The car sliced through the quiet night, wind rushing in through the open windows. Neon lights blurred past, streaks of red and white reflecting off wet pavement. The city pulsed with life even at this hour—distant sirens, the occasional honk, the hum of streetlights overhead.
Franz had one hand on the wheel, the other fishing out a cigarette from the dashboard.
Click. Flame. Inhale. Exhale.
The radio played softly at first, the familiar piano notes creeping in under the rush of the wind.
"I'm holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground~"
Franz tapped the wheel, his voice low and lazy as he sang along.
"And I'm hearing what you say, but I just can't make a sound~"
Then, with perfect timing—
He floored the gas.
The car roared forward, speedometer climbing, the wind whipping against his face.
[Quiet Life System: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!]
"You tell me that you need me, then you go and cut me down~ but wait~"
[STOP IGNORING ME.]
Franz exhaled smoke through his nose. "Testing Victoria's sleep. She hasn't woken up yet."
The girl beside him barely stirred, head resting against the window, deep in exhausted sleep.
Arcadia's voice cut in, smooth and unimpressed.
[Arcadia: So, what's the plan?]
Franz took another drag, letting the cigarette rest between his fingers. "Take her home. Eat. Sleep. That's it."
[...I meant, how are you dealing with the situation?]
"Oh." He smirked, flicking ash out the window. "If it were up to me, I'd just go and kill the goat-fucker."
[That's... one way to handle things.]
"It'd be a mess. Cops on my ass, potential death flags for the main cast. Too many variables."
[So?]
"So, Victoria's playing dead. Easier. Keeps things closer to the main timeline, prevents unnecessary events."
[You planned this all out?]
Franz hummed in response, letting the city rush past him in streaks of motion and color. The distant glow of billboards, the flickering streetlights, the muffled life of bars and late-night diners—they all blurred into the background.
He pulled into the underground parking lot, the tires crunching lightly against the concrete. The engine cut off, leaving only the faint echo of the radio as the final notes of Apologize faded out.
Victoria still wasn't waking up.
Franz sighed, exhaling a slow stream of smoke. Then, with an effortless motion, he stepped out and walked around to the passenger side.
He reached in—
Lifted her. Princess carry.
The elevator doors slid open, and he stepped inside. The elevator doors slid open with a quiet chime. Franz stepped in, shifting Victoria slightly as he leaned against the wall. Through the glass panels, the city loomed beyond the parking structure—towering skyscrapers blinking with cold, artificial light.
Cigarette still between his lips, he muttered, "If someone sees this, I'm filing for diplomatic immunity."
The ride up was quiet.
Then—
[Quiet Life System: This is kidnapping, by the way.]
Franz rolled his eyes. "Yeah? Call the cops."
Silence.
[...You're an actual menace. And do you ever stop smoking?]
The apartment door clicked open, and he walked in, carrying Victoria with ease. The moment he reached the couch, he set her down carefully.
He took the last drag of his cigarette, held it between his fingers for a second—then pressed it out on the ashtray beside the couch.
Stretching with a sigh, he turned toward the kitchen.
"Now… what should I eat?"