The heavy oak doors of Winterhaven Castle groaned in protest as Stephanie pushed them open.
A cloud of dust and snow swirled into the grand hall. The interior was barely better than the outside. The grand chandelier lay shattered on the marble floor, and the tapestries were chewed to shreds by rats.
"M-My Lady, it's freezing in here," Vespera chattered, her teeth clicking together uncontrollably.
Stephanie didn't answer immediately. She was busy staring at the blue panel floating in her vision, exploring the System's interface.
With a thought, she navigated to the [Shop] tab. Rows of blueprints and items appeared, glowing with a tempting golden light.
[Basic Ondol Heating Blueprint: 100 WP]
[Magic Thermal Blanket: 50 WP]
[High-Calorie Bread: 5 WP]
Stephanie let out a bitter chuckle. Great products. Terrible liquidity. Her current balance was -500 Gold Coins, which translated to negative Wealth Points. Without capital, this miraculous System was just a useless digital catalog. If she couldn't generate heat in the next hour, both she and Vespera would become frozen statues by morning.
"Vespera, gather whatever dry wood you can find and pile it in the center of this hall," Stephanie ordered, her voice calm and authoritative.
"W-What about you, My Lady?"
"I'm going to find us a heater."
Without waiting for a response, Stephanie picked up a half-burnt torch from a fallen sconce. She struck a flint she found in the carriage, lighting the oil-soaked rag.
According to the System's radar, the 'SSS-Class Asset' was located directly beneath her feet.
Stephanie found a heavy iron door behind the grand staircase. It was covered in rust and strange, dark stains that looked suspiciously like dried blood. She pushed it open, revealing a spiraling stone staircase descending into pitch darkness.
A foul stench hit her nose instantly. It smelled of iron, rot, and wild beast.
Any normal noble lady would have fainted at the smell alone. But Stephanie just pinched her nose and began her descent.
High-risk investments usually yield the highest returns, she reminded herself. If this asset is truly SSS-Class, taking a little risk is necessary.
The deeper she went, the stranger the atmosphere became. The biting winter cold was slowly replaced by an unnatural, sweltering heat. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, Stephanie was actually sweating under her thick coat.
She stepped into a massive underground dungeon.
The torchlight flickered, illuminating the center of the room. Stephanie's breath hitched.
Chained to the far wall with massive, glowing iron shackles was a man.
His silver hair was matted with grime and dried blood, hanging wildly over his face. His clothes were reduced to mere rags, exposing a heavily scarred, muscular torso that rose and fell with ragged, heavy breaths.
The blistering heat in the room was radiating directly from his body.
[Target Acquired: Revista - The True Crown Prince.]
[Status: Afflicted by Abyssal Curse / Feral Mode.]
[Body Temperature: 45°C (Lethal to normal humans).]
[Warning: Asset is highly volatile. Proceed with extreme caution.]
Hearing her footsteps, the man's head snapped up.
Through the curtain of dirty silver hair, two glowing, blood-red eyes locked onto Stephanie. They weren't the eyes of a human. They were the eyes of a apex predator whose territory had just been breached.
A low, guttural growl vibrated from his chest, shaking the dust off the ceiling.
So this is the cursed prince, Stephanie thought, her heart pounding. The royal family didn't just exile him; they locked him away like an animal.
Stephanie took a cautious step forward. "Hey. Can you understand me?"
RRAAAARGH!
Revista let out a deafening roar. In a sudden burst of monstrous strength, he lunged at her.
CRACK! One of the massive iron anchors in the stone wall shattered under his sheer force. The heavy chain whipped through the air.
Stephanie froze. The beast-like man stopped right in front of her, the remaining chains pulled completely taut. His sharp, blackened nails hovered exactly one inch away from her throat.
The heat radiating from him was scorching, like standing in front of an open blast furnace. Yet, at this moment, that heat was the only thing keeping the deadly winter chill away.
Revista breathed heavily, his red eyes glaring down at her, waiting for her to scream and beg for mercy. That was what everyone did.
But Stephanie didn't scream.
Her CEO instincts evaluated the distance, the tension of the chain, and the feral hunger in his eyes. He couldn't reach her neck. And more importantly, he was starving.
Maintaining unblinking eye contact, Stephanie slowly reached into her coat pocket.
Revista bared his fangs, ready to snap her neck if she pulled out a weapon.
Instead, Stephanie pulled out a piece of rock-hard, stale bread she had saved from her carriage rations. Without an ounce of hesitation, she forcefully shoved the bread directly against his mouth.
Revista's eyes widened in absolute shock. The murderous aura around him faltered for a second.
"You're hungry, right?" Stephanie said, her voice steady, cold, yet carrying an undeniable weight of authority.
She took half a step closer, completely ignoring the claws near her throat.
"Eat. Work for me, and I promise you... you will never go hungry again."
[Nymphaearoot the Author]: Hope you enjoy reading! If you like it, please add it to your library and let me know your favorite moments in the comments