Chapter 10 Rewriting the First Death

The pressure in the room grew heavier by the second. Rudy stood near the edge of the long table, his fingers twitching. A strange force was pulling at his arm, trying to make him reach for a large jug of dark wine sitting nearby.

Right in front of his eyes, the floating parchment began to shake. The black letters formed a new line:

Rudeus Vance lost his mind as the prince sat beside Bella. He grabbed his cup, drank deeply, and insulted the royal family.

I need to use the ink now, Rudy thought. He focused his mind entirely on the floating page. If I don't change the past few minutes, my death is fixed.

He looked at his available resource. He had exactly 5 Drops of Ink. He reached out with his mind, touching the sentence that described the prince's arrival. With a hard tug of his willpower, he crossed out the line describing Kaelen's grand entrance. In its place, he forced new words to appear:

Kaelen’s royal carriage broke down on the outer bridge, delaying his arrival by a full hour and forcing him to walk through the muddy road.

The moment the ink settled into the parchment, a bright flash blinded him for a split second.

Suddenly, the entire world seemed to snap backward. The heavy weight pulling at his arm vanished. Rudy blinked, looking around. The grand dining hall was still packed, and the candles were burning brightly, but something was completely different.

The doors at the end of the hall were wide open, but no herald was shouting. Instead, a guard covered in dirt ran into the room, gasping for breath. He rushed straight toward Lord Alistair.

"My Lord!" the guard panted, his voice shaking. "The Prince... His Imperial Highness has arrived on foot! The royal carriage broke down on the western bridge an hour ago!"

Alistair stood up so fast his chair scraped loudly against the floorboards. "What? Why wasn't I told sooner?"

Before the guard could answer, a figure walked through the entrance. It was Crown Prince Kaelen Xephyrus, but the grand, terrifying image from before was completely gone. His bright blond hair was messy, sticking to his forehead with sweat. His fine royal trousers were covered in dark, wet mud up to his knees, and his boots made a wet, squelching sound with every step. He looked exhausted, angry, and deeply embarrassed.

The low chatter in the hall turned into a wave of quiet, shocked whispers. The noble guests quickly covered their mouths to hide their reactions. The grand, perfect tyrant had just walked into the banquet looking like a common traveler.

Kaelen’s face was twisted in pure fury. He glared at the room, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "Who is in charge of maintaining that bridge? I want them executed by sunrise."

Alistair bowed so low his head almost touched the table. "Please forgive us, Your Highness! We checked the roads yesterday. This is a terrible accident. Please, come sit and rest."

Kaelen marched over to the main table, his muddy boots leaving dark tracks on the clean floorboards. He sat down heavily in the central chair, ignoring the food completely. He looked over at Bella, who was sitting a few feet away. Even though he was angry, his eyes still fixed on her with that same possessive look.

"You," Kaelen said, pointing a finger at Bella. "Stand up. The music is starting. You will dance with me."

The musicians at the back of the hall began to play a slow, nervous tune. Bella looked down at her hands, her face pale. She didn't want to get near his muddy clothes, and she definitely didn't want him touching her, but she couldn't refuse a royal command without risking her life.

She slowly began to slide her chair back.

Rudy didn't wait. He stepped forward, moving smoothly between Bella and the angry prince. He held a small plate of light fruits in his hand, keeping his expression perfectly polite and professional.

"Your Highness, please accept my apologies," Rudy said, his voice clear and calm. "My sister cannot dance at the moment."

Kaelen’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a low hiss. "And who are you to tell me what she can do? Move out of my way, fool, before I have your head."

Alistair looked like he was about to faint from terror. "Rudeus! Shut your mouth and step back!"

Rudy didn't move an inch. He kept his body positioned firmly in front of Bella, shielding her from Kaelen's sight.

"I am only looking out for your health, Your Highness," Rudy said, giving a small nod. "As the eldest son of House Vance, it is my duty to ensure our guests are treated properly. You have just walked a long distance through the cold night air, and your clothes are wet with mud. If you exert yourself on the dance floor right now, you might catch a severe chill."

Kaelen blinked, caught off guard by the business-like excuse.

"Furthermore," Rudy continued smoothly, "the nobility of the empire is watching. It would be bad for your royal reputation if the future emperor were seen dancing in ruined attire. Surely, it is better for Your Highness to retire to the guest chambers first, wash up, and return when you look like a proper king."

The entire hall went completely quiet. The nobles looked at Rudy in absolute shock. The "useless heir" had just publicly called the prince dirty and messy, but he had done it using such flawless, polite logic that Kaelen couldn't call it treason without looking petty.

Kaelen stared at Rudy, his jaw working silently. He wanted to scream, but he could feel the eyes of every high noble in the province on his back. If he pushed the issue, he would look like a child throwing a tantrum in muddy boots.

"You have a very loud mouth, Rudeus," Kaelen said, his voice trembling with hidden rage.

"I only care about your comfort, Your Highness," Rudy replied, offering a tiny, relaxed smile.

Kaelen stood up, slamming his hand on the table. "Show me to my quarters. Now."

Alistair quickly scrambled to his feet, calling for a dozen servants to guide the prince out of the hall. Kaelen marched away, his boots squelching loudly until the heavy doors closed behind him.

The tension in the room broke. Rudy let out a quiet breath and turned around. Bella was still sitting in her chair, staring up at him. Her dark eyes were wide, her lips parted slightly in pure astonishment.

"You really are insane," she whispered, her voice shaking just a bit. "You just humiliated the Crown Prince in front of everyone."

Rudy reached out, picking up a clean glass from the table and setting it down near her hand. "He wanted a show, Bella. I just changed the script."

Bella looked at the glass, then back up at his calm face. For the first time, the cold hatred in her eyes was completely gone, replaced by a strange, intense curiosity that made her cheeks feel slightly warm.