A Transmigrated Princess's Guide To A Fluffy Royal Life!
Chapter 11: Part Of The Plan (I)

Chapter 11: Part Of The Plan (I)

Lucien’s footsteps drew ever closer. The light from his torch grew brighter. Evelisse could see his shadow now, long and sharp against the wall.

She curled tighter into the corner. ’Don’t breathe. Don’t move. Please, not now!!!’

Her heartbeat thundered like a war drum in her ears. Every inch of her screamed to run—but she couldn’t. Not now. Not when she was this close.

"Who’s there?" Lucien’s voice cut clean through the silence like the edge of a blade.

Her lungs burned. Her knees were shaking.

The air was thick. Every sound felt loud. Even her heartbeat.

Then—

BANG!

The sudden bang echoed from the far end of the corridor, followed by the hurried clatter of boots.

"Prince Lucien!" a guard shouted from beyond the hall. "The Council needs you upstairs immediately. It’s urgent."

Lucien froze. His silhouette halted mere steps away. A tense second passed. Then—

He cursed under his breath. "Seal this cell. No one comes in or out."

He turned sharply and marched off, his boots pounding against the stone, fading with each step.

Evelisse didn’t move for a long second. Then, slowly, shakily, she exhaled.

Her breath clouded in the cold air, her hands trembling.

’Thank you, mystery urgent Council business. I owe you my life.’

She crawled from her corner and peeked around the edge of the crate. The prisoners were still there—silent now, peering cautiously into the darkness.

It was time.

She stepped into the light, just enough for the Trustweaver Rune to activate the moment their eyes landed on her, the illusion triggered.

A sudden pulse shimmered through her. The rune flared once beneath her skin, warm and sharp. Her cloak shifted. The air seemed to ripple.

Both men blinked in stunned silence.

"Boss?" one of them whispered, disbelief coating his voice.

The other fell to his knees. "You’re... You’re really here?"

The first who had called Boss at first, followed. Knees thudding on stone. Eyes wide. Silent. Terrified.

Inside, Evelisse was freaking out. ’Fluffy, what do I look like to them?’

"Reading now," Fluffy whispered in her thoughts. "Based on their heart rate and mental bias... You appear as someone they call the Arkrael Magister."

’Arkrael Magister? Sounds like a villain from a horror drama.’

"Good guess. I ran a search in the kingdom’s underworld archive. He’s a rogue mage. Feared. Secretive. Known to burn men alive with his glare."

’Ah. Lovely. That explains the bowing.’

"Also... he’s supposed to be dead."

’What the hell?! Am I cosplaying a dead man that’s not actually dead?!’ Evelisse panicked in her thoughts.

"Pretty much, princess."

One of the men trembled. "M-Mage Arkrael... we didn’t know—how did you—"

She raised a single hand, palm up.

They shut up immediately.

Evelisse tilted her head slightly, gaze heavy with loathing. Her voice dropped into a tone she’d once heard in a late-night drama from her old world—deep, slow, and laced with venom.

"Hello, boys."

They flinched.

"Miss me?"

One of them whimpered. "I swear, we didn’t give them anything—nothing! Just like you ordered!"

Another spoke up fast. "We stayed silent! Even when the foolish prince hit us, we held out!"

’Nice. That one’s probably the loudest when he breaks,’ Evelisse thought grimly.

But they were too afraid to notice her silence—too focused on the illusion, their fear of this mage Arkrael.

’Fluffy, what does this boss look like? Describe them.’

"Dark robes. Crimson trim. Hollow mask etched with gold runes. Rumored to speak with demons. High-level rogue mage. Wanted across three kingdoms for crimes of forbidden magic, all among a few things..."

’No wonder they’re about to wet themselves.’

One of the prisoners finally found the courage to speak, his voice small. "Sir... do you plan on getting us out?"

Evelisse’s eyes flicked to him. She let the silence stretch just enough to make him sweat.

Then she smirked.

"Are you questioning me?"

He swallowed. "N-no! I just—we were told to wait here. That... everything was part of the plan. But they were starting to crack. We weren’t sure if the... backup... was still coming."

She leaned forward slowly, the hood shadowing her face.

"The plan," she repeated, voice cold. "You think I came here to hold your hand?"

They shook their heads violently.

"I didn’t risk coming here to babysit imbeciles."

A pause. Her tone darkened.

"You disappoint me."

Fluffy giggled in her thoughts, impressed. "You’re terrifying. I’m scared and I know it’s you. That drama you watched paid off!"

’I loved that villain shaman. She scared the hero into tears and still made it fashion.’

The prisoners stammered apologies, trembling harder.

Until one of them asked.

"What assurance do we have that it’s truly you, sir?!"

Evelisse thought quickly. She couldn’t promise escape. Not without knowing the plan.

’Fluffy. Can you do something... horrifying? Something only a mage like Arkrael could pull off?’

"What kind of horrifying?"

’Something that’ll shake them. I want panic. Can you make... their mouths disappear? Temporarily?’

Fluffy’s little fox avatar snorted. "Oh, that’s dark. I like it."

A shimmering sigil blinked in her vision.

Suddenly, one of the prisoners gasped—then slapped his face in horror.

His mouth was gone.

Literally gone. Smooth skin replaced where lips had been.

The second one scrambled back, crashing into the walls.

"MAKE IT STOP!" That one yelled. "Please! We believe you! We swear!"

Evelisse raised a single finger.

The mouth returned.

The man gasped, coughing and sobbing.

She said nothing.

They now stared at her with true horror.

’Okay. That worked.’

Fluffy whispered, "I’ve also set up a privacy field. No one can hear or detect anything in this cell now. You’re safe to talk."

"Silence was your strength. Remember that. Or I will take more than your voice."

The one with his mouth restored fell prostrate, groveling and apologizing in garbled sobs.

Fluffy chuckled. "That was evil, but great performance."

Evelisse stood still, arms folded beneath the cloak. "Now. Speak."

And like uncorked bottles, they did.

"It was all part of it!" one shouted. "We weren’t caught—we let them catch us!"

"We had orders! Stay put. Wait for the diversion."

Evelisse narrowed her eyes. ’Diversion? What diversion?’

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