Fluffy hovered by her shoulder, its tiny ears twitching with curiosity. "What are you planning, Princess?"
Evelisse sat at her vanity, staring at her reflection. ’I need answers. Those prisoners are the key to understanding what really happened to the original Evelisse. If they’re the ones who kidnapped her, they might know who was behind it.’
Fluffy frowned. "But how will you get into the dungeon? The guards won’t just let you walk in."
Evelisse bit her lip. ’That’s the problem. I can’t exactly ask my brothers for help either. They’d never let me go near those criminals.’
She let out a slow, steady breath, her green eyes hardening with determination. ’I’ll be careful. But I need answers. I refuse to live in fear, surrounded by whispers and secrets.’
She pushed herself off the bed, her bare feet sinking into the plush, cream-colored carpet as she crossed the room. She paused by the window, her gaze drifting to the darkening garden below. The same garden where she had seen that ominous ribbon fluttering in the wind, its message still etched in her mind:
"Did you really think you escaped?"
Her stomach twisted, but she forced the fear down. ’I won’t be a helpless victim. Not in this life.’
She drummed her fingers against the vanity, deep in thought. ’Maybe... I could sneak out at night. But how do I get past the guards?’
Just as she was mulling over possibilities, a soft chime echoed in her mind, and a shimmering notification appeared before her.
[Unlocked Feature: Magical Items Shop!]
Evelisse blinked. "What’s this?"
Fluffy brightened, its fluffy tail swishing with excitement. "You completed your second weekly task, so you unlocked a new feature! You can now access magical items using your affection points!"
Her eyes widened. ’Magical items? That sounds... useful.’
Fluffy nodded. "You can request specific items, but personal requests cost 5 affection points. If you want to browse manually, it’s free, but there are over 1,000+ items to sort through, arranged alphabetically."
Evelisse raised a brow. "How do I know if I can afford something?"
"The starting point for any ability is 20 affection points," Fluffy explained. "And the duration of use depends on how many points you spend. Each point equals 30 minutes of usage. You can use it three times a day."
Evelisse hummed thoughtfully. ’So, if I spend 20 points, I get 10 hours of usage. That’s not bad. But I should choose wisely.’
She turned to Fluffy. "Can I request an item without scrolling through everything?"
"Yes! Just say what you need, and the system will check if it’s available and how much it costs." Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novel_fіre.net
Evelisse nodded, feeling a spark of hope. ’This might actually work. If I can find an item to sneak past the guards... or make myself invisible...’
Fluffy grinned. "Smart thinking, Princess! But be careful. Using too many points will leave you with nothing for emergencies."
Evelisse frowned, her mind swirling with ideas. ’I could ask for invisibility... or maybe something that lets me move silently... or even a disguise...’
But then she hesitated, glancing at the softly glowing screen. ’No... I should take my time. Rushing into this could get me caught. I’ll look through the options tomorrow. For now, I need to get some sleep.’
She let out a small, tired sigh, running a hand through her thick, red hair. ’This tiny body gets tired so easily... it’s frustrating.’
Fluffy giggled, its tiny, round body bobbing in midair. "That’s because you’re still recovering, Princess! You’ve been through a lot."
Evelisse rolled her eyes, moving to pull back the heavy, silk sheets on her bed. ’Yeah, yeah. I’m not some fragile, porcelain doll, you know.’
She climbed into bed, pulling the soft, lavender-scented sheets up to her chin. As she closed her eyes, she couldn’t help but whisper, "Thanks, Fluffy."
The little fox hovered by her pillow, its tiny paws brushing against her cheek. "Sweet dreams, Princess."
The next morning, Evelisse awoke to the gentle chirping of birds outside her window, the warm, golden light of dawn filtering through the sheer, lace curtains. She yawned, stretching her small arms above her head as Fluffy floated down from its perch on her pillow.
"Morning, Princess! Ready for another fluffy day?" Fluffy chirped, its voice bright and cheerful.
Evelisse groaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. ’Morning already? Ugh... I barely slept...’
She pushed the heavy blankets off her small frame, her bare feet touching the cool, polished marble floor as she stood. The previous day’s tension lingered in her mind, a constant, gnawing worry that refused to leave her alone.
Marta entered the room moments later, her gentle smile and warm, motherly presence instantly putting Evelisse at ease.
"Good morning, Your Highness," Marta said, dipping into a graceful curtsy. "Shall we begin your morning routine?"
Evelisse forced a small, polite smile. "Yes, please."
As Marta helped her into a fresh, lavender-scented bath, Evelisse’s mind raced with plans. She would need to find a way to sneak past the guards and into the dungeons without drawing suspicion. That meant she’d need more than just a simple disguise. She needed a plan.
After her bath, Marta helped Evelisse into a light, pastel blue dress with delicate, lace-trimmed sleeves and a matching ribbon for her hair. Evelisse glanced at herself in the ornate, gold-framed mirror, barely recognizing the small, delicate figure staring back at her.
’Who would suspect someone of sneaking into a dungeon?’ she thought, her lips quirking up in a small, ironic smile.
As she stepped out of her room, Fluffy floated beside her, whispering in her mind. "Ready for another day of princess duties?"
Evelisse sighed, rolling her shoulders as she made her way down the grand, marble staircase. ’I guess... but I need to figure out how to use this new shop feature to my advantage. I can’t waste any more time.’
Evelisse headed to her morning etiquette lessons with Madam Hildegarde. The woman was as stern as always, but Evelisse noticed that her praise came more easily now.
"You’ve improved remarkably, Your Highness. Keep up the effort," Madam Hildegarde said with a rare smile.
Evelisse beamed, secretly proud of herself. ’At least something’s going right.’
After the lesson, she made her way to the royal dining hall, where her brothers were already gathered. Lucien greeted her with a pat on the head. "You’re looking bright today."
Felix pulled her into a quick hug. "Morning, sunshine!"
Jared grinned from his seat. "Come join us, Eve. Breakfast is better with you here."
Evelisse couldn’t help but smile as she took her seat, grateful for the familial warmth. As the meal progressed, she noticed that Felix seemed more subdued than usual, his fork absentmindedly poking his eggs.
Evelisse leaned closer. "Are you okay?"
Felix gave her a small smile. "Just... thinking about yesterday. I’m really glad we had that tea party. You seemed so happy."
She squeezed his hand. "I was happy. Thank you for making it so special."
His face lit up. "Anything for you."
After breakfast, Lucien announced they would be giving Evelisse a small tour of the castle to help her feel more familiar with her surroundings. Evelisse tried to hide her excitement, realizing that this might help her plan her night excursion to the dungeons.
They showed her the grand ballroom, the library, the indoor garden, and finally, the training grounds where the knights practiced. The clashing of swords and the disciplined movements fascinated her.
Jared caught her staring and grinned. "You like watching sword fights, huh?"
Evelisse nodded. "It’s... impressive."
Lucien ruffled her hair. "Maybe one day, we’ll teach you some basics—just for fun."
She smiled at that, imagining herself wielding a sword half her size. ’It would be useful if I ever get into trouble...’
As she returned to her room, closing the heavy, carved wooden door behind her, she let out a slow, shaky breath. ’Alright... time to figure this out.’
She climbed onto her oversized, fluffy bed, crossing her small legs beneath her as she opened the Magical Items Shop for the first time.
The screen flickered to life, displaying a long, alphabetical list of items, each one with a small, animated icon beside it. Evelisse scrolled through the first few entries, her eyes widening at the sheer variety of options.
[Abyssal Cloak – 20 Affection Points: Grants the wearer complete invisibility for 30 minutes.]
[Echo Step – 20 Affection Points: Silences all footsteps and movements for 20 minutes.]
[Memory Dust – 20 Affection Points: Erases the last 10 minutes of a target’s memory.]
[Shadow Meld – 20 Affection Points: Allows the user to blend into shadows and move unseen for 45 minutes.]
Evelisse’s heart raced as she scrolled through the list, her mind racing with possibilities. ’I need something that will let me sneak past the guards... but I can’t use up all my points at once. I need to be smart about this.’
After a moment’s hesitation, she whispered to Fluffy, "I know what I want. I want to request..."
The screen flickered, the small, chibi-like icon of a tiny fox tilting its head as it awaited her command.
Evelisse took a deep breath, her green eyes narrowing with determination. "I want to request..."