"Guys, we have arrived," Dean said from the front of the car, his voice clear and calm.
"That was faster than I thought," I muttered, glancing out the window as the vehicle rolled past the towering castle gates. The golden crest of the royal family gleamed proudly under the moonlight.
"The mansion is just around the corner, so it makes sense it was a short ride," Zagan added, looking over at me from his seat, his expression relaxed.
"Oh, right. Remind me again—why are you riding with us today?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him, genuinely puzzled.
"My parents are busy at the border for work, so I'm on my own tonight," Zagan explained, folding his arms casually.
"And your brother?" Mom asked, tilting her head with a slight frown.
"I have no idea where he is," Zagan said with a shrug that conveyed, "Not my problem."
"That brother of yours…" Mom sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Clearly, she had some stories about him she didn't feel like sharing right now.
Before I could prod more, the car gradually came to a stop. The soft purr of the engine died down.
"Welcome to the castle, Draig family," a royal knight greeted, opening the door beside Amari. His silver armor caught the light in a way that made him look more like a statue than a person. Gold shoulder guards marked his rank—definitely royal guard.
"Thank you," Amari said politely, climbing out with elegance. The rest followed, and I was last, as usual.
As I stepped out, I caught the knight giving me a look—curiosity mixed with surprise.
I stared at him and tilted my head. "Never seen a demon fox before?"
"Actually… no, Milady, you are the first one I've ever seen. Might I ask your name?" He asked respectfully, bowing slightly.
"Not Milady—Young Miss," I corrected with a sigh. "I'm only fourteen. Name's Kitsuna Draig."
His eyes widened slightly. "Ah! You're the adopted daughter. My apologies for the assumption."
"It's fine. This kind of treatment happens more often than you might expect," I said while waving my hand, as I was already accustomed to it.
"Kitsuna! You're dragging behind again," Kayda called out from near the entrance, her hands on her hips.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm on my way," I replied, striding past the knight, whose gaze lingered on me like I was a living myth.
Kayda raised an eyebrow as I joined her. "What took you so long?"
"Nothing. Don't worry about it," I replied coolly, though I could feel a dozen stares sticking to my back like burrs.
"If you say so…" Kayda said. Then she gave me a once-over. "Wait. Are you really going to wear that to the banquet?"
I looked down at myself—tight black jeans, a crisp button-up shirt, my signature boots, the hoodie I never parted with, and, of course, my trusty scarf wrapped loosely around my neck. Practical, flexible, and breathable.
"I told you—I don't do dresses. Or suits. They're suffocating," I said with all the seriousness of a doctor giving a terminal diagnosis. Then I smirked, glancing at her outfit. "But I can't believe you actually wore the dress I picked for you."
Kayda crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks slightly in protest. "So I'm not allowed to wear my dress now?"
"That's not what I meant," I said, chuckling and walking ahead, only for her to catch up immediately.
We headed together toward the banquet hall, where the rest of our squad—including Sirone—was already waiting.
"Okay, when we step inside, we greet the queen first, then the king," Kayda said as we stopped in front of the grand double doors. Her tone was all business.
I nodded. "Un."
With a resigned sigh, she pushed the doors open.
"Just follow me."
The ballroom was breathtaking. Polished marble floors gleamed under floating crystal chandeliers. Nobles filled the space in flowing dresses and regal suits, their laughter and idle chatter humming like bees around a royal hive.
My nose twitched at the overwhelming perfume cloud. Still, beneath the floral assault, I picked up the glorious scent of food—roasted meats, savory sauces, and freshly baked bread. I could practically taste it already.
The banquet table was located to the back right, and my mouth watered at the thought.
"Kitsuna," Kayda whispered, nudging me. "Try not to drool in front of the queen, okay?"
"I'll… try my best," I said, hastily wiping my mouth.
As we passed through the crowd, I caught snippets of conversations. A particularly sharp one caught my attention.
"What is a barbarian like that doing with Kayda the Sage?" A woman muttered to her equally snobbish friend.
"I know, right? She looks so unworthy," her companion agreed.
I didn't even flinch. "Don't get worked up about dumb gossip," Kayda said beside me.
"I'm not. They'll be pissing themselves by the end of the night anyway," I whispered with an evil grin.
Kayda chuckled. "You know… I almost feel bad for what you're going to do to him. Almost."
Finally, it was our turn to greet the queen. I composed myself and put on the mask of emotionless calm I'd perfected by now.
The queen appeared to be in her late forties, although this might have been enhanced by magic. Her hair was an elegant wave of raven black, and her eyes—clear blue like polished sapphire—gave away a keen mind. She wore a lavish golden-brown gown that practically shimmered with every movement.
"Aah, Kayda! You made it," the queen said warmly, drawing Kayda into an unexpected hug. "And you've grown wings—congratulations."
"Good evening, Your Majesty. It's been a while," Kayda replied with a polite smile, returning the hug.
Then the queen turned to me. Her eyes narrowed in recognition, and she smiled mischievously. "You must be the new troublemaker of the Draig family."
"New? Was there someone before me?" I asked with a playful tilt of my head.
"She doesn't even deny it," a voice said to my right.
Turning, I saw a tall Dragonoid man in a finely tailored black suit. His gold-and-brown scales shimmered faintly under the lights, and his raven-black hair matched the queen's. Must be the King.
"You must be the current king," I said, examining him.
"Indeed. I've been waiting to meet you for quite some time," he said with a worn smile.
"Eager to see your new 'weapon' in action?" I asked flatly.
"I wish it were that simple." He exhaled. "Sigh… how do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Create three whole stacks of complaints in a single city visit?" he groaned.
"How big are the stacks?" I asked, suppressing a smirk.
"Big. Like, three-day paperwork big."
"Hun, please. We're at a banquet," the queen interrupted gently. "If you want to yell at her, do it on the balcony like a civilized man."
"Yes, Mother," the King muttered, clearly defeated. He motioned for me to follow him.
"Nice meeting you, Your Majesty," I said before turning to trail after him, already bracing myself.
Kayda walked with me for a few steps, but I waved her off. "You sure?" she asked.
"Yeah. Besides, Mom's not here," I said simply.
As we stepped onto the balcony, the crisp night air wrapped around us, and the distant hum of music faded behind the glass doors.
"When I became king," he began, his tone shifting into something heavier, "I knew I was signing up for headaches. But you—dear little Draig—are a full-blown migraine."
"Don't call me little. I'm taller than you," I retorted, glancing sideways.
"But you're younger."
"My soul isn't," I countered smugly.
He chuckled. "True. Finding out you were a reincarnate really threw our plans off."
"Original plans? Like what?"
He didn't hesitate. "We were going to rehabilitate you, assign Dean as your personal trainer, and then send a marriage proposal to make you queen."
"…What?" I blinked. "Marriage? That's… drastic."
"You suffered because of decisions the royal family made. If you joined the family, you'd be in a position to change things."
I frowned. "I could've done that anyway—by force."
"Sure," he admitted. "But I trusted the Draigs would teach you not to be an aggressive little warhead."
"…Fair."
He looked at me again, his eyes softer. "As for the soul-link thing… yeah. We argued about it a lot. We knew it risked damaging your trust, but we couldn't let you remember dying. In the end, we compromised. We made it look like you were rescued instead."
"Huh." I leaned against the railing. "Not that it matters now. But if I hadn't remembered my past, I might've accepted your plan. Though I probably would've still gone off to save my people."
"That was the ideal outcome. But then we found out you were reincarnated. My siblings just said, "Let her be. Let her have her way."
"Then Mom adopted me and dragged me to the border."
He smiled. "Exactly. We couldn't keep tabs on you after that. But it worked out. You didn't run off to another kingdom."
I gave him a look. "Let's be clear. I'm not loyal to the kingdom. I just hate the other ones more."
He didn't flinch. "I know. I won't force you into anything. But we will need to strike a deal."
I raised an eyebrow. "A deal?"
The wind tugged lightly at my scarf as the tension between us grew just slightly heavier.
"Yeah," the King said, his tone growing more serious. "This agreement will protect both of our interests and provide you with the freedom you desire."