Chapter 9: Chapter 9: A plan
Chapter 9: A plan
Selene's Office –
Selene sat in her office chair, her expression solemn yet filled with irritation.
Her fingers, resting lightly on the desk, twitched as if restraining an impulse.
Across from her stood a black-haired, red-eyed woman.
Her resemblance to Ester was striking.
She was Sari—Ester's mother. Selene's shadow.
Sari's voice was calm and cold as she delivered the message.
"The royal family has sent a letter. The Empress and Princess Sophie will arrive soon to speak with you."
Selene frowned.
She wasn't a fool. If Emily and Sophie were coming together at this time, the reason was clear as day.
"So... it's like this, huh?"
A crack echoed through the room.
The air thickened, pressure surging outward in a chilling wave.
The entire Weaverheart estate trembled—as if the world itself responded to Selene's rising fury.
Walls groaned. Ice crept across the floor. The mansion's structure shuddered.
It was as if an earthquake had struck.
Sari remained standing, expression calm but with a slight furrow of her brow.
"...My lady," she said evenly, bearing the full weight of Selene's presence, "if this continues, the entire estate will panic."
Selene didn't respond.
Sari sighed. "Young Master Noah might get hurt at this rate."
Silence.
The tremors ceased instantly.
Selene leaned back, her nails tapping rhythmically against the frozen wood.
"They dare...?" Her voice was soft, but the malice beneath it was unmistakable.
"All because of that bastard Oliver's son?"
She scoffed.
"Just because he's the Chosen One, they think they can throw away the engagement so easily?"
Her violet eyes glowed with dangerous intent.
"Tell me, Sari—does that brat even compare to my son?"
Sari's expression didn't change.
Internally, though?
She was thinking.
'Well... objectively, yes. Maybe even more.'
But would she dare to say that?
Not even if death itself loomed over her.
So, she spoke the safest answer possible.
"No one compares to Young Master Noah, my lady."
Selene smiled.
Satisfied.
"...No matter."
Her fingers stilled, tracing over the frost-covered surface of her desk.
"They can do whatever they want."
"But if I see even an ounce of sadness on my baby's face..."
Her voice was light, almost casual.
But the promise within it was absolute.
"...The capital will be frozen in eternal ice."
Sari closed her eyes briefly before exhaling.
'Of course. That's what I expected.'
She turned, already sinking into the shadows. "I will inform him, my lady."
And with that, she vanished.
Selene leaned back, exhaling deeply.
Inside her mind, a familiar voice chuckled.
'Are you really going to freeze the capital if Noah is sad?'
Luminara.
Selene smirked. 'You know me, don't you?'
'I do.'
'Then, do you think I would?'
'...Yes.'
'Then you have your answer.'
Crazy bitch.
...
Noah felt it.
The ground beneath him shook, an unbearable weight pressing against his body.
"...The hell?"
His knees buckled, a suffocating pressure threatening to bring him down.
And just as quickly as it arrived—
It vanished.
Noah sat down, breathing heavily.
"That was..." He frowned, rubbing his temples.
[Someone unleashed the full weight of their existence and aura.]
A familiar voice echoed in his mind.
[Your mother, most likely.]
Noah clicked his tongue. "Tsk. What is she doing this time?"
Then, he shook his head.
There were more important things to focus on.
His eyes sharpened.
"I need a plan. A way to make Princess Sophie fall for me."
He tapped his fingers against the floor.
In the original novel, after his past self awakened his pathetic D-rank talent, she never even spared him a glance.
Princess Sophie was prideful, ruthless, and ambitious.
She only cared about one thing.
Power.
That's why she so eagerly proposed an engagement to Elijah, The Chosen One.
With him by her side, her path to the throne was all but guaranteed.
In fact, that the way she saw him at first. A tool to be used to be the first Ruling Empress of Castria.
But—Noah knew.
By Chapter 50, she had already begun to fall for him.
"Fucking cliché."
Noah scoffed, running a hand through his hair.
But cliché or not, she was too valuable to let go.
Her talent, Arcane Synthesis, was far too useful to pass up.
She could fuse different objects, materials, and even potions together to create new, stronger versions.
Weapons. Artifacts. Spells. Endless potential.
How could he let that go?
No way.
So, the real question was—how does he make her fall?
Because right now, Elijah had every advantage.
Background? He had the Church's full support and his family who is ready to do all things to make amend with him.
Talent? He was ahead—for now.
Reputation? He is the so called chosen one.
But Noah smirked.
"That's just for now."
Three talents?
I'll have more than that.
And they'll all be SSS-rank.
Still, knowing that wasn't enough at this moment.
He needed an edge. A weapon.
Something that only he knew. The novel.
And then—
It hit him.
A small, irrelevant side story.
Something barely mentioned in the novel.
The mysterious death of the Emperor's younger brother.
The same uncle Sophie had loved dearly.
Dead—because of an affair with Empress Emily.
The truth?
Rome had killed his own brother.
Emily had loved the brother since childhood, but when Rome became Crown Prince, her family forced her to marry him instead.
Rome knew.
And he still married her.
So, the inevitable happened.
Noah exhaled.
'The Emperor is insane.'
But that didn't matter.
What mattered was—he now had knowledge no one else did.
No one except Emily and Rome themselves.
However,
"Do I really want to play this card ? Once I do there is no going back and things might go against me"
Noah hesitated. The risks are high. Things might go wrong.
But, "I have to. I have nothing that can help me have Sophie. I just need her to be with me for while."
And I will make sure her affection point for me is at least at 70% and have her talent.
So,
He was going to use it.
⸻
A Knock at the Door
Knock. Knock.
Noah's thoughts snapped back to reality.
A voice from outside.
"Young Master, Lady Selene has ordered you to prepare yourself."
"The Empress and Princess Sophie will be arriving soon."
For a moment, Noah was silent.
Then—
He laughed.
Slowly.
Softly.
Then louder.
As if fate itself had handed him the perfect opportunity.
"Are you on my side, Fate?"
His smirk widened.
Because if he played this right...
Sophie Castria would be his.
—End Of Chapter 9—