputtering denials and threats, I finally let myself breathe.
It was over.
The conspiracy was exposed.
I was safe.
"KYLE!"
I was suddenly tackled by both Sera and Aria in a simultaneous hug.
**[SERA]: He's alive. He's safe. He fought back. He WON. I'm so proud and terrified and relieved and I need to hug him RIGHT NOW and I don't care who sees.
**[SISTER ARIA]: Thank the Goddess. THANK THE GODDESS. I was so scared. More scared than I've been in years. The thought of losing him was unbearable. Is this what caring feels like? It's TERRIBLE and wonderful.
"Can't... breathe..." I wheezed.
They reluctantly released me, both looking embarrassed.
"Sorry," Sera muttered. "Just... tactical relief assessment."
"Medical concern," Aria added. "Making sure you weren't in shock."
**[SERA]: Liar. You just wanted to hug him. ...So did I. We're both hopeless.
**[SISTER ARIA]: Liar. You were terrified. ...So was I. We're both in too deep.
Eliza watched with barely concealed amusement.
"Well done, Kyle. You got the evidence, survived an assassination attempt, and somehow made your love interests even MORE protective. That's multitasking."
"They're not my—"
"Don't even try," she said, switching to English. "Dude, they literally bear-hugged you in front of half the nobility. That's a public declaration."
**[ELIZA]: ████ ALSO I'M ██████ RELIEVED ████ HE'S SAFE ██████ MORE RELIEVED ████ THAN I ██████ SHOULD BE ████ WHEN DID ██████ I START ████ CARING THIS ██████ MUCH? ████
The ballroom had descended into chaos. Nobles were gossiping frantically about the Duke's arrest. Some were trying to flee—probably co-conspirators. The royal guards were rounding up suspects.
And in the middle of it all, I stood with three women who'd risked everything to protect me.
"So," I said, "anyone want to finish that dance? Since the party's ruined anyway?"
Sera and Aria immediately perked up.
"I believe I was OWED a second dance," Sera said.
"Actually, I was promised the next dance," Aria countered.
"You already had a dance!"
"A PROPER dance, not that stumbling disaster!"
**[SERA]: Did she just insult our dance?! That dance was SPECIAL. Terrible, but SPECIAL.
**[SISTER ARIA]: I'm not apologizing. My dance was objectively better. Even if his smile during the "disaster" dance was really cute. FOCUS.
They were gearing up for another argument when Eliza intervened.
"Actually," she said, surprising everyone, "I believe Kyle owes ME a dance. For successfully executing the plan."
**[ELIZA]: ████ DID I ██████ JUST SAY ████ THAT?! ██████ I DON'T ████ DANCE ██████ HAVEN'T DANCED ████ IN TEN ██████ YEARS ████ BUT SUDDENLY ██████ I WANT ████ TO? ██████
Both Sera and Aria looked stunned.
"You... dance?" Sera asked.
"The Captain dances?" Aria echoed.
"Occasionally," Eliza said, extending her hand to me. "When the partner is worth it."
**[ELIZA]: ████ SMOOTH ELIZA ██████ VERY SMOOTH ████ NOW HE ██████ THINKS I'M ████ FLIRTING ██████ BECAUSE I ████ TOTALLY AM ██████ WHEN DID ████ THIS HAPPEN ██████
My face went red.
"I, uh, should mention I'm terrible at dancing—"
"I noticed," she said with a smirk. "But I'm an excellent lead. Come on."
She pulled me to the dance floor as the orchestra—apparently oblivious to the political chaos—started a new waltz.
Eliza danced like she fought: precise, controlled, graceful. But unlike Aria's perfect form, there was something more... personal about it.
**[ELIZA]: ████ THIS IS ██████ NICE ████ REALLY NICE ██████ WHEN'S THE ████ LAST TIME ██████ I JUST ████ ENJOYED SOMETHING? ██████ HE'S A ████ TERRIBLE DANCER ██████ BUT THAT ████ SOMEHOW MAKES ██████ IT BETTER ████
"You're better at this than you let on," I said.
"Ten years of noble balls. You learn things." She paused. "Kyle... thank you."
"For what? You're the one who saved me."
"For being here. For understanding Earth references. For making this world less lonely."
**[ELIZA]: ████ TOO HONEST ██████ TOO HONEST ████ ABORT ABORT ██████ MAINTAIN COOL ████ MENTOR PERSONA ██████
Before I could respond, she spun me (terribly—I nearly tripped), and we both laughed.
From the sidelines, Sera and Aria watched with matching expressions of shock.
**[SERA]: The CAPTAIN is dancing with him? And LAUGHING? I've never seen her laugh! Is this... is this COMPETITION? From the CAPTAIN?!
**[SISTER ARIA]: She looks... happy. The Ice Princess looks genuinely happy. I didn't even know she could smile like that. This is a development. A CONCERNING development.
The dance ended, and Eliza stepped back, her professional mask sliding back into place.
"Well then. We should return to the prison. Lots of paperwork after arresting a Duke."
**[ELIZA]: ████ THAT WAS ██████ TOO CLOSE ████ ALMOST SAID ██████ SOMETHING STUPID ████ MAINTAIN DISTANCE ██████ HE NEEDS ████ A MENTOR ██████ NOT ANOTHER ████ COMPLICATION ██████ ...BUT THAT ████ WAS NICE ██████
As we headed for the exit, Sera grabbed my arm.
"That was terrifying," she said quietly. "When you went with the Duke. I thought—"
**[SERA]: I thought I'd lost you. I thought I'd never get to tell you how I feel. How I REALLY feel. Not as a handler. Not as a spy. Just... as me.
"I know," I said. "But I'm okay. Thanks to you bursting in like an action hero."
She blushed.
"Just doing my job."
"Your job doesn't include threatening Dukes with knives."
"It does now."
**[SERA]: I'd threaten KINGS for you. GODS for you. Anyone who tries to hurt you will regret it. When did I become this person?
Aria appeared on my other side.
"You were very brave tonight," she said softly. "Reckless. Stupid. But brave."
**[SISTER ARIA]: He could have died. The thought alone makes my chest hurt. I've lost people before. Comrades. Targets. But losing HIM would be different. MUCH different. That terrifies me.
"Thanks. I think?"
"It's a compliment. You're allowed one foolish act per week. You've used this week's quota."
"Noted."
**[SISTER ARIA]: I want to scold him more. But also hug him again. These contradictory urges are confusing. The Church never prepared me for FEELINGS.
The carriage ride back was quieter, but charged with a different energy.
I sat between Sera and Aria again, but now Eliza was watching us with a peculiar expression.
**[ELIZA]: ████ THREE AGAINST ██████ ONE ████ THAT'S NOT ██████ FAIR ████ WAIT AM ██████ I COMPETING? ████ I'M COMPETING ██████ WHEN DID ████ I START ██████ COMPETING?! ████
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: MAJOR QUEST COMPLETED!]
[EXPOSE THE CONSPIRACY: SUCCESS]
[DUKE BLACKWOOD: ARRESTED]
[EVIDENCE: SECURED]
[EXECUTION STATUS: OFFICIALLY CANCELLED]
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'RE NO LONGER A CONDEMNED PRISONER!]
[NEW STATUS: HERO OF THE REALM (...kind of)]
[RELATIONSHIP VALUES UPDATED:]
[SERA: AFFECTION 73/100 (+18) - STATUS: DEEPLY ATTACHED]
[ARIA: AFFECTION 70/100 (+18) - STATUS: EMOTIONALLY COMPROMISED]
[ELIZA: AFFECTION 48/100 (+17) - STATUS: IN DENIAL]
[WARNING: ALL THREE HEROINES NOW AWARE OF ROMANTIC COMPETITION]
[PREPARE FOR MAXIMUM CHAOS]
Back at my quarters, all three women lingered at my door.
"I should check your injuries," Aria said.
"You checked three times already," Sera pointed out.
"Medical thoroughness is important!"
"I'll take first watch tonight," Sera declared.
"YOU took first watch last night!"
"This is DIFFERENT. There might be Duke loyalists seeking revenge!"
They were gearing up for another argument when Eliza intervened.
"Both of you, get some rest. I'll take watch tonight."
They stared at her.
"You?" they said in unison.
"I'm his supervising officer. It's literally my job."
**[ELIZA]: ████ ALSO I ██████ WANT TO ████ MAKE SURE ██████ HE'S SAFE ████ PERSONALLY ██████ THESE TWO ████ ARE EMOTIONALLY ██████ COMPROMISED ████ AND I'M ██████ TOTALLY NOT ████ ALSO COMPROMISED ██████ COMPLETELY PROFESSIONAL ████
Sera and Aria exchanged looks of mutual suspicion but couldn't really argue with the Captain's logic.
After they reluctantly left, I found myself alone with Eliza for the first time since the ball.
"Hey," I said in English. "Thanks. For everything."
She smiled—a real smile, not the Ice Princess mask.
"We make a good team, transmigrator."
"Yeah. We do."
**[ELIZA]: ████ TEAM ██████ RIGHT ████ JUST A ██████ TEAM ████ NOTHING MORE ██████ IGNORE THE ████ BUTTERFLIES ██████ IGNORE HOW ████ NICE IT ██████ FELT TO ████ DANCE WITH ██████ HIM ████
"Get some rest, Kyle. Tomorrow we deal with the political fallout. And probably more jealous bodyguards."
As she turned to leave, I called out:
"Eliza? That dance... it was nice."
She paused, not looking back.
**[ELIZA]: ████ DON'T SAY ██████ IT ████ DON'T SAY ██████ ANYTHING ████ MAINTAIN PROFESSIONAL ██████ BOUNDARIES ████ YOU'RE THE ██████ RESPONSIBLE ONE ████
"Yeah," she said softly. "It was."
And then she was gone.
I collapsed onto my bed, exhausted but alive.
The conspiracy was exposed.
I was free.
And somehow, impossibly, I'd gained three incredible women who cared about me.
Even if they were currently competing for my attention.
Even if the situation was completely insane.
Even if I had no idea how to handle any of it.
"This is going to get so much more complicated, isn't it?" I muttered to the ceiling.
Outside my door, I heard:
"Are you SURE the Captain should take watch alone?"
"We could... accidentally patrol nearby?"
"Coincidentally in the same hallway?"
"Obviously for security reasons!"
Yep.
Definitely more complicated.