Chapter 67: Villainess Princess × Slave (30)

[ System stayed silent. ]

The glowing floating screen didn’t even flicker. It seemed just as stunned and completely lost as she was.

"SYSTEM!!" Lyra shouted right out loud, completely ignoring the terrified maids standing in a circle around her bedchamber. "TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW!"

The maids shrank back in terror, clutching their aprons and whispering frantically. "H-Her Highness has lost her mind from the shock... She’s screaming at the air..."

If he ran away now, then who is going to fall in love with Mabel, huh?! Lyra wailed in her mind, grabbing her head in madness. How am I supposed to act like a cupid between them if the Male Lead isn’t even in the same zip code?! Where is my original plot?!

[ U-Uh... Host... ] the System’s digital voice finally squeaked out, flashing a guilty, sweating emoji on its blue panel. [ The data system... actually failed once again. ]

"FAILED AGAIN?!" Lyra’s jaw dropped so hard it nearly hit the rug.

[ We have no choice but to speed up the plot timeline now! ] the System explained frantically, floating back and forth. [ Since Cassian escaped the imperial capital early instead of staying as a royal slave, the next major script event is... for him to return at the head of his rebel army and completely destroy the empire! ]

Lyra froze dead in her tracks, her dark eyes blinking blankly. "And what? We’re just supposed to sit here and wait until he shows up with a million soldiers to burn the palace down?!"

The System gave a tiny, helpless digital nod. [ Pretty much, yes. ]

Lyra glared at the floating screen with pure fury. "How nice! So now I just have to do a literal countdown until my own execution day?!"

[ Look at the bright side, Host! You still have one whole month left! ] the System tried to cheer her up, flashing bright yellow stars. [ Just complete some minor daily villainess tasks, gather up a few extra prestige points and soul fragments, and relax! You’ve got plenty of time! ]

Lyra let out a long, exhausted sigh. Seeing that her metrics were already broken beyond repair and the main plot was officially off the rails, she had no choice but to let it be.

For the next few days, life inside Princess Lyra’s estate became surprisingly quiet and simple.

Without Cassian standing like a tall, dark shadow behind her, and without Crown Prince Julian breathing down her neck, Lyra lived like a retired queen. Her daily System missions were basic and easy: ordering Mabel to clean the high bookshelves, scolding the head maid for bringing tea that was two degrees too hot, or flicking a sweet pastry crumb at a guard’s boots to maintain her "cruel tyrant" reputation.

Mabel, as expected, executed every single task with sparkling devotion. Whenever Lyra yelled at her, Mabel just curtsied with a radiant, angelic smile, looking thoroughly blessed to be yelled at by her favorite princess.

Since both the tyrant Emperor and Crown Prince Julian were far away on the northern frontlines managing the massive border war, the strict palace rules had loosened significantly.

Lyra took full advantage of their absence! She skipped her tedious royal etiquette classes, canceled her boring history lectures with the court scholars, and spent her mornings lounging in the private palace gardens like a pampered cat.

"Hah... what a beautiful, peaceful day," Lyra murmured happily, lying back on a plush chaise lounge under the warm golden sunlight. She took a slow sip of icy iced peach tea, a silver plate of sweet strawberry tarts resting on her lap.

The soft autumn breeze rustled through the rosebushes, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers.

No crazy brother, no scary Male Lead, no death flags... Lyra sighed in pure bliss, closing her eyes. If every day was like this, being a villainess wouldn’t be bad at all.

Suddenly, a strange, cold shiver ran straight down her spine!

The warm air in the garden instantly turned icy cold. A prickly sensation washed over the back of her neck- the exact same suffocating feeling she used to get whenever a certain pitch-black gaze was locked onto her.

Wait... why do I suddenly feel like something fishy is about to happen? Lyra thought, her eyebrows knitting together in suspicion.

ACHOO!

Lyra sneezed softly, her small nose twitching. She quickly opened her eyes and whipped her head toward the tall, dense hedge bushes at the edge of the rose garden.

For a split second- just a fraction of a single heartbeat her dark eyes locked onto a pair of icy, pitch-black eyes staring dead at her from deep within the dark shadows of the leaves! A tall, shadowy figure in dark clothes was standing right there, watching her every breath!

"AH- !" Lyra gasped, her breath catching in her throat!

She blinked hard and rubbed her eyes frantically. But when she opened them again... the bushes were completely empty. The leaves were rustling gently in the autumn wind, and there was no one there.

Lyra let out a long breath, her hand clutching her beating heart.

Was it... just my imagination? Lyra thought nervously, her face turning pale. Am I hallucinating because I’m paranoid?! I probably just saw a shadow or a garden bird... Right?

She swallowed hard, trying to shake off the lingering chill in her chest. She glanced over her shoulder at the System floating quietly nearby.

"Hey... System," Lyra whispered cautiously in her head. "Any news about Cassian? Has he been spotted anywhere near the capital?"

[ Nope! ] the System responded flatly, displaying a large red ’NO DATA’ sign. [ Our intelligence network shows zero activity from him. He vanished into thin air after escaping the estate. He’s probably deep in the eastern mountains assembling his rebel army right now! ]

"Right... of course," Lyra muttered, though the strange, possessive pressure lingering in the air felt far too familiar to be a simple hallucination.

Suddenly, the iron gates of the garden courtyard burst open

A royal messenger knight clad came sprinting down the stone pathway, panting heavily as he dropped onto one knee right before Lyra’s lounge chair!

"Your Imperial Highness!" the messenger announced loudly, his voice echoing across the quiet garden. "Urgent news from the northern frontlines!"

Lyra sat up straight, setting her peach tea down on the silver table. "Speak. What happened at the border?"

"A grand victory, Your Highness!" the knight declared proudly, bowing his head. "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Julian have completely annihilated the northern border tribes! The war is over! The imperial army has begun its march back, and His Majesty and the Crown Prince shall arrive at the capital gates by tomorrow morning!"

Lyra stood up from her chair so fast her silk skirts nearly got tangled in her sandals!

"THIS SOON?!" Lyra shrieked, her dark eyes bulging out in complete horror!

BRO! Lyra screamed frantically inside her mind, her soul clutching its head as red warning icons exploded across her vision. THE WAR WAS SUPPOSED TO LAST FOR MONTHS! WHY IS EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER IN THIS STORY RUNNING AT TRIPLE SPEED?!

[ HOST! ] the System panicked, flashing bright yellow warning lights everywhere. [ THE EMPEOR AND CROWN PRINCE ARE RETURNING TOMORROW! THAT MEANS CROWN PRINCE JULIAN IS GOING TO FORCE YOU INTO AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE TO SECURE HIS THRONELINE! ]

"MARRIAGE?!" Lyra’s soul practically flew out of her body in sheer, unadulterated madness! "I’M NOT MARRYING THAT PSYCHO BROTHER OR ANYONE ELSE IN THIS WORLD!"

That night, a suffocating fog rolled over the grand imperial palace.

Lyra couldn’t sleep a single wink. She tossed and turned in her grand canopy bed, her mind spinning in chaotic circles. The thought of Julian returning tomorrow, combined with the mysterious eyes she had seen in the garden bushes, made her skin crawl with endless anxiety.

Unable to rest, Lyra pushed her blankets aside and slid out of bed.

Dressed in a thin white silk nightgown, her long dark hair falling freely over her shoulders, Lyra walked barefoot across the cold wooden floor toward the high balcony doors. She pushed the glass doors open, stepping out into the chilly night air.

The foggy moonlight bathed the balcony in a pale, ethereal silver glow. The imperial capital below was completely silent.

"System..." Lyra whispered softly, leaning her arms against the stone balustrade and staring out into the dark forest beyond the palace walls. "If I fail this world... do I really lose my remaining soul fragments?"

The System floated beside her, its blue glow unusually dim and gentle.

[ If the main world thread snaps completely before you reach fifty percent plot completion... yes, Host, ] the System answered quietly.

Lyra let out a sad, bitter chuckle, resting her chin in her hands. "Man... I really miss my modern bed. I miss my phone, my late-night snacks, and not having to worry about being executed or forced into a royal marriage every single morning."

Suddenly-

The temperature on the balcony dropped to absolute freezing!

The chilly autumn wind stopped blowing entirely. The fog surrounding the balcony seemed to freeze in place, an overwhelming aura filling the entire space with a suffocating pressure

Lyra’s breath hitched.