Auren's POV:
It was the second day since Kael left for the border negotiations, and I was already feeling the... absence. Not just physically (though my body definitely remembered), but emotionally.
Waking up without him beside me? It's Unfair. Unjust. And far too quiet.
The soft clink of armor outside the window, the polished silence of the palace halls, and the faint scent of him still lingering in the sheets all mocked me.
But nothing mocked me quite like this:
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
MISSION REMINDER
— Objective 1: Investigate the power structure of the Kingdom of Solvanyr.
— Objective 2: Survive.
— Objective 3: Don't get railed into a political puppet.
[Time remaining: 1 day.]
Oh. OH. Right. That five-day limit I was so graciously given by the System? I was down to twenty-four hours. And how much progress had I made? Let's consult the sass-bot.
SYSTEM UPDATE:
Progress: Barely 10%.
Status: 1 objective out of 3 already failed. (And it was the most penetrating one.)
I flopped back against the pillows and groaned. "I was busy being politically compromised!"
SYSTEM RETORT:
That was not a political compromise. That was back-breaking diplomacy.
I clutched a pillow to my face. Kael had whispered before leaving that once we were back in his homeland, I'd no longer be his prisoner… but his lover.
My ears had burned so red I could've ignited the bed sheets.
But now, he is gone. And the mission is still a thing. A very pressing thing. Especially now that the System decided to drop another objective on my lap like a sack of illicit scrolls.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
MISSION OBJECTIVE (NEW):
Discover the identity of the informant feeding the Queen information about Kael's army strategies.
New Lead: A suspicious noble has been sighted in the archives late at night.
System recommends investigating. Preferably with pants on this time.
"I was clothed," I muttered, grabbing for my robe. "You're the one who took mental photos."
SYSTEM: Just doing my archival duties.
Groaning, I pulled myself together. The palace felt colder without Kael. But I wasn't about to let the System fail me just because I got... preoccupied.
Midnight. Archives.
I slipped behind a marble column, cloak pulled tight, eyes narrowed. The torches flickered inside the archive room, just enough to illuminate a cloaked noble rifling through military scrolls.
Caught red-handed.
I stepped forward, my voice like a whip. "Enjoying a bit of late-night reading?"
The man spun. Pale. Sweaty. Guilty.
"Y-Your Grace! I was simply– "
"Researching Kael's war deployments?" I asked, eyeing the very scroll he clutched.
SYSTEM SNARK:
Look at you go, secret agent seduction. So proud.
He stammered excuses, but I leaned in closer. "Lord Vireon, right?"
His eyes widened. Gotcha.
Back in my chambers, I flopped onto the bed, arms spread.
SYSTEM UPDATE:
Progress Update: 15%
Lead Identified: Lord Vireon.
Next Move: Watch your back. He might not be acting alone.
"Tell me again why I'm not being paid for this."
SYSTEM DRYLY:
Payment was in the form of carnal gratification. You're welcome.
I groaned into my pillow.
"Kael better come home soon."
SYSTEM FINAL THOUGHT:
Don't worry. He's going to be very proud of what his little lover uncovered.
Continued: "Whispers in the Hall of Scrolls"
The archives were a twisting cathedral of shadows, tall shelves looming like ancient sentinels stacked high with the parchment secrets of a nation. And here I was—back hunched, breath shallow, silently cursing every floorboard that squeaked under my boots as I slinked through like a discount thief.
"System," I hissed under my breath. "These floors were built for betrayal."
System Notification:
Stealth Mode Engaged.
Maybe don't wear leather boots next time.
I rolled my eyes and pushed forward, slipping deeper into the bowels of the archive room. The torchlights had long died down, casting only the faintest shimmer from moonlight streaming through narrow stone slits in the walls. Dust danced in the silver glow, and scrolls rustled faintly as if whispering secrets to each other behind my back.
I was looking for the suspicious noble that System had flagged. Someone had been using this very room as their cover to leak Kael's movements. And I, the recently debauched, sore in very specific regions, and mentally unwell host- was playing amateur spy.
System Reminder:
Mission Deadline: 1 Day Left.
Objective: Don't get caught.
Bonus Objective: Don't get murdered.
Emotional Reminder: Kael is not here to yeet people off you today.
"Great," I whispered bitterly. "Love that."
Suddenly I heard footsteps.
I sucked in a breath and flattened myself behind one of the columns, heart rabbiting in my throat. The footsteps were deliberate, calculated, not the usual shuffling of an archivist. A shadow appeared between the rows of shelves. The figure is tall, cloaked, and holding something in their hands.
I could just make out the glint of a royal sigil ring.
Noble. Definitely noble.
He moved like he owned the place, pulling out a scroll and unrolling it partially and began scribbling something down. I leaned closer, just a bit. Hoping to catch a better glimpse. That's when I stepped on the one floorboard that hadn't received the "don't squeak" memo.
SKRREEAAAK.
The noble froze.
I cursed mentally.
System Notification:
UH OH. Stealth failed. Time to RUN, BITCH.
I turned on my heel and bolted as the noble shouted something unintelligible behind me. The slap of boots echoed as he gave chase. Scrolls flew, shelves blurred, and I was sprinting for my life in what felt like a library-themed horror game.
Twisting through a hallway, I ducked into a narrow gap between two shelves, bracing my breath, heart hammering. The noble ran past, not spotting me.
I waited. Counted ten. Twenty.
Silence.
I peeked out. Clear.
System Whisper Mode Activated:
Proud of you. Not dead yet.
Also…you just caught the informant writing something.
Objective Progress: 35%
Spy ID'd: Baron Elric Vallorne
Good job, Spy McSpylord.
"Vallorne…" I whispered. "Of course it's him. He looked way too smug at that last council meeting."
Still trembling slightly, I eased out of the shelves and slinked back the way I came, my brain still reeling. The first mission only had a day left. And now I had the identity of the informant and even some hard evidence. If I could retrieve that scroll.
But first… I had to get out.
And that's when I heard it again.
Footsteps.
But these were heavier. Measured. Powerful.
No.
No no no–
The sound of a sword being drawn echoed in the dark.
I turned around and locked eyes with Kael.
He looked like wrath incarnate. Fresh from the road, cloak flaring behind him, his hand tightening on his sword as his gaze flicked from me to the hall I'd just fled from.
"Who," he growled, voice lethal and low, "was chasing you?"
I blinked.
And then I laughed.
Partly hysterical. Partly relieved.
"I missed you too," I whispered, collapsing into him.