"Please help !" A woman's voice snapped him from his thoughts. When he turned, a young woman stood just outside the motel's courtyard.
She stepped closer, revealing soft features and clear dark eyes. It was easy to see why people considered her as the most beautiful girl in the land.
Her black hair hung around her delicate face, and her pale skin caught the light softly.
She wore a white dress that matched her skin. At least that was different from what he rembered in the story—so the system was safe this ti.
"Welco to Star..." He tried to say another na but couldn't. Lying made his throat dry, and each attempt brought more pain.
'Shit, why did I pick that na? It sounds too suspicious—she might take off after hearing it.'
Unfortunately, this place was set on punishing him—like it wanted to remind him that every choice had consequences, and he better learn to live with them.
[DING]
[Warning: You must say the na of this place with pride. After all, it's a na you spent a long ti coming up with. If she runs away, the mission will fail.]
"Welco to Final Stop Motel," he said, wearing a smile so forced it looked like his cheek was held together with duct tape.
"I—" She took a step back.
Who wouldn't? She was alone with a guy who looked like he hadn't smiled in years—and just rembered how, badly.
'Shit,' He needed to break the tension fast, or this would go south.
"This place offers shelter to those in need," he added quickly.
She took two more steps back.
'Right—free things always raised more red flags.'
"Of course, for a fee," he said, rushing to clarify. "You have to pay to stay here—it's a business."
Now his words sounded stiff, his smile even worse. He really regretted being so antisocial for so many years.
When she turned to leave, it seed like everything was over. But by chance, a series of loud howls echoed from the horizon.
Frozen in place, her eyes darted to the trees, then back to the motel—it looked safer now compared to the forest.
'A chance !'
Luck went and straight up spoke "It's getting dark. The forest is dangerous at night. How about staying here until morning?"
She hesitated at first, but more howls echoed—closer this ti.
A chill ran through her chest, tightening with each howl.
Between a pack of wolves and one strange man, trusting him seed like the safer alternative.
She gave a fake smile and started walking toward him, slow and careful. She was ready to run if he made a move or tried to hurt her.
Luck saw this and couldn't stop himself from grinning. It made him look even more suspicious.
At this rate, his first mission—to make her trust him—was going to be tough. Her first impression of him wasn't exactly good.
"Please, co in," he said, motioning toward the desk. "Write your na in the guest book,"
Nodding, she wrote Neve, the Italian word for snow.
"So, you're Lady Neve. I'm Luck, the caretaker. Before I get you a room, I'll need you to pay first."
Neve hesitated for a mont. . "I don't have gold coins right now, but I have this."
She placed a golden locket on the desk. "It's a gift from my father. I heard it has value."
"Let take a look." he took the locket and gently placed it under his desk to scan it.
The locket's value ca to 30 EC, enough to cover the paynt.
"I can accept this. It'll cover your stay for three days."
"Thank you very much." She bowed her head, relieved to have a place to stay.
Looking around, she spotted objects that felt out of place. Many didn't match anything she had seen before in the palace.
But whenever she tried to focus, the details blurred. The harder she thought, the faster the ideas faded, as if the room itself didn't want her to understand.
In the end, she just accepted everything here as normal—even the light bulb hanging from the ceiling.
Luck pointed in one of the doors. "That's your room."
Neve followed his hand and saw a simple wooden door.
When she entered, a bed, a small table, and a chair filled the corner. A basic bathroom was tucked just beside the door.
She let out a small smile and locked the door behind her.
click!
Neve dropped to the floor right away and started crying hard. She tried to keep quiet, but the tears and pain were too much.
When she moved her arm, old cuts were visible on her wrist. They were all self-inflicted, marks of the tis she almost gave up in life.
Luck stood just beyond the door. He couldn't hold back the sympathy rising inside him.
For the system, it was just a mission to finish. But for Neve, it was everything—her whole life.
The thought weighed on him, making him feel guilty for needing to make her fall for him, as if she were just part of a ga.
"System, tell —will she forget once the mission is over?"
[Negative]
"So, you want her to fall for ... and then just ghost her after?"
[Affirmative]
"You're an asshole for giving this kind of mission, you know that," he sneered in contempt.
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