The next night all of us gathered in my dorm. Princess Oda, Aideen, and I. I had to go to the maids' dorm and ask everyone there for Aideen until I found her, and then asked her to bring Oda along to my room after dinner. Thankfully, both came.

"I want to apologize," I began. "To both of you." Oda looked calm and unfazed, like nothing happened yesterday, but Aideen can't meet my eyes.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you yesterday, Oda." Oda continued to look at me without batting an eye.

"I forgive you," she grandly said. She was as full of herself as usual, and I'm glad that hasn't changed. I gave her a quick smile of gratitude before I turned to Aideen.

She tensed up when she sensed me looking at her, but she still doesn't tilt up her head to look at me.

"I'm sorry for even suspecting you. It can't be you. I know it can't." I reached forward and then held Aideen's hands in mine. In surprised she finally raised her round eyes to look at me. The hurt in her eyes is undeniably real. She opened her mouth slowly,

"I love Queen Sonota, but I would never betray Oda. They are both precious to me." Her voice was soft, and quivered ever so softly. "And so are you, Karina."

Memories of the first days we spent together appeared in my mind. The blue dress at the tailor and her always sacrificing what she wanted for everyone else. She would never sacrifice one thing she treasured for another. No, she would protect both.

I hugged her, with my chin resting on her shoulder. I could feel her trembling under my arms, and I thought of how small and young she was, but already exposed to so many things. I wanted to apologize, but I don't. Instead, I thank her.

"Thank you."

We were both crying, but in that moment, I felt at peace. I knew I had friends, and people who loved me and would protect me. I wanted to forget about the deaths, murders, Oscar, Otto, the Queen, and the Dandelion System. I wanted to cry in the arms of Aideen, a replacement for Catalina.

Catalina. I had to end this. I had to return to her, and to free Oriana, Annabelle, and all of the other girls. I pulled apart from Aideen.

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Blithe told me that the Queen was upset about one rule about the Dandelion System. That maids couldn't join. Did you know?" Aideen shook her head.

"No." Oda's leaned.

"She never told you? Or asked if you wanted to marry Otto?"

"No. Never. And even if the Queen pitied us for not being able to compete, she would never do something so horrible," Aideen said confidently.

"That's what I thought. I know Mother loves Aideen, but for her to marry Otto?" Oda shook her head without uncertainty. "She has never even hinted at it. This Blithe sounds suspicious."

"I don't blame Blithe," I answered. "She is only afraid too, for Annabelle and us. I've promised Annabelle and Oriana something." I looked at both of them in the eye. "I will end the Dandelion System. We will."

Aideen didn't move, but Oda's face contorted in shock. I continued.

"Will you help me?"

"End the Dandelion System?" Oda repeated, narrowing her eyes like usual. "And have everything we do be for naught?"

"Do you think we can win at this rate? The Queen has more than what we can ever get at this rate," I reminded her. My heart pounded at her expression and tone. We needed Princess Oda. Anything we do can easily be brushed away by the Royal Family, unless Oda is on our side.

"And our only choice left is to end the Dandelion System?" She said the phrase again. "End it?"

"Yes. Before there are no contestants left." I stepped towards her, and she stiffened, but doesn't recoil. We were face to face, our eyelashes almost brushing. I open my tightened jaws to speak again. "Before I am also no longer alive." She was silent.

"Princess Oda," Aideen whimpered. "Please." We waited for her response, but there is none. I bit my lips as I turned away. My chest tightened with each passing moment of silence. I looked at Aideen.

"Will you help me?" She threaded her fingers together, and nodded.

"I have always been afraid that you will be next." her voice was hollow. "I have been having the same nightmares these days. I go to your room to wake you up, and all I see is blood."

"I'm afraid too," I admitted. "For me, Annabelle, and Oriana. For the other girls left. We all want to live."

I turned back, and we both stared at the princess. Her expression was familiar. It was like that day she cried when she asked me to help her and join the Dandelion System. She was crying.

"I will help you find the murderer," Oda said slowly, "and end The Dandelion System. I don't want Otto's marriage sullied by murders anymore."

Aideen smiled and I swallowed the saliva gathering in my mouth. She had agreed to help us. To end the Dandelion System, and everything she had risked and worked on.

"Thank you, Oda."

She didn't say anything.

"It's your first time going against your family, isn't it?" I asked. She opened her mouth, and her lips were unpainted, and pale. She closed it. I think of Oscar, and now Otto. Locked rooms and towers, burned paintings and competitions.

"Yes." She turned her face away from us, and all I saw was her sharp profile. I wondered if a part of her was ashamed of that fact, or regretted it.

"Tonight I will patrol the Middle Class dorms in secret with Aideen. Annabelle and Blithe will patrol the Noble Class dorms, and Oriana and her lady-in waiting the Lower Class dorms. Oda, you will have to—"

"I know," she tilted her chin high. "I will be at the Upper Class dorms. Alone."

Aideen looked like she wanted to say something, but stopped. I continued.

"The moment we see a stranger or a person enter a room that is not theirs, one of us will sneak go up the stairs and call for the person on the closest floor to wake up all the girls and then go to the room."

"But then one person will be left alone on the floor where the murderer is on," Aideen pointed out. I nodded.

"They can either enter the room and risk their life, or wait for the others to arrive."

Oda focused on me. "I suppose you would be the one to stay back, if it occurs on your floor?"

"No!" Aideen hissed, and her face was suddenly pale. "I will not allow that. Karina—you will be the one to stay back, will you not? That's insane! I can't let you!"

I shook my head. "I—" Oda glanced at me.

"I know you would not willingly run away. You would want to face them alone," she murmured. "Don't you?"

She was right. The original plan I made with Oriana and Annabelle would be that the two girls would run to two different floors and tell the girls on those floors to wake up the contestants lefton their floor, and then all go to the room the intruder was seen going in. That way, with more people, there would not be the danger of the murderer trying to kill anyone again. However, that plan would be time-consuming.

The target may already be killed by that time.

Oda knew me too well.

"Then I won't," I said. "I will call the girls on the lower floor, and Aideen the girls on the upper floors. Also tell the girls to call the guards. Wake up as many people as you can."

Aideen didn't seem satisfied.

"You were planning on facing the murderer alone?" she said, lips pressed together.

"I promise I won't."

"Karina is guilty for it." I turned to Oda, who spoke, in surprise. She looked at me with her piercing eyes. They were angry, yet they are not.

"She feels responsible for the deaths, and guilty for being alive. She wants to be the one to end it—even if she dies in the process."

My fingers tightened themselves into fists. She didn't understand anything. I was not like her; I would change what I can with my own hands. I would rather lose my hands than have them painted with the blood of the lives I could have saved—but wouldn't save.

Oscar showed me what was the result of looking the other way. He taught me that I didn't have to have false hope. I could make my hope come true.

"That's horrible." I laughed. "That's a horrible thing to say, Princess Oda."

She didn't flinch at my sarcastic laugh.

"You have set tonight for the end, haven't you? I can tell by your face you've resigned yourself." I gritted my teeth.

"Of course there is the possibility it won't occur tonight. Tristesse, after all, wasn't killed in her sleep."

"What if it's your room?" Aideen asked. "Shall we put something under the covers to replace you?" I nodded, and Aideen sets to re-arranging the already made bed. Oda watched her with a stoic expression.

"It's her first time too," she murmured after a moment, surprising me. She felt me watching her. She turned to me again.

"It's both of our first time going against what the King and Queen wants. I never imagined the day would come for her. More so, I didn't imagine I would also be doing this."

My anger at her subdued.

"How do you feel?"

She bared her lips to show her teeth, which were chattering without sound, just moving.

"I am—I am afraid." She pressed her lips together, and then parted them again, her voice suddenly unrecognizable. "It was Oscar, and then Otto. It might even be me next. I always thought that the King and Queen wouldn't betray me, but now I don't know. So I am betraying them first." She crossed her arms around her protectively and turned away.

"I used to feel safe in my castle, under my jewels and dresses and behind my servants, but now I see how powerless I am. If they decide to kill me, I will be killed. After all, I can never become the heir. I will be married off to a stranger after Otto gets married for Taraxac's relations. Maybe even before him."

She always knew. Was that why she begged me, with tears, that day we met? To change Otto's fate, and maybe even hers?

"Oda—" I took a step, but she turns on her heels. Her back greeted me. Like me, she has resigned herself to what fate lies in wait.

"I will be at the Upper Class dorms."

Although she walked with her spine straight, her fingers still clutched at her arms. For the first time, I felt like I've seen Oda.