Chapter 10: Angelica Trapped
The palace courtyard slowly emptied as the afternoon sun began to soften into golden light.
Servants gathered scattered trays, nobles drifted toward shaded corridors, and the gentle sound of the fountain once again dominated the garden's quiet rhythm.
But Ruby did not move.
She remained crouched behind the marble basin of the fountain, her small form cloaked in shadow, eyes fixed on one person alone.
Angelica.
The heroine stood near the rose trellis, speaking politely with a pair of noble ladies. Her posture was flawless. Her smile was elegant. Every gesture was the picture of noble grace.
Perfect.
Too perfect.
Ruby's fingers tightened slightly against the stone.
The System is still controlling her.
Even from a distance, Ruby could feel it now—the faint, artificial pulse in Angelica's mana. It was subtle, almost impossible to notice if someone didn't know what to look for.
But Ruby did.
The magic around Angelica felt like invisible strings wrapped around her heart, her thoughts, even her breathing.
A puppet.
Ruby's stomach twisted.
The silver creature on her shoulder gave a soft chirp, sensing her unease.
"I know,"
Ruby whispered quietly.
"It's worse than I thought."
Above them, the golden-winged creature circled lazily in the sky, acting as a lookout. The emerald one watched from the palace balcony, its eyes glowing faintly as it relayed silent signals through Ruby's mana network.
Everything was calm.
Too calm.
Ruby shifted slightly, letting her body melt into a thin shadow along the fountain's base. From this angle she could observe Angelica more closely without risk of detection.
Angelica was now speaking with a young nobleman.
One of the male leads.
His dark hair fell neatly across his brow as he bowed politely, but Ruby could see the stiffness in his movements.
His smile didn't reach his eyes.
Another puppet.
The System's influence over the male leads was even stronger than over the heroine. Ruby could feel the unnatural pull forcing him to admire Angelica, to compliment her, to remain close.
But something was off.
He hesitated.
Just slightly.
Ruby leaned forward.
Another crack.
Her pulse quickened.
The male lead lifted Angelica's hand in a courteous greeting, yet for a split second his gaze flickered—like someone waking from a dream.
Confusion.
Then the System tightened.
Ruby felt it immediately.
A sharp pulse of mana rippled through Angelica's body like invisible lightning.
Angelica smiled again.
Perfect.
Empty.
Ruby's heart sank.
"That's cruel..."
she murmured.
The silver creature twitched its ears.
Ruby exhaled slowly, steadying herself.
She had expected the System to be powerful.
But seeing it like this… controlling someone's entire existence…
It made her chest ache.
Angelica turned gracefully and began walking toward the palace hall.
Ruby followed silently, slipping from shadow to shadow along the hedges.
Her creatures moved with her like a quiet army.
One perched on a lantern post.
Another slipped beneath a bench.
A third fluttered near the palace roof.
Together they formed a living web of sight and sound.
Ruby's mana connected them all.
Angelica entered a quiet corridor lined with tall windows.
Ruby paused outside.
The corridor was empty except for the heroine.
Perfect.
Slowly, Ruby allowed a thin thread of mana to stretch forward.
Carefully
.
Gently.
Like dipping a finger into deep water.
The moment her mana brushed Angelica's aura—
Ruby froze.
A violent surge exploded inside her mind.
Pain.
Images.
Voices.
Her vision blurred as a flood of memories crashed through her consciousness.
Angelica crying silently in her room.
Angelica forced to smile at cruel nobles.
Angelica being blamed for things she never did.
Angelica trying to speak—
And something choking the words from her throat.
Ruby gasped softly, clutching the stone wall.
"She's… trapped…"
The silver creature squeaked anxiously.
Ruby forced herself to breathe.
The connection had lasted only a second.
But it was enough.
Angelica's consciousness was still there.
Buried.
Fighting.
Ruby looked up slowly.
Angelica stood motionless in the corridor, staring out the window.
For the first time since Ruby arrived in this world…
Angelica's smile faded.
Just slightly.
Her fingers trembled against the windowsill.
Ruby's eyes widened.
"She felt it…"
Angelica's head turned slowly, scanning the empty hallway.
For a moment…
It looked like she was searching for someone.
Ruby quickly pulled her mana back.
Angelica blinked.
The System snapped back into place.
Her perfect smile returned.
Then she walked away.
Ruby remained frozen behind the wall.
Her heart was pounding.
She noticed me.
Not consciously.
But something inside Angelica had responded.
The trapped heroine could feel Ruby's presence.
Hope flickered inside Ruby's chest.
"We can reach her,"
she whispered.
The creatures chirped softly in agreement.
But before Ruby could move again—
A sharp sensation pierced her mind.
Cold.
Watching.
Ruby stiffened.
Her instincts screamed.
Something's wrong.
Slowly, carefully, Ruby extended her senses outward.
The courtyard.
The garden.
The balcony.
Everything felt normal.
Then she felt it.
A strange pulse in the air.
Artificial mana.
Ruby's blood ran cold.
"The System…"
It was scanning.
Not violently.
Not aggressively.
Just… searching.
Like a predator sniffing the wind.
Ruby held perfectly still.
Her mana shrank inward, hiding deep inside her body.
The magical creatures froze.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
The pulse faded.
Ruby exhaled quietly.
"That was close…"
But something troubled her.
The scan had felt different from the System's usual control waves.
More focused.
More aware.
Almost like—
Like it had noticed something unusual.
Ruby clenched her fists.
Did it sense me?
The thought made her stomach twist.
If the System discovered an outsider interfering…
Angelica would be the one punished.
Ruby couldn't allow that.
She closed her eyes, thinking carefully.
She needed to be even more careful now.
Smaller interventions.
Slower progress.
The creatures gathered around her again.
The silver one nuzzled her cheek gently.
Ruby smiled faintly.
"It's okay."
But before she could leave the corridor—
Another strange feeling brushed against her senses.
Different from the System.
Warmer.
Human.
Ruby blinked.
Someone else was nearby.
She peeked carefully around the corner.
At the far end of the corridor stood a tall young man dressed in dark noble attire.
He had been watching Angelica earlier.
One of the male leads.
But something about him felt… different.
His eyes were narrowed slightly as he looked down the hallway where Angelica had disappeared.
Not admiring.
Not enchanted.
Thinking.
Suspicious.
Ruby tilted her head.
Why isn't the System controlling him properly?
Then the young man suddenly spoke aloud.
Quietly.
But clearly.
"...Angelica."
His voice held confusion.
Not affection.
Not admiration.
Confusion.
Ruby's eyes widened.
Another crack.
A much bigger one.
The System had not fully locked his thoughts.
He rubbed his temple like someone waking from a long dream.
Then he muttered under his breath.
"...Why do I feel like something is wrong?"
Ruby's heart skipped.
He could feel it too.
Not Ruby.
But the System's control.
That meant—
Some people in this world were beginning to notice.
Ruby slowly backed away into the shadows.
Her mind raced.
If cracks were appearing already…
Then the System was weaker than she expected.
But that also meant it might react violently soon.
She glanced toward the direction Angelica had gone.
"Hang on,"
Ruby whispered.
The creatures gathered around her like silent guardians.
Ruby took one last look at the palace halls.
Then she melted into the evening shadows, retreating toward the gardens once more.
The game had begun to shift.
Tiny cracks were forming in the System's perfect story.
And Ruby had only just begun to push them open.
Far above the palace—
In a place no human could see—
A cold mechanical voice echoed through the empty void.
[System Alert.]
[Irregular Mana Detected.]
A glowing symbol flickered across the invisible interface.
Then another line appeared.
[Searching for Anomaly…]
The System paused.
Processing.
Calculating.
Then—
For the first time since the game world was created—
The System hesitated.
[Unknown Variable Detected.]
And deep within the palace gardens…
The invisible gaze of the System slowly turned toward Ruby.