A Quest To Woo the Prince

The moment Adrian entered the ballroom, time seemed to stop. Eleanor froze in the place, the room was spinning around her, leaving only him in focus. His presence commanded attention effortlessly, like a storm rolling in from the horizon, powerful and undeniable. His tall figure cut through the crowd as if he were the sun in a sky full of stars. Every eye in the room turned toward him, but it wasn't just his regal demeanor or his princely attire that struck Eleanor. It was the weight of his eyes—the way they scanned the room, never lingering on anyone for too long, almost as if he didn't want to be seen. His icy blue gaze met hers across the room, and for a moment, Eleanor felt her heart stop.

Oh no!

Her stomach twisted. The prince. The beggar. The man she had saved all those months ago, now standing before her as a prince—cold, distant, and wrapped in thick, invisible armor. It was him! Now she learned that the system was telling the truth. She was hesitant at first because it was impossible. A beggar to be a prince? How could it be?

A voice inside her head broke the stillness, its cheerful tone an unwelcome contrast to the tension building in her chest.

"Ding! New quest assigned: Make Prince Adrian laugh!"

Eleanor's eyes widened.

"What?!" she hissed, her hand clutching her chest as if the System's words had physically shaken her. 'Make him laugh?' That was the task? The real task! She didn't have to make an impression on him, but needed to make him laugh! In this sea of nobles, in this palace of wealth and power, she was supposed to make the prince laugh! 

Before she could protest further, the prince took another step forward. The crowd parted before him like the Red Sea, and for a moment, it seemed as though he were walking directly toward her.

Adrenaline shot through her veins. Her heart raced. Her palms grew slick with sweat. She couldn't just stand here, could she? This was it—this was the moment the System had been preparing her for.

With a shaky breath, Eleanor gathered what little courage she could muster and stepped forward, making her way through the crowd. As she did, she tried to push the overwhelming sense of anxiety down, replacing it with the feeling of sheer determination. She had a quest to complete. Make him laugh, the voice in her head echoed mockingly.

She reached him just as he was about to pass her, his gaze flicking over her briefly—just enough to register her presence but not long enough for any real recognition. She smiled nervously, her fingers twisting at the hem of her dress.

"Your Highness," she said, her voice almost lost beneath the noise of the ballroom. She cleared her throat, trying to sound confident. "I'm Lady Eleanor Hawthorne. It's an honor to finally meet you."

Adrian paused. His cold, calculating gaze fell on her for a split second. His expression was unreadable, yet there was a sharpness to it that made her heart beat faster. He didn't smile, didn't even show the faintest glimmer of warmth. Instead, he looked at her with a scrutinizing stare, as if trying to assess whether she was worth his time.

"Lady Eleanor," he repeated her name slowly, almost testing it. His voice was deep, controlled, and distant, lacking the softness she remembered. "I don't believe we've met before."

No, we have, Eleanor wanted to say, but she swallowed the words. She didn't know how to bring up the fact that she had saved him—let alone how to explain the strange connection she felt to him. It would sound ridiculous. After all, who would believe that a beggar turned prince would remember a simple servant girl from another life?

"I suppose not," she replied, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "But I've heard much about you, Your Highness. Your achievements, your strength…" Her voice faltered a little. "Everyone speaks so highly of you."

The prince's gaze hardened slightly, and he gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of his head. "I'm sure they do," he said flatly, a hint of impatience in his tone. His eyes flicked past her, already looking elsewhere.

Eleanor's stomach twisted, but she refused to give up so easily. This was her task, after all. The System was watching. She had to push through her embarrassment, had to find some way to connect with him.

"So, Your Highness," she said, her words spilling out before she could stop them. "What brings you to the ball tonight? Surely, someone of your stature doesn't need to attend such trivial gatherings." The words were meant to be playful, a light attempt at humor, but they came out flat, like a joke told by someone who had never told one before. Eleanor slightly grin for her dumbness. 

Adrian's gaze flickered back to her, but there was no smile, no acknowledgment of the attempt. Instead, his eyes narrowed just slightly.

"I attend for the same reasons as everyone else, Lady Eleanor," he replied, his voice cool. "To observe, to ensure the peace of the court. Nothing more."

Eleanor's heart sank. She had been too bold, hadn't she? What had she expected? To say something that would genuinely make him laugh? To break through the ice that surrounded him with a silly quip?

The prince's eyes drifted past her once again, already bored, already done with this conversation. Eleanor felt the sting of rejection like a slap to the face, and the pain of it was almost unbearable. She had failed. He was already moving on, his attention somewhere else, his interest nonexistent.

But she couldn't just let it end like this. She couldn't afford to. Not with the System watching her every move, not with her future in this new life hanging in the balance.

Make him laugh, she repeated to herself.

"I—I'm sorry," she stammered, her voice softer now, but firming up as she went on. "I didn't mean to be so forward, Your Highness. It's just… well, you must find the world of the nobility so dull, don't you?" She let out a nervous chuckle. 

Adrian's steps faltered for the briefest of moments, but he didn't stop. His eyes flicked back to hers, and for the first time, there was a faint glimmer of something. Was it amusement? Was it disdain?

"Not dull," he replied, his voice sharper now, as though he were on the verge of being annoyed. "Just… predictable."

Eleanor's thoughts whirled. Predictable. That's it, she thought. She had to be unpredictable. He was looking for something different, something that didn't follow the script. She had to make him see that she wasn't just another boring noblewoman.

"Predictable, you say?" she asked, her voice suddenly a little more daring. "Then, allow me to surprise you, Your Highness."

She straightened up, drawing herself taller, and gave him a wide, exaggerated curtsy. It was awkward, and she almost tripped, but she made sure to hold her stance. She met his eyes again, fully aware of how silly she must have looked.

"You see, I may not be the most graceful, or the most poised, or the most charming," she said, with a mock seriousness. "But I promise you, I can dance circles around anyone in this room. I'm a champion… at tripping over my own feet." Then she laughed horribly. But slowly stopped when she saw that Adrian was just staring at her. 

Her attempt at humor fell flat. Adrian blinked, his face was unreadable. He didn't laugh. He didn't even crack a smile. Instead, he took a small step back, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"I see," he said, his voice devoid of warmth. "It was… interesting to meet you, Lady Eleanor."

The words hung in the air for a moment before he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, the echo of her failure ringing in her ears.

Eleanor felt a lump form in her throat, and her chest tightened with a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She wasn't supposed to fail so miserably. She had just been trying to make a connection, to make him see her as something more than just a pretty face in a gown. But she failed! Not only did she fail, but she embarrassed herself in front of him! How can she make an impression now?

The voice of the System interrupted her thoughts, its cheerful tone cutting through the sting of rejection.

"Ding! Quest failed! New quest assigned: Make Prince Adrian laugh!"

Eleanor clenched her fists, her face flushing with humiliation. Make him laugh, she thought bitterly. I'll make him laugh, alright! Just wait!