A Reader's Grimoire In A Novel World

Ivana turned around as she heard her name and saw Julius standing behind her.

"I wouldn't have expected you to come to my coronation," he said to her, and she looked around before grabbing his hand and walking off to a corner.

"Do not think anything weird. I just came to look after you, that's all," she said with a straight face, and Julius was taken aback.

"Look after me?" He raised a brow.

"You know who put that seal on me, right? The person is here. Also, with this crowd, it should be possible to target you," she explained to him, and he frowned at her behavior.

'Something's not right. The Ivana I know didn't care about anyone until later on in the novel. Or did I hit a soft spot?' He was confused.

"Well, you're supposed to be staying as far away from him as possible. And here you are," Julius said with a sigh.

"Don't worry. My parents are here. He wouldn't dare come after me here," Ivana said with a smile, and then she pulled Julius toward the dance floor.

"Let's dance before we look suspicious."

Julius allowed himself to be pulled to the center of the dance floor, though his mind was far from the music and movements. The sight of Ivana, a figure who had been so ruthless in the story he read, now smiling and acting protectively, unsettled him.

As they began to dance, the contrast between their appearances and the tension between them drew attention from the surrounding crowd.

"So, you're coming to the academy too?" Julius asked, tilting his head slightly as they moved to the rhythm of the music.

Ivana nodded, her beautiful wine-colored eyes locked onto his purple ones. "Yes. It's a good opportunity, and I don't plan to miss it."

Julius frowned, his mind racing.

'In the novel, she never attended the academy. She stayed in the demon kingdom to continue serving the duke as his favorite assassin. But since I weakened the slave seal, she's now having a will of her own. But...'

"Why?" he pressed, his voice lower. "You don't seem like the type to go to a place with too many people."

"Do you think I'd let someone like you run around unchecked?" she replied with a smirk, her tone teasing. "Besides, there are things I need to learn. The academy isn't just for humans, after all."

Julius couldn't help but smirk back, though his thoughts churned.

'Her presence will definitely alter the flow of events. My actions are already causing ripples. I need to act, from here onwards, very carefully,' he thought and then focused on the dance as they went around in a circular pattern.

"And you? What are your plans, Your Highness?" she asked, her smirk softening into something more genuine.

"I'm going for the same reason as everyone else—to train, grow stronger, and secure my position." His purple eyes narrowed slightly. "But I have a feeling you already knew that."

"Of course," Ivana replied smoothly.

"But I'm curious to see how far your resolve will take you. You've changed since the last time we crossed paths," she said, noticing his increased essence.

Julius raised a brow at her words. "And you seem different too. You're not exactly the same demon princess I remember."

Ivana's eyes glimmered with amusement. "People change, Julius. Or perhaps, we adapt. Speaking of which..." She leaned in slightly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Play the piano for me again sometime."

Julius blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"You heard me." Her gaze was intense, yet there was a hint of playfulness. "That piece you played that time... I liked it very much."

"I'm not exactly a court musician," Julius said with a dry chuckle, though her request lingered in his mind.

"Consider it a favor," Ivana replied with a sly smile as the music slowed, signaling the end of the dance. "You owe me one for all the trouble you've caused."

Julius chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I didn't realize we were keeping score. Hold on, I troubled you?"

"I've not just been avoiding him but also keeping him off you," she said with a sincere smile, and Julius realized and pulled her closer to him.

"You've been taking care of the ones after me?" he asked, and she nodded.

The music soon stopped, and the dance floor was being cleared.

As they stepped off the dance floor, Julius couldn't shake the feeling that his world was shifting faster than he'd anticipated. Ivana's unexpected appearance, her decision to join the academy, and her strange request—all of it left him with more questions than answers.

But one thing was certain: the story he thought he knew was already unraveling, and he needed to stay ahead of whatever changes were coming.

"Prince Julius."

Julius turned around as he heard a voice behind him, and he saw a tall woman with beautiful blonde hair walking toward him in heels.

She wore a blue gown, which complimented her cyan-colored eyes. If Julius could describe her, he would say peak-level model.

She had a slim frame, with the tight gown showing her hips, and her heels and walk were just seductive.

Another thing bothered Julius about her.

'Her aura. It's...'

He didn't know how to explain it. He had only seen this level of presence around his father. A pressuring essence force.

"And you are...?" Julius glanced at the woman.

"Pardon me. I'm the leader of the golden battalion guild. Vixen El Durene. It's nice to meet you." The woman extended a hand for him, and he finally realized.

"Likewise." He shook her hand with a subtle smile. "The golden battalion guild has played a huge part in kingdom defense. It's an honor to meet you."

"You'll be going off to the academy in a few days. I thought it would be nice to meet you and invite you to our guild when you finish your academy years," she said to him with a chuckle, and Julius was confused.

"Normally, that's supposed to be done after I graduate. But I understand either way," Julius said to her, and the woman smiled.

"I see you're really smart. Here..." She handed him a silver ring with a small lion head on it, and he took it from her.

[Item: Four-layer Spacial Storage Ring]

[Rank: Epic]

[Description: Made in the golden battalion guild by high-level blacksmiths and mages. It cancels all weight and time within the ring.]

Julius smiled at her and put the ring in his pocket, then walked away from her.

"Master Durene? How did it go?" The man behind her, who had been watching her, asked, and she nodded to him.

"He's quite a smart one. He's going to be a bit surprised by the gifts we left for him within the ring," she said as she walked back with him.

'If we can get him on our side, it'll benefit us greatly.' She smiled a sly smile.

Julius walked back to his throne to see King Karim standing next to another man with a crown on his head.

The man had a black robe with the symbol of a goat with horns.

'Isn't this the symbol of the demon family? This is her father,' he thought and approached them.

All of a sudden, his vision blurred for a second, and then he looked around with a calm expression.

'What was that?' he thought to himself.

A mist gathered before him, and words began to appear on it.

[Mind Parasite Identified. Hypnosis Cancelled.]

'Parasite?' He frowned as he saw this, and then he realized something and smiled.

He looked up to Caesar, who was also looking at him, and smiled at his elder brother.