NOT PREPARED for this kind of situation, Tori did the first thing that came up to her mind. Pulling him closer, which shocked Corean, she locked her arms around his body as if she was hugging him back. But what Tori was aiming for was the second prince's open neck.

"What a naughty thing to do, your highness," Tori whispered before pressing his pressure point, rendering him unconscious in an instant. A sudden thud echoed in his room and afterward, a knock resounded.

"Your Highness? Tori ignored the royal knight's voice. She was concentrating on transferring Prince Corean's sleeping form to his bed, though it would take her time to do so.

The knight would not dare to open Prince Corean's chamber, especially since he was the one who brought her there. She would let him think what he wanted, she would just tell Rowan to take care of him as he sees fit for her.

While looking down at the second prince's sleeping form on his bed, Tori could not help but took her sweet time gazing down at him.

You surprised me quite a lot there, dear Cory. I thought you always look cute with your smart but shy aura. But earlier, you were a wolf rather than a sheep.

Reaching out to touch his messy wavy brown hair, Tori smiled with no hint of malice for a split second. "I like that."

But your heart will be taken one way or another by your destined one, Tessa. I am just a minor villainess in this plot who is doing everything to survive in this wretched storyline.

Maybe if you were born in my past lifetime, I could fight for you. But I can't as long as I want my head intact on my shoulders.

Tori took her locket. She was wearing this for quite some time now. It was a token gifted by Lady M as she was the newest member of the aristocratic faction. The red powder inside her oval-shaped locket was a powder that would make anyone forget the recent events for those who sniffed it. "Forget this morning and sleep like it never happened at all."

I need you to forget what happened this morning, Cory. I am sorry. I know this is too much to erase a memory without your permission. But I can't let you have those thoughts with me. I already decided that I will use you the best way I can. After all, I will save your wretched life for my benefit.

I have no right. You must be with Tessa after I use you well.

Blowing the powder to his face. For the first time since she transmigrated, Tori felt the opposite of happiness. But the moment she saw her reflection in his mirror at the corner, Tori realized feelings wound mean weakness and weakness meant mistakes leading to her dead end.

I can't afford that.

Just as Prince Corean's memories vanished into thin air, Tori's newfound affection was buried in the deepest part of her rotten soul.

As Tori opened the door, before the knight could utter a word to her, Tori blew him the powder, leaving the royal knight unconscious.

It will only take half an hour to wake them us so they will be fine. Now, where's that crown prince I'm looking for?

ZENO MCMILLIAN Larat was someone that was part of Tori's bullshit top list, and seeing him as the only one with a vacant seat for her first class made her hate him all the more. Thanks to a certain someone, she forgot about her classes while finding Prince Yei Lin's whereabouts.

He was fidgeting next to her, which irritated Tori. Why am I having a wretched bad day?

Professor Vida went on and on with the Empire's history, together with the history of other countries. As someone who had watched until Season 5, Tori did not pay attention to the class. Instead, Tori was planning a countermeasure from the information she had gained.

Crown Prince Yei Lin and Prince Lauren, is your friendship genuine? If I choose to destroy you, it would take time and that is something I don't have. Then how can I make you mine, Prince of Ming country?

"Then let us ask the recent top 1, Lady Victoria Rozenreff."

Upon hearing her name from Professor Vida, Tori snapped out of her trance. Getting aware of the fact that everyone was looking at her, Tori sat straight immediately.

"Lady Victoria, who holds the greatest power in a country?"

Standing up elegantly, Tori answered immediately. Tori knew what everyone was thinking. Normally, anyone would answer that without brooding. Hence, the professor asked her to test if she would pass this tricky question. "The queen, specifically, the queen regent."

Murmurs erupted inside the class. Even Zeno looked at her with wonder, as if she said something wrong. But the way they reacted to her answer only meant that they did not understand the structure of power in a country.

Tori continued. "Yes, the queen regent. Not the king, not the dowager queen, not the first concubine, or any nobles. The most powerful one, yet the most underestimated role is the seat for the queen regent. A queen regent is a wife that is crowned by the king himself. The moment a woman married the king, she becomes the queen, but that is only by title. To get the highest standing with the broadest type of power, the king should crown a queen as queen regent after getting married. In the history of the Eckrett Empire, the only queen regent was the first wife of the first king in the empire. Why is that? It is simply because if the king crowned a queen as a queen regent, it means that he's handing her the reigns of the country. After all, a king will not be able to do anything without the queen regent's approval and vice versa."

"Then why did the first king make the first queen as queen regent? Knowing the risks," Zeno asked her out of curiosity.

"A newly established country needed not just one leader but two. With the economy and war on thin ice, it is understandable that the king made such a decision." Tori looked straight into his eyes.

The simple question turned into a full-blown debate inside the class, which brought the interest of Professor Vida.

Damn that old hag.

"Can't we argue that the first king just loved his wife?" Someone from the class asked her. Glancing at the voice, she realized it was Tessa which earned her a wicked smile from Tori.

Ah, such a simple-minded girl. It makes me want to destroy that innocence.

"Love? There is no such thing when it comes to politics, dear Tessa."

THE CLASS ended quietly, even with the debate from the first class. Tori's point was forgotten when the concept of love was mentioned by Tessa. She realized the latter was quite romantic for a commoner. Tori also learned that Tessa was not as intelligent as she thought she would be, which made Tori wonder what about Tessa that made Prince Corean 'love' her from the original plot.

Not that I fucking care.

Walking straight to the personal Office of the President of Trifecta Academy Order, Tori had one thing in her mind and that was earning the favor of Crown Prince Yei Lin. But to do that she needed to get to know him and to get to know him she needed to catch his interest.

Knocking on the door twice, Tori steeled herself and run her plans in her mind again. A soft manly voice answered her behind the door, "Come in."

Blowing a breath, Tori opened the door where her one chance of being the next official heir lay.

A chinky eyed man with long hair and a noble robe with the Ming country's brooch helped Tori realize that the man sitting behind his expensive-looking desk was no other than the crown prince of Ming country, Crown Prince Lei Yin. He was busy reading something from the parchment and only glanced at her one time.

He regarded her as an annoyance.

"Blessings to the Ming Country's star, Crown Prince Lei Yin." Tori curtsied in front of him when he did not talk. He was busy, but he was also being rude to her.

Being the leader of the Order makes you arrogant, huh? Let's see if you will still be like that after this meeting ends.

Trifecta Academy Order is like the Student Council from my past life. But in this school, only the seniors can be a member of this group. Also, this group does not discriminate if you are a noble or a commoner as long as you have the talents.

Putting aside the parchment and setting his eyeglass down, Crown Prince Yei Lin's pretty face coldly addressed her. "What does a noble lady from the Rozenreff Duchy want from me?"

His eyes were all-knowing like he was digging into her mind with the way he was looking at her. Since they did not offer Tori a seat, she remained standing.

Arrogant bastard

"I won't beat around the bush, your highness. I am here to offer you a deal." Red eyes met raven ones. Hers was full of confidence, while he was clearly not amused.

Leaning to his chair, he looked at her from head to toe and the way he gazed at her would make anyone feel little but not Tori. Though she knew she was gambling on a piece of passing information from what she watched in the Netflix Series, she would use that to corner the prince. "I'll humor your bravery, Lady Rozenreff. What is this deal that you are offering me? What do you want from me?"

Not batting an eyelash, Tori answered. "Give me full access to Oolong Tea from your country. In exchange, I will give you the one thing you wanted the most."

A few seconds after what she said, Prince Lei Yin showed genuine emotion in front of her. His cackling laugh resonated inside his office as if he was telling her that what she said was a good joke. His reaction struck a nerve in Tori, but she fought hard not to show any emotion. He was baiting her.

I won't let you, my Kpop prince.

"The rumors about your intelligence are quite doubting, Lady Rozenreff."His mocking smile never left his face.

Now he's thinking that I am some kind of lunatic. Ha!

Smiling slyly, Tori bashed his mocking smile. "I saw a guy who has bright blue-green eyes with platinum blonde hair. Ah, he also has the same age as you. But my mind can't recall where I saw him. Perhaps the reigns for the Oolong Tea will help, your highness."

Shock and hope shone from his eyes, ensuring Tori's victory in this game.

So the information I watched from Season 1 where the king of Ming country looking for that man is quite true. The king must be the crown prince in the future. I don't know why, but the slip he made showed that he has good intentions for that person. I saw hope; I am sure of it.

"Be careful with what you are saying, Lady Rozenreff."

Tori's turn to smile mockingly was a scene that the crown prince hated. "Trust me. I have heard that sentence already. I knew where that person is and with his condition, that person won't live to see the day if you take your own sweet time in deciding A from B. Now, what's it going to be?"

"I will ready the contract. I will come to you when it's ready but just be sure you are not lying. Do know that I won't take it lightly when someone's making a fool of me."

The gleam of her red eyes twinkled when he finally said the words she'd been waiting for.

"I know right."

I think I have to visit the capital's prison cell. It's a favorable time to meet the secondary villain of the Thorny Crown Series, Allaister Damon.