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 Ahrielyounger 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.

Chapter 2: The Worst Player Meets the Worst Villainess

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