Chapter 63
“I can’t say for sure, Your Highness. There’s a corner up ahead. It might be the way to the next room.”
Yeniel answered calmly.
“Haa… Understood. Let us steel our hearts.”
The Crown Prince looked reluctant to step into the deep darkness ahead, but as the highest-ranking person here, he barely managed to keep his composure.
“Let’s organize our formation. How about we intersperse ourselves between the front, middle, and rear lines of the main combat force?”
In that moment, my eyes lit up.
The moment I’d been waiting for had finally arrived.
In this passage to the second floor, the key to a secret map appears. I had to get ahead of the group and secure it first.
“April will go first!”
I pulled away from Yeniel and moved cheerfully, almost as if I were going on a picnic, skipping forward with light steps.
“Last time, everyone went ahead of April, so this time, April will go first. It’s like a game of tag—so fun!”
The group stared blankly for a moment as I jumped into the darkness.
“It’s dangerous! Lady April!”
Sian came to his senses late and rushed in after me.
But since I knew the layout of the map much better—and was also far faster—there was no way he could catch me.
Laughing brightly as if I hadn’t heard a word, I ran ahead.
I turned the corner of the passage and—
“Ugh! A wall…?”
Sian, who didn’t have as good night vision as Yeniel, must have missed the wall and ran straight into it.
As I rounded the corner, I saw the staircase to the second floor. It was a straight shot, so I could see the light descending from above.
I ran up the stairs, and finally, I found what I was looking for.
‘Found it.’
At the top of the staircase, lying on the floor, was a small key.
If I didn’t grab it quickly, it would disappear.
I immediately bent down and picked it up. I could hear Sian approaching.
You have obtained an item.
Mysterious Key (?? Item): A key adorned with a ‘jewel’! It’s unclear what it’s used for.
Just barely made it.
You need this key to access the secret map where the hidden boss—the Butler—appears on the fourth floor.
Sian had just reached a position where he could barely see me from below.
‘I must not appear suspicious here—not even a little.’
After the banquet hall event, something unusual would happen to Sian.
I mustn’t be named as the culprit.
Just as I’d planned, I intended to secretly snatch all the benefits from the upcoming defense game before switching allegiances—or funnel them to Ivelin’s side.
To make that happen, I needed to exclude the sharp ones—Sian and Yeniel—from the defense game.
Of course. If they noticed there were items to be gained, they’d try to secure them right away or do whatever it took to win the defense game against Ivelin.
This is where the item from the secret map becomes useful—a curse item that temporarily steals traits.
If I could strip Sian of his traits, Yeniel would be disqualified from participating as well. That was my calculation.
After all, the party only had two real powerhouses—Sian and myself.
No one, not even Yeniel and the others, would entrust their lives to a ditsy noble lady like me.
‘Unless they decided to leave me alone in the defense game while they stayed in a safe area, that is.’
Even if I couldn’t trust their judgment, I could trust their survival instincts.
I was confident they’d act exactly as I predicted.
I placed the key into my inventory.
Inventory:
▷ Perfume Droplet
▶ Mysterious Key
(Empty Slot)
…
I bent down and lowered my head. Calmly, I waited for Sian to arrive.
I had to show him a plausible reason for why I had stopped right here.
“Lady April! You mustn’t run off like that! Are you alright, my lady?”
Sian’s voice grew louder the moment he saw me.
“Are you hurt? Are you injured, or…!”
He rushed to my side, where I remained crouched down. His voice was filled with genuine concern.
Emotion—makes people irrational.
“Sian.”
I looked up with teary eyes, as if I were upset.
“My lady…?”
Just then, a pair of bloodstained shoes—dyed red from demon blood—came into view. A perfect excuse.
When our eyes met with mine glistening, Sian’s throat moved nervously. His mouth looked dry from tension.
Sian the Strategist’s Affection has increased!
I pointed to my shoe.
“April’s pretty shoes got dirty. They were a gift from Father. He even said April looked like a butterfly when she wore them.”
One by one, the others began arriving behind Sian.
The Crown Prince, who came up with Max, stopped in his tracks when he saw my face. He looked stunned.
“Lady April.”
He rushed over and knelt beside me, meeting my gaze.
“Why are you crying? Are you hurt? Did something happen?”
“April’s not crying.”
Even with my eyes shimmering with tears, I responded like the April they all knew.
For some reason, the Crown Prince looked completely flustered.
“Then why… Is there a problem? Why are your eyes tearing up like that? Ah—my heart nearly stopped.”
“My shoes got dirty.”
I pointed to my shoe, expecting a reaction like “…” or something equally awkward.
But the Crown Prince took my words seriously.
“That must’ve been painful.”
“It’s upsetting.”
Wait, why are you validating this?
I was taken aback by the unexpected response, but the Crown Prince continued, as if trying to comfort me:
“When we leave here, I’ll buy you new shoes. Not just any shoes—ones worn by the Imperial Family themselves. So please… don’t make that face, Lady April.”
He looked like he’d do anything to stop my tears.
Crown Prince Azeph’s Affection has increased!
Wait… Is this man really falling for me?
“It’s just—when I see you upset like this, it feels like I’m the one who’s hurt. I don’t know what to do,”
the Crown Prince said, voice heavy.
Clap, clap, clap—
That was Yurel applauding.
The Crown Prince shot him a sharp look.
“You.”
“I just thought it was impressive.”
Yurel answered expressionlessly.
“Giving shoes reserved for Imperial royalty to an unmarried noblewoman, speaking to her with such familiarity—I didn’t know one could act so closely without making the other uncomfortable. Remarkable, truly.”
