I was still processing the insanity of the day when the palace maids escorted me back to my chambers.
After an entire apocalyptic battle, one ruined courtyard, and an overprotective mother who had been impaled but somehow treated it like a romantic gesture, I was expecting my room to be completely obliterated.
So imagine my surprise when I stepped inside and everyrhing was perfectly intact.
Not a single crack in the walls.
Not a single piece of furniture overturned.
Not even a speck of dust out of place.
I stopped in the doorway, staring. "What."
One of the maids, Elira, shifted nervously. "Is… something wrong, Princess?"
I pointed at the room. "How is this possible?"
She blinked. "Your room, Your Highness?"
"Yes," I said, stepping further inside. "After everything that just happened, how is my room still standing?"
Elira coughed. "Ah. Well… the palace mages prioritized protecting your chambers during the battle."
I turned to look at her. "So the royal council chamber? Gone. The entire west courtyard? A crater. But my bedroom?" I gestured around. "Untouched?"
"Correct," she confirmed.
I stared at her.
She stared back.
"That is absolutely insane."
The other maids avoided eye contact, probably because they agreed but didn't want to say it out loud.
Still, what was I supposed to do now?
Sit in my suspiciously pristine room and stare at the walls?
Boring.
Elira must have sensed my mood because she hesitated before cautiously suggesting, "Would you… like to play a game, Princess?"
I narrowed my eyes. "What kind of game?"
The maids exchanged glances before one of them, a younger girl named Mara, grinned mischievously.
"How about The Emperor's Decree?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Explain."
Mara's grin widened. "One person is the 'Emperor' and can issue three ridiculous royal decrees that everyone else has to follow. The other players can either obey, attempt to weasel out of it, or counter with their own 'political maneuvers.' Whoever lasts the longest without breaking character wins."
I leaned back slightly, considering. "So it's a battle of manipulation?"
Elira sighed. "That is… one way to describe it."
I smirked. "I accept."
The maids immediately regretted their choices.
As expected, I was crowned Emperor first.
And as expected, my first decree was ridiculous.
"I declare," I said, sitting as regally as a four-year-old possibly could, "that no one may walk anywhere. You must now glide majestically as if floating across the palace like a ghost."
Elira, bless her, actually tried.
Mara, however, just dragged herself dramatically across the floor like a dying noble in an opera.
"I'm floatingggggg," she groaned, making several unnecessary dying noises.
Elira pinched the bridge of her nose. "That is not how gliding works."
"Art is subjective."
"That is not—"
Mara collapsed fully onto the carpet. "My empire has fallen, my people abandoned me, my treasury is empty—"
"Alright," I cut in, laughing. "Mara loses."
Mara immediately sat up. "Wait, no—"
"Too late. You're dethroned."
She pouted dramatically, but stepped aside.
Elira became the next "Emperor" and issued a truly cruel decree:
"No one is allowed to refer to themselves in the first person."
Mara and I stared in horror.
"…The Emperor is a tyrant," Mara muttered.
"The Emperor should prepare for a rebellion," I added.
Elira smirked. "Too bad. This is law now."
Mara tried. She really did.
"Does—does the esteemed royal official wish for this humble servant to bring snacks?" she stuttered painfully, trying to avoid saying "I" or "me."
Elira's smirk grew. "Say that again."
Mara cracked. "I HATE THIS."
Elira pointed immediately. "YOU LOSE."
Mara groaned and collapsed again.
I, however, held my ground.
For three more rounds, I danced circles around the ridiculous decrees.
Until Elira, in a moment of pure evil genius, issued the worst decree yet:
"You must refer to Verania and Sylvithra as 'The Cute and Fluffy Queens.'"
I choked violently.
Mara screamed.
Elira cackled like a villain.
I looked at her in betrayal. "You—you wouldn't."
She grinned. "Oh, but I did."
I weighed my options.
Winning the game… Or surviving my mothers' wrath.
I sighed, slumping back into my chair. "I fold."
Elira beamed. "I win."
Mara groaned. "That was the worst thing I've ever heard."
I nodded. "She is clearly a mastermind of deception."
Elira looked pleased.
But before we could start another round, one of the senior staff knocked on the door.
"Princess," she said, bowing slightly. "It is time for dinner."
I stretched, fully expecting to eat with my parents.
"The Empresses will not be dining with you this evening," the maid continued.
I blinked.
Paused.
Frowned.
"What."
"Her Majesties are handling important matters and will be unavailable," the maid said, clearly choosing her words carefully.
Important matters.
Right.
Which definitely meant interrogating potential traitors, starting a war, or burning someone's ancestral home to the ground.
I sighed and sat back down. "Fine. Bring the food here."
The meal arrived shortly after a lavish spread of perfectly prepared delicacies. I had barely taken two bites when the system chimed.
[ Mission Complete! ]
Objective: Stop Verania from killing any nobles.
Status: SUCCESS!
Rewards:
• +7 Intelligence
• Random Magic Ability Acquired!
I raised an eyebrow. "Huh."
A new ability.
Now that was interesting.
Before I could fully examine it, the system pinged again.
[ New Passive Ability Unlocked: Ethereal Dominion ]
Effect: Your presence naturally bends ambient magic to your will, subtly influencing the surrounding mana flow. Mastery unknown.
I paused mid-chew.
"…What."
Mara, who was currently stealing a piece of bread from my plate, glanced over. "Something wrong?"
I stared at the screen.
I had no idea what this new power actually did.
Or how dangerous it was.
And knowing my luck, I was about to find out very soon.