Daisy didn't hesitate. She marched across the room, her hand snapping out to snatch the controller from Haruto's twitching fingers. She shoved the console power button, killing the holograms instantly.
"Enough!" she commanded, her voice sharp enough to cut through his haze. "Look at you—you're trembling, your reflexes are shot, and you're barely making sense. Do you really think fighting a simulation for fifteen hours straight makes you stronger? It just makes you a corpse waiting to happen."
Haruto blinked, his brain still trying to process the missing tactical data on the screen. "I just... I just needed to bridge the gap," he stammered, his body finally feeling the crushing weight of exhaustion.
Daisy gripped his shoulder, steering him away from the couch. "You're an idiot, Haruto. A talented, suicidal idiot." She turned to the floating sphere. "Retro, put him to sleep. If he tries to stand up again, initiate a temporary lockdown protocol on his room. He's done."
"Understood, Master," Retro pulsed. The sphere emitted a soft, sedative hum that seemed to vibrate directly against Haruto's temples, instantly draining the remaining adrenaline from his system.
Haruto's legs buckled, and he barely managed to stumble toward his room before his vision blurred into darkness. Behind him, Retro extinguished the lights, leaving the living quarters in a sudden, heavy silence.
Retro hovered in the dark, his internal sensors glowing a faint, contemplative violet. "He is... remarkably driven," the AI noted, its voice devoid of its usual cheer. "To push one's biological limits to such a degree for a mere simulation... it is irrational. But if the rumors about the external threats are true, perhaps such determination is a necessary variable."
As Retro drifted through the hallway, the scene flickered, the reality of Daisy's apartment dissolving into a shift in time and space.
15 Days Earlier: Alesta Village
Lilith sat up, the room spinning slightly as the heavy, sweet scent of crushed "Drape Fruit" lingered in the air. The floor was littered with empty goblets and discarded platters, and sprawled across the rugs and plush furniture were the others—Serephine, Ivory, Bellona, and Lustra—all lost in the deep, magical stupor that followed a night of indulgence.
She stepped carefully over Serephine, who was snoring softly, and scanned the room for a sign of Haruto. Nothing. Just the stillness of a village morning.
Her gaze shifted to her own hand, where a ring caught the soft light filtering through the shutters. It was intricate, pulsing with a faint, rhythmic heat that matched her own heartbeat. She traced the delicate metal with her thumb, a soft, genuine smile touching her lips. "How beautiful," she whispered, the coldness of her usual demeanor replaced by a strange, newfound warmth.
She stood up, and the cool air hit her skin, reminding her that she was still wearing nothing but the remnants of her sleepwear. She paused, a flash of irritation warring with amusement. Haruto didn't even try to take advantage of the situation, she thought, a low chuckle escaping her throat. He was either an honorable fool or completely oblivious to his own surroundings.
She moved to the large, ornate closet in the corner, sliding the doors open to reveal racks of fine fabric. Selecting a sharp, tailored set of clothes that felt more like a uniform than a dress, she dressed with practiced efficiency. She smoothed the fabric, checked her reflection one last time—looking at the ring again as she did—and stepped out of the room.
The village outside was quiet, but the air felt different today. It felt charged, as if the very atmosphere of Alesta was straining under the weight of something happening far away. She didn't know exactly where Haruto had gone or what had pulled him from the village, but she could feel the connection of the ring drawing her toward the truth.
Lilith froze as the realization hit her. The lingering haze of the Drape Fruit wasn't just a simple hangover; the potency of that nectar usually kept its drinkers under for days. If they had been out for five, the world could have shifted entirely while they slept.
She navigated her way toward the sound of clinking porcelain, her brow furrowed. She stepped into the communal sunroom and stopped dead.
the formidable Queen of Alesta—was sitting there, surrounded by the other Queens, all of them engaged in a leisurely tea party. They weren't discussing politics or territorial defense. They were laughing.
"Good morning, sleepyhead!" one of the Queens called out, waving a teacup in Lilith's direction. "Look who finally graced us with her presence. How are you feeling, dear? A bit lightheaded, perhaps?"
Lilith stared. Her mother, who was usually a fortress of iron-willed discipline, was currently wearing a soft, relaxed expression that felt completely alien. It made Lilith's head spin—she had never, in all her life, seen them this unguarded.
"What is going on?" Lilith managed to ask, her voice tight. "We've been asleep for nearly a week. How are you... why are you acting like this?"
The Queens just exchanged knowing, amused glances.
Lilith didn't wait for them to beat around the bush. She crossed the room, her eyes darting between them. "Forget the tea. Have you seen Haruto? He was here, he was with us. Where is he?"
Her mother set her cup down slowly, a playful, secretive smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She beckoned Lilith over, patting the empty seat beside her with a grace that felt almost mocking.
"Haruto?" her mother repeated, her tone dripping with gentle sarcasm. "Oh, he's off doing what young men do when they're driven by foolish, grand ambitions."
The other Queens stifled giggles behind their fans. Her mother leaned in close, her eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and ancient wisdom. "He's gone, Lilith. He left days ago. And really, tell me—how do you expect to keep track of your husband-to-be when you're busy sleeping away half your life?"
Lilith's heart sank, then ignited with a sharp, burning frustration. "Husband-to-be? What are you talking about? And where did he go?"
Lilith paused, a sudden look of realization crossing her face as she tried to piece the timeline together. "Wait… I gave him that Drape Fruit juice, just like you told us to do."
One of the Queens tilted her head, her teacup hovering mid-air. "You gave it to him? How much?"
"As far as I remember," Lilith replied, crossing her arms defensively, "we gave him an entire bottle."
The room went dead silent. The Queens exchanged wide, horrified glances before bursting into murmurs.
"An entire bottle?" another Queen gasped. "A single glass puts a normal person under for five full days! If he drank a whole bottle, he should have been out for weeks!"
"Well, he wasn't," Lilith said, narrowing her eyes.
"He woke up the very next day. Drop it. His resistance to substances must just be ridiculously high. Now tell me—where is he?"
A senior Queen sighed, setting her porcelain cup down with a sharp clink. "When he woke up, I watched him from the balcony. He looked desperately bored, so he decided to head back to the Academy. And... Well, he didn't go alone. He took Emeli with him."
Lilith blinked, her expression hardening into absolute disbelief. "Emeli? Our oldest, most rigid head maid?"
"The very same," the Queens chorused, laughing softly. "Haruto tried to refuse at first, but who knows what happened during those five days. It seems he somehow grew quite fond of her!"
Lilith uncrossed her arms, her jaw tightening. "Right. I know exactly where to find him then. He'll be back at his mansion."
She turned sharply on her heel and started marching toward the exit.
"Wait, Lilith!" one of the Queens called out. "At least grab some breakfast before you run off!"
"No time," Lilith tossed over her shoulder without breaking stride, storming out of the sunroom and slamming the double doors behind her.
As her footsteps faded down the grand hallway, the head Queen let out an amused sigh and shook her head. She turned to the shadow beside the pillar, where a heavily armed guard stood at attention.
"Follow her," the Queen instructed quietly, her eyes glinting with maternal concern. "Make sure she doesn't do anything entirely reckless out there."
"Understood, Your Majesty," the guard muttered, dissolving into the shadows to tail Lilith as she tracked the scent of her missing target.
Lilith arrived at Haruto's grand mansion in a carriage, the wheels grinding sharply against the gravel drive. She didn't bother waiting for a servant; she shoved the main gates open with a sharp clank and stormed right into the foyer.
To her surprise, Rutherford and Asobi were sitting comfortably on the plush sofa, casually sipping tea as if they owned the place. Emeli stood rigidly beside them like a statue, her posture unnaturally straight.
The moment the heavy doors banged open, everyone stood up.
"Oh, Lilith!" Asobi said, setting her teacup down with a light clink. "What brings you all the way out here?"
Lilith didn't waste time on pleasantries. Her eyes swept the room, looking for a trace of messy hair or a careless slouch. "Where is Haruto?"
Asobi blinked, tilting her head. "Shouldn't he be at the palace with you?"
"No, he's not," Lilith snapped, her voice carrying an edge of frustration. "He isn't there, and he didn't come back here?"
"No," Rutherford chimed in, frowning slightly. "Boss did come back here a few days ago. We saw him. But he went straight to his room to sleep, and by the time we woke up the next morning, his bed was empty. We figured he got bored and headed back to the palace."
Lilith's gaze shifted away from them, locking instantly onto Emeli. The head maid's eyes flickered nervously under the intense stare.
"Emeli," Lilith called out, her voice dropping into a dangerous, icy register.
Emeli immediately bowed her head. "Yes, Princess?"
"Did Haruto say anything to you before he vanished?"
Emeli hesitated, her hands smoothing dow
Lilith didn't buy it for a second. She stepped forward, pointing a finger straight at the head maid. "Emeli, as our head maid, you have no business lingering around here empty-handed. Pack your things and head back to the palace now."
Emeli lowered her head even further, hiding a faint, knowing smile. "Understood, Princess. I will return immediately." With a graceful bow, she turned and promptly walked out of the mansion, leaving the room in a heavy, tense silence.
Lilith turned back to Rutherford and Asobi, her patience completely worn out. "Fine. Now, tell me everything. From the exact moment Haruto arrived here five days ago, what on earth has he been up to?"
Before Lilith could demand answers from Rutherford and Asobi, the heavy double doors creaked open just a fraction. Emeli poked her head back inside, her expression carrying a rare hint of urgency.
"Pardon the interruption, Princess," Emeli said quietly, stepping back across the threshold. "If you are truly looking to understand what has caught his attention lately, there is something else you should know. A few days ago, before everything shifted, a young man named Kenjin challenged him directly in front of the instructors."
Lilith stopped in her tracks, her attention snapping toward the head maid. "A challenge? Haruto accepted?"
"The instructors intervened and put a stop to it before blows could be exchanged," Emeli explained, her eyes narrowing slightly as she recalled the scene. "However, that is not the most telling part. Throughout the entire ordeal, Kenjin watched him with a look of pure, unrestrained jealousy."