Mother collapsed? Irene froze up at those words, remembering Sarah's state of pain from earlier.

"Prepare a room for her at once and call my doctor." Daniel spoke with strong clarity and remained calm, and as Tieve turned to head inside hurriedly, the prince turned to Irene beside him. A cold sweat running down her spine, her shock seemed to be plastered to her face.

"You should go too. I'll stay in the ballroom to ensure there's nothing to worry about." He told her gently. Irene turned to him and nodded her head, before bolting after Tieve.

For some reason, many worst-case scenarios were playing in her mind. What if something bad were to happen to Sarah? In the original novel, she was supposed to die very early, after all. Maybe all Irene had done was manage to delay that a little bit, but now something was truly wrong?

I can't lose her. And it's not only for my sake anymore. Tears began to gather in her eyes as she ran a few metres behind the red-haired aide of Daniel's. It blurred and obstructed her vision, and she knew she needed to stay calm. But how could she?

All she could think about was Sarah's smile. Her gentle voice. Her playful attitude. Her kind nature. Her flowery smell. Losing her wasn't just losing a character in a novel any more.

Losing her meant she lost her mother.

Soon enough, Tieve ventured through the crowd with Irene in tow, and they finally reached a small antechamber decorated as a waiting room somewhere near the ballroom. There, she saw her father with a grim expression as he held his wife closely on one of the plush sofas. Rayvis stood beside them, thinking deeply.

"Really... I feel fine, Rudien," Sarah tried to console him, but he was still very much worried. Those perfect ruby eyes gazed at her in deep concern, but she only tried to soothe him with her smile. "Really, it's nothing to worry about."

"Mother!" Irene darted towards Sarah, taking her hand. It felt cold in her own. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," gently placing a palm on her daughter's cheek, Sarah's serene blue eyes displayed no sense of pain. But at the same time, Irene could see from her complexion that she had weakened quite a lot. "Please don't worry about me, sweetheart."

"I told you to take it easy," Rudien sighed softly, frowning at his wife. "Is there any pain in your body? You didn't drink, right?"

As he said those words, Rudien tenderly placed a gloved hand on Sarah's stomach.

Irene's gaze followed this action.

Wait a minute...

Earlier, Sarah had been feeling nauseous in the carriage.

She was avoiding drinking anything containing alcohol.

Rudien just placed his hand on her abdomen.

C-Could it be?!

"I'm going to be a sister?!"

Her words echoed between the walls of the room. Everyone stared at her— eyes gaping in silent awe for a moment. As soon as the realisation hit her, Irene's face flushed a bright red.

"Pffft-" Rayvis couldn't contain his laughter no matter how hard he pressed his palm over his mouth and turned to face the wall. But Irene was too in awe of this revelation to even care that she had embarrassed herself.

Rudien and Sarah awkwardly glanced at each other, their faces somewhat tinted a gentle hue of pink. But what baffled them more was that Irene, who had never been officially educated on human reproduction yet, already knew what pregnancy was.

Just then, a tall figure entered the room with a few servants in tow. "I've brought the doctor. If it's alright, he can check the duchess's condition." Daniel suggested.

Irene silently watched from the sidelines as the doctor inspected her mother's condition and asked her some questions. The entire time, her mind was roaring with the same words she had sang aloud earlier.

I'm going to be a sister...?

"So?" Rayvis nudged her arm, and she glanced up at her brother to see him smirking with keen interest. "Exactly how were you able to tell that Mother is pregnant?"

Oh shoot— I'm not supposed to know about this stuff...

Avoiding his gaze, Irene wore a sheepish expression. "I-I read it in a book somewhere by accident."

Her brother didn't seem too convinced, but luckily no one seemed to question it any further.

"I take it you are already aware of your condition, My Lady," The doctor said with a smile. "I must congratulate you."

Something felt off in the room even while the news had been confirmed. Irene may have been absorbed by the immense joy of being and older sibling, but she too, had noticed it.

But the doctor's expression soon became rather serious as he surveyed Sarah's uneasy expression. He then turned and glanced up at Daniel, motioning something with his eyes. The first prince nodded understandingly, then glanced up at both Irene and Rayvis.

"We should leave them to it and head back to the ball."

What? But I want to stay here... It seemed as though the doctor wasn't leaving. He definitely had more to say, but kept his lips pressed shut. Before Irene could refute, she felt her brother pushing her shoulders towards the doorway gently. "Let's go, Rene. It's rude to keep the people waiting."

"But I-"

As she turned to glance up at her brother, his expression turning serious. Brows narrowed together and icy eyes that stood firm. This was the first time she saw her facetious brother appear so stern.

He sure looks like Rudien with that face.

Deciding to give in, Irene followed Rayvis and Daniel towards the doorway. The doctor likely wished to speak with them privately about something important. Maybe he surmised it would be better for the children to leave.

But Irene couldn't let that just happen. Even if it was wrong for her to do, she clenched her fists and whispered.

"Snow. I want you to listen to the conversation my parents are having with the doctor."

"Roger that." The familiar voice of her great white bird spoke out. And as she stepped into the corridor, a glimpse of a white body whooshed overhead into the room.

I'm sorry for eavesdropping, Mother... She thought, but her eyes were burning with resolve. But if something is wrong, I need to know. I won't let you die.

"Don't look so sullen, Rene!" Rayvis beamed, returning to his old, cheerful self. "Aren't you glad? You're going to be an older sister, as you said!"

Irene could sense this was his attempt to get her mind off worrying about Sarah. Rayvis was observant, but he always had the best interest of his family in mind. She smiled at her brother, trying not to have him worry for her as well.

I know that deep down, he must be the most afraid of losing Mother... He's much closer to her than I am, after all.

"Of course I am! I've never had a younger sibling before." She responded excitedly. And of course, this was an exciting prospect.

A third child of Cherliann never existed in the original novel. The fact that one was coming into being was proof the world she now lived in went in a completely different direction.

Even the smallest little shifts in actions could set the world off course. She realised that now, after 12 years.

Mikael was no longer on the path to becoming a villain. Daniel didn't hate her, and she wasn't obsessively in love with him. Sarah was still alive, and she and Rudien finally had a strong marriage — even expecting another child soon. And Isabella was her closest friend, not an enemy.

Everything has been good... But why...

The palpitations in her heart felt uncomfortable and difficult to calm down. Irene didn't understand why, but her blood was rushing through her veins much faster than they should.

Why do I feel so uneasy...

"Oh! Mikael!" Rayvis called out, bringing Irene out of her thoughts. He was stood far ahead at the door of a staircase, and as she glanced up, she could see his slender figure staring at a painting hung on the wide wall.

"Where have you been this whole time? Some important things just happened, you know." Rayvis nudged the second prince gently, but he ignored the silver-haired male and continued to survey the painting.

A head of blonde hair and milky skin. As the three finally reached the silent second prince, their gaze followed his.

Eyes glued to the portrait of a young man who resembled Mikael completely. Almost as if he were a clone of him. Irene's eyes widened as she stared up at the painting in deep admiration.

Everything about the man in the image was elegant and beautiful. He wore clothes befitting an emperor, embellished with silver threading and fine diamond buttons. Hair akin to spun gold falling over his shoulders, and deep, ocean-blue eyes.

"Is that you, Mikael?" Irene asked, shocked by the resemblance.

He sighed, glancing at the floor. "Obviously not, idiot. This is the late emperor," he paused, as though almost in disbelief. "Our father."

It was almost unnatural, how much Theodore and Mikael bore a resemblance. Their facial features were exactly the same, and so were their sizes in body. This must have been a painting of the late emperor when he was young, but still — it was as if they were looking at an identical twin. The only difference being, Theodore had long hair stretching down his back.

"You look so much like him." Irene whispered, glancing between Mikael and the painting. "Are you sure he's your father and not your twin brother?"

Mikael glanced back at her, with his usual expressionless visage. Those creamy blonde waves of hair and serene blue pools for eyes were certainly beautiful. It was no wonder Theodore was praised for his features as well as his capabilities.

"What were you saying that I missed?" He asked, though not much interest was evident in his tone. It seemed he just wanted to change the topic.

Before Irene could even find the words to respond, Rayvis directly said the words. "Mother is pregnant."

"Oh, is that so?" Mikael's eyes widened a little bit, but he didn't seem to share much excitement, compared to Irene. Even so, the prince still smiled and seemed pleased by the news. "That's good to hear."

The four soon began to head back towards the ballroom, but Irene could hardly think straight. Her mind remained a mess of both excitement and anxiousness. It was bizarre how much things strayed from the original plot from her story, but something about how off course things got made her uneasy.

Not only Sarah's pregnancy, but her conversation with Daniel earlier. He really went and asked for my hand in marriage that fast... A sigh escaped her lips, somewhat disheartened. Irene and Daniel were a pair never to be put together in the original novel. Irene was aware he likely only asked because she was largely supported by both aristocratic society and the people of Laydel, to be the next emperor.

But what if there was a slim chance he liked her? And that was why he asked? It wasn't complexly impossible, as far-fetched as it sounded in her head.

This wasn't something she wished for. Avoiding Prince Daniel and ruling him out as a romantic interest was something she decided would be for the best, ever since her first day as a newborn here. He would certainly fall for Isabella, once he got to know her more, right?

Without realising it, her thoughts slowed her down, and Irene found herself lagging behind the boys, who had gotten quite far ahead. But just as she glanced up, her eyes widened at the sight of one much closer in proximity.

Strands of ebony hair falling softly over a pair of sharp, deep-blue eyes. Daniel leaned his back against the wall as he waited for her to catch up. Mikael and Rayvis were already long gone, leaving Irene alone with the first prince once again.

For a moment the pair wordlessly stared at one another. Then, the young woman sighed. "Do you have something you wish to say, Your Highness?"

Daniel observed her clinically for a moment. Somehow being under the gaze of someone attractive made Irene's stomach churn from the pressure. She avoided his gaze at all costs, facing the other wall entirely.

"What I said earlier," he then spoke, his voice somewhat hesitant. "You don't have to think or worry about it. I asked because it seems like a politically advantageous arrangement for us both. But there's still a lot of business we must deal with."

Irene didn't even try to suppress the sigh of relief in her chest. With a smile, she finally met his gaze. "Then, you don't actually wish to marry me, right?"

Her reaction caught Daniel off guard. Even though the question seemed like something one would get upset about, her eyes lit up like she had just escaped hell. Somehow, he was slightly offended.

"Why do you seem happy about it? That hurts my feelings," he crossed his arms, and Irene's eyes widened. It was then that he gazed at her with a slight smirk. "I am actually quite fond of you, Irene Cherliann."

W-What?

Irene could feel her cheeks flush at those words. That mischievous glint in his gorgeous eyes. The way his rosy lips curled up slightly into a cheeky smile and the way his eyes were fixed to her in observation.

"W-Well I'm sure those feelings will pass." Was all she said, her face beet-red as she hurried past him.

Daniel followed after her, silently. Though he enjoyed seeing her flustered, his expression turned slightly serious. "And if they don't?"

Irene avoided facing him. "They will eventually, Your Highness. You'll be too busy here becoming the next sovereign to be able to maintain that fondness," she sighed softly again. "Also, I'm sure you'll find a better match! I could even introduce you."

Daniel didn't respond. It was true, his duties as future emperor would likely keep him from being able to continue building any sort of closeness with Irene. Besides, though he did take a liking to her, these feelings were not strong and could easily be snuffed out.

Even so... A smile played at his lips as he gazed at the back of Irene's head. Her soft white hair swaying at her back, dress rippling with her paced movements. The way she walked ahead was screaming "I need to get away from him" and this filled him with amusement.

You will probably be seeing me more often than you think.

😭 💀