"Why are we returning? I thought you wanted to go shopping."

"I forgot something. Plus, I already told Rain to meet me outside my room. This works out."

It was a lie. Lecil was going back for the next event.

Lecil lamented how large the palace grounds were. It would take days to walk the entire place. That was how the King 'entertained' foreign diplomats or rowdy guests. He would simply threaten them with 'the tour'.

It worked nine times out of ten.

Thinking back to her encounter with Kly, it was strange that things went so well. Was it because she knew the contents of the game and planned ahead? It couldn't have just been that. Then again, Kly was one of the easiest characters to influence when she played Renegade. The only bad ending with Kly that Celia ever encountered was because of she fought with Anne.

Of the various bad endings in the early game, they almost all led back to Anne somehow.

Afterward, Celia's didn't know, wasn't sure. All of her encounters with the Duke's ended in failure.

Rejecting Duke Raiden's advances always led to a decreased in favorability and eventual death. Why object to his advances, one might ask? He had all the right qualifications, sure. Raiden was already a war hero, wealthy, incredibly handsome, and was sought after by many. Women wanted to scoop him up and carry him off. Many of the other gamers she talked with loved his path. He would teach the player how to wield a sword  lead battles herself.

Lecil made a face. He wasn't really her type... you know, full of themselves. Yes, Raiden was hot, and he was a safe choice if Lecil wanted to survive. However, playing to his ego and acting subservient to him wasn't in the Princess' personality.

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Well. He wasn't a bad option. Just not an ideal one. If she was forced to make a decision, Lecil would likely choose Duke Astor instead.Â

Astor was the same age as her, intelligent, and charming. He was beyond rich, influential, popular, and enjoyed intelligent company. Lecil could live in luxury to the end of her days and let him run the business. She wouldn't have to worry about danger since Astor controlled everything around the capital while having access to a private mercenary army. There were rumors that he controlled spies and assassins as well.

Lecil never got far enough in the game to confirm those rumors. She tried asking her friends about it, but they just giggled and ran off.

Still, even with that odd foreboding, she would choose Duke Astor if her family route hit a pitfall. Lecil preferred to remain free or find someone she truly got along with. The idea of being fated to marry one of the Dukes sickened her.

There was Duke Sallow. But she dismissed the option out of hand. She could still feel the bruises where he hit her. Not even her brothers or Anne had ever hit her hard enough to make her wheeze for days. Lecil swears there was a cracked rib or two.

Celia's playthrough always ended when meeting Sallow. She asked the other girls for advice and they all said the same thing. Just get one of the other guys to attack him first. The Duke would die easily and the game would continue smoothly without him. Whoever you chose would inherit his land.

Lecil was still trying to figure out how she could get rid of Sallow before he offed her. Whoever it was would have to be an absolute monster to handle the rampaging Duchess.

Their combined soul shivered.

Kly was probably her best route to survival. The demonstration earlier was telling of his skills. Kly was also much easier to control. Through him, Lecil could reign in Anne and make Tristan begrudgingly fall in line. Together, they could fight off the King's marriage plans.

That was her plan.

Kly was a kuudere who may have hidden tsundere qualities. Tristan is definitely a mayadere. Lecil wouldn't be able to handle a yandere.

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Lost in thought, Lecil played with her scarf. It was a soft fabric. It wasn't cold inside, so she didn't need it, but it was a pretty color—definitely a good choice.

"Irene. You did well picking out this outfit."

The maid standing on her left jumped from the sudden conversation. Lecil had been zoning out for a while.

"Oh. I'm glad you like it."

Lecil twirled the end using a gloved finger. Her gloves were a middling gray with purple accents. She forgot she owned them.

"It is soft, and I like the color. We should buy another one like it."

"Then, I assume you wish to go clothes shopping."

Lecil smiled and nodded. It was about time she developed a new fashion. Celia would kill to wear a simple cardigan or plain blouse. Lecil's nightclothes would actually be Celia's go-to if they weren't translucent.

Wearing a corset was definitely not her style, and she adamantly refused to wear one. Poor Irene couldn't even talk back through the tirade of rejection. There were no other maids to support her and force Lecil into the infernal contraption Thus it was good to be Princess.

Rounding the final corner, Lecil was overjoyed at the sight of her bedroom doors. The walk back had taken a whole twenty minutes. It was surprising that Rain hadn't caught up with them.

"Irene, can you get the door?"

Hesitantly moving away from Princess' Lecil's left side, Irene hurried to open the door

Startled, the maid squeaked and halted in the doorway, stiff as a statue. She tried to close it.

"Ah. Princess. Maybe we should come back later-"

"Just let me in, Irene."

Lecil marched inside. Crossing the center of the room, she kicked a bobble.

"Princess. Please don't be upset."

"Oh, hush. I just need to grab something. Then we can go."

Pushing past a turned over chair, she went to her bedside dresser and dragged it aside, scratching the floor. Behind the dresser, taped to the back, was a journal. Her journal.

"But, Princess. The room. The clothes-"

Irene was insisting. Lecil furrowed her brows and looked around.

"Oh. Oh! Oh no~""

The entire place was trashed. Small objects that used to be tucked away were strewn across the floor. The cushion sofa chair was carved open, the stuffing pouring out. The mirror was cracked and the glass windows were shattered. The wardrobe spilled open with all her clothes ripped to shreds. Her rug was stolen.

"I am surprised she didn't just burn them. And isn't this a little more than just ruined clothes?"

"She? Princess, who did this? We were gone for less than an hour! We have to inform the guards."

"No need. I know who did it."

Irene was pulling at her hair. This amount of damage was serious. It would take hours to clean up. Not to mention the cost.

"Besides. I was thinking of redecorating anyway. Anne actually helped me. I will have to thank her when I see her."

The poor maid was distraught.

"Princess Anne did this... How... What... Why would-"

"She didn't do it all herself. I imagine she had assistance her many maids. She's angry that I am staying behind instead of leaving as she planned. You know, I think she would make a competent fencer by the way she cut up all my dresses. I didn't realize she was so talented!"

The words sounded genuine even to her own ears. Of course, Lecil knew this would happen. It always happened when choosing the family route. Anne would get upset and tear all her clothes, causing her to need to buy new ones. Everything else was was unexpected overkill.Â

At least the clapper is untouched. I like the clapper.

No matter, Lecil was going shopping anyway. All on the King's dime no less. As a Princess, all she had to do was send the bill to the palace. Anne wouldn't interfere with that, lest trouble come down on herself. The maids and associates under her control would make sure everything went smoothly. This entire situation was like a huge gift-wrapped present. Lecil would get to design her room the way she wanted. She almost, almost, wanted to praise the game developers for this event.

Irene was still turninh in circles, examining the damage.

"Don't worry, Irene. You won't have to clean this up yourself. I have what I need and practically everything else can be trashed. Go find the group of maids waiting nearby and ask them to clean up while we're gone? They'll be happy to help."

Lecil turned her head as Irene's jaw didn't seem to work.

"Irene."

"Huh?"

"Go fetch others to clean this up. We are leaving in... four minutes."

"Huh. Oh. Ah. Hm. AH! Okay. Okay. I-I will be back in just a minute."

So she stammered before hurrying out the door. Lecil tucked her journal in her coat for safekeeping.

Stepping over gouged out pillows and ruined makeup, Lecil headed for the doorway Reaching it, she glanced back at the destroyed room and grinned from ear to ear.

"Thank you, Anne."

=

"Thank you? Thank you! That is all she has to say? Why isn't she wailing like a child? She should be suffering, dammit! Why did I go through all that trouble just for her to wave it off?"

Princess Anne listened in on the magical listening device. She had wanted to hear Lecil's reaction without being there. Even if it were silence, she would have reveled in it. Tears? Angry shouting? All of it would have been perfect. But instead, Lecil actually thanked her. It was ruined! All ruined.

Anne grabbed a hard loaf of bread from offscreen and snapped it in half.

"That little twerp thinks she is better than me? More mature? I'll show her."

After another tantrum, a mysterious occurrence took place. Unbeknownst to Anne, her servants, a blubbering cook, and everyone else present...

A tiny circle hovering above Anne's head changed.

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Feminine cackling could be heard over a listening device.