TIRS 06

CHAPTER 6.

 Welcome to Hell Mode!

A eunuch ending?
Now that was the ultimate revenge I could serve to a player bastard who dared build a harem using the body of my beloved character!

Hezen’s face went completely pale—as if he’d read the same system message I had.

[SYSTEM] Activating skill .
[SYSTEM] Your movement speed is temporarily increased by +500%.

“L-Lulu! Something urgent just came up… S-See you next time!”

He spun around and bolted.
He was so fast, I couldn’t even think about grabbing him.
I snorted as I watched his retreating back.

Whiiistle.
A sharp whistle came from beside me.

The moment I saw Hezen’s face, I’d been too consumed with rage to remember him—the man who’d just tried to kill me.

“Interesting,” he said, grinning as he looked at me.

‘W-What the hell.’

Having someone who’d just tried to murder you suddenly smile like that—it gave me the creeps.
I instinctively tried to step back.

“Princess Louivelle Azester, Third Princess of the Empire.”

He suddenly approached, his voice gentle, even respectful.

‘Wait. He knew my name? And that I was royalty? And still acted like that?’

Confused, I froze as he extended an arm toward me.
I flinched and squeezed my eyes shut.

Then—I felt a cold sensation against the back of my neck.

Clink.
The chain of the pendant draped over my skin.

When I peeked one eye open, he was leaning close, staring down at me from an uncomfortably short distance.

“I’ll lend this back to you,” he said, toying with the pendant that hung from my neck.
“The one you said you picked up, Your Highness.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“You’ll need it.”
Then his voice dropped to a silky whisper.

“If you want to wreck that bastard.”

“…What?”

His foul words completely clashed with his polite tone, leaving me stunned.

But then, he straightened up and smiled gently again.

“In return, please allow me to stay by your side, Your Highness. At least while I’m in Azester.”

His words were perfectly courteous, but his eyes were sharp and persistent, locking onto mine.
There was a glint—just the slightest—of murderous intent in them.

My blood ran cold.
Was he planning to kill me from up close?

“…What do you mean by ‘stay by my side’?”
I swallowed hard.

“Exactly what it sounds like,” he said smoothly. “I wish to serve Your Highness from the closest position possible during my stay in the Empire.”

Still, nothing appeared above his head.

Trying to calm my pounding heart, I asked loudly, “Shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?”

“Ah.”

He looked like the thought had just now occurred to him.
He slowly backed away and lowered himself to one knee.

“I am Prince Ancelot of Luenhart.”

He knelt before me, locking eyes.

“My name is Ancelot, Your Highness.”

Cool lips brushed the back of my hand.

‘Ancelot, Prince of Luenhart…?’

And just like that, I remembered.

“Did you hear? Luenhart sent that psycho prince—the one who collects people like trophies—as a diplomatic envoy!”

That gossip from Lady Elizabeth’s tea party a few days ago echoed in my head.

Even after I returned to my room, the chill of that man’s lips on my hand lingered.

“Ancelot of Luenhart…”

I muttered his name.

Diplomatic envoys from all over the continent were arriving for Mother’s birthday celebrations.
And from our neighboring Luenhart Kingdom, they’d sent him—the rumored murder-crazy prince who collects corpses like hobbies.

I scrubbed the back of my hand, replaying our conversation.

‘Wh-Why do you want to serve me all of a sudden…?’

‘Hm. Does there have to be a reason?’

He tilted his head at my question, then smiled.

‘Let’s just say it was love at first sight.’

‘Liar! You tried to kill me on sight!’

‘Must’ve been your imagination.’

He lied without even blinking.

‘Don’t doubt my love. It hurts my heart.’

‘What kind of bullsh—’

‘—Hurts like being torn in two.’

…Excuse me? Are you threatening to literally rip me apart?

I stared at him in terror.

Despite his elegant eyes, there was something deeply feral lurking behind them.
He looked like someone who’d smile while slitting your throat.

“He smiles and then snaps your neck if you so much as misstep.”

“But he’s so good-looking, it’s hard to forget his face.”

“Despite that beauty, he’s never been engaged. Know why?”

“Every girl who got engaged to him died mysteriously… and he’s the prime suspect.”

Every lady at that tea party had whispered about him.

That’s when I learned that Prince Ancelot of Luenhart was nicknamed “Sal-ddo”—short for “Sal-in-gwang Ddo-ra-i” (Psycho Killer).

The more I remembered those stories, the colder my chest felt.

He wasn’t just insane. He was Sal-ddo.

And Sal-ddo had tried to kill me.

And I… I’d dared to sass him.

If it weren’t for that pendant, I probably would’ve died right then.

I held the pendant gently and stared down at it.

That red light that burst out earlier—it had shielded me from Sal-ddo’s attack.
It was definitely suspicious, just like him, but right now, I needed it.

Because this pendant… let me see the system windows—the player’s interface.

‘I need to know what Hezen is plotting if I want to end this engagement cleanly.’

Once the engagement was over, I’d toss this sketchy pendant without a second thought.

‘But why was there nothing above Sal-ddo’s head?’

I frowned, recalling the earlier scene.

‘But Hezen—he definitely saw something…’

Even though I’d been blinded by rage the moment I saw his face, I’d clearly seen him—Hezen—glaring up at something over Sal-ddo’s head.

Hezen had seen it.

Then why couldn’t I?

What’s more—Sal-ddo had looked right at Hezen’s system window and asked,

“You can see that too, right?”

He’d seen it—without this pendant.

There’s no way he’s a player.
So… is he like me? A transmigrator?

Or something else entirely?

‘There’s something going on.’

First Hezen, now this suspicious murder-prince.

My peaceful life had turned into a storm of chaos, and my head throbbed just thinking about it.

“Sigh…”

“P-Princess…”

Seira peeked at me anxiously.

“Are you okay? D-Did Hezen make you uncomfortable?”

I stared at her.

3rd Princess’s Handmaid,
Affection: 999

“You didn’t… tell Hezen where I was, did you?”

“W-Wh-What?!”

Her face paled instantly.
Busted.

“Since when?”

My voice was calm, but heavy with implication.
Seira’s eyes wavered frantically, and then she dropped her head.

“I-I’m sorry!”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“I-It’s been… since three years ago…”

“Three years?!”
That was even before I met Hezen.

“To be exact… since the spring three years ago…”

I’d met Hezen at the imperial autumn tournament that year.

So in other words—Seira had known him long before I did.

“H-He asked me to tell you stories about him so he could become friends with you…”

“…Right.”

Now that I thought about it, Seira had played a huge role in bringing Hezen and me together.
She constantly talked about how wonderful he was and encouraged me to get closer to him.

“But once he got engaged to you, I tried to distance myself! I swear!”

“…”

“I-It’s just that I didn’t cut ties completely, and that’s why… today…”

I stayed silent for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.

“It’s okay, Seira. You’re not the one at fault. That bastard Hezen is.”

“P-Princess…?”

“It’s fine. I’ll save you from that bastard’s clutches.”

“Y-You’re not angry…?”

She looked at me, wide-eyed.

I nodded.

Sure, I did feel betrayed. But I couldn’t deny—we’d both been used.
If anything, Seira had been manipulated first.

‘She liked Hezen. And he used her like a pawn.’

I actually pitied her.

Then suddenly—

The affection meter above Seira’s head shimmered, and…

3rd Princess’s Handmaid,
Affection: 913

‘Huh…?’

I blinked.

‘Affection… can drop like that?’

Just by making her feel guilty—her affection fell.
Hezen didn’t even do anything this time.

And yet…

My eyes sparkled.

Just like when I discovered Hezen’s eunuch ending route.

“Kuk…”

“Princess? Are you hurt—?!”

Seira rushed over.

“Kukukuku…”

But I wasn’t groaning from pain.

I was laughing. I couldn’t hold it in. I was elated.

Ending this engagement might be easier than I thought.

‘I’m going to crush that bastard’s harem into dust!’

From this moment on, I had a new goal.

Break the affection meters of every single character Hezen ever seduced.

Ruin his life.

Crush his future.

Rip his crown jewels apart until he rage-quits for good!

Seira took one look at my twitching smile and crazy nose-breathing and backed away.

“S-Sorry, Princess!!”

Then burst into tears and ran out of the room.

3rd Princess’s Handmaid,
Affection: 879
Affection: 860

Even as I watched her fleeing figure, her affection meter continued to drop.

And I laughed. Out loud.

“WELCOME TO HELL MODE!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

A week later.

Tonight was the first of many balls to be held in celebration of my mother’s birthday.
Every evening for the next seven days, a ball would take place.

And my life expectancy?

3rd Princess of Azester Empire,
Attributes: Lover, Terminal (Remaining Life: 6 days 6 hours 47 minutes)

Only 6 days, 6 hours, and 47 minutes left.

It was 5:13 PM now.
Which meant… I would die exactly at midnight on my mother’s birthday.

‘And that’s probably when the “awakening” event starts.’

Before that, I planned to destroy everything Hezen had built.

And tonight’s ball… would be the beginning of it all.