It is time for a Katarina Claes meeting. Please assemble inside Katarina\u2019s head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meeting chairwoman: Katarina Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meeting representative: Katarina Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meeting secretary: Katarina Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s discuss how to avoid Bad Ends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShall we start with a summary of the situation so far?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVery well. We should start from when the memories of our old life came back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlease allow me. Katarina Claes, then eight years old, hit her head on a rock while walking through the garden, and hence regained the memories of her previous life as a teenager from a normal family living in the countryside of Japan. There she had grown up playing surrounded by nature, and, after reaching high school, had become a bona fide otaku.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat previous life was cut short by an unfortunate accident, after which she was reincarnated as the daughter of a duke. Her new appearance, with brown, silky hair and blue eyes was much better than the average, raccoon-faced one that she was used to. However, she quickly noticed that her slanted eyes and thin lips made her look somewhat menacing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhich is when she realized something very important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExactly. She realized that the world that she was now living in was the one of Fortune Lover<\/em>, the otome game that she had been playing until right before her untimely death. And she had now become Katarina Claes, the villainess and antagonist of that game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe became engaged to a prince, who was also one of the romanceable characters in the game. According to the game, once she went to the Academy of Magic that magic users were required to attend starting at age fifteen, she would meet the game\u2019s protagonist and bully her. If the protagonist achieved a \u201cgood end,\u201d Katarina would be exiled out of the country. But if she instead achieved a \u201cbad end,\u201d Katarina would die. Katarina Claes is a sad character for whom all routes lead to doom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRealizing what fate had in store for her, Katarina started working hard to prepare for the time when she would turn fifteen and thus be staring down the barrel of doom. After several birthdays, she eventually entered the academy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere she met the protagonist, Maria… and they became friends. The next two years were marked by… lots of stuff happening, but the game unexpectedly reached its conclusion through the \u201cfriendship end,\u201d and Katarina was thus spared from doom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think you skipped over a considerable number of events, but okay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter avoiding doom, Katarina happened to obtain Dark Magic by pure coincidence. For that reason (and a few others), she started working at the Magical Ministry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe was happy that she had found employment at the most popular organization in the whole kingdom, giving her hope of stability for the future… However, she then found out that the Magical Ministry was the setting for Fortune Lover II,<\/em> the sequel to the game that had threatened her with doom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn this game, the old romanceable options were joined by new, equally handsome ones for the protagonist to fall in love with, and that would have been all fine and dandy if only the game hadn\u2019t, once again, starred Katarina Claes as villainess and doom-bound antagonist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExactly! Katarina\u2019s incredible comeback means that all the Catastrophic Bad Ends come back as well!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust when we thought we could retire peacefully! Gahhh!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPlease, everybody, calm down. I understand why you feel that way, but let us continue with our meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes… Where was I? So, despite realizing the horrors awaiting her, Katarina never considered giving up! She decided to fight against fate with new catastrophe countermeasures!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEven after starting work at the Ministry, specifically at the Magical Tool Laboratory, Katarina did her best to learn as much as she could about the new characters \u2014 the potential sources of doom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor some reason, she got her hands on lots of Dark Magic-related things, which made her nervous. But thanks to the kind words of her friends, who promised to always stay by her side, she is now back on track in fighting against fate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Thus concludes Katarina\u2019s story so far. But what do you think will be the best course of action in the future?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs far as new characters are concerned, we managed to befriend Cyrus and Dewey, and we were friends with Sora to begin with. We should ask them lots of questions to learn even more about them and what they might do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI agree. And we should also start practicing lockpicking so we can escape if we end up imprisoned.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re right, that\u2019s also important. And don\u2019t forget about sword training. We must be prepared in case one of the Catastrophic Bad Ends involves us getting slashed to death.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery well. This time we don\u2019t have much information about the game, so we don\u2019t know which kind of doom, specifically, awaits us! Let\u2019s hedge our bets!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, right, we also need to train Pochi to bark and scare off threats on command.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have much to do. We also need to decipher the Dark Covenant for work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExcuse me? Why did you two go silent all of a sudden?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…It\u2019s just a topic I\u2019m not fond of…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUgh, it\u2019s such a tough task. I want to be finished with the covenant as soon as possible and go back to cleaning and delivering packages!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI agree, but… we must give our best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…You\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTherefore, it is time to dismiss this meeting and go back to working on the covenant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Yes ma\u2019am…\u201d \u201cLady Katarina, what is the matter?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria, as beautiful as always with her blonde hair and blue eyes, was looking at me with a worried expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I was just escaping reality to hold a meeting in my… I mean, I was just spacing out,\u201d I said while scratching my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria and I were by ourselves inside one of the many meeting rooms within the Ministry, analyzing the covenants that we had found a few days prior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We activated the ancient magic in the stone that we found in one of the gardens within the Ministry\u2019s grounds, were transported to mysterious alternate dimensions, and Maria and I found the Light and Dark Covenants, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These were books which described ancient lost magic, and only the person who found them could read them, although not even they would be able to copy down its contents for others to read. Therefore, the two of us were now supposed to study our books so that we could report on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not making any progress!\u201d I lamented with a sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMe neither,\u201d said Maria. \u201cThe ancient script used in these books is even older than the one we studied, so it is very difficult to read.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her definition of \u201cnot making any progress\u201d was obviously different from mine. She knew how to read ancient script from having studied it at the Academy of Magic, and her struggle was having to check the obscure words that occasionally popped up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I, on the other hand, remembered absolutely nothing of what I had studied, and reading each single letter was a pain. Maria had already read dozens of pages and deciphered some Light Magic spells, while I hadn\u2019t even gone through the foreword notes. The path to actually learning any ancient Dark Magic was still long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And for me, an outdoor person who doesn\u2019t like using her head, having to painstakingly check dictionaries and references while holed up inside a room was nothing short of torture. I could feel my energy steadily deplete, which made my reading even slower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so, yet another day ended without me having finished reading the foreword. I reported these results to Larna, my superior and the overseer of this lost magic mission, and then said goodbye to Maria as she made for the dormitory together with Dewey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora, who worked in the same department as me, saw me off to the carriage that would bring me home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHah, I\u2019m so tired!\u201d I said as I approached the Ministry\u2019s gates together with him, sighing repeatedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou really hate deskwork, huh?\u201d he asked, exasperated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI do! Working in the fields under the blazing sun is ten times better than this!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA duke\u2019s daughter in the fields, under the blazing sun?!\u201d he said before erupting in laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Was it that funny?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I kept walking along with the laughing Sora, and we ran into a group of female Ministry employees chatting amongst themselves. Since the workday was already over, they were probably going back to their own departments to gather their things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHave a good evening,\u201d I greeted them. I didn\u2019t know any of them, but I wanted to be polite to my colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou too,\u201d they replied, but one of them noticed Sora and immediately gasped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cH-Hello, thank you for the other day,\u201d she said to him while blushing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even I, who, admittedly, wasn\u2019t the sharpest, could see that she liked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t mention it,\u201d he said casually, giving her a bow and walking away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I went after him, I could feel her gaze on my back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSora, do you know that girl?\u201d I asked him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEarlier today, I saw her having trouble trying to carry some heavy stuff and I helped her out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, so that\u2019s why she thanked you,\u201d I said, understanding the meaning of that exchange. \u201cBut she looked like she wanted to talk with you some more.\u201d It was obvious from the girl\u2019s face that she would have loved to speak with Sora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI didn\u2019t really have anything to talk with her about,\u201d he said with a shrug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was impressed at how nonchalant a man that was always so popular with girls could be. Sora, who had received the fake surname \u201cSmith\u201d from Larna, our department\u2019s director, was more than my trustworthy colleague \u2014 he was one of the love interests in FL2. Like all the others, he was incredibly handsome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHis blue hair and eyes are so wonderful, and his mannerisms are so sexy,\u201d girls throughout the Ministry whispered. I\u2019d heard of this from Laura, my colleague who had the look of a masculine bodybuilder and the heart of a lovely maiden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hadn\u2019t thought about how attractive Sora was until she told me that. Being surrounded by attractive people since childhood, I had developed a resistance against handsomeness and sexiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was staring at Sora\u2019s face, thinking such thoughts, when he looked back at me with a troubled expression. \u201cIs there something on my face?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, I was just thinking of how popular you are, and how that pretty face of yours must help with that,\u201d I replied honestly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh?\u201d he said, confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not saying that it\u2019s only because of your face. You also have a good personality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you seriously think I have a good personality?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHm? You\u2019re so kind and thoughtful. I\u2019m glad we were assigned to the same department. Thank you for everything!\u201d I said with a smile, grateful for everything he always did for me. He looked away pointedly and gave me a noogie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat are you doing?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He did that all the time. When I asked him why, he\u2019d say something like \u201cBecause your head was there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019d think that right now, while I was expressing my gratitude, he\u2019d be touched. Or at least not rub a fist on my head. I even heard him whisper, \u201cThick! So thick!\u201d under his breath while he did it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This made me so mad that I puffed out my cheeks, stood on tiptoe, raised my hand over Sora\u2019s face (which was red, probably because the sun was almost setting) and onto his head, and gave him a noogie myself. Unfortunately the height difference made it difficult, so my revenge wasn\u2019t as effective as I would\u2019ve liked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our noogie battle went on, and we eventually reached the gates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSee you tomorrow,\u201d Sora, whose face was still red \u2014 still, presumably, because of the sunset \u2014 said as I got into the carriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I spent the ride back home stretching my back and hips \u2014 my whole body was stiff from all the deskwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSpending all day reading dictionaries and references is so boring. I wish I could do something different for a change,\u201d I mumbled to myself right before falling asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Little did I know that my wish would soon come true. Back in my room, I was lying on the bed, refreshing after a hard day of work, when I was told that Father had called for me. Mother did that all the time to scold me, but Father almost never did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I went to his study, wondering what he could want to tell me, and found him waiting for me with a saddened expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Father was deeply in love with his wife, and, consequently, adored the daughter whose face so closely resembled hers. He would always greet me with the most affectionate of smiles, even when he found me covered in mud or with a snake I had just caught in the fields in my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why does he look so preoccupied?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFather, why did you want to speak with me?\u201d I asked him after swallowing hard, worried by his expression, which didn\u2019t change even as he replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOnce every two years, the royals and nobles from Sorci\u00e9 and the neighboring countries hold an International Assembly. This year it will be held here, in our kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAn assembly?\u201d That did sound like an important event, but Father was a duke and must have been used to this kind of thing, so I couldn\u2019t understand what the problem was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd today, we have received an invitation… for you to participate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat? Me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was surprised. I don\u2019t mean to brag, but among high-ranking nobles, I was probably the one who knew the least about diplomatic events. I knew that Jeord and Alan, as members of the royal family, were often involved in dealings with other countries. But this was the first time I\u2019d ever been invited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. All the royals from the other countries are going to come here, so all high-ranking nobles will have to join in providing hospitality and participating in diplomatic exchanges. This already happened once a number of years ago when you were still a kid. But now you\u2019re an adult, and you\u2019re engaged to a prince to boot. You must<\/em> participate,\u201d he said, sighing deeply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I had to show up there as Jeord\u2019s fianc\u00e9e. \u201cHm, I understand. I will participate. But why are you looking so upset about it?\u201d I asked, and he jolted in surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKatarina, you say that you will participate as if it were the easiest thing in the world, but this is an assembly of powerful people from several countries! It is an extremely formal event where no faux pas will be forgiven!\u201d he said heatedly, standing up from his desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI-I see…\u201d I said, taken aback, making his face turn even darker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKatarina, I believe that you are a wonderful daughter. You are an active, positive, optimistic girl.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTh-Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Father was acting really weirdly today \u2014 now he was praising me all of a sudden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut etiquette and studying are not your fort\u00e9, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And now he was criticizing me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell… that\u2019s right,\u201d I had to agree, since what he had said was nothing but the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd every time you join a public event you always get yourself into trouble, do you not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Do I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou ended up drunk at the coming of age party for the princes, and I\u2019ve heard that you were running around the castle at their graduation party.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s… Well, that\u2019s true, but…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n These things had happened because of very good reasons… but then again, I couldn\u2019t deny that they were true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd that is why, Katarina,\u201d he said, sighing again, \u201cI believe that, though you may be a good girl, formal events are not your strong suit. I tried explaining that to the powers that be, but I couldn\u2019t have your invitation canceled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at Father, whose face showed the extent of his tiredness, and I felt deeply sorry. I knew I wasn\u2019t cut out for this kind of thing. If I could have, I would have gladly avoided participating in such a bothersome event alongside nobles and royalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut why do I have to<\/em> participate?\u201d I asked, considering faking a fever so I wouldn\u2019t have to attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause it\u2019s a direct invitation from the royal family…\u201d he replied in a pained voice as he held his head in his hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat about sending a fake Katarina Claes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I don\u2019t think we could get away with that. I\u2019ll try to come up with a solution, but for the time being, you must mentally prepare yourself to join the Assembly,\u201d he said, exhausted, before telling me to go back to my room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother, who was usually the first one to voice her complaints in this kind of situation, had been knocked completely unconscious by the shock of seeing that invitation, and was resting in her bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother… I think you\u2019re overdoing it…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I thought about my conversation with Father as I walked back to my room. A gathering of royals and nobles sounded like a total drag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This must be because I wished that I could do something different from studying that covenant! But what\u2019s the point in doing something different if it\u2019s even more troublesome? I wanted to do something relaxing!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I found myself sighing loudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBig Sister, did Father tell you about the invitation?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keith, my adopted younger brother, was waiting for me near my room. Lately he\u2019d been so busy helping Father as his secretary that I hadn\u2019t been able to spend much time with him, but his flaxen hair, blue eyes, and seductive face were as handsome as always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe was telling me about it just now. Did you hear about it too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. I was also invited, as heir to Duke Claes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, so you\u2019re coming too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keith being there with me would be a huge relief. For almost a decade now, he\u2019d been cleaning up after whatever trouble I made \u2014 he was the best at it. With him by my side, any minor mess wouldn\u2019t be a problem. I was glad he\u2019d be there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, he looked anything but glad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cToo?<\/em> So you couldn\u2019t refuse the invitation… What did Father say?\u201d he asked, looking slightly disappointed. He was probably as worried as Father was about me having to participate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If even Keith, who has years of experience looking after me, is anxious about this, this Assembly must be quite the event.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe said that he\u2019ll try to come up with a solution… But, is this Assembly such a big deal?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. There will be influential people from all the nearby countries, after all. All kinds of trouble is bound to happen, and you have a tendency to get mixed up in trouble… Or rather, you have a tendency to jump into it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do I really get mixed up in trouble <\/em>that much?<\/em> I thought to myself, but I had known Keith for long enough to tell by his dark expression that, if I asked him that right now, he would come up with a never-ending list of examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sure that Father will think of something… At worst, you could always just show up and leave immediately after and try not to do anything that could cause problems in the meantime. In any case, you\u2019d better mentally prepare yourself to attend the Assembly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keith ended up saying the same thing as Father. He repeated the part about not causing problems, just to make sure, and then he left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They really don\u2019t trust me at all. Now that I\u2019m working, I feel like I\u2019ve become more responsible, haven\u2019t I…?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Feeling a little sad, I entered my room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the way, the only thing that Mother managed to suggest despite her shock was the same idea I\u2019d had: finding a lookalike and having her attend in my place. But Father quickly dismissed the idea, saying it was impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anguish loomed over Claes Manor because of that dreadful invitation<\/em>, but the very next day, a solution presented itself from the most unexpected of places. The next day, Father (who probably hadn\u2019t come up with a solution) still looked exhausted, and Mother was still resting in her room. Since I couldn\u2019t do anything to help, I just went to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I took my place at the desk by Maria\u2019s in the meeting room, where, armed with dictionaries and references, I had to keep analyzing the Dark Covenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen is the main content going to start?\u201d I complained as I laid my face down next to the book I was supposed to study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe foreword is really long, is it not? However, I think that the notes contained in it are crucial,\u201d Maria replied with a troubled expression on her face. Then she added, \u201cLady Katarina, it will soon be lunch time. I have brought you sweets to eat as dessert, so please look forward to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReally?! Great! I\u2019ll hold out for a bit longer!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hated studying and deskwork, so the task I\u2019d been busy with for the past few days had been close to torture. Maria, however, tried to make it easier on me by bringing sweets and other treats. She really was an angel \u2014 nay, a goddess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I kept working, letting out the occasional moan of despair despite having Maria\u2019s treats to look forward to, until it was finally lunchtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I triumphantly jumped out of my chair, chanting \u201cLunch! Lunch!\u201d as I made for the dining hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh! Hi, Sora. Hi, Dewey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHello, Miss Maria. Lady Katarina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the way, we\u2019d encountered two boys walking towards us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe were just coming to see how you were doing,\u201d Dewey said happily, decidedly looking in Maria\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The thirteen-year-old boy, handsome with his orange hair and blue eyes, was one of FL2\u2019s romanceable characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike Sora, whose feelings for Maria I wasn\u2019t so sure about, Dewey was head over heels for her. He did greet me as well, but his loving gaze was aimed at the beautiful protagonist, completely ignoring the villainess besides her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat is so sweet of you! Thank you, we are making very good progress,\u201d Maria said with a smile, and Dewey\u2019s face turned red and his expression melted into a pleased grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat a sweet kid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora and I, looking at their exchange from the sidelines, exchanged remarks about Dewey\u2019s reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd, by the way,\u201d Sora said, with a look of pity in his eyes, \u201cdid you<\/em> make any progress?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI made barely any progress yesterday. What makes you think today would be any different?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have a point. Oh well, don\u2019t give up,\u201d he said with sympathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sad conversation between Sora and I was over, as was the loving one between Maria and Dewey, so we all went to the dining hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thought I\u2019d try to eat less to leave room for Maria\u2019s dessert, but that day\u2019s special was a fried food set, which I couldn\u2019t resist ordering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever. I always have room for dessert.<\/em> \u201cHng, my stomach is going to explode…\u201d I said, holding my tummy with my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo wonder,\u201d Sora said, looking at me with sympathy once again. \u201cYou ate that whole fried lunch, then you had desserts, and even went for seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat could I do? Maria\u2019s sweets were so delicious…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHehe, I am glad that you liked them. I will bake them again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReally?! Thank you! I\u2019m already looking forward to that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou really never learn…\u201d Sora commented dryly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I won\u2019t have the fried lunch next time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut Lady Katarina,\u201d Dewey, this time, said, \u201cyou always tend to go for the heavier lunch options.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I could tell from his eyes that he wasn\u2019t trying to scold me (unlike Sora), which made it even worse. It was true that the lunch sets had very generous portions, but they were so tasty that I always ended up finishing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that I think of it… Have I been eating too much since I started working at the Ministry? My dresses are getting a bit tighter around the waist… I should be more careful,<\/em> I thought while looking at my belly until the topic of the conversation changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt will not be long until the International Assembly, is that right?\u201d Dewey asked<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, and the Ministry has been asked to assist with the preparations,\u201d Sora replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat? You two knew about the Assembly?\u201d I asked, looking up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had first learned about it on the previous day, but those two spoke as if it was common knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou mean you didn\u2019t?\u201d<\/em> Sora asked me, appalled, and Dewey and Maria also looked at me with surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI believe I learned about it in school…\u201d Dewey said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe were taught about the subject in the academy as well…\u201d Maria continued uncomfortably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as with ancient script, I had promptly dumped from my brain all information about the Assembly as soon as it stopped being useful for tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI must have forgotten,\u201d I said honestly, and asked for an explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSimply put, every two years, five countries located near each other, including Sorci\u00e9, meet to strengthen their relationships. This Assembly has been held for more than a century, and serves as an occasion to discuss international agreements. Some say that it is thanks to the Assembly that we can enjoy peace,\u201d said Dewey, showing off the knowledge that had allowed him to pass the Ministry\u2019s incredibly difficult entrance exam at the young age of thirteen. That exam was in place to allow people like Dewey, who was extremely talented but did not have magic abilities, to join the Ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe five countries take turns hosting the Assembly once every two years, meaning that each has to do so once every ten years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd now it\u2019s Sorci\u00e9\u2019s turn, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dewey, maybe because of his great intelligence, was really good at explaining things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExactly. Are you going to participate due to your rank?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. I received an invitation, so I have to…\u201d Unfortunately.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNobles have so many responsibilities,\u201d said Dewey, who was a commoner and, before coming here to work, had hardly ever even seen a noble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey really do. Mister Lanchester and Miss Larna are also going to attend, so I imagine that things will become even busier at the Ministry,\u201d Maria said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria was a commoner just like Dewey, but she had spent two years amongst nobles at the Academy of Magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cyrus Lanchester, by the way, was Maria\u2019s superior and another one of FL2\u2019s handsome love interests. He had a cool, smart facade that hid his true self \u2014 a country bumpkin who was scared of speaking with women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThose two are attending too?\u201d I repeated, surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. Mister Lanchester told us in advance and is working more than usual right now, so as to avoid causing any problems for the department.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As usual, Cyrus was really diligent. I imagined that Larna would just ask her subordinates to take care of things as she left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur director will never do that, so we\u2019ll probably have problems to spare,\u201d whispered Sora, who was thinking the exact same thing as me, and I nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I decided to leave nutritious snacks for everyone in the department, especially Raphael, the vice-director, before leaving for the Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We kept chatting about work until lunch break was over, then Maria and I went back to our covenants and Sora and Dewey went back to their respective departments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My progress in the afternoon wasn\u2019t much better than in the morning, and I still didn\u2019t manage to finish reading the foreword. Maria, on the other hand, had found a new Light Magic spell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m being left further behind every day…<\/em> I thought, starting to get worried, as I rode the carriage back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once I arrived, I saw a familiar carriage parked in front of the mansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What a weird time to visit \u2014 so late in the evening.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYoung miss, there is a guest waiting for you in the parlor,\u201d the butler informed me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. I will go,\u201d I replied immediately, knowing who it would be from the carriage outside. \u201cKatarina, it is good to see you,\u201d said Prince Jeord, my fianc\u00e9, who was waiting for me with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeord Stuart, a handsome youth with blue eyes and blonde hair, was the third son of the King, and one of his potential heirs. In the parlor with him were Father, looking anxious, Mother, who had managed to get out of bed but still looked terrible, and Keith, whose expression wasn\u2019t much better either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s the whole squad doing here?<\/em> I thought, getting the feeling that something bad was going to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPrince Jeord, how do you do,\u201d I elegantly greeted him with a curtsy in spite of my nervousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With his usual smoothness, he escorted me to my seat, right next to his. His movements were so perfect and beautiful that it was no wonder why all the girls said that he looked like a prince from a fairy tale. He actually was a cunning, ill-tempered prince who was afraid of snakes, but of course they didn\u2019t know that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone else sat down and Jeord, with a dazzling smile, spoke first. \u201cKatarina, I have wonderful news.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh! Could it be…?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t have to go to the Assembly?!\u201d I asked excitedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou do,\u201d he immediately said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at him in disappointment, and he chuckled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s the good news then?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs my fianc\u00e9e, you must attend the Assembly. But you are not fond of this kind of formal event, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As expected of someone who\u2019d known me for all these years, he really understood me. Correct!<\/em> I wanted to shout, but before I could do so, my mother took the words right out of my mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCorrect, which is why I beg you to consider attending with someone else, anyone<\/em> but my daughter,\u201d she said breathlessly, looking extremely sincere as she expressed her opinion, which was actually the same as mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeord\u2019s expression didn\u2019t change the slightest bit after hearing her speak. \u201cLady Claes, I understand your concern. However, I cannot attend without my fianc\u00e9e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see…\u201d she said with despair on her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhich is why I will provide her with an opportunity to learn about etiquette and international history and politics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReally?!\u201d Mother shouted, standing up from her chair. Father gave her a look of disapproval. \u201cExcuse me,\u201d she said, catching herself and sitting down, though she was still unable to contain her excitement. \u201cSo, what kind of opportunity would this be, Prince Jeord?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMany people within the castle, in order to prepare for the visit of our foreign guests, have asked for help in improving their manners and their grasp on history, amongst other things. We have therefore hired the best professors and instructors in the kingdom to do exactly that. I imagine that if Katarina were to attend their lessons, she would be able to participate in the Assembly without any cause for concern,\u201d explained Jeord, as calmly as always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd will these lessons take place in the castle?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. Katarina would stay at the castle for the duration of this seminar, so that she may more easily study. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Staying over to study?! Anything but that!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was listening in silence like a good girl, without interrupting Mother, but this was too much. I protested. \u201cI would absolutely never wa\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExcellent! Please, Prince Jeord, do as you just said!\u201d Mother loudly interrupted me, making it clear with her deadly gaze that she would not be taking any objections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery well. I will contact you as soon as we are ready. Katarina, please prepare yourself for the stay. It should be quite enjoyable,\u201d Jeord said, fixing me with his smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was thus decided that I \u2014 against my will \u2014 would have to stay at the castle to attend a seminar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n As my sister\u2019s fianc\u00e9 Jeord left my home with a victorious smile, I saw him off by returning (in appearance, at least) the smile before going back to my room. Once there, my fake smile gave way to sadness and sighing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is terrible. His plan played out perfectly.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I suspected that he would try something as soon as Katarina received her invitation, but I never imagined he would go as far as having her stay the night at the castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He had even managed to get Mother, who fervently disapproved of Katarina\u2019s engagement with him (because she wasn\u2019t good enough for a prince), to agree with him. He had outdone me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He had said that they had hired the instructors for that seminar owing to the requests of many people within the castle, but I believed that, ultimately, those requests were his doing as well. Of course I had no proof, but I had little doubt about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had thought that his advances towards Katarina had become tamer, but that was just because he had been so busy preparing this plan to use the International Assembly as an excuse to have her stay at the castle. He was truly a cunning, calculating man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the reason why he wanted her to stay the night at his home was clear as well. Rumors had it that the second-born prince was now close to marriage, and Jeord, no doubt, wanted to marry Katarina before she had time to set her roots at the Magical Ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He had a shortcut to do this in taking her physically <\/em>and using that as reason to make her his wife. Katarina was completely oblivious to matters of romance, and, for Jeord, having his way with her would be as easy as tricking a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Damn you, Jeord! I\u2019ve been restraining myself, despite living under the same roof as her, for all these years! I won\u2019t let you have her this easily!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If I wanted to stop him, I would first need reinforcements \u2014 as many people as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And thus I began making plans to protect my beloved, heedless sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n The less you\u2019re looking forward to something, the shorter the wait seems to be. The day I had dreaded so much had come \u2014 it was time to go to the castle for the seminar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When he visited us, Jeord said that he would let us know as soon as preparations were done, and that, too, felt like it happened in an instant. The servants at home had already done most of the work for me, so all I had to do was to request a few days off at the Ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was true that I was fed up with having to work on the covenant, and I had wished that I could do something else for a change. But studying at the castle was so bad of an alternative that I hoped my superiors would deny my request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They approved it without a second thought. The reason, it seemed, was that the Ministry had been ordered to cooperate fully with the International Assembly. Plus, as a newcomer, it wasn\u2019t like I had any important responsibilities to worry about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As for the covenant which I was deciphering with so much effort, Larna said that since we knew so little about it, we couldn\u2019t tell what would happen if it was separated from its owner. She told me to keep it with me at all times. So, since I couldn\u2019t bring my usual work bag with me, I put it in the baggage for my stay at the castle. I had to be careful not to lose it \u2014 admittedly, I wasn\u2019t the best at taking care of my stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With these things I had to remember on one hand, and the permission granted by the Ministry and by Mother on the other, I was completely ready to ride the carriage that would take me and my baggage to the castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cQuick, Big Sister, get in. We\u2019re going to be late,\u201d Keith said, stretching out his hand. I took it and stepped into the carriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It turned out that my kind, thoughtful brother would be coming with me. He wouldn\u2019t need to attend all the classes that I did, but he would take some in the free time he had left after helping Father with his duties at the castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just having him with me was a huge relief. He could wake me up if I fell asleep during a lesson, explain to me the things I hadn\u2019t understood, and help me with all kinds of stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMother asked me to make sure that you don\u2019t slack off, so try to take this seriously, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeith, you were working for Mother all along?! I thought you were on my side!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just when I was thinking that I felt safe with him as an ally! Turns out he\u2019s an enemy spy!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWork for…? Anyway, she also asked me to help you with whatever may come up,\u201d said Keith, looking dejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I\u2019m so glad. So you\u2019re my ally after all,\u201d I said, but, for whatever reason, Keith sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sunlight was streaming into the carriage from a sky which, as if to mock the darkness of my current mood, was stupendously clear. This would be the perfect day to work on the fields and play with Pochi…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, right, Pochi,\u201d I said to my shadow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWoof!\u201d the black puppy cried happily, coming out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After Keith\u2019s kidnapping incident, Pochi had somehow become my Most dogs, in both of my lives, hated me. So the fact that Pochi was so attached to me made him seem even more lovable in my eyes. But since he was a product of Dark Magic, I had to keep him hidden, and couldn\u2019t call him out of my shadow when other people were around. Larna told me not to let him out at the castle, because we didn\u2019t know who might be around to see him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I won\u2019t be able to pet him for a while,<\/em> I thought, and I spent the rest of the carriage trip giving him an advance share of rubs and pets, complete with interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After thoroughly petting Pochi, I reached my destination in time and got out of the carriage. The castle felt different from usual \u2014 it was full of people and the security was much stricter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s because of the incoming International Assembly,\u201d Keith explained when I mentioned what I\u2019d noticed. \u201cRoyals from the neighboring countries are going to come here as guests, and soon only authorized people will be able to enter the castle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That really made it sink in how important an event it was going to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we got inside, I went to the room that Jeord had reserved for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMary?! Sophia?! Alan?! Nicol?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was so shocked at seeing my friends there that I ended up blurting out their names, one after the other. I\u2019d expected to find only Jeord waiting for me, so this was a pleasant surprise. As for my fianc\u00e9, he was looking extremely annoyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina! We\u2019ve been waiting for you!\u201d said Mary, running towards me with a huge smile on her face before I could greet the annoyed prince. Sophia, with a matching smile, followed behind her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mary had hair and eyes the color of burnt sienna, and Sophia had white hair and red eyes (which was rare for this country). The two, like me, were rival characters in the game. But while I sported a villainesque face, they were both straight-out beauties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was very happy to see them, since I\u2019d had few chances to do so since I\u2019d started working at the Ministry, but I didn\u2019t understand why they were in the place where I\u2019d be staying for the duration of the seminar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe, too, will be staying at the castle to attend the seminar!\u201d Mary replied with sparkling eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll of you?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d thought that this was meant as an opportunity for me, a subpar noble lady, to improve myself. So why would people like Mary, the very definition of properness, be attending as well?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot that I see what use Lady Mary, revered as a paragon of excellence amongst ladies, would have from such lessons,\u201d Jeord, who had been thinking the same thing, commented with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot at all,\u201d she replied, smiling as well. \u201cI still have much to learn. Do you not agree, Prince Alan?\u201d she said, turning to Jeord\u2019s silver-haired, blue-eyed younger twin, who happened to be her fianc\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s right,\u201d Alan replied shortly while avoiding looking at his brother, whose smile now seemed to have something dark about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo she got the information from you, once again…\u201d Jeord murmured between his teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I still didn\u2019t understand the details, but knowing that my friends would be there with me was reason enough to rejoice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina, I have brought several novels for your stay,\u201d the lovely Sophia said as she dragged a huge trunk with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo that<\/em> is why you had all that baggage with you. We are here to study, and this is no time to be reading novels,\u201d said her brother Nicol, a handsome youth with black hair and dark eyes, as he relieved her of the trunk without ever changing his facial expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had also hidden a couple of romance novels in my baggage, so I looked on with fear and sympathy as Sophia\u2019s were taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After giving the trunk to a servant, Nicol gazed at his disappointed sister. \u201cAs you can all see, Sophia is not quite serious about this whole matter, but please look after her. I will be staying at the castle too, for work, so let me know if anything happens,\u201d he said with a bow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So he won\u2019t be joining us at the seminar, but he\u2019ll still stay here.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course, if anything I should be the one asking you to look after me!\u201d I said, bowing as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nicol replied with a short hum, and as he smiled ever so slightly, I risked swooning at his attractiveness for the first time in a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEnough pleasantries. I will escort you to your room, Katarina,\u201d Jeord said, pulling me away from the dangerously handsome Nicol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n \u201cNo need to bother yourself. We have already prepared a room for her,\u201d said Keith, taking hold of my other arm and pulling me, this time away from Jeord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd we will be staying in the annex next to that room,\u201d said Mary, gesturing to herself and Sophia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTyranny of the majority, I see…\u201d Jeord said, his smile turning even darker, but I was perfectly happy to be close to Mary and Sophia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all went to the guest room that Keith had prepared for me, right in front of his room and very close to the annex where Mary and Sophia were staying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that I was surrounded by friends, what I had been thinking of as a boring seminar camp had started feeling more like a fun field trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I entered my room, where I was to leave my baggage, and I stretched myself out on the bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m going to do my best!\u201d I shouted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYoung miss, remember that you are not home. Please keep your voice down,\u201d scolded my maid Anne, who had followed me all the way to the castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And thus began my stay at the castle to attend the seminar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is time for a Katarina Claes meeting. Please assemble inside Katarina\u2019s head. Meeting chairwoman: Katarina Claes. Meeting representative: Katarina Claes. Meeting secretary: Katarina Claes. Let\u2019s discuss how to avoid Bad Ends! \u201cShall we start with a summary of the situation so far?\u201d \u201cVery well. We should start from when the memories of our old […]<\/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-3467","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\/3467","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=3467"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3468,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3467\/revisions\/3468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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<\/p>\n\n\n\npet<\/s> Dark Familiar. He almost never left my side, and he lived inside my shadow. Since he was a familiar, he didn\u2019t need to eat or to be walked, so he was really easy to care for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n