The grand hall of Silvercrest Keep buzzed with false laughter and hidden daggers. Crystal chandeliers cast shimmering light over nobles dressed in their finest silks, their smiles as sharp as the swords they carried. Lucian Darkthorne moved through the crowd with practiced ease, a goblet of wine in hand.
He took a careful sip he'd watched the servant pour this one himself—as his strange new power revealed the secrets of everyone around him.
Above Lady Duvall's head floated glowing numbers: Loyalty: 23% - Plans to steal your lands through marriage. Nearby, Baronet Graves sweated nervously beneath his own damning label: *Loyalty: 5% - Hiding a bastard son.
Lucian smirked. In his past life as a billionaire, uncovering such secrets would have taken months of investigation. Now they appeared before him like gifts.
A sudden fanfare of trumpets silenced the crowd.
"Her Royal Highness, Princess Seraphina vi Astrell!"
The gathered nobles parted like curtains being drawn. Lucian's breath caught in his throat.
This was nothing like the simpering princess he'd imagined in his youth.
The woman who entered moved with the grace of a stalking panther, her silver-white hair piled high like a crown. Her sharp, mercury-colored eyes scanned the room, missing nothing. But what truly shocked Lucian were the golden words floating above her head—different from the usual red:
*Seraphina vi Astrell - Loyalty: 0%*
Title: The Silent Storm
Warning: She knows about your power
Lucian's grip tightened on his goblet. She knows? How?
The princess stopped before him, extending a bejeweled hand. "Lord Darkthorne," she said, her voice sweet yet edged with steel. "I've heard... interesting things about you."
Lucian felt a strange sensation—his power was showing him something new. Where his novel had written this moment as love at first sight, reality painted a different picture: She knows you're changing the story.
He took her hand, brushing his lips just above her knuckles. A sharp pain made him glance down her nails had drawn blood.
"You honor me, Your Highness," he said smoothly. "Though I fear the rumors exaggerate my charms."
"On the contrary," she replied, withdrawing her hand slowly. "I find truth often more fascinating than fiction."
A new message appeared: *Seraphina's Loyalty: -15% - Hostile Interest*
Their tense moment was interrupted by Duke Eldrin pushing through the crowd, his face red with outrage. "Your Highness!" he bellowed, bowing deeply. "This upstart dares wear silver in your presence the royal color!"
A murmur spread through the nobles. Lucian looked at his silver-trimmed sleeves. So that's the trap.
His power presented options:
Apologize and lose standing
Claim ignorance and look weak
Or strike back
Lucian drained his wine and snapped his fingers. A servant hurried forward with a black lacquered box.
"How fortunate," Lucian said, opening the box with a flourish. "I wore silver to match my gift."
Inside lay a diadem set with enormous emeralds—gems every noble recognized as the Duke's stolen family jewels.
Eldrin's face turned purple. "Those are! How did you?"
"Baron Kael's account books were most enlightening," Lucian said casually, tossing a heavy purse to the shocked baron. "For your... cooperation."
The effect was immediate. The duke sputtered incoherently as the baron clutched the purse like a lifeline. Lucian's power showed him the results:
Baron Kael's Loyalty: 75%
Duke Eldrin: Publicly Ruined
Court Reputation: Increased
When Lucian turned back to Seraphina, her icy smile had warmed into something far more dangerous. "Clever," she murmured. "But I know what you are." Her hand rested on the dagger at her belt. "You don't belong in this story."
"Nor you in mine," Lucian countered. "The princess I wrote was far less... observant."
Her laugh was like breaking glass. "Your novel was terrible."
A new quest appeared: Win Seraphina's Trust - Reward: Royal Influence
Lowering his voice, Lucian asked, "What if I told you the Demon King isn't our true enemy?"
Seraphina's eyes narrowed. "Prove it."
Later that night, as Lucian prepared for bed, two notifications appeared:
*Garrick's Loyalty Reached 70% - New Ability: Shield of Faith*
Warning: Church Inquisitors Arrive in 3 Days
Outside his window, a raven with eerily blue eyes watched from the castle walls. The real game, Lucian realized, was only just beginning.