“Or what?” Ell said aloud.

  Frankly, she was fed up. It had not been twenty-four hours since she was reborn, yet random people—creatures—were hounding her to death. Trying to find a flaw.

  Suffocating her.

  It was no different from when she resided in houses never her home; always walking on eggshells. Pretending to be perfect.

  “Do it.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “Whatever it is, fucking do it.”

  [Sharp change in Deviation detected.

  Plot Deviation | 12.6%

  Deviation Points | 1249]

  Ell almost laughed. “I’m pretty sure you’re planning to screw me over, but thanks for the points anyway.”

  The Dragon did not reply, and Ell did not wait for an answer. She strode out of the Archives and headed to the pantry.

  The modestly sized room lay to the left of the Archives, door wide open. Selin stood at the kitchen island, empty glass in hand. The jar of water beside her was untouched.

  “What are you thinking?” Ell asked as she took the glass and filled it on her own.

  Selin glanced at her. “You tried to kill her,” she said, tone wavering between a statement and a question.

  Ell gulped down the water. “Klarn?” She put away the cup and headed towards the tunnel’s exit. “Yes.”

  Selin fell into stride next to her. “She’s a traitor?”

  “Probably.” They passed rows of silent cells. “It’s been a long time; I don’t remember things clearly. I just know she deserves to die.”

  Selin mulled over her words. A while passed before she asked, “Shall I get rid of her?”

  Ell paused as they reached the point where they had teleported into the dungeon. She laughed lightly. “I didn’t expect you to trust me so much.”

  The guard frowned. “You never lied to me. If you say Klarn is untrustworthy, she is.”

  Ell shook her head. “I’m talking about the rebirth.” She tilted her head, looking at Selin curiously. “I wouldn’t have believed me so easily if I were you.”

  Selin held her gaze for a long time. “You are Your Highness, and Your Highness would not lie to me.”

  Guilt pricked Ell in the eyes, and she looked away. She placed a hand on the tunnel wall, triggering the mechanism. “Just keep an eye on her. I want to remember why I want her dead,” she said before they disappeared into air.

  The Emerald Garden lived up to its name. The ornamental plants—stem, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit—were made of glinting emerald. It was easy to mistake them for sculptures, but a closer look would reveal the flow of life within as water circulated.

  Ell settled into an enclosed emerald pavilion, Selin guarding at the door. Although the Storyteller was used as a context to test her, Tyra did indeed want to meet.

  A thrilling current ran through Ell’s spine. She might have seen Tyra briefly at the banquet, but it was far from enough to satiate the desires of her fangirl heart. Seeing her favorite character in the flesh, and conversing with her closely, was a dream come true.

  It was a pity it came at the cost of Ilai’s life.

  Ell suppressed the discomfort lodged in her throat and focused on preserving the excitement.

  While waiting for the fan meeting, Ell pulled up the System Skills. Those thousand and some Deviation Points—the price of the Dragon’s ire—she was going to splurge before it was too late to use them.

  She pulled up the skills’ window while reclining against a floor seat made of intertwining emerald branches.

  Upon reviewing her options, she found she could either unlock a new class of skills, ‘REWIND’, or unlock one skill in the ‘POSSESS’ class.

  There was no need for contemplation. If all skillsets followed the same rhythm, the ultimate skill of the ‘REWIND’ class should be ‘Rewinder’.

  Never was there a skill superior to time manipulation.

  [Rewind | Unlocked]

  [Reviewer | Unlocked]

  [Level | 1

  Description | Replay any past event.

  Requirements | Specific Location and Timing

  Maximum Duration | 10 Minutes

  Deviation Points | 100 DVP per minute use]

  [Deviation Points | 0253]

  The skillset did not disappoint. As long as Ell had enough information, ‘Reviewer’ was a powerful skill. The other two skills within ‘REWIND’ promised great prospects.

  [Sharp decrease in Stability detected.]

  [Stability | 90%]

  A wave of dizziness swept through Ell. She leaned her arms on the low table at her waist. If she was not mistaken, Stability was an indication of her health.

  [Interference detected. Sharp decrease in Stability detected.]

  [Stability | 68%]

  Blood dripped from Ell’s nose to the translucent table. She smiled.

  ‘Let me guess—the Dragon?’

  ‘You should’ve been more respectful,’ the System chastised.

  Ell ignored the scolding and focused on the confirmation. ‘Screw you.’

  A white handkerchief embroidered with a crimson feather at one corner was brought to her face. Ell looked up as she pressed the cloth to her nose.

  [Impersonator Activated.]

  “You make for a lovely maid, Cousin,” Ell teased with a smirk.

  Tyra, dressed in a waitress’s yellow robes, and donning an unfamiliar face, sat across from her. Her lips ticked up imperceptibly. “You make for a great clown,” she countered.

  Ell laughed lightly and leaned back, face pale. Blood continued to flow. “Where’s my birthday gift? You promised something grand.”

  Pretending not to hear, Tyra sipped at the tea she brought along with her. “I can’t stay for long. Let’s cut to the chase.” She set down her cup and looked at Ell cautiously. “You husband has been working late the past week.”

  The relaxed curl of Ell’s lips flattened into a cold line. She quirked an eyebrow. “And?”

  Tyra frowned, staring at Ell sternly. “You should be guarding against him.”

  Ell snatched Tyra’s cup and emptied it into a flower vase. “I’m not stupid. I’m keeping an eye on him.” She massaged her pulsing temple while stuffing the blood-soaked handkerchief into the cup. “You brought me out just for this?”

  There was more to be said, but ‘Ilai’ did not wish to listen, and Tyra was too tired of ‘Ilai’s’ defensiveness to push on. Tyra stood up. “I heard your assistant is facing trouble; I will see what can be done.”

  [Impersonator Deactivated.]

  “Wait,” Ell said as she grabbed Tyra’s wrist and pulled her to her side. She smiled. “Tell me more about the husband. What’s he working on?”

  Tyra shook off Ell’s hand. She narrowed her eyes. “You want to know?”

  Ell pointed to her Mark. “My Blessing seems to be intelligence. Now, tell me, what’s wrong with my husband?”

  Back at the General’s Mansion, Ell studied the documents Tyra had handed to her back at the pavilion. The parchment contained entries detailing the distribution of prisoners of war over the past three years.

  Information Quinn had painstakingly gathered.

  She dwelled on the pages until night turned to dawn.

  Sunrise filtered through the branches of royal poincianas surrounding Ilai’s quarters and onto Ell’s grim face. She followed along a desolate yet well-maintained path until she reached a simple wooden door.

  She gave it three knocks.

  The General appeared before the third fell.

  “Ilai,” he called, the sound familiar yet not. It had been a long time since he had addressed his daughter by the name.

  Ell brushed past him into the private study and sat herself by his desk. Byrun remained by the door for a moment before closing it. “Beautiful weather,” he commented as he sat opposite to Ell.

  There were many ways to deal with the current situation, but Ell preferred the straightforward to mind games.

  “General,” Ell began, “why are you planning to rebel?”