* * *
How would I know whether he likes animals or not?
For all I knew, Ateol could be the president of an animal lovers’ association.
My guess had simply bypassed my brain and tumbled out of my mouth.
“And how would you know that?”
I couldn’t bring myself to say, “Judging from your personality,” so I shut my mouth.
What if he actually was the president of that association?
“It’s not that I dislike animals. They dislike me. I don’t harbor any strong feelings either way.”
“Not having strong feelings sounds like not being interested to me.”
“Hmm… Now that you say it, I suppose so.”
“So, Your Highness came all this way just to see a puppy you’re not even interested in?”
Bell interjected again.
It seemed Ateol was already filed away in her mind as an irritating pest trying to cozy up to me.
“Now that you mention it, I suppose so.”
I gave Bell a look, signaling that it was time to leave.
She immediately picked up on my intent, retreating behind me and bowing her head slightly.
A polite but unmistakable “goodbye.”
“We’ve intruded enough. Let’s take our leave.”
Ateol didn’t try to stop us this time.
As I turned to go, my foot caught on a small ledge on the floor.
As I stumbled forward, I immediately thought, ‘This is definitely the system’s meddling.’
I braced for the inevitable impact but was instead caught by something firm.
I want to destroy the system.
I thought grimly as my face twisted in irritation.
Yes, this had to be the system’s doing.
Otherwise, there was no way I’d end up in Ateol’s arms in such a position.
To make matters worse, he was holding my hood in place with one hand to keep it from falling.
“Are you not concerned about showing your face?”
Ateol asked as he steadied me, adding with a sly smile:
“Though it would be a shame for only me to see it.”
“…….”
Was he teasing me?
This level of cheekiness was starting to become impressive.
I hesitated before opening my mouth.
“…Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
The system chimed in cheerfully, Ping! Ping!
His favorability continued to rise.
I sighed.
It seemed I’d have no choice but to play along with the system’s whims.
So, I made a bold move.
“On that note, I’d like to invite you sometime soon.”
“An invitation?”
“To the tower.”
“Yuri!”
Bell cried out in shock.
My gaze remained fixed on Ateol’s face, trying to gauge his reaction without seeming too obvious.
The number displayed within the circular meter kept ticking upward.
Ateol smiled warmly.
“Whenever and wherever you’d like.”
[Favorability: Ateol
62%
Ateol thinks, What kind of person is this, really?]
Looking good so far!
ꔚ
Back at the tower, I washed up and slipped under the blankets, acting like I’d been there the whole time.
The sound of rain outside and the warmth of the blanket felt oddly comforting.
After blending into the cocoon of my bedding, I called for Cloden.
“You summoned me?”
“Yeah. I’m thinking of inviting the fourth prince to the tower.”
Cloden’s brow immediately furrowed.
He didn’t say anything at first, but when he finally spoke, his voice was heavy.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, Tower Master.”
“…….”
“Why the fourth prince, of all people?”
[Favorability (Ateol) Event Concluded!
Ateol’s favorability has increased significantly. Now, how about paying attention to your surroundings too?]
What? The event was still ongoing?
Though, in hindsight, it didn’t feel like much of an event.
Anyway, Cloden seemed genuinely worried about my sudden alliance with Ateol.
I couldn’t exactly tell him, ‘Because the system said so.’
His darkened gaze made it clear that a careless answer wouldn’t fly.
The system’s tone also had a faint warning edge to it.
Considering Cloden’s reaction, it was only natural.
After all, my sudden interest in the fourth prince must have seemed suspicious to him from the start.
But inviting him to the tower after just a few days?
That was bound to raise eyebrows.
After a moment’s thought, I gave him an answer.
“Because I want to.”
…The moment I said it, the favorability gauge dropped.
Right.
That wasn’t something I’d normally say.
In the past, when faced with such situations, I would have probably looked flustered and muttered:
“…I-Is that not okay?”
Thankfully, the hesitant follow-up softened the awkwardness of my previous statement.
My timid demeanor seemed to alarm Cloden, who suddenly dropped to his knees.
“There’s no way, it can’t be. Everything in this world… should simply follow the will of the Tower Master.”
Why is he so overly reverent?
It’s making me feel awkward, so I scratched my cheek—and suddenly, the gauge recovered again.
This status window is seriously exhausting.
Anyway, what happens if this gauge hits zero?
Just as I was pondering that, as if reading my mind, the notification window popped up.
[Upon gauge depletion: death followed by regression. Timeline: Final confrontation with Ateol in the first iteration.]
Are you kidding me?!
You’re saying I’d die, only to go back and die again?!
And in that scene, if I don’t pick the poison, I get executed by decapitation!
Sure, I might’ve thought decapitation sounded marginally better than poison at the time, but that didn’t mean I wanted to get my head chopped off!
Also, whether it’s failing to raise Affection Points or losing gauge, doesn’t it all lead to death in the end? Is this some kind of sick joke?!
As I silently screamed in frustration, Cloden looked at me with concern.
“My apologies, Tower Master. I’ve spoken out of turn.”
“Ah, no, no. It’s fine to think that way. Don’t worry about it.”
Cloden still looked uneasy but cautiously continued speaking.
“Surely you are aware… inviting the Fourth Prince into the Tower signifies your full support for him.”
“Yes.”
Even though my opinion is absolute, there will undoubtedly be people who resent it.
My demeanor alone could determine who ascends the throne.
Naturally, the Emperor, not to mention the Empress, mother of the Crown Prince, dislikes the Fourth Prince.
Even I, who am ignorant of power dynamics, can understand this.
The three factions supporting the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince would all turn against me.
Though it probably wouldn’t escalate into a rebellion…
‘Wait, rebellion?!’
At the thought of rebellion, something flashed through my mind.
The reason the Fourth Prince’s rebellion succeeded: he had found the “real Yuri.”
If one of the other factions managed to find and bring Yuri to their side… what would happen to me?
ꔚ
The underground passage was damp, puddles forming in places where rain seeped in from above.
Though there wasn’t a single source of light, Ateol walked the mossy stone path with confident steps.
Raindrops dripped steadily from the hem of his cloak, leaving a faint trail behind him, not that he paid it any mind.
Only he and his trusted confidants knew of this path.
One of those confidants, Resa, followed behind him, looking half-asleep.
They had ventured outside earlier due to some concerning information, which had somehow led them to a “dog festival” or perhaps a “river breeze festival.”
That’s where they encountered an unexpected figure: the Tower Master.
Even with his hood up, Ateol recognized him instantly.
The Tower Master had been standing in line with the deputy commander of the tower’s knights, who had been absent for some time.
They seemed to be waiting to pet some dog’s fur.
At first, Ateol had been dumbfounded by the sight of people queuing up to stroke dog fur.
But when he spotted the Tower Master among them, it became downright surreal.
And the strange events didn’t end there.
Just as Ateol decided to return to the palace, he was suddenly swarmed by a pack of dogs.
There was no other way to describe it—it was an ambush.
No matter how skilled he was, having dozens of dogs of all sizes charge at him was like being swept away by a tidal wave. He couldn’t help but topple over.
As someone animals usually avoided, such incidents were unprecedented for him.
Lately, however, they had been happening more often.
For instance, while standing in an alley, he had once looked down to find a fat, filthy cat rubbing against his leg.
Another time, a strange dog clung to him, demanding to be picked up.
Even in the line earlier, a dog he didn’t know (apparently the champion of some absurd fur competition) had whined and begged for him to pet it.
People joked that he must be emitting pheromones that attract animals.
He had dismissed it, but who could have guessed it would lead to something like this?
* * *
