Beatrice woke up with one goal in mind.
Avoid Crown Prince Francois Montague.
It should have been simple. She wasn't his type, she wasn't trying to win his favor, and frankly, she was sure he didn't care about her.
…Except for one little problem.
He kept looking at her.
Last night at the banquet, she had felt his gaze on her the entire time. It wasn't in a romantic way, not at all. It was in a 'why are you acting different' kind of way.
Which was dangerous.
Beatrice had no intention of following the original story. If Francois started paying attention to her, he might notice just how much she had changed. That was not an option.
The good news? The first day of the palace selection was mostly ceremonial. The noble ladies were expected to gather in one of the royal gardens, formally introduce themselves to the queen, and spend time getting to know the royal family.
The bad news? Beatrice couldn't escape.
She spent the entire morning planning how to be invisible.
Step one: Dress modestly, but not too plain. Just enough to blend in.
Step two: Sit near the back of the group, let the other noble ladies fight for attention.
Step three: When in doubt, just nod and smile.
Flawless plan!
Unfortunately, the universe hated her.
The moment she stepped into the garden, a palace attendant guided her to the front row.
"Right here, Lady Beatrice," the attendant said with a polite bow.
Beatrice stared in horror. "I think there's been a mistake. I don't need to be in the front."
The attendant gave a professional smile. "The queen personally requested it."
Beatrice's eye twitched.
The queen?
She turned her head slowly. Sure enough, Queen Cecile was watching her with mild amusement.
Beatrice had one word for this situation.
Damn it.
She sat stiffly, trying to act as unremarkable as possible.
It didn't help that Francois was sitting directly across from her.
Of course he was. Because life was unfair.
She forced herself to look at the queen instead. The introductions were beginning, and the noble ladies practically glowed with excitement.
One by one, they curtsied and gave their most elegant greetings.
"I am Lady Clarisse of House Vertain, Your Majesty. It is an honor to be here."
"I am Lady Margaret of House Lestrelle. Thank you for this opportunity."
Everything was going smoothly. Beatrice relaxed slightly.
Then it was her turn.
Beatrice stood, curtsied, and kept her voice polite. "Beatrice Da Ville, Your Majesty. It's a pleasure to be here."
She sat down immediately. No extra words. No embellishments.
In and out. Perfect.
Queen Cecile hummed. "How is your father, the Duke?"
Beatrice stiffened.
Oh. Right. The queen wasn't just making small talk. She was testing her.
The Da Ville family was powerful but infamous. In the original novel, Beatrice had been arrogant, always boasting about their wealth and influence.
Beatrice forced a graceful smile. "He is well, Your Majesty. Thank you for asking."
Short, respectful, neutral.
The queen studied her for a long moment, then smiled slightly.
Beatrice did not like that smile.
Across from her, Francois was still watching her.
She avoided his gaze.
Maybe if she ignored him, he'd get bored and move on.
…He didn't.
The noble ladies soon split into smaller groups, chatting politely. Beatrice immediately tried to blend into the background.
She drifted toward a flower bush, admiring the roses like they were the most fascinating thing in the world.
Peace.
Silence.
No prince staring at her.
She exhaled. Maybe she could survive the day after all.
Then someone spoke behind her.
"You've been avoiding me."
Beatrice flinched.
She turned her head slowly.
Francois was standing there, arms crossed.
Beatrice nearly cursed out loud.
"…Your Highness," she said carefully. "I didn't see you there."
His expression was unreadable. "Clearly."
Beatrice swallowed. Crisis. Crisis.
She had to be careful with her words. If she made him suspicious, he might actually start digging into her.
She needed to play it cool.
"Was there something you needed, Your Highness?" she asked politely.
Francois didn't answer right away. Instead, he studied her for a moment.
"You're different," he said finally.
Beatrice's stomach dropped.
"…Pardon?"
"Your demeanor," he said. "The way you speak. The way you act. You aren't like before."
Beatrice's heart pounded.
Was he testing her? Trying to get a reaction?
She forced a soft chuckle. "I was bedridden for days. Perhaps I simply feel more… refreshed."
Francois said nothing. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he didn't quite believe her.
Beatrice kept smiling.
Inside, she was panicking.
Finally, Francois exhaled. "I see."
Beatrice almost sighed in relief.
Then he added, "I'll be keeping an eye on you."
Beatrice froze. What!
Before she could respond, Francois turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd of nobles.
Beatrice stood there, brain malfunctioning.
What just happened?
Why was he so interested in her now?!
She had done everything right. She had stayed polite, stayed neutral, stayed quiet.
And yet, Francois was still watching her.
Beatrice stood frozen in place long after Francois left, her mind running in circles.
This was the opposite of what she wanted. He was supposed to ignore her, treat her like an irrelevant background character, and focus entirely on Johanna.
Not. Her.
She pressed a hand to her forehead, barely noticing the hushed murmurs around her.
"Did you see that?"
"His Highness actually spoke to Lady Beatrice."
"That's strange. Weren't they always at odds before?"
"Maybe she's trying to win his favor this time?"
Beatrice almost choked on air.
What? No. Absolutely not.
If rumors started spreading that she was interested in Francois, Johanna's supporters would turn against her instantly. The noble ladies who wanted to marry him would see her as competition. The royal family might start investigating her even more.
This was a disaster.
Beatrice turned on her heel, ready to disappear before anyone could approach her.
Too late.
"Lady Beatrice!"
She barely had time to react before a group of noble ladies surrounded her, their eyes practically gleaming, and sharp.
"His Highness spoke to you!" one of them said excitedly.
"What did he say?" another pressed.
Beatrice forced a smile. "Nothing important."
The girls exchanged looks.
"Nothing important?"
"He was staring at you during the banquet, too."
"Has something changed between you two?"
Beatrice clenched her jaw. Yes, something changed. I stopped being a spoiled brat and now I want nothing to do with him.
She couldn't say that, obviously.
She let out a small, practiced laugh. "You're reading too much into it. The prince simply noticed I was unwell before. That's all."
One of the noble ladies frowned slightly. "That doesn't seem like him. His Highness isn't the type to take interest in anyone unless—"
"Unless he suspects something," another finished.
Beatrice's fake smile nearly cracked.
Oh, I hate it here.
She needed to shut this down fast.
"Ladies," she said sweetly. "I appreciate your concern, but truly, there is no special reason for His Highness to speak to me. I'm just as unremarkable as ever."
A few of them still looked skeptical, but thankfully, the attention started drifting away as other conversations filled the garden.
Beatrice escaped as fast as she could. Once she was at a safe distance, she let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples.
She needed to find a way to stay out of Francois's sight before things spiraled out of control. Tomorrow, she would make sure to—
"You seem troubled."
Beatrice nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned sharply, her heart racing.
Queen Cecile stood a few feet away, watching her with a knowing expression.
Beatrice's stomach dropped. Why was the queen talking to her?
The queen never paid much attention to Beatrice in the novel. She had always favored Johanna. So why was she standing here looking so amused?
Beatrice quickly curtsied, masking her panic. "Your Majesty."
Queen Cecile tilted her head. "The palace selection has only just begun, and yet you already seem exhausted."
Beatrice let out a nervous laugh. "It's just a lot to take in."
The queen hummed. "I see. And what do you think of His Highness?"
Beatrice stiffened. What kind of question was that?!
She needed to be careful. If she spoke too highly of Francois, the queen might think she was competing for his favor. If she insulted him, that could be seen as disrespectful to the crown.
Trap. This was a trap.
She chose her words carefully.
"His Highness is… exactly as one would expect."
A neutral answer. Safe and polite.
The queen raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
Beatrice kept her expression calm, but internally, she was screaming.
The queen studied her for another long moment before finally smiling. "You're more interesting than I expected, Lady Beatrice."
Beatrice's soul left her body.
Cecile turned gracefully, walking away as if she hadn't just shattered Beatrice's plans into pieces.
Beatrice stood there, unmoving, staring blankly at the ground.
The prince was watching her. The queen was watching her. The entire noble circle was now whispering about her.
This was the exact opposite of staying invisible.
She inhaled deeply, calming herself. She still had time to fix this. She just needed to be more careful, more forgettable.
Starting tomorrow, she would make sure to avoid all royal attention.
There was no way she'd keep getting noticed.
…Right?