Volume 1.17 Grace Time (4)

"Who. Are. You?" Prince Ephraim pushed his sword even more.

"I am the second princess of Valtora Kingdom, Princess Yvette Celestine Ashtar."

The second prince squirmed his eyes. He was like an executioner interrogating the convict before he killed them. But he won't kill me right?

He won't do that.

Or he could?

Crap. I'm even doubting myself right now.

"How do you know about the Hearts?"

"It happened that I saw you collecting the card of hearts. I concluded that it is what you are after and run away."

[The Eye of Truth has been activated on you.]

[Mind Alteration has blocked the Eye of Truth.]

[Mind Alteration will alternate your real thoughts to the reason you are speaking right now.]

~She is not lying. Is it really just her own conclusion? And she said, she came from Valtora? This is the first time that the royalties of the Valtora survived. They all die on the first event in every timeline.

I was taken aback. His mouth was not moving. But I could hear him speaking. Am I hearing his thoughts right now?

{This is part of your skill as a reincarnator. You will be able to hear the thoughts of the characters of the game if you focus on them. You can turn it off by simply thinking to block any noise outside. And turn it on by simply thinking of opening the channel to their noise again. This will only activate if you are near the character within a radius of five meters. The only downside is you can't listen to more than two characters' thoughts at the same time and only if your attention is on them.}

Once again, the voice inside my head spoke. And this was the first time she said something long.

Just who are you.

But as expected every time I asked the voice's identity, she would remain quiet. Hah. This is unbelievable.

But to think I'll be able to hear the characters' thoughts, I didn't know whether this could be a curse or not.

"Why did you say that Estella is stabbed when she's not? You're too sure that I would go after her."

"That… I lied. So that you'll leave me alone. Since you're blood related I just thought that you will come to your sister's aid whether she's injured or not."

[The Eye of Truth has been activated on you.]

[Mind Alteration has blocked the Eye of Truth.]

[Mind Alteration will alternate your real thoughts to the reason you are speaking right now.]

~Once again, she is telling the truth.

Yes. That is right. I am such an honest person. So could you please move this sword out of my neck.

~But she is an unknown variable. It is better if she disappeared here together with the people around her.

This bastard!

"I said, we won't enter that cursed place!"

"You're highness. It seems Princess Estella is in trouble."

What perfect timing!

This time Ephraim's attention was also focused on the screams. Estella was there already. Trying to talk with the people to enter.

"Those trashes again." Ephraim glared at me one more time. "I'll be watching you from now on."

He then retracted his sword and walked away to the commotion. That was when I stepped back and caught my breath.

"Yvette. Are you alright?" Veronica eyed me with worry.

"Yeah."

"But your neck is bleeding."

"It's alright. The cut is not deep."

"That bastard just because he is an imperial prince, he can just do what he wants. If we return to the kingdom, I'll definitely demand all the troops to assassinate him."

I faintly smile at Veronica's words. "You know you can't do that."

"Hah. When are we getting out of this place?" Veronica massaged her head. Frustrated.

"We will be able to get out of the palace. But we will still be confined in the city."

"What do you mean by that?"

Before I could answer Veronica, a loud sound of something crushing caught our attention. It was in the entrance that we came in.

Prince Ephraim shoved the old man inside. While the rest of his family ran towards their patriarch.

"To think he will really throw him inside."

"Ephraim. That's too much." Estella reprimanded him.

"We don't have too much time." Then he suddenly turned towards me, glared and walked in the opposite direction.

He was really something. Hah.

"Princess, are you sure, you're alright?" That was when I turned towards Nicholas, whom I hadn't noticed that he was already standing beside me.

"I'm pretty much alive." I said as I touched my neck.

It seemed that he was going to say more; however, the sound of the system resounded through the hall.

Ding!

[Grace Time has ended.

Initiating the penalties now.]

"Let us in!"

All of our attention went to desperate people who were running towards the entrance. Some even trip on the way.

Harold was going to help them however he was stopped by Ephraim.

"It's too late for them."

"Veronica, close Melissa's eyes."

Veronica, without questioning me, held Melissa closer to her and covered her eyes with her hands.

[Penalty will now be initiated in 3, 2, 1!]

The whole ballroom was filled with screams and cries as everyone watched in horror, how the bodies of people who didn't make it inside the ballroom exploded.

I averted my gaze. Imagining that if we weren't aware that it would cause real death. Or if I got delayed in returning to the kitchen. The same fate would happen to us.

The whole penalty event took for many minutes until there was only a dead silence that remained. Only soft cries of the people inside could be heard.

I looked at the family that Estella and Ephraim forced inside the ballroom. Their faces were full of horror. If they were late, the same fate could happened to them. It was a relief that they were alive.

The game scenarios still remained on its script. If not, it would haunt me if the family died. Due to the fact that I did nothing despite knowing that each system's words were real. Especially those sibling's eyes that I met.

Sigh.

[Initiating Event's Failure Penalty.

Players who don't have cards will receive their penalty.]

The still room started to fill with screams again.

"Wait!"

"Help!"

"Someone help me!"

"I'm disappearing!"

One by one, the people who did not have cards disappeared until they turned into dust. I clutched on my card. Veronica and the others also did the same.

Some tried to take hold of the disappearing people. However, they only got deflected by a strange light. I steeled myself as I watched the chaos unfolding in front of me.

Hoping that all of these would soon be over.