Extra's Path To No Harem-Chapter 201: Mission Impossible [4]

Judging by Anna’s expression, I could tell almost immediately—she had no intention of giving me a proper explanation.

Well... she is a princess.

For all I know, she probably has some special artifact, intelligence network, or secret channel that explains everything neatly behind the scenes. Pushing further wouldn’t get me anywhere, so I decided not to make a big deal out of it.

"Then why did you bring me to such a secluded place?" I asked instead, changing the topic.

But the moment I didn’t react much, Anna’s eyes gleamed faintly—as if my indifference had sparked her competitive streak.

She leaned a little closer and teased me again.

"You’re more aggressive than I expected, Louis. What exactly are you planning to do with a grown maiden in a place like this?"

"No, that’s not it," I replied quickly, rubbing my temple.

Still, her words made me pause.

Her attitude toward me had definitely changed.

Before, she’d always maintained a careful distance—formal speech, polite expressions, the unmistakable air of royalty between us.

Now?

She joked without hesitation. Teased me openly.

Which meant only one thing.

Anna felt far more comfortable with me than before.

Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing... I honestly wasn’t sure.

In the past, I would’ve felt awkward—maybe even pressured—in a situation like this. Being this close to someone like her would’ve made me instinctively put my guard up.

But now, seeing her relaxed smile and playful tone, it didn’t feel unpleasant.

More than that, something else stood out.

Lately, she hadn’t been trying to subtly pull me into her faction. No probing questions. No veiled suggestions. No political bait disguised as casual conversation.

That alone was strange enough to make me uneasy.

"This really isn’t the time for jokes," I said, straightening in my seat.

Five hours.

At exactly 7 p.m., the bombs hidden within the imperial palace would detonate.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Anna tilted her head, clearly confused.

I didn’t waste time dancing around it. My voice dropped, urgency bleeding into every word.

"There are bombs planted here. Right now."

"...Bombs?" She blinked. "What are you suddenly talking about—"

"You know Bane, right?" I cut in. "His gang planted them. Three bombs, spread throughout the imperial palace. They’re set to explode in exactly five hours."

For a brief moment, the room went silent.

Then—

"What are we waiting for?" Anna shot to her feet, chair scraping loudly against the floor. "We need to move. Immediately."

No hesitation.

No doubt.

Not even a flicker of suspicion.

I stared at her in disbelief.

"...You believe me?" I asked.

"Of course," she replied without missing a beat. "I know you wouldn’t lie about something like this."

Her answer was immediate. Certain.

Too certain.

I frowned inwardly.

I was sure I hadn’t done anything to earn that level of trust. We weren’t close friends. We hadn’t shared life-or-death battles. If anything, our relationship was built on duty and circumstance.

And yet—

She believed me completely.

That realization sent a strange chill down my spine.

"Anna," I said carefully, choosing my words, "you don’t even know where I got this information from."

"That doesn’t matter," she replied without hesitation. "What matters is that you’re warning me now."

Her tone was calm—too calm.

I let out a small, incredulous laugh. "And what if I’m in league with them? What if I’m just feeding you lies for fun?"

She didn’t flinch.

"Do you have a reason to?" Anna asked instead. "You’re in a position where you could harm me right now if you wanted to."

I fell silent.

She was right.

At the moment, the room was empty. No guards. No attendants. Just Anna and me, seated across from each other in the student council room. If I truly had malicious intent, this would’ve been the perfect opportunity.

Anna understood that perfectly.

"And even if that weren’t the case," she continued softly, "I would still believe you."

"...Why?" I asked.

She met my gaze directly. "Because I owe you a great deal."

That answer caught me off guard.

Owe me... a great deal?

My mind immediately drifted to Bane’s recent plot—the one that nearly pushed the entire country into chaos. An incident where anger and misinformation had spread like wildfire, stirring citizens toward revolt exactly as he intended.

If things had gone even slightly differently, the Empire might’ve faced a full-scale uprising.

Fortunately, it hadn’t come to that.

Because of my judgment—because I stepped in when I did—we managed to stop it before it spiraled out of control.

Anna knew that.

She also knew the price I’d paid afterward.

My name dragged through the mud. My face plastered across broadcasts. Branded as the oppressor, the villain, the convenient scapegoat. Forced to move carefully, watching my back even within academy walls.

From her perspective, I was someone who’d taken the blame so others wouldn’t have to.

That was probably why she felt indebted to me.

Still...

"A great deal feels like an exaggeration," I said slowly. "Wasn’t it just that one incident?"

Anna shook her head. "No. That was only the most visible one."

I frowned.

I did save her—secretly, without her ever realizing it.

But that was something Anna didn’t need to know.

And honestly, she was probably exaggerating things anyway.

"Well... do you know where these locations are?" I asked.

"Yes. They should be here."

I spread the rough sketch out on the table.

There was no way I could obtain a proper map of the imperial palace. Naturally, a place with the highest level of security in the Empire wouldn’t allow something like that to circulate. Even thinking about it was laughable.

Instead, I’d settled for extracting information the old-fashioned way—by interrogating the man who’d been carrying the letter. Pain has a way of loosening tongues, and thanks to that, I’d managed to piece together a vague layout based on his descriptions.

Still, it was crude at best. Just a handful of lines and landmarks scratched onto parchment.

I’d been planning to investigate further on my own—

But meeting Anna had made things far easier than expected.

I slid the paper closer to her. "Do you recognize any of these places?"

Anna leaned forward slightly, eyes scanning the sketch. She didn’t hesitate for long.

Then she raised her hand and pointed.

Her fingertip landed near the upper section of the drawing—just past what I’d marked as the banquet hall.

"It should be around here," she said calmly. "Above the banquet hall, toward the inner corridor."

I blinked. "You’re sure?"

She nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I’ve passed through that area many times."

...As expected of a princess.

The geography of the imperial palace seemed to be completely etched into her memory. What I’d struggled to piece together through force and guesswork, she identified in seconds.

I let out a quiet breath. "That... actually helps a lot."

She shot me a sideways glance, as if gauging my reaction, then spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

"What are you standing around for? Let’s move."

"...Won’t it be uncomfortable for you?" I asked hesitantly. "I can go up there by myself if—"

"Oh, this?" Anna interrupted, glancing down at her dress. "Hmm."

Before I could finish my sentence, she turned to me and extended her hand.

"Can I borrow your sword for a moment?"

"...My sword?"

I handed it to her without really thinking. The blade was elegant, well-balanced—definitely not something meant for casual use.

Anna examined it briefly, nodded in satisfaction, and then—

Rip.

Slash.

The sound was sharp and decisive.

"—Hey!"

In one clean motion, she cut through the fabric of her dress.

The long skirt that had reached all the way to her ankles—restrictive, heavy, almost ceremonial—fell away in pieces, pooling uselessly at her feet. What remained was a skirt short enough to be called a mini-skirt without exaggeration.

For a moment, I just stared.

"...You didn’t even hesitate," I muttered.

Anna stretched her legs lightly, testing her range of motion, then rolled her shoulders.

"Now I can breathe," she said with clear relief.

I swallowed.

She’s bold. Way bolder than I expected.

Still... I couldn’t deny it. She was right.

The dress had been like shackles—beautiful, dignified, but utterly impractical. Now, her movements were fluid, unrestricted. If anyone could maneuver through the palace quickly like this, it was her.

She handed my sword back, completely unfazed.

"At this point, I can move around just fine," she said. "You don’t need to slow down for me."

I took the sword and nodded slowly, forcing myself to refocus.

She’s not wrong. This isn’t the time to get distracted.

I glanced at the corridor ahead, then mentally reviewed the situation.

Five hours remaining.

Five hours to locate every single bomb hidden within the imperial palace.

Miss even one, and the consequences would be catastrophic.

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Author Note:.

Thanks for reading the novel. I hope you liked the Chapter and continue to read as you always have.

Bye