Chapter 2: Not Anymore
Chapter 2: Not Anymore
I sighed as I sat in the lavish bedchamber of the Crown Prince's Palace.
I had no idea how I'd even gotten back to the imperial palace. The only thing clear in my mind was the blue text that had floated in the air earlier.
[Main character 'Crown Prince Ludwig' has deviated from the original story.]
[Current World Destruction Rate: 91%]
Well. Good riddance.
The minute details of the forced novel reading had long since evaporated from my mind. If this was how I was going to get information, I'd take it.
The problem was the lack of follow-up.
I glared at the stuffed dog doll placed on the desk.
The worn-out doll, its ear half-torn off, just stared back at me with its black button eyes, dumb and unresponsive.
"Status window."
Nothing happened.
"System window. Stats. Inventory."
Silence.
Maybe another command would work. What else was there?
"Help. Tutorial. Log out."
Nope. Nothing.
Don't tell me it's just going to show me the World Destruction Rate and leave me to figure it out on my own.
I pressed my finger into the doll's head.
"Hey, Mung-i. Show me that message again."
The stuffing just gave way under my finger before springing back.
I grabbed the doll by its armpits and lifted it up.
"If you're going to drag me here, the least you could do is explain."
At that moment, the doll's button eyes blinked once.
Startled, I nearly dropped it.
Blue text floated in the air again.
[World Destruction Rate: 91%]
[Active Narrative: Men Who Abandoned Everything for Love]
Active Narrative.
Just the title alone told me who wrote it.
Men Who Abandoned Everything for Love. At a glance, it sounded romantic.
If only that everything didn't include the empire and the lives of its people.
"How do I lower the destruction rate?"
"......"
"How do I get back to my original world?"
"......"
Mung-i kept its mouth firmly shut.
Right. A system, my ass.
I must've lost my mind from the shock of transmigrating. What the hell am I doing, interrogating a stuffed doll?
"At least tell me how the original story ends. I didn't finish reading it."
Just as I muttered that and tossed Mung-i onto the bed—
Screeeech—
A familiar voice crackled from somewhere.
"Congratulations, Reader No. 1. This time, you have to read to the end."
"......"
This must be what it feels like to get robbed blind—coins, snacks, sanity and all—inside one of those amusement park hamster tubes.
That was my sister's voice.
"I'm going to lose my damn mind."
I snatched Mung-i back and pinched its cheek.
"Hey, Seo-yun. If you're listening, answer me."
"......"
Mung-i pretended to be an ordinary stuffed doll again.
I poked its belly, checked the seams on its back, even choked it a little—
Useless.
It'll probably say something when it feels like it.
I set Mung-i back down on the desk.
World Destruction Rate: 91%.
How much of a life did that remaining 9% guarantee?
Hopeless.
I didn't even know if my deviation from the original story today had lowered that number or raised it.
Men Who Abandoned Everything for Love.
Our family's orc—no, my sister—had even less sense of reality than I thought.
The faces I saw yesterday came to mind.
Grand Duke Dietrich of the North.
Tower Master Ulrich.
The Sword Saint.
Originally, I—no, the Crown Prince—would've been on that list too.
What exactly did you want to achieve by throwing away everything in the world and clinging only to love, sis?
The next morning, at the strategy meeting.
I silently stared at three empty chairs.
Was diligence a sin in this world?
The attendees who had actually shown up exchanged uneasy glances.
"His Grace, the Grand Duke of the North, is personally inspecting the security for Her Holiness's relief efforts today."
The same man who had his knights block off alleys yesterday, preventing even carriages from passing—now he was personally inspecting security?
I just hoped someone had the sense to clear the streets today.
"The Tower Master?"
"Due to Her Holiness's excessive use of holy power yesterday, he is currently examining her relics and physical condition."
"The Sword Saint."
"He has taken it upon himself to escort Her Holiness to the relief center."
I leaned back in my chair.
These lunatics.
They had reluctantly followed my orders yesterday, but that was it.
Not a single one of them had come to their senses. Less than a day later, they were all back where they started.
No—not where they started. Back at Ophélie's side.
The empire was in great hands.
Irritated, I flipped through the documents piled on the table.
Reinforcement plans for the Northern Third Defense Line.
Repair proposals for the capital's outer barrier.
The First Knight Order's deployment schedule.
All of them lacked the final approval of their respective leaders.
The absence of these three wasn't just a personal deviation—it had brought the Northern Army, the Magic Tower, and the Knight Order to a standstill.
If I swept these useless stacks of paper to the floor and screamed, I'd feel better immediately.
But the documents weren't at fault.
The only ones who'd suffer were the aides who'd have to rewrite everything, and that would just create another bureaucratic bottleneck.
So I had to endure.
Because right now, what I didn't know far outweighed what I did.
"Send word immediately—tell all three to attend."
"Yes, Your Highness."
A servant hurried out of the meeting room.
For now, I'd handle what I could in the meantime.
I had the advisors recalculate the exact numbers for Northern reinforcements. Ordered the barrier repairs to begin on sections that didn't require the Tower Master's approval. Delegated the knight order's preparations to the vice-captain.
Since I didn't know enough, all I could do was pick the least insane option from what the advisors presented. Without knowing the specifics, all I could do was identify the bottlenecks.
And so the meeting dragged on and on.
The only ones being put to work were those who'd actually shown up—thanks to the three who'd skipped out.
But in the end, the owners of those empty chairs never appeared.
Ha. The empire was in great hands.
The servant who'd gone to summon them returned with an awkward expression.
"Let me guess—more pathetic excuses about Ophélie's work not being finished?"
The servant bowed his head.
"You've got nothing to apologize for. Lift your head."
I was too exasperated to even laugh.
Even if I dragged them here by force today, they'd be right back at Ophélie's side tomorrow.
I had to admit—I'd been naive.
I thought that since I had broken free from Ophélie's harem, the others would return to their senses with a little push.
But as you can see.
It wasn't like the Crown Prince could chase after the leaders of every faction every day to keep them in line.
In that case.
I had to target the common cause that turned all three into this.
"Bring Ophélie to me."
Ophélie arrived faster than I expected.
Thankfully, her entourage didn't follow her all the way to the Crown Prince's Palace. At least they still had some sense left.
Her complexion looked better than yesterday, though she still seemed tired.
Ophélie entered the office and carefully curtsied.
"You called for me, Your Highness?"
Her gaze swept across the room before she broke into a soft smile.
Just the two of us.
Tea prepared on the table.
And me.
Was that a hopeful look in her eyes?
Or a relieved one?
Without a word, I gestured for her to take the seat across from me.
The corners of her lips remained perfectly curved. But for a split second, I saw them tremble.
What was she expecting?
Surely not for me to stand up and escort her in this tiny room.
That better not be it.
If it was, I'd be very disappointed.
Ophélie took her seat.
See? You can sit just fine on your own.
"How are you feeling?"
Her expression softened slightly at the question.
"I'm well, thanks to your concer—"
"Good. That's all I needed."
Her face stiffened again.
This was kind of fun.
I placed three documents from the meeting in front of her.
"Let's be clear, Ophélie."
"Huh?"
"Dietrich. Ulrich. The Sword Saint."
I listed the three names one by one.
"Which one are you planning to choose?"
Ophélie's eyes widened.
"I've never thought of any of them in that way."
"Really?"
"They're all dear to me, but I can't possibly presume to dictate their feelings."
A familiar answer.
It had probably appeared multiple times in the original story.
They're all precious to me.
I don't want to hurt anyone.
So I won't make a choice.
"Then let me help. Reject all of them."
Ophélie's face froze.
"Your Highness."
"It's your choice—pick one, reject all three, whatever. If you don't want to be with anyone, that's fine too."
"......"
Ophélie bit her lip before speaking firmly.
"Acting like this won't make me choose you."
Her cheeks flushed bright red.
Of course.
She thought I was doing this out of jealousy.
"I know. Given how I've been until now, I can see why you'd misunderstand."
I nodded and added,
"But here's the thing. I'm not interested in you anymore."
I paused, meeting her eyes. A gaze as blue as the sky locked onto mine.
"Not anymore."
Her steady gaze wavered.
Whatever.
I turned the documents I'd placed earlier toward her and pushed them forward.
"This is what I'm interested in. Not your love life."
I tapped the first document with my finger.
"Northern reinforcements."
The second.
"Capital barrier repairs."
The last.
"Knight Order deployment."
Her expression visibly crumbled.
Now it was my turn.
I smiled as brightly as I could.
Who knew you could stab someone while smiling like this?
"These are the things that came to a halt today because your three men skipped the strategy meeting."
Tears welled up in her pale blue eyes.
The fake saintess launches a tear attack.
But no dice.
"I never asked them to skip the meeting for me."
"I know. That's why I understand this must feel unfair to you."
"It's not my fault if they choose to help me of their own free will."
"Right. That's their mistake."
I looked straight at Ophélie.
"But what I'm saying is—you have a responsibility here too."
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Is that your answer?
Then I'll push harder.
"Maybe no one's told you until now, so you didn't know."
I tapped the documents in front of her with my fingertip.
"But not anymore."