"Mr. Akira, I've discovered a very interesting secret."
"A very interesting secret?"Kurose Akira's eyes glinted with curiosity. He had no idea what Ivsha had uncovered.
"Come with me, and you'll see~"
Ivsha took his hand and led him down the corridor, guiding him deeper into the castle toward an unknown destination.
When they finally arrived, Akira was taken aback to discover that Ivsha had brought him to a sealed-off room within the Yerman family castle.
And more importantly—
From behind the door seeped a familiar magical presence.
"Shall we go in and take a look?" Ivsha suggested with a smile.
"That might not be such a good—"
Before Akira could finish, Ivsha had already pushed the door open.
The instant it swung ajar, Akira's pupils trembled—then quickly steadied.
He had expected the room to be filled with forbidden artifacts or sinister objects. Judging by the ominous atmosphere outside, it should have been a place steeped in mystery.
What greeted him instead left him stunned.
The room was decorated primarily in white, accented with gold. Plush toys were scattered everywhere. Soft fabrics, gentle lighting, and warm colors made it feel less like a forbidden chamber and more like a cozy, intimate bedroom.
The overall aesthetic was unmistakably girlish.
Whose room was this?
"…Huh?"
But—
What truly shook Akira came after that.
On the bed, a faint, semi-transparent figure slowly emerged—a woman's silhouette, like a drifting soul.
And her appearance bore a striking resemblance to Roxia.
The only difference was that her figure was fuller, more mature—surpassing Roxia by far in certain aspects. That was likely because Roxia was still young, not yet eighteen, with plenty of room to grow.
Then…
Akira rubbed his chin, his thoughts racing.
This must be Loserine's soul… right?
As the idea formed, a notification popped into his field of vision.
[Loserine's Memory Fragment]
"So this is a memory fragment?" Akira murmured in surprise. He had imagined it as some kind of physical shard.
Instead, it manifested as a fragment of the soul itself.
"This room is lovely~ Such a soft bed~"
Ivsha walked to the bedside, lightly pressing the mattress with her fingertips. The sensation drew a sultry smile to her lips as she whispered softly,
"If one could perform a life-magic ritual on a bed this soft… wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"…?"
Her voice was faint, but Akira caught it.
Life-magic ritual, she said.
Ivsha cast him a meaningful glance. Clearly, her reason for coming here went far beyond simple curiosity.
Just then, a presence appeared soundlessly behind him.
"Mr. Akira… why have you come here?"
Akira stiffened.
He spun around to find Natasha standing behind him.
"I—"
He hesitated. He couldn't exactly tell her he was snooping around secrets.
After a moment's thought, he replied, "I felt something calling to me from here… and before I realized it, I'd followed it."
"Something… calling to you?"
Natasha's gaze drifted into the room, settling on the floating soul above the bed. Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes blinked as realization dawned.
"Is it because of Loserine? You knew her, didn't you?"
She looked at Akira with sudden excitement, still clinging to the hope that Loserine might yet be alive.
"..."
Akira was silent for a few seconds before answering calmly, "Perhaps. Is this Loserine's room?"
Though he already knew the answer, he asked anyway.
"Yes."
Natasha nodded, her eyes shimmering.
"After that incident, her room was left untouched. I've been the one cleaning it ever since."
"And that soul?" Akira asked, looking toward the bed.
He knew what it was—but Natasha didn't.
"That's a soul imprint left behind within the White Rose. After Loserine disappeared, we brought it back home," Natasha explained.
"I see."
Akira nodded slowly, thoughtful.
"Mr. Akira, this is a restricted area of the Yerman family. We really shouldn't linger here too long," Natasha said gently, smiling.
"Oh—right."
Akira stepped back a few paces. It was best not to linger in another family's forbidden grounds.
As for how to obtain that memory fragment…
He would need to think carefully.
Over the next hour, Akira learned about the tangled relationships among the knightly families from Natasha before returning to the guild.
After he left, Natasha returned once more to Loserine's room.
She stepped before the memory fragment and gently reached out with her slender fingers.
To her surprise, the soul—something that should have been untouchable and unresponsive—reacted.
"Loserine… is that you?" Natasha asked softly.
The soul did not speak, but slowly nodded.
"That's wonderful!"
A radiant smile bloomed across Natasha's beautiful face. A faint, pale-golden glow shimmered in her eyes.
Though she was already past thirty, the nourishment of magic preserved her skin with the smoothness and luster of an eighteen-year-old girl—yet with an added depth, a uniquely mature allure that youth could never possess.
At that moment, Loserine's soul emitted a faint sound.
"…Thank you."
"Loserine…"
Natasha's eyes glimmered.
Smiling, she said, "Don't worry. I will find a way to revive you. I swear it upon my soul."
As her words fell, her fingers twitched slightly. A thread of magic flowed out, slowly enveloping Loserine's soul.
In the blink of an eye, the soul dissolved into nothingness—transforming into a single rose petal that adhered to Natasha's collarbone.
Just then, the door was pushed open.
"Aunt Natasha?"
It was Roxia.
Seeing Natasha inside her aunt Loserine's room, she paused in surprise.
But she quickly understood—Natasha must have been reminiscing again.
"Sorry," Natasha said softly, lowering her head. "When I'm alone, I always end up thinking about them."
"Aunt Natasha—"
Roxia started to comfort her, but Natasha quickly smiled.
"I'm fine. Just the sentimentality of old age. Don't worry about it."
She wiped the corner of her eye and continued, "You came here for something important, didn't you?"
"Yes."
Roxia nodded. She had come to retrieve Loserine's sword—to prepare for tomorrow's selection.
"Then I'll be going. Take your time."
Natasha swayed gracefully as she left.
Roxia didn't think much of it. She took the sword from the wall and departed.
"See? I told you~ Mr. Akira~"
"What a very interesting secret indeed~"
Ivsha stared at the image on the screen, her expression brimming with excitement.
"Mm…"
Akira nodded, his face grim.
The image displayed was the scene inside Loserine's room. Ivsha had left behind a trace of her magic there, and combined with the player-exclusive god's-eye view, it allowed them to monitor what happened.
Though it only lasted around thirty minutes, it was enough.
Natasha had lied.
That memory fragment did not come from the White Rose.
Even Roxia was unaware of its existence.
And more troubling still—
Akira frowned deeply.
He had attempted to inspect Natasha's status panel earlier, only to find that he couldn't sense one at all.
At first, he'd assumed she was merely a story-driven NPC without stats.
Now, it was clear things weren't so simple.
"Mr. Akira~ doesn't this count as a great contribution?"
Ivsha suddenly wrapped herself tightly around his arm, her heart-shaped tail swaying lightly as she looked at him with eager, expectant eyes—clearly fishing for a reward.
"Wait, Ivsha—didn't we just do this before leaving for Sunset City—"
Akira's brow furrowed. He clearly remembered rewarding her right before their departure.
So why now—
"But~"
Ivsha lightly sucked on her fingertip, heart shapes shimmering in her pupils as she smiled seductively.
"That was far from enough~"
"My master~"