Chapter 4

I tilted my head back, still breathless from laughing, the cool grass tickling my palms. Honestly, pulling that off felt… incredible. I hadn’t felt that alive in a long time.

But then the air shifted—heavy and still, like the pause before a storm. My smile faltered. I slowly pushed myself upright and froze.

There he was.

The Crown Prince. His eyes were fixed on me, wide and unblinking, as if I’d just done something impossible.

My heart lurched painfully in my chest. Of all the people who could have walked in at this exact moment, it had to be him—the walking doom flag himself. The one who killed “Iris” in every single route. I swallowed hard, my palms going clammy.

Why… why did it have to be him?

“OH NO. WHY HIM?! WHY NOW?!” my mind screamed, but I bit down hard on my lip, forcing myself not to actually yell it out.

Still, my thoughts were spiraling. Calm down, Iris. Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Okay maybe PANIC A LITTLE—

This wasn’t good. This was really not good.

Like—WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?! Why… WHY…!

Oh wait.

My blood ran cold.

I… I forgot. He made a formal visit to Iris in the game before the Academy as a formality—a royal custom. It wasn’t even a major detail, just one of those tiny scripted scenes that barely mattered to the plot. So of course it completely slipped my mind.

BUT NOT NOW!! HOW COULD I FORGET THE FREAKING PRINCE WOULD COME!!!

I could almost hear my own brain screaming in betrayal. My heartbeat thudded in my ears as I stared at him, frozen like some sort of doomed extra in my own story.

The prince was still glaring at me like I’d just rewritten the entire royal magic handbook with my bare hands. Dionysis looked two seconds away from passing out. And me? My fight-or-flight instincts had officially chosen flight.

The Crown Prince didn’t even try to hide his shock. His jaw went slack before he snapped it shut again, golden eyes practically burning holes through me.

“WHAT—WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE GODS WAS THAT?!” he roared, pointing at the scorch mark on the ground like it had personally offended him. His voice echoed across the training ground, way too loud for my poor, panic-riddled brain.

I flinched. “UH—HI.”

He stomped toward me like a storm wrapped in royal fabric, his cloak swishing dramatically behind him. “SINCE WHEN CAN YOU DO THAT?!” he barked. “You couldn’t even light a candle without burning half the tablecloth last time I saw you!!"

“EHEHE… S–SURPRISE?” I squeaked, stumbling a step back.

My eyes darted to Dionysis, who was standing a little behind me, pale as a ghost, clearly calculating if faking his death would get him out of this situation. I gave him a desperate look—one that said BACK ME UP, PLEASE.

Dionysis just blinked at me, then at the prince, then back at me. His soul had clearly left the building.

“DIONYSIS!!” I hissed through my teeth. “SAY SOMETHING!”

He jumped, eyes wide. “I—UHM—SHE’S—VERY TALENTED?” he croaked, sounding like a man about to meet his maker.

The prince turned his blazing gaze to him. “YOU KNEW SHE COULD DO THIS?!”

“NO!! I MEAN—YES?? I MEAN—NO!!” Dionysis practically squealed.

I almost facepalmed. Wow. My hero.

The prince turned back to me, still fuming. I took another step back. NOPE. NO THANK YOU. NOT DEALING WITH THIS DOOM FLAG.

“WELL?!” the prince demanded again, stepping closer. “EXPLAIN YOURSELF, IRIS!”

“NOPE!!” I blurted out before my brain could catch up.

And then—I ran.

I bolted past Dionysis, skirts flying behind me, my boots pounding against the cobblestones. I didn’t even dare look back. I could practically feel the prince’s fury burning into my back.

“IRIS—WAIT!!” Dionysis yelped, but yeah no. Not happening, pal. If I was going down, I was going down in style.

I turned a sharp corner, nearly tripping on my own dress. WHERE WAS THE SAFEST PLACE IN THIS NIGHTMARE?

Parents. Obviously. Parents always fix things. They were the Duke and Duchess—surely they could handle one very loud, very angry prince.

“IF ANYONE CAN SAVE ME, IT’S THEM!!” I shouted in my head as I practically flew up the steps toward the main hall.

Little did I know… this wasn’t going to end the way I thought.

I practically kicked the doors to the main hall open and stumbled inside, panting like I’d just run a marathon. My parents, seated on the velvet couches, turned their perfectly composed noble heads toward me.

“FATHER! MOTHER!” I gasped, clutching my chest like a tragic heroine. “HE’S COMING. THE CROWN PRINCE. HE’S HERE. RIGHT NOW. I’M GOING TO DIE.”

For a heartbeat, I expected panic. Or at least concern. Maybe a comforting hug. But instead—

“Oh my,” my mother said, pressing her hands together, her eyes shining with delight. “The Crown Prince is here? How wonderful!”

“Yes,” my father added calmly, setting his teacup down with a little clink. “Go to him, dear.”

I blinked. Once. Twice. “...WHAT.”

“Go greet him properly, Iris,” my mother cooed, smiling like this was the most magical moment of my life. “It’s a royal visit, after all. Don’t keep him waiting, sweetheart.”

“WHA—NO—ARE YOU INSANE?!” I screeched, pointing back toward the door like a maniac. “THAT’S A WALKING DOOM FLAG OUT THERE!”

They just kept smiling. Smiling.

“Do behave,” my father added mildly. “You wouldn’t want to upset your fiancé.”

“MY WHAT—” I choked on air. Oh. Right. Engagement. IRIS WAS ENGAGED TO HIM.

I clutched my head in despair. “THIS IS A NIGHTMARE.”

The doors creaked open.

OH NO.

OH NO OH NO OH NO.

Standing there like a nightmare wearing a crown was him. The Crown Prince. My personal doom flag.

WHY IS HE HERE. WHY. WHY.

Mother practically sparkled. “Your Highness!” she gasped, like she’d just been handed a winning lottery ticket. Father wasn’t any better, already moving forward like this was some grand honor.

Meanwhile, I was two seconds away from jumping out the nearest window.

His gaze snapped to me. Sharp. Heavy. Murderously intense.

“Excuse me,” he said, voice like a blade. “But we need to have a TALK, Lady Iris.”

My stomach dropped straight through the floor. TALK? TALK ABOUT WHAT? ABOUT THE GIANT BALL OF FIRE I ALMOST BLEW UP THE FIELD WITH?!

Mother beamed. “Oh my, of course, Your Highness. Iris, dear, go on—”

“Wait—WHAT?!” I squeaked.

They were pushing me toward him. Toward the man who literally killed Iris in every. single. route.

Dionysis, bless his terrified soul, tried to shrink behind me. “D-Don’t drag me into this,” he hissed.

“TRAITOR!” I whispered back, clutching his sleeve anyway.

But it was too late. The prince was already striding toward me.

Before I could react, his hand clamped around my arm and he yanked me out. I glanced back at my parents, silently begging for help— and they just smiled. Encouragingly. With the sloppiest faces ever.

He stopped only when we were far enough from the house, spinning around to face me with that look—the classic “I’m about to cause you problems on purpose” royal glare.

“You expect me to believe you did that on your own?” he snapped. “No tricks? No hidden spell to make it grow?”

I blinked at him, stunned. Was this man for real?!

“ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!” I exploded. “Do I look like I have time to pull off shady tricks?! MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, YOU WALKING DOOM FLAG!”

His brows twitched. Oh great. I’d just yelled at the future emperor of the empire. 

Wonderful.

His brows furrowed. “...... What’s a doom flag?” he asked, dead serious.

I froze. Oh. Right. Normal people didn’t just casually throw around game terms like that.

“NOTHING!” I blurted, way too fast. “It’s just—uh—A THING. A VERY NORMAL THING. YOU WOULDN’T GET IT!”

He stared at me like I’d grown two heads. “You’re weird,” he muttered.

I crossed my arms and shot him a glare. “Yeah well, so are you,” I grumbled, heat still rushing to my face.

I huffed and straightened my back, trying to sound as dignified as possible. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do. I’m a very busy person, you know.”

The prince raised an unimpressed brow. “Like you do any actual work.”

I spun on my heel to glare at him. “WELL, I WAS DOING IT IN PEACE UNTIL YOU SHOWED UP!”

His lips twitched again, and then—before I could process it—a short laugh actually escaped him.

I froze. He… laughed? At me?

For a second, even he looked surprised, like he hadn’t meant to let that slip. It hung awkwardly in the air between us, unfamiliar and strange.

“...Did you just laugh?” I asked, squinting at him like he’d grown a second head.

He cleared his throat a little too fast. “No.”

“Yes, you did,” I accused, pointing a finger dramatically.

“Must’ve been the wind,” he muttered, looking away, ears turning slightly red.

Well, this was new. And kind of weird. And also… unsettling.