Chapter 2 : Heroine's changing strategies !

I sighed.

More internet research for me.

Seriously, that's the third time I get a dead end before the first day ends.

One for each rival, save for Lilia.

I even contacted the game makers, only to discover that Lilia's creator and coder died on the day the game was released.

They said that the AI was highly improved when compared to the other game, that was essentially a visual novel.

And that Lilia's was on a league of its own, possessing her own player interaction system, which means that, as the heroine moved, so did she.

On the forums, some concerns were emitted about Lilia's ability to adapt to the heroine's actions, even to the point that she could predict the heroine's to a certain point.

A ridiculously advanced AI indeed.

Soon enough, other people, non players, joined in and tried to think about the problem.

Long discussions, theories, everything and anything in between...

After a few days, a consensus had been reached.

There was a hidden karma system in the game, and Lilia was its executor.

The major reason for why people thought that is that the players who were merciful with the rival in the Duke's route didn't experience constant dead or bad ends.

Moreover, since the game only has one save, each one of the games are saved in the data. That meant that not only Lorella's , but also Rosalia's, Elimia's and Olivia's fates accumulated. The crueler you were to them, the crueler Lilia's punishment became.

There was a case, that almost stopped the game's sales, where Lilia's judgement and subsequent punishment traumatized a player and sent her into depression. Apparently, she was horrible, even in real life, and now, she was too terrified to even misbehave for a bit.

What kind of AI was that?

Incidentally, the game's been re-sold, with a new jacket, warnings and a guide. Now, not only the three capture targets and the rivals were on it, but the little duchess and the butler were also on it, the girl sitting on the throne, hands on her laps holding a balance and eyes closed, looking like a doll, while the boy was at her right, holding an ancient, ornate book, and a sword at his hip.

According to some players that managed to survive Her long enough, you manage to get to the game's true quest line, and not only the dating aspect. Which led to a troubling question.

What if Lilia's butler was indeed this route's capture target ?

People in the forums said Lilia's comportment towards him was that of all the other rivals towards the route's capture target.

Anyone that tried to seduce him away was mercilessly cut down.

As expected of Lilia, if she was that vicious for attacking strangers that only shared her name, trying to touch her precious person would be synonym for death the moment she even heard of it.

In a way, I suppose that I can admire how hardworking she is; fourteen, duchess from a crumbling domain, orphan and with only that boy for an ally.

To be this efficient is a near miracle.

A thought went to my mind.

A beautiful, near miraculous, lonely existence, isn't that what defines the 'prince' in regular otome games ?

In that case...

It might seem preposterous, but...

Wouldn't that make Lilia the route's capture target ?

...

Isn't that too hard a route ?!

She already made it clear she hates my guts for what I did to her family, don't tell me I have to seduce her to get to the rest of the game !

Ugh, I'm not even into girls.

I look at the game's jacket on my desk.

Well, she looks cute enough, when she's not busy being creepy, I suppose I could aim for a friendship route ?

I can't believe those guys made a pedo route in this game...

Welcome to Heart throbbing kingdom !

I open my eyes and find myself back to Day 1, in my bedroom.

I get up and clothe myself, thinking about what I'm going to do.

Lilia usually doesn't get out of her room before the council session, so I should go and look around for events.

The council in , and of itself isn't very important, as long as I avoid looking at her.

Apparently, she has some supernatural abilities of sorts, and she'll know when the heroine is hostile to her, which is what caused so many players to fail their first few times.

Then I'll have to avoid the three other capture targets, because the rivals are outright obsessive towards them in these routes, and even then, I'll have to be careful. They only get murderous in Lilia's though.

That route is seriously hard mode, I've finished the others and they weren't nearly this troublesome.

Ah, well...

I finish tying up my corset and get out. The game's story says that the heroine took up the habit to wear black to mourn her husband's death, so I guess I could start playing by the rules ?

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

I walked around for a while, playing with the interface and arrived in front of her room.

Hm, should I try to force an event ?

I knocked and nobody answered. Could that be that she isn't there?

"What are you doing here?"

A boyish voice asked from behind me.

I let out a small scream while jumping away from the origin of the voice, accidentally hitting the door.

You'd be nervous too if you could be killed anytime, anywhere in a game !

I turn back and see Butler-kun, who looks unimpressed by what he saw.

Hey, brat, just because you managed to get the drop on me doesn't mean you can get cocky.

He snorted and went away, without even apologizing.

That little jeeeeerk!

"Wait ! I wait! Wait you stupid Butler !"

His heel hit the ground hard, creating a high clapping noise, and he turned towards me, eyes like violet tinted, chipped ice.

"What do you want."

I glare at him. Did he forget he's only a servant ? Well his master probably spoils him due to their relationship, but still...

I don't want to be that annoying noble, but some things should be respected.

"At least be polite to your elders you little brat. Ah well, where is your master ? She isn't usually out around this hour..."

"How would you know, she's arrived yesterday afternoon."

Ah... yeah, forgot about that...

"Please, don't underestimate my information network kid, of course I'd be aware of what's going on around that family."

"Right."

...

"Soooo?"

He looked at me as if I was some sort of mutated insect.

"I am Lilia-sama's personal servant, I'm not obligated to tell you anything, miss old woman."

O-Old woman ?!

Calm ! Calm down heroine-chan, you've beaten shota much brattier than that!

"Yet, you will, because I outrank your mistress."

If anything, he glared harder.

"We were to have breakfast at the rose garden. With you here though ? Feeding her will transform from hard to impossible."

Ah ! New info ! So Lilia has eating problems eh ?

Ah well, off to Lilia-chan...

She's sleeping on her arms at the table.

Now that I see her like that, she has faint shadows under her eyes.

She's been lacking sleep, overworked maybe?

Butler-brat went to her side, touched her arm and murmured something to her.

Geee, do they always have to act that close to each other ? Did nobody teach them what boundaries was ?

"Fuwaaaaah, Nyagito-kyun?"

The girl drowsily rubbed her eyes after yawning.

...

Dangerous...

"Lilia, we have a guest."

No honorifics.

The girl looked at me, finally realizing I was here, and threw me an annoyed glare. Except that in her half asleep state, it was more adorable than impressive.

"Ah, you. Want to finish what you started with my cousin ?"

She would be so cute if her attitude wasn't so rotten...

"Why, good morning to you too, I wanted to ask how you were adapting to the life at the castle, but by this scene, I would say pretty well. Though, I would advise you to reign in your servant and stop that attitude of his, he might offend the wrong person."

"I find Nagito to be quite the good judge of character."

In other words, this Nagito must be conquered simultaneously ? It's a 3-P route ?!

What a bother.

Oh well.

I have time.

So several days passed, and I kept seeking Lilia out, trying to get closer. It was hard, really , really hard, but we came to a point she didn't insult me each conversation we had. I think she was tired of it. First prince-kun had been keeping that Nagito boy busy, so I had openings to get to his master.

Fufu, who'd have thought that in this case, the rival would be the boy.

I wonder how he's going to get aggressive and start his auto-destruction end ~?

I just escorted Lilia to her room when I heard some noise from the right, at the end of the corridor.

I thought nothing of it, until I felt a blinding pain through my stomach.

That's when I saw Nagito with a bloody sword in his hand.

"You're bothering Lilia and seriously getting on my nerves, this is your last warning, give up already."

"Wha...?"

He had a cold smile on his face.

"Good thing this is a no save game, eh ?"

What did he just say ?

The screen was blackening

"Wa-it What did.. you say!"

Too late.

Dead end : Error File not found%ç_'("ù101101

I woke up on my bed.

What the hell was that ?!

----------------------------------------

Uwah, Nagito's joining the Yandere rival bandwagon ?

The Heroine is trying to raise Yuri flags ?

What the hell's going on with that game ?!

Still feeling a bit tired, to be honest x_x, it's my third chapter written today, been at it for 5 hours now xD