Scarlett and her companions strolled through the bustling city streets, guided by the ever-efficient maid. The warm sunlight bathed the cobblestones, and lively chatter filled the air. But for Scarlett, this outing was far from pleasant.

Stares. Endless stares.

No matter where they walked or which shop they entered, eyes followed her every move. Some people stared at her face, but most—well, most of them were far too focused on her chest. Scarlett's lips twitched in irritation.

"It was a bad idea to wear casual clothes," she thought, frowning as she tugged at her neckline in frustration. The simple dress she wore, though modest in design, clung too perfectly to her curves, drawing attention she definitely didn't want.

The streets grew quieter as the group passed. No one dared to bump into them, let alone approach Scarlett. No one whispered cheesy pick-up lines or tried to confess their love in public, which was a small mercy. At least they had the good sense to realize she was completely out of their league.

Still, the constant gazes felt like daggers piercing her back. Finally, Scarlett had enough. She stopped abruptly, causing the maid to pause and the others to nearly bump into her.

"I think that's enough sightseeing for today!" Scarlett declared, folding her arms under her chest—which only made the situation worse, as a few bystanders tripped over themselves while gawking.

Bella, who was now dressed in a stylish outfit she had excitedly purchased earlier, sighed in disappointment. "But I wanted to explore more... This city has so many cute shops!"

Scarlett shot her a look. "You can explore all you want, but without me. I'm going back to the palace, lying down, and pretending this day never happened!"

Bella pouted but didn't argue. The group quietly returned to the royal palace, walking past stunned guards who dared not even make eye contact with Scarlett.

When they arrived, Kroenen was already in his room. He hadn't joined them for the outing—probably off doing assassin things like gathering intel or brooding in dark corners.

Scarlett made a beeline for her room and, the moment she entered, flopped face-first onto her bed. The plush mattress embraced her as she let out a dramatic groan.

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"Why do I even bother going outside?" she muttered into the pillow. "I might as well wear a sign that says, 'Stop staring at me, you weirdos!' Ugh."

She rolled onto her back, staring at the ornate ceiling. But her irritation was quickly replaced by swirling thoughts—thoughts she had tried to bury for weeks.

"So many things have happened," she murmured to herself. "But most importantly, who was that woman in my dream? Even though it's Been more than a month, I still think about it"

Her mind wandered back to the strange dream that had haunted her since it first appeared. A mysterious woman had transformed into her mother, then into Scarlett herself—but not quite. That version of her had black sclera, purple eyes, and even purple horns.

"Was she an enemy trying to mess with my soul? Some demon trying to break my spirit?" Scarlett furrowed her brows, her frustration mounting.

She thought about the woman's cryptic words: "Don't let your will be broken."

"What does that even mean? My will is fine, thank you very much!" Scarlett huffed.

The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became. "Ugh, I don't care anymore. Forget her! Forget the dream! Forget everything!" she yelled into her empty room, throwing a pillow at the wall for good measure.

The pillow hit the wall with a soft thud and slid to the floor. Scarlett stared at it for a moment, then sighed, pressing her hands to her cheeks.

For a few minutes, Scarlett lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The silence in her room was heavy, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't shake off the boredom.

"Hmm... I have some free time. Should I use telepathy to talk to Aoto? Maybe I can get some useful information," she thought, a small smirk forming on her lips.

But just as Scarlett decided to connect with Aoto through telepathy, a familiar voice suddenly rang in her mind, catching her off guard.

[Scarlett—Asta, do you hear me? It's me, Aoto.]

Scarlett's eyes widened in surprise, and her face lit up. [Thank goodness! I was just about to contact you, and here you are. Talk about perfect timing!] she replied telepathically, her voice carrying a hint of excitement.

But Aoto's voice came back laced with annoyance. [You were *going* to contact me? Hah! You haven't done it even once this past month. Admit it—you completely forgot about your best friend, didn't you?]

Scarlett chuckled softly, imagining Aoto's exaggerated pout on the other side. [Come on, you know me. I've been ridiculously busy running Dreadhaven. I am a ruler now, after all. But enough about me—why are you reaching out? What's going on?]

[Oh, right! It's because—]

Aoto's voice suddenly cut off mid-sentence.

Scarlett froze. "What's happening?" she tried to say, but no sound came out of her mouth. Her lips wouldn't move. In fact, her entire body felt like it was frozen in place.

"Wait... why can't I speak? Why can't I even move?" Scarlett thought, panic rising in her chest. She tried to wiggle her fingers, to shift even the smallest part of her body, but nothing worked.

Her thoughts, which usually raced at lightning speed, began to slow. It felt like the world itself had stopped, trapping her in this eerie stillness.

And then, just as abruptly as it started, Aoto's voice returned.

[—because I heard there's going to be a council meeting soon. They're going to decide whether Dreadhaven becomes a friendly kingdom or not.]

Scarlett blinked. It was as if no time had passed at all, yet she was sure something strange had just happened. She quickly sent her reply, her tone sharp with urgency. [Aoto, why did you pause for a few moments? I couldn't speak or move—it was like time itself stopped!]

But Aoto's response made her blood run cold.

[Pause? What pause? I didn't stop. I completed my sentence perfectly fine. Are you daydreaming or something?] he replied in a playful yet mocking tone.

Scarlett hesitated. Her mind raced to make sense of what had just happened, but nothing added up. Finally, she forced a smile into her voice, masking her unease.

[Uh... yeah, must've been my imagination. Never mind that.]

[But wait a minute, Why are you talking about council meeting, Don't tell me instead of king of darwitz, You the representative of king is going to come? ]