"I don't want another Queen. I want you to be my only Queen, Csille." Prince Fraser whispered to my ears.

I'm not sure if Rufus, Leander, and Princess Paislee heard it, but I could feel my cheeks already burning. I look at Rufus, and I could see confusion in his eyes.

"Why is your face red, Csille?" He even tried to touch my face, but Prince Fraser caught his arms.

"It's better if we continue walking now," Prince Fraser said. Rufus is about to ask me why my face is red, but I already started walking. Leaving him no choice but to follow us behind.

Don't ask me, Rufus. I don't even know how to respond to what Prince Fraser said. This. How could I respond to that?

I shake the thoughts off my mind. I don't have time for that for now. I still need to know why does the Great Ruler want to talk to me.

After walking for five minutes, we already arrived at the palace of the Illorian City. But compared to Vrawyth's Palace, the building in front of us looks like a big house. There are no extravagant decorations. You could mistake it for a simple house.

Great Ruler looked at us and smiled. "Welcome to the Palace of the Illorian City. I know it is incomparable to the Palace of the Vrawyth Kingdom, but I hope you could come in."

Prince Fraser shakes his head. "Great Ruler, it's an honor for us to enter your palace. Thank you for your invitation."

The Great Ruler just shakes his hand and leads us inside. The inside looks spacious, and there aren't fancy decorations present. Most of the decorations are simple crafting and can be bought at the stall outside.

He then leads us to a room. It looks like a receiving area. There are not much things inside. Just a center table and two long sofas facing each other and two solo sofas at both sides.

"Please sit. The snack will arrive shortly, and it's made based on your preferences." Ruler Laird said while sitting on the long sofa in front of us.

Prince Fraser and Rufus sit beside me. While Leander and Princess Paislee sit on the solo sofa.

"You don't need to bother Great Ruler." Prince Fraser said. He then takes my hand and intertwines it with his. I raised my eyebrow at him. Questioning his action just now.

Why is he holding my hands? I tried to take my hand away from him, but he wouldn't let me. I look at Rufus, who is now tugging the ends of my sleeves. I'm wearing a long sleeve blouse.

He's looking at Prince Fraser's hand that is intertwined with my hand. He's moving his eyebrows and talking with his eyes. I'm not sure what he is saying, but I think it's about why does Prince Fraser holding my hands. I just shrugged my shoulders at him as a response.

Don't ask me. I don't know why he is holding my hand.

I subconsciously look at Princess Paislee, and she seems okay. It's as if she didn't see anything wrong with me holding hands with Prince Fraser.

Princess Paislee, shouldn't you follow the script now? Why are you just sitting there? This is your leading man we are talking about!

I am still busy observing Princess Paislee's reaction when I heard someone laughs in front of us. I stare at the laughing Ruler Laird. "I have never seen an interesting person like you, Lady Lauretré."

Prince Fraser immediately tenses up when he heard what the Great Ruler said. "Great Ruler, can you be straightforward with us. What's your real purpose? Why do you want to talk to Csille even if you already know that she is my future wife?"

Great Ruler smile immediately fades away. He looks at the outside the window. "I already told you, I don't mean any harm to any one of you. I just want to ask Lady Lauretré if she really went inside that alley." He then looks straight into my eyes. "Please tell me honestly, Lady Lauretré, did you really went inside that alley?"

Alley? What alley? I tried to recall what alley he is referring to. Is he referring to that dark alley? Where I found that bookshop? The Plotbound?

Prince Fraser looks at me before he shakes his head at the Great Ruler. "I'm sorry, Great Ruler, but I think you got the wrong person. Csille didn't go outside last night, and this morning, I was with her. I know where she went, and I'm sure she didn't enter any alley in here."

Ruler Laird shakes his head. "But one of my people said that Lady Lauretré here, said it herself that she went inside the forbidden alley. Didn't you talk to a middle age guy this morning?"

I nod my head as a response. I remember him, but I almost forget his existence. I was about to look for him, but I got caught by Prince Fraser and Princess Paislee.

Prince Fraser frown at me. "You went outside without me knowing it? Csille, you really got guts, huh?"

I was about to explain myself to him when Rufus answer it for me. "I was with her, Fraser. Don't be too hard on Csille. Also, does Csille really need to report to you where is she going?"

Fraser glared at Rufus. "She is my fiancée, and if something happened to her, she would become my responsibility. I also don't want something to happen to her. Is that enough reason for you, huh, Rufus?"

Oh, no, this isn't good. Prince Fraser is mad. Why does Rufus cut me off? I could have handled this situation better.

I am about to ease the tension between the two of them when the Great Ruler suddenly speaks. "Young Astalieus, if you want to fight, then continue it outside. I have a matter I need to talk to Lady Lauretré."

Prince Fraser and Rufus immediately retracted the tension between them. Prince Fraser is still holding my hand but compared to before. He is now holding my hand on both of his hands.

"Lady Lauretré, can you confirm if it's true. Did you really went inside that alley?"

"Pardon me, Great Ruler, but I'm not sure if the alley you are talking about is the same alley I went to."

Ruler Laird describes the alley for me. He described how to get there and what it looks like in daylight and nighttime. He didn't describe what's inside the alley. Maybe because of the humor. That no one is able to go outside that alley.

After confirming that the alley I went to is the same alley he is saying, his face showed excitement. He looks excited over something, but what is it? Shouldn't he be worried or terrified? That alley is dangerous. He should be concerned about me, but why does he look like he is happy that I was once inside that alley.

"Lady Lauretré, are you sure that you entered that alley? Think again. Maybe you're just confused."

I shake my head as a response. How could I forget the man working in the bookshop? He knows my real name! He knows I'm not from this world.

"I'm pretty sure I entered that alley."

The Great Ruler sighed in relief. "I'm pretty sure my people already told you the story about that alley. That alley is forbidden to anyone. I am even forbidden to enter that alley. It's because that alley is dangerous. Everyone who entered that alley never come back. You're the first person who came back even after going to that alley."

It's the same words Rufus and that man told me. I still don't understand how this thing can happen? I have never written something like this in my novel. So, how did it exist in here?

An alley that takes the lives of people who are living in this city? And what's more interesting is even the visitors are being targeted. Is it really a bizarre situation, or someone is working behind? But if it's the latter, who is the real culprit of this?

I look at Ruler Laird. "I don't know what happened to those people who entered that alley. But as for my experience, aside from the very dark passage, everything seems normal inside that alley. I saw a bookshop inside, and I also saw someone working there. He invited me inside to look for books. He also told me that his son helps him to build that bookshop."

"Bookshop? There's no shop inside that alley. All the shops pass through me before they could set up their business in this City. I also prohibit anyone from entering that alley. I'm sure there's no shop in there. May I know what's the name of the shop?"

"It's Plotbound. The name of the shop is Plotbound. Rufus also told me that there's no shop that has a name like that. However, I could vouch my life to confirm that there is indeed a shop like that in that alley."

Ruler Laird nods his head. "Lady Lauretré, the reason why I ask to talk to you is because of this. Aside from it will help me solve that mysterious alley. I hope you could also help me find someone in that alley."

I frowned. Help him find someone? Wait, what does he mean by that?

Prince Fraser immediately sits up straight. "What do you mean by your words, Great Ruler?" Even Rufus takes a defensive stance.

Ruler Laird stares at Prince Fraser and Rufus and shakes his head. "I understand your concern, little Astalieus, and I know you just want to protect your little Queen. However, I myself have someone to protect. My only daughter went inside that alley, and she never comes back home. I hope," Ruler Laird looks at me. "Lady Lauretré, I hope you could help me find my only daughter. I know what I'm asking is too much but I hope you could help me. I'm not asking as the Ruler of the Illorian City. I'm asking as the father of my daughter."

Prince Fraser tugs my hand that he is holding. He then shakes his head at me. Urging me to refuse the request of the Great Ruler.

However, can I really refuse him? Even if he said he is asking me as the father of his daughter but how can I set aside his identity. The Great Ruler of the Illorian City. If he becomes disappointed because I refused his request and used this as an excuse to declare war against the Vrawyth Kingdom, can the Vrawyth take that?

Aside from those reasons, didn't I also want to enter that alley again to look for that bookshop? I already entered it before. I think it wouldn't harm me to enter that alley again. Also, I'm the writer of this world, and I am in the body of the villainess. I doubt if something will happen to me in there.

I take a deep breath and look at Ruler Laird. "Okay, I will agree to help you. However, we have a problem. We're traveling because of the Grand Exemplary Competition. The venue will be held in the Saiven Kingdom, and it's still half a month away from here. If we delay our journey, I'm afraid we couldn't compete for the competition."

It's not that I really want to compete in that competition. But it's a scene I have written. If all of us couldn't compete in that competition, I'm afraid it will greatly affect the story. I already made numerous mistakes before. If this continues, I'm afraid this world will collapse in one moment.

Ruler Laird nods his head. "I understand your concern. I could make an arrangement for that. I could move the time for the competition. I'm sure the Queens of the Kingdom wouldn't mind that."

I sighed in relief. "Then it's settled. I will agree to help you find your daughter. Just give me a portrait of her. Also, I want you to promise me that you will not do something against my company and to the Vrawyth Kingdom."

Ruler Laird smile at me. "You are indeed fit to be the Queen of the Vrawyth Kingdom. I will wait for that day to come. Also, you don't need to worry about that. I will not do any harm to your people." After he said those words, he excused himself and left us alone.

Prince Fraser immediately tugs my hand. "Csille, don't agree with him. Let's just get out of here."

Even Rufus, Princess Paislee, and Leander agreed to Prince Fraser. "Csille, don't agree with him. That alley is dangerous. If that first time you successfully get out from there, what if you cannot get out the second time?"

I could feel Prince Fraser's grip tightens. "Rufus is right, Csille. Please don't go back in there. What will happen to me if something happened to you?"

I shake my head at them. I understand their concern, but I really need to go back to that alley. I need to talk to that man, and I also need to unravel the mystery in this City.

"But if I refused, can the Vrawyth Kingdom withstands the wrath of the Illorian City? This our only choice."

Everyone got silent. They probably realized that I am right. This is our only choice.