By morning, the royal court was on fire with gossip.

“Did you hear? Lady Aria bought a marriage contract.”

“To a prince.”

“While fighting off assassins!”

“And she wore black again. Scandalous.”

Aria ignored them all.

She had more important things to do—like preparing for a duel.

New Quest: Expose the Traitor Duke

Objective: Duel Duke Ravin in front of the court

Bonus Objective: Humiliate him, then take his lands

Hidden Objective: Trigger Public System Exposure Event

Duke Ravin had been whispering to the wrong people.

The wrong people being: Yvonne’s spies.

And Aria was done being polite.

First stop: her dressmaker.

“Good morning, sweet Lady Aria!” chirped Marceline, a tailor with scissors sharper than her words.

“I need a new gown,” Aria said. “Something that says ‘I’m innocent’ but also ‘I will destroy you in front of witnesses.’”

Marceline gasped. “Darling. I’ve waited my whole life to hear that.”

But as Aria changed behind the silk screen, her system pinged.

Warning: System Signature Detected – Class: Shadow Stitcher

Location: 1m Radius

Status: Passive Monitoring Active

User: [Marceline?]

Aria froze. Then smiled.

Interesting.

She stepped out, casually holding a knife disguised as a hairpin.

“Marceline,” she said sweetly, “how long have you been spying on me?”

Marceline blinked. Then grinned.

“Long enough to start rooting for you.”

Turns out, Marceline wasn’t just a dressmaker—she was a rogue system user, aligned with a third faction.

“The Devourer and the Crown aren't the only ones,” she whispered. “There’s a hidden network… We call ourselves the Patchwork. We collect data. Secrets. Lies. Threads of fate.”

Aria arched a brow. “And you decided to tail me because...?”

“You’re making the board shake. I wanted front-row seats.”

“Careful,” Aria murmured. “Sit too close, you might get burned.”

Alliance Update: Patchwork Network – Neutral (Cautious Interest)

Passive Bonus Gained: Whisperwire – +10% chance to intercept enemy communications

New Crafting Option: Glamour Threads (Appearance & Aura Shift Gear)

That evening, Aria stepped into the dueling arena dressed like a storm:

A deep crimson gown that shimmered like fresh blood, laced with shadow-thread silk.

Each step echoed like thunder.

Duke Ravin was already waiting—sneering, smug, and overconfident.

“I don’t duel little girls,” he said.

“Good,” Aria replied. “You’re about to lose to one.”

Duel Start: Public Arena Mode

Audience: 214 nobles, 3 assassins, 1 extremely annoyed prince

Skill Access: Unlocked

Reputation Risk: 5%

Glory Potential: 400%

Ravin came in strong. Magic laced with force. A noble-style brute move.

Aria danced through it.

Skill Activated: Queen’s Presence

— Ravin’s concentration dropped -12%

— Aria’s hair looked impossibly majestic in slow motion

She leapt. Twisted. Slammed her dagger into the ground.

Ravin laughed—until he realized his legs weren’t moving.

New Skill Unlocked: Stasis Thread Trap

Source: Patchwork Integration + Personal Flair

Effect: Immobilizes target for 5 seconds. Humiliates forever.

One step.

One slash.

One final whisper: “This is for every time you called me a mistake.”

Blood. Cheers. Silence.

Ravin fell.

The crowd erupted.

Duel Complete

Status: Victorious

Rewards: +25 Reputation, Land Grant of Ravin’s 3rd Estate, 1 Enchanted Duel Token

Public Title Gained: “Velvet Executioner”

Kael’s Hidden Thought: [She’s terrifying. And I might be into it.]

Aria stood tall, blood on her sleeve and a smirk on her lips.

“Next.”

Next Chapter Preview – Chapter 12: The Feast, the Fake Fiance, and the Forbidden Map