༺ Noah's POV ༻
The trek to the special training rooms was nothing short of a reminder of how much I despised my system's twisted sense of humor.
Asking the princess out?
It was a side quest, one I would have happily ignored if it weren't for the reward.
[1000 Plot Points]
I could practically feel the system mocking .
Dangling the reward like a carrot in front of a mule.
This was Princess Elara Velden we were talking about—second in line to the empire's throne, a prodigious swordswoman, and soone who didn't exactly view in high regard.
The idea of her accepting my invitation was as likely as the sun setting in the north.
But that wasn't the point.
The system didn't care about my dignity, only its twisted form of entertainnt.
The sound of clashing steel echoed down the hall as I approached the training grounds.
The doors opened to reveal Elara, her movents sharp and precise as she sparred against a training dummy.
Her ree hair was tied into a high ponytail, and her crimson eyes glinted with intensity.
She swung her sword in a graceful arc.
The wooden blade eting the dummy's neck with a satisfying crack.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the inevitable humiliation.
As I stepped into the room, Elara glanced at briefly before resuming her practice.
As if I were just another piece of furniture.
"Princess Elara..."
I began, keeping my tone as formal as possible.
She didn't even bother looking at .
"What do you want, Ashbourne?"
Her voice was curt, laced with mild annoyance.
"I—"
Before I could finish, she spun on her heel, her sword swinging in a wide arc.
I barely managed to dodge, but the blade smacked the back of my hand.
The sting was sharp, and I hissed, clutching my hand.
"Watch where you're standing," she said, completely unapologetic.
"You deserved that either way..."
"Of course, I did..."
I muttered under my breath, more to myself than to her.
Regaining my composure, I reached into my coat pocket and retrieved the envelope, my fingers brushing against the embossed seal.
Elara stopped mid-swing, eyeing with suspicion.
"What's that?"
I held it out to her without a word.
She narrowed her eyes before snatching it from my hand.
She tore it open with an air of impatience, her brows furrowing as she read the contents.
I watched her expression shift from confusion to disbelief to thinly veiled irritation.
When she finished, she folded the letter neatly and handed it back to .
"No," she said firmly.
"Understood."
I nodded, pocketing the letter without another word.
Elara stared at for a mont, her crimson eyes searching mine, perhaps for a hint of mockery or a hidden agenda.
When she found nothing, she scoffed lightly and turned back to her training.
As I walked away, the system chid in with its signature overly cheerful tone.
[Congratulations! Quest complete. 1000 Plot Points awarded]
[By the way, watching you get smacked was the highlight of my day. Keep up the good work, partner! ^o^]
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, a faint smirk tugging at my lips despite myself.
For all its tornt, the system's reward was worth the humiliation.
That was one step closer to my goals, even if it ca at the expense of my pride.
As I left the training grounds, the sounds of Elara's blade echoed behind .
***
The morning air was heavy, a silent weight pressing on my chest as I made my way to Magic Engineering class.
The academy felt like I was walking through a storm of muted noise and blurred faces.
My destination was clear, though my mind was anything but.
Professor Sharon had announced earlier that we'd be resuming our group projects—those sa groups of two from before the exams.
That ant Maya.
I entered the classroom and imdiately spotted her, already seated at the table we always used.
She glanced up as I approached, her dark eyes catching the light.
"G-Good morning, Noah..."
She said softly, almost tentatively.
I offered a curt nod, not even bothering to et her gaze.
My chair screeched against the floor as I pulled it out, sitting down with all the grace of a disgruntled noble.
"I'll write the report..."
I announced, my tone sharp, dismissive.
"That way, I participate, and we don't lose marks.
Can't have you dragging my na down."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she gave a small nod, saying nothing.
She wasn't arguing—she rarely did—but sothing about her silence felt different today.
She looked... off.
Her skin seed paler, her shoulders tense.
I noticed her hands resting on the table, fingers loosely clasped, but there was a subtle tremor in them.
I hated myself for noticing.
I took out a pen and began scribbling notes, ignoring the way my heart twisted.
The silence between us grew heavier, almost suffocating, until Maya's voice broke through.
"Who is she to you?"
I froze, my pen hovering mid-word. I didn't need to ask who she ant—her tone made it clear.
She was talking about Iris.
The party.
The fleeting interaction that had been nothing more than a calculated move on my part, though apparently it hadn't appeared that way to her.
I turned my head slightly, just enough to glance at her out of the corner of my eye.
"What does it matter?"
I asked, my voice cool and biting.
"Even if Iris and I are closer than you think, what's it to you?"
Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't look away.
Her voice was quieter now, barely audible.
"She seed important to you... I just—"
"Stop."
I interrupted, my words cutting through the air like a blade.
"You're my fiancée, yes, but don't let that title go to your head.
You're just a seal to a political agreent. Nothing more."
Her lips parted, but no words ca out.
The hurt in her expression was so raw, so palpable, that it made my stomach cchurn
I should have stopped there, but I didn't.
I couldn't.
"Don't fool yourself into thinking you matter more than that."
I continued, each word laced with malice I didn't fully an.
"This isn't so fairy tale where we fall madly in love.
You're convenient, Maya.
That's all.
If Iris or anyone else caught my eye, it wouldn't concern you."
She flinched as if I'd struck her.
The air between us felt like it had been sucked out of the room, leaving behind an oppressive void.
I looked back down at the report, my pen moving almost chanically, though the words blurred before my eyes.
"Y-You promised..."
She whispered suddenly.
I stopped writing, my grip on the pen tightening.
"You promised you'd always be by my side..."
She said again, her voice trembling.
Slowly, she looked up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Rember?..."
Sothing in cracked.
My hand trembled as I set the pen down, the weight of her words pressing on like a boulder.
The mory she referenced wasn't mine.
It belonged to the original Noah, the despicable man whose body I now inhabited.
Yet, in this mont, it felt like my sin, my failure.
I stared at her, at the way her hands clutched her skirt so tightly that the fabric bunched, revealing a sliver of her thighs.
Her entire fra seed to quake, and I hated myself.
Hated him.
Hated the role I was forced to play.
Without thinking, I reached out and pulled her into my arms.
She stiffened at first, but then her head sank against my chest, and I could feel the tremors of her sobs.
'What did you do to this woman, Noah?'
I thought bitterly, addressing the man I had replaced.
'How could you leave to clean up your ss?
This... this wasn't supposed to happen.'
Her heart pounded against mine, each beat a painful reminder of the hurt I'd inflicted monts ago.
My own chest ached—not from guilt, though it was there—but from a searing, unnatural painI
It started as a dull throb, then quickly escalated into a fiery agony that nearly brought to my knees.
My vision blurred, and I bit back a groan, clutching her tighter as the system's interface flickered before my eyes.
[Penalty activated! ]
[Life force decreased: 7 days, 14 hours, 32 minutes, 18 seconds]
[Additional penalty pending]
The words burned into my mind, but I didn't care.
Not this ti.
The pain coursed through , relentless and unyielding, but I didn't let go.
If anything, I held onto her more firmly, as if anchoring myself to her would make it more bearable.
Her shaking began to subside, but mine only grew worse.
'I'm sorry...'
I thought, though the words remained trapped in my mind.
'I'm sorry for everything, Maya. For what I said, for what he did, for what I am
You're not just a seal to so agreent.
I know that. I've always known that.'
Her warmth, her fragility, her pain—they all felt too real, too heavy.
The weight of them crushed more than any penalty the system could impose.
I deserved this pain.
Every second of it.
Eventually, she pulled back slightly, her eyes still watery but no longer spilling over.
"Why..."
She began, her voice breaking.
"Why do you do this?"
I couldn't answer.
My throat felt like it had closed up, and for once, I didn't have the strength to put on the mask.
She wiped at her face, her fingers brushing away tears that hadn't quite fallen.
Her words stabbed deeper than any insult could.
She stood then, her movents slow and deliberate, as if every step took effort.
I was unable to speak, and watched as she walked away.
Her figure growing smaller with each step until she disappeared through the classroom door.
The silence she left behind was deafening.
I sat there, staring blankly at the half-written report in front of , the pen still clutched in my hand.
My chest throbbed—not from the penalty, though it lingered—but from the hollow ache of everything I'd just done.
"Why do you do this, Noah?"
I repeated her words in my mind, the question echoing like a haunting refrain.
The answer eluded .
Or maybe I was too much of a coward to face it.
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