Sunlight filtered through the window. I hadn’t realized it was already so late; I had stayed up all night playing an otome game called _**Artichi: It’s Love.**_

I spent the entire night trying to unlock a route, and it was the only one I had managed to complete so far. When I checked the time, it was already three in the morning.

The light of the screen illuminated my face. I was so exhausted that the moment I closed my eyes, I fell asleep.

However, when I opened them, I was no longer in my room. I found myself in a completely different place.

I was lying down, staring at the ceiling: a golden chandelier with several candles hung above me, crafted in a distinctly Western style.

While I tried to grasp what was happening, I heard someone knocking on the door.

“Miss Sadine, are you awake?” a voice asked from the other side.

I fell off the bed when I heard that name. Sadine was one of the villains from the only route I had managed to complete.

“Miss?” the voice insisted.

The door opened, and a maid walked in.

“Miss, are you all right?”

“I think so…” I replied, still trying to understand what was going on.

“Ah, miss, you’re a complete mess.”

The maid helped me sit up, and at that moment I noticed even my body felt smaller.

“We were all terrified when you fell off the horse,” she said.

“Fell off the horse?” I repeated, confused. Now that I thought about it, I did recall something like that being mentioned in the game.

At that moment, I had no doubts left: I had reincarnated as one of the villains from my otome game. I was now Sadine Schutter.

“Yes, did you forget? You nearly gave Lord Hurd a heart attack with your antics.”

In the game, Hurd was Sadine’s father. It was said he never managed to make his daughter obey him.

“I see…” I murmured. The shock of having reincarnated wouldn’t fade so easily.

“Miss, you should listen to your father more often. He only wants what’s best for you,” the maid said while brushing my long white hair. “Besides, if anything were to happen to you, he would be utterly devastated.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Then, will you behave better?”

“I suppose so.”

When I looked at myself in the mirror, I confirmed that I was indeed Sadine Schutter, although younger than she appeared in the game. I was around eight years old.

My appearance was unmistakable: long, silky white hair; dark blue eyes; and very pale skin.

Once the maid finished brushing my hair, I stood up immediately and walked toward the door.

“Miss, where are you going?” she asked, alarmed.

“To the garden.”

I left without listening to her reply. There was something very important I needed to do.

In the game, it was said that the Schutter family was cursed. The heroine broke the curse by destroying the ice tree, but when she did, the Schutters lost their gift.

“Incredible,” I whispered as I stood before that tree.

Its trunk glowed with a bright blue hue, and its leaves were white like snow. From it came the ice power that flowed through the family’s bloodline.

“If it’s destroyed, we’ll all die…”

In the game, the destruction of the tree triggered a chain reaction that led the villagers to wipe out all the nobles.

“I won’t allow it,” I said, bending down to pick up a white rose from the ground. “I must survive. No matter what… I must avoid the five events.”

I returned to my room, and placed the white rose I had picked beside my window.

“What should I do with it?” a voice said from outside my room.

I approached the door to hear better. “Am I a bad father? I’ve done everything I could, but she keeps doing whatever she wants.”

“Sir, that’s not true. You are not a bad father.” The voice responding to him belonged to the maid.

“So you’re saying the problem is my daughter? She’s the one at fault?”

“I cannot give you an answer to that.”

I opened the door slightly. I had never heard a conversation like this in the game, nor did I know Sadine’s father suffered that way.

“I don’t need answers, I need solutions,” my father said, his tone exhausted.

“Forcing her will only make things worse,” the maid replied. “She’s searching for something. If you listen to her, you may understand.”

There was a long silence. I could picture him rubbing his face. I didn’t know why the maid said that, just as I knew nothing about what was truly happening in this game.

“I’m losing my daughter, aren’t I?”

The maid took a deep breath.

“You will only lose her if you decide to stop trying to reach her.”

I heard footsteps moving away. I closed the door before they discovered me and looked at the white rose by the window. I knew I shouldn’t be worrying about that; right now, my concern was avoiding the events.

I sat on the bed and thought about what I had heard, while also planning how to escape my fate—mine and the entire Schutter family’s. Then a reckless idea came to mind.

“I just have to make the heroine choose another route.” I smiled. The plan was simple, but effective. “Now the problem is that I know nothing about the other routes.”

I took a deep breath. The initial excitement faded quickly, replaced by an uncomfortable certainty: I couldn’t move forward blindly.

I stood up and walked to the desk, pulled out a notebook—Sadine’s diary, and now that I had her body, I supposed it belonged to me. In it, I wrote down the scenes I knew.

“There must be clues… someone, something, a key person,” I murmured.

Then I remembered. There was a route considered the easiest to achieve. I had never played it because the love interest never appealed to me, so I knew nothing about him, but I knew where the answer would be.

In the family library, where the kingdom’s social archive was kept—invitations, records, old letters. And the history of this world. There, I could find information to help me create an alternative route.

I stood up. I knew that leaving my room would likely worry my father, and he might not allow me into the library, but waiting any longer was worse.

And at that moment, I remembered one of Sadine’s lines: “A Schutter never survived by staying still.”

“If the heroine doesn’t see me, she won’t be able to choose me as the antagonist,” I said, determined. “And if she chooses someone else, the tragedy will shift.”

I opened the door carefully. The hallway was still empty—this was the moment to act.

I left, believing nothing could go wrong, and began running. But when I turned the corner, there was my father, as if he had been waiting for me.

“Sadine.” His voice was cold and harsh. “May I know where you’re going?”

“I was heading to the library.”

“And what disaster are you planning to cause in the library?” He stepped closer to me; he was taller than I was.

“I just want to study a little. Am I not allowed to?”

“Study? Do you think I’m an idiot? And is that any way to speak to your father? Where did your manners go?”

“My manners are right where they’ve always been,” I answered without thinking, and I didn’t even know why I did it. “I’m not your prisoner.”

I saw his jaw tighten as he took another step, blocking my path.

“In this house, you do as I command.”

“I’m only going to the library. Is it really that terrible?”

“If it weren’t you, it wouldn’t be…”

“What a great show,” a voice interrupted us. “And all this just to go to a library? I love being part of this family—so entertaining.”

I recognized him immediately when I saw him. It was Ehal Schutter, Sadine’s cousin and one of the romantic interests in Artichi. In the game, for some unexplained reason, he was always by his cousin’s side.

While he was a flirt who tried to approach the heroine just to tease her, his cousin—being one of the villains of that route—always tried to push him away. His route was also notoriously difficult, since a single wrong choice could make him disappear from the game entirely.

Though younger now, he seemed to have just entered adolescence—perhaps twelve or thirteen years old.

“So, uncle, why don’t you let Sadine go to the library?”

“That’s none of your concern, Ehal. Your only priority should be finding a wife,” my father said, and that reminded me of the other villain in that route.

Then I thought—what if he never gets a fiancée? That could change the game’s route and alter the ending that awaited me.

“Oh, I know—what if cousin Ehal accompanies me to the library?” I said, trying to convince my father. “That way you can confirm I’ll behave properly.”

“And why should I do that?” Ehal exclaimed. He would be a problem too; if his personality matched the game, he would only accept if it were a direct order.

“Father,” I said, even changing my tone of voice, “not only would you be able to monitor my behavior, but you could also teach cousin Ehal responsibility. Two birds with one stone.”

“I refuse,” my father replied. “If an irresponsible boy pairs with a disobedient girl, neither will learn anything.”

He was right, but I couldn’t give up—convincing him was essential. “True, there’s no way either of us would learn. But taking care of me is a great responsibility, so regardless of how irresponsible Ehal is, he’ll still have to look after my well-being.”

“No matter how you phrase it, you’ll never convince me.”

“I know. But I can’t give up. A noble must not surrender even when they know they’ll fail. We must persist and disobey if it means bringing peace to our people.”

I had finally managed to convince my father and reached the library. But I had another problem—Ehal wouldn’t let me move.

He searched for a large cardboard box—no idea where he got it from—and then put me inside it. I would’ve liked to stop him, but this body was too weak.

While I was trapped in the box, Ehal sat nearby, reading a book and drinking coffee, not paying attention to me. It was the perfect moment to escape.

Very quietly and carefully, I began slipping out.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Ehal said, setting aside the book he had been reading and getting up.

“To read a book. That’s why I came here.”

“Too bad. As long as you’re under my watch, you’ll stay in my box.”

He reached to pick me up, but this time I wouldn’t allow it. When his hand got close, I bit it in revenge.

“You little bitch!” he shouted, grabbing his hand. “I’m going to kill you.”

“Too bad you can’t. My family is the main branch, and yours is the secondary one. If you hurt me, they’ll send you to the gallows.”

“Maybe I can’t kill you, but I can put you back in the box,” he said, grabbing the box and dropping it over me again.

While trapped in the darkness of the box, I wondered why I ever chose his route in the game. Originally, it was because he was very handsome, but now that I’m seeing his personality up close, I feel like I wasted my time.

“Ehal, let me out already!”

“Let me think… no.” When he finished speaking, I heard him laugh.

“At least give me a book.”

“But you already have one. It’s on top of the box.”

“Let me out!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“Don’t you have manners? We’re in a library. Be quiet.”

“Never!”

“Be quiet.”

“Come shut me up!”

The moment I said that, it seemed I angered him enough for him to lift the box, and of course, I took advantage of the motion—I slipped under his legs and bolted toward the central aisle.

He needed a second to react, but when he saw me running, he growled and chased after me. I couldn’t help laughing at how easy it had been to escape that box.

We zigzagged between shelves; we were alone, so every step echoed like a scandal. All I could hear was his quickened breathing behind me.

In a desperate attempt to get away, I turned toward the encyclopedia section, but I slipped on a poorly placed rug and fell on my back, sending up a cloud of dust.

He appeared a second later, panting, trying not to laugh or yell at me.

“You really are a nuisance. Now, back to the box,” he said with a smile, still catching his breath.

“I don’t want to.”

“Then what do you want?”

“I want to read. Is that too much to ask?”

“Fine, read for a while. I need a break—you're surprisingly fast.”

As soon as he said that, I jumped to my feet, grabbed one of the encyclopedias, and started reading. I spent several hours there; even Ehal seemed surprised at how focused I was while reading.

Eventually, I fell asleep—I didn’t even notice when it happened. But when I opened my eyes, I was back in my room.

That same day, my father summoned me. I wondered why, and even had a bad feeling. I hoped it wasn’t anything serious.

I headed to his room, which was even more decorated than mine, though it was far too dark, and the curtains were closed.

“Daughter, I made a decision I never thought I would make.”

I remained silent. What had he decided? Was he going to abandon me? Send me abroad? Although, thinking about it, if he did, I wouldn’t meet the protagonist and I’d be saved.

“You see, starting today, you’ll be cared for by your cousin Ehal. That way I eliminate your rebellion and teach him responsibility—two birds with one stone.”

“Wouldn’t you rather abandon me?”

“No, and why would you say that?”

“What about sending me abroad?”

“Also no.”

“Disinherit me?”

“Are you serious? Was that idea yours, or did you already forget what you said yesterday? From now on, you and Ehal will look after each other, until the day he marries his fiancée.”

“Wait, have I already found a fiancée?”

“No, we still haven't found anyone he likes. That boy is something else… but that's not important. “You may go now.”

I left my father’s room. In the end, I couldn’t change the story, and if things continue like this, the game will start without any differences. I must stop it, somehow.

I returned to the library, once again with Ehal, who once more placed me inside the box. At least this time he let me keep the book I had been reading.

The book dealt with the history of this world. I am not sure whether the game ever explained it properly; I rarely paid attention to the lore.

I flipped through the pages quickly, searching for anything that might help me escape my situation, but all I found were dates, dead kings, and dull drawings of castles.

Ehal was sprawled on a sofa. He asked where I had gotten the book from, one arm dangling over the edge and an open volume resting on his chest. He was not truly reading; he merely turned a page occasionally to appear occupied.

Suddenly, he murmured,

“What are you reading now?”

“History,” I replied curtly.

“Ah.”

A long silence followed. Only the rustle of paper could be heard until he spoke again:

“Did you find anything interesting?”

“No, honestly, it’s all quite boring,” I said, being more candid than usual.

“Fine.” After a pause to turn another page, he continued, “Why are you reading such heavy material now?”

“Because I have to…” I could not tell him the truth; I doubted he would believe me.

“Aha,” he interrupted. “How dull. You should read something more interesting.”

“Such as?”

“Porn…” I shouted to cut him off.

“What are you saying?! I’m only eight…!” I felt my face turn as red as a tomato.

He burst into laughter; I had never heard anyone laugh so loudly.

“I was referring to the Porniflorum Liber,” he explained between fits of laughter, “an ancient treatise on flowers and their medicinal properties. What did you think, you little pervert?”

I felt utterly foolish. My knowledge from the other world had betrayed me. I needed to be more careful; I could not keep revealing what truly occupied my secret thoughts.

He continued laughing, and with each moment I felt more humiliated. But one day, I swear I will get my revenge.

“It’s not funny!” I protested, crossing my arms as I tried to regain my composure. “You just… caught me off guard.”

He wiped a tear of laughter from his eye.

“Relax, I’m not judging you. But if you’re so interested in the Porniflorum Liber, I can lend it to you… so you can study the ‘flowers’ in detail.”

“Shut up already. Just pass me another book, will you?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to read the Porniflorum Liber?”

“No, of course I don’t want to read it.”

He stood up to fetch another book, leaving me alone for a moment before tossing one directly at my head.

“There you go. Don’t ask for more.”

I caught it and opened it. This one was about magic. I knew that magic existed in this world, but it was not like fairy tales. Using magic was rare, few could do it, and it came at a great cost.

“Ehal, would you teach me magic?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

“Yes, that would be very interesting…”

“I figured you would refuse… Wait, what?”

I climbed out of the box to look at him more clearly.

“Yes, I will teach you magic. You need to learn it anyway, so I’m doing you a favor.”

In that moment, I remembered why I had chosen his route in Artichi—those glimpses of clarity and selfless affection. Though I could not dwell on such thoughts now; his older sister was present, and I had to behave accordingly.

Thus, the following day I began learning the fundamentals of magic, with Ehal as my instructor.

“Magic is a pact with nature itself, which is divided into sixteen branches. Our family controls ice.” Ehal’s voice was unusually serious, a rarity for him. “The tree in our courtyard is the _**Frozen Tree.**_ The roses that grow beside it represent individuals who possess magical abilities.”

“I already know that,” I replied. This conversation had repeated itself many times in Artichi.

“And do you also know about the effects of magic?”

“Yes, I know. If you have magic, magic will impose an effect upon you. If you control fire, you feel heat; if you control ice, you feel cold…”

“No, it is not that simple,” Ehal interrupted. “The effects of magic are capable of altering your personality and even leading you to desire death. The cold you will feel when wielding the power of ice is so profound that your very bones will freeze. Afterward, your expression will remain fixed forever, and it will be exceedingly difficult to change.”

Ehal pointed to the collar around his neck. It was red and glowed faintly, an element that stood in stark contrast to his entirely white attire.

“This collar is the Collar of Ahron, the god of the rainbow, of rebirth, and of ashes. Surely you know of him.”

“No, I have no idea who that is…” I answered without much thought, barely paying attention.

“Seriously?”

A full minute of silence passed before Ehal spoke again.

“Ahron was the god who took pity on our family and blessed us with a feather. Each year, a feather falls from the sky and is used to counteract the curse of ice.”

“And what happens if we do not use the feather?”

Ehal touched the collar with two fingers; it shone briefly.

“Without the feather… the cold prevails. It reaches a point where the heart beats so slowly that it seems to stop entirely.”

“That is horrible…” I said, covering my face. I did not recall the game ever mentioning this.

“Yes, it is. But never mind that. Let us begin learning magic.” Ehal sat on the ground. “Place your palm facing upward.”

I did so, keeping my arm straight and my palm open. I felt nothing—perhaps only a trace of fatigue.

“Concentrate on the cold in the environment,” he continued. “Do not seek it within yourself. The human body is warm by nature. That is why we must draw the ice from the surroundings.”

“And how do I do that?” I asked.

“Simply visualize something. It does not matter what you do or what you think; each person masters it differently.”

I closed my eyes and attempted to visualize. I imagined a thin, silver, frozen thread.

As I pictured it, I began to feel it move. A tingling sensation appeared in the center of my palm, accompanied by a cold that spread through my body, making me shiver.

“Good. I see you have it,” Ehal murmured—likely with a smile. “Now exhale slowly and allow it to enter.”

I opened my eyes and released my breath. Before my palm appeared a small cloud of frost, fine as icy smoke. It hovered for a second before dissipating into tiny crystals that drifted to the ground.

“Not bad,” he commented, “but that was nothing. Even a baby can do as much. Now direct it. Choose a fixed point. Freeze the air at that exact spot.”

I repeated the process. The cold thread flowed down my arm once more. This time I pushed it forward. A small sphere of ice formed, the size of a walnut, and floated for several seconds.

“Not bad at all. Rest for a minute,” Ehal said. “The cold accumulates. If you force it, it remains inside you and does not leave easily.”

I rubbed my hand against my dress; the warmth of the fabric helped restore some sensation.

“What is next?” I asked.

“Now freeze something solid. Take this stone.” He tossed me a smooth pebble he had taken from his pocket; it nearly struck me in the head. “Cover it completely with ice, but without cracking it. If you break it, you will have to start over.”

After saying that, he left, giving only a slight wave of his hand in farewell.

I took the stone, which felt warm to the touch. I placed it in my palm and repeated the same process, though the ice that formed immediately melted.

“What is happening?” I muttered, examining it more closely. It was a reddish rock that remained persistently warm—undoubtedly magical.

I spent the entire afternoon attempting to freeze the rock. As the sun began to set, I finally succeeded.

Ehal returned and clapped slowly.

“Not bad at all. You froze a phoenix stone in a single afternoon. It took me an entire day.” He approached, took the rock, and shattered the ice with a touch. “It is still fragile, but you did very well. Keep going.”

Continued training ice magic in the morning. While I was training, my cousin was at _**Shinthotha**_, the great magic school in the capital and the setting where the game Artichi takes place.

Meanwhile, in the afternoon we would go to our personal library and, as had become customary, Ehal would put me inside a large box.

Then, at night, I would review my diary and study the plans I had made to avoid my fate.

“Lead the protagonist down the easy route,” I said to myself, going over my plans. “Prevent my cousin from getting a partner…”

I stayed silent, thinking again to myself.

“Lead the protagonist down the easy route… prevent my cousin from getting a partner… that’s all. My brilliant plans are… so useless?”

I took a deep breath. The plans weren’t bad, but they were difficult to carry out—especially for someone who knew only the bare minimum about the game.

“Why do my plans look so pathetic?” I complained quietly, letting my head drop onto my crossed arms on top of the diary.

Lead the protagonist down the easy route… prevent my cousin from getting a partner… and that’s it? That’s all I can come up with? They’re fine, I know, but how do I even do it?

I fell silent, remembering how I ended up here and why things went so badly for me—though I already knew the answer.

“…Because I’m a terrible player. That’s the reason.”

I sighed, recalling how I used to skip long dialogues just to get to the pretty parts faster.

In the end, everything happened because I only paid attention to the men’s designs: pretty faces, perfect smiles. I didn’t even really understand the background story.

And now here I am, stuck in the body of the villainess, with no real idea of how anything actually works.

I let out a long sigh, but I knew I shouldn’t give up.

“Who cares if I don’t know anything? Or if I’m a bad player?” I said, trying to convince myself. “I managed to complete one route and I’m the villainess of that route. I know a little about what’s going to happen. I just have to make sure the protagonist doesn’t try this route.”

I stood up from the chair and smiled without realizing it. I had motivated myself. Right then, Plan C was born.

“I’ll act like a proper villainess,” I said out loud—before realizing what I was doing and sitting back down, a bit embarrassed.

I already had my plans. I just had to remember how to avoid it. I was sure there was something in my mind, a memory. A scene, something…

I closed my eyes tightly.

Something came to mind in that moment: the game loading slowly because my internet was terrible. The screen full of pink petals, piano music in the background, and then an important scene…

_**The festival…**_ right? Or was it the _**masquerade ball?**_ Or that time in _**the garden with the flowers?**_ Everything started mixing together in my head, probably because I was sleepy.

“How useless…” I murmured. “I spent all my time just looking at the pretty stuff. The handsome boys, the romantic scenes… and nothing else…”

At that moment I thought again: the romantic scenes. Yes, I was a bad player, but I had gotten every possible outcome for each scenario—the good ones and a lot of the bad ones—and I always saved the good ones on my phone.

Even though I didn’t have my phone anymore, I had ended up memorizing many of them because they seemed so beautiful. Among them was one scene with an image that was hard to forget.

The protagonist and my cousin dancing. I remember that image very clearly because my cousin’s _**silver hair**_ seemed to glow, and that was the reason I chose his route.

After remembering that image, I ended up falling asleep.

Sunlight hit me straight in the eyes because I had forgotten to close the curtains.

When I woke up, my cheek was wrinkled from the edge of the notebook and there was a drool stain on the “plans” page.

The door opened and my maid came in.

“Miss, you look a disaster…”

She approached and lifted me easily—I suppose I still weigh nothing.

She settled me properly and began combing my white hair.

She passed the comb over and over again. Without saying anything for a long time.

“Raise your head a little, miss.” I obeyed and she adjusted me better in the chair in front of the vanity.

After combing my hair, she applied a bit of oil to the ends so it wouldn’t break.

“Would you like me to prepare your bath now?” she asked while separating a strand. “The water is already warm. I also added the salts you like—the lavender-scented ones.”

“…Yes, that’s fine.”

“By the way, you’ve been sleeping very little lately. It shows in your dark circles. If you don’t rest, you’re going to ruin that beautiful face you have.”

“It’s just that I’ve been very busy lately.”

“I know, I’ve seen you. You spend all your time reading history books and studying magic. You’ve changed so much this week—you’re unrecognizable. Even your father asked what happened to you.”

She finished combing my hair and let it fall loose.

We both walked slowly to the bathroom next door. When we arrived, she tested the water temperature with her hand.

“Perfect. Go in, I’ll help you.”

She began to carefully remove my pajama nightgown and helped me into the tub.

The hot water rose up to my shoulders and relaxed me, although I still felt terribly embarrassed that someone was seeing me.

After finishing the bath, she started drying me and helped me put on my dress. The dress was a simple blue one, short-sleeved, with a small bow on the left sleeve and a wide yellow belt that always felt too tight.

After that, she took me back to the room.

While I sat on the bed, I saw my diary still on the nightstand, and still open.

The maid noticed it too and reached out to take it.

“This is all wet. Let me dry it a little…”

“No—” I said quickly. I grabbed it and slammed it shut. “It’s mine.”

“…All right. I won’t touch it,” she said, stopping immediately. “You’re very protective of this diary. So many secrets?”

“It’s not secrets. I just… don’t want you to read it.”

“Understood, miss. I won’t insist.”

After that, the maid left and I remained alone, lying on my bed.

Of course I didn’t stay lying in bed the whole time, and I went to the garden to keep practicing my magic, which I was already managing quite well.

Upon arriving at the garden, I quickly tried one of the spells from the game, _**Avis Glacialis**_, the characteristic spell of the villainess, but every time I attempted it, I failed.

I closed my eyes, imagining that cold enveloping me, and directed it to the tip of my finger to launch it toward the wall.

Unfortunately, the cold was so intense that it ended up creating an ice ball that exploded upon touching the air.

“No way around it, keep trying.”

I stayed like that for hours. The cold entering my body grew stronger each time, but I wasn’t going to give up.

This time I first imagined the shape I wanted—a bird—and tried to create it in the palm of my hand.

Though it was complicated, I ended up creating a beautiful sculpture of a small bird. Now I just needed to be able to launch it and make it grow bigger.

Though it may sound easy, it wasn’t.

I closed my eyes to concentrate, stretched out my hand, and tried again.

The cold grew stronger and stronger, and when I tried to launch it, I couldn’t. My hand ended up freezing.

Although it was cold, it felt like it was burning; my hand burned and I couldn’t help but scream.

I felt tears coming out of my eyes, but they froze instantly, and as the cold continued to increase, I ended up fainting.

When I opened my eyes, I was in my room. Next to me, Ehal was reading a book.

Though my vision was still a bit blurry, I could make out that the book he was reading was the *Porniflorum Liber*.

I laughed a little. Seriously? It had to be this book.

“I see you’re awake,” Ehal said, setting the book aside. “It seems the cold has taken hold of you.”

I couldn’t say anything. When I opened my mouth, I felt the warmth of my body escaping.

The cold I felt persisted, even under the thick sheets of my bed.

“Here.” Ehal tossed me a _**very pretty purple necklace.**_ “This will warm you up.”

When I took the necklace in my hands, it was warm. Without thinking much, I put it on, and the warmth returned to my body.

“Thank you so much…”

“Sadine…” Ehal interrupted me. His voice sounded tired. “I just got engaged."

Silence filled the room.

The next day, she arrived in a carriage. A woman stepped down from it.

I recognized her almost immediately: she was the second villainess in Ehal’s route. I believe her name was_ **Ahriel Valhyr**,_ the future leader of an eastern tribe.

My father called me over so that I could be introduced alongside my cousin.

Now that I saw her up close, her long brown hair was indeed long and somewhat tangled; in it she wore a small moon ornament as decoration.

Her eyes were green and bright, and she was wearing a red dress decorated with an intricate pattern.

“A pleasure, Schutter family,” she said. Her voice was calm and clearly very different from what one would expect of a villainess. “I am Ahriel of the Valhyr clan. It is an honor to be part of this great union between our families.”

“The pleasure is ours, Miss Ahriel,” my father replied. “I am Hurd Schutter, head of the Schutter family, and this is my daughter, Sadine Schutter.”

I gave a small curtsy without taking my eyes off her.

“And this is,” my father continued, “my nephew, Ehal Schutter.”

“So this man is my fiancé?” Her voice lost its calm tone and took on a much more seductive one as she stepped closer to Ehal. “Tell me, handsome, would you like to go out somewhere?”

When I looked at my cousin, he appeared extremely uncomfortable.

“Miss Ahriel,” I spoke up, interrupting the scene unfolding before my eyes, “don’t you think you’re behaving in a rather undignified manner?”

“Oh, a thousand apologies,” Ahriel said, now turning toward me. “But when you have as much love as I do, it’s difficult to maintain composure.”

“So much love? You’ve only just met. No one can love someone they’ve only just met.”

“You’re still very young to understand it,” she replied while ruffling my hair.

As Ahriel messed up my hair, I felt my face burning with indignation.

Who did she think she was, treating me like I was five years old?!

Externally, I only pouted and took one step back, crossing my arms.

“Miss Ahriel, please…” I murmured.

She let out a soft giggle.

“Oh, how adorable you are when you frown, Sadine. Don’t worry, I won’t treat you like a baby… even though you’re so small and cute.”

My father cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation.

“Well then, Miss Valhyr, what do you say we move to the main parlor? We have prepared tea and some refreshments. It will be a good opportunity to talk calmly about the union between our families.”

“That sounds perfect, Mr. Schutter. I would love to get to know everyone better.”

We walked to the main parlor. Ahriel walked beside my cousin, humming a soft melody, while I trailed behind with a furrowed brow.

I don’t remember it being like this in the game… In Ehal’s route, Ahriel Valhyr appeared very little and wasn’t particularly close to my cousin. The only times I remember her smiling were when she was plotting something malicious.

What happened? Did I miss something important because I skipped parts and never read the dialogue properly?

As we walked down the main hallway, I looked at the tapestries bearing the Schutter emblem: a large silver hawk on a blue background. They swayed gently in the breeze.

I could also hear the whispers of the maids, curious about the visitor from the east and Ehal’s upcoming marriage.

When we reached the parlor, my father sat in the armchair made exclusively for him, upholstered in an old red-and-blue pattern that looked ancient.

Ahriel sat on the sofa facing him.

Ehal remained standing for a moment until Ahriel patted the cushion beside her.

“Come, Ehal, sit with me. I won’t bite, you can relax,” she said with a playful laugh.

Ehal sat as far away as possible without being outright rude. I settled into a small armchair nearby, pretending to be interested in the pastries on the table.

The conversation began formally: my father discussing the trade alliance with the eastern tribes, safe caravan routes, mutual benefits. Ahriel listened attentively, nodding and asking intelligent questions that proved she was far more than just a pretty face. But every few sentences, she turned toward Ehal and smiled at him.

“And you, Ehal? Do you enjoy riding across the plains? In my clan we hold horse races almost every month. You should come sometime… I could teach you to ride the way we do.”

Ehal mumbled something unintelligible that sounded like “perhaps” and shot me a pleading look. Maybe he wanted me to do something, but what could I do? If I interrupted my father, he would scold me.

Ahriel, who noticed the glance, turned to me with that same smile she hadn’t dropped for a second.

“Sadine, would you come too? It would be fun to have you there. We could teach you to shoot a bow… though with those tiny little hands of yours, we’d probably have to start with a toy one.”

“They are NOT toy hands!” I protested. “And I don’t need anyone to teach me anything.”

She laughed again, this time covering her mouth delicately.

“You’re so spirited… I like you a lot.”

Just then a maid entered with the tea tray. I saw my chance. While everyone was distracted by the conversation, I stood up “casually” and approached the maid.

“Let me help,” I said in my sweetest, most innocent good-girl voice.

The maid, used to Sadine’s whims, let me hold the teapot. I poured the tea into the cups… and, when no one was looking, I added a generous pinch of salt to Ahriel’s. If it tasted awful, maybe she would leave early. Or at least get distracted and stop flirting with Ehal.

I handed her the cup with an angelic smile.

“Here you are, Miss Ahriel.”

“Thank you, little one. How considerate of you.”

She took a sip… and her expression didn’t change. Not a single grimace, not even a twitch. She simply closed her eyes for a second.

“Mmm… interesting. It has a… unique touch.”

What?! She actually likes salt in her tea?! What kind of things do people from the eastern tribes drink that this tastes good to her?

And just like that, my plan failed spectacularly while she continued drinking with a smile.

While the adults kept talking, Ehal leaned toward me the moment Ahriel was distracted answering my father.

“Sadine…” he whispered, voice trembling. “Please… help me. I don’t want this. I’m not ready to get married. I want to be a free man. Can you do something? Anything. I promise I’ll stop putting you in the box.”

I looked at him. His eyes were full of panic. In the game, Ehal had always been the typical rebellious, aloof boy who ended up with the heroine—even going against his family. But here he looked like a frightened puppy.

I found it so endearing to see him like that that I smiled without realizing it.

I let out a small sigh. Of course I was going to help him. That had been my plan from the beginning.

“Okay,” I whispered back. “But you have to play along. Act normal for now. I’ll take care of it.”

Ahriel, unaware of our secret exchange, turned back toward us.

“What were you two whispering about so quietly?”

“Nothing important,” I replied quickly.

I could tell she didn’t like that answer, but even so, she didn’t drop her smile.

The afternoon dragged on very slowly amid all those conversations.

My father looked extremely satisfied with the alliance, while I could only think about how strange everything was.

I don’t remember it being like this in the game. Not at all. Ahriel Valhyr was the villainess who poisoned rivals out of jealousy—not this person who treats everyone like her younger siblings.

Could it be that the game didn’t show everything as it really was? I honestly didn’t understand anything, but I didn’t want to dwell on it any further.

When the sun began to set, Ahriel stood up.

“It has been an absolute pleasure, Schutter family. I feel right at home.”

My father smiled.

“Then, would you accept staying a few more days? There is much to discuss regarding the wedding… and it would be good for you and Ehal to get to know each other better.”

Ahriel looked at Ehal with eyes that seemed to be sparkling.

“I would love to. Isn’t that right, Ehal?”

My cousin forced a smile.

“Y-yes… of course.”

“Perfect! Then I’ll stay. We can go on walks, have chats… and maybe even throw a little party to celebrate our beautiful union!”

While everyone else seemed very happy, I remained seated, clenching my fists under the table.

This is moving way too fast. If things continue like this, the engagement will be sealed before I can sabotage it, and everything will end up happening exactly as it did in the original game. I have to stop it.

I looked once more at her radiant smile and felt a shiver run down my spine. Was the ice magic affecting me again? I doubted it—there had to be something more. Probably yes, and I needed to figure it out.

Otherwise, the route would continue exactly as in the original, and it would lead to my death.