Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended
VOLUME VI: SMOLDERING TWILIGHT | CHAPTER 196: A Mischievous Midnight – The Plushie Dilemma

Daisuke quietly ascended the stairs of Crownspire Tower, his gaze flickering down to the clock on his menu interface—2 AM. The manor’s guard duty rotated in three shifts:

8 AM – 4 PM

4 PM – 12 AM

12 AM – 8 AM

His shift had ended at midnight, and it had taken him roughly two hours to return to the palace from the remote northern regions of the city.

Throughout the entire journey, he had been cycling the Shadow Veil skill, activating it again and again the moment its twenty-minute cooldown expired.

Since I can’t hunt as much as I’d like while I’m stuck here, I at least have to try and build up the proficiency of my skills as much as possible. His eyes narrowed with steely resolve. And since I’ll mostly be relying on Shadow Veil, I might as well work on increasing its duration and getting it to mask my scent too. Until then, I’ll be stuck using the Phantom Cloak instead of better equipment.

The moment Daisuke ascended the final set of stairs toward the lobby area—

“You’re late!” Lyndoria barked, landing a dropkick that sent him tumbling back down the stairs like a runaway cartwheel.

By the time he climbed back up, a steaming bump throbbed atop his head, and his glare could’ve burned through steel. “You psychopath! What the hell’s wrong with you?! What if I broke my damn neck?!”

“It’s a damn shame you didn’t!” Lyndoria snapped, grinding her teeth. “You certainly took your time returning. While you were off indulging in whatever debauchery you fancy, Princess Lumielle and I were here worried sick!”

Daisuke arched a brow, amusement and exasperation flickering in his eyes. “You?” he said slowly, his tone dripping with doubt. “Worried about me?”

The girl cocked her head and folded her arms, her nose lifting in defiance. “O-Of course not! I was simply vexed that your wretched existence had the princess losing precious sleep! What happens to you is of no concern to me! Hmph!”

“Right~” Daisuke drawled wearily as he watched her steal a glance from the corner of her eye. “Anyway, for your information, I wasn’t off indulging in debauchery—I just got back from that job I mentioned yesterday.”

Lumielle rose gracefully from the couch, taking a few measured steps forward. “Let’s discuss that tomorrow,” she said evenly, her gaze sharpening. “More importantly, didn’t we agree that maintaining your other persona within the palace would be the safest course of action?”

“She’s right!” Lyndoria agreed hotly, planting a hand on her hip. “What if someone saw you on your way here? It takes just one slip-up for everything to come crashing down! What were you thinking?”

“Relax,” Daisuke reassured coolly. “I used my stealth ability—no one saw me. And trust me, I don’t need a reminder of the stakes. The Mhaledictus have been just as much of a thorn in my side as they have in yours.”

“Hmph,” Lyndoria scoffed.

The princess exhaled softly. “It’s late—why don’t we get some rest for now and have a proper meeting in the morning? And, Sophia,” Lumielle glanced up at him with a wan smile. “For the sake of my peace of mind… could you please make an effort to stay in character from now on?”

Lyndoria nodded. “You can never be too careful.”

“Fine~” Daisuke shrugged, then his body began shimmering like a snow-capped peak beneath the light of a full moon.

Lumielle’s heart fluttered at the sight of the transformation. It was only her second time witnessing it, yet it stole her breath away all the same. Smoldering butterscotch eyes, thick lashes, the slightly annoyed twist of his—no, her—lips, a strikingly voluptuous figure, and that unmistakable feisty aura… The princess’s cheeks burned as she shamelessly drank in the sight.

She didn’t understand why this change stirred such bewildering emotions within her. What did it mean? While Lumielle wrestled with her thoughts, Lyndoria was busy mercilessly tearing into a handkerchief, her envious gaze fixed squarely upon both women’s chest.

“Alright, I’m beat,” Daisuke muttered, strolling toward the couch that had served as his bed before. With a flick of his hand, he was garbed in his pajamas and a blanket materialized under his arm in the same beat. “Bedtime.”

“U-Um,” Lumielle squeaked, fiddling with her fingers anxiously. “S-Sophia… why don’t you sleep in my room tonight?”

“Huh?”

“HUHH?!”

Daisuke’s reaction was one of pure surprise, while Lyndoria’s response was laced with a mix of shock, indignation, and utter outrage.

“I cannot possibly continue to be such a terrible host,” the princess insisted, her voice full of earnestness. “I would be mortified if Captain Hynes came and saw you sleeping here. And what if one of the guards attempted to… do something unspeakable while you slept?”

Daisuke frowned wearily, a hint of irritation in his tone. “I guess that would be annoying to deal with.”

“P-Princess!” Lyndoria cried out in disbelief, her voice filled with desperation. “Y-You can’t be serious about allowing this… hooligan to stay in your room. Please reconsider!”

The girl averted her gaze, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “As we start maneuvering to dismantle the corruption that’s infiltrated the palace,” she murmured quietly, “it’s only a matter of time before someone tries to take my life.”

Lyndoria’s eyes widened at the harsh truth of her words.

“Given that inevitability,” Lumielle continued, her gaze sheepishly meeting his, we may as well begin to get accustomed to sharing the same space.”

***

I’m exhausted, Daisuke murmured inwardly, his fatigue seemingly negating all trace of modesty as he brazenly walked up to the wardrobe in Lumielle’s room to retrieve a futon.

“S-Sophia!” she belatedly noticed his intention and urgently called out to him. “Wait a minute—”

“Huh?”

But it was too late—his miserable fate had already been sealed.

SWOOSHH!

The moment he swung the door opened, he was hopelessly swept away by a mountain of stuffed toys that were haphazardly hidden away inside.

From the safety of her bed, Lumielle pulled the sheets up to her nose, her laughter bubbling out in a sheepish chuckle. “Oh no,” she feigned innocence. “Where did all those come from?”

Daisuke, now buried under the pile, laid there like a lifeless corpse, his tired eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. He was too drained to react or offer any kind of response. With a weary sigh, he eased into a lazy backstroke and swam through the sea of plushies toward the wardrobe.

Okay, he thought, a single eyebrow twitching in exasperation. Let’s just stay calm and try this one more time. Deep breaths…

BOOP.

Another plushy fell from the top shelf onto his head.

“…”

“…!”

The princess didn’t wait to see what would happen next. Instinctively, like a child that was terrified of the dark, she threw herself onto the bed and vanished beneath the soft fabric of the sheets.

Meanwhile, in the room next door, Lyndoria knelt in bed. Her face was buried in the soft, plush chest of a life-sized Owlbear toy, which was propped up against the headboard. She was garbed in a transparent, two-piece nightgown, her posterior cocked, silken panties cupping soft, flushed curves.

“…Alone,” she murmured softly, her tone tinged with a hint of insanity. “They’re alone… together.”

Her embrace slightly tightened around the giant plushy as she let out a frustrated groan, and the toy seemed to flinch in response, dreading the abuse that was yet to come.

“The princess is alone with that… vile creature.”

“Nhh,” Lumielle moaned amorously as she glanced over her shoulder and bit her lip, her eyes glazed, her body flushed and slick with sweat. Behind her, caught in a forbidden dance of pleasure, a silver-haired man, a devilish fiend, took what he wanted… and more.

 As these lewd thoughts of Daisuke taking advantage of her innocent goddess flooded her mind, Lyndoria’s groan twisted into a menacing snarl. Her eyes, wide and frenzied, glinted with madness as she began to pound the helpless toy in the stomach, her strikes growing more violent with each passing moment, her psychotic laugh ringing out like a requiem of death.

“Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!” she chanted murderously, the image of Daisuke at the forefront of her mind. “Just go to hell and die already!”

A single tear slid down the cheek of the plushy.