If vind connected master and servant together, pinold connected master and slave. It made the contracted at the mercy of their master, having to follow to their orders even if it meant forfeiting their lives.

  Ell had not expected Varoth to suggest such a ruthless method to be exercised on himself.

  Granted, Ell had been debating how to get rid of him, permanently or temporarily. She rolled the thin needle between her fingers. If Varoth was as loyal as he claimed, this would be a great sacrifice she would never forget. If he was playing her, he’d find a way—a loophole—to work around the blood oath of the artifact.

  There was only one way to find out his true intentions.

  “Selin,” Ell called. The guard leaning lazily against the sofa came over to her side. Ell handed her the pinold. “I don’t like bloody affairs.”

  Although Ell’s words could be understood a decline of Varoth’s offer, Selin was not confused. The Princess wanted the blood oath to be done, but she did not wish to do it herself.

  Turning her back to Ell, Selin took out a vial of blood—Ilai’s blood that she restocked for Selin whenever needed—and dipped the needle into it, dyeing the silver metal a crimson luster.

  Varoth extended his wrist towards Selin who, in turn, placed the sharp end of the needle at an angle to his skin. Before she pushed it in, Ell declared the binding condition, “Until loyalty has been proven.”

  Until the lock becomes a number, she thought silently as the pinold broke through the flesh and dissolved into Varoth’s blood.

  While the device itself was cruel, the method of application was almost painless save for an initial trick.

  Varoth’s smile was bitter. “I will earn back Your Highness’s trust.”

  Ell rose from her seat. “You can start with Klarn.” Selin glanced at her silently as she continued, “I need daily reports about her everyday movements. Look into her background as well.”

  Varoth frowned then gave a tired nod. “Yes, Your Highness.”

  Once the assistant retrieved his sound blocker and left to pursue Ell’s orders, Selin spoke, “Shall I order our men to stop tracking Klarn?”

  The guard, responsible for Ilai’s personal safety and commander of Ilai’s hidden guards, had made sure that all Klarn’s movements were tracked. Now that the task was delegated to Varoth, Selin thought her men redundant.

  Ell shook her head. “His reports alone can’t be trusted.”

  Seemingly understanding something, Selin’s brows drew to a harsh frown. “He betrayed you?”

  Ell was surprised at her visible anger but then thought it understandable given that she’d been close to Varoth over the years. “I don’t know,” Ell said frankly. “I’m trying to remember.”

  Selin fell silent, frown easing an insignificant margin. “I understand.”

  Klarn was not only important as a test for Varoth, but she was likely to lead them to an important trail. Ell had been concerned about keeping her alive given that she had used a puppeteering skill on her while the other was aware, but then she recalled that since Klarn was a close attendant, albeit a not very trusted one, Ilai bound her by a puppeteering artifact Ilai could use at will.

  Klarn had not noticed Ell’s ‘blessing’ at all.

  After instructing Selin to meet her in the morning, Ell retired to her rooms.

  When Ell woke up the next day after a proper rest, the nervousness of the past days faded into barely discernible excitement.

  Since they had to venture into the forest according to Ell’s plan, they used a carriage until they reached the capital’s gates before switching to the more protective enclosed vehicle.

  Ell and Selin each headed to Varoth’s residence in spherical bronze vehicles. Once they arrived, they left their transporters and walked towards the pit where Sonia and the children last stood.

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  As they stood next to the shallow hole, Ell glanced at Selin standing to her side. “I’m not sure what will happen,” she said as she prepared to use Reviewer.

  Selin unfolded her wings and took out the flexible metal coil functioning as a Blessing suppresser. She gave Ell a confident nod.

  The guard was too reliable, Ell couldn’t help smiling.

  Ell took out a small paper from the pocket of her robes. She glanced at the timing noted on it. Her deviation points were only enough to cover a little more than two minutes of review, so the time she chose had to be accurate to the second. Thankfully, clocks have been invented in this world, and astrology was developed.

  When Sonia and the children disappeared, it was a little before sunrise. Ell checked the time of sunrise and decided to go seven minutes earlier.

  [Reviewer Activated]

  It was like a blindfold had been snapped over her eyes. She heard the faint ticking of a clock, then she could see again. The bright daylight had turned into a dim night. Sonia and the two children huddle together in the protective shield while Selin fought against the feathered monsters.

  Slowly, Selin’s distressed appearance morphed into displeasure as each puppet was taken down. She glanced at Varoth with a frown, seemed hesitant, then took out a timecomp. She twisted the arrows to determine their destination, but before the final arrow had settled on a number, the review ended.

  [Reviewer Deactivated]

  [Deviation Points | 0001]

  [Stability | 97.85%]

  The world turned black then brightened again.

  Ell squinted at the sudden appearance of the sun, shielding her eyes with her hand.

  “You Highness?” Selin approached carefully.

  Ell waved her concern away. “I’m all right—”

  —Except for the fact that the skill left her on a cliffhanger. But she already had a plan to fix that.

  “Let’s head to the—”

  [Sharp decrease in Stability detected.]

  [Stability | 87%]

  ‘Stupid Dragon,’ Ell spat in her mind.

  She turned again to the waiting Selin. “Let’s head to the residence.”

  Quinn had been in his study when Ell unceremoniously barged in. Although they lived in separate quarters, Ilai could pester her husband whenever she pleased, and now Ell took full advantage of that.

  Having been used to his nominal wife’s antics for over a year, Quinn finished writing the document at hand before giving her his attention. He smiled gently. “Welcome back,” he greeted as he moved from behind the table piled with documents.

  “Versan said you’re staying out to play for a few days; bored already?” he asked as he gestured to Ell to sit on a more ornate maroon sofa while he prepared to settle into a plainer one opposite to it. Compared to Ilai’s rooms, his furnishings were modest.

  “Yes, so let’s play,” said Ell, ignoring his invitation.

  Quinn paused then smiled helplessly. “It’s my honor.”

  The husband and wife each used a different carriage to head to the Golden Tower. The tower was a cylindrical building made of twenty-five stacked gold ring structures and an empty middle. Once the couple arrived, they were treated familiarly by the attendants, guided through pulley-controlled elevators to the twenty-first floor.

  Moonlight shone through the open windows.

  A chess board lay in the middle of the room as Ilai had last left it. Everything, everywhere, was a reminder of the original host of the body. Ell could not understand how other transmigrators bore it. The unfamiliar surroundings were more tolerable, sometimes exciting even.

  “Your move,” Quinn reminded as the attendant withdrew.

  Ell sipped at the freshly brewed tea. She had played chess before, but she was far from an expert. Luckily, Ilai was not any better. If not for Quinn dragging their games to appease her, she’d lose before five moves.

  Anyway, the game Ell wanted to play was not this one. She picked a lone pawn and set it forward with disregard. Quinn pondered for a while before making a harmless move.

  When nine moves had been exchanged, Selin arrived. She greeted Quinn with a curt nod before standing behind Ell at ease.

  Ell barely suppressed the curl of her lips. She exchanged a few moves with Quinn before announcing her boredom and preparing to leave. As they stepped into the spacious elevator, she checked her DVPs.

  [Deviation Points | 0036]

  Ell rubbed her fingers together. The DVPs were more than enough.

  They descended slowly, having a clear view of every floor. She could see Ilai’s ‘friends’ enjoying wine and music on the sixteenth floor below, each with a single digit above her head.

  [Puppeteer Activated]

  A servant pouring wine stilled slightly. After filling the cup, she moved to the next. By mistake, her hand slipped and the wine jar shattered. She apologized profusely as she picked up the broken pieces and a blonde lady, having been splashed by wine, reprimanded her harshly.

  The servant bowed down, and just as she was about to leave Ell’s sight, slashed the woman’s neck, leaving a deep gash, blood quickly draining from the woman as the two other women screamed in horror.

  [Puppeteer Deactivated]

  [Deviation Points | 0567]

  [Plot Deviation | 17.4%]

  The System prompts rang out in succession.