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🎮 "Side Route Unlocked: The Fallen Lord's Favor."
🕊 "Warning: He bites. Probably."
—Raven
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I had three goals today:
1. Avoid Prince Caelum
2. Not trip over my dress
3. Not die.
I was already failing at the second one when I turned the palace corridor and walked right into him.
Not Caelum.
Worse.
Lord Auren Velhart.
He caught me before I could fall—annoyingly graceful, annoyingly fast.
"Lady Evelyne," he said, voice like a smirk. "How lovely of you to crash into me."
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Evelyne awkwardly balanced in his arms. Auren smiling, wine-red eyes too amused.
Raven off to the side, face-wingpalming.
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"Unhand me, Lord Velhart," I muttered, pushing him off. "You'll ruin your reputation."
His smile didn't falter. "That was ruined long before you arrived, my lady."
Touché.
His voice dropped, smooth as silk dipped in poison. "Tell me, why the sudden politeness? Last time we met, you threatened to have my estate confiscated."
🕊 Raven's voice in my head:
"That was Past Evelyne. You're Now Evelyne. Say something vague and mysterious."
I straightened my posture like I had dignity and years of noble training. (I had none.)
"I've… changed," I said coolly.
His eyebrow lifted. "Changed, hmm? I suppose even villains are allowed to rebrand."
I opened my mouth to bite back, but he leaned in, too close.
"You're not as sharp as you used to be, Evelyne."
Then he walked off, cloak swirling.
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🎮 "Affection Update: Lord Auren is now mildly interested in your weirdness."
🕊 Raven: "He's definitely into chaos. You might be his type."
Evelyne: "That is so not comforting."
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Later that day, I sat with Raven on the palace balcony, sipping extremely expensive tea like I belonged here.
"I hate him," I said.
"You say that about everyone," Raven chirped. "Except the gardener. He gave you free plums."
"He's too smug. Too smooth. He knows things."
"Like what?" Raven asked, tilting his head.
I stared into my tea. "Like the real me. It's like he can smell that I'm not the original Evelyne."
- Silence. Raven didn't reply.
Which was weird.
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[Auren watching from the garden below, leaning lazily on a column]
"She's different," he murmurs. "And different is… interesting."
[To be continued…]