.•:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:•. Chapter 5 – Shadows Beneath the Music.•:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:•.

The echoes of the scandal still slithered along the hall’s walls. Although the guards had subdued the intruder, the nobles’ gazes were sharp knives: curiosity, fear, and an inevitable morbid fascination. The music tried to resume its rhythm, but the violins sounded tense, as if each note resisted flowing freely.

Marlene, caught between Dante and Max, knew the system would not allow her a single moment to breathe.

[Objective Status:

❤❤Dante Inovov: (2 of 5 hearts).

 ❤❤Max Smirnov: (2 of 5 hearts).]

[Kira: You’re advancing well, human. Both men are interested in you, but remember: danger still lurks. The intruder didn’t appear by chance.]

The guards led the stranger to the center of the hall. He was a middle-aged man, with clothes blackened by dust and an expression of mixed rage and despair. One of the soldiers pushed him to speak.

“Speak!” the captain of the guard ordered. “Who are you and why did you try to infiltrate this palace?”

The intruder spat on the floor, defying everyone.

“I am just a shadow among your lies. The royal family believes they are untouchable… but they will soon fall.”

A murmur ran through the hall. The nobles paled; some covered their mouths with their hands. The captain raised his hand to strike him, but Dante stepped forward.

“Enough,” he said firmly. “Violence will reveal nothing. This man holds a message, and we must decipher it before he causes more chaos.”

Max interjected with a sharp tone.

“With all due respect, Your Highness, this is not a time for diplomacy. If we let him breathe, there could be accomplices among us. I suggest we interrogate him immediately and harshly.”

They both looked at each other with intensity, each defending his own vision. And Marlene was caught between them, feeling that the system was about to unleash another one of its cruel choices.

The glow appeared before her eyes:

[Available Missions:

• Support Dante → Reward: +1 heart with Dante. (Diplomatic option).
• Support Max → Reward: +1 heart with Max. (Forceful option).
• Remain Silent → Reward: Unlocks hidden information, but risks losing affinity with both.]

[Kira: Think carefully, human. One word from you will sway the fate of this night. Do you want to be the mediator or the strategist hiding behind the curtain?]

Marlene took a deep breath. Her gloved hands trembled, although her face remained composed under the mask of the noble Volkov. She knew the eyes of the hall were on her, waiting to see which side she would lean toward.

She took one step closer, and in a clear voice, she addressed the two men.

“Your Highness, Sir Smirnov… if you’ll allow me… this matter is too delicate.” Her gaze swept over the intruder, then the guards, and finally the captain. “Punishing without understanding will only create more enemies. But we also cannot stand idly by.”

Dante cocked his head, intrigued by her firm tone.

“What do you propose then, Miss Volkov?”

Max frowned, waiting for a response that would confirm his vision.

Marlene held back a sigh. The system flashed again, reminding her that she had to decide immediately.

[Kira: Choose now! If you hesitate, the system will do it for you.]

With studied calm, she leaned slightly toward Dante.

“Your Highness… the truth is that violence will only create more suspicion. I… believe this man speaks on behalf of someone else. Let me intercede and listen to what he has to say. Perhaps a face less intimidating than the guard’s will make him talk.”

A murmur ran through the hall. The ladies whispered, the nobles watched her with more attention than she had ever desired.

Dante held her gaze for an instant that seemed eternal, and then he nodded.

“Very well. You have my authorization, Miss Volkov. Listen to what this man has to say… but do it carefully.”

[Kira: Excellent! Affinity with Dante +1. Status updated.]

[Objective Status:

❤❤❤ Dante Inovov: (3 of 5 hearts).

 ❤❤ Max Smirnov: (2 of 5 hearts).]

Max, however, did not hide his displeasure.

“This is an unnecessary risk.” He leaned toward Marlene, speaking in a whisper that only she could hear. “If this man tries to harm you, I won’t hesitate to run him through with my sword, even if His Highness forbids it.”

The intruder laughed bitterly.

“So the famous Volkov wants to hear me…” his voice trembled, but there was something in his eyes, a spark of fanaticism. “Then listen well: the royal family’s days are numbered. And when they fall… their allies will fall with them.”

A shiver ran through Marlene. It was not an empty threat: there was a plan behind those words. The system blinked again.

[Emergency Quest: Decipher the truth behind the intruder’s message. Hidden reward.]

The tension was unbearable. The violins had completely fallen silent. Every second felt like a knife’s edge dragging across the throat of everyone present.

Marlene knew that, from that moment on, her role as a villainess had ceased to be a simple disguise and had become a dangerous gamble between loyalties and secrets.

[Kira: Get ready, human. The board is moving… and now you are the most-watched piece.]

                                                                                                                      ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥to be continued˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥