Stepping out of the basement of the Roselin estate and seeing the surface sunlight for the first time in three months, Faust felt as if a lifetime had passed.
Though he didn't want to be impolite, he felt exactly like someone who had just been released from prison.
It was a first-time experience for him. Smacking his lips, Faust immediately set off from the estate to return to the palace.
With the Regent Prince gone for three months, the palace was likely in a state of absolute chaos.
While the King was still present, his failing health meant he could no longer manage administrative affairs effectively. Moreover, the King—a warrior by birth—possessed talents in statecraft that left much to be desired.
Faust couldn't even imagine what kind of mess he was about to inherit, nor how he was supposed to explain his three-month absence to everyone.
He couldn't exactly tell the truth, could he? Say that he was pinned down in a basement by Viviana and "loved" intensely for three months?
Alas, such matters are not to be spoken of to outsiders.
However, when the Prince stepped into the palace, he saw none of the expected chaos. There wasn't even anyone there to welcome him.
Even when attendants and bureaucrats spotted him, they only spared him a subtle, nuanced glance before hurrying off on their way.
This left Faust deeply perplexed. He walked toward the side hall used for government affairs, only to encounter someone he hadn't expected to see.
With a cascade of silver-gray hair, the elegant and noble Princess sat in Faust's seat. Her slender, jade-like hand swiped lightly through the air, and trails of glowing blue magic lifted various documents and letters to be filed. The Princess herself was quietly handling the paperwork.
"Heh. It seems our heir has finally deigned to emerge from his den of pleasure."
Yu Xuemu looked up slightly, her holy azure eyes meeting Faust's as she said indifferently:
"You spent three months at the Roselin house. Even for a vacation, that is far too long."
Faust furrowed his brow and asked:
"Royal Sister, you knew I was at the Roselin estate? You've been handling the government affairs during this time?"
The silver-haired princess lowered her gaze, a trace of resentment flickering in her already cold eyes:
"...You irresponsibly dumped your work on me and ran off to dally with Viviana. What, are you going to pretend you don't remember now?"
I really don't remember!
Faust immediately realized there was a discrepancy in their perceptions and promptly kept his mouth shut.
Seeing this, Yu Xuemu withdrew her anger and stood up:
"I've settled all the trifles that could be handled. As for the projects you care about, I've made annotations and left them on the desk."
With that, the silver-haired princess prepared to leave. Just as Faust was about to bow in farewell, Yu Xuemu stopped beside her brother.
"However... I am truly surprised."
Yu Xuemu's holy azure eyes shimmered with a meaningful gaze as she watched the Prince. Her voice even softened slightly:
"Faust, I thought you cared immensely for power. I didn't expect you would also be intoxicated by the joy of love..."
After Yu Xuemu left, Faust immediately summoned his subordinates to investigate what had happened over the past three months.
After a round of questioning, Faust fell silent.
In the eyes of the public, he hadn't been tricked and imprisoned by Viviana; he had gone to see her of his own volition and stayed at the estate to play for a full three months!
Even more bizarrely, in everyone's memory, there was no recollection of a mysterious golden-haired girl at the Prince's consort selection ball.
Therefore, there was no record of a shoe-fitting selection event either.
It was truly strange. Faust had personally seen hundreds of people self-mutilating, an event that had affected the entire kingdom. Had such a massive selection event simply been erased?
If not for Mephisto's records and the unforgettable experience of those three months, Faust would have doubted his own sanity.
"Hiss—so this is Destiny? It's truly quite extreme."
Faust's expression was grave. If even past reality could be erased and rewritten, what else was the Wheel of Destiny unable to twist?!
Over the next few days, Faust set about handling the backlog from the past three months while contemplating how to fulfill the promise he made to Viviana—transferring the status of heir to Yu Xuemu.
This was something he absolutely had to do, and without any delay.
As for the reason... Faust looked at the knight-maiden beside him.
Viviana still wore that same inorganic, calm expression, as if those three months had not affected her at all.
However, there were changes. For instance, the knight-maiden no longer used a hood to hide her face, and the sense of distance between her and the Prince of Qingxi had noticeably vanished.
The girl's arm pressed tightly against Faust's, almost deliberately pushing against him to the point where the Prince had to exert effort just to maintain his balance.
We are the world's best friends.jpg
Faust asked tentatively: "Um... Vivian, are you alright now? I mean, how is 'she' doing?"
Having been "loved" by "Cinderella" for three months, while Faust didn't feel fear or resentment, it was impossible to say he had no psychological scars.
When Viviana put on that mask, she dared to ignore and trample upon every law and taboo in the world. She held only the desire to profess her love and possess her lover. That kind of intense, uncommunicable purity gave Faust an immense headache.
At the thought that Cinderella might reappear and kidnap him again, Faust almost wanted to cry from fright.
Faust-Lovers, you win!
Hearing this, Viviana tilted her head, her hand resting lightly on her high, full chest:
"There is no longer a problem. As long as Your Highness does not act as you did in the past, and can achieve the changes you promised, she likely won't appear again."
The knight-maiden's violet eyes were magnificent and clear, carrying a faint, lingering smile.
But the meaning revealed between the lines was unmistakable.
Terrifying. What is this, a deterrence treaty?
Faust understood his childhood friend's hint, and his mouth twitched.
This wasn't right. When did the considerate and well-behaved childhood friend turn into this? Or had she been hiding her true nature all along?
[Witches are simply like this. Any Witch, regardless of origin, past, or the script they hold, possesses a nature of ego and obsession.]
[This is why they are called Witches. Although I do not know where your theories on Destiny come from, to the vast majority of Human child, a Witch is a disaster that acts willfully.]
[In ages past, Witches who behaved themselves were the minority. If a script cannot be completed smoothly, a Witch will stir up a storm. It's just that in the history of Human child, such truths cannot be recorded.]
Mephisto's words echoed in Faust's mind. Just as the Prince of Qingxi nodded thoughtfully, the Fairy added out of the blue:
[This 'Witches' Feast' you were involved in has probably come to an end.]
Hearing this, Faust's heart skipped a beat:
"What do you mean 'probably'? There isn't going to be some bonus content, is there?"