"So, how was your night?" The prince gave a sweet smile as he escorted me to the center of the room. I could see every other girl at the corner of my eye, red with envy as he courted me to dance. We waltzed at the center of the stage, together with some seniors and other nobles who were confident with their dancing skills or had a lovely partner of their own.

"It was a marvelous night," I said, looking into his blue eyes that mesmerized me, like seeing a clear blue sky on the plain. We continued to dance among the shining chandeliers in the ballroom. Music flowed into our ears, and the calm waltz accompanied us, making the world seem like it was just made for us.

I messed up. I think I almost tripped and stepped on his foot about three times. When I stepped on his foot, his face scrunched up, but he held his voice before returning a smile to me. Before the next music started, I asked Prince Ludwin if I could watch from the sidelines. I was getting embarrassed after I tripped and fell into his embrace.

"Eli… You need to study etiquette more," Safira said while Alicia was chewing on a new delicacy, a sugar cane imported from the south. On both of their plates was a disproportionate amount of food; meat on Alicia's side and cookies on Safira's side.

"Alicia, you left me…"

"What do you expect? The prince wanted to dance with you, and I didn't have a partner," Alicia replied, shrugging her shoulders. Even then, she kept moving her fork and munched on the meat stew in front of her.

"Ugh… let me grab some cookies," I replied. My dancing was terrible. Even Safira was criticizing it. I swear, royal parties like this were made to make villains like me suffer.

"That was beautiful, Lady Eli. You were like a princess about to marry a prince!" some girl I didn't know praised me. I knew her face. She was in special classes like me, but I couldn't recall her name.

"You are welcome. I believe I danced poorly. It must have been an embarrassing sight," I replied.

"Well, yeah, you were right on that. You were just like Cinderella. A poor girl who lacked etiquette yet somehow managed to get herself a prince. How did you do it? Did you use your dark magic on Prince Ludwin?" Her tone suddenly grew harsh as envy seeped out of her words. Her sarcasm went over my head, though.

Oh yeah. A long time ago, ballroom dances like this were popular in princess settings. Even folktales like Cinderella used it. The dancing part usually symbolizes the love the heroine has for the male lead. However, that kind of story fell out of favor long ago. Right now, the ballroom is synonymous with when the prince cancels his engagement with the villainess. I am a villainess. Thus, ballrooms were my nemesis.

"Huh? Getting tongue-tied? Did you finally confess you used mind-tampering magic?"

"Huh? No! Of course not. That kind of magic is illegal. Moreover, if such magic was used, magic tools on his highness would surely detect it." The unknown girl scolded me for being absent-minded. Whoa! Her line was exactly like how a villainess that wanted to bully the heroine looked like. She had the talent to become a fellow villainess. We were both villainesses. Why were you bullying me? The novel was not that kind of book, though. The novels lacked the bullying part and went straight for the neck, at least in the first volume.

"Hmfh! You might be able to fool everyone! But you must certainly use some weird magic to charm the second prince during his visit to your house yesterday!"

"Don't forget! You are just a count's second daughter!" another girl joined the fray.

"Yeah. Prince Ludwin is more suitable for either me, a duke's second daughter, Margareth Blight, Or her, the first daughter of Earl Soothsayer, Jasmine Soothsayer."

"Thank you for giving me your name," I was speaking that sentence in my mind. I sighed in relief. I was getting nervous about forgetting their names even though they went to the trouble to greet me.

"Of course, Lady Jasmine and Lady Margareth, Prince Ludwin merely asked me to dance simply to show that he treats all nobility as his vassals equally. I am sure he will accept you now that he is freed from my bumbling dancing." I said as I bowed down to them.

"Good that you know your place. Here, some juice for plebeians."

"Kya!" I screamed as Margareth threw a juice at me.

"M-Margareth?" Jasmine was astonished, "Wasn't that a bit much?"

"Hey! What are you doing!" Alicia quickly went over to our side together with Safira. Nana didn't come here because she had to take care of some business at home. She was the same as me anyway. She didn't want to be here. Such a shy girl would prefer some exams rather than dancing.

"Shut up, commoner! You just got lucky that some countryside nobles picked you up. How did a commoner end up in this royal ballroom anyway?" Seeing Alicia mocked, my blood boiled at once. As my eyes glowed, everyone took a step back.

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"G-guards!" Margareth screamed. I quickly calmed myself down when she took a step back. The guards took my dagger, but they didn't confiscate my karambit, which hung around my neck. It would be a disaster if they found out I still had a blade with me.

"Alicia, Eli, let's just leave," Safira said when she noticed a waiter approaching. He would probably defend a duke's daughter rather than a count's daughter like me or a baron's daughter like Safira.

"Alright." I nodded. Argh! I haven't eaten a single dish since the beginning of the banquet! It was a royal party, and I didn't get a chance to taste a single dish? It was all because of that Duchess Luca! Hmm? Luca? Have I heard that name somewhere before? Ah! So, she was the daughter of one of the three dukes. I never knew. Well, no wonder she acted so smug.

As Safira bid farewell to Margareth, she warned them. "Lady Margareth, it would be prudent of you to remain cordial with Lady Elidranthia. Her brother will marry the daughter of Duke Bron."

"I don't need your advice. She was a cursed child anyway. There is no way she was actually loved inside her house." Margareth left. Her words stung deeply. It was true that my father and mother were rather cold towards me.

Prince Ludwin was still busy greeting others. However, I didn't want to stay in this place anymore. Safira couldn't leave because her brother was still there. So, I was left alone with Alicia.

"Here is your dagger. Please stay safe, Lady Elidranthia." The guard said as he returned my dagger before I entered the carriage. The dagger felt comfortable. It was cold and soothed my burning rage. As the carriage moved on, I unsheathed the dagger, and the silver blade gleamed like a mirror. On the blade lay red eyes, like blood poured into a white canvas. The stare frightened even me. Holding this dagger seemed to soothe me somehow. Similar to when I held my smartphone on Earth. Elidranthia was a psycho. I am Elidranthia, and thus, I am also a psycho. I realized now that I couldn't change that.

"Lady Eli, please don't let what she said get to you. You are not a cursed child."

"I see," I glanced at Alicia. When our eyes met, she flinched but remained in eye contact with me. She certainly has gotten braver. I threw my gaze outside. A bird saw me and suddenly flew away as if a tiger was chasing its life. Of course, no tiger was here. Our eyes simply looked into each other. When I locked my mana, the next bird or cat was unfazed.

No one knew the real me. No one wanted to see the real me. I needed to behave better than to let my emotions run wild. Ah, yes. Just like the second prince. He was charming to me. However, I knew he was simply being polite. This was not my place. Not my home. Such realization settled in my mind after I arrived back at my villa.

You have chosen Stealth! Your movement will not make any sound. Blessing of the Killing Star (lvl 2)

- fearless

- intimidation

- improved strength

- improved agility

- beast instinct

- dark magic

- Stealth

Late at night, I woke up from my bed. After wearing a cloak, I sneaked outside. Alicia's room was beside me. However, thanks to my newly acquired skills, I got out effortlessly. This is the first time I sneaked out on my own. The last time I went out was to the park outside the hospital, and I fainted, leading to a week-long hospitalization and worrying everyone. My mother was mad at me, the nurses all advised me to take care of my health, etc.

However, I am healthy now. Moreover, I have cheats, and this world has no levels. I could defend myself. As I went outside, I just realized. I have no destination, no purpose. I just wanted to get out of this life. Before I knew it, the noble gate was before me. I cast my illusion magic into two guards and left the noble quarters.

The inner city was different at night. Most streets were empty, with occasional candlelights peeking out from the window. I continued my walk to the slums. The most dangerous place in the city. Deep down, I knew. Elidranthia was a psychopathic murderer. I didn't want to be like that. However, here I am, going to the most dangerous place in the capital city where not even ordinary commoners dared to venture in broad daylight.

"Hello there, little kitten. Are you lost? Did you know that playing here at night is forbidden? Hieek!!" a bandit greeted me from behind. Before turning to him, I cast a spell at him to make me look like a big-breasted woman with blue eyes and silver hair. However, when we locked eyes, he immediately stepped back in fear.

"Yes, I am lost. May I know why playing here at night is forbidden?" I asked him while maintaining the illusion. My left hand was already holding my karambit, while my right had a dagger behind my back, ready to fight. However, instead of attacking me like a normal bandit, he scurried away.

"He was one of those bad guys, right? Why did he flee? Come at me and harass me like what a bandit should, you coward!" I cursed in my mind as I continued my night walk. I am sure my spells were effective. When our eyes met, he should only see blue eyes. Yet somehow, the intimidation skill still kicked in. These blessings were more like a curse now.

I gave up trying to play damsel in distress after two more hooligans ran away in fright when we locked eyes. I enveloped myself with my shadow. With this, I easily blended together with darkness as I continued to skulk around the slums. When I saw the short one-floor roof these houses usually had, I thought about jumping on top of it and playing ninjas, but I quickly dismissed such a thought. I didn't have the stamina to do that. I could probably jump one or two houses, but I might faint afterward. And fainting in these slums is a big no. I loved dangers and challenges, but I was not suicidal.

"AH! I am sorry!" a scream resounded.

"Damn useless mages! You are mages! You are supposed to feed me! I need money! You hear! Fill more of these feystones!"

"I can't. My mana is spent!"

"But you still had the mana to burn the ropes yesterday, huh?"

Screams echoed from a rather sizable building. Initially, I thought it was a tavern, but the cries inside hinted at a different narrative. As I approached, two individuals stood guard at the entrance. Swiftly, I moved to the back, leaped, and reached for a window on the second floor. Peering inside, I discovered several mages bound by chains, compelled to fill feystones. Had they been kidnapped?

"Well, this is my time! If they are being forced, I can always deal with the perpetrator," I muttered as I climbed to the roof. Excitement welled up within me. Walking to the other corner, I found an open window, and a portly man peeked his head outside. I observed the chubby neck, waiting for me to plunge my knife into it.

However, I hesitated. I stared at the unsuspecting figure while my inner self waged a war.