[POV Liselotte]

The Grand Hall of Mirrors felt like an ecosystem of its own—a place where the air itself seemed more expensive, and the light refracted through thousands of hanging diamonds until everything looked like it had been pulled from a fevered dream. The banquet in honor of Leah’s return and my appointment was in full swing. There was enough food to feed an army for a month: sugar swans, towers of seafood brought from the southern coasts, and wines that smelled of sunlight and ancient soil.

And yet, despite the luxury, I felt as if I were walking on a layer of ice far too thin.

My new Supreme Guardian uniform—that dark blue silk design with black leather reinforcements—fit me perfectly, but it made me feel exposed. Or maybe it was the fact that, for the first time, I wasn’t wearing my adventurer’s gear or my usual mud-stained cloak. My hair was styled in a way that left my neck bare, and I felt… vulnerable.

“Smile a little, Lotte. You look like you’re being led to the gallows instead of a banquet table,” Leah whispered at my side.

She looked radiant. Her gala dress was a masterpiece of silvery silk that mimicked moonlight reflected on water. She seemed born for this, moving among the guests with a grace that left me in awe.

“This is a gallows, just with better food,” I muttered, adjusting my silver belt. “I’d rather face a hungry ogre than three hundred nobles with ulterior motives.”

I wasn’t wrong. The moment the royal family settled in and permission was given for dancing and informal conversation to begin, the siege started. But it wasn’t the kind of siege I had expected. Not conspirators with hidden daggers, but something far harder for someone with my… background to handle.

A group of young nobles—between sixteen and eighteen years old—broke away from the crowd and headed straight for me. They were heirs of the most influential houses in Whirikal: sons of Counts and nephews of Dukes, dressed in silk hose and embroidered doublets worth more than my old village ever had.

“Lady Liselotte, it is an immense honor to finally speak with the heroine who saved our princess,” said the first to arrive, a blond boy with perfectly styled hair who stared at me with an intensity that made my stomach churn. “I am Julian, heir of House Valerius. My father has spoken often of your valor.”

“It’s Supreme Guardian Liselotte, Julian,” I corrected, trying to sound firm, though tension crept into my voice. “And I only did my duty.”

“As humble as she is beautiful,” another chimed in—a young man with green eyes holding a crystal goblet as if it were a scepter. “I am Alistair. My family owns the vineyards of the Southern March. Should you ever wish to rest from castle walls, our villas are always open to you. We have the most spectacular rose gardens in the realm.”

Cold sweat began to trickle down my neck. In my former life as Edward, interactions with the opposite sex had been… normal, from a man’s perspective. Now, being on the receiving end of this refined, syrupy courtship caused a cognitive dissonance that threatened to split my head open. Edward’s mind screamed, What are these guys doing? while Liselotte’s reality tried to figure out how to reject them without causing a diplomatic incident on my very first day.

“I appreciate it, but my place is beside the princess,” I said, trying to step back—only for the circle to tighten around me.

“Surely a woman of your talents would appreciate a fine mount,” a third said with a smug smile. “I’ve brought three stallions from the steppes. The fastest in the kingdom. It would be an honor to gift them to your new guardian unit.”

“I don’t need horses, thank you,” I replied, growing increasingly uncomfortable. The offers kept coming—jewels, moonlit walks, poems written in my honor. I felt like I was being smothered with clouds of sugar. My instinct was to unleash a blast of icy wind and scatter them, but Leah was too close, and I didn’t want to ruin her night.

Leah watched me with a curiosity that bordered on fascination. She hadn’t moved away; instead, she lingered a few steps back, analyzing each of my reactions. For her, this must have seemed like the perfect scene: the heroine receiving the favor of the most handsome young men in the kingdom.

Perhaps she remembered—through the haze of childhood—how in the stories her mother told her, a happy ending always involved a gallant knight who rescued the heroine and married her. In her mind, the dream of every girl—including me, I assumed she thought—was to be the center of attention for noble, chivalrous suitors.

But as she watched my face—probably shifting from flushed embarrassment to stark irritation—her expression changed. Leah realized I wasn’t enjoying the attention. If anything, I looked like I’d rather be locked in a rat-infested dungeon.

With an elegance only a princess could manage, Leah stepped forward and placed her hand on my forearm, breaking the circle of suitors.

“Gentlemen, I’m afraid you must excuse us,” Leah said sweetly, her voice infused with absolute authority. “The Supreme Guardian still has security matters to discuss with me. Duty does not rest—not even at a banquet.”

The young nobles retreated at once, bowing awkwardly and lamenting their bad luck. Leah pulled me toward one of the side alcoves, hidden behind a heavy velvet curtain, where the noise of the feast faded into a distant murmur.

I leaned against the wall, letting out a breath of relief so deep I nearly folded in half.

“Thank you. I owe you my life, Leah. Truly,” I murmured, wiping sweat from my forehead.

Leah frowned, crossing her arms. “Why that face, Lotte? That was Julian and Alistair. Their families are among the richest and most powerful. They’re handsome, well-mannered, and they seemed genuinely interested in you. Most girls in the kingdom would give anything to be in your position tonight.”

I fell silent, searching for words. How could I explain that the very idea of being courted by a man felt as alien and repulsive as eating sand? I couldn’t tell her the truth about my origin—about Edward, about the fact that my soul simply wasn’t wired for that kind of romance.

“It’s just… not my kind of people, Leah,” I answered evasively. “Too much perfume and too much talk.”

“Then what is your type?” she asked, leaning in with genuine curiosity. “You’re young, you now hold immense rank, and you could have the most handsome knight in Whirikal if you wanted. Don’t you dream of that? Of someone who takes care of you—chivalrous and strong?”

A spike of discomfort ran through me. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me, Leah. You know that. And chivalry feels like a mask for weakness.”

“Don’t be so harsh,” Leah insisted with a soft laugh. “Even the strongest warriors have a heart that beats for someone. I’m surprised you didn’t enjoy it even a little. They were so… friendly.”

“Too friendly,” I hissed, desperately searching for a way to change the subject before she started asking me about preferred eye colors.

That was when providence—or perhaps noble indiscretion—gave me an escape. Through the curtain, I heard a voice I recognized as one of the young men who had just surrounded me. He was the son of a high-ranking mage from the Royal Tower, speaking importantly to another guest just outside our hiding place.

“…my father says the instability is fascinating. In three days they’ll conduct the first field experiment near the old quarry. They’re going to try opening a controlled rift to measure the density of energy on the other side. The King has given permission, and they say the girls who were in the forest are invited as observers—though I don’t know if the ‘new Guardian’ has the stomach to see real magic.”

I tensed. Leah froze as well, listening.

“An experiment with the rifts?” I whispered, my eyes lighting up with genuine interest—so different from the apathy I’d felt toward my suitors. “That’s far more important than any vineyard in the south.”

Leah looked at me, realizing that the topic of romance had officially died for the night. “It seems the King hadn’t told us yet. A field experiment in three days…”

“It’s the perfect excuse, Leah,” I said, regaining my composure. “We need to be there. If the Tower mages are going to play with dimensional fire, I want to be present to make sure they don’t burn the entire kingdom down. Besides, Ronan said our magic might react. It’s a chance to understand what really happened to us in that forest.”

Leah sighed, but nodded. “You’re right. Duty before the heart, as always, Lotte.”

“In my case, Leah, duty is much more exciting,” I replied with my first honest smile of the night. “Forget the heirs and their horses. We have an experiment to supervise.”

Leah studied me for a moment longer, as if trying to unravel the enigma that I was, but then she smiled as well. “Very well, Supreme Guardian. Let’s return to the banquet. Just try not to freeze Julian if he asks you to dance again. It would be a waste of good wine.”

We stepped out of the alcove, and I felt much lighter. The nobles’ siege continued, but now I wore mental armor. Each time one approached, my mind was already running through magical variables, dimensional theories, and the weight of the responsibility I had just accepted.

Whirikal could dress me in silk and surround me with suitors, but I was still the same person who sought truth in the cold. And in three days, the rift would give us answers no love poem could ever match.

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