I didn't have time to think.
The sword lunged toward Kaian's chest with deadly speed, leaving barely a finger's width—perhaps less—between the blade and his heart.
In that moment, I didn't see the Crown Prince.
I saw my future shattering.
If he died here, the empire would topple.
A witch hunt would begin.
And my name would be the first to be burned in the records.
[Defensive mission available.]
[Activate: Charm Barrier.]
[Cost: -20 days of life.]
[Warning: Repeated use may cause nervous system collapse.]
Twenty days.
About six percent of my remaining life.
The calculation was clear.
Lose twenty days… better than losing my head.
"Activate."
I didn't scream this time.
I didn't beg.
I gave the order as if pressing a button on a control panel.
Suddenly—
I felt something ripped violently from inside me, as if invisible roots buried in my heart had been torn out.
Sharp, clean, silent pain.
A violet glow erupted from my palms, puffing out like compressed smoke before solidifying in the air into a transparent shield between the blade and Kaian's chest.
The sword struck it.
Clang!
The sound was unnatural.
Not just metal against metal.
It was the clash of two wills.
The blade bounced at a sharp angle, deflecting its deadly path to only graze Kaian's shoulder.
A drop of blood slid down his black uniform.
But the poison… hadn't entered.
And then, the "beast of the empire" moved.
I didn't see the motion fully.
I saw the result.
Kaian twisted his body with the fluidity of a battle-hardened warrior. He grabbed Vance's wrist, pressed it until a faint pop echoed, then slammed him with the hilt of his sword to knock the poisoned dagger to the ground.
A violent kick sent the guard crashing into the stone wall.
In the next moment, the Crown Prince's sword rested at the throat of the man who had saved his life three times.
"Speak."
His voice wasn't raised.
It was low… terrifying.
The guards at the end of the hall charged forward, then froze when they saw the scene.
Vance was struggling to breathe.
His eyes trembled.
For the first time, I didn't see a killer.
I saw a man fighting something inside his own mind.
[Control Level: 91%]
[Warning: Approaching activation of Silence Protocol.]
"Y-Your Highness… I…"
His voice cracked.
Kaian stepped closer, the sword pressing so lightly that a thin line of blood appeared on Vance's neck.
"Who sent you?"
A pause.
A moment of hope.
Then—
[Activate: Poisoned Silence Oath.]
Vance's eyes widened abruptly.
Black foam spilled from the corner of his mouth.
His body convulsed violently.
He hit the ground… dead.
All in less than ten seconds.
The silence that followed was heavier than any scream.
Even the wind in the hall seemed to vanish.
I glanced at my counter.
[351 days remaining.]
I'd lost twenty days.
But I had changed the course of fate.
Kaian stood for a moment, staring at Vance's body as if trying to comprehend what had just happened.
This wasn't just an attack.
It was betrayal.
Betrayal by someone he had trusted since childhood.
A guard bent down to examine the body, then stepped back in fear.
"Bl-Black… I've never seen anything like this before."
Kaian didn't respond.
He turned slowly toward me.
That look…
Wasn't just hatred.
Wasn't just doubt.
It was… threat assessment.
"The magic you used," he said very slowly, "was no illusion."
I didn't answer.
"Purple."
My silence was an unspoken admission.
"The color of my family's magic."
He stepped closer.
"No one outside the Xesaros lineage can wield it."
The guards exchanged glances.
A dangerous statement.
Very dangerous.
I swallowed the pain in my chest and stood tall despite the dizziness creeping into my limbs.
"If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have saved you."
A simple reply.
But a logical one.
He stepped closer until I could feel the heat of his breath.
"Then why do you possess magic that isn't yours?"
Because I am not Evelyn.
Because I am not from this world.
Because a system is tampering with time.
But none of these answers would save me if spoken aloud.
They would lock me in a magical tower for life.
"Perhaps because the one who tried to kill you wanted someone else blamed."
Calculated words.
I redirected my focus.
His eyes narrowed.
He was thinking.
Good.
Thinking meant he hadn't decided my fate yet.
[Congratulations! Main hero saved.]
[Reward: +100 Charm Points.]
[System Store unlocked.]
[Alert: Original course of events altered by 12%.]
Only twelve percent?
The road was still long.
Kaian bent down, picked up the poisoned dagger with a cloth, examining it with the eyes of a warrior.
"Shadow Guild."
He whispered it almost to himself.
The guards froze.
A forbidden name.
The assassins' guild operating behind the scenes, never moving without massive funding—or a high-profile political target.
"Remove the body. Announce nothing."
His orders came with the icy precision of a leader accustomed to crisis control.
Then he added:
"Summon the Grand Palace Sorcerer. Now."
My chest tightened.
Palace sorcerer meant magical inspection.
Inspection meant—
The system seemed to read my thoughts.
[Warning: Residual charm energy still active around host.]
[Suggestion: Avoid direct magical scanning for 30 minutes.]
Thirty minutes?
I needed a distraction.
Kaian lifted his gaze to me again.
"Come."
Not an invitation.
A command.
I followed him into my wing.
The guards remained outside.
The door closed.
For a moment, we were alone.
He stood near the window, gray light filtering behind him, surrounding his body with a cold aura.
"Repeat what you said moments ago."
"Which part?"
His gaze sharpened.
"About the traitor."
I breathed slowly.
"I said there is a traitor in your guard. I didn't say he is the only one."
Silence.
A risk.
But I needed to widen the circle of suspicion away from myself.
"Who do you think it is?"
A question more dangerous than it seemed.
Any name I mentioned could ignite a palace war.
And I didn't have real information… yet.
But I had an advantage.
The novel.
I remembered a failed assassination attempt in the middle of the story, carried out by a member of the Lords' Council, funded by a noble faction fearing Kaian's rise.
One name floated in my memory.
But mentioning it now… was too early.
"Not yet," I said, partially truthful.
"But whoever dares to use the Shadow Guild… is no small player."
Kaian didn't object.
He seemed to agree implicitly.
He stepped closer.
This time, he didn't hold a sword.
But his presence was enough to make the air heavy.
"Why did you warn me?"
The real question, finally.
Why?
Because I needed him alive.
Because he is my political shield.
Because my life depends on him.
But what I said was different.
"Because your death would spark chaos that would consume me first."
Cold honesty.
His expression didn't change, but I saw a brief flicker in his eyes.
Respect?
Or perhaps… concern.
He raised his hand, stained with Vance's blood.
I expected him to seize my neck.
Instead, he traced a finger near my face, following the faint trail of violet glow that hadn't fully faded.
"This magic… responded to you."
His voice dropped.
"No one can use my family's legacy without being rejected."
Heavy silence.
Then he said:
"The engagement will not be broken."
I exhaled inwardly.
But the next sentence was less comforting.
"But from now on, you will not step without my knowledge."
Direct surveillance.
A golden prison.
"You will remain in this wing until further notice."
He turned toward the door.
"The guards will double. No one enters without my permission."
He opened the door.
Before stepping out, he paused.
"Evelyn."
He had never addressed me with this tone before.
"If you lie… I will be the one to place your head under the guillotine this time."
He left.
The door shut.
I collapsed into the nearest chair, finally gasping for air.
Pain in my chest surged.
[Warning: Excessive life energy depletion.]
[Suggestion: Rest.]
Rest?
In this palace?
Impossible.
Before I could fully process what had happened—
[Urgent Alert.]
The system screen turned red.
[Magic detection wave approaching.]
[Source: Isabella Valentia.]
[Tool: Advanced Dark Magic Detector.]
[ETA: 2 minutes.]
My blood froze.
Isabella.
The heroine.
Bearer of a pure aura.
And in the novel…
she had the innate ability to detect dark magic.
If she saw the residual energy of my barrier—
It wouldn't matter that I had saved Kaian.
I'd be accused of forbidden magic.
Everything would end before it even began.
Quick footsteps approached the hall.
A soft yet firm female voice:
"Step aside. I want to see Lady Evelyn immediately."
The guards hesitated.
Then—
"This is by my order."
Kaian's voice.
He was allowing her in.
Perfect.
[Urgent Suggestion: Hide residual energy using Charm Points.]
[Cost: 40 points.]
Forty?
I opened my counter.
[Charm Points: 100]
If I spent them now… only 60 would remain.
But if I didn't—
I'd be exposed.
I clenched my hands.
"Execute."
I felt another wave pulled from me, less painful than the first… but deeper.
The faint violet glow around my skin gradually faded.
Knock.
The door opened.
Isabella entered.
Her silver hair shimmered, her blue eyes as clear as a spring lake.
In her hands, a crystalline device glowing with pure white light.
She stopped at the entrance, her gaze locking directly on me.
The device emitted a faint pulse of light.
Then—
She stepped closer.
The glow intensified.
She smiled faintly… but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Strange," I whispered.
"I was sure I'd feel something dark here."
Then she raised the device toward me.
The white light intensified—
And in that moment, a message appeared before my eyes that I had never seen before:
[Critical Warning.]
[Unknown interaction detected between Soul Magic and Purity Magic.]
[Chance of energy fusion: 37%… rising.]
Fusion?
What did that mean?
The white light began to intertwine with faint violet threads.
Isabella raised an eyebrow.
"What is this…?"
The air between us started to tremble.