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The Crown Prince was in her bedroom.

Anna froze in the doorway, still dressed in her morning gown, and stared at the man sprawling across her reading chair as if he owned it. Prince Richard Rodriguez looked nothing like the charming route options from the game's promotional art. His dark hair was too long, falling across eyes that held the flat, predatory focus of something that had learned to hunt in shadows. The scar bisecting his left eyebrow should have ruined his face, but instead it made him look dangerous in a way that bypassed reason and went straight to instinct.

The system was already screaming warnings.

CROWN PRINCE RICHARD RODRIGUEZ Interest Level: 2% (Curious) Danger Rating: EXTREME Known Titles: The Mad Dog, The Blood Prince, His Imperial Highness

"You looked different yesterday," Richard said without preamble. His voice was dark velvet wrapped around a blade. "At the garden party. Less like a cornered animal. More like something that had learned to bite."

Anna's mind raced through the game routes. In the original storyline, Richard's first private visit happened much later, triggered by specific dialogue choices. This was wrong. The timeline had already shifted, and she had no script to follow.

She dropped into a curtsy, buying herself three seconds to think. "Your Imperial Highness honors me with his presence."

"Does he?" Richard tilted his head, and the movement was too sharp, too predatory. "I was told the Duke's adopted daughter spent her days weeping and throwing tantrums. Yet here you are, spine straight, voice steady. Tell me which version is the lie."

This was a test. Everything with Richard was a test.

Anna straightened and met his eyes directly. In the game, the Crown Prince respected strength and despised weakness. Cowering would mark her as prey. "Perhaps both versions were true, Your Highness. People contain multitudes. They change when circumstances demand it."

Something flickered in his expression. Not quite a smile, but close enough to make her pulse spike. "Interesting answer. Most nobles would have groveled or deflected. You chose philosophy." He stood with fluid grace, and suddenly the space between them felt much too small. "I will be watching you, Emily de Valois. I suspect you will be far more entertaining than your predecessor."

Then he was gone, leaving only the faint scent of expensive cologne and gunpowder.

Anna's hands were shaking again. The system chimed.

PRINCE RICHARD: Interest increased to 5% (Intrigued) Warning: High interest from dangerous targets increases survival difficulty.

She had no time to process this. A servant knocked precisely thirty seconds later, summoning her to breakfast with the family. The second trial of the day.

The dining room was a monument to wealth and cold formality. Crystal chandeliers. Imported porcelain. A table long enough to seat twenty, though only four chairs were occupied this morning. Duke Arden sat at the head, his expression carved from granite. To his right, Dorian de Valois studied a sheaf of documents with the single-minded focus of someone who viewed meals as inefficient. Across from him, Robert de Valois lounged with calculated casualness, all golden hair and practiced charm rotted through with casual cruelty.

Anna took her assigned seat at the far end, as distant from the Duke as the table allowed. A servant placed a modest breakfast before her: toast, soft-boiled eggs, weak tea. The brothers had full platters of sausage, pastries, and imported fruits.

The message was clear. She was tolerated, not treasured.

Robert waited exactly long enough for her to lift her teacup before striking. "I heard the most amusing rumor this morning. Apparently, our dear sister spoke to Prince Richard at the garden party. Tell me, Emily, did you bore him with your usual theatrics, or have you found new ways to embarrass the family name?"

In the game, this was Death Flag #2. Emily's scripted response was to throw her tea at Robert, earning immediate punishment from the Duke. The scenario was designed to establish her as impulsive and violent, justifying later cruelty.

Anna took a deliberate sip of tea instead. She set the cup down with careful precision, the porcelain meeting the saucer without a sound. Then she picked up her fork and began cutting her toast into neat squares.

The silence stretched. Robert's smile faltered at the edges.

"Nothing to say?" he pressed, leaning forward. "No tears? No protests about how Jennifer was always the favorite? Come now, where is the Emily we all know and despise?"

Anna looked up and met his gaze with perfect, empty courtesy. "I apologize if my presence disappoints you, brother. I will endeavor to be less noticeable in the future."

Then she returned to her breakfast, each movement precise and controlled.

Dorian's pen stopped moving. She could feel his attention shift, sharp as a scalpel, analyzing this deviation from established patterns. The Duke said nothing, but his fingers tightened fractionally on his fork.

The system chimed softly.

Death Flag #2: CLEARED Reward: +3 Wisdom, +2 Composure DORIAN DE VALOIS: Interest decreased to -8% (Suspicious) ROBERT DE VALOIS: Interest decreased to -12% (Confused)

Anna finished her toast mechanically, but inside, her thoughts were spinning. She had survived two death flags in twelve hours. Forty-five remained, and she had just made herself interesting to the Crown Prince and suspicious to her eldest brother.

In the game, suspicion always led to investigation. Investigation led to discovery. And discovery led to the Eastern Tower, just through a different route.

She needed leverage, and she needed it fast.