welcome Charmer's part 2

Later that day...

Albion personally led the group down a grand hallway lined with enormous stained-glass windows. Each window seemed to depict dragons doing heroic, and occasionally questionable, activities like stealing pies from villages or napping on treasure piles.

Eria skipped happily beside him. "So, you're really giving us rooms in the Royal Mansion?"

Albion smiled warmly. "Of course! You are all honored guests. I made sure each room fits your personal tastes."

Hiita pumped her fist. "Heck yeah! I call dibs on the one with the biggest fireplace!"

Wynn giggled. "I'm just happy if there's a window for fresh air."

As they approached the doors, Albion clapped his hands. "Alright, let's start with—Hiita's room!"

He opened a massive wooden door...

Inside was a volcanic paradise.

Lava lamps floated mid-air, the walls were a deep fiery red, a massive golden fireplace dominated one side, and the bed was literally a giant soft nest of heated stones.

Hiita's jaw dropped. "This is... this is the greatest room ever!"

She ran inside and immediately started fiddling with the lava lamps.

Albion chuckled and moved to the next door. "And now, Lyna's."

He opened another door, revealing a magical forest trapped inside the room.

Glowing orbs floated like fireflies, the floor was mossy and cool, and a tiny magical spring bubbled in the corner.

A small white deer—a magical companion!—looked up and blinked at them peacefully.

Lyna gasped and twirled. "It's PERFECT!!"

Albion nodded, smug inside.

Next was Eria's room.

When he opened the door, an indoor lagoon stretched out before them, with a mini waterfall cascading into a crystal-clear pool. Blue and silver decorations shimmered everywhere, and a massive soft hammock bed hung over part of the water.

Eria was speechless, stars in her eyes. "I... I'm gonna live here now."

Wynn's room followed: a sky-themed suite.

Clouds drifted along the ceiling, the windows had breezy curtains, and a light perpetual wind gave the room a calm feeling of soaring high.

Wynn hugged herself with joy. "It feels like home..."

Finally, it was Dharc's turn.

Albion gave a perfectly innocent smile.

He opened the last door—

—and Dharc immediately paused.

Inside, the room was decked out in gothic black and purple, chains and ancient spellbooks floated around, candles flickered with ghostly blue flames, and there was a massive four-poster bed covered in black velvet.

Dharc narrowed his eyes. "Why... does it look like you just copy-pasted my soul into a room?"

Albion gave a very fake surprised gasp. "Nonsense! It's just a coincidence!"

A chain creaked ominously in the corner.

Dharc pointed dramatically. "AND WHY IS THERE A FLOATING, HAUNTED ARMCHAIR?!"

The chair, instead of denying it, bowed politely.

Everyone else burst out laughing.

Albion put a hand on Dharc's shoulder. "Welcome home, Dharc."

Dharc sighed deeply, staring at the haunted chair now patting itself proudly.

"I hate how much I actually like this."

Hiita looked at the room next to her. "Who's room is that".

Albion looked at her as he spoke. "That would be Vesiculo Room, she is still getting settled in, you know do to everything"

Dharc looked at him as he spoke. "Ok, send so don't know very much, she is your new fiancé from the Traptrix nation".

Albion coughed as he spoke. "Will there be more to that".

Dharc raised an eyebrow as he spoke. "The hell do you mean by that".

Wynn laughed as she spoke. "Technically, he is the Finance of the whole Traptrix Royal family since you know they are all girls, even Queen Rafflesia".

Dharc blinked as he spoke. "Wait, what?".

Eria then spoke. "Basically, the Traptrix way of saying Sorry for almost killing the child of Prophecy, but for now, he only has Vesiculo for now".

Hiita whistled lowly, leaning against the doorframe.

"Man, royal drama is something else. I stub my toe and my family just tells me to walk it off. You almost get murdered and they throw a whole princess at you."

Albion chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "It's... complicated."

Lyna clapped her hands together innocently. "At least she's pretty!"

Then she tilted her head curiously. "Wait, if he's engaged to the whole royal family... does that mean—?"

Dharc interrupted, holding up a hand. "Nope. Stop right there. I am NOT ready for that conversation."

Eria grinned mischievously. "But imagine the wedding ceremony! How would they even do the vows? 'Do you, Albion, take... uh... all of them?'"

Wynn nodded sagely, trying to sound wise. "Probably need a second priest just to list all the names."

Hiita was practically doubled over laughing now. "By the end, the guy officiating the marriage would need water breaks between the vows!"

Dharc just stared at Albion with pure deadpan.

"You are living in a harem anime. Congratulations. You are officially That Guy."

Albion groaned and slumped forward onto the nearest table. "It's not like I planned this! I just didn't want a war to break out over my corpse!"

At that moment, the door next to Hiita's slightly creaked open.

From the crack, two glowing red eyes peered out cautiously.

Vesiculo.

A tiny voice spoke.

"...You're being loud."

Everyone froze.

Vesiculo, still half-hidden behind the door, blinked at them, looking shy and confused. Her small Traptrix frame and elegant yet eerie outfit made her seem both adorable and slightly terrifying at the same time.

Hiita immediately brightened.

"Aww, she's like a scary little sister!"

Vesiculo's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I am not little."

Albion smiled gently, trying to defuse the chaos.

"Everyone, this is Vesiculo. She's still getting used to everything... so be nice."

Vesiculo stepped out fully, holding a strange-looking vine staff that looked a little too alive.

She walked up next to Albion, stood awkwardly close for a moment, and then casually wrapped a tiny vine around his wrist — like it was the most natural thing ever.

Hiita elbowed Dharc and whispered. "That's a possessive move. She's already staking her claim."

Dharc nodded grimly. "Rip, Albion. You are not ready for the battlefield known as women."

Meanwhile, Lyna and Hiita were already forming a semi-circle around Vesiculo, asking a million questions at once:

"What's it like being a princess?"

"Can you summon bugs?"

"Do you eat people?"

"Do you want to do a sleepover?"

Vesiculo, overwhelmed, just clung tighter to Albion's wrist.

Albion could only sigh internally.

First royal politics, now girl politics.

He wasn't sure which one was scarier.

Later that night, as Vesiculo was in her room, she heard a knock on her door, as she opened to find Albion.

Vesiculo looked at him as she spoke. "What do you want".

Albion chuckled as he spoke. "Wow, you almost fooled me with that Shy act you pulled earlier, probably didn't Full Wynn and Eria, but did the other".

Vesiculo rolled her eyes as she spoke. "I had years of Assasin Training, so why are asking".

Albion looked at her as he spoke. "Just wondering why the brash, hot-headed girl was acting all shy around the new people".

Vesiculo leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, giving Albion a look that could cut glass.

"Tch. You think I'd just show my real self to strangers? Especially ones who could be enemies if things go wrong?"

Albion chuckled, completely unfazed.

"Relax, they're harmless. Well..." He thought of Hiita trying to arm-wrestle the guards earlier. "...mostly harmless."

Vesiculo huffed, glancing back into her room. "Still, it's instinct. Act weak, act harmless. Let them lower their guard first. Then, if needed..."

She smiled sweetly — the kind of sweet that could make grown men question their life choices.

"Strike."

Albion grinned, leaning a little closer. "And here I thought you were warming up to them."

Vesiculo shrugged. "They're fine, I guess. Not what I expected from other 'mages' though. They're...weird."

Albion laughed out loud. "Trust me, you'll get used to them. Or you'll go insane. It's about a fifty-fifty chance."

Vesiculo tilted her head, studying him for a long moment, her serious assassin instincts kicking in.

"...You're not just checking on me. You want something."

Albion gave her a two-fingered salute. "Sharp as always."

She waited, arms crossed again, gaze narrowing.

Albion scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I just wanted to say... you don't have to pretend when you're around me. I've seen the real Vesiculo already. The bratty one. The deadly one. The weirdly competitive one. It's fine."

Vesiculo blinked. Her mouth opened slightly, like she wanted to retort — but the words didn't come.

Albion shrugged casually, stepping back.

"I already accepted that version of you, you know? No need to act shy."

For a moment, Vesiculo just stood there, stunned.

Then, a tiny — tiny — smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"...Idiot."

Albion laughed and waved over his shoulder as he walked away. "Goodnight to you too, Your Highness."

Vesiculo closed the door softly, leaning her back against it once it clicked shut.

She touched her wrist where the vine had instinctively latched onto him earlier.

Her cheeks flushed just the slightest bit — so faint that even she might have denied it.

"...Stupid prince," she muttered under her breath, but this time... there was no real anger in her voice.

Just a strange, warm feeling she couldn't quite name.