Eventually, we arrived at a secluded balcony, where a pristine table and two comfortable chairs had been arranged.
A man in black servant attire stood nearby.
"Everything has been prepared, my lord."
The servant bowed, and Aegon gave a satisfied smile.
"Good work, Albert. Bring the usual for and my esteed guest."
"As you wish."
Albert left, leaving alone with the prince.
"Don't be shy. Have a seat."
Aegon gestured toward the chair across from him as he sat down.
I nodded and did as he said.
Monts later, Albert returned, carrying two cups and an assortnt of appetizers.
They were placed elegantly on the table.
The prince… He had planned this in advance, down to the smallest detail.
"My apologies. I wasn't sure about your preferences, so I ordered what I usually drink."
"It's fine. I can go with anything."
I picked up the cup of tea placed before .
I hesitated for a mont before taking a sip—but realistically, there was no benefit for him in poisoning .
The taste was exquisite. As expected from the royal family.
Aegon swirled his cup before speaking.
"Tell , Frey Starlight, do you know why you're here?"
I t his gaze, hesitating for a mont before deciding to be direct. There was no point in playing dumb before soone like him.
"I assu it has sothing to do with your conflict with the princess."
He nodded in satisfaction.
"I'm glad… You're not a complete idiot after all~"
"Excuse ?"
Did he just call an idiot?
Aegon didn't seem to care about my reaction as he idly played with his teacup.
"You see, Frey… don't you think everyone has their own story?"
"What are you talking about?"
I didn't understand his point at first, but he continued anyway.
"I've always loved stories, you know… They were far more entertaining than those idiotic bedti tales I was told as a child."
He took another sip of tea before gesturing toward .
"And yours, Lord Frey… your story in particular intrigued ~"
"It started with a despised noble causing trouble here and there… I especially enjoyed hearing about how you tornted the maids."
I leaned forward slightly, resting my arms on the table.
"So the prince has been watching ."
"Indeed~"
He didn't even bother denying it.
"No need to worry, Frey… After all, I watch everyone."
"I must say, that incident with the girl from the Moonlight family was my favorite. I still rember the commotion it caused."
Aegon laughed, but his words struck a nerve.
I knew exactly which incident he was referring to—the one that made Frey Starlight infamous.
It happened years ago when he dared to use a Seduction skill on Seris Moonlight.
I never wrote much detail about that event. Even I didn't know exactly what had happened that day.
All I knew was that Frey had barely escaped with his life, and when the incident leaked to the public, it caused an enormous uproar.
That was how the world ca to know Frey Starlight.
"The prince certainly knows a lot about ."
I humored Aegon, who finally set his cup down.
"Oh, I do. But you see, Frey… your story was boring."
"Just another third-rate villain, consud by lust. It wasn't interesting in the slightest."
"Is that how you see ?"
In response, Aegon chuckled.
"Not at all… because your story took a turn—one I never expected."
"A year ago, you vanished completely. Do you have any idea how unsettling it was when one of my precious pieces suddenly disappeared? I searched for you everywhere… but you were nowhere to be found."
"What an interesting way to phrase it. Pieces? Is that how you see ? How you see everyone around you?"
"That's right, Frey… I told you already. Everything is a story, and you—my precious pieces—are the ones who shape it."
I let out a small laugh.
"Is it really wise to show your true colors so openly? Who would have thought the esteed prince refers to everyone else as pieces?"
His confident smile never wavered.
"It's fine. After all… you're different. You're special~"
"Special?"
"Yes. The young man who returned from death after an entire year in the Nightmare Lands… The one who caused Leonaidas Starlight, the Immortal Lion, an endless headache… Isn't that fascinating!?"
His words sent a chill through .
Just how far does Aegon's reach extend to know about the affairs of House Starlight?
Carefully, I played along, gathering as much information from him as I could.
"Do you really believe the story of my survival for an entire year in the Nightmare Lands?"
He nodded.
"I do... Don't underestimate , Frey. There's nowhere to hide from in this empire."
"That's terrifying, Your Highness..."
In response to my words, he continued laughing.
"No point in pretending to be scared… Now tell , how did a young man survive in that hell for so long? Your story has truly beco an obsession of mine."
With a blank expression, I replied.
"I was lucky."
"Luck, huh?"
Aegon idly played with his fingers.
"No matter… That mystery is what makes you so interesting, Frey."
He picked up his cup before asking,
"Tell … in your opinion, what's the most important thing in a story?"
I leaned back, considering my answer. Was he expecting sothing specific from ? Or was he testing ?
Either way, I simply spoke the first thing that ca to mind.
"I don't know. Your question has too many possible answers… After all, many factors determine whether a story succeeds or not."
Aegon chuckled at my response.
"An interesting answer… but you're wrong."
For the first ti, I found myself on high alert as his smile vanished completely, replaced by sothing unsettling.
"There is only one correct answer, Frey."
He let the cup slip from his grasp.
The porcelain shattered into dozens of fragnts upon impact with the floor.
"The most important thing in a story… is the ending."
Aegon slamd his fist against the table as he continued.
"The ending is all that matters. And my sister's story… was supposed to end in death."
Seeing his sudden shift in deanor, I couldn't help but ask,
"What are you talking about?"
"She was supposed to die, Frey… Sansa."
Suddenly, the pieces started coming together, and I found myself instinctively rejecting the conclusion forming in my mind.
Could it be…?
"Ever since she was kidnapped along with her mother… they were both ant to die. But sohow, she returned… She ruined the ending that was supposed to happen."
For the first ti, I felt true fear toward the person sitting across from .
Was Aegon Valeryon sohow involved in Sansa's abduction?
And what was even more terrifying… was the way he spoke about it so casually.
As if he was telling , Even if you know the truth… it won't change anything.
Completely unfazed by my silent turmoil, Aegon continued speaking.
"She was supposed to die… Yet she still lives. She returned to stand in my way."
I knew they weren't full siblings, born from different mothers but sharing the sa father.
But to think that he would actually try to kill her…
No, what am I thinking?
This is Aegon Valeryon… He'll do anything to get what he wants.
"No matter… no matter… all I have to do now is create a new ending. A proper one."
Aegon's lips curled into a twisted smile as he extended a hand toward .
"I will bring everything to its rightful conclusion, Frey… So join ."
"Join you?"
He nodded.
"Yes. I have a good eye, Frey Starlight… You're the most important piece in this puzzle. The one who will bring everything crashing down. So swear your loyalty to … I can give you anything you desire."
At his last words, I laughed.
It had beco a habit of mine—to laugh whenever I heard sothing absurd.
Anything I desire? Sorry… but you can't. After all, what I truly want… is to return to my own world.
"Sorry, but I'd rather stay out of this succession war as much as possible."
Even after hearing my rejection, he didn't seem bothered.
"Don't pretend, Frey… You're an opportunist. There's no such thing as a person who wants nothing in this world."
Smiling, I shook my head.
"Then I'll have to take back my previous statent…"
I rose from my chair at that mont.
"Because you don't know at all, Aegon Valeryon."
He frowned slightly before quickly regaining his usual composure.
"Could it be… that you've sworn allegiance to Sansa? You were childhood friends, after all."
I shoved my hands into my pockets as I turned to leave.
"Not at all. Even if she was my childhood friend… as I said, I want nothing to do with this succession war."
Reaching the balcony door, I bid him farewell.
"Goodbye… and thanks for the tea."
I had just stepped outside when his voice stopped .
"Then how about we beco friends?"
I turned around instinctively, caught off guard by those words.
"Friends?"
"Yes. After all… how many people have ever dared to speak to the way you do?"
He laughed as he stood up.
"I like that arrogance of yours, Frey… That enigma that surrounds you. You're one of a kind. So… be my friend."
At that mont, my smile faltered slightly, unable to fully conceal my unease under Aegon Valeryon's piercing golden gaze.
But sohow, I managed to respond.
"It would be an honor."
"Excellent!"
He waved at with one hand.
"Then, I'll see you later~ my friend."
I nodded before walking away from him.
"Damn it…"
I cursed under my breath as I reflected on what had just transpired.
"I've just gained the most dangerous friend possible…"
From soone with no friends… to the friend of a mad prince who sees everything as re pieces on a board.
"What a developnt…"
I sighed.
I'd have to play along… at least for now.
I was still deep in thought when my entire body scread in warning.
Everything happened in an instant—an eerie chill ran down my spine as I realized what had just occurred.
Turning my head, I saw a pale-skinned boy with a slender fra and a gloomy deanor walking past . His jet-black hair contrasted starkly against his ghostly complexion.
As he passed by, he lifted his sharp eyes to glance at before continuing on his way.
I stood still, watching him disappear into the distance.
"I felt nothing…"
From the mont he approached to the second he was right next to …
I didn't feel a thing.
If he had wanted to kill just now, I would have struggled to even react.
I let out a quiet chuckle before resuming my path.
Naturally, I recognized him.
One of the main characters—Ghost Umbra.
The son of the most lethal assassin, Mist Umbra, the man with a thousand faces.
"This won't be easy…"
I'd be a fool to think that Snow, the story's protagonist, was the only obstacle standing between and victory in the Victoriad.
After all… this place was filled with monsters.
No matter. It doesn't matter who stands in my way.
A prince or a hero… an assassin or anyone else…
I will crush everything in my path.
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