Chapter 32
The White Tower.
It was the ultimate destination for scholars across the continent, a grand repository housing the sum of human understanding.
However, the luxury of sightseeing was a distant dream.
The sheer volume of people moving through the halls was overwhelming, and the tension in the air was palpable. It wasn’t just the resident academics, students, and their various assistants; today, the Imperial family was descending upon the tower. With the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince all arriving, the corridors were choked with palace guards, soldiers, ladies-in-waiting, and a small army of servants.
What truly surprised me, though, was the massive escort from House Frazier.
I had assumed the Grand Duke would provide a handful of guards—perhaps five or six men. That would have been more than enough for a young lady’s protection, especially considering we weren’t traveling to some lawless frontier. We were visiting a sanctuary of intellect where the most refined minds in the world gathered for study.
Instead, I found myself trailing an entire platoon.
I stole a glance at the armored men marching behind me. It appeared Assis Grand Duke Frazier had detached nearly half of the knightly order he’d brought to the Imperial Capital just to shadow my movements.
There was a silver lining to this overkill, though. A significant number of nobles were present to witness it.
Technically, I was just a fifteen-year-old who hadn’t even made her formal debut. Yet, as the granddaughter of the Grand Duke, I belonged to a house so powerful it didn’t need to bow and scrape even for the royals. My reputation as the family’s resident troublemaker still clung to me like a shadow, of course. Even if my standing within the castle was improving, no one in the capital’s high society knew that yet.
By arriving with such a formidable show of force, I was sending a silent message: my status within the Frazier household had shifted dramatically.
The Dean of the White Tower rushed out to meet us, looking frazzled. Interestingly, he seemed more rattled by my presence than by the return of his star pupil, Schulz Schmidt. In fact, he looked particularly uneasy about Ruk Kelfosher, who had accompanied me.
Ruk’s efficiency was a blessing, cutting the tedious formalities short. I was quickly handed a temporary pass to the restricted archives of the Sky Library—a legendary facility capable of holding a staggering hundred thousand visitors.
Schulz Schmidt offered me a faint, polite smile before excusing himself to enter the main building with the Vice Dean. Ruk also seemed preoccupied, clearly having urgent matters to discuss with the Chairman.
“Go ahead and finish your business, Ruk,” I said. “I’d like to explore the library on my own.”
“Of course, my lady. I’ll arrange for an escort immediately—”
“That won’t be necessary,” I interrupted, pitching my voice so the Dean would hear. “One or two guards are plenty. This is the prestigious White Tower, after all.”
The Dean puffed out his chest slightly, looking pleased by the compliment. Ruk nodded to a pair of knights and bid me a pleasant tour.
Now then.
It was time to track down the first candidate for the male lead. I needed to find the Crown Prince.
But first, I had to deal with my tail.
“Do you think you could give me a bit more space?” I asked the two knights looming directly behind me.
“Our orders are to maintain close proximity for your safety, my lady,” one replied with stony-faced discipline.
“Then perhaps stay at a distance where you can still intervene if there’s an actual emergency?”
They retreated exactly one meter.
“Is that all the room you need to sprint in a crisis?” I pressed.
They moved back to two meters.
“Are you common foot soldiers or elite knights?”
They finally backed off fifty meters.
“Perfect.”
Accepting that as the best compromise I’d get, I made a show of heading toward the library before darting down a secluded side path. I knew exactly where the Crown Prince would be; I’d memorized the layout of this world long ago during my time playing the game.
Shortcuts truly are a blessing.
By following a trail lined with clusters of white blossoms that looked like fallen snow, I reached the secluded rear of the Sky Library. This area was strictly off-limits to everyone except the Dean, the highest-ranking Pneumas, and the direct bloodline of the Emperor.
It was a sanctuary once beloved by the late Empress.
Olivia, the first wife of Emperor Alessandro, had been a woman of immense culture who frequented the White Tower to indulge her passion for the arts. Because of her, this private garden had been established for the royal family’s exclusive use.
From the game, I knew that Ferdinand, the Crown Prince and a primary romantic interest, never missed a chance to visit this garden whenever he was at the tower. This worked perfectly in my favor. Meeting him here would be much easier than trying to navigate the politics of the Imperial Palace.
If I missed this window, he would soon be sent off to the front lines. I wouldn’t see him again until he reached adulthood. To secure the Crown Prince’s ending, a childhood encounter was mandatory to establish an early connection. Since I was aiming for an A-grade performance, I had to advance every male lead’s route as far as possible.
I tucked myself away near a stunning marble fountain adorned with mermaids. Nearby, a vine-covered swing hung gracefully near a set of wide stone steps. While I waited, I mentally rehearsed my introduction, perfecting my posture and practicing a smile that looked both innocent and charming.
Then, the sound of a heavy door creaking open echoed through the garden, followed by the rhythmic tap of boots on marble.
When I caught sight of him, I felt the same jolt of disbelief I’d experienced when I first woke up in this world.
It was him.
He wore sky-blue ceremonial robes that made his piercing red eyes pop. The outfit was a priest-like design unique to the Crown Prince, dripping with the understated gold embroidery of the Imperial house. Even after seeing so many beautiful characters in this world, Ferdinand’s presence was enough to make my heart race with a mix of awe and nervous energy. He radiated the unmistakable aura of a protagonist.
I was just about to reveal myself—careful not to startle him—when another voice cut through the air.
“Your Highness.”
It was a woman’s voice, sophisticated and dangerously melodic. I froze, holding my breath.
The sharp clack of high heels approached the boy. I recognized the woman immediately from the game’s artwork.
It was Empress Carmi.
She was the woman the Emperor had married after Olivia’s passing. In the game’s narrative, she was a villainess much like Tulia, though her fate was more flexible. Her survival usually hinged on whether or not she succeeded in her primary goal: the elimination of the Crown Prince.
Their relationship was legendary for its toxicity, though they kept the animosity hidden behind a veneer of royal decorum. To the public, Carmi played the role of a saint.
“I sent specific attire to your chambers for today’s visit,” she said, her tone dripping with faux concern. “Why are you not wearing it?”
“The garments were tailored for the Second Prince,” Ferdinand replied coldly. “They do not fit me.”
“Oh? My staff must have been careless again. Well…” Carmi’s lips curled into a sharp smile. “Dave is fifteen now. He is growing so quickly, becoming quite the young man.”
“Indeed.”
“It truly is a pity, Crown Prince. If only the late Empress Olivia… if only she hadn’t been so reckless as to force Divine Power into her womb, you wouldn’t be trapped in such a stunted form.”
Her voice was thick with a sympathy that sounded hauntingly real. Had I not seen the cruel glint in her eyes, I might have believed she actually cared for her stepson.
“If she hadn’t been so impatient,” the Empress continued, “you would be a grown man by now, befitting your age. His Majesty wouldn’t find it so painful to look at you. He wouldn’t feel the need to avoid you as he does.”
Every syllable was a calculated strike intended to wound. She was blaming his mother’s ambition for his condition and his father’s neglect.
“The former Empress’s desperation left a permanent scar on her child. Such a tragedy.”
Ferdinand didn’t look away. He turned his crimson gaze toward her, maintaining a chilling silence.
For a fleeting second, I saw it—the Empress’s composure, the unshakable mask of the most powerful woman in the Empire, flickered with a hint of genuine unease.
