Hey, I am Angelina Lamonia, and as of three weeks ago, I am now five years old. My life is going well… for the most part. I did manage to get my mother banned from that terrible baby clothing store with a temper tantrum that will be remembered for years to come. It indeed was a huge step forward for babies everywhere and will make parents think twice about dressing their babies up as clowns. Babies worldwide would sing songs about that day and tell stories of me for generations to come. Unfortunately, my other plan went horribly wrong.
I blame the people that made this game for my failure. They never mentioned the king apart from a brief reference here and there, so there was no way I would have known he would react the way he did. In my opinion, my plan was going well. I started to cry, making my mother fear a repeat of my glorious temper tantrum in the baby store was about to leave, but that was when the king stopped us. I thought he would be like his son. A Controlling, evil, backstabbing kind of person. But instead, he was a loving man who came over to comfort me when he heard me crying. I could not stop myself. He was just so warm and friendly that I ended up smiling and giggling as he held me in his arms.
To make things worse, he noticed my beauty and the engagement I had hoped to avoid was made official. The king said the moment he looked into my eyes, he could tell I would make the perfect bride for his son. To say my parents were happy would be an understatement. My father hugged me for the first time since the day I was born, and my mother nearly fainted with joy. The only person not happy with how things turned out was me. But the king's overpowering joyous aura made it impossible for me not to smile at this turn of events.
Thus, I set out on a new plan of action called "Operation He doesn't Exist," which involves ignoring the prince and appearing to be a boring person around him. The prince's character hated when people ignored him in the game, so I was optimistic that this cause of action would work. But for some reason, as we sit in my family's garden together, it only makes the prince want to spend more time with me.
"Hey, put the book down and talk to me,"
"Can't. Reading,"
I am currently sitting with him having a tea party, but I keep my head buried in my book no matter how much the prince moans. This is the most effective way of ignoring him. He cannot touch me and barely talk to me when I am reading. My short-spoken words also upset him. I hope he will lose interest in me soon and beg his father to break off our engagement.
"Do you like books that much?"
"Some books,"
"What kind of books do you read?"
"Whatever I find,"
It is true. Books are rare and expensive, but lucky for me, my family is very wealthy and has their own personal library. Unlike most people in this world, I can read whatever I like whenever I like. The prince is the same, but he hates reading books and only reads them if he has no other choice in the game. I was hoping that I would get him to leave by reading in front of him, but instead, he only asks me increasingly about the books I read.
"What kind of books do you like?"
"Any."
Another true fact. I enjoyed reading in my past life, which carried over to my new life. I could read anything while waiting for customers on slow days, from romance novels to superhero comics. It did not matter what it was; I could read all day. Right now, the book I am reading is a beginner's guild to basic magic.
In this world, magic is divided into six categories. Fire magic can be used to burn buildings or heat rooms. Water magic is used to water crops, plants, and repair flood damage as well as by sailors well at sea. Earth magic is used in construction, golem creation and mining. Air magic is used to communicate and fly. Dark magic. A forbidden art used to bring death and control people. And finally, there is light magic which is incredibly rare. The heroine in this game can use light magic, and before she was born, light magic was considered to have died out over two hundred years ago. Light magic is highly valued since masters of it can heal even the most grievous of wounds. Magic is a beautiful thing in this world with no end s of what you can do. The actions I listed are only the beginning of the possibilities of magic.
"That is a magic book, is it not?"
"…" I just simply nod my head.
"Are you studying magic?"
I nod my head again. I have started reading magical books recently, so there is no point in lying. Especially since anyone of my family's servants knows I have been reading magical books. But he does not need to know about how I have been sneaking out of my house every night to practice magic in the forest just outside of town. That is just a secret I will keep to myself.
"Can you use magic?"
I shake my head. That is a lie. While practising magic, I have managed to form a ball of fire in my hand, create water out of thin air, cause small bumps of the earth to pop out of the ground and create light gusts of wind. That may not sound like much, but it takes most people in this world years to achieve what I have. Thanks only to God's enhancements, I could produce such results. But do not let me praising God fool you. I am still mad at God for reincarnating me as the villainess in this otome game.
"I want to use magic. Do you think one day I could?"
"Maybe,"
The prince will be a powerful magic user that specialises in fire magic in the future. He would join the army on patrols and earn the nobles' respect when he helped take out a bandit camp. He did not do it to help people, though. In a cut scene from the game, the prince admitted he only dealt with the bandits to win over the support of the noble houses.
"Well, I will become the greatest magic user in the history of the world," The prince declares, and when I glance his way, I see him striking a heroic pose. "That way, you will not be able to ignore me."
"Books better," I tell him bluntly.
"Just you wait," The prince stomps, his feet pouting. "I will make you admit I am better than any book someday."
The idea of fixing the prince enters my mind, and I find it hard to get rid of the thought. He is cute at this age. It is a shame that someday, he will become a monster. Unless… unless… no, it is a stupid idea. I will think about it. If the price becomes a better person, it will help many people. Fine, I will do it. I am unsure if he can be redeemed, but I can probe a little.
"Prince Malone," He seems surprised when I suddenly lower my book and look up at him but quickly recovers.
"Just Marshall is fine," The prince smiles, stepping closer to me. Okay, let us see how he answers some random question I can think up.
"When you are king, what will you do if people are hungry?" I ask him a simple question. I am interested in seeing if he can be saved or not.
"Feed them," Marshall smiles. "We have plenty of food in the castle. We could feed everyone in the kingdom and still have mountains of food leftover."
"I see," I smile, making the prince blush for some reason. "I was ready a book last night where the king forced his people to go hungry and kept all the food to himself. I was worried that it would happen for real."
"If father did that, I would steal the food for the people," Marshall smiles, doing another heroic pose. "Father always told me a king should do what is best for his people."
"That's good to hear," I nod.
This prince can be saved. Then it is decided I will put "Operation He Doesn't Exist" on hold for now. Besides, it is not working, so what is the harm? Still, this plan comes with a problem. Something changed this cute boy from someone how will protect the people into a monster, and I do not know who. I blame the game makers. There was no mention of any events that could make the prince like this in his backstory. If this prince is to be saved, I need to find out what happened before it is too late. For now, I should nurture this selfless side of him I just discovered.
"If you want to be the greatest magic user, then how about we read this book together?" I suggest putting the book on the table. "I was just reading about how magic can help people. I'm sure you would find plenty of uses for this magic when you are king."
"Can I?" Looking at me in disbelief, the prince smiles brighter than before.
We move to a bench under a nearby tree and spend the evening reading together. I have memorised this book after reading it over countless times and make sure I avoid the spells that can cause harm to people as we read. If this prince wants to help the people, I will make sure I stop whatever event turned him into a monster. I owe it to the prince for judging him too harshly before we even met.
Author Notes:
So, Angelina was wrong about the prince and gave him a chance, but will she save him?
What do you think happened to turn the prince into a monster?
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this story.