Edward remained silent for a few moments, lost in thought. Evelyn patiently waited, knowing he would eventually open up to her.
Finally, Edward spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Charlotte suggested we act like betrothed for now, and when the time comes, we can break off this engagement."
Evelyn tilted her head cutely, trying to understand the situation. "Why are you sad about it? You too didn't want this engagement in the first place, did you?"
Edward let out a heavy sigh, his face a mix of confusion and sadness. "I thought I didn't care about this engagement, but now that it's falling apart, I feel like a horse without a cart."
Evelyn couldn't help but tease him a little. "Did you fall for her, Edward? Is that why you're so sad?"
Edward remained silent, feeling embarrassed.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow mischievously. "Then what is the reason, my dear Edward?"
He let out a pained chuckle. "I don't even know, Eve. Maybe it's the idea of losing something that was never mine to begin with."
The weight of his words hung heavily in the air, pulling the room into a mournful silence.
______
In the academy.
Elise's mind was consumed with thoughts of her recent encounter with the Crown Prince. The memory of his request for her Pendant was still fresh in her mind, and she found herself unable to sleep.
She tossed and turned in her bed, unable to shake off the excitement of speaking with him. Suddenly, a wicked smile crept onto her face.
"It really worked! I can't believe I spoke to Alex!" she muttered under her breath.
"Soon I'll be the queen of this kingdom, enjoying the rest of my life as a wealthy woman," she continued. The words she spoke were shocking considering she was just a baron's daughter.
Elise didn't seem to realize that the words she spoke were considered a capital crime and just daydreamed about her future. She truly didn't care about this honorific stuff as she wasn't someone from this world anyway.
That's right. Elise was a high school student from Earth. One day, as she was walking home from school, she was hit by a truck and died.
But when she opened her eyes again, she found herself in the world of the novel she had been reading before her death, [The Crown's Rose].
The novel followed the story of a commoner named Lily Meadows, who had a fated encounter with the Crown Prince when they were both young. Years later, they meet again, and their friendship blossoms into love. The female lead faces many challenges and overcomes them, finally marrying the crown prince and living happily ever after.
It was the typical story a high schooler like her would enjoy reading.
As someone with knowledge of the future, she wanted to have it all, and so she used her authority as a baron's daughter to find the novel's protagonist and took her place.
She didn't want to kill Lily, but she knew she had to prevent her from meeting Alexander Arden, the Crown Prince. So, she took Lily's place as Alex's childhood friend, and over the years, she made sure that they never crossed paths.
But her biggest concern was getting into the Academy, where most of the novel's plot happened. As a poor baron's daughter, she had no way of getting in.
The protagonist, Lily, was able to secure a place at the academy due to her innate mana pool, which was incredibly powerful. As soon as the headmaster became aware of her abilities, he recognized her potential and offered her a scholarship to study at the academy.
Fortunately, Elise struck a deal with her distant relative, Lady Cordelia Sinclair, a Viscountess known for her glamorous fashion and beauty.
The Viscountess offered to sponsor Elise's studies at the Academy in exchange for the formula of Elise's perfume, which she had obtained using her knowledge of the future.
And just as she had expected, the Crown Prince approached her on the fresher's day, just as he had done with the protagonist in the novel.
Thinking about the Crown Prince, a blush crept up Elise's face, and she smiled to herself, making her delicate face appear sardonic.
"Now, I just have to deal with the minor inconveniences that will start popping up for another five years," Elise thought to herself, chuckling softly.
She had already made preparations on how to deal with them and was confident that she would succeed in her plan.
"What are you laughing about, Elise?" a voice rang out as the door opened.
It was Mary, one of her classmates, and her roommate.
Elise quickly regained her composure and forced a smile at Mary.
"Oh, nothing important. I was just contemplating how exciting it's going to be studying at the academy," she said, feigning enthusiasm.
Mary beamed with excitement. "I'm thrilled too!" she exclaimed.
Elise sneered inwardly.
'What a naive girl,' she thought to herself.