Wellesley just nodded her head.
On the surface, it looked as if the Wellesley standing beside Christopher and the Wellesley standing there now were two entirely different people. The cloak of gentleness she wore earlier had fallen. This woman now stood with a frightening calmness, her aura chilling like frost creeping over glass.
The cloaked man beside her took her silence as agreement and spoke further.
"And Madam, don't you think we should send some men after His Highness? They'll keep an eye on him… report his every movement."
The moment the words left his mouth, the air shifted. It was as if the temperature dropped suddenly, threatening snowfall despite the season.
Without warning, Wellesley took a step forward, her expression unreadable.
She reached out—and with a swift, practiced motion, placed her hand on the man's neck and twisted it violently.
A sickening crack echoed in the stillness.
The man dropped lifelessly to the ground.
"You should have stayed in your limit," Wellesley said coldly, eyes blazing. "The man you just spoke of is the Prince of this Empire—and my lover. Who are you to speak of watching him?"
Her voice hardened.
"If he desires to destroy this kingdom, I will stand at his side and help him burn it down. And if he wishes to claim the Empire, I will make him a ruler no one dares to question."
The garden fell into silence, broken only by the rustle of the leaves as the wind bore witness to her unwavering devotion.
---
Meanwhile, on Christopher's side…
Christopher had arrived at his destination. The air was dry, tinged with the scent of sand and dust. He reached into his travel bag, pulled out a folded map, and confirmed his location.
"City of Dextrose," he muttered.
From within him, Prince's voice echoed,
"We've arrived where you wanted. Now what? What's the plan?"
Christopher replied casually,
"Yes, yes, I'm getting to it. Listen. If I remember correctly—from the novel—there's a barbarian tribe living in the desert east of here. The Bihu Tribe. Their vice leader is on her deathbed, but the protagonist saves her using a rare medicinal plant. That's what kicks off his 'main character glow,' right? The so-called protagonist halo."
Prince grew serious as he processed the information.
"Yes, I know the Bihu Tribe. They live along the eastern border. And you're right—according to their tradition, if their vice leader dies, the tribe shuts itself off for a full year. No one goes in, no one comes out. All trade halts. Since they live in the desert, they rely completely on outside resources—especially food and water—from the easternmost county. If trade stops, they're on the brink of collapse. That kind of pressure could even crush their military strength."
Christopher whistled low, impressed.
"Well, aren't you well-informed?"
Prince chuckled, clearly pleased but pretending modesty.
"No, no. It's all common knowledge," he said—but the pride in his voice made Christopher grin.
"Right… and this is exactly where the story really begins," Christopher explained. "In the novel, the protagonist enters the body of a poor 18-year-old boy who was being sent to the tribe as a so-called symbol of peace. But in reality? He was a scapegoat. Then, boom—he saves the vice leader with the help of that rare plant, and suddenly the entire tribe becomes loyal to him. They help him throughout the story."
Prince paused. "So… what do we do now?"
Christopher smirked.
"What do we do? Easy. First, we go to the protagonist's home… and steal that plant."
"WHAT?!" Prince was furious. "I'm a prince! And you want me to steal something?!"
Christopher didn't even stop walking.
"If you want to survive, then yes. Out here, people kill each other for a day's meal. We're just taking a plant. It's your first time, right? Don't worry—I'll handle everything."
The Prince muttered something under his breath, clearly not satisfied, but Christopher ignored it and continued on.
---
They arrived at the slums—an area pushed to the city's edge, quiet and worn by time.
This was the protagonist's house.
Or rather, Lucien's.
Lucien. The boy the main character would soon possess.
The body he'd enter had no great family, no noble title—nothing worth mentioning. Lucien's mother had been a wandering dancer. Years ago, she came to this county and fell in love with its ruler—the Count. She thought it was true love and spent a single night with him… only to be abandoned.
She hadn't known the Count was married.
Still, for her child's future, she chose to stay. But the Blesta Empire allowed polygamy only for the Emperor. Everyone else had to practice monogamy.
So, to avoid scandal, the Count hid her away in the slums. She lived there in silence, forgotten by the world.
Lucien, born from that union, grew up in the shadows—an illegitimate child, ignored and unacknowledged.
But fate had different plans.
The Count, needing him for a hidden scheme, had recently decided to adopt him publicly… but not out of love. Only to use him as a pawn.
And now, unknown to everyone, Christopher had entered the story.
To change everything.