"........," 

The party held at the palace went by smoothly.

In other words, it was utterly dull.

Roxana later left my side to greet some elderly ladies and inquire about the latest gossip it seems.

Meanwhile, no one approached me – no curious glances, no forced smiles, no polite nods of acknowledgement.

'Gods,'

I thought, picturing the Duke in his element,

'what kind of social butterfly was he to gather such type of attention?'

Roxana continued her charade of interest toward others while occasionally casting curious glances my way.

And as the night progressed, I found myself standing alone in a corner, nursing a glass of wine.

"........," 

╔. ■ .═══════╗

╚═══════. ■ .╝

"........,"  

Then came the shriek. 

A dowager swooped down upon me, her target – my chest.

"Your Grace! Such a radiant presence tonight!"

She gushed.

"Ah, grandma, spare us both the theatrics,"

I muttered under my breath, turning away in the hopes of a subtle dismissal.

'Tsk, what a freak.'

I thought, feeling utterly out of place like a misplaced end table.

Judging by the clock on the wall, it wasn't even midnight yet; this ceremony was going to drag on forever.

Just when I thought the evening couldn't possibly get any more awkward… it did.

"Enjoying the festivities?"

A silky smooth voice sliced through my solitude, sending a jolt through me.

"Not particularly,"

I admitted honestly, not bothering to turn towards the speaker. 

Crossing my arms defensively, I added,

"Rather tiresome, wouldn't you agree?"

There was a hint of disdain creeping into my voice, which I couldn't quite disguise.

"Though, speaking of dull company,"

I continued,

"shouldn't you find someone more stimulating to waste your time on?"

Turning on my heel, I came face-to-face with a pair of piercing blue eyes. 

The face they belonged to was sculpted with an almost arrogant handsomeness, framed by dark hair. 

Derrick Eckhart. 

"........," 

╔. ■ .═══════╗

╚═══════. ■ .╝

"........,"  

Penelope's adoptive brother, the insufferably bitchy know-it-all from the game.

"Perhaps,"

he countered with a coolness that matched my own, a slight thrill coursing through me at the developing confrontation. 

"Perhaps I, too, haven't encountered anyone who appreciates my company… genuinely."

'Who does, really?'

I thought mockingly.

"Then perhaps you should lower your standards,"

I retorted, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

A flicker of something akin to surprise crossed his face before settling back into a sneer. 

"As if,"

He scoffed, a touch too prideful to admit defeat.

"Well, well,"

Came a voice dripping with feigned sweetness. 

Roxana reappeared, a ghost out of thin air. 

"Sounds like a lively conversation you two are having."

"Just discussing the mutual boredom of the evening,"

Derrick drawled, his gaze sweeping over me before returning to meet mine. 

He folded his arms across his chest, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

Roxana plastered a sugary smile on her face, nodding along. 

"Of course, Young Lord, I'm sure everyone feels the same."

Her gaze flickered between Derrick and me, a glint of something unreadable in her crimson eyes. 

"And you, Roxy, what do you say?"

I retorted, maintaining eye contact with Derrick, refusing to back down. 

His smug facade seemed to waver slightly under my gaze.

"Are you equally enjoyless tonight?"

Her eyes flashed briefly before she regained composure.

"Oh, Roxy? That is new,"

She giggled, feigning surprise before a thoughtful look crossed her face.

"........,"  

╔. ■ .═══════╗

╚═══════. ■ .╝

"........,"  

"I don't mind the company,"

she finally admitted, her voice surprisingly neutral. 

However, there was a subtle shift in her tone, a hint of something genuine peeking through the practiced facade.

"It's just... this ballroom is so..."

She trailed off, waving her hand dismissively.

"Stuffy,"

I finished for her, a wry smile playing on my lips.

"Think we should find somewhere... less formal?"

Derrick offered, his tone still frosty but a bit softer by now.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Her Majesty, the Empress, and His Highness, the Second Prince!"

The announcement boomed, effectively interrupting our conversation. 

The ballroom, a moment ago filled with hushed whispers and polite chatter, erupted in a flurry of movement.

Giggles and murmurs were replaced by respectful bows and curt curtseys as nobles scrambled to pay their respects to the arriving royalty.

Roxana and I followed suit, lowering ourselves to the ground with practiced grace. 

Across from us, Derrick mirrored our movement, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features as his immaculate suit rumpled slightly.

The Empress, a woman radiating power and authority, entered the ballroom with a confident stride. 

Her fiery dress billowed behind her majestically, drawing all eyes to her.

Beside her walked the Second Prince, a younger version of his mother, with the same golden hair and piercing blue eyes – the very eyes that were currently glaring across the room at a rather unfortunate nobleman.

A loud, drunken voice shattered the silence. 

"It's about damn time you sacks of shit got here!"

The voice slurred, laced with contempt.

The crowd gasped, their gazes snapping towards the source of the outburst. 

A nobleman, several glasses of wine deep, stood swaying, his face flushed with a mixture of alcohol and embarrassment.

'Oh boy,'

I thought, wincing internally.

This was not how this evening was supposed to go.

Derrick shot the man a glare before turning his attention back to us.

"He shouldn't have said that,"

He muttered under his breath, disgust coloring his tone.

"Silence!"

The Empress' voice boomed through the venue, silencing the drunken man instantly. 

Her gaze, cold and unforgiving, pinned him to the spot.

Under that withering stare, the man shrunk into himself, his bravado replaced by a whimper.

"Now, let's begin,"

The Empress declared curtly, gesturing for everyone to rise.

With a collective grunt, the crowd obeyed, their bodies stiff from kneeling. 

Roxana, however, seemed unfazed by the ordeal.

Her eyes, gleaming with an emotion I couldn't decipher, remained fixed on the Empress as she ascended the steps towards the throne.

As the royal family settled onto their seats, Roxana inclined her head in a respectful greeting. 

"Your Majesty, Your Highness."

The Empress gave a curt nod in acknowledgement, her gaze lingering on us for a brief moment before moving on. 

Derrick followed suit, bowing respectfully. 

"It is an honor to greet you here today, Your Majesty, Your Highness."

I mimicked his gesture, adding a shallow bow of my own. 

"The honor is ours,"

The Second Prince replied, his voice devoid of warmth.

Hold up!

Golden hair is the symbol of royalty, right?

And I happen to know a lady with golden hair, a certain scheming fiancée with a fondness for manipulation...

Locking eyes with her, I searched for any flicker of recognition in Roxana's crimson gaze.

However, she merely flashed me a smile, a touch too wide and strained at the edges.

Despite the awkwardness hanging in the air, her composure remained flawless.

"What is it, (Y/N)?"

Roxana's voice, normally dripping with honeyed sweetness, held a sharp edge that sent shivers down my spine.

"Did you want something?"

Her eyes, usually sparkling with amusement, now glinted with a hint of mischief – a type of mischief that promised trouble.

A wave of unease washed over me, a cold dread that tightened my gut.

Derrick, however, remained silent throughout this exchange, his cold, calculating gaze burning a hole into my back.

I couldn't help but steal a glance his way, and that's when I noticed it – the bar above his head.

The 'Interest bar'.

"........," 

╔. ■ .═══════╗

╚═══════. ■ .╝

"........,"  

It started as a zero, devoid of any indication.

Then, with a speed that defied logic, it filled in, the bar shooting up like a rocket launching into the sky. 

It was as if the system was struggling to calculate his true interest, the numbers changing so rapidly I couldn't even keep track.

"No, I--I--" 

I stammered, my response to Roxana's question caught in my throat. 

My gaze remained fixed on the bar, a fascination pulling me in.

It continued to rise, the numbers blurring in a dizzying display.

"Nevermind,"

I forced out through gritted teeth, pasting a tight smile on my face.

"Just admiring the decor."

Turning around, I made a show of facing the Empress and Second Prince,
desperately trying to appear engrossed in whatever conversation they were having.

But it was a losing battle. 

My attention kept flitting back to Derrick, his unwavering stare sending prickles down my skin. 

His interest, displayed so blatantly in that ever-rising bar, felt like a physical weight upon me.

[Interest 40%]

"........,"  

'At this point, just tell me I've got a fu*king harem.'

This whole situation felt like a bizarre parody of the game, the familiar characters twisted into unsettling new versions. 

Derrick's sudden, intense interest, a stark contrast to his usual aloofness, only added to the suspicion already simmering in my gut.

'He was already suspicious in the game,'

I thought, mentally ticking off another point against him.

'What about a living, breathing version of him?' 

First, the deranged Crown Prince, now the heir to Duke Eckhart's legacy? 

Who was next?

'Pfft, Reynold Eckhart?'

A snort escaped my lips, the absurdity of the thought momentarily breaking the tension.

'I didn't jinx it, right?'

"........,"  

Meanwhile, the bar above Derrick's head continued its rise, reaching a staggering 50% after just a few minutes of conversation. 

'Is this the real number? Seems like it.'

It appeared the original owner of this body and Derrick had a past, a tangled history I was destined to know through dreams or nightmares, both equally unwelcome.

With a dramatic sigh, I reached for my empty wine glass. 

"Well, then,"

I muttered, the need for a fresh drink and a change of scenery pressing down on me. 

"Excuse me for a moment."

Muttering apologies under my breath, I excused myself from Roxana and Derrick, my gaze scanning the crowd with a renewed purpose. 

'Who am I looking for?'

The answer came clear as day. 

'Her. If Derrick's here, then Penelope has to be here as well.'

My eyes darted across the ballroom, searching for a flash of familiar pink hair.

They landed on a figure holding court amidst a circle of giggling ladies, a smug grin plastered across his face.

The pink hair was there, the blue eyes sparkled with amusement, but the shade was a touch too light, a pale echo of the color I was desperately seeking.

Our eyes met for a fleeting moment, mine peering through the mask's gaps, his widening in surprise. 

A blush, soft as the rose quartz coloring his hair, bloomed on his cheeks.

"........," 

╔. ■ .═══════╗

╚═══════. ■ .╝

"........,"  

He cleared his throat, the sound awkward and forced, before returning his attention to the women surrounding him.

'What the - ? Was I seeing things?'

Disappointment gnawed at me. 

Great, a new tsundere addition to my harem… 

Weren't they supposed to be devoted to the heroine?

'Shouldn't assume things yet,'

I reminded myself, pushing down the rising tide of frustration. 

'There are different kinds of love, after all.'

The pink-haired individual, much to my disappointment, was none other than Reynold, Penelope's adoptive brother.

He seemed to be thriving in his role as a social butterfly, basking in the attention showered upon him by his admirers. 

Jealousy, a petty emotion I hadn't expected to feel, flickered within me as I watched him charm the ladies around him.

With a narrowed gaze, I retreated further into the crowds of chattering nobles, disappearing from Reynold's radar. 

As I navigated the crowd, a flash of movement caught my eye. 

There, tucked away in a corner, stood a lone figure, her presence as quiet as a mouse's.

Her.

Penelope. 

"........," 

╔. ■ .═══════╗

╚═══════. ■ .╝

"........,"  

Her vibrant magenta hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, the tips a paler shade that shimmered in the ballroom lights. 

Her eyes, unlike any I'd ever seen before, were a mesmerizing blend of turquoise and emerald, reflecting the colors of the sea. 

She looked like a lost soul. 

A pang of empathy shot through me. 

If I felt out of place, she must have been drowning in this environment.

With a tight jaw, I pushed through the crowd like a bull charging towards a red flag. 

As I neared, she finally noticed me, her turquoise and emerald eyes widening in surprise.

A flicker of something akin to fear crossed her features before she tilted her head slightly, retreating a hesitant step backward.

I stopped a respectful distance away, not wanting to overwhelm her further.

Tilting my head downwards slightly, I met her gaze head-on through the mask's gaps. 

The sincerity in my eyes, I hoped, would pierce through the barrier.

And in that quiet, stolen moment, a silent vow formed in my heart. 

"I'll be the one to witness your true happy ending, no matter what it costs."

Whether it meant navigating the halls of high society, unraveling the mysteries of this borrowed body, or facing down the very game itself, I was determined to see her smile a genuine smile, one that reached her eyes. 

This abused, lost girl deserved a happy ending, and by some twisted quirk of fate, it seemed that burden now fell on me. 
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╰┈➤ ❝ [Ɒσи'τ fσяɢєτ τσ vστє αиɒ cσммєиτ!]

₊❏❜ ⋮ ⌒(A/N): Thank you so much for reading this chapter! ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )

.....

Shit. Too long! XD

Happy reading! >ᴗ<

ִֶָ๋𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐