Chapter 24: When the Palace Burns

Students at Edem Academy were divided into two groups: dormitory students, who lived on campus, and regular students, who commuted from home.

Lucy belonged to the latter group, though her home was far from ordinary—it was the royal palace. The reason for this arrangement was simple: safety. While Edem’s security system was formidable, it paled in comparison to the palace’s constant protective enchantments.

Lucy, of course, had no interest in such excessive protection. She had requested to stay in the dormitory to save time, but Arasia had flatly refused.

“As a princess, you never know when or where danger might lurk,” she had said.

And so, Lucy became a commuter student.

That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Lucy returned to the palace in the royal carriage, finally able to relax for the first time in a while. Since it was only orientation day, there was nothing to review, and she took the opportunity to unwind after the exhausting admission process.

Her first indulgence? A bath.

The royal bath in the western wing was nothing short of magnificent. Water cascaded from intricately carved demon statues, filling the vast marble tub. The air carried a floral fragrance, no doubt from the bath salts. The bath was so large that she could swim in it, but Lucy simply lay back, letting the warm water envelop her.

Soaking alone in such luxury—this was the very essence of aristocratic life.

Just as she was sinking deeper into relaxation, a piercing scream shattered the tranquility.

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Lucy opened her eyes to see a red-haired girl standing at the entrance, her face pale with shock. It was Perry.

The maid’s trembling gaze darted from Lucy to the bath, her lips quivering. Only when Lucy turned her bright eyes toward her did Perry finally exhale and clutch her chest in relief.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked, tilting her head. “Why are you so surprised?”

“I thought you collapsed from a fever and drowned in the bath!” Perry exclaimed.

Ah, that explained it. Lucy had been floating motionless for quite a while. It must have looked as if she had lost consciousness.

“As you can see, I’m fine. I’m not so weak that I’d drown in bathwater.”

“I guess so,” Perry said sheepishly, her lips curling into an embarrassed smile.

Though she had only been working in the palace for a few weeks, Perry had already adjusted well. Lucy, noticing the towel in Perry’s hands, stepped out of the bath and let the maid dry her off.

Later, in her bedroom, Lucy sat quietly on the bed while Perry carefully combed her long, silver-gray hair. Keeping it long was a hassle—washing, drying, and combing all took effort. If she didn’t have someone to help, she would have cut it to shoulder length ages ago.

Perry, however, seemed to enjoy the task, her eyes sparkling with an almost childlike delight.

‘What’s so fun about combing someone else’s hair?’ Lucy wondered, unable to understand the appeal.

Just as Perry was about to finish, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a maid’s voice.

“Lucy, would you like some dessert after dinner? I can prepare it now if you’d like.”

Lucy rubbed her stomach. She had just finished a plate of steak and wasn’t hungry in the slightest.

“No need—” she started to say, but then paused.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Perry, lips slightly parted, her gaze fixed on the doorway. She was clearly hoping for dessert but too hesitant to say so.

“…Prepare it,” Lucy said after a beat. “Plenty.”

A short while later, a trolley was wheeled in, laden with sweet treats—macarons, Mont Blanc, and a glass of warm milk. Perry’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the feast before her.

Lucy pushed away from the table, making no move to eat. “I don’t have an appetite. You can have it.”

“Huh? But—”

“If you don’t want it, just throw it away,” Lucy said flatly.

Perry’s hesitation disappeared instantly. “I-I can’t waste food! I’ll eat it!”

With that, she eagerly picked up a plate. This was Lucy’s way of rewarding Perry for her efforts. After all, if she was going to act as Lucy, the least Lucy could do was make sure she was well-fed.

Stretching, Lucy flopped onto her bed. “I’m taking a nap. Wake me before midnight.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Perry chirped.

Midnight came, and just as promised, Perry carefully shook Lucy awake.

“Lucy, it’s time.”

Lucy stretched, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Tonight, she planned to visit the Adventurer’s Guild for the first time in a while. Her entrance exams had kept her from gathering information, and she needed to catch up.

After dressing quickly, she turned to Perry, who had already transformed into Lucy’s appearance, preparing to cover for her.

“I’m heading out,” Lucy said.

“Okay! Can I really use your bed?”

“I said you could, didn’t I?”

“…Alright.”

Though Perry seemed unsure about taking the princess’s bed, she eventually crawled in, looking oddly pleased.

Before leaving, Lucy handed her a ring. A mutual ring—an enchanted item with a communication and tracking function. It was a failsafe in case of emergency.

“If anything happens, use this to contact me.”

After confirming Perry understood how to use it, Lucy slipped out of the palace.

At the Afron Guild Association, the night was just beginning. The building was alive with revelry, adventurers celebrating their latest conquests over drinks and sizzling platters of meat. Laughter and cheers rang through the air.

Lucy moved past the rowdy crowd, the smell of ale and grease heavy in the air, and approached the reception desk.

“Welcome, Ruby,” the guide greeted her.

“Here.” Lucy placed a leather pouch on the counter. Inside were two basilisk fangs, each the size of a forearm.

The guide’s eyes widened. Not only was the quest notoriously difficult, but Lucy had only accepted it an hour ago.

“I had already scouted the basilisk’s habitat,” Lucy said with a casual shrug. “And I happened to have the necessary tools to subdue it.”

In truth, she had simply searched for the creature using flight magic.

The guide said nothing, merely nodding as she processed the request and handed Lucy eight silver coins.

“Any updates on the ring request?” Lucy asked.

The guide checked the registry. No progress.

Despite the generous reward she had offered, none of the treasure hunters had found the ring.

“They’re searching pawnshops, but no luck yet,” the guide said.

Lucy smiled bitterly behind her mask. If the player’s ring had ended up in a pawnshop, she wouldn’t have needed to search for it herself.

She had finished gathering information for today, and she had to go to school tomorrow morning, so she was thinking of going home.

As she turned to leave, a dandy man sitting at the table put down his glass and spoke to her.

“Hey, Fox Mask! You’re Ruby, right?”

Lucy sighed. “What do you want?”

“”I heard about you. You solved that kidnapping case in Gray Town by yourself, right? and I heard you took down a whole group of necromancers by yourself! That’s insane!”

She stared at him blankly. “…And?”

“Come on, have a drink with us! Just one!” His face was pale, indicating that he was already drunk.

Lucy didn’t hesitate. “I’ll pass.”

Ignoring the man’s grumbling, she left the guild and flew back toward the palace.

As she approached, something felt off.

The streets below were unusually crowded for this hour. People were gathered, staring toward the palace.

Lucy’s stomach twisted with unease. Picking up speed, she pushed forward until a musty smell began to tickle her nose.

Soon afer, the palace came into view—

A column of smoke was rising into the night sky.

The scent of burning filled the air. The outer walls bore fresh scars of destruction.

An attack.

And at the center of the chaos—

Her room.