The room felt heavier than before.
Not because of Qi.
Not because of the system.
But because of the silence.
Lyra stood near the window, her gaze distant, her thoughts clearly moving faster than her calm expression suggested.
Evan sat on the bed, watching her carefully.
He knew this silence.
It wasn't over.
It was the kind of silence that came before more questions.
And right on cue—
Lyra spoke.
"My prince."
Evan straightened instinctively.
"…Yes?"
She didn't turn around immediately.
Instead, she asked—
"How did you begin cultivating?"
There it was.
The question he didn't want.
The one he really didn't want.
His mind immediately started spinning.
Make something up.
Say you guessed.
Say it was instinct.
Say literally anything else.
"…I—"
He stopped.
Lyra turned this time.
Her eyes met his.
Calm.
But sharp.
"…You did not have guidance," she continued."And yet, you followed a structured method."
Evan's throat went dry.
"…Maybe I'm just talented?"
Lyra didn't even blink.
"…My prince."
Evan sighed internally.
Yeah. That didn't work.
He scratched his cheek and looked away.
"…It's… complicated."
Lyra stepped closer.
Not threatening.
Not harsh.
But firm.
"Then explain it to me."
Evan hesitated.
This wasn't like hiding small things.
This was different.
This was his biggest secret.
The thing that made him… him.
The system.
He had never told anyone.
Not in this life.
Not even hinted at it.
And for good reason.
In a world like this—
Anything unknown was dangerous.
Anything powerful was hunted.
Anything unique…
Was taken.
Evan lowered his gaze slightly.
"…If I tell you," he said slowly, "you can't react badly."
Lyra frowned faintly.
"…React badly?"
"No yelling," Evan added quickly."No overreacting. No 'this is dangerous' speeches—"
"My prince."
"…Right. You're definitely going to do that."
Lyra crossed her arms slightly.
"…Speak."
Evan took a deep breath.
Then exhaled.
"…Do you remember," he began, "when my mother left me something?"
"She gave it to me when we first left?"
"…Yes."
Evan looked up at her.
"…That wasn't just a vague thing."
A pause.
Then—
"She left me… something real."
Lyra's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…What kind of something?"
Evan hesitated one last time.
Then—
"…A system."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Lyra didn't react immediately.
She just stared at him.
Processing.
"…Explain."
Evan blinked.
"…That's it?"
"No screaming?"
"No dramatic reaction?"
Lyra's eyebrow lifted slightly.
"…Should I scream?"
Evan thought about it.
"…Actually, that would be more normal."
Lyra ignored that.
"…Explain. What is a 'system'?"
Evan shifted slightly on the bed.
"…It's… like… something inside me."
"Something that shows me information."
"Gives me options."
"Helps me… grow."
Lyra's gaze grew more focused.
"…A guiding artifact?"
"…Sort of."
"…A soul-bound inheritance?"
"…Closer."
Evan scratched his head.
"…Honestly, I don't fully understand it either."
"That cultivation manual?"
"It came from that."
Lyra went completely still.
"…It gave you a cultivation technique?"
Evan nodded.
"…Yeah."
"…And you trusted it?"
Evan paused.
"…Well…"
"…Yes."
Lyra stared at him.
"…Without question?"
Evan thought about it.
"…Okay, maybe with a little question."
"But this was something that my mother gave me, so it won't be bad, right?"
Lyra closed her eyes for a second.
Then sighed softly.
"That's probably true. Her Majesty would never harm you."
She looked at him sharply.
"…You are reckless."
"Cultivating a manual without guidance will cripple you or even kill you. You know that, my prince? "
Evan immediately pointed at her.
"Hey, I survived."
"…Barely."
"…Details."
For a moment—
Lyra said nothing.
She was thinking.
Deeply.
Carefully.
Weighing something.
Then—
She opened her eyes again.
"My prince."
"About the 'System'."
Her voice was serious now.
"What you just told me…"
"…You must never tell anyone else."
Evan nodded immediately.
"…Yeah, that was the plan."
Lyra stepped closer.
Her gaze firm.
"No one."
"Not friends."
"Not allies."
"Not even those you trust."
Evan blinked.
"…That serious?"
Lyra didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
Her voice dropped slightly.
"In this world… something like that…"
"…Would invite disaster."
Evan swallowed.
"…Got it."
No jokes this time.
No sarcasm.
He understood.
Lyra watched him for a moment longer.
Then nodded slightly.
"Good."
She turned slightly.
Then paused.
"…The technique."
Evan blinked.
"…What about it?"
Lyra looked back at him.
"Show it to me."
Evan froze.
"…Show?"
"…The cultivation manual."
Evan scratched his cheek.
"…That's the thing."
Lyra narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…Yes?"
"…It's not… physical."
A pause.
"…What do you mean?"
Evan tapped his head lightly.
"…It's here."
Lyra stared at him.
"…In your mind?"
"…Yeah."
Another silence.
Lyra frowned slightly.
"So... that's how it works?"
Evan shrugged.
"What can I do? …System things."
Lyra sighed quietly.
"…Then tell me what you remember."
Evan opened his mouth—
Then suddenly stopped.
Because—
!~Ding~!
The system appeared.
[Notice]
[Would you like to materialize the manual?]
[Yes / No]
Evan froze.
"…Wait."
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
"…Materialize?"
Lyra noticed the change instantly.
"…What is it?"
Evan looked up at her slowly.
"…You're not going to believe this."
Lyra's expression didn't change.
"…Try me."
Evan pointed slightly in front of him.
"…It's asking if I want to… take it out."
Lyra's eyes sharpened.
"…Take it out?"
"…Yeah."
"…As in, physically."
Silence.
Lyra didn't speak.
But her gaze intensified.
"…Do it."
Evan nodded slowly.
"…Okay."
He turned his attention back to the system.
"…Yes."
The moment he confirmed—
The air in front of him shifted.
Very slightly.
Then—
Light gathered.
Not bright.
Not overwhelming.
But clear.
Condensed.
Forming.
Lyra's eyes widened—just a fraction.
The light twisted into shape.
Solidified.
And then—
A scroll appeared.
Floating gently in the air.
Evan stared at it.
"…No way."
He reached out slowly.
His fingers touched it.
Real.
Solid.
Aged-looking parchment.
"…This is insane."
Lyra stepped forward immediately.
Her attention locked onto the scroll.
"…Let me see."
Evan handed it to her without hesitation.
Lyra took it carefully.
Almost cautiously.
As if holding something far more dangerous than it looked.
Then—
She opened it.
The moment her eyes landed on the contents—
Her expression changed.
Not shock.
Not confusion.
But—
Focus.
Deep focus.
Evan watched her.
"…So?"
Lyra didn't respond.
Her eyes moved across the scroll.
Line by line.
Her breathing slowed slightly.
Her aura—
Shifted.
Subtly.
Evan leaned forward slightly.
"…Is it good?"
Still no response.
Lyra turned another section of the scroll.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
Then relaxed.
Then furrowed again.
Evan blinked.
"…That doesn't look like a simple answer."
Silence.
Lyra continued reading.
Completely absorbed.
As if the world around her had disappeared.
Evan scratched his cheek.
"…Should I be worried?"
No answer.
Only silence.
And the faint sound of parchment shifting.
Then—
Lyra's eyes paused on a particular section.
Her fingers tightened slightly on the scroll.
And for the first time—
A hint of shock appeared on her face.
"…This…"
Evan leaned forward.
"…What?"
Lyra didn't look at him.
Her voice dropped.
"…This technique…"
A pause.
Long.
Heavy.
Then—
"…Where did your mother get this?"
Evan blinked.
"…That bad?"
Lyra slowly lifted her gaze from the scroll.
Her eyes met his.
Serious.
Deeper than before.
"…My prince."
She held the scroll tightly.
"…This is not a basic manual."
Silence filled the room.
Evan's heart skipped.
"…Then what is it?"
Lyra didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
She looked back at the scroll.
Her grip tightened slightly.
"This manual… It's tailor-made for your constitution."
Evan felt a chill run down his spine.
Then she said.
"It's as if…"
Lyra's voice lowered.
"…she prepared all of this before you were even born."
Evan's expression changed.
"…Before I was born?"
Evan scratched his head.
"So it's all good then?"
Lyra shook her head.
"We have a problem."