'maybe I should kill the female lead.' Raven considered for a moment, 'Wait no, that would be unethical.'
If she killed the female lead, the original plot wouldn't matter anymore. She'd killed plenty of people in the mafia. Yet this... this left a bad taste in her mouth..
Helena was a kind and pure hearted girl who lived a simple life in the novel. Not to mention, she was Raven's favorite character so much so that she chose to transmigrated into her body. Killing someone like that would be unethical.
Raven continued to arrange the flowers, until a familiar voice interrupted.
"I didn't expect you to take your job as the new scholarship student's patron so seriously. " Caine's voice carried across the garden. "You've surprised me."
"Perhaps I finally understand the importance of duty." She watched his reaction carefully. "The Academy chose me for this job."
"Support you called a waste of time last month." He moved closer, studying the roses she'd arranged. "Almost as sudden as yesterday's interest in merchant district tea shops."
"The common folk have such charming little establishments." She adjusted another rose. "One must occasionally venture beyond noble circles, don't you think?"
"Venture, yes. Sprint across rooftops?" His lips quirked. "No, of course not. Though, the spy I chased yesterday did just that. Actually, they had a similar build to yours."
Raven laughed lightly. "Are you suggesting I, of all people, would risk ruining a silk dress climbing buildings? Really, Your Highness."
He chuckled, lowering his head. "When you put it that way, it does sound ridiculous. The great Lady Blackthorn, running around the merchant district like a common thief?"
"precisely." Raven smiled, glad he managed to talk himself out of his suspicions. "Anyways, I have a party to prepare, your highness. If you'll excuse me?"
"You're excused." Caine turned around and walked away.
'That was too close.' Raven sighed, deciding she needed to stay low for now.
The party started at sunset. Golden light spilled across the garden as glasses clinked and laughter mixed with soft music. By the entrance, Raven stood, smiling and greeting guests while watching Helena and Caine from the corner of her eye.
"My lady," Emma said, handing Raven a coded message.
Raven secretly opened the message behind her fan. To an outsider the note would read:
Your future husband is so handsome that lady Morris and the new scholarship student will likely talk about him till 8pm.
But if you knew the code it would read:
We just received news that Lady Morris is planning on poisoning the new scholarship student at 8pm.
The current code was Husband = poison. Future = planning, and the rest were just filler words.
'What should I do?' Raven looked over to Helena who was talking to Lady Morris, then she looked over to Caine who was watching her carefully.
If she acted now, Caine would likely get suspicious as to how she knew the cup was poisoned but if she didn't Helena could die.
'She probably has plot armour' Raven shook her head. But deep down she knew that wasn't true.
Warning: After transmigration, the characters may or may not be inclined to follow the original novel. Do not expect plot armor of any sort.
That was written in the fine print of her transmigration contract.
'damn it.' Raven clenched her fists. 'Should I just let her die?'
It's not like she'd be the one who poisoned her. She would just have turned a blind eye, that's all.
'No no,' she bited her nails. 'If she dies at my party I will be the first suspect.'
"Something wrong?" Caine, who was now standing behind her, said. "You look a little nervous."
"Ah, when did you get there, your highness?"
"Just now," Caine smiled, but his eyes remained sharp. "You seem distracted."
Raven forced herself to stop biting her nails, a habit from her past life she thought she'd broken. The clock showed 7:55. Lady Morris was already walking towards Helena with a drink in hand.
To hell with it. She'd left the mafia to stop being the kind of person who let innocent people die for convenience. And she definitely hadn't gone through the trouble of transmigrating just to end up in prison for a murder she didn't even commit.
"Oh no!" Raven exclaimed loudly, rushing forward with deliberately clumsy steps. She bumped into Lady Morris, sending both glasses of wine splashing across the lady's expensive dress. "I'm so terribly sorry! How careless of me!"
Lady Morris's face turned an interesting shade of purple. "You- you-"
"I what?" Raven blinked twice, playing up her innocent act.
Lady Morris sighed, "It's alright." Not like she could say anything to the crown prince's fiance.
"Lady Morris, are you alright?" Helena said worriedly, wiping down her dress which only seemed to make it worse. "Oh, I'm so sorry, my lady. I didn't mean to make it worse."
"Emma, please help Lady Morris clean up," Raven said sweetly. "And Helena, dear, why don't you-"
"A moment, my lady?" Caine offered his arm with perfect courtesy. "I believe the garden has some new roses you might enjoy."
Once they were a few steps away, he chuckled. "I never thought I'd see the day Lady Blackthorn would apologize for ruining someone's dress."
"The party is important." Raven kept her tone light. "It wouldn't do to have any... unfortunate incidents."
"How considerate of you." He plucked a rose, studying it. "You've become quite the gracious hostess lately."
The observation felt casual, but Raven knew better. Still, this was safer ground than his earlier suspicions about rooftops and spies. "The Academy expects certain standards from its patrons."
"Of course." He offered her the rose with a smile that revealed nothing. "Shall we return to the party? I'm sure Lady Morris is wondering where her hostess has gone. "
*
*
*
Back in her chambers after the party, Raven stared at the coded message still hidden in her sleeve.
Lady Morris's attempt had been stopped, but something about it felt wrong. Too obvious. Too easily prevented.
She burned the note and watched it turn to ash. The real question wasn't who wanted Helena dead, it was who wanted Raven to be blamed for it.
'Well,' she thought, touching the rose Caine had given her, 'at least the original novel never mentioned assassination attempts.'
The petals fell apart under her fingers. One change to the story, it seemed, led to a hundred others. And she still couldn't tell if Caine could be an ally or would end up her biggest threat.