The air in my lungs turned to stone.
Seraphina Vane.
In my previous life, she was a political chess piece. Our engagement was arranged to secure her father's military support for my faction. I had been a fool back then—a dandy prince who saw her as a beautiful but ultimately transactional part of my life. I never truly appreciated the sharp mind behind those cool, amethyst eyes.
A mistake Lin Feng did not make. He saw her value, broke our engagement through a series of public humiliations against me, and swept her into his ever-growing collection of women. Just another conquest.
Now, seeing her here, a year before our engagement was even supposed to be announced, sent a jolt through me. Her posture was poised, her expression respectful as she spoke with my father, but I could see it. The faint, almost imperceptible flicker of boredom in her eyes. The subtle tension in her jaw.
She was a predator in a gilded cage, just like me.
The system's quest notification pulsed in my vision, its objective disgustingly crude and direct.
Objective: Claim her first blood. Before the Protagonist ever lays eyes on her, make her irrevocably yours.
My first instinct was to sneer. I was a regressor, a villain with a cosmic codex. I didn't need to be guided by a quest system's base desires.
And yet… the logic was undeniable.
Stealing the protagonist's women wasn't just about pleasure. It was about stealing his destiny. Every thread of fate I severed from him, every piece of his future I claimed for myself, made him weaker and me stronger. Seraphina was a major thread. Taking her wasn't just revenge; it was a strategic strike against the timeline itself.
A slow, predatory smile formed on my lips. This was far more interesting than confronting Lyra right away.
I smoothed my robes and strode forward, my entire demeanor shifting in an instant. The cold killer from my chambers vanished, replaced by the charming, slightly frivolous Fourth Prince Kaelen Ravencrest.
"Father. Lady Seraphina," I said, my voice smooth as honeyed wine. I gave a slight bow, perfectly executed. "Forgive my interruption. I had no idea we had such an esteemed guest."
My father, Emperor Valerius the Sixth, turned to me. His expression was, as always, one of mild disappointment. In his eyes, I was the charming but ultimately useless fourth son. A spare.
"Kaelen," he said, his tone flat. "Lady Seraphina was just discussing the upcoming inter-academy tournament."
Seraphina turned her gaze on me. It was like being appraised by a master jeweler. Her eyes swept over me, and I felt the faint tingle of my [Eye of Scrutiny] activating on its own.
Name: Seraphina Vane
Cultivation: Body Tempering Realm - 6th Stage
Disposition: Ambitious (Loyalty to Self: 100/100)
Hidden Thought: 'The useless Fourth Prince. Still, he's better looking than his brutish brothers. A shame his potential is wasted on wine and women.'
My smile didn't waver. Oh, this is going to be fun. Her cultivation was a stage higher than mine, a testament to her diligence. And that hidden thought? Perfect. She saw me as a harmless, handsome idiot. The best possible cover.
"The tournament!" I exclaimed, feigning a delighted surprise. "A splendid affair. Though I confess, I find the political maneuvering in the stands far more entertaining than the brutish clashes in the arena."
I stepped closer, deliberately entering her personal space, and lowered my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "And I must say, Lady Seraphina, your presence here is a far more captivating sight than any champion's victory."
It was a classic, shameless dandy's line. The kind I had used a thousand times in my past life.
She didn't blush. She didn't swoon. Instead, a flicker of something sharp—annoyance? intrigue?—passed through her eyes before being masked by a polite, plastic smile.
"You flatter me, Your Highness," she said, her voice like cool silk.
"I only speak the truth," I replied smoothly. I turned back to my father. "Father, surely it would be a breach of etiquette to allow Lady Seraphina to depart without proper entertainment. I would be honored to show her the Imperial Gardens. The Starlight Lilies are in bloom. It's a sight one shouldn't miss."
My father grunted, looking between us. He likely saw this as me trying to shirk my duties, as usual. To him, this was a harmless diversion. "Very well. Don't be a nuisance, Kaelen. Lady Seraphina is a guest of the crown."
"Of course not," I said, offering my arm to her. "Lady Seraphina?"
For a moment, I thought she would refuse. Her eyes narrowed slightly, searching my face for some hidden motive. But finding only the familiar, easygoing charm of the dandy prince, she relented. Perhaps her curiosity won out.
"It would be my pleasure, Your Highness," she said, placing her delicate fingertips on my arm.
Her touch was light, but I felt it like a brand.
As we walked away from the main hall and towards the gardens, the system pinged again.
[Hidden Quest Triggered: A Viper's Interest]
Description: Your unconventional approach has piqued the interest of an ambitious soul. She sees you as a potential tool, or perhaps a toy.
Objective: Maintain her interest. Do not let her see the predator beneath the mask... yet.
Reward: Increased 'Favorability' with Seraphina Vane.
Failure Penalty: She will see you as a common fool and lose all interest.
We walked in silence for a moment, the sounds of the palace fading behind us.
"The Starlight Lilies, Your Highness?" she finally asked, her tone laced with a faint, mocking amusement. "They only bloom at night."
I stopped, turning to face her under the shade of a weeping willow. I let my charming smile drop, replacing it with a look of frank, startling intensity.
"I know," I said, my voice low. "I just needed a plausible excuse to get the most beautiful woman in the capital alone. Surely you, a woman who understands the value of strategy, can appreciate the necessity of a good lie."
Her polite mask finally cracked. Her eyes widened, a flicker of genuine shock crossing her features. This wasn't the fumbling, witless prince she had heard about.
Before she could process the shift, I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a near-whisper.
"Besides," I added, my gaze dropping to her lips for a fraction of a second. "The most exquisite flowers are often the most dangerous to touch. I find myself drawn to the challenge."
I watched her, waiting for her reaction. This was the gambit. She would either slap me and walk away, cementing her disdain… or the viper would recognize a fellow predator.
Her breath hitched. She didn't pull away. Instead, a slow, dangerous smile, the first genuine one I had seen from her, spread across her perfect face.
"Your Highness," she murmured, her voice a low, thrilling purr. "You are far more interesting than the rumors claimed."
But just as the moment hung between us, charged with unspoken potential, a frantic-looking palace maid came running towards us, her face pale with panic.
She skidded to a halt, bowing low. "Your Highness! Lady Seraphina! Forgive me, but… it's the Fifth Princess! Princess Lyra… she has collapsed in the training grounds!"