Chapter 37

Daniel

“Ethan,” Daniel said, his voice flat, his expression unreadable, “I know you think you’re funny, but you’re going to have to explain this one.”

He paused, just long enough to let the weight settle.

“First—why, exactly, would I need to seduce an imperial princess? And second—and more importantly—what makes you think I can seduce an imperial princess?”

Ethan didn’t miss a beat. If he still had a body, he would’ve shrugged with his whole spine.

“Well, I don’t know,” he said. “You seem to be doing a pretty damn good job with Vivian—and she’s the Ice Queen. I figured if anyone could crack imperial-grade emotional armor, it’d be you.”

Daniel rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Are you sure this isn’t a dream and you’re one of my frat buddies messing with me? Never mind. Don’t answer that.”

He exhaled sharply. “Ignore the seduction part for a second. Why would I even need to get close to the princess?”

Ethan’s tone shifted—still casual, but laced with something sharper. “You remember how I said the imperial prince dies during the tournament?”

Daniel nodded slowly. “Yeah. Not exactly the kind of thing you forget.”

“Well,” Ethan said, “I don’t know that exactly. I know he dies

around that time. What I remember is that the imperial princess… she knew something was coming. She was trying to stop it. I don’t know the details—whether she figured out the full plot or just caught the scent of it—but I remember she tried to warn people. And they didn’t listen.”

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Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “You think it was an inside job.”

“I think,” Ethan said slowly, “that someone made sure she wasn’t heard. Maybe they didn’t believe her. Or maybe they couldn’t afford to.”

Daniel ran a hand through his hair. “So we need her help.”

“Exactly.”

“And your plan to get her to help us,” Daniel said, voice rising slightly, “is for me to seduce her?”

“Fastest way into someone’s trust, isn’t it?”

Daniel stared at the ceiling. “What are we, protagonists in a scandalous romance drama?”

Ethan didn’t answer.

Daniel sighed. “Okay. Let’s pretend this isn’t completely insane. How exactly do you expect me to meet with an imperial princess? She’s not exactly on the local palace tour.”

Ethan’s scoff echoed in his mind. “You’re the son-in-law of House Li. That’s second only to the imperial family. General Li isn’t just some famous old man with a sword—he’s the general. Their general. If you wanted a formal audience with the princess? You could get one.”

Daniel blinked. “You’re serious.”

“If you wanted to, you could walk into the capital and get invited to a banquet she’s attending by tomorrow. Two days, tops. You have the access. The name. The alliance.”

Daniel rubbed his temples. “And how exactly do I do that without looking like I’m trying to infiltrate the imperial inner circle with ulterior motives? Because that definitely won’t backfire.”

Ethan was unhelpfully calm. “No idea. But it has to be done.”

Daniel looked up again. “So that's it. That’s your plan?”

“Yes.”

“‘Seduce the imperial princess and charm the secrets out of her.’ No backup? No contingencies? Just wing it and hope she falls into our lap?”

“We don’t have time to be subtle.”

Daniel snorted. “That’s a really stupid plan.”

“Look,” Ethan said, “we need to know what she knows. The tournament’s not just a disaster—it’s the fuse. After that, everything unravels. The bloodline sickness surges. The imperial succession fractures. War in the south. Famine in the great plains. The collapse of the Seer Seat. Every major fault line splits open. The Demon Sect doesn’t just show up—they capitalize. And through all of that, the princess was the only one trying to stop the first blow before anyone else even knew there was a blade.”

Daniel was quiet for a moment.

Then he muttered, “So go to the capital, find the imperial princess, and somehow earn her trust—possibly through charm, political finesse, or god forbid, actual romance—while making sure I don’t get assassinated in the process.”

“Yup.”

Daniel let out a long, slow breath.

“Fantastic. I’m starting to see why you died in your last life.”