TIRS 84

chapter 84………………………….

. I Saw Something Strange
.

In the cold, hollow air, as if time had stopped.

A man in white priest’s robes spoke in a worried voice.

“Master. I suspect there may have been interference from a bug…”

The priest Prince Enzer had bribed was actually the system administrator of the Luenhart capital branch. It was arranged to ensure smoother quest progression.

But the atmosphere around this run’s player was unusually turbulent.

For instance, the Brillanta branch’s system administrator had been killed by bugs…

“Leave it.”

The boy’s master dismissed him coldly.

As if bugs were beneath his concern, he spoke with utter indifference.

The man who cowered before him faced a very small boy with hair black as pitch, a face pale as death, and eyes of glowing gold.

Though outwardly a small child, ominous shadows bloomed around him.

The boy began walking slowly toward Luibel.

With each step, his body grew.

From the size of a six-year-old, to ten, then a young teen of fourteen, then around eighteen—a young man, and finally, into the form of a fully matured adult.

At the same time, his lengthened hair brushed against his feet with a rustling sound.

Around him, glowing words appeared: [System Adjusting]. The system began to change, optimized for the sleeping Luibel.

He glanced to confirm Luibel’s stats shifting to their peak values.

Perhaps having a pleasant dream, a faint smile lingered on Luibel’s lips.

Golden eyes looked down upon that lovely face, chilling in their menace.

Those foolish humans had dared lay a hand on Luibel.

Even though she was unharmed, with not a single wound… she had almost been marred.

The one who would bring him Helheim’s heart—his treasure.

Treasure.

Yes. Luibel Azester was his treasure.

His, and his alone. No one else could ever touch her.

And so, those who had dared would have to pay the price.

Even if it meant going against her words—her plea not to kill recklessly.

His cold face, gazing endlessly upon the sleeping Luibel, twisted ever so slightly.

But having long forgotten how to feel emotions, he did not even realize that what he was experiencing was displeasure.

[SYSTEM] Sleep state has been released.

With a sweet chime, her closed eyelids fluttered open.

Blinking slowly, her vision sharpened to reveal Piyaa, chirping pitifully, “Pyuut-pyuut…”

―“Luluuuuuuuu…!”

“Piyaa…?”

Prrr…

―“Piyaa was tricked by weird cookies and didn’t even know Lady Lulu was in danger… uwaaaaaah!”

Piyaa covered his wet eyes with both wings, sobbing miserably.

“Don’t cry, Piyaa. I wasn’t in critical condition. I just had a good long sleep.”

It was true.

Since learning this world was inside a game, it was the first time she had slept so peacefully.

Her comatose state had shifted into sleep, and she’d slept soundly for the remaining 83 hours—free of worries or burdens.

Thanks to that, she felt utterly refreshed.

―“E-even so, P-Piyaa…” hic

“Well, I was a little hurt when Piyaa fluttered off, head over heels in love, and left me behind.”

Prrrrrrrrrr!

Though she had said it jokingly, Piyaa only cried harder.

He had been so upset that the weight he’d put on since coming to Luenhart had all melted away.

Even his once-glossy green feathers looked rough and dull.

“Lady Luibel…”

At the soft, guilty voice, she turned her head and saw Maria.

Saint of Light, Maria
Affinity: 999

‘So she really awakened.’

The first thing that caught her eyes was the golden nameplate above Maria’s head.

“I should have followed you that day, no matter what…”

Maria reproached herself for not accompanying Luibel to Arbella’s greenhouse garden.

Tears glimmered at the corners of her eyes, ready to spill with the slightest touch.

“But thanks to you, Maria, I’m perfectly fine like this.”

“Hhhnngh… Lady Luibel!”

Maria buried her head into Luibel’s blanket and wept, following Piyaa’s lead.

Knowing their tears came from genuine worry, Luibel couldn’t bring herself to scold them.

At that moment…

“I swore to be Your Highness’s shield, and yet in the moment of peril, I failed to protect you.”

Kneeling on one knee before the bed, Klaus spoke in a heavy tone.

“What are you saying, Sir? I know you did so much for me while I was asleep.”

“…I have no excuse.”

[SYSTEM] has entered the “self-reproach” state.

‘Ah, that wasn’t what I meant…’

She had tried to comfort him, but instead, he’d fallen into self-blame.

Admitting she wasn’t good at consoling others, she chose to stay silent.

Then, she felt a small tug at her sleeve.

Glancing down, she saw Illei clutching her clothes, gazing up with anxious eyes.

“I was worried, Lulu.”

“Illei…”

“I thought you might be hurt…”

“Thank you for worrying. I won’t make you anxious again.”

Even as she stroked his head, the unease in his eyes would not fade.

Somehow, she felt guilty. As if she’d needlessly worried them.

‘It wasn’t like I was truly sick. Maybe if I had been, I’d feel less guilty.’

With that thought, her gaze drifted to Ancelot.

Unlike the others, he leaned casually against the wall, watching her.

His expression seemed to hold countless words, yet he said nothing.

She took in his features one by one.

Snow-white hair, like the first snow of winter. Red eyes, like drops of blood on pure snow.

A face so noble, so beautiful, it seemed crafted by a master artisan. From the moment she first saw it, she could never look away.

It was the Ancelot Luenhart she knew.

While she stared silently, Klaus spoke again.

“It has been revealed that both Prince Ancelot’s fiancée’s death and Prince Arno’s death were all Arbella’s doing.”

“What?”

Her eyes widened in shock.

She had suspected Arbella was behind the incidents surrounding Ancelot’s fiancée, but…

“But Prince Arno was Arbella’s husband!”

Arbella even had a child with him.

“After Prince Ancelot returned, it seems she saw Arno as an obstacle. When he was bedridden after a quarrel with Prince Ancelot, she poisoned him.”

“Heavens… she was far more wicked than I thought!”

She huffed in anger.

Though Ancelot bore no blame for Arno’s death, he had suffered endless censure.

Even King Titarus, in grief over his son, had let the misunderstanding fester.

“But now the truth has been revealed, just as Your Highness wished.”

At Klaus’s calm words, she quickly opened her quest window.

The quest had been completed while she slept.

[SYSTEM] Quest complete!
[SYSTEM] ’s fame +300
[SYSTEM] ’s reputation +300
[SYSTEM] Gained 14,927 EXP.
[SYSTEM] Level up! (Lv.42)
[SYSTEM] Skill acquired.

The past system messages remained unread until now.

‘The whole quest finished while I was asleep?!’

Delighted, she checked her skill window. There it was:

[Special] (new!)

• Skill level: 1/5
• Spreads any rumor the caster desires within a set radius. (Cooldown: 3 days)

One reason she had accepted this quest was to obtain this skill.

With it, she could spread the truth and clear Ancelot of all false charges.

But without her lifting a finger, everything had already been resolved while she slept.

“I want to see Arbella.”

There was something she needed to ask Arbella.

But Maria and Klaus exchanged hesitant glances.

“What is it?”

At her tilted head, Klaus replied awkwardly.

“The truth is… just yesterday, Prince Enzer and Arbella, who were imprisoned, were murdered.”

“…What?”

Her mind went blank.

‘Don’t tell me… Ancelot avenged me?’

Unconsciously, she looked at Ancelot. He raised an eyebrow, crookedly.

‘Guess not.’

If it wasn’t Ancelot, then it truly wasn’t.

‘Then who…?’

“We still haven’t discovered how Arbella distributed so many poisons. It’s possible she had a backer who silenced her to hide their involvement. The investigation is ongoing.”

“Oh. That’s not it.”

“…Pardon?”

“I know where Arbella got her poison.”

She spoke with certainty, rising to her feet.

“I need to see King Titarus.”

She informed Titarus that Arbella’s greenhouse garden had been an enormous cultivation ground for poisonous plants.

“I see…”

Titarus lowered his head heavily.

He was broken, in both body and spirit.

First betrayed by Arbella, then shaken by Enzer’s mysterious death—his grief was immeasurable.

“It is all my fault. I knew Arno’s death wasn’t Ancelot’s doing, yet I still blamed him. I allowed vile rumors to follow him.”

“…”

“And so, it seems my son has borne the punishment in my stead.”

His voice was laden with torment.

Though she hadn’t forgiven his neglect of Ancelot, Luibel couldn’t help but feel pity.

“I offer a formal apology to the Princess of Azester.”

“The King of Luenhart’s apology is accepted.”

As she accepted the apology of a man who had nothing left to lose, her gaze drifted to the royal portraits behind him.

At the center hung portraits of King Titarus, his late queen, Arno, and Enzer.

To the left were portraits of Titarus and his brothers—like those she’d seen in the banquet hall on her first day in Luenhart.

Back then, she had silently complained that Ancelot wasn’t among them.

No matter how bad his reputation, how petty of them to exclude him.

Now, she stared intently at the farthest portrait, of a man with silver hair and red eyes like rubies, smiling warmly like sunlight.

“You’re looking at Ancelot.”

Sensing her gaze, Titarus spoke.

“Please, Princess Luibel, take care of the younger brother I could not protect.”

“…”

Unable to answer, she ended the conversation and left.

Outside, Klaus approached.

“Here is what you requested, Your Highness.”

She unfolded the paper he handed her. Klaus seemed unaware of anything unusual.

“Thank you.”

With a brief word, she went straight to Ancelot.

“Let’s talk.”

Without explanation, she grabbed his wrist, dragged him into an empty room, and shoved him inside.

He blinked innocently.

“Princess?”

“I have something to ask you.”

“What is it? If you corner me so fiercely, I might get flustered, you know.”

He replied with a smirk.

But she wasn’t in the mood for playful banter.

“I saw something strange in Arbella’s greenhouse garden. And also in the King’s audience chamber. And in the picture Klaus brought me.”

She handed him the rolled paper.

“This.”

Unfolding it absentmindedly, Ancelot froze at her next words.

“They say this is Prince Ancelot’s portrait.”

“…”

Slowly, he lifted his head to meet her eyes.

“It’s not you, is it?”

“…”

She looked back and forth between his face and the portrait.

The portrait’s Ancelot was nothing like the Ancelot she knew.

Yet everyone else recognized him as that face.

Something was wrong.

“Where is the real Ancelot Luenhart?”

Shhhk.

Expression drained from Ancelot’s face.

“Who… are you?”