Ligia closed the door behind her.
The click echoed like a quiet sigh of relief.
She paused for a moment, looking around her room.
The soft scent of lavender and dried herbs filled the air, and the afternoon light spilled through the tall windows in golden tones, like fingers of sunlight gliding over the furniture.
"Okay."
She collapsed into the bedsheets with the weight of someone who carried the world on her back and finally decided to set it down.
"No more drama... time to work."
As if summoned by those words, the system appeared — floating above the headboard in its usual form: a glowing cat, paws crossed in the air like a lazy king on an invisible throne.
"So... the lady is finally done flirting with nobles and ready to study?"
"They're the ones distracted by me, thank you." Ligia fixed her hair and let out a soft yawn. "I want to continue the lessons. Let's get to it."
The system purred, its lazy smile taking on a mischievous glint.
"Careful what you wish for, my queen. The next lesson demands more than charm — we're training magical influence. The art of bending presence and shaping space with pure energy."
Ligia raised an eyebrow.
"Is this sorcery... or refined theater?"
"It's survival at a high level."
With a graceful flick of its tail, it opened a translucent crystal panel in the air.
---
〔Module Unlocked〕
Arcane Presence — Social Influence and Vampiric Dominion
Objective:
Learn to emanate arcane authority like an ancestral noble. Control environment, emotions, and social structures with posture, voice, and minimal mana pulses.
---
Ligia's eyes sparkled.
"This works for dealing with people like Verdanel, right?"
"It works for making Verdanel kneel and beg to carry your cape, majesty."
The system winked mischievously. "We start with breathing."
"Always with the breathing..." Ligia closed her eyes.
The system guided her.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
Sense the mana in the environment.
Draw it in quietly.
Distribute it.
Slowly, the atmosphere changed.
The air in the room thickened.
The light dimmed.
The shadows seemed to align themselves in silence.
Without moving a muscle, Ligia took up more space.
Her body said: I exist — and you will notice.
The system now watched with a serious expression.
"That's it. Dominion. Your bloodline has this in it. But what separates a princess from a sovereign... is control."
Ligia opened her eyes.
Her irises shimmered with scarlet reflections.
And in the corner of the room... even the shadows stood straighter.
"Next step?"
"Illusions. Noble targets. Let's see if you can bend a duke illusion with a single look."
Ligia snapped her fingers.
"Bring it on. No one's ignoring me today."
---
Elsewhere in the mansion, the evening light tinted the stained-glass windows with melted gold.
Selene stood beside Michael, her hands resting on her husband's arm.
Behind them, Vael stood motionless like a whisper carved in stone.
Selene gently pulled Michael away from the window, as if drawing curtains on unspoken worries.
"Michael... you're a strategist. A man of logic and precision."
"But you're also a father."
She turned to him. "And watching your daughter change — even if it's for growth — hurts more than you admit."
Michael took his time.
Violet eyes fixed on the distant hills.
"Natural growth I understand."
"Forced changes... bother me."
Selene let go of his arm and crossed hers. Regal. Elegant.
"You're afraid something is shaping Ligia from the outside. But I'm telling you... it's not from outside."
She stepped closer.
"It's what was always inside. Waiting."
"She hasn't lost herself. She just... found it."
Michael inhaled deeply.
Exhaled in silence.
"I hope you're right."
"I always am."
Selene smiled with a hint of provocation.
"And if you dare doubt it, I'll remind you in detail."
Michael sighed.
Defeated.
---
In the couple's room, Selene entered with the gleam of someone expecting to be surprised.
Stepping onto the black velvet rug, she spun away from Michael and went straight to the wardrobe.
"Let's see what my little artist has been sewing in the chaos..."
Opening the doors, she gasped.
Clothes that didn't belong to that world.
Dresses with asymmetric cuts, flowing trains, sculpted necklines.
Tight jumpsuits, structured shoulders.
Sets with discreet shimmer, bold slits, cropped jackets with diagonal zippers, blazers with folded collars in warrior style.
Rouge, black, champagne, petrol.
Fabrics that danced with the light.
Style from another era — or a possible future.
"By the Crimson Moon..."
Selene ran her fingers over one of the dresses. "Elegance. Rebellion. Structure with fluidity. Yes... she understood me."
Michael stepped beside her.
"These... are clothes?"
Selene shot him a sharp look.
"This is identity sewn into fabric."
He pointed at a black dress with thin straps and a deep V neckline.
"There's no place to hide a dagger in that."
Selene laughed loudly.
"That's why charm exists, dear."
"And this one?"
He pulled out a structured jacket in red and black.
"That is pure audacity. Imagine it with knee-high boots."
Selene bit her lip, excited. "It used to be improper. Now? I'm the mother of the heir. I can wear hell itself if I want to."
Michael examined a blood-red dress with golden chains and vinyl fabric.
"This... is offensive."
"This is carnal art in wardrobe form."
She spun the piece like presenting a ceremonial weapon. "And it'll go perfectly with rubies."
Michael sighed.
But a hidden gleam lingered in his eyes.
"So we're reinventing imperial fashion now?"
Selene placed her hands on her hips.
"Not reinventing. Just reminding the Empire that style... is also power."
Michael shook his head.
"I bet my daughter's going to try fitting me into one of those minimalist suits too."
Selene smiled mischievously and pointed to the other side of the wardrobe: immaculate men's pieces.
Satin shirts.
Sharp blazers.
Polished leather belts.
Nothing ceremonial — everything lethal in elegance.
"Maybe she already planned that, dear..."
Selene grabbed a dress and headed for the screen.
"And you know you'll wear it. Even if you grumble."
Michael let out one last sigh.
Resigned.
But deep down, admiring.
He knew that in this house...
Strength came in many forms.
And now, it came dressed to reign.