The hall gradually fell silent.
One by one…
Conversations stopped.
Servants stepped aside.
Guests turned toward the front.
The charity event was about to begin.
Arianne stood near the edge of the hall.
Exactly where the original Arianne always stood.
Not hidden.
But never truly included.
She looked toward the front.
The Rowland Family had already gathered.
Her father stood confidently before the guests.
Elegant.
Calm.
Respectable.
Her mother stood beside him.
Perfectly composed.
And between them…
Fiona.
The family’s brightest star.
She smiled gracefully as nobles, business owners, guild representatives, and invited guests greeted her.
Everything about her was flawless.
The perfect daughter.
Arianne watched quietly.
The original novel had never lied.
Fiona truly looked like the heroine.
Beautiful.
Talented.
Confident.
Someone everyone naturally admired.
“…”
Arianne scratched her cheek.
She couldn’t even be jealous.
If anything…
She felt tired just imagining the amount of effort required to maintain that image every day.
The system quietly appeared.
[Hidden Scenario Active.]
[Current Objective: Observe.]
“…Observe?”
That was it?
No explanation.
No quest details.
No helpful hints.
Just…
Observe.
“The world’s laziest system.”
The screen disappeared.
Naturally.
Arianne sighed.
Fine.
She could observe.
She looked around the hall.
Children from Saint Aurora Orphanage stood together near one side of the room.
Some looked nervous.
Others couldn’t hide their excitement.
For many of them…
This was their first time entering a mansion like this.
Then she found Leon.
He stood near the back of the group.
Quiet.
Hands folded neatly in front of him.
Trying very hard not to draw attention.
“…”
Even here…
He looked alone.
Arianne frowned slightly.
Then her gaze shifted again.
Selene.
The silver-haired girl had somehow wandered toward the dessert table.
Already.
“…”
The event hadn’t even officially started.
Selene looked completely captivated by a chocolate cake.
Arianne couldn’t help smiling.
At least someone here had clear priorities.
A servant gently redirected Selene back toward the other children.
Selene followed without complaint.
Though she glanced back at the cake several times.
It honestly looked like she was saying goodbye to an old friend.
Arianne laughed under her breath.
Maybe being normal was impossible for Seeds.
The thought barely crossed her mind before another notification appeared.
[Observation Progress Updated.]
Leon — Stable
Selene — Stable
The screen lingered for a moment.
Then vanished again.
“…”
“You’re really making me do all the work.”
No answer.
Of course.
A gentle applause spread through the hall.
Mr.
Rowland stepped forward.
“Welcome, everyone.”
His voice carried effortlessly across the room.
“We are honored to have all of you join us once again.”
The guests responded with polite applause.
Arianne listened quietly.
The speech sounded sincere.
It spoke of supporting orphaned children.
Helping families affected by Gate disasters.
Creating opportunities for the next generation.
Good words.
Necessary words.
She just couldn’t help wondering…
How much of it was kindness.
And how much was reputation.
Perhaps…
It didn’t matter.
If children received help in the end…
Maybe the reason wasn’t the most important part.
The system appeared one last time.
[Observation Complete.]
Arianne blinked.
“…That’s fast.”
Another line slowly appeared beneath it.
[Scenario Beginning.]
Arianne’s smile disappeared.
For some reason…
She suddenly had a very bad feeling.
Arianne couldn’t explain it.
Nothing looked unusual.
The speeches continued.
Guests smiled.
Children listened politely.
Servants moved quietly through the hall.
Everything appeared perfectly normal.
Yet…
The system had never been wrong before.
A hidden scenario.
An original story deviation.
Something was going to happen.
She just didn’t know what.
“…”
“This is exactly how horror movies start.”
The system ignored her.
As expected.
Arianne slowly scanned the hall.
The decorations looked secure.
The servants appeared well-trained.
The guests chatted among themselves while waiting for the ceremony to continue.
Nothing stood out.
Which somehow made her even more uneasy.
Her gaze drifted toward Leon.
He remained with the other children.
Quiet.
Almost invisible.
Every time someone walked past…
He instinctively stepped aside.
As though making himself smaller.
Arianne frowned.
Nobody had told him to move.
He simply…
did.
Like someone who had spent years believing he was always in the way.
“…”
She didn’t like that.
Not one bit.
A burst of laughter pulled her attention elsewhere.
Selene.
The silver-haired girl had somehow found another dessert.
This time…
A slice of strawberry cake.
“…How?”
Arianne was genuinely impressed.
The event had barely started.
Yet Selene had already discovered the dessert table twice.
Maybe that was her real talent.
Finding cake.
The thought almost made Arianne laugh.
Almost.
Because the uneasy feeling refused to disappear.
The system flickered.
[Observation Updated.]
Environmental instability detected.
Arianne straightened.
“…Environmental?”
Her eyes immediately swept across the hall again.
The chandeliers.
The decorations.
The display tables.
Flower arrangements.
Nothing.
Everything looked fine.
A servant walked past one of the display stands.
No problem.
Another guest stopped to admire a decorative arrangement.
Still nothing.
Arianne narrowed her eyes.
“What exactly am I looking for?”
The system remained silent.
Helpful.
Very helpful.
Mr.
Rowland’s speech came to an end.
Polite applause filled the hall.
Servants immediately began guiding guests toward the exhibition displays prepared for the charity event.
Children from the orphanage followed in orderly lines.
Leon quietly joined the back of the group.
Selene…
Was somehow already walking toward another dessert table.
“…Priorities.”
Arianne sighed.
Then…
She heard it.
A faint sound.
Creaaak.
Her head snapped toward the nearest display.
“…”
Did that table just move?
It was subtle.
So subtle that nobody else seemed to notice.
Arianne stared.
For a second…
Nothing happened.
Then the system flashed one final message.
[Scenario Commencing.]
Arianne’s eyes widened.
“…Leon.”
Almost instinctively…
She started moving.