Fated to Die to the Player, I'll Live Freely with My SSS-Class Ship!-Chapter 119: Dinner, Declarations, and Disaster

In space, where there's no sunrise or sunset to mark the passage of time.

Because of that, to standardize what counts as a "day," they decided on a total of 50 hours, using Earth units as the baseline. Naturally, this refers to a "galactic day," as each planet has a different length of day depending on its rotation speed.

Here, on the capital planet of the Meyers Star System—the fourth planet from its star—Fizzen—a full day lasts around 30 hours. The hours from 0 to 9 are considered "before dawn," 9 to 24 is treated as daytime, and from 24 to 30 is regarded as nighttime.

At the moment, it was 2500 hours in military time. That meant it was just an hour into the night. This was the most logical time for dinner. Just like what we were doing right now.

Still, one mustn't underestimate how extravagant a meal could be in a royal palace.

The dining table stretched 25 meters long, its entire surface covered with a dizzying array of dishes from end to end. You'd think a grand feast was about to unfold—but in truth, everything had been prepared for just three people.

Cassandra, Me, and Eva. Our seating order was the same, with Cassandra at the head seat, me directly to her right, and Eva further to my right.

Earlier, Cassandra kindly said that we didn't need to worry too much about manners while dining. Even so, I tried to maintain what little etiquette I could remember.

I wasn't someone used to fine dining. At best, I visited fast-food joints and ate indoors. So the table manners I knew were superficial at best. Compared to Cassandra, my etiquette was embarrassingly crude.

How the hell could someone eat with such elegance and refinement? Just watching her was enough to wear me out!

The silence at the table grew heavy. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore and spoke up.

"Queen Cassandra, I apologize for troubling you due to my ignorance earlier." I broke the ice, expressing regret for my unintentional blunder.

Because of that single slip-up, she'd been forced to spend four extra hours smoothing things over with the agitated nobles. Apparently, it had been quite the ordeal.

Huh? Why am I calling her Queen? Well, I'm not bold enough to casually drop her title with all these maids, butlers, and knights standing just a few meters away, watching everything like hawks.

Cassandra paused her graceful cutting of food, then smiled warmly in my direction.

"No, you don't need to apologize, Duke Arthur. If anything, the fault lies with me for not briefing you properly before the ceremony."

She gave a soft shake of her head.

"I should have instructed the maids to wake you up earlier, at least an hour beforehand, so you'd have time to learn how to carry yourself properly at the throne."

"If I had known, I'd have done my best to remember everything just to avoid embarrassing you, Your Highness." I scratched the back of my head sheepishly.

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"Well… you have a point." Cassandra let out a soft laugh, covering her mouth with a folding fan that seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Still, I wasn't expecting you to be such a fan of Period Dramas. Practically everything you said was lifted straight from them, wasn't it?"

"A-Ahahaha…"

Wait, those lines came from period dramas? I hadn't even realized such details existed in the game's background settings. Though, I obviously couldn't tell her I copied those lines from a bunch of old movies back on Earth.

The two of us continued talking in a light-hearted manner, slipping in the occasional jab or joke. It helped ease the tense atmosphere at the table, or so I thought...

"Thanks for the meal."

Until Eva suddenly stood and left.

As her back turned away, her earlier words flashed in my mind, making me call to her. "Right, you said you'd give me your answer after dinner? Can I hear it now?"

*Stomp!*

She brought her foot down with notable force, the impact echoing through the wide hall. She stopped, saying nothing at first, and glanced toward our direction from the corner of her eye.

No... She was staring solely at Cassandra.

I turned toward Cassandra to gauge her reaction, and saw her responding with nothing but a flat, composed smile.

Their gazes met right where I sat, and for some inexplicable reason, I felt a weight press down on my shoulders.

A few seconds passed before Eva turned her back to us and said, "I'll visit your room later and tell you then."

And with that, she left the grand dining hall, her half-eaten plate remaining behind.

"Eva..."

I hadn't meant to pressure her into making a decision, but maybe I'd pushed her more than I realized.

Just then, Cassandra tugged lightly on my sleeve, her voice low and timid. "Duke Arthur, was that about…?"

"Oh," I replied, suddenly remembering she didn't know what I'd asked Eva earlier. "It's nothing too serious. I was just waiting for her answer about something. I asked if she'd be willing to become a Duchess and govern the planet you granted me."

"Oh, so you… huh?"

Cassandra initially nodded in understanding, but then her expression froze. Her fork slipped from her hand and clattered loudly against her porcelain plate.

Her gentle smile disappeared, replaced by a furrowed brow.

And her gaze, for a fleeting moment, felt downright intense…

"It seems… my plans might've worked against me..." Cassandra muttered. "But… after coming this far… I…"

"...?"

Why do women always leave things half-said? I couldn't help but wonder what she was really thinking.

Anyway, after Eva's abrupt exit, dinner proceeded without further incident.

When I returned to my room afterward, however, I discovered I wasn't alone.

"Sir Arthur—no, Duke Arthur. Please pardon the intrusion."

Standing there was the head maid, accompanied by an entire squad of other maids. Behind them was a mobile wardrobe rack packed with all sorts of pajamas.

Without saying much else, I instantly realized what they were about to do.

Change my clothes. Again.

Before I could utter even a word of protest, the door shut firmly behind me—and I was caught.

Like a helpless newborn, the maids stripped and redressed me from head to toe, their faces as unreadable as stone. They didn't flinch or blink even after seeing me completely naked. I mean, I appreciate their professionalism, really, but... still, this is beyond awkward.

Minutes passed by, and finally, I was freed from that suffocating prince-like outfit and changed into something actually wearable—comfortable sleepwear.

At the very least, they honored my request and went with the blue, checkered pajamas I'd been eyeing earlier. A simple set: long-sleeved, buttoned shirt and matching cotton pants. This blue one was leagues better than the other color options. Yellow? Pink? Not happening. The rest of the designs... completely out of the question.

Once their task was done, the maids promptly exited the room and vanished.

Not one lingered behind to offer comfort or small talk. Not even the head maid. Well, I guess they were just doing their jobs with machine-like efficiency...

I leapt onto the bed, savoring the springy feel as I bounced gently a few times. The material was plush, letting my body sink about an inch into it, but firm enough not to feel like quicksand.

This was a sensation no one could get back in space. The artificial gravity aboard ships just wasn't strong enough to let you enjoy beds like this.

"..."

As I stopped moving, I suddenly noticed how eerily quiet the entire room was.

The humming sound of the automated laser defenses had gone silent. Most likely, the palace barrier was now fully active. Or maybe they just ran out of targets to shoot. After all, over 50 assassins died on my ceiling alone—judging from the previous bullet holes and mess... Wait, where are the holes?

There weren't even bloodstains on the floor.

Did the maids clean up and repair everything already?

Damn. That level of efficiency is downright terrifying.

*WHIRR!*

Just as I tried to refocus and fall asleep, I heard the mechanical hum of something activating. The sound came from the wall right beside the head of my massive bed.

"What the...?"

Curious, I took a week-long travel to the edge and slipped off the bed. I crept toward the source, pressing my ear against the wall. I felt a soft vibration and scratchy mechanical noises... It sounded suspiciously like an elevator?

Was there a hallway beyond this wall?

While I tried to figure it out, the sound suddenly stopped. I pressed my ear harder, trying to determine if it had actually halted—or simply moved further away—

*PISSSHH!*

Suddenly, the "wall" split open.

Losing the thing supporting my balance, I tumbled forward and instinctively reached out to stop myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a figure standing just ahead, "within" the wall, right where my hand was heading.

"Uhhn!"

I staggered forward two steps, barely catching myself—while grabbing something firm and... oddly plush. The texture was silky-smooth, but the thing I was holding felt soft and springy. Like a giant stress ball. But, you know, alive.

As I steadied myself and lifted my head, I got a good look at who I'd just clutched—

"...Cassandra?"

And there she was—the Queen herself.

My eyes slowly drifted downward, to where my hand still rested. What I was grabbing was, in fact... one of her generous, pillowy breasts.

"Woah! Sorry!" I yelped, recoiling as I let go and stepped back. "That was completely accidental!"

"W-Well," Cassandra said, hugging her arms across her chest, her cheeks lightly flushed. "I was the one who entered through the secret passage. You're not to blame." She added that last part while fidgeting in place.

"T-Thanks..."

If anyone else had witnessed what I just did, I'd already be scheduled for a date with the royal guillotine for sure.

"Hmm?"

But then a question popped into my mind like a reflex.

I turned toward Cassandra. She was wearing pajamas just like mine—but hers shimmered in a brilliant golden hue. Not yellow, but an elegant, lustrous gold. Was this actual gold-threaded fabric, or just high-end silk...? No, wait, that's not what had me confused!

"Cassandra... why did you come here in the first place?" I asked, my curiosity overriding my nerves.

She trembled slightly, then took a long breath—like someone about to dive into deep water. With a resolute look in her eyes, she replied.

"I... came here to claim you for myself."

"...Huh?"

Before I could react or even ask for clarification, Cassandra moved—grabbing both of my hands and walking past me toward the bed. Still confused, I allowed myself to be guided—

*THUD!*

She pushed me onto the bed.

"...!"

In that single moment, the weight behind her words came crashing down on me. My heartbeat spiked, and I could feel my face heating up fast. I was either flustered or thrilled—or both.

"Arthur..."

She whispered my name as her fingers reached for her pajama buttons, unfastening them one by one.

Then—

"Arthur? I'm coming in."

The front door creaked open, and a familiar redhead walked into view.

"I'm here to give you my answ—"

But mid-sentence, her eyes locked onto the scene in front of her.

She saw me. She saw Cassandra. She saw everything. Her expression hardened instantly, and without a word, she turned back toward the door—

And locked it shut.

At that precise moment, a strange realization hit me.

Something terrible (or wonderful) was about to unfold.