The transition from Floor 21 to Floor 22 should have prepared me.

One moment we were walking through the victory gate, still laughing about the kissing incident. The next, we were standing in an enormous ballroom that belonged in a period drama, wearing formal clothes we definitely didn’t own five seconds ago.

I looked down at myself. Tailored black suit, silver cufflinks, white gloves. My sword was gone, replaced by a ornamental rapier that hung at my hip like a fashion accessory. I could feel layers of social etiquette being downloaded directly into my brain—which fork to use, how to address nobility, the proper depth of a bow.

"What the hell?" Ji-won’s voice cracked. He was wearing a military dress uniform complete with medals he’d never earned. The fabric strained against his shoulders.

Seol-ah had been forced into a flowing emerald gown that made movement difficult. Ha-neul wore a similar dress in navy blue, looking like she wanted to set something on fire. Sang-ho had been dressed as some kind of archbishop, his simple priest robes replaced with ornate religious vestments.

A system window appeared, but this one was different. It was bordered with roses and sparkles, and the text was written in a swooping, romantic script.

『Floor 22: The Tragedy of the Northern Duke』

『Genre: Romance Fantasy (Court Drama)』

『Main Scenario: Ensure the Happy Ending』

『Your Role: The Loyal Guards』

『Objective: Protect Crown Prince Cassian and Saintess Luminara during the Grand Banquet. The Villainess Duchess Raven will attempt to poison them. Stop her at all costs!』

『True Love Must Prevail! ♡』

The little heart at the end made my eye twitch.

"Romance Fantasy," Ha-neul read, her voice flat. "We’re in a RoFan scenario. We’re literally in a romance novel."

"I hate this already," Seol-ah muttered, trying to walk in heels and failing.

The ballroom was magnificent in that oppressive, overwhelming way that screamed old money and older secrets. Crystal chandeliers hung from gilded ceilings. Marble columns supported archways carved with romantic scenes. String music played from somewhere. The air smelled like roses and champagne and barely concealed desperation.

And everywhere, everywhere, were beautiful people.

Nobles in silk and diamonds. Ladies with perfect makeup and impossible waistlines. Gentlemen with chiseled jaws and brooding expressions. Everyone looked like they’d walked out of a book cover.

"This is deeply uncomfortable," Ji-won said.

I was having flashbacks. In the Old World, Floor 22 had been my first real failure. Not a death—I’d survived—but a failure of understanding. I’d played it straight the first time, protected the "heroes," stopped the "villainess," and received a completion reward so mediocre it was insulting. The second time through, I’d tried variations. Saved the villainess early. Ignored both sides. Even attempted to evacuate everyone before the climax.

None of it worked as well as what I eventually discovered on my seventh attempt.

The memory of that particular clear still made me uncomfortable.

"Min?" Sang-ho was looking at me with concern. "You’ve got that face."

"What face?"

"The ’I’ve seen this nightmare before’ face."

Before I could answer, trumpets blared. The crowd parted like a sea, and two figures descended a grand staircase at the far end of the ballroom.

Crown Prince Cassian was everything a romance novel male lead should be. Tall, devastatingly handsome, with silver hair and violet eyes that probably violated several laws of genetics. He wore white and gold, and he moved with the kind of confidence that came from never being told "no" in his entire life.

Beside him was Saintess Luminara. Beautiful in that ethereal, untouchable way. Golden hair, blue eyes, a dress that seemed to glow with its own light. She smiled at the crowd, and I swear actual sparkles manifested in the air around her.

The crowd swooned. Women clutched their chests. Men looked jealous. The romance was apparently so powerful it affected NPCs.

『Main Characters Identified: Crown Prince Cassian & Saintess Luminara』

『Current Affection Level: 89/100 (True Love Blooming!)』

『Protect them at all costs! ♡』

"They’re disgusting," Seol-ah whispered.

I agreed, but not for the aesthetic reasons. I was watching their eyes. Cassian’s violet gaze swept over the crowd with the cold calculation of a predator evaluating prey. Luminara’s smile never reached her eyes, which were hard as diamonds.

I remembered what I’d learned on my seventh attempt. What I’d discovered when I stopped listening to the genre conventions and started looking at the actual evidence.

"Something’s wrong with them," I said quietly.

"They’re too perfect," Ha-neul agreed. "Like dolls. Like the system generated them from a template."

"Worse," I said. "They’re demonic contractors."

Everyone stared at me.

"The first time I cleared this floor," I continued, keeping my voice low, "I did exactly what the system wanted. Stopped the villainess, saved the main characters, got a ’Heroic Protector’ clear with terrible rewards." I watched as Cassian kissed Luminara’s hand, and the crowd applauded. "The seventh time, I broke into the Prince’s chambers before the banquet. Found his summoning circle. Found the contracts."

"Contracts with what?" Ji-won asked.

"Pleasure demons. Gluttony spirits. Entities that feed on suffering disguised as happiness." I straightened my collar, feeling the weight of the ornamental rapier. "The ’destined romance’ is a feeding mechanism. They’re farming the empire’s emotional energy."

A servant approached us, carrying a tray of champagne flutes. "The guards are to stand at attention near the dais," she said in a monotone voice. "You will be presented to the Crown Prince shortly."

We followed her through the crowd. Nobles nodded at us with painted smiles. Everything was perfectly choreographed, perfectly staged. A performance where everyone knew their lines.

Except for one person.

At the edge of the ballroom, standing alone near a window, was a woman in a black dress. She was beautiful, but in a sharp, dangerous way. Dark hair, darker eyes, and an expression that suggested she’d rather be anywhere else. She was watching Cassian and Luminara with unconcealed contempt yet openly smiling.

Above her head, a system tag appeared: [Duchess Raven Ashworth - The Villainess].