"You win again?!" The disappointed exclamation of a young white-haired girl resounded through the room, as she dramatically fell to the ground from her loss. Her soft white hair strewn across the plush carpet, as she wailed in frustration. "How can anyone be this good at every game they play? I bet you're cheating!"

Mikael leaned his head against his palm, his pale lashes framing those beautiful ocean-blue eyes as he smirked at the whining Irene in front of him. "Or maybe you're just trash." He snickered.

Two weeks had passed by, since Irene and Mikael began their alleged friendship. Ever since watching the meteor shower together, the young prince became increasingly less cold to her. Over the days, they spent much more time together than before, and Mikael would even wait for Irene after lessons ended, so that they could carry on with their routine of spending free time together.

Irene couldn't pinpoint when it happened, but Mikael started to open up a lot more to her. He was still a little mean, but she knew it was just his personality. He was the type to appear cruel on the outside, but was a soft person deep down. He would tease or make fun of her for being a dolt, or treat her like she was stupid, but she didn't mind it. Somehow, she found it enjoyable to deal with that kind of personality.

"Don't curse me with that pretty face!" Irene wailed, but quickly stood back up. "I'll beat you this time for sure!"

As Mikael fiddled with the black chess piece in his fingers, he gave her a look of apathy. "We've already played five rounds. It's getting boring since you're no good."

"What?! I'm not that bad!"

"You don't even last three minutes," the sighing prince replied as he placed the black king piece back on the board. "We can just do something else that you don't suck at."

Just as the two proceeded to tidy away the game, the door of the lounge opened widely with a thud, as a trio of excited children stepped in.

"Irene! Rayvis is busy so play with us!"

Two boys with amber eyes and a beautiful girl with long, hazel hair stood at the doorway, gazing exuberantly at Irene. But the moment they realised she wasn't alone, they froze in slight awe.

Ivan and Haren stared at Mikael wordlessly, realising he was the prince that their mother and the maids would often tell them about. A prince whose mother was a terrible woman that caused trouble amongst high society, and ended up being the culprit behind the late emperor's murder.

Meanwhile, Isabella slid into the room from behind, smiling at the sight of Mikael. The boy was as beautiful as a porcelain doll, but the expression he wore displayed total indifference to them.

Wait a second... Isabella and the Firventia twins? Irene swallowed, shocked by their sudden visit. She had been so occupied by the Prince in her home - she totally forgot about the other noble children who would come to visit every so often.

"Are you perhaps, Prince Mikael?" Isabella asked as she glided towards him, eyes sparkling up at the blonde-haired boy. She gazed at the prince with the same admiration anyone would, had they ignored his origins. Mikael was slightly taken aback by her reaction, glancing from her to Irene.

Wait a second... It was then Irene realised the gravity of the situation. Unknowingly, she had sparked a first encounter between two of the main characters of her original story - way earlier than it was supposed to happen. Mikael, the main villain - was now meeting Isabella at the age of nine instead of seventeen, which was bound to cause a huge change.

Irene bit her lip in slight contemplation. Because Isabella is close friends with me now, she'll also be seeing a lot of Mikael - who lives in my house.

As I thought, this reality has strayed so much from the original story that it would probably be wise not to rely on my knowledge of the future too much.

As the prince faced the brunette girl before him, he only nonchalantly averted his gaze. Irene wondered if he would gain feelings for Isabella eventually, just like how he did before. Although it wasn't a terrible idea, she felt a little uncomfortable with the thought - for some reason.

"Yes." He responded shortly, going back to tidying the chess game away. As he did, he could feel the bitter gaze of one of the young men at the doorway, searing onto the back of his head.

Irene snapped herself out of her cogitations, deciding that it wasn't a good time to be reflecting on the original story right now. Instead, she needed to focus on this awkward reality. The girl stepped forward, extending a hand to the twins at the door. "It's been a while, Ivan, Haren. You two haven't met the prince yet, right?"

The pair of them, although they showed obvious reluctance, only nodding in response. Irene anticipated this reaction. She knew that the children of noblewomen like Duchess Firventia - who was the centre of high society and all its gossip - probably ended up hearing all of the rumours circulating about Mikael. And not a single word said about him was good.

Irene was going to have to fix the way everyone saw the second prince. But that wasn't going to be easy. Mikael himself was an unfriendly, cold and quiet child who didn't even bother speaking to those he had no interest in.

Even Irene herself struggled to keep Mikael tied down to her. It took so much effort just to break his shell, she didn't want to ruin it or make him feel pressured by other people yet.

If I don't make any progress with Mikael, I sure as hell won't be able to help him open up to anyone else...

But at the same time, I can't just ignore these kids who want to spend time with me, because it could affect our relationships with other noble houses.

This timing couldn't be any worse...

Thankfully though, Irene had Isabella on her side. Her healing presence in itself was enough to help ease the tension, not between the boys, but for Irene's own mental state.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness," Isabella beamed, her smile radiant and tender. "My name is Isabella. I'm from House Einfred, and a close friend of Irene. I hope that we can get along!"

Isabella's amiable demeanour and clever choice of words allowed her to easily win people's favour - a trait of the protagonist. Irene wondered if her charm would work on the ice-cold statue in front of her. But Mikael simply nodded in response to her introduction before turning away with indifference.

Thankfully, Isabella wasn't bothered by it at all. As naive as she looked, she wasn't stupid. Isabella knew it wasn't going to be that easy.

I had to try for weeks, don't let it get to you, Isabella. Irene thought, wanting to sigh.

"Ah, these two are the sons of Duke Firventia, Ivan and Haren," Irene then introduced, when she realised Mikael was making eye contact with them. "They're mostly Rayvis' friends, but I guess we play together sometimes."

Ivan remained silent, crossing his arms as he turned his head in a harrumph - an obvious slight toward Mikael. Strands of his teal hair fluttered from the motion, and Irene could tell that the brat of the twins had no intention of communicating with Mikael. Ivan never does change... He's just a kid, but I still hope he doesn't end up saying anything stupid here.

Meanwhile, Haren shyly averted his gaze to the floor, but still greeted the prince. "I-It's nice to meet you, Your Highness." Although he was meek, Irene was glad that at least one of the two attempted to greet Mikael.

"So? Are you going to play with us or what?" Ivan asked, completely dismissing the prince's presence as he turned to the white-haired girl before him. "I want to play hide and seek!"

Irene thought about it for a moment, glancing back at Mikael, who was looking at her. She couldn't read his expression, but the frosty look in his eyes was enough for her to be able to tell he wanted no part in it.

She couldn't afford to abandon him just to play with the others, since it could put their premature friendship at risk. Especially considering Irene put a lot of effort into earning Mikael's trust.

But maybe... Irene smiled, an idea lighting up in her mind. This could be an opportunity for him to break some ice!

What could go wrong?

"Alright, Ivan! I'll play if Mikael plays," She beamed, turning back to the blonde boy who was now staring at her in annoyance. "You were saying you were getting bored, right Mikael? Well this game should be a lot more fun!"

"Oh, yes, you should definitely join us!" Isabella chimed. "Will you play with us, Your Highness?"

Mikael hesitated for a moment after being thrown into the spotlight, but the look in Irene's smile was clearly telling him "you need to socialise" And so, he sighed softly in defeat and agreed to play.

However, his frosty demeanour didn't fade once - even as the children headed outside into the garden. Mikael was as detached and quiet as ever.

The whole way there was rather awkward. Haren and Ivan weren't talking, and Irene was the only one trying to start conversations with the help of Isabella. Although the two girls tried to act as a bridge, it seemed that something was still amiss between the silent boys.

"Then, who wants to seek first?" Isabella asked, and it was then that Ivan lifted his hand.

"I'll do it." He said, and before long, the children had dispersed into the garden and woodland yards to hide. As Irene watched Mikael head in the opposite direction from her, she hoped that he wouldn't end up running away from the game whilst pretending to hide. That was what he did the last time she played with him, at least.

After a while of finding a secure place to conceal herself, Irene wedged herself behind some wine barrels and food crates lining the mansion's exterior wall. She was small, so it would be hard to see her as she crouched.

A few minutes passed, as the girl sat silently waiting for Ivan to come and find her. The whole time, she was rather worried about Mikael. What if he decided to run away, and the others didn't see him? Should she go look for him? If he ran away, it would probably aggravate Ivan even more and kill the mood.

I probably should've followed Mikael before hiding... Oh well, I'll just do that during the next round.

Just as she realised it was taking too long, a familiar shadow suddenly appeared overhead, and Irene gazed up at the figure. She had expected to see Ivan's beautiful teal hair, but instead it was the sight of a large bird peering down at her. A look of confusion crossed her face when she saw those white, feathered wings flapping frantically - as if the phoenix rushed over to her in a hurry.

"Snow?" Irene blinked, startled. "Why are you here?"

"It's bad, Irene," The phoenix squawked. "The blonde kid and that cat-like brat are fighting right now."

Her golden eyes widened in horror. "What?!"

The moment she heard those words, Irene jolted up and clambered out of her hiding spot, hurrying back to where the others were. His sudden words caused her to feel alarmed and worried, hoping that Mikael wouldn't get hurt. Rushing through the yards with her dress fluttering behind her, she could hear the voice of Ivan yelling in the near distance.

These kids! I'm gone for five minutes and all hell breaks loose?!

Once she turned the corner to where the others were, she stared in awe at the scene before her.

Ivan stood protectively in front of his cowering brown-haired brother, who was clutching his bleeding hand and wincing in pain. At the sight of the blood, Irene gasped - realising this must have been more serious than she thought.

And In front of Ivan, was Mikael - whose back was turned to Irene. From the look of it, it seemed Ivan was on the verge of attacking the prince - his expression red with rage.

Isabella simultaneously entered the scene, running toward Haren immediately. She quickly started to clean the blood with a handkerchief, while performing a healing spell to close the cut on his palm - a faint light radiating around the boy's hand as he winced.

"What's going on?" Irene called out, bolting toward the arguing boys with clenched hands.

The moment Mikael turned around to face her, Irene gasped in horror at the swelling on his face. A bruise soiling his porcelain skin with a blotch of purple. Don't tell me...

"How dare you hurt my brother!" Ivan roared, clutching the prince by the collar, ignoring Irene and capturing Mikael's attention again. The Prince only stared up at him apathetically. As always - he looked like a hollow doll immune to feeling. "Don't look at me with those condescending eyes! I'll make you pay for this!"

"Ivan, stop that!" Haren protested. "His Highness did nothing wrong, it was my own fault!"

"Shut up, Haren! You don't have to be nice to the likes of this bastard, I know what he did!"

"Stop! Stop!" Irene yelled, tearing Ivan off Mikael before standing defensively in front of the prince. "All of you, stop fighting!"

As she turned around to Mikael, he only stared at her with disinterest. But the look of worry displayed across Irene's face brought him out of his apathetic state a little bit. Seeing her make such a face made him oddly restless.

"Ivan, did you punch the prince?" She asked, attempting to calm herself down and taking a deep breath.

The eyes of the angered twin flared like embers as he continued to glare at Mikael, who was silently standing there with an icy look in his eyes. "That guy... How dare you look at me like that?! Even if you're royalty, I won't stand for this!"

"Ivan, please calm down!" Isabella exclaimed from behind. "Look! I'm almost done healing Haren."

As Irene sighed and turned around to face Mikael, her expression softened. Her visage displayed only genuine concern, and the sight felt strange to him, yet familiar in a way.

She gently lifted a hand up to his cheek, where he was hit. "Are you alright? That looks painful..." Mikael flinched as her cold fingertips traced his face, but he didn't feel uncomfortable by it. In fact, it was a soothing feeling. Her cool touch helped to settle the burning sensation on his face.

He didn't know why, but as he gazed at Irene in that moment, he became lost in that look of sincere perturbation on her face. It mirrored the way Daniel would look at him, whenever he came by with medicines and bandages to treat his wounds in the past.

Ivan clenched his teeth. "You're concerned about him, even though he just hurt Haren?!"

"I-I told you that's not what happened!" The younger twin exclaimed. "The prince saved me from falling into a pile of mud, but I ended up tripping and cutting my hand from the sharp edge of tree bark!"

Irene sighed, before facing Ivan once more. The boy was in a fit of rage, but she couldn't blame him for it. He was only being protective over his little brother - and seeing as Mikael wasn't exactly on his good side, he ended up misunderstanding the situation. Children were stubborn, and that went twice as much for Ivan.

The eldest son of Firventia was an explosive child who often lost it when seeing his brother hurt. He was like a lion trying to defend its kin. In this situation, he was all but calm.

Irene took the boy's hand, looking him in the eyes. "Ivan, calm down. Haren is saying it wasn't Mikael who hurt him, so can you stop and listen for a second?"

The boy shook off her grip, violently refusing to give in. "Seriously?! So now you're really defending that son of a whore?!"

Those words left her in a state of silent shock. "...What?" Irene stared at Ivan - a crease forming in her brows the moment he spoke wildly out of turn. It was one thing to be stubborn, but a whole other thing to curse at someone in such a profane manner.

Especially someone like Mikael, who was royalty.

Although he was an annoying brat in her eyes, Irene never imagined a friend like Ivan would spout something like that. An overwhelming sense of disappointment washed over her as she stepped away from him.

"Ivan, don't say such things!" Isabella reprimanded him, becoming as vexed as Irene now was.

The teal-haired boy only scoffed. "Who cares about whether or not I'm being nice to that thing? Can he even be considered a royal? He shouldn't even have been born!" Ivan spat. "Does he know how much trouble his existence is causing for the empire? A scrawny kid who no one even likes, who even hurts other kids out of spite! As if I'd let it slide when he harms my family!"

Mikael was unfazed by those words, or even by this whole situation. Hearing them from the mouth of a noble child, it hardly affected him since he heard much worse in his time before coming to the Cherliann manor.

Smack!

Just then — the shrill sound of a slap pierced the air. No one had even seen the hand that caused it, until Ivan's head turned from the impact.

His cyan hair falling over those amber eyes, which were wide from the shock of what just happened. Left cheek throbbing from the sharp pain, Ivan slowly lifted a hand up to his face. His gaze flitted toward Irene, who's palm was glowing red.

Did Irene just...

Hit me?

The children gaped at her in astonishment from this sudden action - something that they never would've expected from her of all people. Irene's long, white bangs concealed her expression, but her shoulders and hands were trembling.

There was a moment of silence, before she suddenly shouted with tears swelling in her eyes.

"What would you know?!" She argued as she gazed up, trying her best to hold her composure - but to no avail. Her golden eyes were searing with indignation and outrage. "You don't know anything about the painful life he's been having up till now! It's not like he chose to be born this way! Even if he's cold, Mikael wouldn't ever hurt someone like that!"

Considering he was the main villain of her original story, Irene knew well what Mikael was capable of. He wasn't just an antagonist for nothing. She was aware that those words carried only a half-truth, because the reality was — Mikael wasn't afraid of hurting people. He never had been, not even as a child.

But it was people like Ivan, who scorned and ostracised him, that caused the second prince to be this way. To become a bloodthirsty villain who longed to see people in pain and showed no guilt or mercy on ending innocent lives. A calculative fiend with no remorse - a killer who thrived on the suffering of those who abused him.

Even so, regardless of whether Mikael was already on the path to becoming a villain, Irene was trying so hard to restore the pure and kind boy who existed inside of him. She wanted to help him open his heart and learn to trust - to guide him to happiness instead of a hellish life.

Irene hadn't realised it, but Mikael was staring at the back of her head with his eyes wide in surprise at what she just said. This wasn't the first time Irene took his side, yet somehow — it felt completely different while seeing her on the verge of crying like that. The same girl, who was normally so able to control her composure and remain neutral all the time - like a rational adult despite being a child.

Mikael marvelled at her quivering figure in front of him. She's about to cry... On my behalf?