Ready, Princess?

"I expected nothing less from the future queen," Rafar said, smiling in my direction.

What did everyone mean by calling me a genius? Maybe this was happening because of the heroine's powers, but at the same time, it was hard to believe I had progressed so quickly.

"Can we defeat the king with a plan, Princess?" Cypher asked in his robotic voice. Alice grinned from ear to ear.

"Of course! And after defeating him, we’ll head to Lacorda to recover my body..."

"Hold on, hold on! First, we need a solid plan," Paty interjected, and silence fell over the group. The most important detail had been overlooked.

"Well... what if we use this secret entrance to our advantage?" I suggested after a pause, analyzing the surroundings. "It leads straight to the king's office, and I'm sure if we surround him with armies on all sides, he won't have much chance to escape."

Everyone in the room stared at me, mouths agape, and I didn't understand why.

"MAI! We're not trying to kill my father!" Rafar exclaimed, and my cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"We need a plan that will discredit him enough to force him off the throne—not... kill him," Carmen explained. If I could see affinity bars like in games, I was sure everyone’s would have dropped—except Alice's.

"But it’s not a bad backup plan... in case something goes wrong," Alice added with a mischievous grin.

"What we can do," Rafar said, "is find documents that incriminate him for the experiments done on Alice and me. But getting them will be hard. They’re kept in my father’s office."

I didn’t fully understand what he meant by experiments, but I assumed it had something to do with the robotic components in his body and Alice’s eyepatch. I clenched my fists, angered at the thought of the cruelty the two must have suffered at the hands of greedy parents. Taking a step forward, I made up my mind.

"I'll go! I'll infiltrate the king’s office and get those papers!"

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Rafar asked, raising an eyebrow. "On the way, you’ll encounter guards, and knocking them out would only make it clear we're behind it. Besides, I won’t let you face my father. He’s dangerous, Mai."

I could hear the concern in his voice, but I didn't back down. I needed to do this, or risk being caught off guard—just as I had been during my mother-in-law’s assassination attempt.

"I have to, and I can do this," I said, ideas forming in my mind. "I can crawl through the ducts. I’m sure one of them leads to the office."

"There is one," Cypher confirmed, "right next to you."

Only then did I notice the duct nearby.

I must admit, I dislike tight, dark spaces. But the idea of dying bothers me even more.

"Perfect. I just need your approval now, Rafar. Please, let me go," I pleaded, stepping closer to him.

His expression turned cold, as if memories from his childhood were rushing through his mind like a relentless river. He sighed, extending his leg in thought.

"Fine. I give my permission," he said. Before I could celebrate, he added, "But I have one condition."

"Name it," I replied, noticing how silent the room had become.

"I’m coming with you."

"That’s impossible! We’d make too much noise together," I argued, but his piercing gaze silenced me. "Fine... deal."

With a handshake, we sealed the agreement. The group dispersed to rest and prepare for the challenges ahead. Dinner was uneventful; Rafar insisted we avoid the main hall, so we ate in our room.

The plate of spaghetti brought a smile to my face, reminding me of a movie I’d seen as a child, where two puppies shared a strand of spaghetti, ending with a kiss.

"Something wrong?" Rafar asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"No, it's perfect," I said, studying him carefully. I loved the contrast in his expression—stern yet tender—the way his loose hair fell over his eyes, and how he noticed every move I made. I decided to share a piece of myself with him, not just the heroine’s persona. "You know… I was thinking… imagine two puppies sharing a plate of spaghetti. Wouldn’t that be adorable?"

He looked at me wide-eyed before bursting into laughter.

"You’re strange," he said. Then, with a smirk, added, "And what? They kiss at the end?"

Now it was my turn to gape at him.

"Yes… exactly," I admitted, still processing.

"Finish eating and get some rest. I have work to do and plans to finalize for tomorrow."

When I woke up, Rafar was already gone. I dressed in pants I found in the wardrobe, pairing them with a dress shirt under my gown for easier movement. By the time I reached the hideout, everyone was waiting. Rafar gave me an encouraging look.

"Ready, Princess?"