As Irene ambled through the endless depths of the maze outside in the Atlan's gardens, her mind became lost in deep thought about how the story would come to play out.

If things stayed as they were now, and Daniel continued to live without having met Isabella at this point — then it would be likely he'd lose the people's favour and be deemed a weak and irresponsible ruler. Many would turn to Mikael for the emperor candidate instead, but Irene was aware that wasn't a good direction either.

After all, even though Mikael was slowly starting to gain people's acceptance, he still hated the empire with every fibre of his being. Their changing attitudes wouldn't just erase all of the derision and scrutiny aimed at him ever since his birth.

He'd definitely have trouble ruling the people who hated him... Irene thought, sighing softly to herself as she remembered - although he had an angel's face, the boy was quite frightening.

As she continued to explore the maze in wonderment, Irene admired the tall, flowered walls surrounding her on all sides. The Atlans may not have been a very great family with the exception of Daniel, but at least they knew how to decorate their garden.

Just then, a soft, faint rustling of leaves drew her attention. Although there were a few light breezes, the sound was a little too strong for it to be only caused by wind. She stopped in her tracks — glancing toward the tall bushes on her left in slight apprehension.

Is someone else here?

A gentle breeze swept past her, carrying the dewy aroma of fresh flowers and leaves with it. And as Irene went to investigate the sound, her eyes widened at the sight of a young man - sat against the wall of the maze with his eyes gazing upwards into an endless blue sky.

For a moment, she thought that the boy was just another guest who attended the banquet, and must have wondered off the same way she did. But on closer inspection — there was something different about him.

Ebony strands of hair which curled in messy waves around a gorgeous, slightly feminine face. Sun-kissed skin that wavered between pale and warm honey. Piercing blue eyes framed by long, thick lashes.

A wave of familiarity hit her when she laid eyes on the boy, who hadn't noticed her presence. Somehow, she felt like she saw this scene somewhere before. This side profile, which caused her heart to flutter a little bit because of how beautiful it was.

Someone that beautiful was bound to earn the attention of the aristocrats, and there was no way she'd miss a face like this in that hall. When she noticed the clothes he wore — which were simple and unfit for a banquet as deluxe as this one — she realised it almost instantly.

"Daniel..."

Irene mindlessly whispered his name, but she didn't realise it was loud enough for him to hear. Because as soon as she spoke, the young man turned to face her and noticed her presence almost instantly.

His eyes were initially cold and on high alert — a look of surprise on his face at the sound of someone having instantly recognised him, despite never seeing him once in their life.

"Who are you?" He demanded, and Irene quickly covered her mouth when she realised he heard her.

Crap... I didn't expect to see him here all of a sudden...!

What do I do?! Should I run away?

Daniel slowly stood, and Irene noticed it was taking him an odd amount of energy just to hoist his body up. As he held onto to the branches of the hedge walls beside him for support — she remembered the fact that the prince was supposedly ill.

He was glaring at her, right in the eyes with those cold, frosty irises. But little did she know, he couldn't see her very well. Irene felt intimidated by how oddly tall the boy was — even though he was chronologically only ten, she was at least two heads shorter than him. Strands of charcoal hair swayed in front of his eyes as a passing breeze swept the bangs off his face, and caused his loose, airy black shirt to flutter.

"A-Ah, I'm sorry!" Irene quickly apologised, realising the boy had seen her face so there was no way she could run out of this situation. "Are you by chance the F-First Prince? I just thought there was no one who could be as beautiful as you and not be the future emperor..."

Her words were fumbled and panicked, and the young man didn't look entirely convinced by her excuse. But before he could say anything in response — a sudden burst of pain throbbed in his head, and Daniel winced as he clutched his hair with his face contorting in pain.

"Erk..." He let his body fall back to the ground, vision blurring as spots of darkness began to overtake him. Irene blinked, a little concerned when she noticed the agony in his eyes as he slid back down to the floor.

She hadn't realised it, but she was soon hurrying toward him in perturbation. "Are you alright?"

Daniel flinched at the feeling of the strange girl's hand reaching for his shoulder, and tried to shift away from her. He couldn't see her face, and his vision had been blurry from the start, but her voice reverberated through his mind in a painful echo.

"Stop... Talking..." He managed to say, burying his face into slim hands. "For a second..."

Irene didn't say anything else. Instead, she sat beside him and waited in silence for the prince to recollect himself. The whole time, she wondered about what to do with this unexpected situation.

Daniel Carsius Laydel. The male lead of her original novel and the main character she poured a lot of love into writing about, especially since he was the greatest love interest. Every aspect of a man she adored in her past life, poured into one individual. Even his appearance matched her type in men.

And that very same character was sitting right in front of her, but as a child who couldn't seem to stand on his own two feet. Staring into his beautiful face, she identified the shape of his lips and nose as similar to Mikael's, but Daniel's jawline was more defined and his eyes were a little more intimidating.

The prince must have noticed Irene staring, because once he managed to gather back some of his senses, he glanced toward her with a wry scoff. "You must think I look pathetic, right?" He chuckled dryly. "Go on and laugh. I know, I'm a weakling who shouldn't be made the king."

...Woah, those are some major insecurities... Irene frowned, remembering that the child version of Daniel was like this. Although he was someone who was supported by the empire, he was just as unhappy growing up as his brother. And now that he was supposed to be studying under his uncle, things were only going to get worse for him.

Irene contemplated on how to respond to that for a moment. She wanted to reassure him and tell him that wasn't what she was thinking, but it felt too shallow to say something like that. Daniel wasn't the type who really liked hearing words of praise.

This is a good opportunity... Irene thought, remembering that it was necessary for her to ensure Daniel's character development started today. Isabella wasn't here, but wouldn't things work out if Irene managed to give Daniel the right push? In the end, it didn't really matter who gave him guidance, as long as he received the motivation to change.

The only issue was, Daniel fell in love with Isabella after hearing her words of encouragement. So to be safe, Irene realised she'd have to change the way she worded things, only slightly.

"You're right. You look quite pathetic, Your Highness."

The look of blatant shock on the boy's face indicated he certainly didn't expect for her to agree that easily. And Irene smiled triumphantly at the sight of his eyes widening when she said that.

Male lead, I'm going to stay on my bench and watch you grow with my female lead!

There's no way you're falling for anyone else.

"You are beautiful, but I don't think an emperor would ever be cowering like a dying rabbit alone in a maze," Irene crossed her arms, her tone cold and unrelenting. "If you're unwell, what are you doing out here? Aren't you just causing trouble for those around you?"

Daniel was astonished, but a part of him looked more upset than angered by her words. His brows furrowed, and as he turned his head, the prince hugged his knees. "Well sorry I'm that pitiful. It's not like I ever wanted to be the stupid king anyways. But I have to do what everyone else wants or I'll be thrown away."

Irene sighed, taking a seat beside the petulant little prince and gently brushing down her skirt. "So? What is it that you're doing here, Your Highness?" She asked him, realising there must have been a reason for him to be loitering outside of the banquet without showing his face. Daniel exhaled softly.

"...I wanted to see Mikael..." he mumbled, and her eyes widened slightly. He went through all this trouble despite being ill, so that he could see his brother?

Mikael was inside the hall the whole time, so there was no way the two would end up coming across each other. Thinking back on it, Irene regretted not dragging the blonde boy along with her — perhaps she'd have been able to witness a heartfelt reunion between brothers.

"But I got lost and separated from my servant while going around this maze. I can't leave or someone will see me while I'm in this weak state..." Daniel heaved another sigh, running a hand through his raven hair. He then cast a disdainful look toward Irene. "And I've already been caught by some brat."

"Did you just call me a brat? I'll have you know I'm a lot more mature than I look!" She protested, but Daniel didn't seem like he cared all that much. He couldn't see her properly, but he could make out the vague figure of a child smaller than himself.

"If you want to see Mi— I mean, Prince Mikael so badly, why don't you go and visit him? You know, at the Cherliann Duchy." She asked, and observed the boy beside her keenly. Daniel kept his eyes low, hugging his knees and leaning against them for support.

"Don't you know? Duke Atlan would never let me," he sighed, and those clear blue eyes became sad and forlorn. "He's always pressuring me to do better, and I can't go against him. If I asked to meet with Mikael, it would only make him mad."

That's right... Daniel always did his best to try and meet everyone's expectations.

There's no way he'd act outside of what others want from him, and that's his issue.

"What does Duke Atlan know about ruling an empire? It's not like he's doing all the work on his own, for him to be so controlling over your growth," Irene frowned, her brows knitting together as she crossed her arms.

"You know, you should be more selfish. You're going to be an emperor, this nation will be following you, not you following it. If you keep this up you'll become a doormat for people to step all over, and the nation will be doomed."

Daniel turned to face Irene with eyes wide in surprise. "You know for a little girl, you say some pretty brutal things," he commented, raising an eyebrow as he tried to make out the blurred outlines of her face. "Do you expect me to become a tyrant? I can't just do whatever I want without considering everyone's feelings."

"That's not what I'm saying, you idiot prince!"

Daniel blinked. Did I just get called an idiot by this little blurry girl?

"Listen! I'm not saying you should become someone who rules with an iron fist. But if you obediently follow the path your uncle set out for you, you'll never be able to escape his shadow." She began to exclaim while pumping a fist, and Daniel became a mess of utter bewilderment. "Do you really want that?! To be controlled by a duke who only cares about how powerful his family looks?"

He faltered for a moment, absorbing her words with wide eyes. "Well... No, but-"

"Be more selfish, Your Highness," She told him firmly, and the prince's aquamarine eyes widened slightly with those words. "Learn by building your own experience and become stronger by taking charge of your own life. If you can't even protect yourself from your uncle, how do you plan on protecting an entire empire in the future? The dukes have been working really hard to keep this country running, until you can take the throne. Do you really want their efforts to go to waste?"

Daniel was quiet for a moment, but she could tell the words had sunken in as he gazed down at the ground in deep thought. With this, Irene was sure she managed to push the prince in the right direction. As long as her words settled in, he would receive the drive and motivation to change himself.

"How can I... Become stronger?" He asked her, his voice still quiet and reluctant. "I've been trying so hard... But I haven't grown at all. How can I become someone worthy of being an emperor?"

"I think that's something you'll need to find out on your own," Irene smiled gently, placing a hand on Daniel's shoulder for reassurance. "Search for your strength and nourish it. Let it guide you in your journey. And show that strict uncle you're the boss."

Wow, I never imagined I had it in me to be this motivational.

I should become a preacher.

As much as the prince hated to admit it, the words of this tiny girl were nothing short of true. She was so straightforward and everything she said felt like a slap to the face from reality — but somehow, it was fulfilling. For the first time, he felt someone had acknowledged his efforts, but was correcting his methods of achieving his goal.

"You're tough for someone so small." Daniel commented, glancing at the girl beside him. And for a split second, he felt his vision clear slightly as the affects of the poison subsided for a transient moment.

Daniel's eyes widened when he saw the smiling face of a young girl with familiar gold-spun eyes, shining like pools of crystallised honey under the sunlight. A wave of recognition overcame him, and for a moment, his heart suddenly stopped.

"What can I say? I'm a pretty strong person!" She beamed, her pale bangs falling over her face and framing her smile beautifully. But when she noticed Daniel had been staring at her in awe for a moment, she blinked at him in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"Have we..." He squinted his eyes, almost instantly remembering where he saw this girl in the past.

Under the flickering lights of a food stall, selling savoury and delicious-smelling meat skewers during the late summer festival. A girl who wore a dark cloak, but had a smile as winsome and cherubic as an angel.

She was the one who gave him the lover's rose coin— a memento he kept safe even to this day. Daniel never expected to see this girl again so easily, but it felt almost like fate when she appeared before him like this again. And he wasn't one who believed in things like destiny.

"Have we met before?" Daniel asked, realising that the girl didn't seem to recognise him. Of course, he was disguised as a commoner back then, so it would've made sense for her to remain oblivious about their first meeting.

Irene only tilted her head, and blinked in confusion as she raised her eyebrows. "This is the first time we met..."

Although, he seems really familiar. But that's probably because he's the male lead I used to write so much about.

Daniel was quiet for a moment, pressing his lips into a thin line. So it was her...

Somehow, a feeling of warmth sparked in his chest when he realised this, and he turned away with a soft sigh. In the end, he was somewhat saved by this girl twice now, and she was completely oblivious to it. He decided not to mention seeing her before, and instead offered her a look of resolve.

"Alright, fine. I'll take your advice and become a selfish ruler." He said, and Irene froze up when the ebony-haired prince turned to face her completely. He leaned forward, as though trying to peer closely into her face, and those beautiful crystalline eyes locked onto her own.

"Just you wait... I'll grow stronger and you'll be the first to regret it."

She blinked, slightly taken aback by those words. Somehow that feels like a threat...

Don't tell me he's already thinking of ways to kill me?!

All of a sudden he's this confident?

A small smile played at the young prince's lips, when he noticed her fall silent for a moment. But Irene shook it off, and only clenched her fists. "B-Bring it on! You're weak! I'll beat you to a pulp...! Y-Your Highness."

The boy chuckled softly, a genuine smile gracing his lips for the first time in a while. And although his body was still aching from the poison, he felt the pain had subsided a little - thanks to this little girl distracting him.

Just then, a faint voice called out in the distance. "Your Highness, where are you?"

Daniel turned his head back in recognition, realising it was Tieve, who had been looking for him amid the unnecessarily large maze. "I'm here!" He called out, as loudly as his body could project. And as he faced Irene again, he noticed her figure standing up to leave.

"You never met me here today, understand?" Daniel said, and Irene nodded her head.

"I'll keep your secret for now. Well, let's hope you can become a strong person so that if I tell people this story in the future, they'll only look at me in disbelief." She joked, and the prince chuckled softly while gazing at her indistinct figure.

Irene bowed and turned to take her leave in the direction she had come, and as Daniel watched her figure drawing further away, he wondered when he would be able to see her next.

Just then — a sudden realisation washed over him, and he found himself calling out to the white-haired girl again.

"What was your name?" He asked, and as Irene turned around to face him, she figured there was probably no escaping him now. But if she was going to go down under his future wrath, better to be as brazen as possible.

"Ask me again when you're not a dying rabbit." Was all she responded with, before disappearing past the corner. Her comment left the prince sighing softly, as Tieve finally found his master after an hour of tirelessly searching.

That girl... Daniel gazed in the direction she had disappeared. She really forced me out of the gutter... Although her words were true, he couldn't help but feel it hurt his pride a little bit to be called pathetic and weak by a mere girl. Even so, there was a sense of gratefulness in his chest as he smiled softly to himself.

There's no way I'll let her win after insulting me like that.