[BASTION OF PHALANX]
Earl arrived at the bustling Bastion, where every noble staff member was engrossed in tasks that needed to be completed by midnight. He bypassed Prince Dio's usual office and took a different route to a meeting hall, pushing open one of a pair of ornate doors.
Inside, a scene of organized chaos greeted him. Prince Dio sat unusually quiet at the head of a long table, lost in thought. Keith and Zen were hunched over blueprints of a dormitory extension behind the Bastion. Brenda looked ready to tear her hair out, buried in a mountain of paperwork she was proofreading and signing, while Eliza diligently transcribed rules and regulations for the incoming tenants.
Earl's entrance broke their concentration. Brenda was the first to speak, her tone sharp with exhaustion. "I thought you weren't feeling well?"
"That's right! You left us with this entire pile of work!" Keith chimed in, his usual playfulness frayed by frustration.
"I am… better now. Let me help with that," Earl said, moving to join Keith and Zen.
Brenda merely shook her head and returned to her documents.
Prince Dio, however, hadn't even noticed Earl's return. His mind was elsewhere, trapped in a loop of memory and regret.
'I know what you did.'
G6's cold accusation echoed in his mind. How do I even begin to apologize? It's clear she's furious. I've been an idiot.
But then, another memory surfaced, unbidden and vivid: the image of G6's sleeping, drunken face in the liquor storage. It played like a forbidden film reel in his mind. The flawless lines of her features, her incomparable beauty, acted like a strange, haunting lullaby to his heart. The memory of her lips, still stained a deep red from the wine, made his claim of regret feel like a hollow lie. He wasn't sorry for the act itself, only for getting caught.
While the prince was lost in his daydream, a faint blush coloring his cheeks, the others exchanged looks of confusion and annoyance.
"What is wrong with him?" Brenda muttered, gesturing with her quill.
"Hey, come to think of it, this is the first time I've seen actual color in Dio's face. He's bright red!" Keith teased, bursting into laughter.
"Is His Highness unwell?" Zen asked, genuinely concerned.
"HEY!" Keith shouted directly into Dio's ear, shattering his reverie.
"What?" Prince Dio snapped, his face still flushed as he returned to the present.
"We've been asking how you want to arrange the tenants! Are they rooming with their squadmates, or at random? Instead of answering, you've been staring blankly at these papers! We're tired!" Keith's patience had finally snapped.
"I see. Wait a moment…" Dio's expression then shifted, his gaze sharpening into a blade that made Keith instinctively look away. "Why are you yelling at me? Are you looking forward to an early summer?" Dio's hands ignited with a controlled, flickering flame.
"I'm just saying you need to get yourself together! Earl, tell him!" Keith deflected, quickly retreating to stand by Zen.
Earl? He's back? Dio studied his friend's face. Why does he look so… pleased?
"You're back," Prince Dio stated, his eyes dropping to the untouched paperwork before him.
Keith and Brenda shared a knowing glance and deliberately returned to their work, a silent agreement to give the two men space to resolve their unspoken tension.
"Yes," Earl answered, taking the seat beside Dio. "Dio, about earlier—"
"Forget it," Dio cut him off, his tone low and serious. "Just maintain your composure. And do not forget who Reise is."
"I know. I lost my head earlier. I'm glad we are… alright now," Earl said, standing to rejoin Keith and Zen.
Prince Dio also rose and walked over to the blueprints. "Those in the same squad should be roommates. It will help them build camaraderie," he declared, finally providing a directive.
Keith stared at him. "What?" Dio asked, annoyed by the look.
"We don't have the squad lists yet," Keith said, his patience wearing dangerously thin. "Because you keep slacking off, you damn prince!" Zen quickly clamped a hand over Keith's mouth to prevent further treason.
"And I thought I was the only one slacking today," Earl remarked, already beginning to gather the applicant profiles.
"Don't sound proud of it. We're behind schedule. I'll have my golem strangle you," Brenda threatened without looking up from her papers. "GET BACK TO WORK! Because you all keep dawdling, I missed having dinner with Lady Reise. Tch."
"You're not the only one in a hurry here, you geeky woman!" Keith barked back, finally free from Zen's grasp.
"Let's start by forming the teams, Dio," Earl said, the stack of profiles now neatly organized before him, a silent call to action.
As the bickering subsided into focused work, the Bastion hummed with the frantic energy of preparation. Across the palace grounds, however, a different kind of scheming was underway. While the heirs managed the kingdom's practical affairs, G6, now armed with a royal alliance and a scholar's gift, was quietly laying the groundwork for her own, far more personal war. The night was young, and for the Reaper, the real work was just beginning.
_____
[WEST VILLA]
Time Check: 7:00 P.M.
As G6 entered her room, Tina and Lilia were nowhere to be found. She placed the book on her bed and the velvet jewelry box beside it. Then she opened the drawer of her bedside desk, which held the Witherby book and Reise's diary.
She removed the other unnecessary items, leaving only Witherby's book and the diary. She stacked the two neatly, then carefully added the Cryomancy book to the pile.
"Well, the three of you are the most important things to me right now. Keep quiet in there until I find the clues you're hiding," G6 said to the open drawer before closing it.
She then roughly took off her coat and gloves, throwing them onto the floor, and fell back onto her soft, cozy bed with a sigh.
"Who would have thought this day would be so exhausting?" she said to the ceiling.
She closed her eyes, intending to clear her mind and review the day's events, but the accumulated stress must have been too much. She quickly fell into a deep slumber.
_____
Time Check: 8:15 P.M.
Tina and Lilia quietly entered their mistress's room, hoping she had returned from the Queen's chambers.
As they opened the door, the room was dark, but moonlight from the open windows fell upon their mistress, who was sleeping soundly in her bed.
She was lying diagonally, her feet still on the floor—proof that she had fallen asleep unintentionally. "It looks like Lady Reise had a very tiring day," Lilia whispered.
Yet Tina's eyes were full of worry; the fading bruises on her mistress's body still deeply alarmed her. She turned to Lilia. "Lilia, you should go and have dinner, then rest. Let us give our lady some space," Tina said. Though Lilia was sad to miss a meal with their mistress, she simply nodded with a smile.
"You go ahead. I will take care of her clothes lying on the floor," Tina said.
"Understood, Miss Tina," Lilia replied and walked out.
Once Lilia was gone, Tina sighed before picking up the coat and gloves and placing them neatly at the foot of the bed. Her gaze returned to her lady, sleeping peacefully.
"What exactly are you doing, Lady Reise?" Tina mused softly. She took a decorative blanket from the bed and gently covered her.
Before leaving, the velvet jewelry box beside G6 caught her eye. Confused, she picked it up and placed it on the surface of the bedside desk.
Then, carrying her lady's garments, she left the room.
After leaving her lady's clothes at the laundry, Tina went to the kitchen. As she entered, she saw Lilia happily eating at the table, with Alistair and Janin nearby, Janin holding her newborn baby.
"Miss Tina, take a seat!" Lilia called cheerfully. Tina sat where a plate was already set for her.
"Is Lady Reise still asleep?" Janin asked.
Tina sat beside Lilia and took a sip of water before answering. "Yes. She looks utterly exhausted."
"What is with the long face?" Alistair asked between bites of his meat.
"It is nothing," Tina replied.
"Come on, I can tell you are worried," Alistair pressed.
"It is just… I do not understand," Tina began, her voice lowering with concern. "Every time she goes to the Utility Magic Department, my heart feels so heavy. I feel as though she is… a completely new person, someone I can no longer recognize." Her face was lined with worry.
Alistair and Janin exchanged a look before Janin spoke. "We understand where you are coming from, Tina. We have known you since before Reise was born," she said. "We know you are the one who has cared for her since she was an infant. She was like a little sister to you, and seeing her drift away must be frightening. However, Tina, rest assured that Edmund will take care of her and protect her."
"Protect her? Sister, Lady Reise came home covered in bruises. How is that taking care of her?" Tina said, a hint of anger in her voice.
"Oh, calm down. Edmund would never do anything to harm her," Alistair said. "Why assume Edmund caused bruises on her back? It is more plausible they are from a failed landing," he whispered, so only Janin could hear.
"Alistair is right, Tina. We are all indebted to the Worthons. We all wish to protect them, especially the youngest. She may not know how grateful we are to her family, but we are always here, always by her side," Janin said, trying to reassure her.
"Besides, Edmund's loyalty to her is no longer just a debt of gratitude to the Worthons. It is something that comes from her directly. That old bachelor does not pledge his loyalty to just anyone," Alistair added.
"It is because Lady Reise is nice!" Lilia chimed in, completely absorbed in her savory meat. "Lady Reise may always look like she could kill you with a stare or her words, but she is nice. She lets us sit with her, have tea with her, have snacks with her, and share all our meals with her." She continued, "Before Lady Reise took me under her wing, I heard many rumors about how violent she was—with both words and actions. But when I accidentally bumped into her, she offered her hand to me." She stared at her meat and smiled. "Her stare and words may be cold, but her hands are warm."
The three adults looked at one another. "You are right… Lady Reise has changed a great deal. She never used to let anyone near her except for me, but now she oddly attracts more people," Tina said. "If I were to compare, she is even more intimidating now than she was before."
"You feel she is like a silent storm, and you never know when she will strike?" Alistair said, laughing.
"She is cunning, sly, and clever," Janin added. "I ended up telling her about my old profession without even realizing it. I might have told her everything if Lady Brenda had not called me away."
"Yes. She is oddly dangerous, yet I feel safe with her," Tina admitted.
They all smiled, acknowledging the strange truth they had shared. Their admiration for her had not been planted by any design of G6's, but it had grown far larger than she could have ever anticipated.
"I prepared something light for her late-night dinner so it would be easy to digest. Try to bring it with you when you check on her later," Alistair commented.
Tina simply nodded in understanding.
_____
Time Check: 9:35 P.M.
Tina walked back toward G6's room, a tray in her hands. "I wonder if Lady Reise is awake," she mused to herself.
As she walked through the silent, dimly lit halls of the second floor, she noticed something.
Come to think of it, ever since Lady Reise changed, the main building has changed as well. It is only nine in the evening, yet all the lights are off.
The villa was silent, much like our mistress.
When she reached the hallway leading to G6's room, she paused at her door for a moment before knocking twice and entering.
The room was still dark, but the three-arm candelabra above the mantelpiece was now lit, its flickering flames providing the only light in the room.
She scanned the area for G6, but she was no longer in her bed. Then Tina looked toward the balcony and saw her standing outside. Dressed in a black satin nightgown with a matching robe tied loosely around her, she was a magnificent sight.
The moonlight caressed her face, highlighting her overwhelming beauty. She stood silently, leaning against the railing and gazing up at the stars.
Tina sighed, placed the tray on the tea table, and walked out to join G6 on the balcony.
Tina stood by the balcony door, watching her mistress's emotionless face. Her eyes, as she gazed at the stars, seemed utterly empty.
"It was a long day, wasn't it?" G6 said.
"Yes. Alistair made you a light dinner," Tina answered.
"I am not hungry," G6 stated simply. She finally looked away from the sky and shifted her gaze to the gardens below. "Say it, Tina. How was I before?" she added, beginning the conversation she had intended.
"What exactly do you mean?" Tina asked, her glasses shining under the moonlight.
"From the start," G6 said.
Tina walked to stand beside her and quietly looked down at the gardens. "I was only thirteen when I came to the House of Worthon," Tina began, savoring the nostalgia. "And by that time, Lady Reyna was already three months from giving birth."
Hmm. There's no backstory for Reise in the book; it's all about Eliza and Prince Dio. Reise is just the wicked villainess, G6 thought, absorbing Tina's words.
"Worthon is a house of comfort. The servants are all nice and warm, just like Lady Reyna and Master William," Tina said, smiling. "Not long after I settled there, the lady of the house gave birth to you. The house sparkled with joy. On the day you were born, the messenger of the All-Seers statue shimmered with mana—as if delivering you the blessings of the Gods and Goddesses."
G6's brow furrowed. I know that name… "What do you mean, the messenger of the All-Seers?" she asked, looking at Tina.
"No one knows its name, Lady Reise. Its statue, built by the kingdom's ancestors, stands in the Worthons' vast garden," Tina explained, as if the messenger's identity had been purposely concealed. "But back to my story," she continued. "Not only the Worthons were happy at your birth; all the people of the domain rejoiced. You were magnificent, truly beautiful. And before long, news of your birth and godly beauty spread far." Tina's face then changed. "You grew up not only well-mannered and disciplined, but also kind and lovely, regardless of a person's standing." Her expression grew somber. "Not long after you were promised to Prince Dio, you slowly changed. You became too committed to the role you thought was the only way to help your family. Your strong sense of purpose warped into a melodramatic love for the Prince."
"I did that, right?" G6 commented, her tone almost mocking.
"But you are not what they said you were," Tina insisted. "You were written as the villain in others' stories, but you were soft inside. You acted distant and cold toward the servants at the house, but you never yelled at them. Yet the stories that reached other nobles were different. You were given a reputation that was accepted because of your aloofness. It is true you grew jealous when other noblewomen clung to Prince Dio, and you would mock them or throw things… but they never saw how you cried silently and alone afterward."
"What do you mean?" G6 said, leaning away from the railing. "Wasn't I a vicious woman? Slapping and yelling at every servant? Wasn't I hated by my own brothers and left alone in the palace because of my horrible personality?" What is she talking about? Why do none of these details match the book? Reise wasn't nice. She was wicked.
I knew something was wrong. I thought it was just because I refused to follow the story. But these details… they don't match the storyline at all. What is the truth here?
"Lady Reise, what are you talking about? Yes, you were savage for three days when you first arrived at the Villa because you did not want to be bothered. But hated by your brothers? You have seen how much they care for you. Such a thing would never happen," Tina said, flustered by her lady's nonsensical questions.
"You never directly hurt anyone…" Tina added. "You just threw things near them. You hated company and only allowed me near. You grew sadder every day. But your most drastic change began when Prince Dio and the two youngest Pillars left to study. The thought of them preparing for something without you seemed to hurt you deeply. You locked yourself in the house's library and read many books, until a librarian encouraged you to read ancient texts." Tina's face shifted to worry. "Your sadness grew even deeper. I never understood why you liked those books, but that was it. We were finally asked to live in the Palace when the Prince and the others returned. You locked yourself away again after three days here, I think because the Prince did not bother to greet you after your long separation. On the fourth day, you asked me to bring you to the Apothecary Department at the main palace, claiming you needed something. And that was it. On the sixth day…" Tina looked straight into her eyes. "On the sixth day, it felt as if you were a completely new person."
Her words struck something within the impenetrable G6.
"But I like this better," Tina continued, her voice cracking as tears began to fall uncontrollably. "You are not the woman who begged for Prince Dio's attention anymore, the one who yelled and purposely drove people away. You are a cold woman now, yet you feel oddly warmer than before. You are not sad anymore; you do not cry silently every night… I like this better… yet…" Her voice broke. "Yet it frightens me… because I feel as though you cannot feel any emotions. Every time I look into your eyes, there is nothing. Just emptiness. You are right here in front of me, but I feel you are slowly drifting away." Finally, Tina had said what she had been feeling all this time.
G6 just stared at her, analyzing the story and storing every possible detail to solve the puzzle.
"Tina—" G6 began to speak, but Tina, gathering all her courage, hugged her distant, cold mistress. It was a tight, warm embrace that G6 could not understand.
"Forgive me, Lady Reise…" Tina whispered through her sobs. "I should have reached out to you instead of keeping my distance, putting protocol first. I should have asked and comforted you, instead of just standing silently behind the walls, listening to you cry. Forgive me."
"I do not care about that anymore. I will not make the same mistake. I will not ignore anything that I see could harm you…" Tina added.
Then G6—devoid of warmth and love—loosely returned the hug. "Thank you for telling me everything, Tina," she said, her voice low and emotionless. "Instead of questions, just support what I am doing and believe in me."
Tina moved away and looked at her, smiling through her tears. "I will. I will not ask anything further. I will just trust and believe in you, my lady. Just promise me one thing." She paused. "Just always come back alive."
Her last words felt like an insult, yet they struck a hollow, confusing ache deep within G6—a feeling long buried.
Why do they keep asking a Reaper to stay alive?
Under the cold starlight, a bond was silently reforged—not in warmth, but in a pact of unwavering loyalty. Tina's tears had watered seeds of truth, revealing a past that contradicted every record G6 knew. As the maid retreated, leaving her mistress to the night, G6 was left with a chilling realization: the story she thought she knew was a lie, and the mystery of Reise Worthon's death ran far deeper than poison. The game was no longer about survival; it was about uncovering a truth someone had killed to hide
After Tina left, G6 silently sat on her couch, staring at the Witherby book in her lap.
"So, my first theory was right? The people in that novel were merely inspired by these real people?" G6 mused to the book.
"Wonder of a Wonderful World…" she said quietly, then scoffed. "I thought I would be able to solve my case board. I just ended up adding more questions to it." She laid the book on the couch, stood up, and walked to one of her shelving cabinets.
From behind a beautiful ornate vase, she retrieved the old bottle of whiskey she had stolen from the liquor storage.
She then grabbed a shot glass hidden behind one of the ornate figurines and placed both on the tea table.
"First, let us consider the nearest possibilities. That none of the events happening right now—" Before opening the bottle, she paused. "Right. The book does not mention demons or the threat of mana dampening. Why did I not think of it sooner? I am in the time before the engagement, before Reise was written to die. Why? Why did I miss such tiny details?" G6 mused, starting to realize that the events unfolding were not in the book.
"Was I the trigger for these changes? Or was the book purely fictional, and this world truly exists somewhere?" she added.
She harshly opened the bottle of whiskey and was about to pour a shot when she heard footsteps outside her room. Who could that be? Tina?
She put down the bottle and opened the door. The person outside was not Tina but Prince Dio, who was startled by G6's sudden appearance.
"What are you jumping at?" G6 asked coldly. "What are you doing here so late?"
Prince Dio looked at her before answering. "I just returned from the Collegium… I did not know you were still awake," he said, almost shyly.
"That is not an answer to either of my questions," G6 stated flatly.
"I was just… I just…" Prince Dio was lost for words. What am I even doing here? My feet just brought me here.
"I have already had enough conversation for one day," G6 said. "Come inside if you want to talk." Her offer left Prince Dio flustered.
"It is not appropriate to invite a man into your room, Reise! Especially at night!" he exclaimed.
G6 merely raised a brow in annoyance. "Do not worry. I do not see you as a man. Get inside or leave if you do not want to." She waited a moment for Dio to respond.
"Tch. What a bother." She was about to close the door when Dio stopped it.
"T-Then… if you do not mind," he said, his face bright red.
"Close the door," G6 said, turning away. Prince Dio took a steadying breath before stepping inside.
"Your room really hates light," Prince Dio commented.
"I grew up in dark rooms. I can literally see without light," G6 replied, sitting at the tea table. "What are you standing there for? Did you not carry me back here after you kissed me?" Her bluntness made Dio uncomfortably shy again. "Sit down," she added.
Prince Dio sat across from her, and his eyes landed on the whiskey bottle.
"Forgive me. I do not know what came over me that night," Prince Dio said, genuinely remorseful.
"I would be lying if I said it was not a big deal," G6 said, pouring drinks into both glasses. She slid one toward Prince Dio.
"You know there is much to do tomorrow, do you not?" Prince Dio said.
"I do not care. If I do not drink away my rage right now, it will not end well," G6 replied, downing her first shot in one go.
Prince Dio stared at her, taken aback by her bold words and the way she drank hard whiskey as if it were water. "Is it because of what I did?"
"Give me a break. What you did violated my boundaries, but it is nowhere close to what I am going through," she said, pouring another drink.
"Should I bother to ask?" Prince Dio ventured.
"Do not bother. You will not get answers from me," G6 replied.
"Then, is there anything I can do to atone for what I did?" Prince Dio asked, eager to make amends.
G6 paused. There was one thing she had always wanted to ask. She downed her second glass. "Reise…" Prince Dio called out, concerned.
"That night you were in the garden with Eliza, what exactly happened?" G6 asked, not looking at him but at her empty shot glass.
Prince Dio's brows furrowed. Was this what Keith said he saw Reise watching that night? Has it been bothering her all this time? No… I cannot discern her reason for asking, but I am certain there are no lingering feelings behind it.
"I was merely welcoming her to the palace. It was the same night I introduced her to the two servants the Queen assigned to her," Prince Dio explained.
G6 studied his facial expressions. He is not lying. "Is that all? Were you not all smiles and grace around her? As if you were in love?" G6 pressed, recalling the details from Reise's diary.
"That is absurd. I am always graceful in the presence of women. Smiles? Ah, I recall smiling at Miss Eliza once when she thanked me for accommodating her with us and for the appointed servants. But that smile meant nothing, nor did my gestures. It was all the Queen's order," Prince Dio defended himself.
G6's eyes flickered. Another detail that does not align. In the book—fuck! I might have been stupid and too preoccupied! In her annoyance, she unintentionally slammed the shot glass on the table, startling Prince Dio.
Reise never shared a villa with Eliza and the others. There is no Royal Collegium… or are the Magic Department, Invention Lab, and Knights & Order Department mentioned in the book were just different names for Sanctum, Omnia, and Bastion? What the fuck does this mean?
"Reise? Are you all right?" Prince Dio's voice cut through her chaotic thoughts.
She looked at him. This guy used to look at me the same way he looks at others, especially at the Gazebo where I all first met them. So why is this stupid Snow White not head over heels for Eliza? Why did I just notice that none of the details in the book match this world?
G6 sighed before speaking. There was only one way to confirm. In the book, this guy deeply hated Reise for cornering him into a political marriage. "Tell me… do you hate me?"
Prince Dio looked her straight in the eyes. "How could I? When all you ever wanted was to fly." His voice and eyes were filled with understanding and pity as he remembered her words and cries to her father in that room.
His words meant little to G6, who did not understand their context, but one thing was clear: the book and this world were two entirely different realities.
"Drink up. This conversation is getting cheesy," G6 said, downing her third glass.
Prince Dio reached for his glass and drank. "It was my fault you were branded the Wicked Rose. If only I had not said those words," he whispered.
Is he referring to what Brenda told me? Tch. This is a fucking headache.
"You cannot change what has already happened, can you?" G6 said, pouring him another glass.
"Can you forgive me for everything I have done?" Prince Dio asked, his voice pleading for atonement.
"It is all too late for that. The Reise you wronged is long dead," G6 stated flatly, taking another drink.
Her words struck the prince like a knife. He had sought to atone for his misunderstood intentions, which had caused the old Reise so much suffering. Was it truly too late for me?
In the dim, quiet room, two souls sat across from each other, separated by a chasm of misunderstandings and secrets. One sought forgiveness for a past that could never be changed, while the other grappled with a reality that was nothing like the story she had been given. The whiskey burned, but the truth—still hidden in shadows—burned deeper, leaving both to wonder if any absolution could be found in the bottom of a glass.
_____
[THE NEXT MORNING…]
"Why… why are they…" Lilia stammered, utterly flustered by the scene before her.
"Tell me this is a dream. Wake me up," Brenda said, nearly losing her composure.
"Were you not with her last night, Tina?" Edmund asked, equally lost for words.
"This… this is… should we leave, or should we—" Tina panicked, unable to form a coherent plan.
Brenda clutched her chest, breathing heavily in rage. "It is not a dream! PRINCE DIO, YOU SCUM!" she yelled.
The cause of their shock and awkwardness lay on the bed before them: the two highest-profile figures in the villa, sleeping gracefully under the sheets. Prince Dio and G6.
And so, the morning revealed a scene that would send ripples through the very foundations of the palace. There, in the soft light of dawn, lay the kingdom's most unapproachable prince and its most volatile noblewoman, shrouded in shared slumber and tangled sheets. The questions hung, unspoken and dangerous, in the stunned silence of the room. How did this happen? What did it mean? And as the first ray of sun fell upon them, one truth became terrifyingly clear: when these two finally awoke, the entire West Villa—and perhaps the kingdom itself—would be forced to reckon with the consequences.
—To be continued...—