How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

The Royal Hall.

The most prestigious building within the academy—and without a doubt, the most extravagant.

It wasn’t just a dorm.

It was a palace in everything but name.

Towering pillars lined its halls, polished floors reflecting crystal chandeliers that never dimmed, and every corner carried the kind of quiet luxury that spoke of power rather than wealth alone.

This was a place meant for those who stood at the very top—high-ranking nobles, royal heirs, and influential figures from across the continent.

Not students.

At least... not most of them.

Each year, only a handful of rooms were ever occupied.

The majority remained untouched, preserved more like guest chambers than living spaces.

The Royal Hall existed less as a dormitory and more as a statement—proof of the academy’s status and the kind of people it could host.

If the children of those powerful figures ever enrolled, this is where they would stay.

If not, the rooms simply waited.

Empty.

Quiet.

Untouched.

...Or at least, that’s how it used to be.

The most notable resident in recent times had been Princess Snow of the Germonia Empire—the academy had gone to great lengths to prepare everything for her arrival.

An entire section of the hall was practically redesigned with her in mind.

And yet—

For reasons no one fully understood, she rarely stayed.

Despite having a personal suite prepared at the highest standard, Snow chose not to reside in the Royal Hall.

Instead, she kept her distance, leaving behind a perfectly maintained space that saw little to no use.

Because of that, the servants assigned to the hall had it easy.

At first.

There wasn’t much to do. Maintenance, routine checks, occasional preparations—nothing demanding. For a place of such high status, it was almost... relaxed.

But that didn’t last.

As time passed, something began to change.

One by one, figures who shouldn’t have been there started arriving.

High-ranking dukes.

Influential family heads from the Eastern Empire.

Names that carried weight—real weight.

And then...

Even the Emperor of the Germonia Empire—the single greatest power on the continent—had personally visited and stayed within these walls.

That alone was enough to shift everything.

And now... as if things weren’t already heavy enough—

"Darling~"

The word echoed softly through the room, sweet... warm... and completely out of place for anyone who didn’t know her.

Liyana Heavens.

The only daughter of the strongest swordsman on the continent—Duke Luther Heavens of the Germonia Empire.

A name that carried weight.

A presence that carried even more.

And right now—

She was here.

Unannounced.

Inside the Royal Hall.

"...Liyana, why are you here?"

"Fufu~ does that really matter right now?" she smiled, tilting her head slightly as if his question was the least important thing in the world. "Though... I am a little surprised."

Her crimson eyes narrowed just a bit, studying him.

"You noticed right away that I was here..."

Riley didn’t react much.

"You weren’t exactly hiding it," he replied flatly. "Sending one of your maids near me wasn’t subtle."

"Ah—haha, I guess that’s true," she let out a soft laugh, completely unbothered. "But still... that was impressive, darling. Noticing Lily that quickly?"

She tapped her chin lightly, as if thinking it over.

"I only sent her out not too long after we arrived. I was pretty confident in her stealth, you know? I thought she’d at least give you a little trouble."

Her smile deepened.

"Seems like I’ll have to train her more~"

Riley let out a quiet breath, clearly not interested in playing along.

Because right now—

There was a much bigger problem.

Liyana.

Too close.

Far too close.

The moment he stepped into the room, she had already closed the distance.

Now, their bodies were nearly pressed together, her arms wrapped tightly around him like she had no intention of letting go.

"...You’re overdoing it," he muttered.

"Am I?" she whispered back softly.

And then—

She tightened her embrace.

"Fufu... you probably don’t realize just how much I missed you, darling~"

Her voice dropped, quieter now, almost intimate.

"It was really, really boring back at the duchy, you know? Without you around..."

Her cheek brushed lightly against him as she spoke, her hold growing even firmer.

"Since sister Reina went to the academy too... I didn’t even have anyone close to my age to spend time with."

A small pause.

Then, softer—

"But... I’m satisfied now."

Her arms wrapped around him just a little tighter.

"Seeing you like this..."

Riley’s expression stiffened.

Behind them, the servants stood frozen.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

They all saw it—but at the same time, they were doing their absolute best to pretend they didn’t.

Because the girl in front of them—

Was supposed to be the very image of elegance.

Graceful.

Dignified.

Untouchable.

One of the most precious flowers of the empire.

And yet—

Here she was, clinging to her fiancé without restraint, pressing herself against him, even leaning in as if to breathe him in—

Something no one in their right mind would ever imagine witnessing.

The contrast alone was enough to make their heads spin.

So they looked away.

Focused on anything else.

The floor.

The walls.

Anywhere but there.

Because acknowledging it—

Would only make things worse.

If word of this ever got out, it wouldn’t just be embarrassing—

It would be disastrous.

Liyana’s image wasn’t something fragile, but it was carefully maintained. To the outside world, she was elegance itself. Graceful. Composed. Untouchable.

Not... this.

Not someone clinging to her fiancé like she couldn’t let go.

Not someone smiling like that—soft, unguarded, almost greedy in the way she held onto him.

And because of that—

No one in the room would dare speak a word of what they were seeing.

Not now.

Not ever.

So the servants did the only thing they could.

They lowered their gazes.

Silenced their presence.

And convinced themselves—

They weren’t here.

Yes... aside from performing their duties when needed, they simply didn’t exist in this moment.

"...Liyana."

Riley’s voice came out quieter this time, a bit heavier.

"Hm?" She looked up at him, her expression bright, almost playful. "What’s with that troubled look, darling?"

A small laugh slipped from her lips.

"Hehe... don’t get too worked up, alright? I understand why you’re confused."

Her arms didn’t loosen.

If anything, they stayed firm around him.

"But I didn’t come here just for personal reasons, you know?"

A pause.

Then, with a slight tilt of her head—

"Well... it’s mostly personal reasons, but~ I’m here on official matters too."

Riley’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"What do you mean?"

He tried—subtly—to create some distance between them, his hand pressing lightly against her shoulder.

It didn’t work.

Instead of stepping back, Liyana simply leaned in closer, pressing herself against him like she didn’t even notice what he was trying to do.

Or maybe she did.

And just didn’t care.

"I don’t know how much you’ve been informed, darling," she began casually, "but papa is currently away on an official order from the Emperor."

Her tone stayed light, but there was a faint shift beneath it.

"As such, command and authority over the duchy has been placed onto me~"

Riley’s expression changed—just slightly.

"And under the Heavens’ code..." she continued, her fingers lightly tracing along his sleeve, "I am required to aid the Emperor during his stay here at the academy."

"Aid...?" Riley repeated, his voice low.

"Fufu, yes."

She smiled.

"Normally, that role—personal aide, advisor, and guard—would fall to papa and the Emperor’s Shadow Knights."

A brief pause.

Then—

"But due to my personal request... no, rather—official request," she corrected herself with a soft giggle, "I was able to take on that role myself."

Her crimson eyes locked onto his.

"So, for the time being, I’ll be supporting the Emperor directly during his stay here."

A beat.

Then, almost casually—

"Though... I did arrive a bit earlier than expected. Unannounced, too."

Her smile softened.

"I wanted to surprise you, after all~"

Silence lingered for a moment.

"...Right."

Riley exhaled quietly.

"Well... that’s the official side of things, at least."

Liyana’s tone stayed light, almost casual, like she was talking about something small.

"Of course, with my position right now, I’ll have to return to the duchy soon enough," she added, brushing it off with a small wave of her hand. "But putting that aside~"

Her arms tightened just a little around him.

"My personal reasons were just as important."

She leaned back slightly—just enough to look at him properly, her crimson eyes softening.

"Seeing you was my number one priority."

There was no hesitation in her voice.

No teasing.

Just... honesty.

"And I wanted to experience the academy for myself before I officially enroll next year as well. I guess my excitement got the better of me this time?"

A quiet laugh slipped out.

"And... I wanted to see my sisters too~"

That part carried a different tone.

Something a little more playful.

"I’ve been hearing quite a few interesting rumors, you know... about your relationships with them, darling~"

Her gaze lingered on him, watching closely.

"I missed them as well~"

"....."

That—

That was where Riley’s expression finally cracked.

Just slightly.

A faint twitch.

A small shift in his eyes.

Barely noticeable to anyone else.

But it was there.

Because every word she said...

Carried weight.

Liyana wasn’t someone who spoke carelessly. Even when she sounded playful—especially when she sounded playful—there was always something beneath it.

Something unpredictable.

Something dangerous.

She was someone who acted on her whims.

And those whims...

Could end everything.

That was the kind of existence she was.

A world-ending being.

Even Erebil would hesitate to face her directly without risking everything—that alone said enough.

And yet—

Right now, standing this close to her...

Riley wasn’t overwhelmed.

There was no suffocating fear pressing down on him.

No instinct screaming at him to run.

Maybe it was his divinity.

Or maybe... he had simply grown enough to endure it.

Either way—

That didn’t make this any easier.

Because this version of Liyana—

The one smiling gently, holding onto him like this—

Was far more unpredictable than anything else.

"I want to meet my sisters," she said softly, her fingers lightly tightening around his sleeve again. "But since I just arrived..."

She tilted her head, her voice dipping just a little.

"Can you show me around the academy, darling?"

A small pause.

Then, quieter—

"Just the two of us~?"

For a moment—

Riley said nothing.

Out of everything he had faced...

Battles.

Schemes.

Uncertain futures.

None of it felt like this.

This pressure.

This closeness.

This situation he couldn’t fully control.

"...Sure."