The hot water stung against my neck wound, but I gritted my teeth and endured it. A young woman named Martha had prepared the bath quickly and left without much conversation. She seemed to be one of the few servants still assigned to this forgotten corner of the mansion.
I studied my reflection in the bathroom mirror as steam filled the room. The wound was healing fast, too fast. What should have taken weeks was closing in hours. The system's doing, probably.
But it was still visible. Angry red lines traced across my throat. I'd need to cover it somehow.
After drying off, I dressed in one of Zane's better outfits, a simple black tunic with silver embroidery. I wrapped a dark silk cravat around my neck. It was thick enough to hide the wound.
I looked at myself in the mirror one final time. The white hair looked almost ethereal in the morning light. Combined with the silver eyes and pale skin, I looked strange.
"No wonder they called him cursed," I muttered. The white hair was a Morgenstern trait, but on Zane it had been seen as a bad omen, especially after his mother's death.
A soft chime interrupted my thoughts.
, , [QUEST UPDATE: SURVIVAL'S FIRST STEP],
, , TIME REMAINING: 22 hours, 14 minutes,
Twenty-two hours. I still had to survive the day. The assassin could be anyone.
I made my way down to the drawing room. My body was still weak from the blood loss, though the system seemed to be helping somehow. The mansion was quiet, with only the occasional sound of Martha moving about in the distant kitchen.
When I reached the drawing room, I found Seraphina sitting on a velvet sofa near the window. Her posture was perfect, hands folded neatly in her lap. Sunlight caught her auburn hair, making it shine.
She was beautiful. Delicate features, porcelain skin, and bright emerald eyes. Her elegant green dress probably cost more than this entire wing of the mansion.
When she saw me, her expression changed. The cold, formal look melted away into something warmer.
"Zane!" She stood up, moving toward me. "I was worried when you didn't come down for breakfast. Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm fine," I said, trying to match Zane's usual reserved tone. "Just overslept."
Her eyes studied my face. Then her gaze dropped to the cravat around my neck.
"That's new," she said. "I don't recall you wearing cravats before."
Damn. Of course, she'd notice.
"Thought I'd try something different," I replied casually. I gestured to the sofa. "Please, sit. What brings you here today?"
She sat back down, and I sat across from her. Her eyes stayed on me, watching my every movement. It was unsettling how focused she was.
"Do I need a reason to visit my fiancé?" she asked. "We haven't spoken in three days. I was concerned."
Three days. According to Zane's memories, Seraphina visited regularly, sometimes daily, despite her family's disapproval. The Ashcrofts wanted her to break the engagement, but she refused every time.
In the novel, this devotion had seemed romantic at first. But after Zane's death, it revealed its true nature. A possessive love that couldn't accept loss. A love that turned her into one of the story's most feared antagonists.
I was sitting across from a future murderer, and she was looking at me like I was the only thing that mattered.
"I appreciate your concern," I said carefully. "But you shouldn't trouble yourself. The journey here can't be pleasant."
"No trouble is too great for you." Her smile was soft and genuine. "Besides, I wanted to give you something."
She reached into a small bag and pulled out a carefully wrapped package. "I had the kitchen prepare your favorite pastries. You've been looking thinner lately."
I took the package. Zane's memories confirmed this was normal for her. She often brought him food and gifts.
"Thank you, Seraphina."
"Sera," she corrected gently but firmly. "How many times must I ask you to call me Sera?"
Right. She'd been trying to get him to use the nickname for months, but Zane had always kept his distance.
But I wasn't Zane. Not really. And maybe I could prevent her from becoming what the novel portrayed.
"Thank you, Sera," I said, and her face lit up.
She started talking about her family's recent business ventures. Her father had secured a contract with the royal merchant guild, expanding their influence in the eastern provinces. She seemed excited as she spoke, like she genuinely wanted to share everything with me.
"Father was pleased," she continued. "He said it's the largest contract the Ashcroft family has secured in a decade. Though of course, he still insists I should distance myself from..." She trailed off.
"From me," I finished.
She looked at me, her expression softening. "He doesn't understand. No one does. They think I'm foolish for maintaining our engagement."
The intensity in her voice made me uneasy.
"Your family has valid concerns," I said carefully. "The Morgenstern name isn't what it once was."
"I don't care about names or status." Her hands clenched in her lap. "I care about you, Zane. Only you."
The words should have been touching. Instead, they felt heavy.
I changed the subject, asking about the academy. Her expression relaxed as she talked about the new combat instructor joining the staff, a retired knight from the northern campaigns with a reputation for brutal training.
"Everyone's talking about it," she said. "Apparently he refused three other prestigious academies before accepting Argentum's offer."
I listened carefully. This information hadn't been in the novel, at least not in the early chapters. Every detail could be important.
She moved on to talking about a book she'd been reading, some romantic tragedy about lovers from rival kingdoms. As she described the plot, her voice became lighter, more animated.
"The heroine was foolish though," Sera said with frustration. "When her lover was in danger, she hesitated. She worried about what others would think. And because of that hesitation, she lost him."
There was an edge to those words.
"What would you have done differently?" I asked.
She met my eyes, and there was something fierce burning there. "I would have burned down the world to save him. Everything be damned except keeping him safe."
And there it was. The obsession the novel had only hinted at.
The silence stretched between us.
Finally, she smiled, and the intensity faded. "But that's just a book, of course."
Was it though?
The conversation continued for another half hour. She asked about my preparations for the academy, whether I needed anything, if she could help. Each question came with that same focused attention.
Eventually, she glanced at the clock and sighed. "I should go before I overstay my welcome. Father will be wondering where I've gone."
I stood as she did, walking her to the doorway. She paused and turned back.
"Zane," she said softly. "Promise me something."
"What is it?"
"Promise me you'll be careful at the academy." Her voice dropped lower. "Your siblings... I don't trust them. And there are others who might wish you harm."
Did she know about the assassination attempt?
"I'll be careful," I promised.
She reached up and adjusted my cravat slightly. For a moment, I tensed, worried she'd feel the wound beneath. But she just smiled and withdrew her hand.
"I'll visit again tomorrow," she said. "Rest well, Zane."
"You too, Sera."
I watched her leave with Martha. Only when I heard the carriage wheels on gravel did I exhale.
, , [SOCIAL LINK ESTABLISHED: SERAPHINA ASHCROFT], ,
, , CURRENT LEVEL: Devoted Fiancée, ,
, , AFFECTION: 87/100, ,
, , NOTE: High affection may lead to possessive behavior. Handle with care., ,
I stared at the notification. Eighty-seven out of one hundred? The original Zane had barely acknowledged her, and she was already that attached?
This was going to be complicated.
I went back to my room and unwrapped the pastries. They were still warm, filled with cream and berries. Exactly what Zane loved as a child. She'd remembered.
As I ate, I thought about my situation. I'd survived the first meeting without raising too much suspicion. She'd noticed I was different, but she seemed pleased rather than worried.
Twenty-one hours remained on my quest. The assassin hadn't appeared again, but that didn't mean they wouldn't.
But something Sera said kept bothering me. "There are others who might wish you harm."
Others. Plural. Not just his siblings then. But who else?
I pulled up my status window. Novice III in Aura, Novice II in Mana. Weak by this world's standards. Even with the system, I'd need to train hard to reach Apprentice level before the academy term.
Two weeks. I had two weeks to get stronger and figure out who wanted Zane dead.
The system chimed again.
, , [HIDDEN QUEST DISCOVERED: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE BLADE], ,
, , Find out who ordered your assassination, ,
, , REWARD: ???, ,
, , TIME LIMIT: None, ,
I smiled grimly. At least the system agreed that finding the assassin was important. The question was where to start. Zane's siblings were obvious suspects, Damian and Celeste both had reasons. But obvious didn't always mean correct.
I finished the last pastry and walked to the window. The mansion's grounds stretched out before me, overgrown and neglected. This corner of the Morgenstern property had been abandoned, just like Zane.
But I wasn't Zane. Not really. I had his memories and his body, but I also had knowledge he never possessed. I knew how this story was supposed to end. I knew the world was heading toward destruction, that even the hero would fail.
And I had a system that gave me a fighting chance to change it.
First though, I had to survive the next twenty-one hours.
And then? Then I'd start preparing for the real challenge.
I looked at the quest notification again.
, , [QUEST: SURVIVAL'S FIRST STEP], ,
, , TIME REMAINING: 20 hours, 47 minutes, ,
Twenty hours. I could do this. I had to.
Because if I failed here, everything was lost. The world would still end. And I'd have wasted this second chance.
No. I wasn't going to let that happen.
Whatever it took.