The corridor behind the ballroom was a different world. The muffled thud of the waltz sounded like a heartbeat through the thick stone walls, but the air here was cold, smelling of stale incense and damp earth.
My heart was doing a frantic tap-dance against my ribs. Five minutes, Cassian had said.
[ STEALTH MODE: 03:42 REMAINING ]
[ Warning: Mana-Wards detected. Avoid touching the silver trim. ]
I reached the vault door. It wasn't a bank safe; it was a massive slab of white marble etched with glowing gold runes. To anyone else, it was a holy seal. To me, it looked like a firewall that needed a password.
I pulled out the [Forensic UV Spectacles]. Through the violet tint, I didn't see runes. I saw fingerprints. Oily, glowing residue on specific symbols: Purity, Tithe, and Mercy.
"How original," I muttered, pressing the symbols in order.
The marble groaned—a sound like grinding teeth—and slid open just enough for me to squeeze through. My silk dress snagged on a rough edge, the sound of tearing fabric echoing like a gunshot. There goes five thousand gold crowns, I thought with a wince. I'm filing that under 'Business Expenses'.
The vault wasn't filled with gold. It was filled with shelves. Thousands of them, packed with leather-bound ledgers.
"The real treasure," I whispered.
I pulled the [Ghost Ledger] from my bustle. The book began to vibrate, its translucent skin pulsing with a cold, blue light. It was reacting to the lies in the room. I followed the vibration to a hidden compartment behind a statue of the Goddess of Wealth.
I pulled out a tattered, black-bound book.
[ DING! ]
[ LEGENDARY ITEM ACQUIRED: THE TEMPLE'S DOUBLE-BOOKS ]
[ Analysis: This ledger contains the true record of 'The Great Treasury Embezzlement.' ]
My eyes scanned the pages. My breath hitched. It was all there. The "Saintess" hadn't just stolen the money; she had funneled it through the Duke's own grain trade to make it look like he was the one laundering it. She wasn't just framing me; she was setting up a coup to take down Cassian too.
"You greedy, brilliant bitch," I whispered.
Suddenly, the Ghost Ledger in my hand went freezing cold.
[ ALERT! SENSORY OVERRIDE! ]
[ Target 'Saintess Evelyn' has triggered a 'Remote Alarm'. ]
[ TIME REMAINING: 00:15 ]
I didn't think. I shoved the Double-Books into my dress and turned to run, but the door was already closing.
"Going somewhere, Lady Seraphina?"
A man stood in the gap of the door. It wasn't a guard. It was the "Hero" of the novel—the Prince's younger brother, Lord Silas. In the book, he was the "Gentle Knight," but through my monocle, his Integrity Score was a jagged, flickering 08/100.
"Silas," I breathed, backing away until my heels hit the shelves. "I thought you were busy dancing."
"Evelyn said she felt a 'dark presence' in the vault," Silas said, stepping inside. He drew a slender, silver sword. The light from the blade made the shadows dance like demons. "I see she was right. Give me the book, Seraphina. If you hand it over now, I'll tell the Prince you were simply... confused. We can still save your head."
"Save my head? You're the one who helped her forge the signatures, aren't you?" I bluffed, my voice shaking but sharp. "I saw your name in the Ghost Ledger, Silas. Every bribe. Every 'gift' for your secret mistress in the slums."
Silas froze. His eyes narrowed. "You couldn't have seen that. That book... it hasn't been opened in years."
"I'm an auditor, Silas. I don't need to open the book to smell the rot inside it."
[ DING! ]
[ Skill Triggered: 'Auditor's Bluff' ]
[ Success Rate: 60%... ]
I grabbed a heavy jar of "Holy Oil" from a nearby shelf and hurled it at his feet. As he jumped back, I didn't run for the door—I ran for the small ventilation shaft in the ceiling.
"Cassian!" I screamed, hoping the Duke's 'five minutes' included a rescue mission.
The marble door didn't just open. It exploded.
A blast of cold, pressurized air sent Silas flying backward. Cassian stepped through the dust, his sword unsheathed and glowing with a terrifying, dark mana. He looked less like a Duke and more like a God of Ruin.
"Five minutes are up," Cassian growled.
He didn't look at Silas. He looked at me, his eyes scanning for injuries. When he saw my torn dress and the black book clutched to my chest, his expression softened into something that was almost... proud.
"Did you get it?"
"I got everything," I panted, stumbling toward him. I tripped over my long skirts, and for a second, I was falling—until his arm caught me, pulling me hard against his chest.
"Then we leave," Cassian said, lifting me off my feet as if I weighed nothing. "Silas, tell the Saintess that the Audit has officially begun. And the interest rates are going to be... lethal."