Chapter 288: Role-Play [1]

“Words can be tools,” Alice murmured. “Or weapons.”

“Exactly.”

Silence followed—not the uncomfortable kind, but the sort that pressed gently against the walls, urging thought rather than speech.

The heavy curtains stirred faintly as a draft slipped through the room. Alice remained standing near her desk, arms folded, eyes sharp with contemplation.

After a few moments, I spoke again.

“There’s an Eastern proverb,” I said calmly. “’Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.’ Rather than continuing with abstract explanations… why not witness it directly?”

Alice raised an eyebrow.

“Witness it how?”

I turned slightly and gestured toward the sofa.

“Don’t we already have an excellent teaching aid here?”

Velra, who had been lounging with barely concealed impatience, stiffened.

“…You’re not serious,” she said, pointing at herself. “Me?”

Yes.

You.

A high-ranking vampire noble.

Someone born into power, accustomed to dominance being acknowledged without question.

“Lady Velra,” I said evenly, “would you be willing to participate in a small role-play?”

She narrowed her eyes.

“So this is what you were building toward,” she muttered. “I had a feeling I was being dragged into something again.”

Despite her words, she exhaled slowly and gave a small shrug.

“Fine. I’ll play along,” Velra said. “I’m curious where this goes.”

I inclined my head slightly.

“In this scenario, I’ll take the role of a weak fiancé to Lady Velra.”

The reaction was immediate.

Velra blinked.

Then, unexpectedly, her gaze softened—just a touch.

“A fiancé?” she repeated. “Among vampires, such arrangements are hardly unusual. Political bonds, blood contracts… some of them last far longer than intended.”

She chuckled quietly, the sound low and amused.

“…This is only temporary,” Alice cut in sharply, her voice cool as ice.

She turned her glare toward Velra.

“Demon. You promised to find a way to break it your bond with him.”

Velra glanced back at her, lips curving into a patronizing smile.

“And I intend to keep my word,” she replied smoothly. “You don’t need to glare at me as if I’ve already failed.”

Their gazes locked.

For a brief moment, the atmosphere grew tense—like two blades pressed together without yet striking.

I stepped forward, deliberately placing myself between them.

“Now then,” I said, redirecting the focus, “this is the point of the exercise.”

I turned toward Velra first, deliberately lowering my posture, softening my tone.

“In this role,” I said quietly, “I am strong. With influence. And authority worth mentioning.”

Then I shifted my gaze to Alice.

“And you,” I continued, “are the observer. A noble who understands how easily power reshapes reality… and how dangerous words can become when spoken from the wrong position.”

Alice crossed her arms, studying me for a moment before nodding once.

“Hm. I’m ready.”

Good.

I took a breath.

“Let’s begin with the setting,” I said.

I said as i thought about crown prince from game.

I straightened my back.

Adjusted my posture.

And let the weight settle into my voice.

“…Lady Velra.”

The change was immediate.

My tone cooled, distant and composed.

My gaze dropped just enough to be condescending, as though looking down on someone of lower standing.

I propped my chin lightly against my knuckles, casual—too casual—for someone speaking from a position of absolute authority.

Velra blinked.

“Julies…?”

“Do not,” I interrupted calmly, “pretend familiarity. Address me with the respect due to Your Majesty.”

—Crack.

A very distinct, very alarming sound came from Velra’s clenched jaw.

“Your Majesty?” she repeated slowly. “You?”

Her eyes flickered, incredulous, irritated—

and dangerously close to casting something instinctively.

I cleared my throat and gave her a sharp look.

“Remember,” I said quietly, breaking character just enough to warn her, “it’s role-play.”

She stared at me for a long second.

Then another.

Finally, she inhaled through her nose and forced her expression smooth.

“…Very well,” she said stiffly. “What business does Your Majesty have with me?”

Good. She was back in character.

“I wished to discuss our engagement once more,” I replied.

Velra’s eyes shifted away at once, her gaze lifting toward the sky as though she’d found something infinitely more interesting there.

“…Do you believe in love?” I asked.

Her brow furrowed.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand the intent behind your question.”

“I didn’t either,” I said evenly. “Not when I was with you.”

I spoke slowly, carefully—reciting the words exactly as I remembered them.

“But recently, I came to realize something. That beyond alliances forged by bloodlines and political convenience… there exists such a thing as true love.”

Velra’s shoulders stiffened.

Alice, standing off to the side, went very still.

I continued, voice calm, detached—almost gentle.

“Love that has nothing to do with duty. Or obligation. Or compatibility.”

Velra finally looked back at me.

“And is that realization meant to concern me?” she asked.

“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. “Because it changes everything.”

Silence stretched between us.

Velra’s lips pressed into a thin line.

Her hands folded neatly in front of her, posture flawless—yet the tension in her shoulders betrayed her.

“…Your Majesty,” she said after a moment, voice carefully measured, “are you suggesting that our engagement was a mistake?”

I tilted my head slightly.

“No,” I said. “I’m saying it was necessary.”

Her fingers twitched.

“But now,” I went on, “it is no longer needed.”

Alice’s eyes narrowed.

Velra’s gaze sharpened, something wounded flickering beneath the surface before she masked it.

“And what of my position?” Velra asked quietly. “My family?”

“You will be compensated,” I said coolly. “Titles. Land. Influence. Nothing will be lacking.”

She laughed then—soft, hollow.

“So that is all I was ever meant to be,” she murmured. “A suitable exchange.”

I leaned forward slightly.

“You were an ideal choice,” I said, tone almost kind. “But ideals are replaceable.”

Velra clenched her jaw.

“And this… ’true love,’” she said. “Does she know how easily you discard people once they’ve served their purpose?”

I let the silence answer for me.

Then—

“That,” I said calmly, “is none of your concern.”

Velra’s eyes darkened.

…And In next moment I continued with my role.

“No need to be worry, I’ll will bear the dishonour. You should find your own love”

Velra, fully immersed, lowered her head for a moment and then shivered.

And then.

“Then, the solution would be to eliminate that person.”

In the Drazroth Empire, power is synonymous with authority.

Velra, with her red eyes narrowed and sharp fangs revealed, resembled a wild beast.

“If the one monopolizing His Majesty’s favor disappears, the remaining favor would naturally become mine. Just wait and see.”

“Sigh.”

She responded exactly as expected.

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