Holy Night backed away until his shoulders slammed against the stone wall. The golden light of his sword flickered weakly, drowned out by the suffocating pressure of Chloe's dark wind magic and the icy coldness in my eyes.
"You... you can't touch me!" Holy Night stammered, his polished hero persona crumbling entirely. "I am an S-rank Hero! The royal court—"
"The royal court doesn't know you operate illegal black-market rings," I interrupted smoothly, taking a measured step forward. "They don't know you bribed your way to the top. Nor do they know about the thousands of gold coins you laundered through the Shadow Syndicate."
Holy Night's eyes bulged. "How... how do you know all of that?!"
"Because your story was written long before you met me," I replied coldly.
*Ping!*
[Reading Holy Night's Thoughts...]
*‘She knows everything! If she leaks those documents to the High Council, I'm ruined... I have to kill her! I have to kill both of them right now!’*
Before he could swing his sword, Chloe moved.
She didn't hesitate. A razor-sharp blade of compressed wind slashed through the air, cleanly severing Holy Night's right hand at the wrist. The golden sword clattered uselessly onto the stone floor along with a spray of blood.
"AHHHHHHH!" Holy Night shrieked, clutching his bleeding stump as he collapsed to his knees.
"Lady Rosel did not grant you permission to raise a weapon," Chloe said softly, stepping closer to him with a serene smile that sent chills down my spine. "Should I take his head next, Lady Rosel?"
"No," I said, holding up my hand. "Death is too merciful for him. We hand him over to the Royal Knights along with the syndicate documents. Let his heroic reputation rot in the imperial dungeon."
[User_YuriSimp]: "CHLOE'S SPEED IS INSANE! SHE DIDN'T EVEN BLINK!"
[User_OrangeCat]: "Bro got his hero career deleted in five minutes flat, LMAO!"
[User_LocalObserver]: "A fitting downfall for a corrupt fraud."
As the Shadow Syndicate guards were dragged away and Holy Night was bound in magic-suppressing chains, a sudden round of slow applause echoed from the dark entrance of the corridor.
"Bravo, Lady Rosel. I must admit, I never expected you to play detective in a place as filthy as this."
I stiffened, turning my head toward the sound.
Stepping out from the shadows was Prince Leo, dressed in his dark blue imperial uniform, his golden eyes glittering with a dangerous mixture of curiosity and fascination. Behind him stood Adrian, holding a glowing mana sphere that illuminated the entire underground room.
"Your Highness...?" I narrowed my eyes, immediately stepping in front of Chloe to shield her. "What are you doing here?"
Leo walked closer, stopping just a few feet away. He glanced at the unconscious S-rank Hero, then looked down at me with a smirk. "I followed you, of course. And it seems I arrived just in time to watch my fiancée dismantle an entire criminal network without asking for my help."
"I am not your fiancée yet, Prince Leo," I retorted coldly.
"Yet," Leo repeated, his smile widening as he leaned in slightly. "You continue to surprise me, Rosel von Arcadelt. Protecting a scholarship student, defeating an S-rank Hero, and uncovering high-level treason... Tell me, what else are you hiding beneath that icy face of yours?"
Chloe growled softly behind me, her hand creeping back toward her hidden dagger as she glared at the Prince.
*Ping!*
[Reading Chloe's Thoughts...]
*‘This arrogant prince is standing too close to Lady Rosel... Should I cut his throat right now? Yes, if I aim for his windpipe, he won't even have time to scream...’*
*CHLOE, NO! DO NOT ASSASSINATE THE CROWN PRINCE IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE ROYAL GUARD!*
"Your Highness, if you are finished enjoying the show, please have your knights secure the prisoner," I said, forcing a calm breath to prevent a bloody war from breaking out right here. "I have a family secret to investigate, and I have no time for small talk."
Leo chuckled, stepping back and gesturing for Adrian to secure Holy Night. "Very well. But this isn't over, Rosel. You've dragged yourself into something much bigger than the Shadow Syndicate—and whether you like it or not, I will be right beside you."
I squeezed my eyes shut, holding back a massive migraine.
My dream of a quiet life was completely dead, but as I looked at the dark envelope in my coat, I knew one thing for certain: the road to Chapter 100 had officially begun.