Max walked slowly across the courtyard, following the constant murmur of running water. Enor was sitting on the edge of the fountain, a cup of tea held between her hands. Alone.

  When she saw him, she looked up, her eyes lighting up. She smiled and raised a hand in greeting.

  Max returned the gesture and approached.

  "Good morning, E," he said. "I hope you don't mind me calling you E."

  Enor blinked for a second… then ughed.

  "No, not at all," she replied. "My mother used to call me that when I was little."

  The comment lingered in Max's mind.

  'Mom…'

  Instinctively, he thought about asking her about her. He hadn't seen her in the castle. Not at dinner, not at breakfast. Maybe that expined why Enor seemed sad.

  He opened his mouth.

  And closed it.

  'No. That would be… weird. Way too sudden.'

  Enor took a sip of her tea and looked at him curiously.

  "Did you sleep well?"

  "Yes," Max replied. "Very well, actually. I don't think beds like that even exist in my world."

  She let out a soft ugh.

  "Are they that different?"

  Enor tilted her head, interested.

  "What is your world like, Max?"

  He grew thoughtful.

  'Great question… for the wrong person.'

  "It's not as amazing as Eldoria," he said at st. "Honestly… I spent a lot of time shut in my room. Pying video games. With my computer and my phone."

  Enor frowned slightly.

  "Your computer and phone…?" she repeated. "Are they your friends?"

  Max blinked.

  "Uh…"

  He looked at her. Then at the fountain.

  "Let's say… yes. Pretty close ones."

  Enor ughed again.

  She held the cup with both hands and gnced at him from the corner of her eye.

  "Max…" she said suddenly. "What does it feel like to have friends?"

  The question caught him off guard. Max opened his mouth… and nothing came out.

  'Great. Didn't see that one coming.'

  "Uh…" he scratched the back of his neck. "Don't you have friends?"

  Enor blinked, surprised by the counterattack.

  "Of course I do," she replied. "There's Sophie. Abby. Don. And many others in the castle."

  Max raised an eyebrow.

  "Then you're not as alone as you look."

  She lowered her gaze to the tea. The steam fogged her face slightly.

  "That's what I try to tell myself," she murmured. "I get along with everyone. They take care of me. They listen to me."

  She paused.

  "But they also follow my orders."

  Max stayed silent.

  "They're here to serve me," Enor continued, without looking at him. "To fulfill their duty. I don't know if… that can really be called friendship."

  The fountain's water kept falling, steady, indifferent. Max pressed his lips together slightly.

  'Okay. System. I think I get where this is going.'

  He looked at Enor, who was still staring into her tea as if searching for something at the bottom of the cup.

  "I guess a friend…" he said carefully, "is someone who stays, even when they don't have to."

  Enor slowly raised her gaze. She didn't smile. But something in her expression changed. Just a little. Then she looked away again, toward the fountain.

  "Sometimes," she said softly, "I feel like I'm trapped inside the castle grounds. Like my world is very small."

  Max tilted his head.

  "Small?"

  "The same hallways. The same routines. The same faces," she listed, without bitterness, but without joy either. "Everything is… proper. Orderly."

  Max thought for a moment.

  "Then," he said suddenly, "why don't we go for a walk?"

  Enor looked at him, confused.

  "Leave… the castle?"

  "Yes. You wear something that isn't princess clothes and cover yourself a bit. Go to the city. Walk around. See merchants. See people who don't bow to you every five steps," he smiled. "Fresh air. Outside the castle."

  Enor let out a small ugh… that faded quickly.

  "I can't," she shook her head. "In a few hours, it's the suitors' presentation."

  Max blinked.

  "The what?"

  "The formal presentation," she expined. "Nobles from different kingdoms. Every year it's the same."

  Max's stomach flipped.

  'Wait… suitors? But…'

  His mind jumped straight to the game. To that route. To the hidden ending. To Thorkel.

  'Does he really exist? And his party? Am I going to meet them?'

  For a second, he got excited like a kid thinking he might meet his favorite character.

  Then he forced himself to breathe.

  'No. Focus, genius. This isn't about secret endings.'

  He looked at Enor. Lowered his gaze for a moment… and the window appeared.

  [ Main Quest: Discover what saddens the princess ] [ Progress: 60% ]

  Max pressed his lips together.

  "Tell me something, E," he asked casually. "Have you ever tried to… sneak out?"

  She looked at him, surprised.

  "Sneak out?"

  "To the Grand Main City. Even if just for a little while."

  Enor slowly shook her head.

  "It's not allowed. There are always guards with me."

  Max looked around the courtyard. Evaluated. Thought.

  "What if the guards… fell asleep for a while?"

  Enor's eyes widened.

  "What?"

  "Nothing dangerous," he hurried to say. "Just a few drops of sleep potion. Normally it would take time to work, but…" he touched his wrist, "my skill could speed that up."

  Enor hesitated. She looked at him. Studied him.

  Finally, she took a deep breath.

  "Don," she called softly.

  The faun butler appeared almost instantly.

  "Yes, miss?"

  "Bring me the dropper of the sleep potion," she said. "From my room. The one I use on long nights."

  Don bowed without asking questions and left.

  Enor looked back at Max.

  "I don't know why…" she murmured, "but I trust you."

  Max smiled, nervous.

  'Great,' he thought. 'Either this goes perfectly… or I get executed before lunch.'

  ***

  Max held the dropper between his fingers, watching the dark liquid sway inside.

  "Okay…" he murmured. "Someone has to distract the guards. Just for a moment. I'll take care of the water."

  Enor nodded without hesitation this time.

  She turned her head and raised her voice, soft but firm.

  "Sophie. Abby."

  The two maids appeared almost immediately.

  "Yes, princess?" they answered in unison.

  "I need you to go to the west wing," Enor said. "Tell the guards there's… an emergency. Something urgent."

  Abby smiled sideways.

  "What kind of emergency?"

  "The worst one you can think of," Enor replied seriously. "One that requires immediate attention."

  Sophie understood instantly. She grabbed Abby by the arm.

  "Let's go."

  The two hurried off. A few seconds ter, the guards' voices could be heard in the distance, moving away.

  "Now," Enor whispered.

  Max approached the fountain, nervous. He raised the dropper… and his hand trembled.

  "Uh."

  The cap came off wrong. The entire contents spilled into the water.

  '…That was the whole vial.'

  Just then, the window appeared.

  [ Skill activated ] [ Effect amplified ]

  Max swallowed hard.