The academy’s tea party was only a week away. While the clueless fools around her gushed with excitement over the event, Angelina Grey sat alone in the school’s tearoom, gnawing at her nails.
“Milly Asteara...” spilled from her lips as she glared at the heap of notes scattered across the table before her.
The supposed final boss of the game world, the one she suspected was tied to the very reason time had rewound. Milly was always the thorn in her side.
Why? Why is she in the student council?!
Milly Asteara, in this rewound world, had joined the council. For Angelina, who sought her happily-ever-after, that fact weighed heavily indeed.
Lucius too! Why is he with her?! That never happened in the game! There was never any connection between them!
Lucius Henrieck was one of the romanceable characters in The Kingdom of Blossoms: Magi, the otome game this world was based on.
The son of the knight commander, he was the only “retainer” character among the cast of love interests. Though he came across as glib and frivolous, once a player entered his personal route, he revealed an intense, possessive devotion. That gap made him a fan favorite.
Angelina had never pursued his route herself. Still, the fact that Milly and Lucius were on such familiar terms filled her with burning irritation. And why shouldn’t it? After all, the right to grow close to Gilbert and the other love interests belonged to her alone—the protagonist of this world, the villainess reborn, Angelina.
Why? Why was she with one of the love interests? It doesn’t make sense!
In the game, and even in the world before time rewound, Milly had never joined the student council. Her character was defined by her aversion to social ties. Angelina had believed without question that the same would hold true this time, that everything would follow the game’s routes. Yet here, the thread had slipped. Something was wrong.
Did she meddle somehow? It’s hard to imagine mere time rewinding could change her personality so drastically.
There was no doubt about it. Milly was an obstacle standing between Angelina and Gilbert’s destined union. What Angelina wanted, more than anything, was to kill her then and there. But she couldn’t. Not now, for the Milly of this moment bore the Grand Duke Kyle Asteara’s protection.
The Grand Duke’s Blessing—an enchantment that nullified any attack directed at her—ensured she couldn’t be harmed. And to make matters worse, Milly herself was frighteningly adept with magic.
Then what? Try a surprise attack? No, she’s too sharp. If she caught on, I’d never be able to talk my way out of it.
Angelina clenched her damp palms into fists and slammed one down on the desk. Nothing was going right. Already her patience was fraying thanks to the incompetents that surrounded her, while the world itself seemed intent on obstructing her at every turn.
She clicked her tongue sharply, just as the tearoom door eased open.
“P-Pardon me, Lady Angelina.” It was Brima Bickel, looking as irritating as ever.
The very sight of her soured the taste of the tea in Angelina’s mouth. She clicked her tongue again, louder this time, and rose so abruptly her chair nearly toppled. Striding across the room, her temper flared hotter with each step. Up close, Brima’s face was all the more infuriating. Angelina raised her hand high and struck her cheek with all her strength.
“Aaah!”
“Silence. Do you want the whole corridor to hear?”
Brima crumpled to the floor, only to find Angelina looming above her, gaze frigid and lips curled in disgust.
“This is your fault. How could you bungle such a simple plan? Are you telling me you can’t even manage to cut a girl’s hair properly?” Seizing a handful of Brima’s hair, she jerked her head up.
Brima whimpered in pain, tears spilling down her cheeks. The pitiful sight amused Angelina enough to slightly soothe her temper. But it did nothing to earn Brima forgiveness.
“Thanks to you, I couldn’t take Sierra’s ‘best friend’ role for myself. How do you intend to take responsibility for that?”
In the otome game The Kingdom of Blossoms: Magi, there were not only romanceable characters but also a host of supporting ones. Milly, the final boss, and Angelina, the villainess, were two such characters. Another was the heroine Sierra’s best friend, a female student who always stood by her side. She provided tips about the love interests and even gave the player hints about current affection levels. In other words, she was the information broker.
Angelina had set her sights on this role. Not because she wanted to play informant, but because she realized how convenient that position would be if she wanted to win Gilbert for herself. In this world, the one thing Angelina had to prevent at all costs was Sierra, the heroine, stealing Gilbert away.
No matter how much progress Angelina herself made, if Sierra smoothly followed Gilbert’s route and claimed his heart, it would be game over. That was why Angelina had to stick close to Sierra, guiding her away from event triggers with the love interests.
The obstacle was, of course, the best friend.
A character who spent nearly all of school life at Sierra’s side would only get in the way. And so, in the world before time rewound, Angelina had resolved to take over that role herself, so that no foreign element could interfere.
And so, Angelina had more than achieved her goal of keeping Sierra and Gilbert apart. By forcing Sierra to avoid every single game event, she’d ensured Sierra never ended up with Gilbert, leaving Angelina alone to reap the rewards. It was the perfect outcome.
“Pathetic. All you do is cry. The least you could do is offer an apology.” Angelina let go of Brima’s hair with a dismissive flick, tossing her head aside, and plucked one sheet from the notes scattered across the desk. “‘Sierra has her hair cut by Angelina’s follower, and her best friend helps her up.’ You can’t even manage such a simple event? You must have been just as useless in your past life.”