The morning after the reception was quiet.
Too quiet.
I sat at the small wooden table in the kitchen while Eli poured tea that tasted vaguely like burnt leaves and regret. The sunlight coming through the cracked window made the dust in the air visible.
Normally I liked quiet mornings.
Today it felt suspicious.
I stared at the system notification that had appeared the previous night. It had vanished hours ago, but the words were still burned into my brain.
Attend the Royal Ball.
Secure a dance with a high-ranking noble.
Failure penalty: System malfunction.
That last line was the one that bothered me.
"What does that even mean?" I muttered.
Eli glanced up from the stove. "What does what mean?"
"Nothing," I said quickly.
He gave me the look he always gave when he knew I was hiding something but had already decided not to fight about it.
"You have that expression again," he said.
"What expression?"
"The one that means trouble is coming and you are pretending it is not."
I leaned back in the chair.
"That is my default expression."
"Fair point."
He set the tea down in front of me and crossed his arms.
"So," Eli said. "Why are you staring at the table like it insulted your ancestors?"
I sighed.
"There is a royal ball this Saturday."
Eli blinked.
Then he blinked again.
Then he slowly sat down across from me.
"A royal ball," he repeated carefully.
"Yes."
"And you were invited."
"Yes."
"And you look like someone just informed you that the execution will be held indoors."
"That is because I need to attend."
Silence filled the kitchen.
Then Eli rubbed his face.
"We cannot afford that."
"I am aware."
A royal ball meant clothing.
Proper clothing.
Not the patched coat I was currently wearing.
Not the boots that had been repaired three times already.
And definitely not the reputation I carried.
"You cannot attend the royal court dressed like this," Eli said.
"I know."
"Then what are you planning?"
I stared at the tea for a moment before answering.
"I am calling in a favor."
Eli's eyebrows slowly rose.
"You have favors now?"
"One."
"With who?"
I stood up.
"Lady Verne."
Eli whistled under his breath.
"That merchant?"
"The same."
"She is powerful," he said cautiously.
"Yes."
"And you are going to ask her for help?"
"I am going to remind her that we helped her first."
Eli thought about that.
Then he nodded slowly.
"That might actually work."
"I hope so."
Because if it didn't, the system might decide to malfunction.
And I had absolutely no idea what that meant.
⸻
Lady Verne's establishment looked exactly the same as before.
Elegant.
Quiet.
Expensive enough that my presence at the door made the servant hesitate.
Fortunately, recognition worked faster than suspicion.
Within minutes I was seated in the same private office where I had met her before.
Lady Verne entered with the same composed grace as always.
"Viscount Damien," she said with a polite smile. "You are becoming a regular guest."
"I hope that is not a problem."
"On the contrary," she said, sitting across from me. "You have been... profitable."
That was one way to describe it.
"You assisted my business," she continued calmly. "And I hear you assisted the Crown Prince yesterday as well."
News really did move fast in this city.
"I happened to be nearby," I said.
"Of course."
She studied me for a moment.
"So," she said, folding her hands. "What favor do you require?"
Direct.
Efficient.
I liked her.
"There will be a royal ball this Saturday," I said.
Her eyes flickered with amusement immediately.
"And you need something to wear."
"Yes."
She tilted her head slightly.
"You understand that the entire court will be there."
"I do."
"And that people will notice you."
"I am trying to minimize that."
Lady Verne smiled faintly.
"That is not possible."
Wonderful.
"But," she continued, "it can be managed."
She stood and moved toward a large cabinet along the wall.
From it she removed a long garment bag.
"This was prepared for a noble who never collected it," she said. "The design was... ambitious."
She handed it to me.
I opened it slowly.
Inside was a coat unlike anything I owned.
Deep midnight blue fabric.
Fine silver embroidery along the sleeves.
Sharp, elegant tailoring that would fit perfectly once adjusted.
It was not subtle.
It was beautiful.
And it would absolutely draw attention.
"You said you wanted to minimize notice," Lady Verne said lightly. "Unfortunately, that ship has sailed."
I looked up at her.
"You are helping me stand out."
"I am helping you survive standing out," she corrected.
There was a difference.
"How much?" I asked.
She waved a hand dismissively.
"You already paid."
That made me suspicious.
"No one gives something like this away for free."
Her smile returned.
"I am not giving it away."
I waited.
She leaned slightly forward.
"I am investing."
That made more sense.
"In what?" I asked.
"In your future relevance."
I stared at her.
"You believe I will become relevant."
"I believe the Duke is watching you," she said calmly.
The room suddenly felt colder.
"And when the Duke watches someone," she added, "it is usually wise to watch them as well."
So that was the angle.
Information.
Positioning.
Political curiosity.
"Then I suppose I should make a good impression," I said.
"Yes," she said smoothly.
"You should."
⸻
When I returned home, Eli nearly dropped the coat when he saw it.
"By the gods," he breathed.
"Is it too much?" I asked.
"Too much?" he repeated.
"You look like someone who belongs in the royal family."
"That is exactly the problem."
Eli circled me like a suspicious tailor.
"You will stand out," he said.
"I know."
"You cannot hide in that."
"I know."
"You are going to attract attention."
"I know."
He finally stopped.
Then he grinned.
"Well," he said. "At least you will look terrifying while doing it."
I snorted.
"That is comforting."
But as Eli carefully hung the coat near the window, I could not shake a strange feeling.
Standing out was dangerous.
Standing out near the Prince was worse.
Standing out while the Duke was watching...
That might be fatal.
Later that evening, I stepped outside for air.
The street was quiet.
The sky was dark.
And for a moment I allowed myself to breathe.
Then the system flickered again.
[Quest Reminder: Royal Ball – 2 Days Remaining]
I rubbed my temples.
"Fantastic."
I turned to go back inside.
And that was when I felt it.
That quiet instinct that made the back of your neck tighten before your mind caught up.
Someone was watching.
I looked across the street.
At first there was nothing.
Just shadows.
Then a carriage door closed softly.
A tall figure stepped into the lantern light.
Darius.
He stood beside the carriage as though he had been there for some time.
Watching.
Waiting.
Even from across the street I could see the faint silver of his eyes.
His gaze rested on me for a long moment.
Then his eyes shifted briefly toward the house behind me before returning to my face.
Slowly, very slowly, he smiled.
Not warmly.
Not kindly.
Possessively.
Like a man who had just realized the game was becoming interesting.
The royal ball was still two days away.
But somehow, I had the feeling the real problem had already arrived.