It was a long day, and I was very glad to be in the hotel, ready to take a break after the grueling news. The four of us decided to arrange a meeting with John an hour later, the time used to relax and composed our jumbled thoughts.

However, I found myself instead in the lobby overhearing an inane conversation.

It was, surprisingly, Alyssa and Vera who were having what I will assume to be called girl talk.

"I don't understand..." Vera said, an exasperated tone as she threw her hands up in the air.

"Love is like that," Alyssa soothed Vera.

"Just that... I thought... tch, now I don't know. Am I attracted or in love with him? I wished she didn't say it like that," Vera said.

"Whose to say that love and attraction aren't the same thing?" Alyssa asked.

"Well... speak of the Devil. Hey Ro, come here!" Vera said, beckoning me over.

I was just walking through the lobby after freshening up in my own room and remembered the magazine racks there so to check some out, but instead, I found Alyssa and Vera sitting at one of the couches there chatting to each other and accidentaly overheard a bit.

I still planned to mind my own business if Vera didn't catch my eye looking at them and decided they wanted my company. And how could I refuse?

I sat at the couch opposite them, with only a small table blocking us.

"So, what's going on?" I asked to both Alyssa and Vera.

"Girl problems. We were talking about our betroths/crushes. Vera went on to talk about Nate, who as far as she knows is because she was friend zoned by him, mostly because he's interested in you," Alyssa started.

Ever since the pranks in Jirachi Kingdom and I acknowledged them, and also want to help, he decided to latch onto me and then, grew more fond of me after every interaction.

I call this the curse of lovely irony that reincarnated villainess/mob character ever experiences in the otome game. Said reincarnated person declares that she will avoid all the capture targets in the name of avoiding death flags or just doesn't want to involve in whatever events that will conspire if she gets too involved.

Eventually, the person who declares as such finds herself involved with the capture targets anyway and obliviously makes a harem. Thus the curse of lovely irony because it is simply ironic that they always end up doing the opposite of what they wanted.

Of course, being a villainess myself and claiming that I wanted no part in a harem myself, I have found myself in situations with capture targets and rivals myself. Edward, Suza, Clover, Greg, Milan and now... Nate and Vera.

Because I always acted different from my peers, too wise and uncaring for my age, an asexual being too young when a lot of people already had their love priorities straight. Of course, I was so not dumb to be tangled in the curse and counter with bringing the capture targets to new girlfriends. So far, it worked.

But the curse was so not done with me. Nate and Vera. How many more capture targets and rivals to go?

"Yeah... after Ro talked to me one time about Nate, I'm starting to wonder, though... am I attracted or in love with Nate?" Vera was practically looking at me, but I shrugged.

"Like I said, maybe love and attraction is the same thing," Alyssa stressed.

"Then, why did Ro harp on about love and attraction being different?" Vera demanded.

Actually... the reason I said that is because I barely believe that capture targets ever really love the heroine, well... in those reincarnation stories, or if they are Do-S vampires like in Diabolik Lovers. That being said, it's just...

"Maybe what I was pointing is that there are two different types of love?" I decided to reassess my previous statement that I gave to Vera, and give a thorough explanation.

"There's one love where both parties care each other despite who they truly are and no matter what bad or hateful things between them, their love never wavers, something like that. But there's also another, a toxic love," I said.

"Toxic love?" Vera asked.

"Well... I read a lot of romance and thriller stories, but remember what I said about attraction? It's just that toxic love is not really love. Let's say... a person thinks they meet their destined after say... the destined save a person from an accident or something and because they think it's fated, the person would think their savior is their one, and they will say, get attracted."

"But here's the catch, from one little thing, they were attracted not by the person, but the action itself and paint an untrue image of the person, not knowing the real person themselves. But because of that imagery, the person will find themself more attracted toward such person to the point that attraction can become obsession and that's not healthy."

"Because you see... being obsessed over a person means that you are not necessarily in love with the person, just obsessed. Being obsessed is a selfish and toxic love where you just want to love a person without caring about the other's needs or desires, love only for yourself. It's selfish," I said.

"Now, listen here, Nate might love me, but I do not. In fact, I planned to remain asexual my whole life if not for the fact that I was betrothed to Ain. But we both know that we don't love each other, just friends and since we couldn't stop our Moms, we just shrugged and moved on..."

"What I'm getting at is, if I don't love Nate, and no matter how much he does that it won't change, he should move on. If he doesn't," I shook my head, "Someone needs to slap some sense into him."

Alyssa and Vera had their mouths wide open with my speech.

"So, that's how you really feel, huh?" Vera asked.

"Yep, so if you want to get at Nate, who is still single, I say, go ahead," I said.

"But how do I know my love for Nate is not toxic?" Vera asked.

I shrugged, "No real way knowing. Love is blind that nobody can really see where they stand. What I do know is that true love is when both parties truly love each other. Let's say... you can try for a while, even when Nate friend zones you but like get to know each other more and then you will see... Like, do you really know Nate, really?"

Vera shook her head, "I mean... sure I had met Nate, but I haven't really talked to him much except short sentences. But I feel like I love him. Second son, always left alone, second best... I feel like I could relate, maybe we could be together. Yet..."

"So, how about you make an effort of knowing him better, not as lovers but as friends. Then gradually, maybe both of you can spark something with each other. If not... maybe there's another Prince Charming," I said.

Vera nodded, and Alyssa clapped her hands, "That's great advice, Dr. Love."

"Dr. Love?" I gave out a snort, "I just read a lot of romance novels. All advice came from there and whatever I interpreted from the novel..."

"Either way, maybe you can also give me advice?" Alyssa asked.

"Huh? Trouble in paradise?" I asked, with my raised eyebrows.

"For me, it's a little different..." Alyssa said, "About Red..."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"As we all know, he's a playboy, and truthfully I never minded, because it was pretty much an engagement for formalities' sake rather than love, but lately..." Alyssa said.

So, Alyssa already knew that her future husband is a playboy and absolutely doesn't care at all. I have absolutely no idea what to say.

"But?" Vera prompted, "So are you saying that you somehow fell in love with Red and are now jealous of his playboy ways..."

"Maybe..." Alyssa said.

"Maybe?" I asked with raised brows.

"Ah well... even though we know Red is a playboy, I really didn't know until I saw him with another girl by chance, doing... things. Around that time, it really hit me hard," Alyssa said.

"Maybe that means you just... really love him?" Vera asked, "Otherwise you won't really feel jealous, isn't that right?"

"Maybe," Alyssa said again, and I sighed.

I remembered that there were many bad endings with the number of characters, and it seemed the Alyssa-Red route...

Out of all the bad endings, even if Alyssa was the supposed protagonist of the story, hers with Red isn't actually so bad. The worst are the hidden ones, literally world ending.

But...

"You said 'Maybe' again. If that's the case, what's really bothering you?" I asked.

Alyssa fidgeted, "Can't be said in words, but what I really want advice is-"

"Hey, Ro, what are you doing here?"

I looked behind me to see that it was Ain who was the talker. I felt a sense of dread. Ain was the last person I want to be with.

It's hard to tell what's he up to. He surely hasn't given up on... 'whatever it is'.

I guess it could be the same for Ain with me. He has no idea what I'm up to, but he's aware that I'm doing... something. That was made aware when all that SO business went down.

Strange how we are both the same in that aspect.

"We were having girl talk," I said smoothly.

"Well, sorry to interrupt it, but I have been looking for you all day. I want to talk to you," Ain said.

Alyssa and Vera looked at me expectantly, apparently curious about this exchange, but how should I know?

"Fine. See you guys later," I said to Alyssa and Vera while I followed Ain.

Two mysterious people with their own goals and their obstacles being the other yet can be used as ally.

This tango is nuts!

***

"So? You want something?" I started, tilting my head in slight confusion to radiate my curiosity toward Ain.

"Only to know what Ms. Detective is up to?" Ain asked with a smirk.

"And I say, confidential information," I smirked back.

I remembered back at the library in the castle of Terakion Kingdom that Ain expressed interest in my little sleuthing. Due to the Lust Choker which was one of the items he needed, along with a few other Arceus Diamonds that I have no idea of what use.

If all of them, sure. But why those specific Diamonds? What purpose?

I don't know, and Ain will never tell me.

It doesn't mean he will get whatever information he needs from me...

"Confidential information to me but not to a demon?" Ain asked.

"What are you-" I started but Ain cut me off.

"I saw you, with Alex and John after the second attack. And you were having a really serious discussion that I have no doubt is about the Beast and of course, the Lust Choker," Ain said.

"For all you know, we could be talking about forming a cult," I said, "Since you know, do you-"

For the second time, Ain cut me off as he said, "Nice try. You and definitely John are not those type of people."

"Yeah, I tried. I just don't want to tell you, OK?" I threw my hands up in the air.

"Yeah, but the demon..." Ain muttered.

"Actually, it's like Alex and John are best friends, and I'm a close friend to Alex. Thanks to that, we trusted him enough and he helped us a bit along the way..." I said.

"And I didn't help you?" Ain asked, looking hurt.

"Don't give me that BS. I don't trust you, and it's not like you trust me," I said.

"Fair," Ain muttered.

Once again, standstill. I decided to head it off.

"Look, Ain, although betrothed together, we have plenty reasons to distrust each other. And we both know that we want something that somehow connects us to each other, but we want nothing to do with it but our own. In the end, we do our own thing, and thank you," I said.

Ain was completely silent, staring at me.

"In fact, I feel you capable enough to do things by yourself, and you don't want anyone but yourself know what you are up to. So I have no idea why you need my help and I'm not helping because it risky to help blindly," I finished, no more argument in my voice.

In the end, after a long silence, Ain finally spoke.

"The reason I needed your help in the first place was because the legends have said that the bracelets you wear will lead me to the treasures I need. The reason I need your help now was because you along with your two lackeys have some very important information about the Beast and we all know the Beast is related to the Lust Choker," Ain said.

"And what can you do about it? This time, you don't have the SO to back you up and I doubt the Savagery will let anyone in except their own, but if you were in the Savagery, even less reason to tell you anything," I said.

Ain chuckled, "Got me there. Man, we have our issues."

I nodded in agreement. I doubt couples like Alyssa and Red have any issues like me and Ain.

Ah, that day with SO...

"But I still do want to know," Ain said, apparently not giving in.

"And why should I?" I asked.

There was no answer.

"Fine. I'll be back though," Ain said before walking away.

I shook my head. Among my many problems.