Abyssborn: The Rise of the Cursed Monarch

Kael was back at the manor, safe and sound.

Well… "safe and sound" was relative. He had been dragged in by force into the main hall, where his mother, his sister, and… his dear fiancée were already waiting for him.

The atmosphere was tense.

The matriarch slammed her fist violently on the table.

"WHO DARES TO ATTEMPT MY SON'S LIFE?!" she roared.

The pressure in the room became suffocating. Even the knights standing nearby shuddered under the overwhelming power of the woman.

Kael swallowed hard.

"Note to self: never anger Mom."

Beside her, his sister crossed her arms, looking stern.

"This is no mere coincidence." She shot a murderous look at the princess. "Maybe the Empire wants to get rid of him?"

"Pfft, as if I had time to plan an assassination." The 6th princess sighed, visibly bored. "It could be his own enemies. After all, he is a Draven, isn't he?"

Kael's mother gritted her teeth.

"I don't care who's behind this… I will erase their entire bloodline."

Kael shivered.

"Why do I feel like my family is more dangerous than the assassins themselves?"

While the others debated the identity of the mastermind, Kael's mind was elsewhere.

He was still in shock from his kidnapping and was trying desperately to figure out how to survive in this world.

The problem?

He had no information about this world.

He didn't know the protagonist, the antagonists, or even the storyline.

"How am I supposed to survive in a world I know nothing about?"

But suddenly…

A golden window appeared before him.

[Quest Completed! Reward Received!]

[New Skill Acquired: Survival]

[Survival]

[Effect: Allows you to survive any fatal situation].

Kael blinked.

"Excuse me?!"

He pulled up the system panel, reading and rereading the description.

"Wait… This is a cheat code!"

He double-checked.

"No cooldown? No limitation?"

A terrifying thought crossed his mind.

"If I jump off a cliff… will I survive?"

It was a serious question.

But this wasn't the time to experiment. He shook his head and tried to stay calm.

"Alright, I have an ultimate survival skill. That doesn't mean I should throw myself into danger on purpose."

Suddenly, a cold voice interrupted him.

"Kael."

Kael snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head…

His mother was staring at him intensely.

A bad feeling crept up his spine.

"Are you not listening to me?" she asked, her tone dangerously calm.

Kael laughed nervously.

"Uh… Of course, I am!"

His sister raised an eyebrow.

"Then what did she say?"

Kael broke into a cold sweat.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit—"

He looked around, trying to find a clue.

His mother was staring at him intently, his sister looked stern, and the princess… seemed utterly bored.

Kael took a gamble.

"Uh… You were saying you'd wipe out the entire bloodline of whoever tried to assassinate me?"

Silence.

Then…

"Oh, so he was listening." The matriarch nodded in satisfaction.

Kael let out a silent breath.

"That was close."

But just as he thought he was safe, his mother spoke again.

"But that's not the most important thing. What I was saying, Kael…" She locked eyes with him.

"You must receive the Pope's blessing immediately."

Kael froze.

"Huh?"

His sister nodded.

"It's obvious. We are a family of Holy Knights. Every member must receive the blessing to prevent corruption from demonic forces."

A chill ran down Kael's spine.

"Oh, shit."

If the Pope laid hands on him, he would sense all the demonic energy within him.

And Kael would be executed on the spot.

"B-But…" Kael scrambled for an excuse. "Why so soon? I just survived an assassination attempt, I'm still in shock, I—"

His mother cut him off.

"Shock is an illusion. Only the weak suffer from it."

Kael wanted to cry.

"Why is my family so cruel?!"

Kael knew he had to escape.

But how?

If House Draven decided to escort him to the Pope, he wouldn't stand a chance of slipping away.

He needed a plan.

Then… a reckless idea popped into his mind.

He turned to the 6th princess.

She looked at him with disdain.

Kael put on his most angelic smile.

"Princess."

"What?" she said, annoyed.

Kael took a deep breath.

Then…

He grabbed her hand and gazed deeply into her eyes.

"I need you."

The princess blinked, shocked.

Kael squeezed her hand tighter.

"I want to spend time with my fiancée before I leave for this… spiritual ordeal."

Silence.

Everyone stared at him, wide-eyed.

His mother, his sister, even the knights looked surprised.

The princess, however, gaped at him.

"Y-Y-You want to spend time with me?!"

Kael nodded vigorously.

"Of course. This marriage is important, and I want to know you better before anything else."

The princess turned red as a tomato.

"V-V-Very well, I suppose…"

His mother sighed.

"Hmph. Fine. But you leave in three days."

Kael barely suppressed a smile.

Three days…

Three days to find a way to escape.

Kael walked alongside his fiancée, the infamous 6th princess of the Empire.

And honestly… he had no idea what to say.

Just being near her made him want to run away.

The princess was arrogant, unpleasant, and most of all… she was ugly.

At least, that's what he thought.

"Alright, I have three days left before being sent to the Pope," he thought. "If I play my cards right, I might find a way to escape before then."

But just as he was planning his escape…

The princess suddenly slipped on a wet stone.

"KYAAAAH!!"

Before Kael could even react, she fell straight into the lake.

SPLASH!

Kael blinked.

"Uh…?!"

He watched as bubbles surfaced.

"She knows how to swim, right?"

Silence.

Kael started to panic.

"Oh crap, she's actually drowning!"

He rushed to the edge of the lake and plunged his hands into the water.

"Grab my hand!" he shouted.

After a few seconds of struggle, the princess finally grabbed his arm, and Kael pulled with all his strength.

With one final effort, she emerged from the water, gasping for air.

Kael sighed in relief.

"Good grief, Princess, you—"

He froze.

His heart exploded.

The woman in front of him was not the same.

Her skin was radiant, her features delicate and flawless. Her golden hair shimmered under the sunlight, and her piercing blue eyes seemed to capture all the light in the world.

Her soaked clothes clung to her body, revealing perfectly balanced curves.

She was…

"A goddess…" Kael whispered.

The princess blinked.

"What?"

Kael couldn't look away.

"What kind of miracle is this?" he thought. "WHERE did the walking disaster from five minutes ago go?!"

Then, a brutal realization hit him.

The water… The makeup…

"PRINCESS!" he exclaimed. "Your face… Your makeup is gone!"

The princess flinched and immediately touched her face, panicked.

"What?! It's gone?! Oh no, my brothers and sisters will…"

She stopped, realizing that Kael was still staring at her.

"W-Why are you looking at me like that?!"

Kael didn't answer immediately.

He was too busy admiring every detail of her face.

"Her lips are perfect. Her cheeks are naturally rosy. Her eyelashes are long and well-shaped. Her nose is fine and elegant…"

His eyes involuntarily lowered, admiring the silhouette perfectly highlighted by her drenched clothes.

"Wow."

The princess blushed furiously.

"Stop staring at me like that!" she shouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Kael jerked and looked away, embarrassed.

"S-Sorry, but…" He looked again. "Why were you hiding under that hideous makeup?!"

The princess froze.

A mix of sadness and anger crossed her face.

She let out a deep sigh.

"Because my brothers and sisters always told me to."

Kael narrowed his eyes.

"Told you what?"

She clenched her fists.

"That I was ugly."

Silence.

Kael flinched.

"WHAT?!"

The princess shrugged, a bitter smile on her lips.

"They kept saying no one would ever want me unless I was covered in makeup."

She lowered her gaze.

"So I obeyed. I put on every layer possible to hide my face. I followed all their advice. But… you've seen the result."

Kael felt a wave of anger rise within him.

"Those bastards forced a goddess to paint herself like a clown out of pure jealousy?!"

He clenched his fists.

"They're not your siblings."

The princess looked up, confused.

Kael smiled, filled with confidence.

"They're your worst enemies."

She burst into laughter.

"You really say the weirdest things, Kael."

Kael, however, had something else on his mind.

His heart was racing.

Before, he desperately wanted to break off this engagement…

But now…

He wasn't so sure anymore.

"Oh crap."

As Kael was still admiring the princess's divine beauty, a sudden notification appeared before him.

[Ding!]

[You have acquired a new skill]

"Huh?"

[Skill: Romantic Manipulation]

[Effect: You can manipulate others romantically by flirting, complimenting, etc…]

Kael blinked.

"Wait… what?!"

He stared at the princess, then at the system message, then back at the princess.

A devilish grin spread across his face.

"Hehehe… interesting."

As Kael was preparing to use his brand new romantic manipulation skill, an electronic sound startled him.

[Ding!]

[New Quest]

[Avenge the Princess]

[Reward: ???]

Kael froze, a chill running down his spine. He stared at the screen, then slowly turned his gaze toward the princess.

"Avenge the princess...?" he repeated, looking lost. — "But... I just wanted to give her compliments!"

The system seemed to have other ideas.

Without thinking, Kael turned toward the princess, his gaze growing increasingly menacing. His golden eyes darkened, turning a blood-red. He was ready to take action.

"Those traitors... They dared to hide the beauty of a goddess... This cannot be!"

Kael slammed his fist into his palm, his glowing red eyes fixed on the princess, who, though completely unaware of what was happening in Kael's mind, had no idea what awaited her.

"I will destroy anyone who has dared to tarnish your image."

The princess cleared her throat, confused by Kael's behavior.

"Uh... I appreciate the... sympathy, but you don't have to do this."

Kael, completely ignoring her words, turned toward the system with a wild, furious look.

"I have fallen under your spell, my princess. And now, I will avenge your beauty!"

A terrifying gleam shone in his eyes as he broke free from his dramatic pose, both a hero and a maniac.