I'm in another world, and I start out transformed into Lancelot.

She blinked sharply, her long eyelashes trembling slightly in the dim light, like the wings of a startled butterfly.

"That... you..."

The pink-haired princess unconsciously tightened her skirt, her fingertips touching the contract mark on her arm that was still faintly warm.

She opened her mouth, but didn't know how to explain the existence of this mysterious knight to her subordinates who were about to arrive.

Especially when this knight also possesses beauty and strength beyond the norm.

(If my brother Xiuzanne were to bring such a stranger back to the palace, the advisors would probably question him...)

Euphemia lowered her eyes, her pale pink lips pressed into a thin line.

She could even picture the staid ministers' alarmed pleas: "Your Highness! A fairy knight of unknown origin? This is too dangerous!"

The silver-haired fairy knight seemed to see through her concerns. A gentle smile appeared on his exquisite face, where the mask had long since disappeared.

She took Euphemia's hand and placed a feather-light kiss on the back of her hand.

"If you want to meet..."

Lancelot's voice was like a harp under the moonlight, possessing a reassuring magic.

"Call me by my name."

The lake-blue armor began to shimmer, and the long, silvery-white hair swayed gently in the windless cave.

Euphemia was surprised to find that her fingertips were piercing through the other person's gradually transparent body.

"I will always be with you." The last words faded into the air.

The fairy knight's figure transformed into countless shimmering points of light, rising and dissipating slowly like fireflies on a summer night's lake.

Euphemia instinctively reached out to try and hold on, but only managed to grasp a wisp of breeze carrying a refreshing fragrance.

"Lady Euphemia! We've finally found you!"

The voices of the rescuers, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps, came from the cave entrance.

The light from several torches dispelled the darkness of the cave, illuminating Euphemia's solitary figure standing before the ancient altar.

"Euphie? Are you alright?!"

Her subordinates rushed over anxiously; some draped a dry cloak over her shoulders, while others knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

Even her personal knight, Suzaku, looked worried, fearing that something might have happened to the princess while she was alone.

But Euphemia's gaze remained fixed on the center of the altar, where a few specks of blue light, like stardust at midnight, still lingered.

"Lance...Lotte?"

She murmured the same name as the Empire's newest and most advanced mech, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the contract mark on her arm.

In a daze, she seemed to see those amber eyes gazing tenderly at her in the darkness.

(Fairy Knight...is he really the knight who came for me?)

The warm light of the torch illuminated her absent-minded profile, and no one noticed the faint, sweet smile on the princess's lips.

No one noticed the red rune on the inside of her snow-white arm that was slowly fading away.

"I'm fine." Euphemia finally looked away and gave her worried subordinates a reassuring smile. "I just... had a very beautiful dream."

As the crowd escorted her out of the cave, no one noticed a ray of silver-blue light quietly disappearing into the princess's shadow.

In the shadows where the moonlight couldn't reach, a faint, satisfied laugh could be heard.

A stream of dark blue data flowed through the system space, and the silver-haired fairy knight was gracefully moving his wrists.

The lake-blue armor made a subtle metallic clanging sound with her movements, which sounded particularly crisp in the quiet space.

"As expected of Lady Halonia! She achieved a 30% compatibility level on her very first appearance!"

The red orb of light excitedly circled the knight, while data analysis continuously jumped across the projection screen. "At this rate, we'll be able to unlock even more powers soon!"

Lancelot—or rather, Halonia, who resides in this body of a heroic spirit—raised an eyebrow slightly.

Her slender fingers traced the Dragon's Furnace hidden in her chest, feeling the immense magical power surging within her body.

Even though she was among the top in her own world, this power that transcended human limits still amazed her.

"This body... is truly beyond imagination."

She looked down at the magic circuits that had appeared in her palm, the sense of constraint she felt when she first entered this world completely gone.

Even the wounds on her body have been healed.

"The reward given by the world consciousness is far too generous."

"After all, we need to protect that princess!" The system orb suddenly choked up, and the projection screen began to play fragments of Euphemia's memories from her lifetime.

"Waaaaah... Host, did you see that? She tried so hard to create peace... but in the end..."

Halonia watched silently as the pink-haired princess was executed in the video, a dark glint flashing in the depths of her amber eyes.

As the future successor of a nation, she had witnessed countless tragedies and sufferings in her original world.

But Euphemia Li Britannia's story still made her heart flutter.

(An idealist betrayed by his own ideals... what an ironic and tragic ending.)

"So our task is simple." She snapped her fingers, and the system immediately stopped wailing.

"Protecting this princess will prevent Lelouch from breaking with Suzaku and stop Freya's weapon development—essentially rewriting the bad ending of this world."

The red orb suddenly appeared in front of her: "But Lady Halunia! Why don't you just stay by the target's side? As a fairy knight—"

"I'm not so twisted that I need to stick to my target 24/7."

Halunia pushed away the overly enthusiastic system with disdain, her long silver hair swaying gently as she shook her head.

Although she could sense the body's instinctive desire to be close to its master, her noble upbringing made her despise such stalking behavior.

(Although... that child is indeed so adorable that you'd want to protect him/her at all times.)

The dangerous thought had barely surfaced when she nipped it in the bud. Halunia coughed lightly:

"Besides, aren't you monitoring things? She can just notify me immediately if she encounters any danger."

"Eh—?!" the system cried out dramatically, "But traveling in spirit form consumes a lot of energy!"

Halonia revealed a devilish smile: "Otherwise, what use are you? Useless system."

How could there be such a willful and reckless host?! The system was on the verge of tears.

Watching the ball of light shrink into a corner, whimpering and drawing circles, she shook her head helplessly.

The projection screen showed Euphemia's movements in real time—the princess was being escorted away from the cave by her guards, looking back every now and then like a lost little animal.

"Don't worry," Halonia murmured to herself, her fingers unconsciously tracing her waist, where a sword should have been.

"This time... I will definitely show you the ideal ending."

The space echoed with the soul fluctuations belonging to Euphemia, emanating from the contract mark, as warm as the spring sunshine.

Chapter 4 Whispers Under the Moonlight

In the middle of the night, Euphemia curled up on a single sofa by the window in her room, moonlight filtering through the thin gauze curtains and casting dappled patterns of light on her arms.

This is the temporary residence arranged for her by her brother, Prince Xiuzenair—far from the hustle and bustle of the palace, yet exuding the refinement and aloofness of royalty.

She gently stroked the bright red Command Seal on her left arm, her fingertips tracing the three flame-like lines, as if confirming whether some incredible dream truly existed.

(That figure, so beautiful yet dangerous, seems to have stepped out of a fairy tale...)

Her slender fingers suddenly stopped, and she seemed to hear Lancelot's parting whisper, tinged with a smile: "Just call me anytime you need me~."

That rising tone at the end of the note brushed against her heart like a feather, making Euphemia's ears burn as she recalled it.

"Um... Lancelot-san? Are you there?"

The sound was so soft it almost disappeared into the night. Euphemia immediately bit her lower lip, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the lace trim of her nightgown.

(Wasn't this a bit too reckless? At this time... and this is still Emperor Xiuzenair's territory...)

The room was so quiet that the faint crackling of burning charcoal in the fireplace could be heard. Just as she was about to give up, a faint scent of lily of the valley suddenly filled the air.

The silver mirror on the dressing table rippled, and the reflection in it began to distort.

"A late-night summons~" A voice with a lazy laugh came from all directions, "Has my Master finally missed me?"

Euphemia turned her head in surprise and saw Lancelot leaning against her carved bedpost. The moonlight shone on his long silver hair, making the originally smooth strands gleam with a cold, metallic sheen.

Unlike his armored attire that day, the fairy knight now wore only a thin silk robe, the lapels slightly open, revealing his delicate collarbone.

Her silver hair still bore traces of night dew, as if she had just returned from a stroll in the garden.

(Neither Yao Lan herself nor Halunia, who uses this vest, likes wearing cumbersome armor during their rest time.)

Compared to the knight in cold, hard armor that day, this languid and charming appearance is clearly more in line with the legendary fairy image.

"I...I just..." Euphemia's voice trailed off, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the sofa armrest.

Her conscience ached slightly; how could she have forgotten such a beautiful person in some corner...

Lancelot floated lightly to her, his cool fingertips gently lifting her chin: "It's alright~."

"I know... My Master is a princess who's always busy with state affairs~."

They were so close they could count the flutter of each other's eyelashes. Euphemia saw her own flushed face reflected in Lancelot's amber eyes.

"I only appeared in this world because of you." The fairy knight's breath carried the coolness of the night wind.

"Whoaaaaah... It's too close!!"

Euphemia, who had never been so intimately close to anyone other than her elder sister Cornelia, was so nervous that she became incoherent.

Overwhelmed by the other person's beauty up close, I felt dizzy and my eyes spun around like mosquito coils.

But Euphemia was, after all, a princess who had received aristocratic education since childhood. She took a deep breath and gently smoothed out the wrinkles she had made on her nightgown with her fingertips.

Her straight back outlined an elegant silhouette, a mark etched into her very being by years of royal etiquette.

"Please don't call me that," her voice remained soft, but with a hint of restrained firmness.

"In the end, I'm just a... princess without real power."

As she spoke the last few words, a self-deprecating smile appeared on her lips. In this accommodation arranged by Xiuzenair, this fact seemed particularly jarring.

Lancelot tilted her head, her smooth silver hair swaying gently with her movements.

"Oh?" His amber eyes narrowed slightly. "Then what should I call you? A canary imprisoned in a cage? A decorative object with only a title?"

Euphemia's shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly, but she quickly regained her composure.

She wasn't angry about those sharp words, after all, these were facts in everyone's eyes, weren't they?

"Just call me Euphemia," she said softly, her clear purple eyes dimming. "At least here... let me shed that empty title..."

Lancelot suddenly leaned down, his cool fingertips gently touching her brow. "How arrogant, my Master."

The fairy knight's voice lost its mockery. "Do you think I can't see the light in your eyes?"

Euphemia was stunned. Lancelot's fingers slid down her cheek, finally gently lifting her chin.

"He had such a gentle and beautiful ideal, and he has been working hard towards it."

The fairy knight's voice, unusually, had lost its usual playfulness, and his amber eyes shone with a mysterious light under the moonlight.

"How can someone like that claim to be just a princess?"

Euphemia unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt; she had never revealed her deep-seated self-doubt to anyone.

The vulnerability that arose when dealing with government affairs alone late at night, under the disdainful gaze of nobles, and after peace proposals were rejected time and again.

(How did this person know?)

After a moment of silence, the princess suddenly chuckled, her laughter carrying a hint of relief and shyness.

"Lancelot-san... is surprisingly good at comforting people."

"This isn't just a consolation~" The fairy knight tilted his head slightly, his long silver hair cascading down like a waterfall.

That face, hailed as the most beautiful in the fairy kingdom, had shed all its frivolity and now exuded an almost divine solemnity.