Aden blinked, his gaze slowly shifting between the six striking women standing before him. They were breathtaking, each in their own unique way, but the intensity of their collective stares made him want to shrink into the floor.
At the forefront stood a woman with long, fiery scarlet hair cascading in elegant curls. Her lips curled into a sharp smirk as she snapped her intricately designed fan closed with a sharp motion. Her crimson gown shimmered with golden accents, each fold of the fabric practically screaming wealth and power. She tilted her head slightly, looking at Aden as if he were something beneath her shoe.
"Well? Cat got your tongue, Prince Florian?" she said with a sneer, her voice dripping with disdain.
Aden felt his chest tighten. 'Yup. That's the tone. Definitely a bully. Great.'
Standing just a step behind her was another woman, her short, fiery orange hair styled to perfection. She wore a pristine white gown adorned with glittering diamonds that sparkled with every movement.
Her posture was regal yet aloof, and though her expression was neutral, Aden could feel her silent approval of whatever venomous thoughts the scarlet-haired one was spitting his way.
'They're definitely best friends,' he thought grimly, his eyes darting between them.
To the side stood a slender woman with soft, flowing brown hair, her frame almost diminutive compared to the others. She wore a modest yet elegant gown of muted tones, her hands clasped nervously in front of her. She avoided direct eye contact with everyone, her shoulders hunched ever so slightly.
Aden noted her shy demeanor but couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy when he caught the way the scarlet-haired woman occasionally glanced her way, a flicker of derision crossing her face.
'Quiet and unassuming. Bet she gets steamrolled by these two all the time,' he thought.
Beside her, a radiant blonde woman stood with an air of ethereal grace. Her golden hair framed a face so delicate and serene it seemed almost angelic. Her gown was pale and flowing, almost resembling a holy robe. She cast a worried glance at Aden, then back at Scarlet, her lips parting slightly as if to say something.
"Scarlett—"
"Alexandria, please," the fiery-haired bully cut her off with a roll of her eyes. "No one asked for your opinion."
The blonde woman flushed faintly but said nothing more, her hands folding together in front of her chest as though in prayer.
'So the blonde's name is Alexandria, and this one is Scarlett...'
Aden's gaze shifted toward the last two women, who stood slightly apart from the group. One had striking emerald green hair that tumbled over her shoulders in loose waves. Her piercing gaze scanned him from head to toe, her expression unreadable, though there was a faint curl to her lips that screamed judgment.
Her dark, scholarly gown contrasted sharply with the others, adorned with metallic embellishments that gave her an air of authority and intellect.
'She looks like she thinks she's smarter than everyone in this room,' Aden mused. 'Maybe because she's wearing glasses?'
Finally, his eyes landed on the last of the group, a dignified woman with short, sleek blue-black hair and a calm yet steely demeanor. She stood tall, her midnight-blue gown fitting her perfectly, its design reminiscent of the ocean waves. Though her expression remained composed, her cool gaze passed over Aden with thinly veiled disdain, as if dismissing him entirely.
'These two don't seem to like her either,' Aden noted, catching the way Scarlett and Camilla seemed to avoid looking in their direction.
Scarlett's sneer deepened, her fan snapping open again with a dramatic flourish. "Honestly, I don't know why we even bother with this farce. His Majesty should have higher standards for his harem, he doesn't even speak to him."
Aden stiffened. 'Yup, that confirms it. Harem. Of course, this couldn't get any worse.'
Aden stood there, blinking blankly as his mind reeled from the confirmation. A harem. He was part of a harem. His thoughts began to spiral as he tried to process the information.
'This can't be real… Kaz loved talking about novels like this, right? Maybe she told me about this one…' He scrunched his face, trying to remember something, anything, from the endless monologues his sister used to give about her favorite tropes and characters.
But his mind was a blank slate, the weight of his reality sinking deeper into his chest.
"You're actually ignoring me?" Scarlett's shrill voice cut through his thoughts like a dagger. Aden glanced up to see her face turning a dangerous shade of red. Whether it was from anger or embarrassment, he couldn't tell. "Ha! Did you hit your head too hard yesterday? I heard you were trying to get His Majesty's attention through his bedroom window. Pathetic, right, Camilla?"
The fiery-haired woman's words were met with a peal of laughter from her companion. Camilla elegantly placed her hand over her mouth, though her mirth was anything but subtle.
"Oh, absolutely pathetic," she said, her voice laced with mockery. "And look at him now, barely clothed! Give up, Florian. His Majesty Heinz will never go for another man. You were the only option from your kingdom—what with your kingdom's… unique matriarchal customs."
Aden froze.
'Heinz?'
The name sent a jolt through his entire body, his blood running cold. It echoed in his head like a haunting refrain, dredging up memories he'd buried deep. 'Florian… Heinz… Cashew…'
His heart began to race, pounding in his chest like a war drum. His breath hitched as the realization began to claw its way to the surface. 'The obsidian door...'
'No…' he whispered, his voice barely audible. His hands trembled as he gripped the hem of his loose shirt. 'How could I have missed it?'
It was all coming back to him now—flashes of dialogue, hastily written notes, even the arguments with Kaz as she insisted on certain plot points.
'This can't be happening,' he thought, his mind screaming in denial. 'This isn't just some random fantasy world. I know this story. I edited this story. I proofread it, argued about it, added my own ideas. And Florian…'
His stomach churned. Florian was the main character in Kaz's first BL novel.
And worse—he knew how it ended.
Florian seduced every male character in the story, from knights to royalty, his charm and beauty turning heads and breaking hearts. But in the end, Florian met a grisly demise, his head severed by the very man who now loomed at the center of Aden's panic: Heinz.
Aden's breathing quickened as his vision blurred. The princesses' mocking laughter faded into the background, replaced by the deafening drumbeat of his thoughts. 'This is bad. This is so, so bad. I can't be here. I can't be Florian. I need to—'
"Now, now, Princesses, please do not argue. His Majesty has arrived."
Lucius's smooth, composed voice cut through the tension like a blade. Aden barely registered it, but the change in the room was immediate. Scarlett and Camilla froze, their expressions shifting from smug amusement to wide-eyed panic.
Even Alexandria straightened, smoothing out her gown with trembling hands. The room was filled with the sound of hurried shuffling as the princesses scrambled to line up, fixing their posture and curtsying low.
Aden, however, was too busy panicking. His thoughts spun out of control, each revelation making his chest feel tighter. 'Why didn't I realize this sooner? Why did it have to be this story?' He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, the sting grounding him only slightly.
Then he felt it.
A rough, firm hand gripped his head, forcing him to look up. His thoughts screeched to a halt as he was abruptly pulled from his spiraling panic. The forceful movement made him stumble, and before he could react, he was pushed to his knees.
"Florian," a dark, chilling voice said, each syllable dripping with contempt.
Aden's breath caught in his throat as he shakily lifted his gaze. Scarlet eyes bore into his, radiating hatred so intense it felt as if the air around him had frozen. Those eyes, framed by dark, sharp features, belonged to no one else but him.
'Heinz,' Aden thought, his heart dropping into his stomach. 'Is this...really him?'