After being confined to the countryside for so long, seeing the capital again, with its beautiful streets and its busy people, filled my heart with joy. As I returned, I was the happiest I had been in the last seven years. However, during the party that my friends had prepared to welcome me back, all of that joy was taken away and replaced with anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow?! How does that<\/em> girl still dare call herself Jeord\u2019s fianc\u00e9e?!\u201d I shouted, slamming my hands on the table and making the tableware on it clatter. \u201cHe ought to have gotten rid of that worthless girl years ago!\u201d I could feel the anger heating up my face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…That is what we were expecting, too…\u201d muttered one of my friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen why?! Why are they still engaged?!\u201d I asked her, bringing myself closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe do not know, either… Rumor has it that Jeord himself refuses to cancel the engagement,\u201d she replied while cowering ever so slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJeord himself?! That cannot be true!\u201d I shouted even louder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy would the prince wish for a fianc\u00e9e like her<\/em>?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat I do not know, but…\u201d she said while retreating even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…But? But what?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome say that he is adamant about making amends for the scar on her face…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe one that supposedly is the original reason for the engagement? I cannot believe that it has not healed after all these years!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seven years ago, that girl<\/em> tripped in the castle\u2019s garden, and the accident left a scar on her forehead. Jeord, who was accompanying her, took responsibility by choosing her as his fianc\u00e9e. Jeord<\/em> taking responsibility for her<\/em> clumsiness!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKnowing her, she is probably hiding the fact that her wound has healed to keep the prince in her clutches. Oh, my poor Jeord!\u201d Just thinking of him being deceived by that harpy made my chest hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeord Stuart… the king\u2019s third son. The first time I met him, seeing his blue eyes, blonde hair, and handsome face, it was like seeing a prince from a fairy tale. I fell in love with him, and leveraged my father\u2019s standing as marquess to have me considered as a potential bride. I would make him my<\/em> prince! I knew that there already were a few other ladies contending for Jeord, but that did not stop me. I am much more beautiful than them! And smarter! And I have stronger magic! I am the perfect bride for the prince!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n …Or so I thought. Soon after my interest in Jeord was made public, someone<\/em> came to steal my righteous spot as favorite princess candidate. And why? Because of a scar that Jeord wanted to take responsibility for. Unbelievable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Upon hearing the news, I fell into despair. Had that someone been at least more beautiful, smart, and magically capable than me (which is unlikely, I know), I could have made peace with the fact and resigned my love. But as it turned out, Jeord\u2019s fianc\u00e9e was not particularly good-looking, not particularly intelligent, and not particularly good with magic. Her family\u2019s rank was higher than mine, but that was the only subject where she bested me. To think that a girl like that<\/em> would marry the prince…<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had actually met her when I was six or seven years old, as our parents knew each other. She struck me as an egotistical, spoiled, and untalented child. Of course I was not there to witness the scene, but I would wager that she threatened Jeord into taking responsibility for the wound on her stupid face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked my father and friends for help in freeing the prince from his captress… After which, of course, I would marry him. However, for as dumb, plain-looking, and inept as she may be, I was still up against a duke\u2019s daughter. She would not go down easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First of all, I had to make her look bad, and then make myself look good in Jeord\u2019s eyes. I started using my father\u2019s network of acquaintances to spread the truth about how much of a spoiled brat that girl was. Very soon after that, however, my father got sent off to live in the countryside, far away from the capital… and his whole family, including me, had to go with him. Officially, he had been put in charge of reforming new territories for the kingdom, but it did not take a genius to figure out that he had been forcefully relegated to as remote a location as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He must have displeased someone important… He never told us exactly what he had done, but on the day he received the orders to move, his face seemed to have aged by a good ten years. Also, whereas previously he had always been so kind to me, he was now distant and cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both Mother and I strongly objected to accompanying him, but he would not listen to us, and we ended up having to live in the middle of nowhere near the country\u2019s border. So it came to be that eight-year-old me was exiled amongst the cattle and fields for seven years, far enough from the capital that not even rumors would reach me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Surrounded by nothing but nature, with nothing to entertain me… they were seven years of torture. But I managed to escape this agony of boredom thanks to one of the kingdom\u2019s laws. As I have turned fifteen, I am required (or rather, allowed<\/em>) to return to the capital to enroll in the Academy of Magic. There are still a few months before the school year starts, but I insisted upon going there in advance with the excuse of needing time to prepare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My father \u2014 who had remained unchangingly cold towards me since the start of his countryside exile \u2014 was not fond of the idea, but I pestered him so much that he begrudgingly gave in, on the one condition that I \u201clay low and do nothing problematic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I promised to respect this condition at the time, but that was because I did not know that Jeord was still being controlled by that dreadful girl. Rumors from the capital could not reach me, so I had assumed that my poor, poor prince was now engaged to a different, decent fianc\u00e9e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seven years ago my father\u2019s untimely failure ruined my plans, but this time<\/em> I will succeed. I will free Jeord from his engagement… and then, maybe, I will become his new fianc\u00e9e!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stood from my chair and made my declaration of war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKatarina Claes, your days are numbered! This time, I will seize Jeord from your clutches!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAhh-choo! Ahh-choo! Hmm… Did I catch a cold? Not surprising in this weather… Anne, could you get me a hot drink?\u201d I asked my maid while sniffling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course,\u201d she said in her usual deferential tone before preparing my tea. \u201cHowever, if I may say so, such sneezes are unbefitting of a lady such as yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYep, I\u2019ll keep that in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unbefitting sneezes? How do ladies sneeze? Am I supposed to raise my pinky while covering my mouth? Uhm… Maybe that will work.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Anne brought me the tea, along with some delicious-looking cookies. She really knows how to please me. I thanked her and started sipping my tea, which warmed me up from the inside. Now that fall was starting to turn into winter, even my room had started to get chilly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once winter is over, I\u2019ll have to enter the academy to study and live there for two years. There\u2019s a lot to take care of before moving out of the house for so long! In particular, in my case, I have to worry about the many Catastrophic Bad Ends waiting for me at the school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then again, time really flies, doesn\u2019t it? I was reborn into this world as an eight-year-old, which means that I\u2019ve been engaged to Jeord for seven years now. I tried to cancel the engagement so that I would have fewer Bad Ends to worry about, but all my efforts were in vain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My fianc\u00e9, Prince Jeord, once revered as a handsome and capable child, had now grown into a handsome and capable youth. If anything he had become even more <\/em>handsome, as proven by the many girls in love with him. Since he\u2019s smart and a powerful magic user in addition to being good-looking, women throughout the kingdom think higher and higher of him every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n …On the other hand, the opinion that those women have of his fianc\u00e9e, that is to say me, gets worse and worse. Oh well, at least the worst I\u2019ve ever had to contend with are cold stares and the occasional nasty remark. Nobody here would really hurt a duke\u2019s daughter… But what about after I enter the academy? Will I still be safe?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeord was cold and calculating in the game, only treating the protagonist to fake smiles as she tried to complete his route. However the \u201creal\u201d Jeord is kind to everyone, including me, and can often be seen smiling and laughing. With all the women that have fallen in love with him, I\u2019m sure that the protagonist will be no exception once they meet. But what about Jeord himself? Despite having so many fans, he never talks about any of them in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wonder what kind of girl he even likes. In the game he became infatuated with the protagonist because of her unpredictability and positivity. Will the same happen here? If it does, then being engaged to me would be a nuisance, but I would very happily step aside and give Jeord and the protagonist my blessing… Anyway, no matter how much I speculate, the only way to know how things will play out is to wait and see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve read enough manga (and novels, since I was reborn) and watched enough anime to know how this usually plays out… The protagonist falls in love with Jeord, she starts seeing me as an obstacle, and Jeord turns against me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if he does that, I\u2019ll be prepared!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll go to Grandpa Tom and have him help me with my toy snakes!\u201d I declared while standing up from my seat, half a cookie still in my mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina, I suggest that you stop playing around and focus on preparing for the academy,\u201d said Anne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy Anne, my snakes are<\/em> part of my preparations for the academy! I must perfect them before the school year starts!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou surely are not planning to bring those ghastly trinkets you made with the gardener to the academy… are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course I am! I need them for defense!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Defense? Defense from what, if I may ask?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDefense from doom!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAgain with the nonsense…\u201d said my maid with a sigh, bringing a palm to her face. I left her to her unwarranted anxiety and went to Grandpa Tom, who teaches me how to farm and helps me in preparing my serpentine defense against Jeord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, I shall make my best projectile snake yet! <\/em>I excitedly started marching towards Grandpa Tom\u2019s quarters… Unfortunately, on my very first step, I tripped on the hem of my dress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEeek!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I somehow managed to put my hands up in front of me to avoid diving face-first, but oh what a terrible way to start a day. This couldn\u2019t be a good sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Curse this world and its long dresses! Give me back my tracksuits!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For the time being, I rolled up the skirt of the dress to free my legs from the knee down. Great! Now I can run to my room, change into my work clothes, and then comfortably go to the garden.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as I took my first step, the door in front of me opened and Mother came out of it. Her initial surprised expression quickly changed into one of stern disagreement after looking at my dress. She\u2019d told me many, many times that proper ladies should walk carefully enough that the hem of their dress doesn\u2019t flutter about. Forget fluttering about<\/em>, my hem was rolled up all the way above my knees…<\/p>\n\n\n\n I usually try to avoid any improper<\/em> stuff around Mother \u2014 I don\u2019t want to get scolded \u2014 but I got so excited about my snake toys that I completely forgot about her. Mother\u2019s face was not exactly the sweetest to begin with, but now it was slowly turning into a devilish mask of rage. I\u2019d better… get some distance… and run away… very far away…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n She\u2019s known me for long enough to realize what I was thinking, and grabbed me by the collar before I could go anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKatarina… Come to my room, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Needless to say, \u201cCome to my room<\/em>,\u201d<\/em> means \u201cI am now going to lecture you for hours on end.\u201d<\/em> There went my plans of building snakes, or actually even reaching the garden at all, for the day. And on top of that, Mother said that she was worried that I\u2019d embarrass her at the academy, and so I\u2019d have to have even more frequent etiquette lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The day of my enrollment in the academy draws nearer, and here I am, unable to prepare for it. \u201cA ball?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. You are going to enter the academy soon, and it would do you good to do so armed with more acquaintances. A dance party would be the perfect occasion,\u201d Father told me while we were all dining together. \u201cI have chosen some invitations from the ones we have received, so take a look and decide which one you want to attend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n My first ball was earlier this year for my fifteenth birthday, and then I went to the one that Jeord and Alan had held for theirs. But that\u2019s it…<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reason why I haven\u2019t attended any balls since then is that, at the princes\u2019 party, while trying out all of the delicious foods and drinks being served, I ended up accidentally drinking alcohol, getting drunk, and passing out. Or so I\u2019m told, because to be honest, my memories from that day are a bit hazy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily all of this took place in a hidden corner of the dance hall, and my friends took care of me fast enough that news of my… incident didn\u2019t spread. On the other hand, I was forbidden from attending balls for a while and had to take extra etiquette lessons, courtesy of Mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a while, \u201cYour manners! Your manners! Your manners!\u201d <\/em>seemed to be the only words coming out of Mother\u2019s mouth… Have my manners improved enough that she deemed it okay for me to go to a ball? Am I free from lessons now?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As it turns out, no and no. She just thought that, as a noble lady, I was expected to attend a few parties before going to the academy. She also said that during my two years in the academy I won\u2019t have as many opportunities to interact with the high society, since I will have to live on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So she still wasn\u2019t satisfied by my manners, despite all of these years of behaving like a proper lady… She must be a real perfectionist. Whatever the reason, I still had to take those lessons with Mother, but at least I could attend a ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tea parties with my friends are nice, but I only get served light, sweet snacks. I don\u2019t have anything against those, but at balls you can eat actual meals, and they\u2019re all delicious!<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Keith\u2019s help, I chose a ball invitation from the ones that Father had received. I was already looking forward to it! \u201cWhy have you chosen this<\/em> one?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as Jeord came to visit me at home, as he did several times a week, I shared with him my excitement about the prospect of going to a ball after so long. However, he gave me a perplexed look and asked me that question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t really matter to me. This one\u2019s just as good as any other! But Keith said I should go to that one, so I agreed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I knew next to nothing about high society, so I really didn\u2019t have any preference. I\u2019m sure that Father had already filtered my options, leaving only the balls where it was least likely that I\u2019d get myself in trouble. But Keith insisted on that one, and I had no reason to refuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeith… You chose this on purpose, did you not?\u201d asked Jeord with the coldest of stares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have no idea what you are talking about,\u201d replied Keith with the warmest of smiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs there some problem with this ball?\u201d I ask Jeord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe ball itself is fine, but, on that day, I must meet some guests from a neighboring country. I cannot miss such an appointment; nor can I have them delay their whole trip.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see, I see. And what\u2019s the problem with that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The royal family sure is busy… even Jeord, who only has to take part in a few of their diplomatic meetings since he\u2019s still pretty young. But I\u2019m the one who\u2019s supposed to go to the ball, not Jeord, so why would that even matter?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeord sighed.. \u201cKatarina… This is a ball, meaning that you need an escort. Obviously you would choose your fianc\u00e9to escort you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAhh! You\u2019re right!\u201d I had almost forgotten that for balls, unlike tea parties, you need an escort! That\u2019s what happens when you don\u2019t attend any balls for so long. I should\u2019ve checked whether my fianc\u00e9 was free before choosing a ball…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am sorry… I had completely forgotten that. But I already replied to the invitation… What should I do?\u201d Oh snap… I already said that I\u2019d go! Can I cancel that?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Big Sister. You could choose your fianc\u00e9 as your escort, but you don\u2019t have to. I will do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, Keith, here you go again, saving your sister whenever she\u2019s in trouble!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you, Keith!\u201d I said, relieved… But Jeord looked even more troubled than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeith… How dare you…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHm? Again, I have no idea what you\u2019re talking about. Oh well, I will be escorting Big Sister to the ball, but you do your best in greeting those foreign visitors, Prince Jeord!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so it was decided that Keith, who was now sporting an even wider smile, would accompany me to my third ball ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This ball, being hosted by relatives of the Claes family, wasn\u2019t particularly large in scale, but I still had to undergo a battery of preparations in order to look like a proper lady. Fix your hair this, clean your skin that… After all that, come the day of the ball, Katarina the Villainess had been replaced by Katarina, the Not-So-Bad-Looking Villainess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBig Sister, let\u2019s go,\u201d said my escort as he offered me his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you, Keith,\u201d I replied, taking it. Riding in a carriage in my best dress, holding hands with a handsome boy, I really felt like a princess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being a duke\u2019s daughter, maybe, I am<\/em> a kind of princess? But the people around me don\u2019t usually treat me like one, which was in part because Mother ordered the servants to be very strict with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as the carriage started moving, Keith gave me a stern warning. \u201cBig Sister, make sure that you don\u2019t drink any alcohol!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Keith. Mother has already nagged me enough about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n …Or rather, about that and a million other things. Don\u2019t drink alcohol! Don\u2019t flutter your dress about! Don\u2019t eat too much! Don\u2019t laugh too loudly! Don\u2019t forget to smile! Don\u2019t speak with your mouth full! Don\u2019t run! Don\u2019t wander away from your brother! Don\u2019t eat things off the ground! (Seriously? Off the ground?<\/em> Mother… What am I to you?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI made a mistake and learned from it! I never make the same mistake twice!\u201d I said, only for Keith to give me a blank stare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Yes, you never make the same mistake only<\/em> twice… I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen you learn anything from your mistakes…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Possibly rude, probably right. I just shut up. Keith kept piling warnings on me, and instead of a princess, I now felt more like a student being scolded by a teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We finally reached our destination, where we met our host.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you for coming to my ball. Enjoy yourselves!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After exchanging greetings and some words of gratitude with him, we entered the mansion to join the ball. Now we had to greet all of our acquaintances. Personally I didn\u2019t have that many since I\u2019d only been to three balls so far, but Keith had people calling out to him left and right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike me, he was never forbidden to attend balls, and he often joined Father when he met with other nobles. Still, surely he didn\u2019t know this<\/em> many people? He couldn\u2019t take a step without an acquaintance greeting him. And most of these \u201cacquaintances\u201d were young girls…<\/p>\n\n\n\n No surprise there, though. He\u2019s a duke\u2019s heir and he still doesn\u2019t have a fianc\u00e9e. Plus he\u2019s handsome and kind to top it off, so of course he\u2019d have a lot of girls after him. I had no problem with that… What I did have a problem with was the way all of these girls looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It turned out that Keith had never escorted a girl to a ball before, so all these girls were suspic… curious about who I was. Explaining to them that I was Keith\u2019s sister was enough to stop them from staring at me, but now they were saying that if he was only there with his sister, he might as well escort them<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before I knew it, Keith had disappeared into the flock of girls. Mother told me not to leave his side for the whole evening, but she couldn\u2019t expect me to go through… that. Anyway, I\u2019m an adult now, and I\u2019ve also taken all those lessons on manners! What\u2019s there to worry about? I\u2019ll just grab a quick snack before going back to Keith. I\u2019m starving!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I approached the buffet with its impressive selection of dishes. Balls really are on another level when it comes to food! This meat looks so tender! And the salad! Oh, the seafood!<\/em> I was almost drooling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where should I start? Go with the meat first, or warm up with something lighter? Hmm… There are so many dishes… I\u2019d really like to try them all out… Okay! No point in keeping the best for last! I\u2019ll take that meat!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you Katarina Claes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Mhfg?\u201d Hearing my name called right after I had taken my first bite, I was surprised and ended up letting out a weird noise in response. I\u2019m sure I looked terribly dumb, since the meat was still in my mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The question had been asked by a beautiful girl of around my age with flaxen hair and green eyes. She looked really surprised when I turned around, which is reasonable since she probably wasn\u2019t expecting me to have my mouth full of meat. Then again, I didn\u2019t think I knew this girl. She was beautiful enough to be in the same league as Mary and Sophia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wait, do I actually know her? I would remember a girl this pretty,<\/em> I thought to myself while swallowing the meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She waited for me to finish eating, and then said, \u201cIt is a pleasure to meet you again after all this time. I am Marsha Catley.\u201d It was the proper, elegant greeting typical of a noble lady.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did she just say \u201cmeet you again\u201d? Oh no, am I supposed to know her? Um anyway, I\u2019d better return the greeting…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Catley, the pleasure is mine,\u201d I said with my mouth finally free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy the way, Lady Katarina, are you still engaged to Prince Jeord?\u201d asked Marsha, the beautiful girl who I had apparently already met before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh… Y-Yes, I am,\u201d I stuttered, surprised by her question, and Marsha\u2019s beautiful face turned red with anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRenounce that engagement forthwith!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Huh?\u201d Noblewoman speech is always so hard to understand. Renounce the engagement for sweets? What?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe only have the main courses here, but I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll also get desserts… I don\u2019t think that\u2019d be necessary…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat are you talking about?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is she mad about? What\u2019s going on?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLook at you, pretending not to understand! Pretense! Lies! This is what your engagement with Jeord is built upon!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ohhhh, so it\u2019s about Jeord! <\/em>Jeord was really popular, so I was used to girls hating me for being his fianc\u00e9e. \u201cShe\u2019s not worthy,\u201d \u201cShe\u2019s not fit for a prince\u201d<\/em>… I\u2019d heard it all. Well, to be honest I also agreed with those sentiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeave the poor prince alone! You have held him in shackles for seven years now! Are you not satisfied?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I never heard someone say such a thing straight to my face. And also, she was basically saying that I had forced Jeord into the engagement…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her voice was so loud that the people around us, one by one, started noticing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is bad. If Mother catches wind of me standing out so much during the ball, she\u2019ll probably give me a good scolding… How can I reason with this girl?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBig Sister? What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeith!\u201d My brother, as always, had come to save me from trouble, followed by a legion of girls. I tried to explain to him that this beautiful girl had just gotten angry at me for something related to Jeord, but she spoke first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you Keith Claes?\u201d she asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIndeed. And who are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am Marsha Catley. I have heard much about you. Seven years ago you became heir to the Claes family, did you not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, I did… And what of it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou poor soul…\u201d she said burying her face in her hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Huh? What?<\/em> We just stood there, confused, then Marsha started shouting again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat a cruel thing to force upon you! And all because she knew that, being adopted, you were in no position to refuse! And on top of that, to even force you to escort her!\u201d She then looked Keith in the eyes, and tenderly told him, \u201cI shall save you too, Keith! Do not worry!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marsha then went back to staring at me and much less tenderly declared \u201cPrepare yourself!\u201d before turning her heels and leaving with an Until then! <\/em>like some sort of movie villain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keith and I stared in silence, appalled, until he asked me, \u201cWho in the world was that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have no idea…\u201d She was probably one of the many girls who hoped to marry Jeord, but she was a bit more… enthusiastic<\/em> than all the others. I thought that she was someone I was supposed to know but had forgotten, but Keith didn\u2019t know her either. And she sure had some wild ideas about me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t the original Katarina from the game, and I would never force Jeord into becoming my fianc\u00e9. And forcing Keith to escort me? How could I ever do that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s true that, having been adopted from a distant relative, some could consider him as lower-ranking than the rest of the family. But Father had always treated us equally, and Mother… Well, if anything, she liked Keith better…<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I\u2019d never actually asked Keith himself how he felt about that. Whatever I ask of him he always nods and smiles, be it helping me with the fields, going to the city together, escorting me to the ball… I had never considered it, but maybe he really was doing all of that because he thought that, as an adopted member of the family, he couldn\u2019t refuse. Had I forced my poor brother to suffer, being too oblivious to realize his real feelings? Did he actually hate me?! Why had I not realized?! Ahh, Katarina, you fool!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeith! I\u2019m so sorry! Do you already hate me? I promise I\u2019ll be careful from now on!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried to apologize to Keith, but he only got even more confused. \u201cHuh? Why would I hate you? What are you even apologizing for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I explained that I was worried I had been asking too much of him and that he only accepted because, being adopted, he couldn\u2019t stand up to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBig Sister, once you get a crazy idea in that head of yours there\u2019s no stopping you, is there?\u201d he said with a wry laugh, before tapping me gently on the forehead. \u201cI may only be an adoptive member of the Claes family, but nobody has ever used that fact against me. I only follow you because I want to. I could never hate you,\u201d he continued with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phew! He doesn\u2019t hate me!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was so relieved that I forgot that I was in the middle of a ball and hugged him. \u201cThank you, Keith! My beloved brother!\u201d He would usually scold me for not behaving like a proper lady whenever I did something like this, but for some reason, this time he just stood there, motionless…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our hug was long enough that it became the subject gossip and eventually reached Mother, who jumped at the opportunity to scold me for my most unladylike behavior.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Father later told me that I had met Marsha the year before I got engaged to Jeord. \u201cIt was just once, and a long time ago at that! I\u2019m not surprised you forgot it,\u201d said Father, laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had to admit that he was right. I had forgotten her, and, knowing myself, I\u2019d probably forget about her again in just a few days…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n My name is Marsha Catley, and my mission is to free my beautiful Prince Jeord from the clutches of Katarina Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When my father was stripped of his power and forced to live in the country, I lost all of my useful connections as well as access to the capital. I could no longer follow my plan to force Katarina to renounce the engagement by spreading word of her wrongdoings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had to come up with something else. She was the daughter of a duke, placing her above me in the hierarchy of noble society. Complaining that she was not fit to be a princess would hardly do anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unable to formulate a new plan on my own, I sought out other noble young ladies who, like me, used to be bride candidates for Jeord. They were able to provide me with information about Katarina. It turned out that she had not changed much in these seven years, and she still was not particularly beautiful, intelligent, or versed in magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All the other ladies shared my indignation in seeing such an undeserving girl engaged to the Prince. But as soon as I suggested that we band together to take down Katarina, their expressions of anger turned into ones of defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe should just give up,\u201d said one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Was Katarina threatening them into submission? Unforgivable!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now armed with even more anger, but still no plan, I decided that my best option would be to confront her directly. I needed to see for myself what kind of harpy she had grown into over the past seven years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the help of one of my old connections, I found out about a ball that Katarina was going to attend \u2014 and made sure to go there myself. It was a rather large ball in a rather large manor. It was nothing out of the ordinary, but there were a fair number of young ladies in attendance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was not so sure that I could recognize the grown-up Katarina amongst them. I had almost completely forgotten her face. But one face that I could never forget was that of the handsome Prince Jeord, so I thought that I could just look for him, since he would certainly be escorting his fianc\u00e9e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, of course, I was also looking forward to seeing Jeord himself after all these years… which made it all the more shocking when I could not find him at the ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I started fearing that my connection had given me some unreliable information, and that Katarina was not actually attending this ball. I asked some of the other attendees and found out that while Katarina was indeed present, Jeord could not make it because of some official affairs, and her adopted brother was escorting her instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Poor Jeord, who could not stand Katarina\u2019s company any longer, surely made something up to avoid escorting her to the ball… And I also feel bad for Keith Claes, who is forced to act as substitute for the Prince.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I had heard that since the duke\u2019s only child had been engaged to the Prince, he had adopted Keith from a low-ranking branch of the family to succeed him. Katarina was probably bossing her brother around by leveraging her position as the duke\u2019s natural child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forcing a helpless boy to escort her… What a monster. Unforgivable!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But oh,<\/em> she will hear from me. Very soon.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked around to find Katarina, and I was directed to a brown-haired girl standing alone in a corner of the hall. I walked up to that corner, and, standing behind her, I gathered my breath and finally confronted her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you Katarina Claes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was the first time I had seen her in seven years… Wait, what is this?<\/em> I was so shocked that I froze. The girl who turned around to reply had the familiar sharp eyes of a villainess… but what caught my attention was how she had something… in her mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katarina, still chewing, stared at me with a dumbfounded expression. I waited, confused, while she finished eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is going on? Did the rules of etiquette change while I was away from the capital? Why is she still eating nonchalantly? Am I just hallucinating, tired from attending my first ball in such a long time?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n …Finally, she finished eating and I came out of my trance. She smiled at me inquisitively. That just now was nothing but a hallucination. I am positive. I shall just forget about it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was the one to call out to her first, so I had to at least greet her properly. \u201cIt is a pleasure to see you again after all this time. I am Marsha Catley.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Catley, the pleasure is mine,\u201d she replied. It seemed that she had at least learned how to greet her peers like a lady. I wasted no time and asked her whether she was still engaged to Jeord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh… Y-Yes, I am,\u201d she replied with a nod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I could not contain my anger at how impudent her matter-of-fact reply sounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRenounce that engagement forthwith!\u201d I screamed at her, raising my voice more than I had intended to. When I thought about my poor Jeord, the pain was so unbearable that I could not stay collected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unconcerned, she just muttered some nonsense about desserts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What a detestable girl,<\/em> I thought, becoming even more angry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLook at you, pretending not to understand! Pretense! Lies! This is what your engagement with Jeord is built upon!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She had been using a tiny scar to maintain an engagement that, with her less than excellent qualities, she could normally only dream of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeave the poor prince alone! You have held him in shackles for seven years now! Are you not satisfied?!\u201d Angered beyond my predictions, I kept shouting in Katarina\u2019s face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She just looked at me in silence, unruffled. She probably thought that someone of lower rank than her was not worth arguing with. After all these years, she was still just as arrogant!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I bit my lips in anger, we were approached by a young man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBig Sister? What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeith!\u201d Katarina greeted him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I realized that this could be the rumored brother, and he confirmed it as I asked him whether he actually was Keith Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was very handsome, but his flaxen hair and blue eyes gave off a different, more sensual impression than that of Prince Jeord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am Marsha Catley. I have heard much about you. Seven years ago you became heir to the Claes family, did you not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, I did… And what of it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet another victim of Katarina… She must not be forgiven!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat a cruel thing to force upon you! And all because she knew that, being adopted, you were in no position to refuse! And on top of that, to even force you to escort her!\u201d I looked him in the eyes, then added, \u201cI shall save you too, Keith! Do not worry!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at Katarina once more, and, with my chest throbbing but my will unfaltering, I gave her my final warning before leaving the hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPrepare yourself!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n I always did my best to avoid interacting with him, but this time I just had to tell him. After all, if she went to another ball, he would likely be the one to escort her… unfortunately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was planning on sending a letter, but since Father had to go to the castle for his own reasons, I decided to go with him and meet Jeord in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I reluctantly entered his room, the Prince greeted me with a smile. \u201cKeith, rare for you to come visit me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His smile was unnatural; his mouth was curled but his eyes looked cold and unwelcoming. However, I was probably the only one to notice that his smile was fake. His servants waiting inside the room seemed none the wiser, but that was because they had never seen Jeord\u2019s real smile, the one he only ever showed, as far as I knew, in the presence of Katarina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katarina must have been special to him. Which was why he strived for her as he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But she was also special to me, and I did not want anyone else to have her. This meant that Jeord and I were not friends, but rivals. Today, too, I was planning to leave as soon as I had told him about the ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJeord, there is something you should know about the ball the other day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeord\u2019s handsome brows lowered the slightest bit. \u201cOh, the one where you took advantage of my official duties to escort Katarina? That ball?\u201d he said with a malicious smile. He was still upset about it…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, that would be the one,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You are always escorting her as her fianc\u00e9, is it that much of an issue if I get to do it just once? <\/em>That was what I was actually thinking, but I did not want things to escalate. Jeord, in spite of his elegant, prince-like demeanor, actually had a very dark personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA girl at the ball was berating Big Sister.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBerating? As they always do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, young ladies who used to be potential fianc\u00e9es for Jeord never missed an opportunity to scorn Katarina. But they would do so between themselves, just loudly enough that she could hear them, without ever addressing her directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A normal girl, if she were the target of such harassment, would probably fall into gloom and stay there for a while, but Big Sister…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe ladies at this ball weren\u2019t very creative with their insults. They just used the usual \u2018inelegant\u2019 and \u2018plain,\u2019 but nothing original. It was so boring!\u201d<\/em> she said. By the next day, she seemed to have forgotten about it completely. Their insults just bounced off of her…<\/p>\n\n\n\n I never seriously considered putting a stop to this harassment. There were too many perpetrators to deal with them all, their words never escalated to anything harmful, and, most importantly, Katarina herself didn\u2019t mind them at all. However, this time things looked more dangerous than usual. After all, that girl had basically declared war on Katarina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked Jeord if he knew anything about her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, that Marsha Catley?\u201d he said with a bitter laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you know each other?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apparently Marsha had met Katarina before she was engaged to Prince Jeord (not that Big Sister remembered any of it), but had he met her too?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe used to, somewhat. She can use magic, so she is probably back in the capital to enter the academy come spring,\u201d said Jeord, before muttering to himself, \u201cI am surprised that her father did not tell her anything, though…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?\u201d I asked him suspiciously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWorry not. I shall take care of Marsha myself,\u201d he replied with his widest smile so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was something unsettling about his smile, and it made me worry about what would become of that Marsha girl. Well, if she really planned to do my sister any harm, then she would be getting what she deserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut now, Keith, there is something else I would like to ask you about,\u201d asked Jeord, now back to his usual fake smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat might that be?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have heard that during the ball you got rather… close with Katarina. I would like to hear the details, if you do not mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stayed silent as his smile sent shivers down my spine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome on, Keith, I am all ears.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, with that, I had to stay at the castle much longer than I had originally planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother scolded me for what had happened during the ball, but she didn\u2019t forbid me from attending other ones, since my enrollment in the academy was getting closer and closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would actually go to another ball soon, since Jeord had invited me and would be escorting me. Keith, who had escorted me last time, said that he had something to do and couldn\u2019t make it. He looked really worried, so it must have been something important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d feel better if he was there at the ball with me, but I just told him that it was too bad he was busy, and to take care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He then said that I<\/em> should take care, very much so. I assured him that this time I wouldn\u2019t do anything that could stand out, but he frowned and said that wasn\u2019t what he was talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen what is it?\u201d I tried asking him, but he wouldn\u2019t tell me. I never found out what he was talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As it turns out, this ball would be bigger than the last one, with more people attending. If I mess up around this many people…<\/em> I could already see myself locked up in Mother\u2019s room, or the lecture room<\/em>, as I liked to call it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBe careful,\u201d said Mother with a creepy smile just as I was ready to leave for the ball. I\u2019d better be…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet me take your hand, my sweet fianc\u00e9e,\u201d said Jeord without any trace of embarrassment. As expected of a prince from an otome game. If anyone else tried to pull off a line like that, they would be met with cringes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This would look much better if he were accompanying a beautiful princess instead of a villainess, <\/em>I thought while entering the ball\u2019s venue hand-in-hand with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once we stepped inside the crowded hall, it was time for the greetings. Greetings were always a pain, but they were even worse when being escorted by the prince. Pretty much everyone called out to us, and pretty much all the ladies stared at me sideways… which was par for the course whenever I was in public with Jeord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first I tried to stay by Jeord\u2019s side and greet people with him… but I soon got tired of it. I\u2019ve greeted enough people for today, right? Right.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I aimed for one of the few moments when no one was greeting us to tell Jeord, \u201cI am a bit tired, so I will be resting for a bit,\u201d before quickly getting away from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All these years running from Mother had taught me one or two things about swift escapes. I managed to get away, not because I could run faster than Jeord, but because he was stopped by one noble after another trying to greet him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While feeling sorry for him, I made my way to the only enjoyable part of any ball: the buffet. \u201cI see, it\u2019s desserts in this house…\u201d I said to myself, nodding with my arms crossed in front of the refreshments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was my fourth ball, but, considering that one of them was at Claes Manor and one was at the castle, it was only the second time I had attended one at the home of someone unrelated to me. I realized now that the food looked really different at each ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My first ball, the one held at my home, had an incredible selection of all kinds of foods. What with the Claes family being so important and it being my high-society debut, the buffet was fit for a king. And of course, the buffet at the actual king\u2019s castle was even better. However, last time I found out that the lower-ranking noble families aren\u2019t as extravagant in feeding their guests. That being said, they had different varieties of salads, all delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This time, it was the desserts that were the best part of the offerings. Maybe, even if they can\u2019t afford to make the whole menu luxurious from start to finish, nobles have some courses that they just can\u2019t compromise on. As expected of fancy people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The hosts gave their best to provide us with these no-compromises delicacies, yet everyone was so busy greeting each other and dancing that the food was almost untouched! What a waste! It was up to me to do right by that buffet. I took a dish and started with the salads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I was busy chewing on a piece of fresh, crunchy lettuce covered in delicious dressing, someone called out to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you like that, you should try the one over here as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMphh?\u201d I replied with my mouth full of salad. Between my weird reply and the leaf sticking out of my mouth, I must have looked pretty dumb. The other person, probably surprised by said dumb look, stared at me with a confused expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I felt like I was having deja-vu. That confused expression was familiar \u2014 it belonged to a very beautiful girl around my age, with black hair and green eyes… Who is she?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t know, so I just kept chewing and swallowed the salad. She waited for me to finish, then smiled and offered me a glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis drink is delicious. Would you care to try it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She hadn\u2019t introduced herself, so she must have been one of the many people I\u2019d greeted together with Jeord… To be honest, there were so many that I couldn\u2019t be sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Saying that I forgot her name and asking for it again would\u2019ve been very rude, so I gave her my \u201cnice-to-meet-you-again\u201d smile and thanked her, accepting the glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inside of it was a light-purple liquid, probably either grape juice or wine. I sniffed at it to make sure that it wasn\u2019t wine (Mother and the others told me to stay away from alcohol), and it smelled sweet and delicious, like juice. No problem then.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I smiled again at the girl who had offered me the glass and drank its contents, which turned out to be sweet and delicate. Wow, this really is delicious… I could go for another one.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is delightful! Where can I get more?\u201d I asked the girl, who promptly offered me another glass. She\u2019s so kind!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you,\u201d I said before starting to drink the second glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n …Uh? What is this feeling? I\u2019ve felt it before… Why is everything spinning? What\u2019s going on?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Those were my last thoughts as my consciousness started fading away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just before I completely lost my senses, I heard a voice. It sounded like my friend, the perfect noble lady who was the star of the ball…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few weeks had passed since I, Marsha Catley, had confronted Katarina Claes at the ball. Seeing how she had grown into the villainess I expected her to, I became even more determined to punish her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I considered several options, but in the end, I settled on destroying her reputation, making her lose her position as Jeord\u2019s fianc\u00e9e and, eventually, destroying her position in high society altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, my father\u2019s connections were not what they used to be before his countryside exile, and I also had fewer friends willing to collaborate. I had to work on my own to lead Katarina into a failure spectacular enough to ruin her reputation. This was possibly a quite… underhanded way to confront her. But since she was deviously holding Jeord hostage, I would just be fighting fire with fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of all the plans I had concocted, I chose the one that I could most readily execute and started working on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, I would have to find out which ball she was going to and attend it myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, I would have to make her commit a catastrophic faux pas in front of everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When my father still lived in the capital, he used to employ the services of a certain pharmacist who specialized in… questionable substances. They were not outright forbidden, but they were too dangerous to be available to the public at large. For example, odorless alcohol and a drug that greatly increases the potency of any alcoholic drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And those were the two questionable substances which I bought. If I mixed these two things and had Katarina drink them, she should become completely inebriated. Then I would just need to lead her in front of everyone and she would take care of the rest herself, entertaining the crowd with some unacceptable shenanigan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a good plan, but putting it into practice would be hard. Since she already knew my face, and I had openly declared my intentions to her, she was likely to be very cautious around me. However I had nobody who could help me, and even if I did, I did not want to risk my plan failing because of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I put on a black wig, changed up my makeup, and went to the ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had changed my appearance considerably, but would that be enough? After all, we had met but a few weeks ago. And even if I avoided being recognized, it would not be easy to trick Katarina into drinking the drugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last time she was standing alone near the buffet, which would be ideal for my plan, but that was probably just a coincidence. There was no guarantee that she would be doing the same this time. My plan was unlikely to succeed, but at least it would be an opportunity to test how far I could go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I joined the ball very early, waiting for my target. Suddenly the crowd became noisy, hinting at Katarina\u2019s arrival. Of course it was not her, but her escort commanding such interest from the attendees… Prince Jeord Stuart. Smart, strong, and handsome \u2014 perfection made man. Young, old, women, men… everyone revered him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also took the opportunity to take a glance at him. There he was, after seven years! My prince, once a handsome boy, now an even more handsome man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeing my love after all this time sent my heart racing. However, next to him was a woman with the sharp eyes and thin lips of a villainess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Impudent! Detestable!<\/em> I felt my brow collapse into an expression of hatred and disgust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While I was intent on staring at Katarina, I noticed that \u2014 lucky day! \u2014 Jeord was looking at me. I froze in awe, and then he smiled at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, my prince! I understand! You smile at me because you have been waiting for me, longing for me! I shall rescue you from that witch, fear not!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As all guests had finally arrived, the ball finally began and the attendees started greeting each other. There was no one waiting to greet a lady who had been out of the capital for seven years, though, so I quickly made my way to the buffet to wait for an opportunity to strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If only my father had not been relocated to the middle of nowhere. I could be the one standing in the middle of the hall right now, next to Jeord. Being better than her in every single regard, I am sure that I would be the star of the ball!<\/p>\n\n\n\n And yet there I was, hiding in a corner… Thinking about it filled me with anguish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I saw a brown head of hair move in front of me, and, raising my eyes to take a closer look, I found that it belonged to Katarina. She was quickly approaching the buffet by herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thought that such an opportunity would never present itself twice, but the heavens must have smiled upon me. I took out the drugs that I had brought with me thinking that I would never have a chance to use them. I then poured them into a glass together with some grape juice, and I moved towards her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you like that, you should try the one over here as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMphh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n …Wait, what is this?<\/em> I was so shocked that I froze still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The girl who turned around to reply had something… in her mouth. Specifically, some kind of lettuce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katarina, still chewing, stared at me with a dumbfounded expression. I waited, confused, while she finished eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is going on? Did the rules of etiquette change while I was away from the capital? Why is she still eating nonchalantly? Am I just hallucinating?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I get the feeling that… I have already seen this, somewhere… and recently, at that… No, that cannot be true… I must just be tired from all of this planning and thinking.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n …Finally, she finished eating and I came out of my trance. She smiled at me inquisitively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That just now was nothing but a hallucination. I am positive. There is no way that the daughter of a duke would be stuffing her face with refreshments like that… I shall just forget about it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I mustered a smile and handed her the glass. \u201cThis drink is delicious. Would you care to try it?\u201d She looked at me, and for a moment I feared that my disguise was not enough after the events of the last ball, and that she had seen through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, she thanked me and took the glass. I was honestly surprised by her obliviousness. Or maybe she found out who I am, and she just wanted to accept the glass to then throw the juice away?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katarina looked at the glass and sniffed it, obviously trying to discern its contents. She knows!<\/em> I thought to myself, right before she gave me a smile and drank the juice to the last drop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Victory! I never thought that it could be so easy. It must have been my lucky day. And then she even asked for seconds. She really didn\u2019t notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I smiled and offered her a second glass, and she thanked me again. As soon as she started drinking, she started swinging from side to side. The drugs had started working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now I only needed to bring her amongst the other nobles and watch her make a fool of herself. And if she tried starting something with me, all the better! I would just need to play the victim, and Jeord would no doubt come to my rescue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I reached for Katarina, trying to lead her towards the center of the hall, but someone beat me to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKatarina, are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Helping Katarina to stay upright was a rather good-looking girl with burnt sienna hair, large eyes, and beautiful pink lips. I had never seen her before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She stared at me as if demanding an explanation. I did not like that arrogant stare, but I could not resist the silent pressure it imposed upon me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI-It seems that this lady has drunk too much, and I was just trying to help her…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see. In that case, she must be brought to an empty room to rest. Could you help me, Miss Catley?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWh-Why do you know my name?!\u201d I had never told this girl who I was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe met each other a few times at tea parties many years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tea parties? Years ago? I had no memory of this girl and her intense stare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeing my confusion, she smiled at me and gave her name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am Mary Hunt, fourth daughter of the Hunt family. It is a pleasure meeting you again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, I had met the Hunt ladies at various tea parties at their manor. In particular, I had become friends with the oldest one, Lilia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But… the fourth daughter? Mary?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n …Right! That timid, sheepish girl!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at her eyes once again. Her hair and eyes were the same color, and her face was similar to how I remembered it… but she gave off a completely different aura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I remember her as constantly cowering, trying not to upset people. But the Mary in front of me looked dignified and commanding, a completely different person. Could someone change this much in seven years?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I was pondering her metamorphosis, she spoke once again. \u201cNow help out an old friend, won\u2019t you Marsha? I found an empty room where Lady Katarina can rest. And there is also someone who would like to meet you,\u201d she said with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I felt myself shivering. My instincts told me not to go… but I could not refuse Mary\u2019s fierce eyes, and I ended up helping her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This marked the failure of my plan, and I would have done better to leave the ball and go home that very instant, escaping from a situation I would come to regret. However, I did not know that yet…<\/p>\n\n\n\n During balls, it is customary to provide a few empty rooms for tired guests to rest, fix their dresses and makeup, or even enjoy a clandestine rendezvous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are usually a couple such rooms near the hall, or the guest rooms could be used for that purpose… However, Mary Hunt led me and Katarina into a room quite removed from the heart of the ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The room was excellently furnished, much more so than one would expect of a normal resting room. Was this prepared in advance for Katarina and Jeord in consideration of their high rank? I had never heard of such a thing, but maybe the customs had evolved in the past seven years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was intrigued, but I would not want to ask and risk being labeled a plebeian. I kept silent while helping Mary sit Katarina on the room\u2019s gorgeous sofa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katarina still had enough energy left in her body to walk on her own feet (with some help), but the alcohol had made her ecstatic, and she kept on talking about food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou must try the desserts here! I\u2019ve only tried the salad so far… That chicken looked so yummy…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once on the sofa, she closed her eyes and instantly fell asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had now done all that I could hope to do. I had told Mary, who apparently was a friend of hers, that Katarina had drank too much. At this point it would be unnatural to say that Katarina had drunkenly harassed me, and, since Mary appeared near her just as she had finished drinking, my lies would not stand up to much scrutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She may have even seen that I gave Katarina the glass… No, that should be fine. After all I mixed the drugs with grape juice so that it could look like Katarina spontaneously drank too much wine.<\/em> And, since she drank it to the last drop, there was no incriminating evidence left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, there was something distressing about Mary right from the start. I wanted to get away from her…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will be on my way, then,\u201d I said, trying to leave the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPlease wait. As I mentioned earlier, there is someone who would really like to meet you,\u201d she said assertively. Her face had the elegant smile of a noblewoman, but her hand gripped my arm with no intention of letting it go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Realizing that following Mary had been a mistake, I was assailed by fear. I was unable to speak; I merely listened as she continued with that same smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBelieve me, I would love to punish you myself for what you have done. Right now I am only following orders, so I will have to abstain from doing so, but consider this a promise… if you ever lay a finger on Katarina again…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She closed the distance between our faces, and, with a menacing, low voice, said something that made me cower in fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…You will regret it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her expression was terrifyingly cold, and her words made it clear that she knew what I had done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scared, I tried to free myself from Mary\u2019s grip by pulling her hand off my arm. It was then that the door opened and someone entered the room. This entrance was so refined and splendid that, despite my fear, I found myself fascinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMarsha Catley… it has been a while,\u201d said Prince Jeord with a beautiful smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cY-Yes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeing him after all these years made my mind go blank. He came to see me! My prince! This must be like in the tales I read as a child. He is the dashing prince come to save me from my captivity in the countryside and bring me to the castle with him!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As I was fantasizing, the prince addressed Mary. \u201cThank you for bringing Katarina here. I will make sure to repay you properly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI need no such thing. I did not do this for you, Prince Jeord, but for Lady Katarina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStill, Katarina is my future bride. As her husband, I shall have to thank you for helping her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeord and Mary were completely ignoring me and talking amongst themselves… but they were not quite making sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe may be your fianc\u00e9e now, but who can tell about the future? Moreover, someone who is not there to help Katarina when she is in distress is not fit to be her husband.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat, as I have already explained to you, was part of our strategy. Most importantly, why is Katarina in this state? Had I not told you to prevent harm from befalling her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell… that is… Katarina moved more quickly than I had expected, and I… lost sight of her. I am very sorry. However, I have had people look into the drugs that would be used on her, and they were not particularly dangerous. I believe she will be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, I too had them researched. She will be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stared at the two, whose conversation was getting further and further away from what I could hope to understand. There was one thing that caught my attention, however…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPrince Jeord, I thought that you detested Katarina…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She forced him into the engagement and kept him under her command, or so I believed. However, judging by his conversation right now, it would seem that he actually had feelings for his fianc\u00e9e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, you were one of those<\/em>?\u201d Jeord replied to my comment, before turning to me with the most stunning smile and speaking once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI talk of my engagement with joy, and I advertise my love for Katarina at every occasion. Yet, for some reason, there are some people who still believe that I despise her. They are quite a nuisance, to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo… you are maintaining the engagement… of your own accord?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, he… loves… Katarina? But, she…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut she is neither beautiful, nor talented, nor skilled in magic! She does not excel in anything! Why?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Upon hearing my words, Jeord\u2019s expression changed into one so cold that he looked like a different person altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSomeone who hears only what they want to hear and sees only what they want to see may fail to understand Katarina\u2019s charm. That is a shame, but I do not care. What I do care about, and will not forgive, is harming my Katarina. Did you not hear from your father?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being spoken to with a tone more severe than had ever been used on me was terrifying, but I couldn\u2019t fail to miss the Prince\u2019s last remark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy… father?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo he really did not tell you anything. Or maybe you just did not listen to him,\u201d said Jeord with contempt in his eyes. \u201cYou<\/em> are the reason why your father was sent to the countryside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?!\u201d I am the reason? Was it not just the fault of my father and of whatever he had done wrong? <\/em>\u201c…What do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour father was removed from the capital to pay for your crime. The crime of spreading bad rumors about Katarina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause… I spread rumors about her…?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The timing matched, but I had never thought that the reason could be… And more importantly…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut who ordered it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I could not believe that it had been Katarina herself. Had it been Duke Claes, who so fervently loves his daughter?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeord interrupted my train of thought by coming closer to me with a smile. \u201cTake a guess,\u201d he said with lips curled upwards but eyes that showed no trace of a real smile. I looked into his eyes, and inside them I found endless cold… and the answer to my question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeord ordered it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh… Ah…\u201d Wordless sounds came out of my mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeord, the perfect prince, the ideal prince, the prince of my destiny… All that I believed about him was crumbling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd to think that I had warned him that there would be no second time, and to make sure his daughter understood it…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, Father had told me to behave myself once in the capital, but… who knew that something like that had happened? Why had he not told me? …Or maybe he had, and, as Jeord said, I just did not listen…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, I will not excuse what you did to Katarina today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I could see in Jeord\u2019s stare that he was utterly serious in his threat, and I started trembling. In front of me was not the prince of my dreams, but a nightmarish devil. I looked around for help, but the woman behind me was staring at me with eyes just as cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nobody was going to help me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My parents, in bringing me up, had never scolded or punished me in such a way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh…\u201d Once again, I failed to produce any complete word. I was so scared that my feet felt glued to the floor, and I found myself unable to move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, well, how shall we punish you then?\u201d said the devil with a sadistic smile, terrifying enough that my face turned white.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please… someone… save me, <\/em>I prayed in my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJeord, I think you should stop,\u201d someone said loudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I looked to the sofa in the corner of the room in surprise, I saw the girl who had been asleep up until now standing up and looking in this direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The devil in front of me also looked at the girl with widened eyes. \u201cKatarina, are you already awake?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think you should stop,\u201d she said fiercely again, ignoring his question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her clear blue eyes stared into mine, as if to tell me that I had suffered enough and that I was free to go. I stopped trembling, and I could move my body again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I ran away from that room as fast as I could. The devil looked surprised, but thankfully did not chase me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I kept running to safety, with my heart beating madly. The prince I had loved turned out to be a devil. And that girl, who I had thought to be a devil…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n I sighed as I watched the girl run out of the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe ran away,\u201d I said, laughing bitterly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter how much we scared her, I doubt she will be a nuisance any longer,\u201d Mary replied from behind me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, I suppose you are right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, the girl had gone completely pale and had been trembling in fear. She would likely never bother Katarina again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As third crown prince, I, Jeord Stuart, am surrounded by plenty of ladies just like Marsha. Because of my appearance and my skill at playing the part of a good prince, they end up falling in love with an idealized version of me. They think of me as the prince of their dreams, so that is all they see. They cannot nor want to see the real me, which is why, as soon as I show my true colors for just a moment, they become so shocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Weary of those ladies, I looked back at the sofa in the corner of the room. My beloved fianc\u00e9e was sleeping so peacefully and comfortably that I could not contain a genuine smile. She never forces her expectations onto anyone. Her beautiful blue eyes look straight into me, the real <\/em>me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I do not consider myself to be a good person. If anything, I may be a bad one. But that is who I am, and it does not bother me. However, sometimes, I feel tired of these ladies and their self-centered adulation. The expectations that they have of me can be a burden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And at times like those, I always long to see Katarina. No matter which side of myself I show her, what she shows in return is always the same innocent smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her smile… looking at it is enough to take the burden off me. I cannot live without her by my side, and I will not allow any person to harm her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All these foolish ladies chasing after the imaginary, perfect Prince Jeord are sure to be envious of her position as my fianc\u00e9e. The very moment I announced my engagement, they began vexing her in every way they could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, I started dealing with these nuisances as soon as possible, but I would get rid of one just to be faced with another. There were so many that I was slowly exhausting myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I then noticed that Katarina herself was armored with a skin so thick that even the most ill-intentioned of remarks would simply bounce off of her. From then on, I focused on getting rid of those ladies that could potentially do her actual harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marsha Catley was one of those ladies. When Katarina became my fianc\u00e9e, Marsha started spreading ill rumors about her. Thankfully, Marquess Catley had been involved in some questionable affairs, and I was able to use that as an excuse to send his whole family, including Marsha, into de facto exile to the countryside. (Not that I did it myself… I simply provided the right information to the right people.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before he left the capital, I also told the marquess that my fianc\u00e9e should be left alone. Yet apparently that did not make it to his daughter\u2019s ears, and the girl started her mischief as soon as she came back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She had crossed the line for a second time, so minor punishments would no longer be sufficient. With the cooperation of Mary Hunt, whose face Marsha did not know and who would take no issue with my plans, I set up a trap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marsha behaved just as expected, and we easily led her into the room we had prepared in advance. I was eager to threaten her enough that she would never bother Katarina again, but…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think you should stop,\u201d intervened Katarina herself, leaving me speechless. As her clear blue eyes stared into mine, I lost any will to continue. Why did she say that? Why would she stand on the side of someone who had just tried to hurt her? At the time, her words had me so confused that I even forgot to ask her these questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Usually, for me, knowing someone for a while is enough to understand their ways and predict their actions. But no matter how many years pass, Katarina still leaves me perplexed. Just when I start believing that I have finally figured her out, there she goes surprising me once again, like today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How could one ever be bored in the company of such an interesting girl? As long as I have her by my side, no day will ever be dull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I approached her and caressed her silky brown hair as she slept once again. I could feel Mary\u2019s stare stabbing into my back, but I ignored it and whispered softly into my fianc\u00e9e\u2019s ear, so that only she could hear me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina. Lady Katarina! Please wake up. We should go back to the mansion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I woke up to Anne\u2019s voice, and, looking around me, recognized a room I\u2019d seen before. \u201cUhm? Where are we?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis room, young miss? Prince Jeord had the host prepare it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPrepare it? Jeord? …What does that have to do with me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anne then explained to me that I had lost consciousness during the ball and was brought here by Mary, who happened to be passing by. I remembered absolutely nothing of it. The last thing I did remember was drinking the juice that someone had offered me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWait, was that juice actually wine or something? Maybe my nose was stuffy and I couldn\u2019t smell the alcohol!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou are not at fault this time, Lady Katarina,\u201d said Anne, and then she also reassured me that Mother won\u2019t hear about what happened. Phew.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I may have lost consciousness, but I felt alright now that I had slept for a bit. Refreshed, even. Now, however, I had to go back home, and I was told that we didn\u2019t have time to stop by the main hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was a little surprised that Mary, despite being at the ball, hadn\u2019t come to greet me. She usually always rushed to do it… maybe she came in late? Oh well, I\u2019ll just thank her the next time we meet.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I told Jeord that I was going back home, and left him alone at the ball. While in the carriage on the way home, I spoke to Anne about the nightmare I had while sleeping on the sofa earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA nightmare?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had this salad, and I was looking forward to eating it… Then Jeord comes in and starts eating it. I tell him, \u2018Jeord, I think you should stop,\u2019 but he doesn\u2019t listen and keeps on eating. I raise my voice and tell him \u2018I think you should stop\u2019 once more and only then he finally stops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…What? Did you not say nightmare<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe was eating all of my salad! And he wouldn\u2019t stop! If that\u2019s not a nightmare, what is?\u201d I explained to Anne, who silently gave me a blank, inscrutable stare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We finally reached home, and, for once, Mother didn\u2019t scold me! I did it!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I had kind of gotten used to balls. Sure, I may not shine like a star like Mary did, but, if I gave my best, I could hope to get to at least lightbulb-level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was just one thing that seemed a bit off… \u201cWhat is the matter, Katarina?\u201d Jeord asked as he approached me, smiling. As soon as he did, that girl disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t imagining it, then…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLately, whenever I go to a ball\u2019s buffet, there\u2019s a girl who prepares a tray with all my favorite dishes and brings it to me… but as soon as you come near, she just runs off. Do you have any idea who it could be? She\u2019s a really pretty girl.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first I thought that she could be a fan of Jeord, but if that were the case, she wouldn\u2019t run away from him. And if she were one of my rivals, she wouldn\u2019t be that kind to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think I\u2019ve seen her somewhere…\u201d I said pensively, and Jeord gave me a weird look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suddenly, Keith came in and started questioning him. \u201cJeord, has something happened? That Marsha Catley girl has been staring at Katarina, and now she has started bringing her food! What is going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh?! Keith, you know that girl?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you\u2019ve already forgotten about her!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It turned out that that girl had introduced herself to me. What can I do? I\u2019ve never been great at remembering faces!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Keith stared at me without saying anything. I know what you want to say… Forgive me, Keith… I wish I could remember people after greeting them just once, like you two!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n While I was silently apologizing to Keith, I heard Jeord muttering. \u201cI was not expecting this…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that my brother had told me the name of the girl, I made a mental note to call her by name when thanking her next time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd now, to the buffet!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was finally time to go to my favorite part of any ball.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After being confined to the countryside for so long, seeing the capital again, with its beautiful streets and its busy people, filled my heart with joy. As I returned, I was the happiest I had been in the last seven years. However, during the party that my friends had prepared to welcome me back, all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tak-berkategori"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3347"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3347\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3348,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3347\/revisions\/3348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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