Chapter 4

“Happy Birthday, Raena!”

“Happy Birthday, Onee-sama!”

I blew out all the candles in a single breath and relished in the applause.

Today, I turned 10 years old.

We were holding a small family gathering to celebrate, followed in the evening by a grand ball held in our home.

As my family and close attendants, staff and servants celebrated in the dining room, hundreds more were preparing for my birthday ball, a day of great importance.

A 10-year-old noble was expected to have their social debut and debutante ball within 3 months of coming of age, and it was also the stage of the first ‘flag’ in Yuri’s play.

Tonight, I would be meeting some of the ‘male leads’ and the seeds for their trauma flags would start to be sewn.

Not for all of them, mind you, if Yuri is to be believed, but definitely for the Crown Prince.

Lord Cain would be assaulted by an older, close relative, though she would be caught and executed before she went ‘too far’. The king made sure that news of the incident didn’t spread, but it would leave a deep wound on the 13-year-old, even more so after his engagement would be announced just a few days later.

Honestly, his father was far from a good man.

“In the original story, Raena would try to be a good queen candidate and try to love him, but he was repulsed by all of her efforts, making her hate him,” Yuri explained. “Raena would then grow to despise him even more after Lord Cain opened up to her adopted sister, driving another wedge between the heroine and the villainess. But!” Yuri grinned. “We can prevent all of that!”

Well, I had already destroyed part of that premise.

Yui, my adorable little puppy of a sister, loved me.

After that initial awkward month, Yui gathered the courage to call me ‘Onee-sama’ in front of Mother and Father, and I treated her kindly back.

From then on, whenever she had free time in her schedule, Yui would come to find me, even when I was buys. Yui didn’t mind though; she liked to watch me work, train, study, read and even, as I discovered after one short afternoon nap, sleep.

For some, I am sure her affection would be overwhelming, but I enjoyed seeing her be so clingy.

Yuri called it oppressive; I called it dependency.

“…You really are a villainess.”

I locked her outside on that snowy morning as punishment; Yuri was extremely cute shivering, and cuter still when she apologised.

I only left her outside for a minute; even I had limits on my ‘cruelty’.

All it had been was a small joke, one I did apologise to Yuri over.

I’ve gotten off-track.

What mattered was that Yui loved me, and I loved her.

Now, what was important was preventing Lord Cain’s trauma.

When pressed for more details, Yuri was less helpful than I would have liked.

“It’s only ever told to us by Lord Cain in his route. Honestly, all I know is what happened and whose birthday it was.”

To be safe, I would have Yuri and Teles monitoring Lord Cain from the moment he arrived.

Bringing Teles into it was a touch risky for she could be seen like anyone else, but Yuri was often easily distracted.

With that said, my personal ‘bad ending’ would not come to fruition if I simply stayed indifferent to Lord Cain, but emotions are a fickle thing, and one could never be too careful.

After enjoying an hour-long breakfast with those I treasured most, both Yui and I were left at the mercy of the maids. They were responsible for making us the most beautiful jewels in the country tonight, and there could be no compromise on that.

Teles in particular was infamous among our household for having the highest of beauty standards when it came to days like today.

From 10AM until 5PM, we were pampered, bathed, massaged, dressed, stylised and unable to express any movement of our bodies besides speaking.

I still have vivid memories from my 6th birthday when I sneezed at a bad time and ruined the makeup the maid was doing for me.

If Yuri thought I was a villainess, she had not seen Teles on that day.

This time, nothing went wrong, and the evening came.

The guests, Lord Cain included, entered before we did as was custom; then, once everyone had settled into a rhythm of sorts, we would enter as a family.

Father and Mother would enter hand in hand, with I entering on my father’s right and Yui on Mother’s left.

“Does it really matter the order you enter?”

“It does, far more than you can imagine,” I said softly to the fairy on my shoulder. “If I didn’t enter the hall with father holding my hand, it would send the message that I wasn’t his heir apparent.”

“Really?!”

“Really.”

Truthfully, I imagine in the original ‘otome game’, I didn’t enter holding either of my parent’s hands - perhaps as some form of rebellion against them favouring Yui too much.

“He’s by the wine and cheese table.”

Yuri managed to identify Lord Cain very quickly.

After seeing him myself, I could see why.

The signature radiant blonde hair and blue eyes of the royal family accentuated the handsomeness of his face which would no doubt become even more handsome as he moved through puberty and became a man. His smile, whilst small, was well-crafted; the perfect amount of gentleness mixed with a noble bearing. On his flank was his childhood friend and the future captain of the Royal Knights, Fredric Maximillion; surprisingly, Frederic was not one of the ‘love interests’ from the otome game despite his close friendship with the prince.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” My father’s booming voice commanded all present to listen. “On this most momentous of occasions, I thank all of you for your attendance to greet and welcome my daughter, Raena von Armina, to the wider social stage of our glorious kingdom. Today marks the 10th blessed year our family has spent with my lovely child, and I cannot wait to see the great and wonderful things she will do. Please, raise your glasses in celebration and honour of my daughter!”

“Oh woah, that’s got to be embarrassing! I’m dying from second hand embarrassment so I can only imagine how livid the villainess is!”

As painful as father’s introduction was, my own perfectly crafted lady’s smile never faulted, though I did see Yui hanging off my father’s every word in my peripheral.

Well, as long as she’s happy.

On that note, I imagine there will be many rumours going around about Yui by now, with few being positive.

There will be some who dislike her birth and blood, others that will try to use her to gain prestige with the Armina family, maybe even a fool or two who would raise her to replace me as the heir, I imagine speculation might give way to rumours of my relationship with her.

Before now, I’m sure some would say we got along well and just as many would say we were at odds.

After seeing the loving looks Yui gave me throughout father’s speech, most would assume the former I imagine.

Now, who would try and approach first?

“Onee-sama!”

Of course, it was Yui who immediately hugged me, smiling from ear to ear.

“Yui, we’re not in private. Let go.” She pouted, so I petted her head with a gentle sigh. “You can be by my side as we make the rounds, okay?”

“Yay!”

“Yui.”

“Ah, sorry.” She let go, cleared her throat and became the noble young lady Teles and her tutors had moulded her to be. “After you, Onee-sama.”

Good - she listens well and acts earnestly.

An easy to train puppy is nice, but it’s more fun to break it in slowly and overtime to savour-

“A pleasure to meet you, Lady Raena.”

The first of many nobles came to greet me.

First was the young lady of House Highland, Victoria, and her parents. They were a marquis family with lands and property close to our duchy. Loyal subjects who had to remain that way.

Then came two marquises from the south close to the capital. We were not anything more than distant acquaintances, but I treated them as cordially and politely as the Highlands.

They appreciated it and received Yui warmly as I introduced her.

When I praised her, Yui turned redder than a field of roses, but I saw that the other ladies’ pleasantries didn’t have the same impact on her.

An hour finally exhausted and the greetings ended.

“Yui, I’ll be stepping out for a moment.”

“Should I come with-?”

“Not this time.” I pecked her cheek. “I won’t be gone too long, okay?”

Yui nodded bashfully and walked away.

“Yuri.”

“Finally!” She shouted and flew down onto my shoulder. “How on Earth do you deal with all that boring chatter?”

“Yuri, focus. Where is Lord Cain?”

“He’s speaking with an older woman close to the edge of the room.”

“Point.”

“There!”

I followed her little finger and saw him - I see now, it was his aunt who attacked him.

It was well-known among older social circles that Lady Carrow had been a candidate for the current king’s fiancé, but she had never earnt his affection like Lady Catlin, Lord Cain’s mother, had.

On the surface, she appeared bittersweet that her younger sister had become queen at worst, but I imagine it greatly humiliated her, and that humiliation would have no doubt been given form and twisted into hatred.

But she was not a fool.

She wouldn’t risk losing her life or standing for revenge - unless, unless say a young man appeared who looked like the love of her life, and she saw an opportunity to take what she’d always wanted.

A party with this many guests in a building with this many rooms was a golden opportunity. Giving the young boy too much wine would make it impossible for him to think straight.

“Yuri, did she get that drink for Lord Cain?”

She nodded very quickly.

As I suspected.

“Teles.” I found her nearby. “Get some knights and follow after me.”

“As you command.”

Yuri and I stayed nearby Lord Cain, but the time we acted would be key to this.

Move too soon and Lord Cain would be safe, for now, but his predatory aunt would still be at large.

Act too late and Lord Cain’s trauma would still occur.

A crime, or an attempted crime, needed to occur.

If I twisted the original scenario too much, Yuri’s knowledge of the future (limited though it may be) would be rendered useless.

“They’re on the move!”

“Stay calm and let me take the lead.”

Lord Cain, clearly struggling to stand straight, was led by Lady Carrow out of the hall and towards the empty guest rooms.

I gave a quick glance behind to check Teles was there, before following them.

Lady Carrow, perhaps too absorbed in her own little world, didn’t notice me shadowing her.

She also, quite foolishly, chose a room close to the party venue.

No wonder she was caught in the original play.

Yuri had, as planned, flew right after them and into the room; she would give the signal for us to charge in.

Of course, only I would hear her call, but Teles could chalk it up to my instincts.

It was a good plan, but I’d be reliant entirely on Yuri.

For my sake, do not mess this up.

Teles and the two knights she had secretly brought with her waited beside me for the moment.

It wasn’t just Lord Cain and Lady Carrow whose future could be decided now, mine, Teles and Yuri’s would too.

If the heir of a duchy falsely accused the prince’s aunt, I could be tried and stripped of my rights and family name. Teles would be executed without a trial and Yuri would have to spend God knows how many years without being able to communicate with anyone, and no one would be none the wiser as they wouldn’t be able to see her.

“Raena!”

“Now.”

The knights burst the doors open and we saw it; a hazed Lord Cain collapsed on the bed, his shirt undone, and he was slipping in and out of consciousness, and Lady Carrow was sat on top of him, her hands lowering the front of her dress to expose herself.

“Take her.”

“W-what are you-?” The knights wrestled Lady Carrow to the floor, forcing her hands behind her. “Do you know who-?”

“Teles, get my father.”

“At once.”

“Lady Carrow.” I stepped towards her. “I know perfectly well who you are and what your foul intentions tonight were. I have personally witnessed your actions this evening in this room at my birthday party, and I am not alone in these observations. I have asked my staff to gather witness statements of your behaviour tonight and to testify that you gave the Crown Prince, the future king of this country, alcohol excessively. They won’t have known your reasons until my father arrives and then.” I smiled. “Your life will be over.”

Lady Carrow deflated as Yuri returned to my shoulder.

“He’s okay, but sleeping,” she reported.

“Good work, I’ll reward you later.”

“Yay!”

“…How did you know?” Lady Carrow mumbled. “How did you know I’d-?”

“Because.” I grinned sadistically at her. “I’m Raena von Armina.”