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"𝙉𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙤 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨. 𝙄 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙠𝙮"
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Looking around she found herself in an unfamiliar place. The princess sighed and figured she was dreaming again. She scanned the room and spotted a casket and a mirror. Her body moved on its own towards the casket and her face paled when her body stilled and her eyes looked through the casket's clear lid. "Me?..." Silalynn's hand went to her mouth. She was suddenly in control of her body again but she didn't pay mind to it as she took a closer look. It was a corpse. "No that's not me..." the person looked a little younger than her, she was more tanned, and her hair was fully black unlike hers. The other girl's face looked a bit different from her's and she didn't recognize her facial features. However, both their faces were undeniably similar. Had she not leaned closer she would still think it was her. She sat down next to the coffin and allowed her hand to drift over the lid.

"I have so many questions..." Silalynn's eyes shifted over to the mirror before getting up and walking over. There was nothing special about the mirror other than a large crack running down it. Just as she was about to touch it, foreign letters appeared on it. She didn't recognize the text but what it said poured out of her mouth as if she had already mastered the language it was in.

"水天 幸子" Misora Sachiko. She then looked back at the casket, "Was that your name?" she didn't expect an answer from someone dead but part of her foolishly hoped that something would be said. Silalynn turned back to the mirror, "I suppose you won't tell me anything either?" she stared at the glass for a second and frowned when no words showed up. "Hah..." she let out an exasperated sigh, walking back to the casket and sitting in the lid. "I wonder, have I finally gone insane?" she didn't know why but she bitterly laughed.

"...I'm so far gone, aren't I?..."

She was there for another moment before her eyes closed and a bright light woke her up. Lydia had opened her curtains and was currently helping her sit up. "Morning, Shiruko" Lydia pushed a small cart with water and breakfast toward the bedside. As soon as Lydia finished pouring water into a cup and was about to help Sila drink it the princess snatched the cup and gulped the water down. The maid stood there without moving for a moment before composing herself and grabbing the cup back. "You can just say you don't want my help," Lydia said, pulling out her mini breakfast from the cart. Sila looked down at her head, "I...sorry, it felt like my body moved on its own.." the princess continued to stare at her hand in confusion. "Did you have a nightmare again? You're always jumpy whenever you have one" Lydia asked before going to grab some clothes.

"..No, I didn't have a nightmare," For a second Sila thought about telling Lydia about her dream but she decided it was best to not say anything. After all, it was strange. She saw someone who looked so similar to her, she could freely move but not change aspects of the dream with her imagination, and there was a mirror that displayed words in a language she didn't recognize (and being a princess she was taught many languages). "I don't know why I'm so tense" Knowing Lydia, she probably didn't believe her but the maid let it go because pushing her wouldn't end well. Though the room fell silent, silence with Lydia gave her some comfort. Sila got out of bed and went to her bathroom to take a bath. After she finished Lydia brought her clothes in and helped her with her hair and makeup. She only had a bit more time until she had to meet with the Ascarts so Lydia hurried her a bit. "Are you ready to meet Lady Hunt and Miss Campbell?" Lydia asked as she was styling Sila's hair.

"Honestly, I'm nervous"

"At least you're being truthful for once-"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Sila abruptly turned her head around only to have Lydia turn her to face the mirror again a second later. "Oh nothing" the maid hummed. "I asked you if you were scared before and got no answer. Now that I've asked again you've at least given me an answer, I can call that progress" Lydia explained. Sila sighed and her shoulders relaxed. "Lady Hunt is Alan's fiancé so if I make a bad impression it might cause some problems, and Miss Campbell....she scares me.."

Lydia listened to her ramble as she did her makeup. "I don't think it's Miss Campbell you're scared of, I think you're scared by the fact she has light magic," Silalynn thought about it for a second. "..Dark magic has always been the opposite of Light so maybe it's my instincts"

"You weren't born with dark magic so I don't think it can qualify as instincts. Besides, by that logic, you should be terrified of Prince Geordo for having Fire magic" Silalynn shrugged before being mildly scolded by Lydia to not move when she's doing her makeup. "Alright, alright, you're right. My Dark magic doesn't count as instincts but I think that because it's the opposite of Light it's trying to warn me"

"Mhm. That makes more sense- done!" Lydia exclaimed, now going off to clean the brushes. Sila only then processed her appearance in the mirror. "Sometimes I forget how gifted you are with makeup"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, plus you have a pretty face which makes it easier I guess"

Silalynn scoffed. "Flattery will get you nowhere" she repeated her friends' words.

"Come on, you don't want to be late for breakfast with the Ascarts. That'd be rude" Lydia rolled her eyes before the two girls left the bedroom. "Are you going to try and ask Young Master about yesterday?" Silalynn nodded. "I want answers. Nothing makes sense and since it has something to do with me I think it's fair that I know"

Lydia absentmindedly nodded. Sometimes she wished that Sila would just give her a 'yes' or a 'no'. As much as she cared about Silalynn she just wanted quick answers unless she asked for more. They passed by a large window in one of the many hallways and Lydia paused. "Are you ok?" Sila turned around and walked a few steps back. Lydia was staring outside the window and Silalynn followed her gaze. "They look like they're having fun" the princess found herself muttering. Turns out Lydia had spotted her brothers and their friends. From what she could tell there was a bit of a squabble between Geordo, Lady Hunt, and Lord Claes. Lady Sophia and Miss Campbell looked like they were trying to hold back laughter, Alan wasn't trying to hide his laughter, Lady Claes looked confused...and was eating a cupcake? This early in the morning? And Young Master Ascart looked amused.

Lydia lightly elbowed her arm. "For some reason, it feels like this happens a lot" The maid's eyes hadn't left them. "Mhm," Silalynn nodded, pressing her hand on the window. "You're making every maid's life hell. Don't get fingerprints on the windows" Lydia's words held no bite despite being harsh. "Do you think" Sila hesitated as she tried to think about how to word her thoughts, "Do you think I could be like them?"

Lydia finally peeled her eyes away from the window and looked at Sila who also met her eyes. "That's not a question you should ask me. The only one stopping you is you" Lydia glanced outside once before grabbing Silalynn's hand and making them continue walking. "The Young Master and Lady have left, we should hurry or you'll be late, again"

"Right.."

It took a few more minutes but Silalynn and Lydia just barely got there before Nicol and Sophia. They all offered pleasantries before Lydia left and they were served breakfast. Sila still stuttered a bit and was a little hesitant when speaking but as their conversations went on the shakiness gradually stopped. "Oh, I was so caught up in speaking with Lady Sophia that I didn't eat yet," Sila thought as she looked down at her untouched plate. Thankfully it was a meal that still tasted good when cold. She took a small bite and then paused, "It's spicy?.." she hadn't even realized she said it out loud but Sophia's smile and Nicol's nodding confirmed it.

"Prince Geordo heard that you liked spicy foods and ordered the chefs to make your meals spicier" Sophia explained before taking another bite from her meal. Silalynn stared down at the meal for a second before she continued eating. She thought she appreciated Geordo's gesture but for some reason, she felt bitter about it. "Ah, that's right. Young Master" Nicol looked up from his meal at the mention of his title. "I...I don't like beating around the bush. So please answer me" Under the table, Sila's hand was gripping her dress tightly. "Please tell me why you had that reaction when my old self was mentioned" Unless you looked close enough you wouldn't be able to tell how Nicol's eyes barely widened.

"We never met formally but that doesn't mean I never saw you" At that Sila opened her mouth to speak but almost immediately closed it and signaled for Nicol to continue. "One time I came over when Geordo and I were kids" Silalynn was ten seconds away from forgetting all her years of learning etiquette and ready to fight this man. She didn't want a story, she wanted an answer. "Princess, please trust me. I promise you that you'll get your answers" Nicol quickly realized her dwindling patience. Silalynn forcibly stopped herself from scoffing and allowed him to continue. "I was early so I ended up watching some of Geordo's magic lessons"

"Wait a second he's talking about-" Silalynn's thoughts were interrupted by Nicol continuing his story.

"Geordo's fire magic ended up burning his hands-" Sophia's gasp, though a quiet one, sounded loud. The younger Ascart's cheeks turned red in embarrassment as she quickly apologized. Silalynn figured that during the rare times, Geordo used his magic he had amazing control. Or the Crown Prince was practically considered perfect so no one imagined that he'd hurt himself as a kid. Silalynn nodded at Nicol and mumbled, "Continue"

"You happened to be nearby and used your water magic to try and heal his burns"

"Yes, I remember that day clearly-"

"You looked calm and didn't panic. You even talked to Geordo the whole time about me being boring" Silalynn flinched and made a mental note to apologize later (but it's not like her feelings have changed...). "At least that's what I thought before I spotted you holding onto a maid for dear life looking ready to pass out due to exhaustion or vomit"

Silalynn's cheeks turned bright red and she wanted to groan. It was embarrassing but after she helped Geordo she almost collapsed into Lydia's arms mumbling things like "I actually did it?" and "I feel like passing out"

"Young Master just get to the point" You're killing me went unspoken.

"You never got scared. Even in that situation, you weren't scared, you only got tired from using your magic" Silalynn stared at Nicol in utter confusion. The Ascart heir continued, "I felt...unpleasant after seeing you go from that to being scared of everything thing"

"Huh? That's strange..." Sophia thought as her eyes were constantly switching between her brother and Silalynn. "I've never seen brother look like this.."

"You felt 'unpleasant'? What exactly does that entail?" Sila crossed her arms over her chest. Nicol paused, seemingly thinking of how to word what he was going to say. "I think it's unfair that you've become scared of people"

"I'm not as smart as my brothers, I need even simpler words please" Nicol drank some water before continuing. This was probably the most he's spoken in a while.

"That's the funny thing about feelings, isn't it?"

"My patience is decreasing" She replied bitterly. Perhaps if she had more clarity she would realize how uncomfortable Sophia looked. It was strange, it seemed like Nicol also didn't realize Sophia's discomfort.

"U-Um. Brother, Princess Silalynn, could we possibly relax for a second-"

"I don't know why I felt like that, it's the simple truth. I apologize but I can't give you more than that" Silalynn froze in her seat. "So then this whole conversation was pointless?.."

"Pointless is a harsh word. Unfruitful would be more accurate" Nicol then turned to Sophia and muttered an apology. Seeing that Sila realized how uncomfortable she must have made Sophia feel, however, the apology never left her lips. She then stayed silent and finished her food. The rest of the mean was awkward and Sila would be lying if she said she was relieved when she had to leave for her dance lessons.

"I take it your conversation didn't go well?" Lydia met up with her as the princess left the room. Sila looked like she didn't hear Lydia but the maid knew her too well and probably knew that their conversation didn't go in a good direction. "Lydia....how can I apologize to someone without speaking?" At that, Lydia hummed at the thought for a second. "You could write a letter? You wouldn't have to speak but can write down what you want to say"

"I'll consider it..." Sila mumbled leaving out that a letter feels a bit half-hearted. They walked in silence and Lydia left to finish some other jobs and Silalynn was quite happy to start dancing. Her teacher, Kirsa Eberhart, second daughter of Marquis Eberhart, was a genius dancer. However, for unknown reasons, she quit dancing and took up teaching the art. She had been around since Silalynn was a child and felt like a second mother to her. There was also that time when she was little and said something about her swordsmanship teacher, Elias Ravenswood, being like a second father to her and how she thought those two had some kind of attraction to each other, but she realized that she shouldn't try an play matchmaker for her teachers. That and she later found out they were cousins-

She's still apologizing to both of them to this day.

"Princess, lift your arm a bit more- no not like that! Ugh here" Kirsa walked over and fixed her arm positioning and it was then Sila remembered that Kirsa hated it when she danced but her mind was blank. "I'm sorry" she quickly apologized. Kirsa stared at her for a minute before sighing and sitting down in a chair. "Your lessons are done for today, you haven't been focused and I'm not going to make you dance when you can't even stay focused"

"H-Huh but I got here only around twenty minutes ago!"

"Yes, and a dancer with as many years of lessons as you should be able to focus in about five minutes" Kirsa shot back. "Just go change and do something else. Besides I heard you have lunch with the daughter of Marquis Hunt and the light magic user, I might as well let you have some time to yourself to calm your nerves"

"But I'm not nervous?"

"You and I both know that a few minutes before you meet them you'll be running around in panic like a headless chicken" Silalynn glared at her teacher but there was no real animosity in her eyes. She scoffed before heading off to change and figure out what she was going to do. "Maybe I'll walk around the castle, and I don't have too much to worry about if I run into Geordo and Alan's friends," she thought before aimlessly walking around.

"I wonder....why did that girl look so much like me..." Silalynn paused. She turned over to the other side of the hall and spotted one of the music rooms. "Maybe if I play something I can take my mind off it" she mumbled before opening the door and immediately rushing over to the cello. Technically speaking she was taught to play many instruments and could play them all well, but she preferred the cello since the instrument sounded nice with piano and violin. Alan played the piano and Geordo played the violin, Sila could only hope that one day she would be able to play the cello with them.

Maybe one day she would also rope her elder brothers into this as well.

She sat down and adjusted her hold on the bow before flipping through a random cello music book and settling on a song. As soon the bow touched the strings she flinched. "Right, this probably hasn't been tuned in ages" She put down the bow and started to fiddle with the tuning pegs. Once she deemed it good enough to play with. Silalynn then grabbed the bow and began to play. Unbeknownst to her the door happened to be ever so slightly open and from the small crack eight sets of eyes peeled into the room.

None of the eight friends spoke as they all stared at the Princess playing the cello without realizing their presence. A certain brown-haired, blue eyes transmigrator was strangely focused on the Princess.

When Katarina first heard about Silalynn, she panicked. In The Fortune Lover franchise, Silalynn was a character only mentioned in the main series and a capture target in a limited version of the game, kind of like an event character. After hearing about her from Geordo, Katarina made sure to write down everything she could think of about the girl, in Japanese as a precautionary measure. Silalynn Stuart was the 3rd child of the Royal Family and the 1st Princess of Sorcier and on a surface level she was the dandere archetype.

She and the other two love interests were from Fortune Lover: Elysian Garden.

Unlike its predecessor game, Elysian Garden was heavily lore focused. That might've been why it didn't sell as well as the first game since most people wanted a mindless Otome game but that didn't matter right now. Because Elysian Garden was lore focused, there were not as many capture targets, they were Princess Silalynn of Sorcier, her maid Lydia, and Prince Rowan de Carmine Fiore, however, all of them had a stupid number of routes! All the routes also had complicated names and she will never understand why the creator chose to make them like that. They each had nine routes and they also had four other routes which they all shared! Silalynn's routes consisted of the Limerence, Redamancy, Querencia, Orphic, Lacuna, Charmolypi, Evanescent, Ephemeral, and Ethereal routes. Lydia's were called the Oriflamme, Tacenda, Enigma, Meraki, Laconic, Rame, Halcyon, Finifugal, and Aeipathy routes. And Rowan's routes consisted of the Serendipity, Desiderium, Panacea, Nostalgia, Eunoia, Fika, Burgeon, Empyrean, and Saudade routes. And finally, their shared routes involved the Alpas, Solandis, Eleutheromania, and Concinnity routes.

In her past life, Katarina and her friend managed to get ahold of the game and decided that one of them would play the Silalynn Route, the other would play the Rowan, and then they'd play through the Lydia routes, and the shared routes together. But despite both of them finishing their respective character's routes, they never got the chance to play Lydia's and the shared routes. Thankfully, she remembered enough about Sila to try and avoid any more doom flags!

Katarina stared at the Princess through the door for a moment longer with an unreadable expression on her face. "Sister? Are you alright?" Katrina snapped out of her daze once she realized Keith's worried look. Honestly, sometimes he worried too much over her for minor things. It took her a second to realize that all her friends were staring at her with concerned looks. "H-huh, oh I'm fine" She smiled and hoped that that would reassure them. Truthfully she was fine, Silalynn just caught her off guard. "She looks just like Sachi-chan...but then again Silalynn's appearance was based on her" a memory resurfaced. Misora Sachiko, both she and Acchan were friends with her. Their bond with her wasn't as close as it was with the two of them but they were close nonetheless. At some point in their friendship, they found out that one of Sachiko's older sisters was the creator of Fortune Lover. Sachiko wasn't particularly interested in Fortune Lover, or Otome games in general. But once the promotions for Elysian Garden and she and Sasaki saw the similarities between Silalynn and Sachiko, Sachi was forced to explain that one day she managed to annoy her sister enough that she based the appearance of Silalynn on Sachiko out of spite, but there were some small differences.

"Maybe that's why one of the routes is called "Ethereal"....but ethereal doesn't come close to describing her..." Pulling herself out of her memories Katarina flashed a more confident smile as her friends were clearly not convinced with the first one. "I was just thinking that Princess Silalynn is really pretty"

The moment those words left her mouth the room felt like a blizzard.