Esha truly hoped with all her heart, that no one else had a fiancé who would eventually become their murderer.
At the ages of sixteen, a good number of her friends were engaged to the heirs of prominent houses. She was well aware of men who could commit such malicious acts, but still seem like gentlemen; so it wasn't a stretch to have others may hide a more sinister side that could be triggered. Worry always furrowed her brow when she thought of her cherished companions' future husbands— would they be treated kindly?
When she had voiced her concerns Harien immediately cooed and pinched her cheeks, "Es, what a darling you are! Please don't worry about me, Sir Robyn is a dear. That boy couldn't lift a hand against an ant; what more me?"
On the other hand, the corner of Satsa's mouth pulled up into a smirk, and lightly patted Esha on the head. "If Aster hit me, it would be because I gave him permission to." She said in a proud voice. Silence followed; many cheeks flushing red at the insinuation.
Rasi frowned, throwing a handkerchief at Satsa's face. "Lady Satsa," The emphasis on lady was clear to all. "There are minors." She chided; turning to look at their youngest friend. "Lord Hollan is a decent man; respectable and courteous. Now, Es, why are you worried? Are those your own fears?"
Back then, she couldn't answer Rasi's question truthfully.
Whether her friends' future marriages would hold love or not, she didn't know. At the very least, she wanted them to live well. Before leaving the topic to rest, she had gifted them a hairpin that contained tranquilizing liquid and various maps to pre-arranged safe houses—just in case.
After all, she, the lady betrothed to the future ruler of the nation, was meant to fall at the hands of her betrothed.
Throughout her life, fleeting memories of a different place would color her mind; a world where circuits and wires brought fiction into fruition. A past life peeked through those flashes. There, people were able to fly in metal birds and travel beyond the blue skies. Loved ones miles apart could talk on slabs of metal and glass and feel as if they were right next to each other. Stories of dashing heroes and make-believe lands were brought to life by colorful lights and euphonious sound.
It was its own kind of magic; one that she had been thoroughly entranced with. She had adored the tales behind moving picture sequences called film, and the interactive storytelling of film's cousin, video games.
The shadow of that love seemed to have carried on from that life to this. Unfortunately, the technological advancements of her current day could not compare to that of her past. In place of game and movie titles, books lined her walls. So unlike her previous dreams of creating screenplays for traditional and voice actors, the desire in her heart was to hold a tome with her name engraved on the spine.
She sighed, glancing at an ornate clock hanging on the cream wall. The golden hands moved slow, seemingly taunting her; seconds audibly passing by. The ticking sound echoing the erratic rhythm of her heart.
She was hoping to change the course of her life today.
As a video game enthusiast, she didn't shy away from different genres and forms. First person shooters, role-playing simulators, point and clicks; the spectrum of her experience was quite vast. While some games could serve as pieces of sociocultural commentary, others were pieces of mindless fluff.
Those in the latter category were her guiltiest pleasure. A sick sense of pleasure bubbled in her chest at the sight of handsome two-dimensional men vying for her attention. The genre for the predominantly reverse harem dating sims was called otome. She had enjoyed dominating the virtual world, and manically laughed whenever she defeated her hateful love rivals.
She never expected to end up in the villainess' position.
Plot-wise, 'Fate Woven Hearts: To Excel in Love' was incredibly generic. Present was the rinse and repeat formula of a brilliant commoner girl entering a prestigious academy, and falling in love with nobility. It had been the game's beautiful art and nose bleed inducing dialogue that let it stand out from its competitors.
Whoever wrote the capture target's sweet words deserved to be knighted for their public service.
Like any otome game, there was a horrible villainess who was superior to the protagonist in all ways but personality and appearance. She would verbally abuse and physically harass the heroine until the male lead destroyed the wicked girl and her entire family.
The method was quite harsh, but quite common in these fluffy dating simulations.
She rubbed her gloved fingers around her wrist; the pearly silk's luster shined underneath the ceiling light, matching her silver tresses. Her pale gray eyes settled on watching the teacup in front of her; the liquid inside had long before cooled. She mourned the waste of the clearly expensive brew, but she doubted her shaking hands could handle not sloshing tea all over herself.
In 'Fated Woven Hearts,' the hated villainess was the fiancée of the main capture target, the Crown Prince. She was adorned with near-white hair and cat-shaped light eyes; worthy of being called a beauty among beauties. Her sharp tongue and icy manner painted her as the complete opposite to the kind and down-to-earth protagonist.
The name that made many players had cursed violently was Esha Adelia Voleu.
In simple terms, she was the villainess, and she was going to die if she didn't do anything about it.
"My Lady," A male voice interrupted her train of thought. A gray-haired steward held open the door, lowering his head slightly. She stood up, hiding her clenched hands behind the skirt of her dress.
"His Highness will see you now."