"It's Prince Fraser again." One of the students said while looking at the list of top performing students for the preliminary exams.

I squeezed myself into the crowd to take a look at the result. Prince Fraser is always in the first place. It's nothing new.

I am more interested in who's the second placer this prelim. I hope it's me again.

"Hey, who is this, Farren Brichagnac? He's the second placer? Csille moves down and becomes the third placer? That's new."

I heard one of the students said who's in front of the bulletin board where the list is posted.

What? Sir Farren is the second placer, and I am the third placer? I stop on my step. I'm disappointed with myself. Why did I become the second placer?

"You don't know him? It's Sir Farren. He is the new knight, and he is also the royal guard of Prince Fraser." The other student replied to the girl who asked the question.

I squeezed myself into the crowd again. After a minute or two, I am now standing in front of the bulletin board where the list is posted.

It's true. I am not the second placer. I already resigned myself to be the second placer because I know I would never beat Prince Fraser when it comes to intelligence. But why did Princess Paislee take my place?

This is so unfair. All I want is the second place, but why didn't they let me take it. What worst is it's Princess Paislee who took the spot from me.

I know these two are really smart. But can they just let me take the second place?

"Hey! It's Farren." I heard one of the students beside me whisper.

"Lady Lauretré."

I look back and see Farren walking towards me. He looks at the list and looks back at me. "Congratulations for being the third placer."

I don't know if he is sincerely congratulating me or he is mocking me. Although I doubt it if he is mocking me. He's beyond that.

I just nod my head at him and turn to leave. Although the voice told me not to talk to Prince Fraser, it's better to take caution and not speak to Farren too.

I was about to leave the main building when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Lady Lauretré!"

I stop on my steps and look back. It's Farren slash Princess Paislee. What does she want from me?

He walks towards me and stops a meter away from me. "Do you have time, Lady Lauretré?"

Why do my characters like to put me in trouble? Every time I would try to avoid them, they would do something talk to me.

I nod at her as a response.

Princess Paislee sighs in relief and looks around first to see if there are people around. After assuring no one is around, she looks back at me. "I need to talk to you. Do you know where we could talk in private?"

I raised my eyebrow at her words. What does the female lead want to talks about to the villainess?

It won't hurt if I talk to her, right? The voice warns me not to speak with Prince Fraser but not Princess Paislee, right?

I nod my head at her and lead her to the back of the main building, where Rufus and I hang out.

"Get yourself comfortable." I took some snacks and drinks from the cabinet at the side. "Here's a snack. I don't know what you want, so just choose based on your preference."

I put the snacks on the table. Princess Paislee is sitting at the table for two on the other side. While I sit in the hanging hammock drinking a cartoon of milkshake.

Both Princess Paislee just sits for a minute or two before she breaks the silence. "Lady Lauretré. Do you have a problem?"

I stop swinging the hammock and look at Princess Paislee. "Problem? What do you mean, Sir Farren? Can you be clear with your words?"

"Do you have a fight with Prince Fraser?"

I instantly choke on the milkshake I am drinking when I heard Princess Paislee's question. Princess Paislee look for me just to ask me questions about Prince Fraser?

"Why do you ask?"

"I just," Princess Paislee stops talking for a couple of seconds. She's probably hesitating whether to continue her words or not. "I was just worried for Prince Fraser."

I smiled at her words. Of course, you will be worried. Princess Paislee is starting to like Prince Fraser by now. So, she will be worried about anything that concerns Prince Fraser.

If I weren't in the body of the villainess, I would probably be happy for her, but I couldn't do that. I have many problems I need to face starting from now. How could I be happy with the progress of their feelings?

"You're worried because?"

I could see Princess Paislee fidgets with my question. "I was worried because I am his royal guard. Anything that affects the Crown Prince will also be my concern."

I nod my head. I thought she would say she likes him. But I guess it will be impossible. How could I forget that Princess Paislee is still in disguise?

"So, Lady Lauretré, do you have a fight with Prince Fraser?"

I scoff at her question. "Did we? You tell me, Sir Farren. Did we really fight?"

Princess Paislee sighs and puts the snacks he's been holding for a minute now. "I know I have no right to ask you things between you and your highness, Prince Fraser. However, it's really difficult to turn a blind eye to how Prince Fraser is doing these days."

What does she mean? What did Prince Fraser do these days?

I haven't talked to him after the confession I made, and I have no idea how he is doing because I intentionally cut off any information regarding the Crown Prince.

It's probably because I am still scared with what that voice said that even a mere mention of his name scares the shez out of me.

"What did Prince Fraser do these days? For you to come and talk to me, it's probably not that simple, eh?"

Princess Paislee nods as her response. "You're right, Lady Lauretré. I don't know what happened, but one night after he came back, everything changes. He looks like his mind is always preoccupied with things. He couldn't concentrate on his classes even in his training for the Competition. He's badly failing. He looks like he is always thinking about something, but when I ask him about it, he wouldn't respond to me."

I got shocked by what she said. Why did Prince Fraser act like that? I thought he didn't see me these days because he got terrified about my supposed to be feelings. However, I didn't expect that he will react this way.

"Maybe he is just too stress with the incoming Grand Exemplary Competition. You shouldn't worry too much, Sir Farren. I have known Prince Fraser since we are kids. He will come back to his senses. Just let him be, or maybe you could have a pep talk with him. "

Right! Maybe he is just stressed with all of happening. It's no way related to my confession. How can Csille affect Prince Fraser? Isn't he still mad at me before the announcement of the competition? So, there's no way it's about my confession.

"I don't think so," Princess Paislee shakes her head. "I've seen him struggle in the western region. I don't think this small competition would have that big effect on him. Unless."

Princess Paislee didn't continue her words and just stared at me. I raised my eyebrow at her.

Why is she looking at me like that? I think I don't like how this conversation will progress. Oh, dear. Don't say it! Please, don't say it.

"I think it's because of you, Lady Lauretré."

I told you, don't say it! But why did you still said it, Princess Paislee? Don't you know that it could trouble not just us, but anyone in here?

Nope! Prince Fraser is meant for you. Maybe he was just startled because he didn't expect me to take a liking to him.

I laugh nervously. "Don't joke me, Sir Farren. How could it because of me? I was too busy with the preliminary exams and the training for the competition. I haven't even talked to him for almost a week now. There's no way it's because of me."

"If it's not you, then tell me, Lady Lauretré. Who could be the reason why Prince Fraser is acting like that?"

"Does it need to be a person? I told you maybe it's because of his schedule or something. How would I know? I'm not Prince Fraser."

"But you are his fiancé."

My eyes immediately widen with her response. Why does she know it? As far as I remember, only the nobles of the Vrawyth Kingdom know about the engagement, so how did she know about it?

"I know Lady Lauretré. Although the King didn't officially announce your engagement with the Crown Prince, the nobles all know about it. And we all know, gossip has its own wings, and the land has its own ears.*"

But you're supposed not to know it. It's too early for you to know. Too early. How will you develop feelings for Prince Fraser if you already know that he is engaged with me?

This is wrong. This is all wrong. The story isn't supposed to be like this. Princess Paislee shouldn't know about Csille's engagement with the Crown Prince. She should know it in the middle of the story, where she has already fallen too deep for the Crown Prince.

But it's still the beginning of the story. Why did it progress like this? I suddenly remember what that voice said to me.

"They will die if they continue to slip away from their characters. Prince Fraser should have stick with what you've written about him. He should have feelings for Farren by now, but because of you, he is conflicted. It's okay if you're the only one who is conflicted, but it's different when another character is conflicted."

Slipping! They are slipping away from what I have written, and it's all because of me. This is bad! This is really bad. If this continues like this, then this world will totally collapse in the future.

What should I do? I couldn't let these things happen, right? Also, that voice already told me that if this world perishes, then I will perish too. Does it mean that I couldn't go back to the real world and die here?

I immediately shake my head at that thought. How should I reply to Princess Paislee? Should I deny it or just let it be?

"You seem shocked, Lady Lauretré. Every noble knows about it, so it's inevitable that even I know it. It's also the reason why I talk to you. I wanted to help you and Prince Fraser to deal with your problem. You shoul-"

"Farren," I called her. Immediately cutting off her words. "You know that it's still not officially announced by the King, right?" Princess Paislee nods her head at me as a response to my question. "So please, don't talk like I am now the Queen of the Kingdom."

Princess Paislee got silent for a minute. I then stand up from sitting on the hammock and looks at her.

I could see that she wants to say something to me, but she is hesitating to do so.

I sighed. As much as I want to explain it to her but I know I couldn't. I already messed up the story badly. I don't want to make it worst.

I started to walks away from that place. However, I only took a couple of steps when I heard Princess Paislee's voice.

"It's inevitable, Lady Lauretré. You will still be the Queen, so I don't see any wrong with what I said. Also, I don't think the King or even the Crown Prince will like to change their minds about your engagement."

I smiled. What they said is true. It'll be inevitable, but that was before. Before you came to his life Princess Paislee. Now you are here, how could I dare to label myself as the future Queen of the Vrawyth Kingdom?

"It's too early to say, Sir Farren. Five years is a long time. Things could still change. So, let's not assume things as it is."

I continue to walk away. It's what I should do. Princess Paislee should have developed her feelings to his highness, Prince Fraser.

"You hate him?"

I stopped walking and didn't look back at her. "You tell me, do I look like I hate him, Farren?"

After saying those words, I left the place for real. I sighed and looked up at the sky. The sun is already setting. Another day has ended. I hope tomorrow will be a good day.

*this is the English translation for the Filipino idiom, "May tainga ang lupa, may pakpak ang balita." It means that people are snoopy and nosy that's why news, especially rumors, easily spreads and it has a lot of different versions.

*Also I want to explain things in case you got confused with the pronouns I used. You would notice that Csille sometimes called Princess Paislee as Princess Paislee or Sir Farren. It's because we all know Paislee is in disguise but regarding the pronouns Csille used. It would be based on the name she used. If she called Paislee as Paislee then naturally she will use the pronouns she/her and if Csille calls her Farren then it will be he/him. I hope it all clear things up. I'm not confused with the pronouns it's just that I couldn't dare to use she if Csille is referring to Farren.