Through The Looking Glass Chapter 3, a my next life as a villainess: all routes lead to doom! fanfic

Chapter 13

For once in her life, she'd gotten up early for school, and caught up with A-chan on the route, happily chatting with her friend, who is giving her a knowing smile.

" So, did you finish Time Tales All last night?"

She grins. "Yup. That secret ending was so good!"

A-chan grins back. "Yeah, I love that the main character actually runs away from the palace with Marty. Neither of them really fit the whole 'noble' lifestyle."

" I don't know, I kind of thought she was best with the Knight character," she says. "But I do like that Marty got to flee his family's ideals and become a musician with his new partner. To throw away everyone's expectations and live only as you want, that's so freeing!"

A-chan laughs. "Wake up, Katarina."

She blinks in confusion.

" A-chan, are you okay? Your voice sounds deeper."

" Wake up Katarina…"

Katarina groans and presses deeper into her pillow as she slowly comes back to reality, feeling the gentle touch on her shoulder and hoping she can ignore it.

"It can't be morning yet Anne…" she says into her pillow. "Five more minutes."

The hand halts a little, and she hears a soft sigh.

"I wish I could, dear Katarina, but this can't wait."

Reality hits like cold water, Katarina sitting upright with a screech, Gerald quickly jerking back to avoid a headbutt.

"Ah! Prince Gerald! Keith!" she splutters. "In my room, why- oh! Did the records come?"

She stifles the yawn, and misses the look exchanged between the two men.

"They did, but...Katarina, we have something to ask you."

She rubs at her eyes and smiles...only for it to falter when Keith moves closer, holding a book in his hands.

"Katarina, what is this?"

Her skin goes pale, eyes flitting towards the desk and then back towards their curious faces.

She left it out. Why had she left it out? She always locks away her secret book!

But then, she didn't really have a place to store it here, and she'd been so tired from the day and then the stress of figuring out what Time Tales All had to do with it – she'd just thought she'd close her eyes for a few minutes!

And now, both Gerald and Keith are looking at her with questioning eyes, a damning document in their hands. She's fairly certain she's had nightmares that start like this – her own personal tailor made doom flag.

"Katarina, why didn't you-"

Keith doesn't manage to finish, his words dying in his throat as Katarina bursts into tears again – this time, clearly more of a panicked nature than her stressed ones from before. He pushes past a frozen Gerald to wrap her in his arms, desperately trying to soothe her.

"Sis, Sis, please, it's okay," he says. "I promise, everything's all right."

"Yes, Katarina, we just want to understand," Gerald says, finding his voice. "We're not accusing you of anything."

Together, they coax her out of bed and towards the sitting area. Anne is not elated when she returns to find her alternate Mistress a wreck, nor particularly agreeable to Gerald's requests for some chamomile tea to be prepared, but eventually she complies.

Unfortunately, even with a hot mug pressed into her hands, Katarina still looks like she's being dragged to her own execution. It's not doing anything for Gerald's peace of mind. What exactly is the truth to this puzzle to have his fiance in such a state?

He wants to be by her side, but he's fairly certain that if he does, he'll get sidetracked by soothing her, and he needs answers. A glance over at Keith gets him to reluctantly make some distance and sit at his side, leaving them facing the pale faced girl – who in turn is staring at her mug and sniffling slightly.

"Sis?" Keith coaxes, and the girl swallows before lifting her head and giving a shaky smile.

"J-just, can I at least say goodbye to everyone when we get home before you exile me?" she whimpers, and being distant becomes an impossibility.

"What?"

"Katarina?"

They're both on their feet, looking horrified, and Katarina sinks even deeper, looking horrified.

"I-I know that's a lot to ask, but-"

"Katarina, what are you talking about?" Gerald interrupts. "Nobody is going to exile you for keeping secrets. In fact, I highly doubt there is anything you could do that would result in you being exiled."

Quite frankly, even if this language led to the revelation that Katarina was conspiring against the crown, Gerald would be jumping through hoops to make sure it never came to light and destroying whoever was pulling her strings. But that was unlikely, if only for the fact that Katarina has so many influential nobles in her pocket means she could probably rule the country without ever holding a position of legitimate power if she had the mindset at this point.

His words however, just seem to confuse her, and the two restrain themselves, sitting back down and staring at the girl again.

"Katarina, please, just...tell us what this is all about," Keith begs. "What is this language? How do you know it? What are you so afraid of that you were keeping it secret? I promise, no matter what you say, we won't judge you for it."

"Is someone threatening you?" Gerald asks. "Are you trying to protect us by keeping quiet?"

She squeaks, sitting a little straighter. "What? Why would you think that?"

"You're hiding information, you're scared of us knowing about it, and you seem to think telling us about whatever is written here will get you exiled," Gerald says. "It doesn't seem that far a reach."

Keith's own eyes have gone equally wide, as if the idea had never occurred to him. "Is that is, Sis? Are you hiding this beca-"

"No!" Katarina yelps, waving her hands in front of her. "No, nothing like that, I swear. I didn't, I mean, I never..."

"Well, if it's not that, it can't possibly be worse," Gerald says, face easing into a smile. "So please, whatever it is, I promise it won't be as bad as you're thinking it will be."

Katarina bites her lip, but eventually meets their eyes.

"I...it might sound crazy," she says, and Keith offers a soft laugh.

"Sis, with you, that's inevitable," he replies. "But that doesn't mean we won't understand."

That finally gets a small smile on her face.

"Well...I guess I need to start at the beginning. Do you remember when we first met and I hit my head, Prince Gerald?"

Gerald frowns, but nods. "What of it?"

"When I hit my head, something happened," Katarina explains. "I don't really know how to explain it, but...well, I started to get memories that weren't mine. When I woke up, I realised I had remembered a past life."

Their eyes widened, and they glanced between each other. Truly?

"I've never heard of such a thing," Keith admits. "Are you sure you didn't just manufacture memories from the head trauma?"

"Actually, there may be some truth to it," Gerald says. "There have been unconfirmed cases of people insisting that they remember their past life. Granted, most of them end up being charlatans looking to find a way into a noble family, but there have been some very compelling cases mixed within."

That has Katarina jumping off her chair, spilling hot tea on the carpet as she stares at Gerald in shock.

"There were others?"

She then blushes red, and sits down, setting the cup back down on the table. "I mean, this has happened before?"

Gerald gives a non committal shrug. "Like I said, it's never truly been confirmed. Are your memories from a different country? Is that where you learned the language?"

Katarina starts to nod – then immediately shakes her head.

"Yes, but...you don't understand. I lived another life...but it was also in another world ."

Gerald's smile falters.

"That is harder to believe-"

"No, see the world I was from is completely different," Katarina insists. "It had no magic, and a bunch of completely different languages, and it was hundreds of years ahead in technology. Ballgowns and nobility and carriages were all completely out of date and there were so many things you've never seen, things I don't even know how to describe to you in words you'd understand. I couldn't have made them all up."

"It's okay Sis, we believe you," Keith quickly says, before Gerald can offer any other opinion.

Gerald sighs, but also nods. "Indeed. You would come up with a more believable lie if you were looking to dodge suspicion. So as strange as it sounds, we can't really do anything but believe you."

Katarina's shoulders relax the slightest amount, and Gerald is hesitant to continue, but has little choice.

"However, if this language is from your 'former' world," he begins. "Then why would Martin Cress also be writing in it?"

To his surprise, Katarina doesn't look nervous, but almost excited.

"Because he came from the same world I did," Katarina explains, and grabs the copy of the rune and it's coded instructions from the table between them. "I think the person who created this rune was just like me."

She points to the piece that had caught her off guard earlier, and starts translating – deciding last minute that it might be better to use more traditional language rather than a direct translation. "It says here, 'I don't want to die in an otome game. I'm getting out of this world if it's the last thing I do.' Martin Cress must have regained the same memories I did."

Silence greets her words, and when she looks up, both Keith and Gerald are staring at her, frozen in shock.

"Um...are you okay?"

Gerald is the first to find his voice. "Katarina, are you certain? You believe that this world also had someone regain the memories of your world?"

Katarina pouts. "Well, I don't know for sure, but this is definitely Japanese, and there's nobody in this world that would know what an 'otome game' is, so if it wasn't mine then it would have to be one just like it."

"Then...what's an otome game?" Keith asks, curious of the phrase, and feels – not for the first time this evening – his stomach sink as Katarina freezes, looking panicked and surprised at the same time.

"Oh, um, nothing important," she says, laughing a little too forcefully. Neither of them buy it for a moment.

"If it's not important, then why does this Cress fellow believe he's at risk of dying in one?" Gerald counters, and Keith nods.

"Please Katarina, no more secrets. If it can help us figure out what's going on, I'm sure you can find the words, even if we don't fully understand it."

Katarina looks like she'd rather be literally anywhere else, but Keith and Gerald just continue looking at her with sympathetic gazes, silently cheering when the brunette finally buckles to their question.

"I...otome games were a specific kind of entertainment," Katarina explains, hands clenched on her skirt. "I don't have the words here to explain it properly, but think of it like a romance story, where the plot changes depending on your decisions. There are multiple romantic targets that the main character can pursue, and during each chapter, you're given several options, and the next chapter you read will change to reflect the choices you make."

"I can see why you would be entertained by that," Gerald says. "A book you can read repeatedly and not get the same ending would be quite interesting, but I'm not sure what the point of this is, or the importance. What does that have to do with Martin Cress?"

"I'm getting to that," Katarina says. "A lot of these games take place in fantasy worlds, with magic and nobility and unique settings. One series...took place in a land called Sorcier."

Both of them sit up straighter, while Katarina sinks deeper into her sofa. "There were two of them, and the first was called 'Time Tales All,' and followed the main character when she got caught in a time loop spell at the royal palace. If you managed to play each loop, you got to pursue the secret romantic target, Marty Cress, who up until that point had died at the start of each loop."

"What kind of romance starts with a murder?" Gerald splutters.

"You really should listen in on Sophia and Katarina's book club some time, you'd be surprised," Keith mutters. "But Sis, are you telling me that in your other world, the past events of this world, or at least some version of them, were written down in a story?"

Katarina nods. "That's why Marty must have created this rune. He needed to get out of this world before he was killed. Since he only gets saved in one of the endings, he had no way of knowing if the heroine would choose him."

She smiles and clenches her hands in front of her. "Ah, I kind of admire him! Didn't wait for anyone to rescue him, but figured out how to survive all on his own. I hope he made it, it would prove that doom flags really can be avoided."

"Doom flags?" Keith questions. That odd phrase again…

"Sis…" he starts, an awkward thought crawling into his skull. "You said that this, 'Time Tales All' was the first of two, right?"

Katarina blinks and nods.

"What was the second one?"

Her eyes widen, and Gerald frowns.

"I doubt that really matters at the moment, Keith," he says. "If Katarina has even partial knowledge of what Martin Cress was thinking when he created-"

"Your Highness, bear with me," Keith begs. "Katarina, what was the second one about?"

Her mouth opens slightly, and then shuts. Keith watches it with some dread, and starts talking.

"Earlier today, Miss Campbell was telling us how you seemed to have knowledge of past events in this world, that you should have had no way of knowing. Different first meetings, different interactions...you couldn't have known about any of it...unless you'd seen it somewhere before…."

Gerald has clearly caught on to what he's suggesting, and gone pale himself. Katarina swallows heavily.

"Sis...is the second game about us?" Keith asks, begging, pleading, that his sister will burst into laughter and tell him how ridiculous he's being.

Instead, she all but curls into herself, the absolute dismay on her face as much as admittance as words.

"Katarina..." Gerald whispers, and Katarina nods.

The second game is called 'Fortune Lover,' and follows the main character, a commoner gifted with light magic...by the name of Maria Campbell."

Gerald leans back in his seat, dropping his head into his hands, while Keith runs a hand through his hair and leans forward, feeling utterly exhausted.

"So, eight years ago, you essentially saw a prophecy of your future?" he asks.

"I guess you could call it that," she says. "When I first got the memories, I wasn't certain, and I tried to check, and everything seemed to add up. Things that were supposed to happen in the game kept happening, like the engagement because of the scar, and you being adopted into the family."

"That's not necessarily proof," Gerald offers, forcing his head back up and pasting on a placid smile to join the conversation. "Given your injury, those things happening aren't all that unlikely-"

"I knew Maria Campbell was going to be attending this school seven years before we met!" Katarina exclaims, almost sounding relieved that she can speak about it. "I could have picked Keith out as my little brother on sight before we'd ever been introduced! Things from the game keep happening. I keep meeting people who were characters in the game, and I don't know how or why, but it's true."

"It's okay Katarina, we believe you," Gerald soothes, though his face looks torn. "If we believe the rest of it, this probably explains more than it doesn't. If this...game, was supposed to take place during our time at school, what exactly did you foretell?"

Katarina takes a deep breath. "Well, like I said, an otome is a romance game, and the story follows Maria Campbell as she goes through school, and depending on her choices...can enter a romance with one of the four capture targets, who are all members of the Student Council with her."

Gerald's eyes go wide, a dozen conversations about Maria and her 'charm' suddenly making far more sense, while Keith tenses.

"Wait, is that why you reacted the way you did the first time I met Maria?" he says. "I was supposed to fall in love with her or something."

Katarina blushes and looks away. "Not right then...but, well-"

Keith sags and rubs at his eyes with one hand, while Gerald slowly shakes his head.

"This does not make any sense," he says. "You are my fiancee. Even if I didn't feel the way I do, how would Maria even turn my head?"

"Because Maria is sweet, and charming, and she fascinated you from the moment you met her!" Katarina explains, her face taking on a more embarrassed hue as she clearly thinks back to some unknown event. "In the game, you'd never seen a girl climb a tree, so when you first met her, you were captivated."

"But I've seen you-"

Gerald cuts himself off, and takes a deep breath to calm down. "I still find this aspect the most unbelievable of your tale. You are my fiancee, and I have no intention of breaking that. Given how close you are to everyone, shouldn't you have been the heroine rather than Maria?"

Keith suddenly sits up, his hand grabbing at Gerald's arm.

"You've been running under the assumption that everything would happen the way it did in the game," Keith breathes in sudden realisation. "Regardless of anything that may have changed. Of course you missed the differences, because your 'otome game' described events in this world. Not ours."

Katarina blinks, and Gerald frowns.

"What are you gett-"

He stops, remembering the Katarina of this world. The world of the game.

"In this world, Prince Geord doesn't want the engagement," Gerald realises. "He wants to break up with his Katarina."

Katarina nods. "But Katarina won't let him. In Fortune Lover, Katarina Claes is the Villainess, who constantly gets in the way of Maria's happiness."

She drops her head. "Katarina Claes has no happy endings, In the good endings, she gets exiled. In the bad, murdered by either Prince Geord or her brother."

"What?" Keith gasps. Gerald however, stays silent, eyes boring into Katarina, his smile nowhere to be seen. "Katarina, have you been afraid of being killed or exiled this whole time?"

He's not elated by her nod.

"I was terrified of suffering Katarina's fate, so I did everything I could to make sure I'd be okay," she explains. "I always made sure to tell Prince Gerald that I'd break the engagement once he found someone he liked and didn't need a shield anymore, and I made sure to treat you like you should treat a little brother, rather than what she did. And just in case the game couldn't be averted, I learned how to farm and how to use a sword."

"...So you could have a trade or a way to defend yourself if the worst came to pass," Keith finishes, voice hollow. Katarina shrugs.

"In the game, she's the villainess that everyone wants to see punished," she says. "It only made sense to prepare for it."

"Even years later?" Keith presses. "Katarina, you have to know none of us, least of myself, would even dream of hurting you. You are not the Katarina of this 'game.'"

Katarina hunches in on herself. "Love can change people. And I had no way of knowing what would happen. It seemed best to be prepared."

"Love...can change people?" Gerald repeats, face unreadable. When Katarina nods in reply, he suddenly gets up and starts heading for the door.

"Prince Gerald?" Keith calls, only to get no reply, and Katarina frowns.

"Prince Gerald, are you okay?" she asks, and Gerald halts. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Wrong, dear Katarina? Not all all. In fact, I'm just peachy ," Gerald replies, with more bite than he normally lets show around Katarina, and she flinches at the sound.

Keith quickly gets to his feet - but stops when Gerald turns back to face them, and gets caught off guard by the sheer hurt on the Prince's face.

"Apologies, but I'm just absorbing the knowledge that my fiancee, a woman I have known for eight years, who has spent many days in my presence, grown up with me, laughed with me, and called me friend if nothing else, has spent that entire time thinking I was going to ruthlessly destroy her whenever I fell in love with someone that was not her!"

Keith winces, and Katarina squeaks.

"I-I…"

Her spluttering seems to urge the Prince on, turning round for a brief moment to continue.

"I know that despite my best efforts, you don't feel the way I do, but lord, Katarina, how could you think that?" he yells. "What have I done, what was so abhorrent, that you chose to believe a fantastical memory in your head over the actions of the flesh and blood Prince in front of you? Did you ever even see us as people? Or just pawns in some game you had to play?"

Keith can't help but look over at his sister, who looks ready to faint in horror.

"I-that's-it wasn't...no-"

Gerald is the first to look away, heading for the door.

"If you excuse me. I think I need some air."

Keith stays where he stands until the door slams shut, and then rushes to Katarina's side just in time to catch the girl before she collapses to the floor, a new wave of tears quickly emerging.

"It wasn't like that!" she begs, clutching at Keith's jacket and looking desperate. "It wasn't, I swear! I just, it was-"

"Shhh, shhh," Keith soothes, rubbing circles on her back. "I know. I know you love us."

"How did this get so messed up!" she wails, her face dropping into the crook of his neck. "Now Prince Gerald hates me. And when we go home he'll tell everyone, and then they'll all hate me, and they'll exile me for things I've done rather than the original Katarina's crimes. Even when I try, I can't help but be a villainess."

Keith sighs, looking to the roof for patience, before hugging her close.

"Katarina...that's not…why are you so desperate to be seen as the bad guy? It's like we're speaking a different language, no matter what we say you almost seem to intentionally misunderstand."

"But, I-"

"I've been by your side almost every day since we met," Keith interrupts. "I've watched every little thing you've done, and not even the greatest actress could play a role that long. You love us, and our parents, and our world. Maybe it was a fictional place to whoever you were once, but you're Katarina Claes now, and you're happy there."

"...I am," Katarina sniffles. "It's home. And I'm so scared that I'll get exiled and lose everyone, because I don't want to say goodbye."

"I know," Keith soothes. "And deep down, Prince Gerald knows that too. He's just having trouble understanding it. Just like you seem to struggle with the idea that your exile is never going to happen ."

To his frustration, she starts to pull away, giving him a sad smile.

"You can't promise that," she says. "You never know what the future holds."

"In that case, why are you so certain it will happen?" Keith argues, and stands up, pulling his sister up with him, and guiding her back to her seat.

"I'm going to get Prince Gerald back, and we're going to finish this conversation," he tells her.

"I should come with-"

"Stay. Here," Keith orders. "He's vulnerable right now, and he'll strike where you can't fight back, and then both of you will be an utter wreck. I can handle it."

To his relief, Gerald hasn't gone far – merely a few feet from the entrance of the female dorms, staring up at the night sky. His head turns slightly when he hears Keith coming, but otherwise doesn't move.

"The toy snakes," he says, once Keith is practically at his side. "She keeps a toy snake on her person at all times, in case that's the day I try to kill her."

Keith sighs and scratches at his neck. "I was rather hoping you hadn't put that together just yet."

Gerald gives out a bitter laugh and turns to face him.

"None of us had a chance, did we?" he says. "The second she gained those fantastical memories of this world, we ceased to even be living people to her. She's been so caught up in the fantasy in her own head that she's never once lived in reality."

Keith shakes his head. "I think you're overthinking this. Katarina is still the same person she always was. You know what she's like when she gets an idea into her head."

"Claes, she believed that the two of us would intentionally try to kill her," Gerald says. "Has believed it for years."

Keith shrugs.

"But her 'fantastical memories' as you put it, were technically right," Keith tells him. "Prince Geord did try to kill her."

Gerald stills, and Keith joins his side. "If she hadn't had precautions in place, he might very well have succeeded, and despite all of her preparations and training? She already told us she couldn't bring herself to hurt the other you, even when he was trying to hurt her, because you were her friend ."

He's relieved when Gerald's shoulders relax slightly, and looks up at the stars himself.

"I think she just got so caught up in what might happen, that she couldn't bring herself to see what really was. In her mind, Maria is still angelically charming and sweet, so even if we aren't the people from her game, or certain events don't happen, why wouldn't we fall for her? Everyone in her life was meant to be Maria's, and she's afraid that one day she'll wake up and be left behind."

"How can she think that?" Gerald snaps. "Isn't it clear how much we love her?"

Keith stares at him like he's said something intrinsically stupid. A moment later, Gerald realises he did.

"Your Highness. My sister's mind is possibly the densest material on this planet. She sees how much she's loved and thinks we're all just 'good friends.' The truth is something she's utterly blind to – is it really that surprising that she would get stuck on her own ideas and never drop the blinders? Especially if she's had this in her head since she was a kid?"

Gerald huffs, crossing his arms. "Then how do we make her stop? I refuse to let this go on any longer."

"Oh I agree," Keith says. "But I think it's going to be easier to reach her if it comes from both of us. Ideally, it would be everyone, but I'm not ready to wait."

"Indeed," Gerald says, and then looks over in curiosity.

"How could you see it?" he asks. "How could you not doubt your relationship with her after hearing that?"

Keith offers a small, rueful smile. "Because I know my sister, additional memories or no additional memories. Plus...I know a little bit about not feeling like I belong,"

He shrugs and starts walking back towards the doorway. "Don't get me wrong, I intend to have a long talk with Katarina about facing what's really happening over what she clearly thinks is happening, but maybe coming to this world is the wake up call she needed."

Gerald frowns. "How so?"

"Well...if this world is how things were supposed to go, even she can't deny that ours is very different. We just need to make her realise that."

When they return, Katarina is still sitting on the sofa, an even more irate Anne by her side, trying to convince her to drink from a new cup. The second they appear, Katarina is on her feet, and Anne sighs as the liquid goes flying.

"Keith! Prince Gerald! You're back!"

Keith smiles, and Gerald can't help but join in.

"Yes, but I think we need to have a very important discussion, Katarina," Gerald says. "Please sit down. Anne, may we please have some privacy?"

"Given what keeps happening when I do, I'm not sure I should follow that request," Anne says, looking none too pleased with either of them.

"It's okay Anne," Katarina assures her. "I'll be fine."

The maid clearly isn't happy about it, but can't disobey her Mistress. When she leaves, Gerald and Keith both take a seat back on the sofa they'd used earlier.

"Prince Gerald," Katarina immediately starts. "I'm sorry, I swear I never-"

Gerald immediately raises a hand, halting the words. "I know, Katarina. But it's clear from what you've told us that some misconceptions need to be cleared up."

The girl frowns, and Keith begins with a simple question.

"Katarina, is Prince Gerald your friend?"

As expected, Katarina's eyes widened.

"Of course he is!" she says. "He's one of my oldest and dearest friends."

Keith nods. "What about Maria?"

That has her frowning, but she does nod in agreement. "Y-yes? You know Maria and I are quite close."

"And Mary, and Prince Alan and the Ascart siblings?" Keith continues.

"Keith, what are you getting at?" she asks, clearly confused. "Of course they are."

Keith smiles. "Then Katarina, can you explain to me how, even if Gerald did fall in love with Maria, why he would exile or hurt you? Do you really think Maria, kind, sweet, innocent Maria, would willingly be with him after doing that to you?"

Gerald uses a hand to hide the grin as the point suddenly starts to hit Katarina's overworked and paranoid brain cells.

"And what of the others?" he adds. "Do you think my brother, and Mary, and Sophia and Nicol, wouldn't jump to your defence? Are they such awful people that they would believe the worst of you? Even if one of us fell in love with Maria, why would the others cast you aside? We would want you there for all of it, regardless of romantic partners."

It's quite impressive, the array of emotions that flood over Katarina's face, as she applies his words to her own world view.

"N-no, Maria isn't-I mean, Katarina is supposed – Mary would never…Sophia..."

Her voice trails off.

"Oh...then...oh, I..."

Her face buckles yet again under the emotional wait, before she drops to the ground -though this time, thankfully without tears – in an awkward bow.

"I'm sorry!" she shouts. "I've been so stupid!"

' Oh thank the lords, she got the point on the first try ,' Keith thinks to himself, and stands to once again help her up – only to find Gerald has already started moving, and has knelt by her side before Keith has taken a step. He slowly coaxes her head up with a hand, and gives her one of her rare, genuine smiles.

"Do you finally understand, Katarina?" he asks. "You are anything but the Villainess to us."

Katarina hiccups, and goes slightly red.

"It's just-I didn't, it was-"

"Shhh, shhh, we know, Sis," Keith soothes, kneeling opposite Gerald. "You Kataristophied yourself into a corner. Couldn't see your field for the weeds."

Katarina gives a hysterical laugh, and her eyes slowly glance up, to face Gerald's own eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whimpers. "You're right, I don't believe you'd ever hurt me. I was so focused on avoiding a bad ending, but even when it was happening, I didn't believe it was happening. I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

Keith moves in to hug her, and Gerald's smile softens even further, reaching over to run a hand in her hair.

"You'll be making it up to me when we get home," he warns her. "I'm sure I'll figure out a suitable penance. And perhaps no more snakes, yes?"

She giggles slightly, and Gerald smiles.

"At least if nothing else, maybe this will get you to realise a few other things you've been actively ignoring."

"...Huh?"

For a moment, Gerald contemplates pressing – but sees Keith move his head in order to glare at him, and backs off. This probably isn't the best time to bring up Katarina's other misunderstandings anyway.

"Don't worry about it. For now, while I'd rather stay on this topic, until your assumptions are thoroughly squashed, we do have more pressing concerns."

"Right, you know, I'd almost forgotten about that," Keith says, as he pulls away from Katarina. "Sis, we originally came because of the files, remember?"

Katarina gasps. "Oh, right. We should see if there's anything in them written in Japanese. That'll be where he kept the really big secrets."

"Yes, well, there are certain documents all written in that language of yours," Gerald explains. "If you can translate, we'll certainly be able to save some time."

Katarina claps her hands and quickly gets to her feet, Keith and Gerald quickly following her.

"Of course! There wasn't really anything useful in the tome, but if Marty had a diary or something, I know I can figure it out."

Gerald laughs, and offers her his arm.

"Then allow me to escort you to my dorm room."

She smiles, looking somewhat relieved, and accepts the arm. A moment later, Keith is quickly on her other side, his own arm happily wrapped around the other limb.

"Lead the way, Prince Gerald," he offers with a sharp smile, quickly falling into routine, and Gerald looks away to hide his eye roll.

"Very well, Keith."

Chapter 14

Isekai World – Game Characters

" Can't sleep?"

Alan flinches, head jerking up – only to relax when he recognises the figure walking up the dorm entrance, where he's leaning against the wall.

" Sirius, still working at this hour?"

The council president smiles as Alan pushes himself off the wall. "Well, since everyone else is a little occupied right now, I'm just trying to keep everything functioning. A lot of paperwork isn't getting done right now."

Alan's grimaces. "Right...sorry about that."

Sirius merely waves it off with a hand. "Don't worry about it, this is an extreme situation."

" That's one way to put it," Alan agrees, and scratches the back of his head. "Still, are you sure you're okay, between that fakes attack and getting whammied by dark magic, you should maybe be taking it easier."

The redhead gives a short chuckle. "Oh trust me, I've felt far worse. I can relax when things have calmed down. But what's got you out here? Still stuck on that sigil?"

Alan nods and taps his skull on the brick wall.

" It's driving me crazy. It looks so familiar, but no matter what I do, I can't place it. Between that and the music notes that keep showing up in that rune, my brain won't shut off. It's like I have everything I need in my head to figure it out, but it's locked out of reach."

" I'm sure if the answer is in there, you'll figure it out, Prince Alan," Sirius assures him. "But even if you figured it out right this minute, there's nothing you could do with that information until the morning. So you might as well take the time to rest, and tackle the problem in the morning."

Alan sighs, but does feel himself relax at the president's words.

" Yeah, you're right. Maybe it'll come to me if I stop focusing on it anyway. But you need to do the same."

Sirius is nothing but smiles as they enter the building.

" I assure you, after today, all I want to do and throw a blanket over my head and stay there until this entire fiasco is over with, and then forget it all ever happened."

Game World – Isekai Character s

As the trio slowly walk out the exit and towards the men's dorms, they stay quiet. While Gerald and Keith both try to coax Katarina into speaking, she looks distant and a little bit in shock, and when they share a look, decide to give her time, until they make it to closed doors again. She's been hit with a revelation, which her denseness probably won't recover from quickly, so she could probably use the time. In any other situation, they'd save this till the morning, but needs must.

Katarina meanwhile…

" Attention! Attention! Emergency meeting now declared!"

Judgerina slams her hammer down on the table, looking slightly frantic as she tries to adjust her lopsided moustache. Around the table, her fellow councilwoman are equally frazzled – Glasserina is furiously wiping her accessories, Timidarina is rocking in her chair, Happyrina is quite literally dancing on the table, while Sillyrina is flopped back as if the soul has left her body.

" What just happened?" Timidarina whimpers. "I don't understand at all!"

" I'll tell you what happened! No more death flags!" Happyrina exclaims, moving from a badly performed moonwalk into an equally awkward floss. "We're saved!"

" It is rather humiliating that we got so worked up over nothing," Glasserina says, popping her glasses back on. "If we managed to misunderstand so badly on this, what else have we misunderstood?"

Judgerina slams her hammer down again. "Don't get overconfident. Just because the death flags we were expecting have disappeared doesn't mean we're completely safe. We're still currently trapped in the world of the game."

That at least, gets Happyrina off the table, settling in her seat with a pout.

" But now that we have the journals, we can maybe find a way home," she says. "And then we can enjoy things without fear of murder or exile, right?"

She glances around, and pokes the side of Sillyrina. "Right?"

Sillyrina leans forward – and drops her head on the table with a thud.

" Is she still alive?" Judgerina asks, and Timidarina shuffles over to prod her.

" Um, I think so?" she says. "I think she's still processing?"

" Aren't we all," Glasserina offers. "How is this going to affect things when we get back?"

" Will it affect anything?" Happyrina asks. "I mean, even if we were never at risk of being exiled or murdered, are we really doing anything we don't want to?"

" I really do like farming, even if we're never going to be a farmer," Timidarina adds, and Judgerina nods.

" True. But perhaps we don't need to spend so much time throwing snakes."

" Yes, we can tell Tom to stop designing new ones," Judgerina says, only for squeak when Sillyrina suddenly jerks up with a gasp.

" No! Don't take our emotional support toy!" she whines. "We've always carried a snake in our pocket!"

" Poor Snakeyson Mark 2 did save our lives against the real black hearted Prince," Timidarina agrees, and Glasserina's jaw drops.

" That's right...wait, if Prince Geord was the real black hearted Prince, does that mean Prince Gerald...isn't?"

Judgerina starts nodding. "It would make sense...I mean, Keith isn't a playboy, so maybe Gerald isn't as dark hearted as we thought."

" Come to think of it, I can't think of any time he actually did anything that bad to us," Sillyrina agrees, and Happyrina claps her hands.

" This is wonderful! I know they work well in the game, but it felt kind of wrong to support the real Maria in a relationship with a dark hearted Prince. Now we can let them get together with no worries!"

They all smile, and punch the air.

" Here's to a happy ending for the Villainess!"

" Woohoo!"

" Katarina?"

The girl blinks, coming back to reality when she realises the three of them have stopped moving. "Huh, we're here already?"

Keith squeezes her shoulder slightly. "Yes, sister. Are you sure you're up for this right now?"

She quickly pastes on a smile and nods. "Uh huh, just got stuck in my head for a bit. I'm good."

The room is a lot less well kept than she's used to, but that's likely because there are several boxes half opened littered around the room rather than any world-related difference. They make a beeline for the seats, and Katarina glances down at what had caught Gerald and Keith's eye in the first place.

" Oh! This is-"

She picks up the gold medallion, rubbing a finger against the grooves of the sigil. "Was this in the box too?"

" Yes, we suspect it's the emblem of the Cress family, that they also used as a sigil," Gerald explains. "Given that the family doesn't exist now, they must have died out."

He then picks up the journal and hands it over.

" If there are any answers, it's likely he wrote them in this. Can you decipher it."

Keith sits at her side as she thumbs the cover.

"Normally, I'd say it's wrong to read someone else's diary, but I guess they wouldn't mind, given the circumstances," Katarina says. She opens it up almost at a random page – and immediately blushes bright red, causing both of them to tense up.

" Katarina, is it...explicit or-"

" Nononono!" Katarina squeaks. "Marty was just...expressive with his words."

That's putting it mildly. She's not sure she can see a single sentence that doesn't have profanity in it. Absolutely no way is she doing an accurate translation in front of her sweet little brother and Prince Gerald. She definitely has to clean this up, no question.

Quickly, she starts rifling through the pages, checking the dates and trying to figure out a good place to start. The last quarter is filled with blank pages, so this is likely the last journal – but the first few pages still have him at the Magic Academy and seem fairly mediocre. Then her eyes catch on some large, heavily scored in words in a journal entry – judging from the date, just before he graduated.

' HOLY CRAP THIS IS TIME TALES ALL! '

" Huh, I guess he didn't realise it was the game world until much later," she says, and Keith leans in.

" What does it say?"

" Oh um, let's see," Katarina says, glancing through the entry. "It looks like he came here a few years ago, but even with the name and the setting, I guess he didn't realise-oh! That's why, it looks like he never played the games, but his little sister did. He'd only know the basics then, no wonder he didn't realise. Given that Time Tales All happens in the palace, he probably didn't realise until he arrived and heard all the similar names."

" Really? Wouldn't his name have rung a bell?" Gerald asks, and Katarina shrugs.

" You never know. I completely forgot that Mary and Sophia were in the game until Keith told me about Mary's engagement and I saw Nicol," she says. "Someone who had even less information would have probably struggled."

Still, she flips back a few pages, and confirms that idea. Most of this is Marty just going through his life. Every now and then, he mentions how things seem familiar to him, but his revelation of exactly where he is doesn't appear until he's been forced to take a position at the palace.

It feels weird, actually translating Japanese after so long. Part of her almost wants to speak Japanese, and has to remind herself not to. But her audience stays quiet, listening to her faltering voice as she translates part of the journal before the revelation.

' Dammit, I wanted to be a musician. Given how my father was having all those money issues I was certain I'd be able to get out of this stupid 'noblesse oblige' stuff and do what I want, but no, he made a deal with an old friend and now I'm being offered up to the palace like a frigging dowry. I don't care that my rune grades were top of the class, I just wanted to perform! I didn't die two days before my music scholarship started to waste my chance in my second life! '

" A musician?" Keith repeats. "I guess that explains why the rune uses a song."

" A musical scholarship suggests he was also quite talented," Gerald agrees.

Katarina nods. "The next entry seems to be after he realised where he was."

And it starts with a mental breakdown that she'll skip...

' Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap. I wasn't going crazy, all those idiots at school did look familiar – this isn't just some random world, it's that Time Tales All dating game world. I've ran into at least three guys I know my sister had posters of in her room, and now that I think about it, if I changed my glasses and maybe mussed up my hair I look a lot like that guy who always dies at the start .'

" Posters?" Keith repeats. "There were posters of characters?"

Katarina nods and laughs. "Oh yeah, there was always lots of merchandise for those kinds of games, especially when the characters were so handsome."

Gerald starts grinning. "Really now? Did our dear Katarina have any?"

To his delight, Katarina immediately goes bright red, and quickly ducks back into the journal to avoid the question.

" The next entry looks like it was early morning the day after…"

' I hate that any random thing can happen here just because 'magic.' Before I left home, my parents gave me a replica of the family crest. Apparently it's been in the family since we became nobility. Created by our ancestor who was a master magician and got a title by helping the king or something. I vaguely remember my sister saying something about it being important, and tonight I learned why. When I was sleeping, I ended up meeting another version of me – from a year in the future or something. Apparently the medallion allows you to communicate with another version of yourself – I guess I wanted proof of what was happening, and he offered it. Told me all about how I'm going to die, but if I'm lucky, I'll get saved by an amazing woman and live happily ever after if she chooses me.

...OH FOR FU -'

Katarina bites her tongue and readjusts.

" He um, didn't take that well."

' Excuse me, if? IF? I'm not staking my future on an if! I'm getting out of here before the plot starts. I've got a year, and maybe new magicians aren't allowed to leave the grounds without an escort...and I'll be hunted down as a traitor if I try to leave and my family will suffer the burden...but I'll figure it out! '

She stops and nods in understanding. "I guess it would be terrifying to know you'd die in a year unless someone you never met fell in love with you."

" And he could hardly explain this to someone without sounding mad either," Gerald says.

" But what's this about his family and being declared a traitor?" Katarina asks.

" Rules regarding nobility, especially in service of the King, were a lot stricter back then," Gerald explains. "If his family had maintained their status with the expectation that their son would work in the palace for a certain number of years, an unexplained disappearance, or evidence that he'd fled the country, would result in those privileges being revoked. The only way he could escape without that happening is by faking his death...or jumping to another world."

" But that can't possibly have been his first thought," Keith says. "That's an extreme solution. How did he come up with it, let alone pull it off."

" Well, maybe it explains it in the journal, hmmm...okay, so the next one is theorising about how he might be able to speak to a version of himself that already escaped, and then..."

' So this might end up becoming a dream journal, given that everything useful happens when I'm asleep.

It looks like my suspicions were right on the mark. Tonight, I met a completely different version of me. Oddly enough, he's from the exact same, guess the future part isn't necessary. In his world, it looks like the old man didn't manage to maintain his status, and we all got thrown out on our asses. So other Marty can go be a musician all he wants – except he doesn't have any money for proper training, or anything to make him stand out with a tarnished reputation.

Enter an Isekaied millennial with a whole world of music to share. Now if I can just figure out a way to get to that world. Time to whip out the rune books. '

Katarina stops and frowns. "Wait, in the game, Marty and the main character could only talk to their future selves."

" Given that everything regarding this rune seems to involve two worlds, it may be that it allows contact with the version of yourself that can provide what you want," Gerald offers, and Keith nods – then stills.

" So...anyone who slept with this medallion on their person would be able to contact a future or alternate version of themselves who could give them advice on how to obtain what they want."

Gerald's eyes immediately flit to the medallion on the table.

" A way to talk to someone who had achieved the ultimate victory…"

Almost without thinking, he reaches forward, but before his hand touches the metal, he finds himself brushing against Keith's fingertips, and they both look up with strained smiles.

" I don't think the Prince should risk touching something with such mysterious magic," Keith says.

" As your future Brother-in-law, it would be wrong of me to let you be the guinea pig either," Gerald quips.

" Oi, oi, nobody should be using it," Katarina says, and to their dismay, quickly grabs the medallion from their soft grip. "Although, this would really have come in handy eight years ago."

Both of them look put out at the loss, but don't argue or reach for it again.

" Anyway, getting back to the point," Keith says. "If that lets you contact another version of yourself...most people would want future knowledge, but Cress already knows the future, so that's no good for him. He wants a foolproof way to escape...and the other Marty is looking for help to become a successful musician – and has his own copy of the medallion…"

" It's certainly an option. Please continue, Katarina."

" I would but…"

She turns the page to show them, and they both frown as they take in the multitude of rune sketches and awkward scribbles. "None of this really makes sense to me."

Keith takes it from her hands and flicks through the pages. Every now and then there's a short entry, but it's hastily scribbled in, no doubt just a basic update. "We'll probably be better off skipping these months until we get to the end of the plans."

He stops when he finally sees a page with limited scribbles and hands it back. Katarina gives it a quick glance, and smiles.

" Ah, good call Keith, this looks good. Okay-"

' After some pretty awkward false starts, we think we have a functioning array. We will need something to hook to the rune to activate it, and we figure since we're already connected by the sigil, we'll use them. The plan is to make the rune, then walk inside, and wish to be transported to the other world while holding the medallion. Provided I'm holding it, so long as other Marty incorporates it on his end, it should work. '

" Wait, they need the sigils?" Keith asks.

" That doesn't make any senses!" Gerald argues. "It's been locked away in storage, and we certainly didn't have access to them."

Katarina is already chewing on her lip in confusion, but her eyes light up as she continues reading.

' ...Okay so minor issue. Other me and I were discussing the plans, and I realised...we can't test that this will work. Sure, maybe it'll send me through, but maybe it won't and I'll die horribly. The sigils are a no go. Need a plan B. '

" Ohhhhh…"

The sound is collective among the three, and Katarina skims through a few additional entries, all sounding frustrated, and her eyes widen as she turns the page. The next few pages are filled with maniacal scribbles – it looks like something out of a horror movie.

' Ah...if I found this through casual researching, I'd think it was cursed ,' Katarina thinks to herself, sagging in relief when the normal writing appears after several pages – if a little more erratic than it had been.

' Okay, might have gone a little The Shining for a bit, but I think we finally have a working rune. Rather than a teleport style rune, we decided to go for a gate. By writing a song into the structure, we can use that as an activation. We'll both have to play it at the same time, so we'll have to coordinate that, but if it works, then we'll actually be able to see it succeed. Given the circumstances, I figured we could use the theme song to Time Tales All. It's kind of fitting, and I always did like the sound of it.'

" Oh, I remember that!" Katarina says. "It was called something like 'Bad End' or something."

And to Gerald and Keith's surprise, Katarina starts humming the song Alan had been playing earlier.

If they'd had even the slightest doubt about her story, it was certainly crumbling to dust at this point.

However, when Katarina looks up and sees their faces, the sound cuts off, and she goes back to the book – reading before they can utter any request for her to continue.

' Victory! We didn't even need to play the song in tandem to get the thing open, just get it in harmony once we had the gate active. We tested it with a mouse, and the mouse made it through in one piece. Going to get things settled over here, and then jump through.'

Katarina turned the page, and her eyes widened.

' MAIN CHARACTER JUST SHOWED UP! SCREW THE PLANS, GOING THROUGH TONIGHT! SEE YA OTOME MURDER GAME! WILL NOT MISS YOU! '

The last line is underlined twice, and she raises her eyebrows before she closes it.

" That seems to be the last entry," she says. "Given that he didn't reply, he must have successfully jumped through."

" Or he died in the process," Keith says. "We don't actually know it worked."

He then leans back on the sofa, running a hand through his hair. "And unfortunately, while it does explain a few things, it hasn't really given us anything we can use."

" Not necessarily."

Keith and Katarina look up to see Gerald standing up, having reached across to grab the medallion.

" If the rune works, then it's likely this route works as well," he says. "If one of us uses this device in the rune, we can get through without the song."

" But that route was never tested," Keith says. "We have no way of proving that it'll work."

Gerald gives a soft laugh. "The very fact that we got through here using the phrase 'I wish' while using our alternatives as a focus means it will. The 'wish' requirement is all the proof we need. The problem is it'll likely only work on one."

" So one of us steps into the rune, goes home and explains what's missing," Keith says. "We don't know how the rune was sabotaged, but if nothing else, we can take the song through. That might be enough to figure it out."

Keith nods. "It makes senses, but who do we send?"

" Maybe I should-" Katarina starts.

" No!"

" That will not be happening."

She squeaks and leans back as the other two spin round on her, looking frantic.

"I mean, I don't want to," she defends. "There's something I planned to do tomorrow. But since I can read the notes, I can probably help them on the other-"

" You will not be going anywhere, Sis," Keith says. "I'm not letting you out of my sight."

" While I wish I could say the same, I do believe it should be me," Gerald says, looking down at the item in his hand. "While you can translate, I don't want you anywhere near that other Prince given what he did. Ignoring that skill, of the three of us, I'm the one most capable of figuring out what went wrong on their end."

To their surprise, Katarina – looking unusually serious – starts to nod. "Well, if you don't want to send me, I guess I agree with Prince Gerald. He probably is the best choice."

" Really, Sis?"

" That much faith in me, dear fiancee?"

" Ah, I'm sure it's safe," Katarina insists. "But, if we're going to be bringing the originals back soon, then there's something I think me and Keith have to do first."

Keith frowns. "There is?"

Katarina nods. "It might be kind of awkward, but I don't think it's right to leave things as they are. I'll tell you about it tomorrow, and I won't make you help if you don't want to, but it would be best if we did it together."

He can't help but be suspicious, but Keith nods in compliance, then glances over at Gerald, who seems rather relaxed considering the risk.

" Are you sure?" Keith said, sounding unusually reluctant. "We can't guarantee anything with that."

" That alternative is waiting for the others to figure it out," Gerald replies, eyes flitting over to Katarina for a brief moment. "And besides, waiting for 'others to figure things out' hasn't had much success for me."

" Huh, what do you mean, Prince Gerald?"

Gerald just shakes his head, and smiles. "Besides, if nothing else, I very much want to have words with my other self."

" We should still wait till the morning though!" Katarina says, looking at the sigil with some worry, and the Prince nods.

" I agree. We should probably leave the rest of these documents for the morning too – all of us could use more than a few hours of uninterrupted sleep at this point.

Keith frowns, before walking over and grabbing the medallion from Gerald's hands.

" In which case, I believe it's best if this is not with you when you go to sleep, your Highness," he says. "Don't want you spending the night in conversation after all."

Gerald quickly grabs it back. "I'm sure I can handle it."

Keith quickly reaches over, and Gerald leans back. Katarina can only watch their antics with amusement.

' Honestly, you'd think they weren't smart, attractive guys, ' she thinks to herself. ' Why on earth would you need support from another you to succeed? In romance or life, there's nothing you can't have. '

Honestly, sometimes she really does worry about the intelligence of her friends.

Isekai World – Game Characters

The next morning, as the dawn breaks, Prince Alan snaps awake, his eyes wide in shock.

He knows where he's seen that sigil before.

Chapter 15

Isekai World – Game Characters

That morning, as Nicol makes his way down the dormitory hallway, he spots an unusual sight. Sirius, standing stock still at another student's doorway. Specifically, Alan's.

"Sirius?" he greets, catching his attention. "What's going on?"

Sirius looks over. "I'm not quite sure, but I think his Highness may be having an...episode?"

Nico frowns, walking over to look inside the open doorway – and stops dead at the sight.

The room is an utter mess. Books strewn on the floor, blankets and cushions tossed with absolutely no care, and two attendants standing to the side looking horrified at the mess. And in the corner, kneeling by a large trunk and still in his sleeping clothes, is Alan, haphazardly throwing things over his shoulders.

"Alan?" Nicol questions. "What are you doing?"

The Prince doesn't even register his words, clearly focused on his task. Suddenly, his eyes light up.

"Yes! I knew it was here somewhere!"

"Alan…"

The Prince stands up, lifting out a small book, and running a hand over the cover. To the side, one of the attendants clears his throat, and Alan looks up, looking surprised at the two in the doorway.

"Huh, when did you guys get here?"

Nicol doesn't answer him, taking his acknowledgement as permission to enter, stepping into the room and towards Alan.

"What exactly has your attention this early?" he asks, half expecting Alan to hand over the book. Instead, Alan starts thumbing through it, looking slightly manic.

"Ever since I saw that sigil, I haven't been able to get it out of my head," he says. "It was so familiar, but I couldn't place it. Then this morning, it just came to me-yes!"

He stops thumbing through the book, and shoves the page directly in Nicol's face, forcing him to step back. On the page is a copy of a portrait, depicting two near-identical black haired men with glasses, sitting with a small table between them. He doesn't quite understand the importance...until his eye catches just what is lying on the table. Almost unconsciously, his hands lift up to grab the sides of the book.

"Is that...?"

It's a gold medallion, the kind noble families usually have tucked away in some corner of their homes as a traditional keepsake. But the design -

"It's not the clearest image, but I've seen the original portrait. That's how I know it," Alan explains. "There was a touring exhibition regarding the history of music in Sorcier a few years back."

Nicol's eyes widened – no wonder Alan was the only one to think the sigil looked familiar.

He then looks down at the small lettering underneath the image.

' The only known portrait of the famed Martin and Martyn Cress.'

"Famed?" Nicol asks. "I've never heard of them. What is this book?"

Alan quickly plucks it from his hands. "Not surprising. They're two of the most influential composers and musicians to have ever lived, but unless you have an interest in composing, you don't hear their names much. Nobles generally just choose to remember the name of the song rather than the creator. Even this book is pretty rare."

Nicol nods in understanding. "But what on earth do two musical composers have to do with a magical transportation rune?"

Alan shakes his head. "I can't say for sure, but there were musical notes intertwined in the rune. I thought they were random, but if that other Keith erased some of the notes, maybe they're more important than we thought. I need to have a better look, compare it to the paper copies. They were involved somehow ."

"It does seem like a solid lead," Nicol agrees. "Where did you find a rare book like this?

Alan's lips quirk up.

"Gerald gave it to me for my fourteenth birthday," he says. "If this ends up fixing our problem, he'll be insufferable when he gets back."

Nicol's face barely shifts, but Alan's been around him long enough to tell he's smiling. He pats him on the shoulder, and heads for the door.

"Come on. If he hurry, we can get down to the lab and have this solved before anyone else gets there."

"Ah, Prince Alan…"

He halts and turns in confusion.

"Yeah?"

"...Maybe you'd like to get dressed first?"

Alan looks down, and immediately blushes when he realises he's still in his sleepwear.

"Oh...yeah. Right. Let's do that."

In the female dorms, Mary starts to groan in her bed, as a loud pounding starts to echo around her room.

"Nancy..." she half whines to her maid. "Make it stop."

At her call, her maid appears, looking a little frantic.

"Lady Mary, it's Lady Claes," she says. "She seems quite agitated."

The words are barely out of her mouth before the yell hits them.

"Lady Hunt! Get out here!"

That quickly brings her back to consciousness, but for far different reasons than it normally would.

"What's she doing here?" she asks, jumping up and throwing off her blanket. "You let her in?"

"I-well, you said Lady Claes was to be allowed entry no matter what," her maid explains, and Mary winces.

Right. And of course she hadn't thought to rescind that order. She quickly gets out of bed, and manages to pull on a housecoat before Katarina bursts through the door, looking perfectly put together in a way their own never looks this early in the morning. In her hands is the plant Mary had given her the day before, wilting and looking almost pathetic.

"W-What?" Mary gasps. It's not even been a full day. "What did you do to it?"

"How should I know?" Katarina snaps. "You're the one who gave me a faulty plant!"

She immediately thrusts it into Mary's arms, the girl mistepping as she tries to grab the pot.

"Excuse me?" Mary asks, face dropping as she takes in the wilting leaves. "What exactly did you do?"

"Nothing!" Katarina says. "I just woke up and the cursed thing was dying. How dare you give me a plant doomed to fail."

"It was a seedling, and it's not dying, it just needs some care," Mary insists. "Maybe you didn't water it enough. When did you last give it some?"

Katarina looks at her blankly.

"Water?"

Mary falters. "You...do know you have to water plants, right?"

Judging from the way the girl's face goes red, she hadn't, and Mary tries to gather her patience.

"There were several books on plants in Katarina's room," she says. "You didn't think to look?"

"It's a plant!" Katarina defends. "That started wilting in hours! I didn't think they were that fragile, so it must have been a fault of yours."

Mary grits her teeth, and smiles.

"Actually, plants are a lot more delicate than most people might think. Look, why don't I show you how to revive this, and you can research later yourself..."

An hour later, Mary is pacing in front of the rune, venting furiously with her hands as the Student Council watches with varying levels of attention.

"I swear, it took every ounce of decorum and patience I possess! Do not ask me how I got through that without laughing in her face. I mean, who doesn't know you're supposed to water plants?"

"Someone used to their maid handling trivial things like that," Alan offers, though his nose is still deep inside both the book from his room, and the copies of the rune, his hand scribbling furiously in a notepad. "You can't judge someone for not having knowledge they've never needed to know. We didn't judge Maria for not knowing ball etiquette."

"That is not the same thing!"

"Well it kind of is," Maria defends. "How many nobles need to know how to grow plants?"

Mary pouts, but seems to relent, dropping her shoulders and heading to Alan's side. There's also a few researchers standing a respectable distance, but also clearly eager to see what he's uncovered.

"How goes it Alan, any luck?" she asks, leaning on the table. Alan only glances up for a moment, though his face is quite triumphant.

"By the bucket," he says. "That other Keith definitely destroyed the musical aspect, and there's an anecdote in here about how the brother's joked about once writing two halves of the same song and never uniting them. It's always been something of a mystery, but this must be it. One half on this end, another in the other world."

"But how?"

Alan shrugs, and the conversation halts when the door opens, and in walks Keith, closely followed by Geord. Both of them hesitate at the crowded table.

"Quite the commotion," Geord says, eyes locking on Alan. "Has there been a development?"

Alan waves a hand, urging them closer, and explaining the breakthrough.

"Now that I know there was a composition written in, I should be able to replicate it," he finishes with. "It's probably only half, but now that we know it's musical notes Keith wrecked, we should be able to fix it."

He looks up. "Do you remember any notes? Or where you erased some?"

Geord immediately puts a hand on Keith's shoulder, and pushes him forward. Keith turns his head to scowl in his direction, but obeys – just as the door opens yet again, revealing Katarina - whose face is utterly unreadable.

The atmosphere drops immediately, with Sophia inching closer to Nicol and both Mary and Maria tensing up. Both Geord and Keith just manage to hide the expression of frustration that slips over their faces, as they turn to face her.

"Miss Katarina," Geord greets. "What business do you have here?"

Katarina stops in front of him, wearing a somewhat pleasant smile.

"Good morning, Prince Geord," she says, with a tone so sweet some of those listening do a double take. "Given the circumstances, I thought I would come and offer my aid."

The smile on Geord's face is as false as it gets. "Miss Katarina, while I'm sure we all appreciate the thought, you are not particularly talented in runes. It might be best that you remain in your quarters until we're ready to leave."

"Well, given that the certain members of the council seem to be fascinated with visiting me under the pretence of 'aid,' I thought I'd save them some trouble and come to them," Katarina replies, not missing a beat. "Are we not all supposed to be friends in this world, Prince Geord?"

Katarina smiles, and from the table, Keith winces. He knows that smile – it's the one Katarina wears when she's figured something out that her target hasn't. No good comes from it.

The girl moves closer, reaching distance to Geord. "Perhaps, since I was not here yesterday, you can show me what is necessary."

She reaches for his arm, and the Prince is quick to slip away.

"Personally, I think it would be best if you were shown by one of our native guests," Geord replies. "They have more inkling of what is required. It would be best for all three of us to be spread out."

"One might argue that since I am the only one who has not caused a national incident, I should be the one in charge of both of you," Katarina replies, stepping closer.

Geord's smile starts to strain, looking as if he's desperate for an excuse to leave.

"Miss Katarina, this hardly seems the time to be arguing."

"I agree. So you will be helping me get us all home?"

By the table, watching the quick back and forth, Sophia inches her chair closer to Mary and leans in.

"It's like a bizarre fantasy come to life, isn't it" she whispers.

"The Prince actively rejecting Katarina while she tries to tie him down?" Mary whispers back. "I've actually had dreams that started like this."

Maria's eyes slide over. "Really?"

"Oh yes. They usually end with me helping Katarina...'get over it,' if you know what I mean."

Alan looks up in confusion.

"Huh? What's that?"

All three start gigging, causing Nicol to look over in disapproval. Sophia at least, looks embarrassed, while the other two hush up.

Really now. He too, has had dreams about Gerald and Katarina having an explosive break up, but at least he has the good manners to not say it out loud.

Their amusement distracts them from the argument, but quickly draws their attention back when Katarina's voice rises.

"Perhaps being forced to uphold your obligations to me here will aid us when we leave, fiance ."

And that, apparently, is the last straw – Geord's smile vanishing as he grabs her by the arm, and the girl freezing in shock.

"P-Prince Geord, unhand me this-"

"You are coming with me," Geord snaps, and storms out the door, dragging her by the arm. It slams shut, echoing in the quiet left behind.

Their guard is quick to follow, keeping a hand on their swords at all times, but Geord isn't planning on going far, stopping in the courtyard just outside the room. Katarina is flustered, but recovers well from the manhandling as he lets her go.

"Prince Geord, what is the meaning of this?" she splutters. Geord merely steps back, and crosses his arms.

"When we return to our world, I want you to agree to breaking our engagement," he says. Katarina's jaw drops.

"What?" she says. "I'll do no such thing."

She points to her forehead. "You have a responsibility to-"

"Lets not treat each other as fools" Geord interrupts. "You are well aware that any feelings you have for me are entirely one sided. I took responsibility for a scar that no longer exists, and believe me, had I known the future outcome, I would have weathered the scandal rather than choose you on that whim."

As expected, Katarina does not take well to the request.

"How dare you!" she shrieks, face going red. "You injured me at a delicate time, proposed to me as one should, then spend the majority of this year humiliating me, waltzing around with that blonde haired commoner, only to cast me aside? Do you intend to make me the laughing stock of the nobility – my prospects will be non-existent when the story spreads. My family might never recover!"

"I will bear as much of the burden as I can," Geord promises. "I won't allow the Claes family to retain any shame, and will help you find a suitable partner wherever possible. But I promise you here and now, that I will not marry you, no matter what happens."

"You think the King will just let you get away with that?" Katarina asks, looking wild. "If it was that easy, you would have done it years ago."

"Given that your life may be at risk if this engagement continues, I suspect our families will agree!" Geord hisses back. Katarina gasps, her anger giving way for confusion.

"My...my life?" she repeats. "What do you mean?"

Geord straightens himself up, making sure to maintain eye contact. He has no doubt at least half of this story has made its way to his father back home, and it's time his Katarina truly understood the situation.

"I'm sure you've heard of what happened," Geord continues. "What I did. What I tried to do, to the other Katarina."

"Yes, but that was influenced by dark magic," Katarina says. "It's not-"

"Dark magic can only manipulate what's already there," Geord says, talking over her protests. "The truth of the matter is that with only a tiny amount of influence, I actively wanted to kill you."

Katarina starts to go pale as he continues.

"Tell me, do you really want to marry someone who dislikes you to that extent?"

The girl swallows, shoulders trembling as she gathers herself.

"Why?" she whispers. "What exactly did I do to make you hate me so much? Exactly what are my failings, that make me so unsuitable?"

"That is-"

"How can you stand there and act as if you were the one wronged?" she screams. "My actions towards Miss Campbell? You are my fiance! What am I supposed to do when I see another woman trying to take you away? Do you think I am somehow wrong to get jealous? To defend what's mine when your loss will mean losing everything?"

"Miss Campbell has hardly been your only victim. You could stand to be somewhat kinder to those around you," Geord snaps back, and Katarina scoffs.

"Right, because that's working out so well for Lady Hunt when Alan goes sniffing around. And you have hardly been a pinnacle of manners, your Highness. How many times have you manipulated those around you for your own amusement?"

"...Fine, you're right, it's not fair," Geord admits. "I am hardly a paragon myself, and I have never called you out for anything. But that's because I never let myself care about you or your antics any more than I did random strangers."

The girl flinches as if she's hit, which is remarkably foolish. This cannot be news to her.

Then again, he's starting to suspect she chose to see his ambivalence as approval, just like her parents and her treatment of Keith. Still, he won't allow any more misunderstandings.

"We both know arranged marriages between people with no feelings are an inevitable fact of life for the nobility. And maybe I haven't been much better than you. But I want more than a legal obligation, and I am sorry you're the one that has to pay for that."

He wouldn't have been, before all this. Katarina has only ever been a nuisance at best, but this world has been...illuminating, when it comes to the failings Geord, several days ago, would have said he didn't have.

"I will be generous, and help you how I can, but whether you agree to this, or fight it tooth and nail, it is happening."

"...Is your precious Miss Campbell a part of this little plot?" Katarina mutters, almost under her breath.

"Considering I haven't seen Maria since coming here, of course not," Geord replies. "And her heart has hardly been won by me yet. But if this whole fiasco has taught me anything, it's that something has to change in our world, and this is the first step."

He turns, and heads back for the Lab, only to pause at Katarina's next words, quiet as they are.

"...Is there really no hope?" she asks. "A version of you learned to love me once."

Geord doesn't even turn to face her. "I think the one thing we can both agree on, is that you are not her."

When Geord walks back inside, he ignores any stares and takes a seat at the table.

"What do you need me to do?" he asks. Alan merely hands him a sheet.

"Keith vaguely remembers erasing musical notes, so we're going to have to go round the physical edge of the rune and confirm which parts were removed or overwritten," he explains. "You can handle this part – if anything doesn't match, get one of the researchers to redraw it."

Geord nods, but tenses when he hears the door open again. It's Katarina, walking over to the table, and he braces for yet another argument.

Clearly suspecting the same, Sirius is the first to stand, giving her his best smile.

"Miss Claes, are you still wishing to help?"

"No," Katarina replies with a clipped tone. "It's been made apparent that I will not be of any use to anyone ."

Geord makes a point not to react, and the President's brow furrows.

"Then how can we help?"

The smile he gets in return is vicious.

"Since it's clear my presence isn't required, I shall take my leave. I wish to enter the town."

That has everyone's head up, looking surprised.

"You can't leave the grounds without an escort!" Mary tells her, and Katarina's smile grows wider.

"Last I checked, I have committed no crimes, and therefore cannot be held. And since no one here believes I could play the part, I'm sure nobody wishes me to attend class, so I shall entertain myself by leaving the grounds."

Sirius continues to frown. "Miss Claes, while you may be right about movement, someone will have to go with you."

Katarina nods.

"I agree. So I would like him to escort me."

She points a finger, and for a moment Mary thinks she's pointing at her, only to realise it's off to the left, aimed at a rather astonished Alan.

Geord immediately scoffs. Of course she'd go for the one person who is actually making headway. Now that she knows her fate, going home is the last thing she'll want.

"I can't go," Alan splutters, gesturing at the book on the table. "I'm in the middle of-"

"Don't give me excuses!" Katarina orders, shutting him down and heading for the door. "It's your turn to play nice."

"But I've got to-" Alan starts, only to shut up as Katarina spins and points a finger his way.

"This little friendship experiment was your idea, so you can be my responsible escort," Katarina bites. "Any objections?"

They all have dozens, but when Alan watches their shifting eyes, realises more will probably get done if she's out of the room. He's scanned most of the book, and it's mostly just a case of fixing the musical flaws in the physical rune – he doesn't need to be here for that. The manual work he can leave with the researchers for an hour, and then come back to figure out the composition when they're done.

He sighs, and stands.

"Where is it you're wanting to go?"

Game World – Isekai Characters

When Gerald, Keith and Katarina explain their plan to their hosts, the researchers are less than convinced.

"Are you sure about this, your Highness?" one of them asks, having gone dreadfully pale. "We really should test out this before sending a royal through."

"And exactly how do we test it?" Gerald asks. "It's clear the rune is stable – even with part of it damaged, Katarina was able to make it through in one piece. This is our best chance to set things right."

"So, you're planning to go through on your own, with the music sheets to fix on your end?" Alan repeats, looking torn. "But we won't have any way of knowing you made it through."

"It does seem dangerous," Maria agrees. "Are you sure you don't want to wait for the others on your end to solve the problem."

"Don't get me wrong, I have faith in my brother and the others, but this will speed things up," Gerald says.

"It's nothing personal, but we really want to get home," Keith agrees.

"If Prince Gerald thinks this is the right choice, I agree," Katarina adds. "I'm sure he can do it."

"Well, if you're sure, I don't think there's anything we can say to stop you," Sirius says. "But can you at least let the researchers check out the medallion for anything untoward?"

Alan also sighs, scratching at his hair. "Guess I'll make sure the composition and the rune drawings are accurate. If the rune is damaged on the other end, you might need copies."

"I'll help," Mary agrees.

"Thanks guys, that'll be a great help," Katarina says with a smile.

"But, are you certain Prince Gerald is the one who should go through?" Maria questions, still looking doubtful. "It is a big risk."

"Yes, but I can't imagine we'll get any of the researchers to volunteer," Nicol explains. "And adding another wayward soul seems irresponsible. But I would argue it would be better to send one of the Claes siblings."

Gerald is already shaking his head. "Katarina has something she wishes to do here, and she'd like Keith to help her out. Out of the three of us, I have the best understanding of the rune."

"Oh, there is?" Sophia asks, staring at Katarina.

"Ah, it's nothing too terrible," Katarina laughs.

"Well, if we can help, please let us know," Maria adds. "And I'd love a chance to talk again before you go, if everything does work out."

"Yes! You can't leave till we have at least one more talk about books!" Sophia says almost desperately. Katarina just laughs.

"Guys, guys, we have time," she says.

"Still, I'm surprised you figured all this out so quickly," Alan says. "How did you translate the code in one night?"

Katarina goes pale.

"Oh, um...well, you see, I-"

Gerald quickly slips an arm around her shoulder. "We were highly motivated. Now, we'll leave you to the preparations, while I discuss a few things with my fiancee."

He quickly pulls Katarina away, and removes his arm before Keith can do it for him.

"Prince Gerald, are you sure we shouldn't tell them?" Katarina asks meekly. "I feel kind of bad."

Keith shakes his head. "Sis, I understand, but telling our hosts 'you were characters in a game I played in a previous life' will not go down any better with them than it did us."

"Yes, for now, I think limiting that knowledge is in our best interests," Gerald says. Honestly, it's probably best if nobody outside of their trio learns of it – he can only imagine the reactions of the rest of the Council, let alone the royal family.

"I know it might seem deceptive, but follow Keith's lead when it comes to sharing information," Gerald continues. "You managed to keep it secret for years, I know you can do it for one more day. If they try and ask about how we figured it out, just try to deflect."

Katarina doesn't look entirely convinced, but nods in agreement.

"Wonderful. Now, on to other business. You mentioned there was something you wanted to do before you left," Gerald asks. "Is it to do with your memories?"

Katarina opens her mouth, and then closes it, looking embarrassed.

"Kind of yes...but also no?"

"That's not at all ominous," Keith says, rubbing his forehead. "What did you do, Sis?"

She starts fidgeting with her fingers.

"I...may have meddled...a little," Katarina explains. "Yesterday, I invited our- well, this world's versions, of our parents here."

Keith immediately flinches, thinking about the barren letters in his room.

"What? Katarina, I know they were informed since their children went missing, but why would you-"

"Because it's not fair!" Katarina interrupts, causing both of them to flinch and raise their hands to quiet her. A quick glance shows a few raised heads at the noise, but not too much attention. The girl blushes, and then continues with a more hushed tone.

"Don't you remember what it was like when you first came to live with us?" she explains. "If mother hadn't gotten scared and confessed to father, they might have treated you badly too, no matter how much I tried to stop them."

Keith opens his mouth, and then shuts it, his shoulders sagging. Katarina only brightens at his reaction.

"I don't know if I can change anything, but why shouldn't this world's Keith and Katarina have that too? Every Keith deserves to have a loving set of parents. And Katarina shouldn't be allowed to get away with how she treats him."

Gerald nods.

"It might also make it easier to get the other version of you back through peacefully," he says. "And I agree, from what you told me, that situation could be solved quite easily."

"Maybe not now, since so much time has passed," Keith warns him. "There's a lot of bad blood interfering."

"Doesn't mean we shouldn't try," Katarina insists, and crosses her arms in a huff. "Honestly, it's rather stupid of both of them, considering."

Gerald frowns. "How so?"

"Because it's obvious how much my father loved my mother and vice versa even before Keith arrived," Katarina explains. "I can't imagine it's any different here. How can they make poor Keith suffer just because they don't realise their feelings are returned?"

She sighs, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "I kind of pity my parents. How can you be so dense not to realise someone you spend so much time with is completely head over heels in love with you?"

There's a muffled choke, and she opens her eyes to find Gerald holding a hand to his mouth and looking away, while Keith has dropped his head in his own hands. Both of them are clearly choking back laughter.

"Huh, what's wrong with you two?" Katarina questions. Gerald recovers first, and chuckles.

"One day, Katarina…" he half laughs. "One day, I swear you will look back on all of this, and laugh till you faint."

"Or die of mortification," Keith says, finally raising his head, and looking at her with mother's patented look of disappointment. She frowns.

"What are you talking about?"

The two of them make eye contact, and silently come to an agreement.

"Nothing, my dear," Gerald says, shaking his head. "You'll understand one day."

"No point in getting you even more confused till we're back home," Keith agrees. "Don't worry about it. For now, why don't you go make sure you have a place to actually greet these other parent's of ours."

Her eyes widened.

"Oh, right! I should make sure there's a private room! Maybe Mary knows a good one, Mary!"

She quickly runs off, grabbing the girl's attention with her general lack of decorum, and the two watch her go in bemusement.

"Do you think the denseness is genetic, or was she this bad in her prior life as well?" Gerald asks. Keith gives a helpless shrug.

"Given how little she seems to register, I'm guessing if we asked, she just had a lot of ' really good friends ' before she was Katarina too," he replies. "Though that probably works out better for us. If she had a previous fiance or relationship, she might think herself too old or experienced for any of us."

Gerald frowns.

"Ah...I hadn't thought about that aspect…"

Although...he doubts Katarina has either. If she did, she'd be more embarrassed about pressing Maria for details of their romantic life, and more hesitant about the more intimate contact Gerald and Mary sometimes manages to trick her into.

He shakes his head. That worry can join the very large pile of things he's not thinking about till they're back home.

"...Are you okay with her plan?" Gerald asks. "You haven't been handling the family situation here well as it is. Bringing the Claes here might not end well."

Keith shakes his head. "I won't pretend I'd rather not do it, but Sis does have a point. This world is a literal nightmare, I don't think I could sleep right if I knew I was leaving a version of myself here without trying to fix the one thing I know we can. Maybe it's too late, but at least it'll distract me from just waiting for the rune to get fixed."

"Even though your other self is likely the reason the rune was destroyed?" Gerald asks, and Keith smirks.

"Oh, he's paying for that," he replies. "The second you get home. You should be grateful to him – you finally have a valid reason to punch me in the face."

Gerald blinks in mock innocence.

"Keith, my friend, why on earth would I need a valid reason-"

He can't even get the words out – he starts laughing midway when Keith gives him a look.

"True," he admits, once he's recovered. "I'm rather looking forward to that."

Keith then sobers up.

"Although, on that topic, we do have to discuss something," Keith says. "If you're getting a head start, we need to talk about who gets to deal with Prince 'Geord.' Assuming he's not already dead or in a cell…"

Isekai World – Game Characters

Alan must admit, when Katarina demanded he escort her, he hadn't quite been expecting this.

Part of him is honestly surprised they even got permission - but given that Katarina is the only one of the three who genuinely wants to get home, and that she can't even hope to masquerade as the original, getting her out of the way is preferable to keeping her in the grounds.

First, once they hit the town, she had asked him what Katarina's favourite haunts were. Then, they made a beeline for Katarina's favourite cafe – a charming little dessert and tea shop. It didn't seem to be a favourite haunt of this Katarina, as she merely muttered something about how the place seems far more popular here, before storming in, forcing Alan to chase after her.

The owner sees Katarina walk in. It's still early so there's only a handful of customers, and he's practically bent over backwards, dashing across the floor to greet her.

"Lady Claes! Good morning! It's not like you to visit so early, but you're favourite table is ready and waiting."

"Good," she says, in a manner befitting a noble. "I expect you to attend me."

The man blinks, and then laughs.

"Ah, I see the Lady has had an upsetting morning. We shall do our utmost to change that. Of course I shall see to your needs personally. One will have your favourite tea prepared shortly. Any preferences for cakes?"

Katarina quickly rattles off half a dozen – most of them involving cream or sticky sauces, and sits at the table she's guided to, that overlooks the street. When she notices the location, her eyes light up in satisfaction, getting brighter as the plates are placed in front of her, completely ignoring Alan's existence.

What follows is almost performance art. Her manners, even at Alan's most diplomatic, can only be called atrocious. She doesn't even use the cutlery, digging into the cakes in front of her like a feral beast. Every now and then, she'll stop and look up, just to see how people are reacting, or if anyone is watching from the street before going in with even less decorum when she knows she has an audience. Alan can only watch in abject astonishment, sipping on his own tea as the lady devolves in front of him.

She's just polished off the last of a cream cake, making a point to slurp clean every single finger, when the owner arrives with a tray.

"Ah, Lady Claes, it is always a joy to have you," he says, and Katarina freezes. "Nobody adores our cakes as much as yourself."

Katarina says nothing, but retains eye contact as her tongue slides up her palm. The owner just chuckles, and drops the tray in front of her – several small confections wrapped around a small metal tray lid.

"You must have been craving them something dear. I haven't seen you this ravenous in quite some time. Here, on the house, some of the 'Fortune' line. I saw you hadn't ordered any."

Katarina's face falls as the owner strides away, and gets even more dejected when she sees the staff and even the other customers given her amused looks. Alan quickly lifts up his cup to hide his own grin when the girl slumps in her seat.

"Really?" she asks. "None of that was out of place?"

Alan's grin widens, and drops the cup down.

"Katarina has always been an expressive girl. And never one to care for how people saw her."

"Then what on earth does it take?" she mutters under her breath, and Alan grins, before leaning over the table.

"Let me guess, you were hoping to stain her reputation in her favourite places. Make it embarrassing for her when she gets back? Probably planning on causing a scene at a jewellery store next?"

"She would have to buy jewellery for that to work," Katarina snaps, before her face reddens, and she looks away. Alan just busies himself with his drink, until she recovers her composure.

"Is it that obvious?" she eventually asks, in the smallest voice he's heard either Katarina use, and his lips quirk up.

"I'm just thinking what I'd do, back when I was a kid, and I had the opportunity to stain Gerald's reputation," he explains. "Unfortunately for you, Katarina's pretty untouchable, on the grounds that there's nothing she hasn't done."

The girl in front of him growls, slamming an elbow on the table and leans her head on her hand. "One would have thought she'd have some decorum. Was that truly not scandalous even for her? What would it take to surpass her worst?"

Alan snickers. "Maybe spread some frosting on the front of your shirt and get some caramel in your hair, and then you'll be getting close."

"My god, there are barn animals with more sense," she mutters to herself, and Alan shrugs.

"Don't ask me how someone like her came about in the world of nobles, but it's a breath of fresh air."

Katarina just stares at him.

"I don't understand, how has she never been corrected?" she asks. "Everything about her should suggest exile and scandal. Mother should have locked her up in a nunnery, or an asylum, rather than allow it to continue."

"Hah, my brother would never hear of it," Alan says. "Difficult to argue she needs 'correcting' when she steals the heart of everyone who meets her."

Katarina's expression smooths out, more serious than he's ever seen her.

"How?" she asks. "How does she do it? Really?"

Alan takes a moment to think about it.

"I think...it might have something to do with how she loves," he says, slowly. "Katarina loves wholeheartedly. She's as dense as it gets, but it also means you know exactly what you're getting. There's no manipulation with her. One the one hand, it leaves her vulnerable, but on the other…"

He smiles to himself, thinking back to happier times before certain siblings started poking at runes. "Katarina...she's never seen any reason to hold back appreciation in any form, and people are drawn to that. It's one thing to get a smile from someone who's impeccably composed, another thing entirely to see someone love what they're experiencing with every fibre of their being."

He glances round. "Take this place for example. Just being a regular stop for a high ranking noble is valuable, but one who is willing to let decorum loose just to enjoy the flavours? That's gold dust to a small cafe fighting with a dozen others for the attention of nobility. At this point, they're even willing to experiment with her new ideas."

He waves a hand down at the plate the owner had earlier placed down, and her eyes follow, brow furrowing as she leans back.

"Huh, what are these?"

She prods one of the unique desserts curiously as Alan watches.

"Katarina calls them 'mochi,' 'daifuku,' and 'dango'" he explains. "But the highlight is under the lid."

It's meant as a temptation, and Katarina accepts it as such, lifting up the delicate silver lid, and is unable to stop the immediate gasp that comes.

"Oh! That...this is edible?"

Alan laughs. "That's what we all said. Took some convincing from Katarina and Maria, but it is. It's called a 'raindrop cake.'"

It does look quite remarkable. A round clear mould, with what appears to be a flower inside it. Beautiful and delicate.

Katarina looks very torn.

"It's...remarkable," she admits. "I've never seen anything like it. You said your Katarina came up with this?"

"Sort of," Alan says. "She was talking to Maria about foods she wanted to try, and this came up. Some of her ideas were pretty odd, but Katarina described them to Maria, she somehow managed to conjure them into reality, and then the two of them offered the dessert recipes to this place. Maria sends the money to her mother, I think."

"She didn't even keep the proceeds?" Katarina questions, and Alan shakes his head.

"Maria argued with her about it, but Katarina said she got plenty of money from her vegetables, and that Maria 'did the hard part' by making them," Alan explains.

"How strange...what about the non-dessert recipes?" Katarina asks.

"I think Maria keeps them in a book. The desserts she gave away because Katarina likes Maria's own recipes, and she wanted to help out this place since she visited so often, but Maria likes being the only one who can make Katarina 'yakisoba.' Frustrates my brother to no end – for all he tries, he can't hold a candle to her in the kitchen, and Katarina's love is definitely through her stomach."

Katarina rolls her eyes.

"The fact that he's even willing to be in the kitchen still boggles my mind," she says, but picks up a spoon, prodding the teardrop cake before slipping it into the smooth gelatin, this time with manners befitting a noble. Alan just watches her, stealing a small portion of mochi when she's not looking.

"I want to speak to the owner before we leave," Katarina says, half way through the cake, and Alan shrugs noncommittally.

"Sure, so long as you behave," he warns, taking her glare with ease. Katarina might forgive him, but his friends will have his neck if the girl gets banned from her favourite cafe. He might also see about escorting her back after this, before Katarina realises a book store will have more of an effect than anywhere selling gems.

He only hopes that their Katarina is having less of a stressful time than this one is.

Game World – Isekai Characters

Next to the rune, everyone has gathered to see Prince Gerald off, and record what actually happens. They're still not elated at sending the Prince over the children of a Duke, but he's been adamant.

Though he suspects how much he's spoken about Katarina has betrayed her value – even if he fails, his allies back home will not rest until she's back, and the interlopers returned.

"Please be careful, Prince Gerald," Katarina urges at the edge of the rune, clutching the Prince's hand in both of hers. "It's still a big risk."

Gerald happily smiles, putting his free hand on top of hers. His eyes momentarily look up, to see where Keith is standing with gritted teeth, and lets a far more wicked glint enter his eye.

"You know, Katarina," he says – pretending to ignore how Keith's spine tenses at the syrupy tone of his voice. "When knights go off to battle and there's a lady who fears they won't return, they often bestow them a token for luck."

Katarina blinks, and looks fascinated. "Really?"

"Oi! You are not a knight!" Keith snaps, quickly rushing over, face slightly red. To his dismay, Katarina seems to like the idea.

"What kind of token?" she asks, and Gerald grins in victory.

"Oh usually a handkerchief or something along those lines."

Katarina frowns. "But I don't have a handkerchief…"

Gerald immediately starts eyeing her cravat, and the brooch it's pinned in with. "Well, any sort of token would do, like another piece of fabric, or even jewellery. Perhaps your-"

"Oh! I know!" Katarina shouts, drowning out his words. "Keith!"

She turns to her brother. "You always have a handkerchief on hand. Do you have one I can-"

"Ah wait!" Gerald splutters, going pale. "That's not quite."

"Of course, Sis," Keith says, immediately grinning as he pulls out the piece of fabric, and silently thanks his mother for ensuring he always had one spare, to wipe his dear sister's face clean after she visits the dessert tables. "Please take with my compliments, Prince Gerald."

In the background, someone very quickly turns a high pitched laugh into a cough, but recovers before he can figure out who. Gerald sighs, but holds out his wrist so Katarina can tie it on, accepting the defeat.

"At least it is a token meant for you ," he mumbles to himself. "I'll take what I can get."

Honestly, the amount of muffled giggling coming from the crowd is almost embarrassing, especially as Katarina is glancing over them, utterly confused. Nicol's wearing that look that - on anyone else - means he's dying of laughter, and Alan is openly snickering .

With great reluctance, he pulls his hand away from Katarina's, and takes the medallion from the hands of a researcher.

"I'll see you soon," he promises Katarina, and heads into the centre. When he reaches the middle, he can't help but feel a moment of hesitation. For all his confident words, there is a small part of him that wonders if his conclusions regarding the 'wish' aspect are wrong. But as he looks up, he sees Katarina and Keith both staring, looking genuinely worried for him.

It steels his resolve. Katarina is counting on him to do this.

He squares his shoulders, and lifts the medallion up to his face.

"I wish to return to my own world," he orders.

For a moment, he wonders if it's worked, as nothing appears to happen – and then the rune flashes bright white, a sharp whining sound filling the room-

-Only to vanish as quick as it came, revealing the rune bereft of anyone, the metal token Gerald had been holding falling to the ground with a loud clang.

Isekai World – Game Characters

The Student Council, as well as some of the braver researchers, are all around the edge of the rune trying to fix the lost pieces, when it suddenly lights up.

"Crap!"

"Everyone out!"

"Did someone say something?" Sophia yelps, only to shriek as Nicol grabs her by the arm and yanks her back. Everyone else scrambles away in a panic.

"Why did it activate?" Sirius – one of the few people who hadn't been inside it – asks. "I didn't hear anything."

"I don't think it was on our end," Geord explains, eyes straining to make out just what was coming through. When the light fades, they widen in shock, while everyone else gasps.

"Prince Gerald?" Maria whispers, watching the figure stumble, but stay on his feet. He's frowning at his hand, as if expecting it to be holding something, before brushing some stray hairs back in place, and looking at the group.

They all nervously inch back to the edge of the rune as the copy of the Prince walks towards them, everyone hesitating at the edge. Gerald's eyes scan the group, focusing slightly longer on the frozen Geord and Keith, before squaring himself up.

"Tell me," he says. "What does my dear fiancee enjoy throwing at me?"

As one the group smiles, relaxing at the question. It's Mary who answers, planting her hands on her hips.

"Snakes," she says. "As well as situations even you can't predict."

Gerald's own shoulders sag in relief, and he chuckles slightly.

"It worked…" he says, genuinely delighted. "It would have been beyond frustrating to add another world to this farce."

He returns his gaze to Geord and Keith. "Although, that does not explain why they are here and not in custody."

They both avert their eyes at his glare, but before they can even consider answering, Nicol is pushing closer, grabbing his attention.

"How did you do it?" Nicol asks, glancing at the rune. "We hadn't fully repaired the rune on this end."

"We found an alternative route," Gerald explains, and looks down at his empty hand. "Sadly, it appears to be one way, so we'll need to fix the rune to get things back to normal. Where is my brother?"

Almost as if summoned on command, the doors open, revealing an exhausted looking Alan and somewhat put out Katarina – both of whom freeze in their tracks when they take in the duplicates.

"Prince Gerald?" Katarina gasps.

"Huh, made it back in one piece?" Alan says, shaking it off. "Where's Katarina? You can't have left her behind."

Gerald smiles, leaving the rune and pushing past the group, walking over and clapping his brother on the shoulder.

"Good to see you too, Alan. Unfortunately I had no choice, so I'll need you to rectify that."

Alan starts grinning. "Yeah, I know, the Cress composition needs sorting. Already on it."

Gerald's eyes widened. "Wait...you already know about Martin Cress?"

"Yeah, him and his brother. It's their sigil on the pages with the rune...are you okay?"

Gerald laughs, and squeezes his twin's shoulder.

Of course. Of course Alan would already be halfway to the answer even with a broken rune. That's his little brother for you.

"Nothing...I've just really missed you," he says, a smile growing wider as Alan goes red, and pushes his hand off. "Other you had his uses, but it just wasn't the same."

"Yeah, yeah, me too," his brother half growls. "So you got the finished thing for me to work on or what?"

Gerald nods and pulls the envelope with the necessary pieces from his jacket. "Your other self put quite a bit of work into this, but unlike you, he did have an undamaged rune to work from. I'd advise getting a piano in here for when the rune is fixed."

Alan is already nodding, pulling out the sheet music.

"Huh...you know, this looks a lot like some of Cress's more experimental works," he says. "But I didn't see anything like this in the rune."

"Ah, that's because it's only half of it," Gerald explains. "Turns out, Martin Cress was from this other world – they each wrote half of it down in the rune, and he jumped over here."

"Damn...the Cress twins weren't twins!" Alan yells in shock. "One of them came from the other world? How? What? Why? Huh?"

"It is a long, convoluted story, and I will provide the details once everything is said and done," Gerald explains. "For now, just know that the switching is the rune working incorrectly. The transportation is supposed to be possible without swapping us around, so getting everyone back should be fairly easy."

Sophia claps her hands.

"Wait, does this mean we can meet the other versions of ourselves as well? I'd love to speak to my other self – who knows if there are any books in that world I haven't read."

"I'm not sure I'd want to meet another version," Maria admits. "It feels a little unsettling."

Sirius nods, face dark. "I'm definitely of two minds about it. Especially since the worlds are so...different."

Gerald leaves them to their musings. It's something they can worry about once the rune is up.

"Prince Gerald…"

He turns to see Katarina, looking somewhat despondent.

"Miss Katarina," he greets. "I hope your stay has been tolerable, and while I know it wasn't planned, I'm grateful for your assistance. My Katarina was in quite a state when she arrived, and benefited from the presence of her brother and myself."

Katarina's lips thin. "Let me guess, she also has the Student Council wrapped around her sticky little fingers already?"

Gerald smiles. "Well, almost. Nicol has already requested joint custody, but they'll have to live with disappointment."

The girl's face goes dark, but she stays quiet, giving Gerald a chance to turn away and deal with the next objective.

"Now, with Alan on task, I have another pressing issue," Gerald says, smile vanishing as he stares down Geord and Keith, still standing between the Council members at the edge of the rune, eating up the floor between them in a handful of strides, until he's facing his alternate face to face.

Geord is watching him warily, while Keith has gone pale. Gerald isn't surprised – he's fairly certain the other teen is the one that damaged the rune to stay on this side. The knowledge that both Keith's could have remained here is probably something of an awful shock.

"Who damaged the rune?" he asks. "We were never quite certain. Keith, or you?"

Slowly, Keith raises his hand. Gerald's eyes map the movement, and then turns his full attention back to Geord.

"Katarina," Gerald states. A question, statement and accusation all in one. Geord swallows, and clenches his fists, but resists the urge to shrink back.

"I'm half expecting a glove to be thrown," Geord says, half joking, though his skin has gone pale. "Is Lady Katarina well?"

Gerald doesn't return the smile.

"As well as she can be, given the circumstances. But I'm somewhat surprised to see you here, rather than a cell."

"Prince Gerald, it wasn't entirely his fault," Maria explains, quickly stepping up. "Someone used dark magic on him, manipulating him into attacking Katarina. He's trying to make it right now."

Gerald's face snaps over to the girl in shock, and then back to his doppelgänger.

"Dark magic?"

Geord immediately bows, hoping his look of contrite regret looks genuine. He doesn't wear it very often, and he would really rather not get into a fight with another version of himself when he's unarmed.

"Yes. I know that is still no excuse for my actions, and if the opportunity arises I will apologise profusely to your fiancee. For now, I am doing what I can to fix the situation here."

He's beyond relieved when Gerald nods, allowing him to rise without incident.

"I'll admit, that's something of a relief," Gerald says. "I didn't want to believe I would attack Katarina – any version of Katarina – without reason. Dark magic...have they caught the culprit?"

"Still searching for leads," Sirius explains. "It definitely happened on this side, but that's about it."

Gerald nods in understanding. "I'll speak to the King and the guards. I want to be kept informed – if someone targeted him, they may have been after me, or Katarina. That can't be left ignored."

His hands however, remain down, and Geord starts to relax. Unfortunately-

"Wait, you're not even going to punch him once?" Mary asks, looking confused. "I honestly was expecting...more."

"I was kind of looking forward to it," Alan mumbles, walking closer.

Geord only just restrains himself from scowling. Granted, he was also expecting retribution, but he's not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Oh no, we tossed for it," Gerald explains, looking back at Geord with a smile.

"We realised once we'd calmed down, that you'd likely already faced justice from those still here, and came to a compromise. Keith got rights to punching you, and dark magic or no dark magic, if I start I'm not going to stop, so it's probably for the best."

He then turns to Keith.

"So, was dark magic involved in you sabotaging the rune?"

Keith quickly pastes on his 'caught-on-a-date-by-lady-who-thought-they-were-exclusive' smile. "No, I'm afraid that was just blind panic on my part. I apologise for-"

"Good."

Gerald immediately punches Keith in the nose, causing the teen to squawk and step back.

"Ugh-I think I'm bleeding!" he stutters, while Gerald shakes his hand and smiles.

"I should thank you," he says. "I've fantasised doing that for years ."

"I've fantasised seeing that for years," Katarina says, mostly to herself.

"Thank...me?" Keith whines, pinching his nose. "Maria...Maria can you-"

"It'll stop bleeding soon, Keith," Maria says with an airy charm. "If it doesn't I'm sure the healers can handle it."

She hands him part of the rune to fix even as he gives her a look of utter betrayal, and stiffens when he hears Katarina chuckle.

"Well, that was almost worth this whole trip," she says. "Since I'm sure my presence is still unnecessary, I shall take my leave again. Thank you for the escort, Prince Alan."

She heads for the door, only to hear footsteps and pause to find Sophia and Maria both heading straight for her.

"We'll escort you," Sophia says. "I'd like to know what you thought of the book."

"And I want to hear what you thought of the cookies," Maria adds. Katarina looks like she wants to scoff, but holds back.

"You must enjoy causing your own misery, but very well. It's not as if I can stop you."

The three head out the door, and Gerald can't help but turn to stare at his friends left behind.

"...Do I even want to know?"

"We're trying to 'Katarina' her," Mary says, though it explains absolutely nothing. "It's had mixed results."

"... Katarina her?"

His brother sighs.

"Look, just take part of these rune schematics and redo the musical notes. I'll explain while we work."

Chapter 16

Game World – Isekai Characters

The second Keith sees the token hit the ground, Katarina is already rushing past him, running straight into the rune and dropping to her knees to pick it up. When she looks up, she looks half terrified.

" What happened?" she asks. "Did it work? Why didn't the token go with him?"

From the side, Maria gestures for her, and Keith makes her way over as Katarina reaches her. Maria then tries to take the token, but Katarina clutches it close.

" Well, I'm not sure," Maria says. "But you said this token was in the diary, and that there's another in your world? Maybe they stay to make sure that transfer is always possible?"

The researchers all start mumbling, but Keith starts nodding.

" Probably for the best we didn't all try to go together. Even if it had taken us, we have no idea where the token is in our world. There would have been no guarantee we'd get Prince Geord and the other Keith back.

" So what now?" someone in the crowd asks. "Do we just wait?"

" No other choice," Alan replies, coming in from behind and leaning over to look at the token in Katarina's hands. "Gerald has everything he needs to fix it up on his end. So long as we don't let this one get damaged, he'll be contacting us in a few hours, give or take."

" A lot of confidence in him," Keith murmurs, and Alan scoffs, eyes darting towards Katarina.

" Please. Like any version of my brother will fail when he's this motivated. Wouldn't surprise me if it's up in the next 30 seconds."

As one they all look back towards the rune – Keith not-so-subtly grabbing Katarina by the shoulders and pulling her out.

" ..Eh, even geniuses need time I guess," Alan continues, 30 seconds later.

Katarina claps her hands. "Well, I'm sure Prince Gerald will come through. Until then, I need to take Keith for an appointment."

The words get a round of dismay, but Katarina just pulls Keith out and away, looking at him with nervous eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay helping me with this?" she asks. Keith nods.

"Sure, I can do it as long as you're there too."

It'll hurt, certainly, but soon, he'll never have to think about this place again. He can handle one more challenge.

Isekai World – Game Characters

Katarina wants to make it clear that she is not running away. This is a tactical retreat to gather herself. She's not fleeing in the face of two versions of her fiance – neither of whom give one whit about her.

Not for the first time, she dearly wishes she had someone she could trust to vent at – she dearly misses her friends. Anne is an option, but at the end of the day, she's loyal to her other self.

Her only option is to return to solitude and allow herself to rage before she does it in public. Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be possible with her current entourage.

" I really do not need an escort," Katarina mutters. The two girls flanking her barely bat an eye.

" You are still a guest, Lady Claes," Maria replies. "And we're less obtrusive than an actual guard."

Katarina just resists the urge to growl. "To have fallen so low that a commoner can-"

" Besides," Sophia quickly interrupts. "I wasn't lying. Did you have a look at Sophia and the Emerald Princess?"

It's oh so tempting to ignore the bait and push the easy and familiar Maria-baiting back to the spotlight. Maybe if she really pushes her worst, they'll leave her alone until the rune is back online and she can forget this whole mess.

But then, this group has been consistent in how little she can read them. For all she knows, they might just brush it off and leave Katarina feeling humiliated.

So instead, she gives Sophia her most unflattering glare. The one that would have hers shrinking back into the shadows.

This one doesn't even blink.

" Well, what did you think, Miss Katarina?" Sophia asks. "Did you try it?"

" I gave it a browse," Katarina replies, voice clipped. "It was excellent for helping me lull off to sleep – how you find entertainment in such drivel is beyond me."

Rather than looking dismayed, the two share a smile. She then almost instantly regrets her words when Maria adds-

" I understand. I know Katarina enjoys them, but they've been my cup of tea."

"Well, even you can't be without some merits," Katarina says, nearly biting her tongue when she realises she's inadvertently complimented the girl.

" It's too bad. I know our Katarina loved the ballroom scene," Sophia replies, and Katarina rolls her eyes.

" Of course she did, it was utterly ridiculous ," Katarina scoffs. "No lady in her right mind would risk her status in such a way as to invite a commoner to a ball that prestigious, let alone defend her against those of influential status."

She immediately realises her mistake when Sophia's eyes light up, like the cursed devil so many claim she is.

" That happens in the third to last chapter."

Katarina's mouth shuts, and her cheeks go slightly red. Sophia just keeps smiling.

"How strange, that you found it so dull and uninteresting, yet managed to make it to the final climax of the book. It must have been such a chore to spend hours reading something you had no interest in."

Well...it was! It was so unbelievably unrealistic. The Princess had no respect for her status – Sophia at least understood the reality of the situation. Katarina never thought she'd feel sympathy for a commoner, but the Princess really did not do her any favours. No wonder Maria hadn't liked it – the commoner entering noble situations only to have reality thrust upon her?

But then the Princess had somehow managed to win over the entire family and come out the winner in an, admittedly impressive piece of noble manoeuvring. While her decisions still baffle Katarina, the sheer intelligence and drive the Princess revealed in order to get what she wanted throughout the novel had been riveting. Really, what choice did Katarina have but to keep reading?

Though mentioning that will no doubt result in a debate, and that means she will not rid herself of these two. Even if there's a part of her that wants to dissect that scene word by word just to get it out of her system.

Perhaps her silence is enough to deter the girl, because she doesn't press, and instead lets Maria take the lead.

" How was your visit into town with Prince Alan?" she asks. "Where did you go?"

Ah, now there's the out she needs.

" I asked him where my other self frequented, and we went to a cafe," she says. "It's not where I would have gone, but it appears she's improved the menu in this world."

" Oh, Leville's?" Maria repeats, and Katarina waves a hand.

" The name doesn't matter, it's utterly unremarkable where I come from. But I will admit, your Katarina has a creative mind when it comes to food, I cannot fault her taste there," Katarina admits. "It's certainly not a skill I possess."

It's the perfect bait. Everyone in this world always lets the guard down around their favourite subject.

" That reminds me, Miss Campbell," she says, before the two can start gushing. "I do have a favour to ask of you."

The smiles dim, and Maria's eyes immediately narrow. Katarina gives a silent hum of approval, her Maria would have lit up like a beaten puppy at her words. This one has pride – even if that's a laughable thing for a commoner.

"Your recipes," Katarina continues. "Prince Alan told me you helped my other self create several dishes. The desserts are being sold in a cafe in town, but you also developed savoury ones?"

Judging from her expression, it's not what the girl expected. Sophia looks equally befuddled.

" ...Yes?" Maria answers. "Like you said, Katarina is quite creative when it comes to new dishes."

" The desserts were...unique," Katarina admits. "I'd never seen or tasted anything quite like them. I'm curious to see what else her mind came up with."

Maria, understandably, still looks quite confused at the request, but moments later, she's smiling, and Katarina fights the urge to scowl at the commoner's clear delight. Right now, she needs something from the girl, so she needs to play nice.

" Would it be possible to receive a copy of the recipes?" she asks. "I would like to try them once I'm home. The owner of the cafe already gave me copies of the recipes he had for sale."

" Well, I guess I can," says Maria slowly. "I can bring them to your room in-"

" No need," Katarina is quick to reply, shoulders sagging in relief as her door finally comes into view. "If you can have them available for when the rune is activated, I'll collect when it's time to leave. For now, I'll retire to my room. I'm sure you'll no doubt wish to hear about Prince Gerald's tales, especially regarding her ."

She doesn't wait for their reply, quickly opening the door and slipping inside. Their half-started outcries shut out by the door, and she leans back on the wood, sighing as her body sags in relief.

" Katarina?"

She stiffens at the voice, eyes snapping open as she takes in the figure that has clearly been waiting for her.

" Mother?"

Game World – Isekai Characters

" Katarina! You poor thing, how are you doing?"

Not his parents, Keith has to silently remind himself, as he steps through the door behind Katarina, watching as this version of their mother embraces his sister. All of this is for his other self. None of it is aimed at him.

" I'm fine, Mother," Katarina insists. "Or, other-Mother-"

" Mother is fine sweetheart," Millidiana insists. "I'm sure yours will be doing the same for my daughter."

Her smile dims slightly as she takes in Katarina's full frame. "Are you slouching? And is that a stain on your collar?"

Katarina immediately waves off her concerns. "It's just a little ink, don't worry about it. It's not a big deal. Thanks for coming."

Their mother's smile falters a little at the reply, but she doesn't comment on it. The Duke Claes is standing close to his wife, staring at Katarina with obvious affection.

"Of course, while you're here, we'll do what we can to make things comfortable for you."

Keith chides himself for the pain in his chest. The two haven't even acknowledged his presence. Something Katarina clearly notes, if the frown she starts to sport is anything to go by. She makes a point to grab his hand as they walk over to sit down, and Keith eyes both Duke and Duchess frowning – the Duke looking lost and the Duchess with an expression he's never seen before. He almost wants to let her hand go, but Katarina just clenches it tighter.

" It's good to meet you," Katarina begins. "I'm surprised we didn't meet yesterday though. I thought the King told you about the swap as soon as he learned about it, but you weren't here."

" We were informed," their father says. "But we heard your arrival was traumatic. It didn't seem right to intrude upon you at such a delicate time."

" But Keith has been here longer than I have, and you didn't come to see him," Katarina replies, and Keith masks his feelings as both of their faces go blank – the kind nobles wear whenever they face a political enemy.

" Keith has always been an independent young man," their father says neutrally. "We didn't think he'd want us in his way."

Millidiana looks away for a moment, before returning her attention back to Katarina. It's painfully obvious how much she's trying to avoid eye contact with Keith, and gives Katarina a weak smile.

" Regardless, from what we understand you'll both be returning soon. Why did you want to speak with us? Is there something we need to know?"

Katarina nods. "Yes, yes there is. You need to start treating Keith better."

How they didn't see that coming, given that Katarina is still holding his hand tight in plain view, Keith doesn't know, but then again, the Claes denseness is starting to look like a genetic trait. The two of them snap their heads towards each other in blind panic, before quickly snapping them back. Duke Claes coughs into his hand while his wife hides her face behind her hand.

" Sweetheart, I don't know what you've heard, or what the situation is in your own home, but-"

Katarina doesn't let him finish. "You ignore him and bully him! You let Katarina torment him every day to the point he's become a total playboy!"

" Which, considering he's supposed to be the next heir of the Claes family does seem like a bad call," Keith interjects. Probably snarkier than he intends. It gets him a glare from his mother

" Exactly! If he doesn't get won over by the incredibly charming Maria, he'll never be happy," Katarina insists. "You've been hurting him for absolutely no good reason."

" Katarina, it is not that simple," their mother replies, her face twisting to the point Keith can't tell if she's mad or upset. "Keith is – that's not – there was never a need to...it's complicated."

" No! It's not, okay!" Katarina yells, getting to her feet. "You adopted Keith. Which means he's your son! He's family. You brought him into your home, you don't get to punish him for that! It was your choice! Not his!"

" I know Katarina!" their mother yells back. "I know that. And I wish I wasn't as weak as I am, but it's not that simple."

" Weak?" Their father repeats. "Dear, if anyone has been weak in this marriage, it has been me, what-"

Their mother shakes her head, quickly interrupting.

" I know I've been selfish, keeping you tied to this marriage," she says. "I encouraged Katarina's actions towards Keith, and I've taken my frustrations out on him so many times. He was a threat, proof that you'd cast me aside for his mother, but I just couldn't bring myself to give you-"

" That's not even a little bit true!" Katarina exclaims. "I remember this story from the first time, right Keith?"

He does. Though he was younger, he'd had enough crass words thrown at him from his brothers to get more of it than most children. At the end of the day though, their entire miscommunication can be summed up quite simply.

" Father loves you," Keith says, when it's clear Katarina is watching him, looking for support. "As much as you love him. But you're both so oblivious to it that you think you tricked each other into a loveless marriage."

He leans over and crosses his fingers in front of his face. "At least, eight years ago you did. I can't speak for how you feel now."

The warped expression on their mother's face fades away, blinking in confusion. To her credit, she recovers well, choosing to glare once again at Keith.

" Don't mock me. We both know full well that-"

" You think you tricked me?"

Her voice trails off, and she turns to look at her husband, whose staring at her in utter shock. "You really think you're the one who tricked me into marrying you?"

Keith sighs and leans back, as the alternate versions of his parents have a conversation a good fifteen years in the making. He doesn't really need to hear it again – hear the conversation that gave him his future because his Katarina is a gift from another world.

He turns to commiserate with his sister – only to find her on the edge of the seat, eyes positively glowing and hands clenched close to her chin.

...Right. His sister loves a good romance, even when it's one she's read before.

A few minutes later, after the Claes pull out of a tearful embrace, Millidiana is struggling to clean her face.

" Oh god, I've been such a fool this whole time," she half sobs. "And Keith, he's really-"

"Just a distant relative. I've never so much as looked at another woman since I set eyes on you."

It's a desperate chuckle that leaves her throat. "I've done so much wrong to that boy. Why didn't you ever stop me?"

" I thought I'd already entrapped you into a marriage you didn't want. And now I'd brought a child you didn't approve of. I was a coward, I know I should have stood up for him, but...I couldn't bring you more pain. There's nothing I won't give you."

" That's true in our world too!" Katarina says with a smile. "Father spoils Mother relentlessly."

Keith smiles to himself. That's an understatement. Duchess Claes can't even ride and they have two stables full of white horses just because their mother thinks they're pretty in the field she sees from her window.

" It might be too late to fix anything," Keith says, bringing the conversation back to its original point. "I can't speak for him, but I've learned enough to know you've hurt him badly. But he deserves for you to try. If nothing else, just try .

Katarina nods. "Right. Keith deserves to be loved."

He smiles at the admission, and Katarina squeezes his hand again as both of them nod.

" It might be too late to fix what was never offered, but you've given us a great gift," Duke Claes says. "I promise you both, we'll do whatever we can."

" Katarina might not be as willing though," Millidiana admits, guilty yet again. "I encouraged her maliciousness over the years, it may very well be ingrained in her. She's been struggling at school lately, with Geord's...distractions. And I haven't been supportive. I'm not sure she'll ever be capable of seeing Keith as her brother. Not like the two of you."

" But if Katarina keeps mistreating Keith, she might meet her doom!" Katarina insists, and Keith puts a hand on her shoulder.

" Sis, they're going to try," he tells her. "That's all they can do. The other Katarina will be learning things at home too. She might realise she has to change things herself."

Katarina pouts, clearly torn with her knowledge of what awaits her other self, but confessing to the Claes of this world that she knows possible futures is a bad move. Keith isn't going to let her spill any more than he has to. Eventually, she nods.

" Right, and bedsides, I have another idea for that too!" she says, and grins. Unfortunately, her next words have him going pale.

" I can speak to her once the rune opens up. Maybe she'll listen to me!"

Isekai World – Game Characters

Katarina must admit, of all the ways she suspected she'd be spending her last few hours in this strange reality, having tea with the alternate version of her Mother hadn't really been on the list.

Unlike the cafe, she maintains perfect etiquette. Even if this version has never expected it of her, sitting opposite her mother demands that she shows everything she's learned. The woman in turn, has been polite and encouraging, asking questions about her life and school, but keeps a soft smile Katarina's not sure she's ever seen hers wear on her face.

" What exactly has you smiling so much?" Katarina eventually asks. "My existence here cannot be that delightful for you. Your own daughter is missing."

The Duchess blinks, and her eyes flit down to her own cup.

" My apologies. It's just so...novel to see any version of my daughter act with such impeccable manners. Your etiquette is without fault."

From anyone else, Katarina would think it was mocking, but there's genuine praise in her mother's voice, which has her sit a little straighter in pride.

" My mother taught me well," she says diplomatically. "She was an excellent teacher. I'm sure you tried to instil the same in your own."

" Certainly not for lack of trying," her mother explains, shaking her head. "I love my daughter, but the two of us have never truly been able to bond. It sometimes feels as if we live in completely different worlds."

" I don't know, she seems to be thriving in high society," Katarina replies, mentally chiding the sarcastic tone she hadn't quite managed to hide. The Duchess however, just shakes her head.

" If my daughter did not have the good fortune to have made the friends she has, her future would be a lot less stable than it is," she says. "I have lost sleep fearing what may become of her. She doesn't have the skills to survive high society without influential shields. Something Prince Gerald has certainly used to his advantage on more than one occasion."

She takes a sip from her cup and smiles.

" You at least, cannot cause your mother nearly as much strife. I cannot understand why Prince Geord doesn't value you. Granted, you seem to have a temper, and struggle somewhat with diplomacy on a more intimate level, but you probably inherited that for me – and those traits can be refined with age and experience. Frankly, I can't see a single reason you could not be a respectable choice for Princess."

" That's probably the very reason why he doesn't," Katarina replies, shorter than she'd like, but grateful for the audience to vent about it. She could never dare do so with her own mother. "If this experience has taught me anything, it's that the Third Prince has never wanted an equal. He wants a shiny toy to keep him distracted."

It's a painful, but brutal truth she's starting to understand. The stories have made it clear that even the other Katarina herself acknowledges she would be a terrible addition to the royal family. From any rational standpoint, keeping the engagement is a foolish decision.

But now, when she takes a step back and really looks at Prince Geord's infatuation with the poorly educated Maria, as well as Prince Gerald's devotion to her other self, it's clear she's viciously misunderstood her place in her fiance's life. Or rather, she'd understood, but much like her less 'endearing' traits, had believed the position could be altered with time, allowing them to become a genuine couple.

Even if Maria hadn't shown up, Prince Geord was never going to care for her the way she wanted. Katarina was nothing but a tick in a box to him, and nothing she does will change that. Not without changing everything she is.

And thanks to this incident, she'll be going home with a broken engagement, one way or another. Even if Maria doesn't steal her place, Prince Geord will do what it takes to rid himself of her – and if what he said about dark magic is true, it's probably in her best interests to let him. But the second she loses that engagement, her status will take a hit it will be nigh impossible to recover from.

So she needs to make sure she can weather it, one way or another.

She explains as much to this version of her mother, who listens without interruption, with far more sympathy than her own would have. When she finishes, the Duchess replies.

" There is a saying mothers tell their daughters when they're being particularly difficult. They wish that they will be 'blessed' with children that are just like them, so they understand just how hard they were to raise. I cannot tell you how much I used to wish that was true though – my Katarina is nothing like me, and has been an uphill battle since she was a child. I would have loved my daughter to turn out like you.

Katarina almost chokes up on air, feeling her eyes water.

Then the Duchess smiles sympathetically.

" That said, I love my daughter just the way she is, faults and all. I wouldn't change her for anything. Because for all the headaches, and the shame and the daily humiliation, she has brought a lot of people happiness. Happiness that I think you've been deprived of."

Underneath the table, Katarina clenches her fists.

" I'd be happy if people would understand the roles we have to play," Katarina replies. "I'm not doing anything nobles haven't done for centuries. We wouldn't follow traditions if they didn't have value."

" But sometimes refusing to see past tradition can cause harm, because you don't think about the action," her mother replies. Katarina shakes her head.

" Regardless, when I get home, breaking tradition is likely going to ruin me," she says, only for the Duchess to shake her head.

"I love you. And I know your mother loves you too. So no matter what happens, no matter what anyone says, I believe they will support you no matter what. If Prince Geord wants to break that engagement? Let him – you are Lady Katarina Claes, and you are no one's consolation prize. You deserve love just as much as anyone else.

She then leans over the table, and pulls on Katarina's arms, to clutch her hands in hers.

" It's clear your life has not gone as easily as my daughters. Don't let anyone diminish your accomplishments, just because you walked down a different road. But also don't be afraid to step off the beaten track to get what you deserve. And finally-"

The smile she gives is blinding.

" Know this, when you go back to your world. No matter what, I'm proud of you."

This time, Katarina can't quite hold back the tears.

" ...Thank you."

He could have stayed.

That's what keeps repeating in Keith's mind, over and over, stacking loose papers on a table as he watches Prince Gerald order the frantic researchers, fixing the damaged lines on the ground.

He didn't need to go back, to get the other Keith here. They could have both remained in this world.

His hands shake as he remembers Katarina's wide smiles, the way his family had wrapped their arms around him, accepting him as theirs without question. If he'd been honest. If he'd admitted what had happened when the rune had activated, rather than destroying it...if he'd pleaded his case rather than try to steal what wasn't his...maybe they would have let him stay. Loved him as well as their own Keith. Perhaps there was a surplus here to make up for the lack at home – perhaps there was enough for two.

But any chance of that is gone now.

Now that they have a solution in place, nobody is taking any chances with either of them. Prince Geord tried to assist with the rune, but has also been relegated to helping clear up the room – considering they'd only known of the swap for a short time, they've created quite the mess. He can only imagine what their side looks like.

At least the Prince is dealing with bookcases. He's stuck with papers – no way to tell which of the handwritten scribbles is important or just plain doodling. Plus, any time he dips his head, the swelling in his nose gets worse. Maria was right that the bleeding only lasted a minute, but that's not going away.

" I'll take those."

Speak of the angel. He turns, allowing the papers to drop into her waiting hands.

" No clue what's of worth and what's not in there," he tells her, and Maria smiles back.

" That's for the researchers to figure out," she says. "To be honest, no one wants to leave, so we're all just looking for reasons to stick around."

Now there's a feeling he can get behind.

"Lord, I keep going over it, again and again in my head," Keith says, looking back at the crowd in the rune. "What if someone had figured it out earlier? What if Prince Geord hadn't gotten infected by black magic, or if we'd just come out and said what happened. If we'd pleaded our case, or hell, just looked at what was here rather than making our own assumptions…"

Maria moves, coming back into his view, the smile somewhat faded. "You really don't want to go back, do you?"

Keith shakes his head, and laughs a little. "Do you know I tried to run away? Vanishing into the countryside was better than going home, even if it meant screwing over your guy."

Maria stays silent, just watching him, and he looks away.

" ...Look, you don't know what it's like," he continues. "And now, after being here, I don't even want to know what it'll be like again. It'll probably be worse, now that I've had this for a short time. I mean, Prince Geord has said he'll help me out, but-"

He sighs, and tugs at his hair. "It doesn't matter. Once it's back up, you'll all throw me back in without a second glance. Just like everyone does in the end. I'm never the one anyone wants, just the one they...have to take at the time."

Because even though he wants Maria, he knew the odds of winning her over royalty or someone with a loving family. The Claes would never have approved of her, and he has issues she didn't deserve to be saddled with. Every girl he flirts with isn't looking for something long term – he doesn't have an engagement lined up but not a single one of them even brings up the possibility. He's the casual distraction till you find something better.

If Prince Geord comes through, he doubts the Claes will fight very hard for him. Katarina has hardly changed from this whole experience, so she'll be right back to her old self, and no matter what his other self and other Katarina have told his parents, they'll probably be happy to rid themselves of their mistake once given the chance.

Suddenly, there's a soft hand on his chin, and in the shock, he lets Maria turn his head back, her other hand lifting up to his nose and glowing white. The uncomfortable swelling shrinks away, and he blinks a few times as she pulls away.

" I thought you told me to leave it to the healers?" he asks, once she's a respectful distance away.

" I did. I changed my mind," she answers. "I kind of wanted you to be punished. But now that seems selfish."

He must still look confused, because she starts smiling again.

" What you said," Maria says. "I don't know everything, just what the two of you have let slip and what Prince Gerald has told us, but you look like your world has just collapsed. You don't need to deal with physical pain on top of that."

Then she frowns and shrugs. "Even if I'm still mad at you for it."

Keith reaches up to rub at his nose, grateful that it no longer hurts to touch, and feels himself smiling, almost ironically.

" You know, you're not nearly as nice as ours," he says. "She'd have healed me in a heartbeat."

Maria's lips quirk, and she turns, grabbing one of the seats at the table, gesturing for Keith to do the same.

" I suspect yours doesn't feel like she has a choice," she says, once he's seated. "If she doesn't have Katarina in her corner, and if the Student Council aren't close...she'll be desperate for a connection. For anyone to look her way. I know when I first arrived, I was a complete doormat. I would have done almost anything for approval. Katarina is the one who finally convinced me to do what I wanted, not what I thought everyone else needed."

Keith shakes his head. "No, no. Our Maria is different. She's never been like that."

" I don't know how much about her childhood she's told you," Maria counters. "But I grew up alone, blaming myself for my father leaving, and without a single friend. Everyone looked down on me, judging me, for having magic. For not being my father's daughter even though I was. This school was my fresh start – I was desperate when I came here."

" But...you – other you – is the most confident woman I know," Keith argues. Maria however, just keeps smiling.

" Come now, from what little we've heard from you and Prince Geord, and Prince Gerald's testimony, it feels like everyone in that world is hiding their real feelings. Are you really surprised your Maria is any different? Confidence can be a very convincing mask."

" But, she…"

Keith trails off, thinking back as Maria's words find root. Is it true?

Keith remembers how hard it was to fit in to the Claes family, when it was clear none of them wanted him there – and he was from a noble family. Maybe a low branch on the family tree, but noble all the same. Maria was thrown into the deep end, brought to a school where every student has known and interacted with each other their whole lives. And she never really talks about home that much. Keith thought she hadn't wanted him to feel pressured, but...

She'd always seemed so strong, and resilient. Like she could see straight into his soul. Maybe it was less empathy and more having walked in his shoes her whole life. Is that why she never pushes any of them away? She's never had an issue telling him no, it's kind of what interested him at first.

But Keith was only looking for a quick fling back then. Come to think of it, he hasn't heard Maria refuse him, or anyone else, in quite some time. Not since their feelings became more genuine rather than idle curiosity.

Keith knows better than anyone that having grown up alone in a crowd, makes rejecting any genuine attention all but impossible. It's an addictive, overwhelming drug.

This version of Maria has a spine their own is still trying to piece together. Perhaps because she's thrown all her romantic attention towards one target (even if his brain is still processing that. Katarina, really ?), she's allowed herself to make connections that aren't as all encompassing. Unlike their Student Council, while everyone is competing for the same girl here, they haven't let it stop them from being friends. They won't hate each other even if they don't win, they'll still be friends.

Keith doesn't even think he knows his Council's birthdays , let alone consider them friends. They don't interact outside of their duties. He doesn't have anyone – hasn't even tried. Not really.

Was all of this really just caused by Katarina being a little nicer? Couldn't any one of them have stepped up? Or were they all so caught up in their own misery that they didn't even stop to see how everyone around them was feeling the exact same way?

Even the girl they were pinning their hopes on.

" Thanks for telling me," he says softly. Maria reaches over and squeezes his hand.

" I am sorry we can't help you more," she says. "But I know you can find happiness Keith. It just can't be here."

He nods.

Maybe when he gets back, he and Maria need to have a conversation. His romantic attentions are most likely ruined, but if Prince Geord keeps his word, he'll at least be free of the Claes. Perhaps he can be the friend Maria needs. The one person in her life whose attention is not contingent on romance. Who'll be there no matter what she chooses.

Maybe it's time to stop waiting for something to save him, and be that person to someone else.

Game World – Isekai Characters

" It'll be strange, going back to normal after this," Sophia says to Nicol, sitting in the quad. "It almost feels weird, to not have everyone together."

Nicol nods, feeling the loss as well. With nothing to do until the rune activates on the other end, and Keith and Katarina away, the group have somewhat dispersed. While he and the Princes have been friends for some time, the Student Council never really spend any time outside of the office together. They're just not that close.

It's been interesting, all working together for a goal that isn't necessarily their responsibility. Even if two of them weren't exactly meant to be there.

He envies his other self, to have that easy camaraderie.

" I wonder," Sophia continues. "Will Miss Katarina feel something different when she returns? I've never really interacted with her, not really. But the same person can't be that different, even if the two worlds are, can they?"

" I'm not sure you should expect much," Nicol replies. "She was only there for a short time. And she did seem substantially different from the version currently here."

Sophia dims slightly. "I guess that's true. It's sad though. We could have been friends. I wonder why there's such a difference."

It's something that's been on Nicol's mind too. He's often wished to have someone other than blood who can bring out Sophia's best. This new Katarina has done more for Sophia's confidence in less than a day than Nicol has done in a lifetime – frankly, if she starts to curl into herself again, Nicol might just knock up a version of the rune himself and bring her back.

" Are they back yet?"

They both look up to see Mary and Alan walking towards them, and Nicol shakes his head.

" No, but I suspect it won't be long now."

" Is Sirius or Maria with you?" Sophie asks. Alan shakes his head.

" No, Sirius said he'd stay and keep watch. And I think Maria said she wanted to make something for Katarina and Keith to take back."

Mary gives a strained smile.

" Her fabled cookies will strike again I see."

" Well, the two of them will be comparing them to another version of herself, so I imagine she'll be wanting them perfect," Alan jokes, clearly missing the ire. Sophia shakes her head, and Nicol wisely chooses not to comment.

The silence thankfully, doesn't last, as Katarina and Keith choose that moment to round the corner – Katarina immediately waving in their direction.

" Hi everyone! Is there any update?"

Mary's face quickly smooths out into a more genuine smile. "Afraid not Katarina. But if Prince Gerald's expectations are correct, it shouldn't be long now."

" That's a relief," Keith says. "Things took a little longer than we planned, and Prince Gerald would have killed me if we weren't there when it opened."

Katarina just laughs. "Ah, don't exaggerate Keith. He won't worry about a few extra minutes."

" Yeah. Like he's not counting every second right now."

Most of them share a smile. Alan however, is frowning, pointing in the opposite direction.

" Wait, the meeting room is that way," he says. Keith laughs.

" Yeah, Sis had something to do at the dorms. Plus we wanted to clean up for when your versions come back."

Katarina grins, pulling out a folded notebook from her pocket and waving it in her hand.

" Yup, didn't want to leave this just lying around."

" What is it?"

" Just something I don't really need any more," Katarina explains, without really doing so.

" Oh good! You're still here!"

Maria rushes from down the hall and over the grass, carrying two small bags in her arms. "Sorry, it's not my best work. I had to make them in a rush, but here's something to remember us by."

" Ah, Maria's home-made treats!" Katarina exclaims, happily accepting the pink bag. "I get to try two different versions."

" You know, I think this is the first time I've ever gotten one of these," Keith adds, taking the blue one with a smile. "Normally our Maria just makes a group batch, or something just for Katarina."

" Just wait Keith, once you've had a bag to yourself, you'll be begging Maria to make you them all the time," Katarina says. Keith shakes his head.

" Yeah, but I think I should probably savour this one," he says. "Begging would be dangerous. Can't give Maria that much of an edge over me."

" Huh?"

He waves her off. "Don't worry about it Sis. Just enjoy the treats."

Maria giggles a little at his tone, but before Katarina can think to question it further, the mood grows tense as the door to the Lab suddenly opens. Everyone's eyes widen as they see Sirius poking his head out.

" Ah, you're all here," he says. "That makes things easier."

" Wait, already?" Alan questions. "I know he thought it would only take a few hours, but still!"

Sirius shrugs. "I guess it wasn't as damaged as he thought? Either way, it looks like Prince Gerald succeeded. The rune is active"

Katarina's not sure who made it through the door first, her or Keith, but both the Claes siblings bolt into the Lab, almost knocking Sirius down when they rush through, and block the entry as they take in the portal showing the world beyond. Prince Gerald is front and centre, looking satisfied, while researchers hang close, looking worried or taking notes, and the Student Council stare in delight, faces lighting up as they spot Katarina and Keith walking close.

And behind them…

" That's the other Katarina," she half whispers. Staring at the scowling girl with her face, standing at the side of a miserable looking Keith and a placid faced Prince Geord. There's also guards flanking them.

" Looks like they're not taking any chances," Keith notes. "But at least they got it up without issue."

Judging from the way Prince Gerald is nodding on the other side, he's coming to the same conclusion.

" Okay other Alan," Prince Gerald says from the other side. "You'd better be set up over there. Alan, are you ready?"

He turns, pointing at his brother seated at the piano off in the same corner as there's. Alan nods, and the sound of 'Bad End' starts to fill the air.

Her heart is in her throat. It's not a song she'd ever expect to hear in this world, and it's amazing in Alan's hands.

" Prince Alan, please start," one of the researchers requests. "And everyone step back from the rune. We don't know what the full activation will cause."

Everyone complies, Keith placing a hand on Katarina's shoulder for support, as Alan sits at the piano, Mary close to his side. He closes his eyes, listening to the melody. A few moments later, his hands hit the keys, matching the tune note for note.

The rune practically vibrates white, as half circles start to rise from both sides, slowly but steadily, only to stop and fuse in the dead centre, appearing to form an archway. As the song continues, more half circles of light rise, solidifying the arc into something more physical, while the portal to the other world stays in the middle.

" It almost looks like a gate," Maria says, just loud enough to be heard over the melody. Around them, researchers are going crazy, but Katarina can only watch the arch form.

There was nothing like this in either game. It's amazing .

When both Alan's hit the final note, the light of the archway glows even brighter, until it dims and fades to grey, and the portal spreads out to fill the whole area underneath – though it looks slightly faded out.

On the ground however, the rune comes to life, the light leaking into the rune, and seems to make it move, weird symbols shifting near the centre. Katarina however, cares more about the image in front of her.

" Look! Keith look!" Katarina yells. "It's home!"

" That is so strange…" Maria whispers, head slightly cocked as she stares at her other self. Sophie and Alan both nod, while Mary and Sirius seem frozen, staring at the sight.

On the other side, Prince Gerald risks stepping into the rune, looking at the moving parts on his side.

" Oh, that's why that part didn't make sense," he says almost to himself. "It's needs to be active to be complete. Katarina, Keith, it's counting down something on our end. It looks like the gate will be open about twenty minutes.

Katarina glances down, and sees the timer on her own side, a large number that probably consists of seconds.

Well, no time to waste them. She steps onto the rune, ignoring Keith's small cry in protest – Gerald has already stepped on it, so it must be fine. She makes it to the centre, and raises a hand towards the faded screen, only to frown when it hits something solid. Gerald's smile fades, eyes narrowing as he watches, and behind her, Keith frowns, walking up and also putting a hand on whatever is keeping them here.

" Is there still a barrier?"

" I think so?" Katarina says. "Prince Gerald, it's still blocked."

That opens the floodgates, as Gerald finds himself joined by the Student Council, Mary looking terrified.

" What? Why isn't it working? Did we miss something?"

" I don't think so," Sophia says.

Maria then steps forward, raising her own hand. " Wait, maybe it just needs a push on both sides."

Before the others can question it, she's slipped straight in front of Katarina, her hand placed opposite hers on the barrier, and Katarina's face lights up as the strange grey film cracks and vanishes, her hand pushing into Maria's and intertwining their fingers – the grey film vanishing to reveal Maria and her friends in front of her.

'Ah! That's our Maria for you!' Katarina inwardly cheers. 'You're so smart!'

She doesn't have time to say it out loud though, because Maria is on her, slipping out of the hand to wrap her arms tight around Katarina's shoulders, a huge grin on her face to match hers.

" You're back!" Maria cries. "I'm so happy to see you."

" Me too," Katarina replies, hugging her tight before loosening the grip. She has a lot of people to greet. But before she can step away, Mary and Sophia are on her, turning it into a group hug.

" Katarina!"

"We missed you."

Katarina laughs, and just tries to wrap her arms around all three of them.

They're finally home.

Chapter 17

Since we have people with the same name interacting a LOT in this chapter, I needed a way to differentiate that didn't seem awkward. In the end, I went with the following:

Miss Katarina/Master Keith – Game Counterpart
Katarina/Keith – Isekai Counterpart

Isekai World

"So, that's her?"

Master Keith shrugs, staring at the girl being bombarded by her friends, not even looking in Katarina's direction. "Yeah, your other self in all her glory."

Miss Katarina's lips purse. "I didn't expect her to look so much like me."

Unlike Keith, Geord does turn to face her. "She is you. Or you her – regardless of personality, you can't have expected a vast difference."

His reply gets a scoff. "Regardless of genetics, hair and clothing can be varied. She'd different from me in almost every imaginable way. Why should fashion sense be any different?"

To be honest, she'd been picturing her other self with shorter hair. And maybe a less classy outfit. Like a brunette Maria, rather than her perfect doppelgänger.

...Well, maybe not perfect. Miss Katarina isn't sure she's ever worn a smile that bright as the girl currently hugging the Council with every fibre of her being is.

It...hurts...in a way she hadn't expected it to.

She covers the pain by taking a deep breath and straightening her back. It's hardly the first time she's had to hide her feelings in front of people that cannot be insulted.

For once, Master Keith seems to be in complete agreement with her, bracing his own shoulders as he spots his own doppelgänger., followed by their own council.

"Let's get this over with," he half mutters. He's got no desire to get punched in the face again. This fantasy is over before it ever really got started.

Slowly, all three of them make their way over. Their arrival is met with significantly less fanfare – a few nods, their Alan's eyes flickering over Geord's frame before glancing away, and Maria…

Miss Maria steps away from the group to meet them, though she's definitely maintaining her distance from Katarina.

"Prince Geord, Keith, I'm glad you're both okay," she offers. "You as well, Lady Claes."

The commoner clearly missed her calling as an actress. Katarina almost believes it.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble we've caused you all," Geord is quick to offer, eyes immediately softening at the mere sight of Maria.

"It's been a learning experience," Master Keith agrees. "How about you Maria? Have our other's treated you well."

Miss Maria gives a hesitant nod. But before she can do anything more, a familiar but far too energetic voice echoes through the room.

"Ah, that's the other Katarina! Mary! Mary let me go!"

Miss Katarina grimaces as her other self catches sight of her, prying herself loose from the group of devoted to scramble in her direction. They're quick to follow, but before her other self can get too close, she hesitates, eyes suddenly catching Prince Geord's and stopping where she stands. The smile on her face dims, glancing between the Prince and her brother's double – and Miss Katarina is fiercely reminded of Geord's earlier words. The last time she'd been this close, Prince Geord had tried to kill her.

At least her duplicate has some survival skills then.

"Katarina, there's no need to bother yourself here," Prince Gerald insists, quick to join his fiance's side, hand on her shoulder. He's quickly joined by Keith's duplicate on the other side, glaring daggers in Geord's direction.

...Who, if Miss Katarina's memory is correct, has earned the right to punch her fiance once he's in grabbing range.

Prince Geord clearly remembers this too, because he steps forward, falling into a short bow and looking so terribly contrite it can only be half faked.

"Please Miss Claes, allow me to apologise," he starts, only for Katarina to interrupt.

"Apologise?" she repeats. "You tried to kill me! That was completely unfair!"

Nearly everyone in the room flinches at the blunt tone, but the other Katarina doesn't appear to notice.

"It's not something you can just apologise for!" Katarina insists. "I was doing everything you wanted, and it still wasn't enough. I feel sorry for any woman who ends up with you if that's how you act. Being a dark hearted Prince only gets you so far!"

"You're right," Prince Geord agrees. "While my actions may have been manipulated by dark magic, I should have maintained some rational."

Katarina's mouth snaps shut, and a look of befuddlement crosses her face.

"Dark magic?" she repeats, cocking her head like a particularly dumb puppy.

"It's true," Maria – this world's Maria – says. "We only discovered it after you went missing, but Prince Geord was under the influence of dark magic when he attacked you."

Katarina's jaw drops, and looks back at the trio in shock while Maria quickly explains exactly what the means. Geord nods, quick to use the opening as he straightens.

"Yes. Again, I can only apologise, Miss Claes. You did not deserve any of my ire, and I am beyond ashamed that I could not resist it. I am grateful you haven't suffered any permanent injury."

His shoulders are tense, fully expecting another punch or slap. Miss Katarina's almost looking forward to it. So it's something of a surprise and irritation to have Katarina step forward simply grab his hand.

"Dark magic! Of course!" she says, eyes shining. "That's such a relief."

Geord blinks. "It is?"

The girl nods furiously. "Murder seemed like such an extreme reaction, but if it was dark magic, then it wasn't really your fault."

She then gasps, as if she's discovered some magnificent revelation. "Wait, if it was dark magic, then maybe that's why you did it originally! That makes so much more sense!"

Geord looks a little confused, but when he hears his own double clear his throat, quickly pulls his hand free from Katarina's.

"Then, you accept my apology?" he asks. Katarina nods, and Katarina suspects she barely understood what he said.

"Sure, sure. It's all good. Well not good, but it's not a doom ending meant for me anyway."

"I-doom end-"

He's cut off when Katarina darts forward, lunging straight for Miss Katarina. She doesn't have time to react, finding herself pulled forward by this hyperactive copy, hands tightly clasped.

"E-excuse me!" Miss Katarina splutters. "What exactly are you-"

"Anyway, I need to talk to other Katarina," Katarina says, her grip only tightening as Katarina tries to break free. "Private Katarina things. I'll be back okay."

Judging from the looks she's getting, it's decidedly not okay.

"Katarina!"

"Sis!"

"But!-"

Katarina gives them no quarter, offering up a rather tragic pout Katarina knows from her own repertoire.

"Please, I need to discuss...that," she half whines, and Miss Katarina frowns as both this world's Keith and Prince Gerald deflate, sharing a look before nodding in acceptance.

The rest of the group erupt, but it's clear Katarina is no longer listening, pulling Miss Katarina towards the door.

"Wait, I have no interest in speaking to – let me go!"

To her frustration, she can't break free, the hands practically clamped down. Even through the gloves, she can feel the roughness of the palms, and her face flushes. By the time they're out of it, Miss Katarina is red with embarrassment.

"Just what do they feed you?" she half shrieks when the door slams shut. "Let go of my hand you wretch! I can walk."

Katarina ignores her, pulling her down the steps and into the garden, before finally releasing her grip. Miss Katarina is only given a brief moment of relief to rub her numb fingers, before those ridiculously calloused hands are clamped on her shoulders.

"Listen to me," Katarina says, staring at her in fear. "If you're not careful, you're going to meet your doom."

"Is that really a good idea?" Master Keith asks, staring at the door. "Katarina hasn't been best pleased about all this. I'm afraid for yours."

"If I thought it was possible to stop her, I would have," Prince Gerald replies. "Katarina was quite insistent on speaking to her."

"Might end up being better for you too," Keith says, and Mary nods, though she looks a little put out.

"I guess nobody 'Katarinas' like the original article."

Gerald's lip quirks upwards, but he quickly shakes it off, turning his attention to the other Council, slowly making their way through the portal and not-so-subtly staring at their dopplegangers.

"Anyway, since this rune is back in action, we can get to what's important."

Gerald quickly clamps a hand on Geord's collar, half thrusting him forward – practically shoving him into Master Alan's face as he steps closer.

"I believe this is yours. Please feel free to take him back."

Geord quickly shakes himself, but not fast enough to avoid both versions of Alan smirking at the antics.

To their surprise however, rather than encouraging their departure, Sirius takes charge, walking up to the portal every inch the leader he is.

"Please, the portal should stay open for some time. Why don't you come through. It might be nice to exchange notes."

The other Sirius nods, and is the first to step forward, inching towards the other with curious eyes. The two are assessing each other with an almost terrifying focus

"I'm sure we all wish to put this all behind us," Geord replies, trying to get back on track. "As soon as Katarina is released from the company of yours, we'll happily leave."

"But until then," Master Alan is quick to add, eating up the steps between him and Alan, Mary at his side. "Sirius is right. Why don't we get to know each other?"

He's already eyeing up his doppelgänger., whose eyebrows are up, but doesn't appear against the idea. Geord opens his mouth to argue, not particularly wanting anyone to know of the humiliation he's endured, only to hear squeals of delight, and this world's Sophia rushing towards her other self as she steps through, face lit up.

"Yes! Let's talk," she says, eyes bright. "I have to know if there are books in your world that don't exist in this one."

Miss Mary almost automatically glances towards her other self as well, and Geord sags in defeat. Understandably, none of these people have come through out of concern for him – they want to talk to other versions of themselves in this strange, odd world.

He glances over at Master Keith, and both share a sigh while they start mentally counting down the clock.

Miss Katarina can only stare at the panicked girl in front of her, before scoffing.

"Doom?" she repeats. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Katarina doesn't answer, and instead shifts her skirts, revealing a pocket to the side of her skirt much larger than Miss Katarina thought possible. It's almost embarrassing, the position Katarina is in, and Miss Katarina blushes slightly, eyes flitting in terror of someone seeing them in this situation, as Katarina pulls out a small package, presenting it to her.

"I need to tell you a secret," Katarina says, looking more serious than she had thought possible. "I know your future. Or, well, possible futures."

Miss Katarina raises her eyebrows, etiquette demanding she take the parcel. So much for serious.

"Really?"

"Really!" Katarina insists. "When I fell and hit my hit eight years ago, it was like I had read a book about my life, and what could happen. And none of it was good. If you're not careful and change your ways, you're going to fall to your doom!"

Miss Katarina can't help it. She laughs.

"That is preposterous. I don't know what angle you're trying to pull, but I think you should try your luck on toddlers before me."

"You can ask Keith and Prince Gerald if you don't believe me," Katarina insists. "They know the truth too. Why would I lie about this?"

Miss Katarina's smile dims somewhat. It does seem far-fetched, but-

"I saw everything that could happen," Katarina explains. "I saw Maria coming to the Academy. I saw all of the Student Council falling in love with her. And after tormenting and bullying her, I saw Katarina Claes exiled or murdered thanks to Keith or Prince Geord!"

Miss Katarina pales. It sounds ridiculous-

-And yet...

"I spent years making sure I wouldn't die," Katarina continues, as Miss Katarina ponders the ramifications. "I practised the sword so Prince Gerald couldn't just cut me down, and I learned how to farm so that if I was exiled, I could support myself. Plus I kept trying to break off the engagement, and made sure both Prince Gerald and my brother knew I'd support their relationships.

"Why not just get rid of Keith?" Miss Katarina asks. "If he was going to kill you, why not ensure he can't?"

"Oh I thought about it," Katarina says, which definitely isn't the reply she expected. "But I couldn't possibly go through with it. Besides, I always wanted a little brother."

Funny. Miss Katarina certainly hadn't. Call her spoiled if you wish, but she'd always enjoyed her parents undivided attention. They were so determined to avoid each other she'd benefited quite nicely.

"And with this knowledge, you were able to seduce everyone in Maria's place?" Miss Katarina tries to confirm, only to get a laugh.

"Oh don't be silly, I haven't seduced anyone, that's Maria's job," is the reply. "I did get a little confused, but Prince Gerald and my brother helped me realise I'm not going to be exiled now. We're probably all heading for the friendship ending."

Miss Katarina stares, waiting for the punchline, but all she sees is an honest smile and clear eyes. Even Miss Maria has never looked so innocent.

Dear lord, the girl truly is oblivious to her actions isn't she? Here stands the most influential woman of her generation, and she doesn't have a clue. In her hands lies power Miss Katarina would happily kill for, and she's utterly unaware. She'd heard the stories, but to see it in action…

Miss Katarina frowns, eyes flitting away.

But...it does put a lot of 'Saint Katarina's' actions in a different light. She's not just the embodiment of goodness – there was selfish panic driving her actions, something Miss Katarina can relate to. If she had been given knowledge of the future, knowing that Miss Maria's arrival had been a timer on her own downfall, would she have done anything different?

It's hard to say. Even if she'd known exile was inevitable, would she have resorted to farming? Surely there are more...palatable options. She's fairly certain she could have gone into something regarding fashion, or maybe something in an office, if her title was gone for good.

She scowls. No, she won't lie to herself. Miss Katarina would devote every second of her life to revenge. And not of the 'living well' kind. Having a fallback would never even have been an option.

But given what she's learned, and what Prince Geord has told her…

"Tell me everything you know," Miss Katarina demands, slipping the parcel under her arm. "If I'm to escape this fate, then what do I do?"

'This is so much more awkward than I expected.'

Mary keeps her smile as fixed as she could, taking in the duplicates. Watching her other self practically clinging to Alan's arm is quite unnerving, but it's clear all of them are more curious than worried.

...With maybe the exception of the two Council Presidents. Mary is reminded momentarily of when two foxes had slipped into her garden and circled each other in threat assessment. While they might have been the first to agree, neither Sirius seems to know what to do with the other.

As she watches the two Alan's interact, her attention is quickly drawn when her other self looks back, eyes locking on hers.

For a moment, they just stare – until Miss Mary glances over at Master Alan, whispers something to him, and slips from his grasp to greet her.

"Good day, Lady Hunt," she says, with a flawless curtsy.

"Please, I think we can be more familial, given the circumstances," Mary greets back, matching the move. "Thank you for bringing our Katarina back in one piece."

Miss Mary smiles. "I won't deny it's a painful loss. She's quite a unique soul. You're very lucky."

Mary can't help but smile. No argument here.

"I can't imagine not having met Katarina," she replies, cheeks blushing slightly as she thinks back fondly. Something that has Miss Mary biting her lip.

"Um, can I ask you something personal?" she asks. "Prince Gerald and Keith suggested that, ah, you had romantic-"

Mary quickly puts a finger to Miss Mary's lips, glancing over at the Alan's, who are walking past, talking about something involving music.

"Yes," she admits, once the danger zone has passed. "I love Katarina."

The words seem to dim Miss Mary, who slumps as much as a noble lady would ever risk.

"Then what about Prince Alan?"

Mary shrugs. "Don't misunderstand, I do care about him. If I hadn't met Katarina, I would consider myself very lucky to have landed such a great fiance. But I did, and I can't change my feelings.

Miss Mary nods, though she still looks somewhat downtrodden. "Then, does he have anyone who loves him? If you succeed, will he'll be all alone?"

She replies with a light laugh. "Well, he might not have a lover, but he'll have a whole group of people to commiserate with. He's not alone, he has friends."

Then she pouts. "Unless he realises his feelings and confesses in a way she accepts. Then it'll be war. Prince Gerald and I are bitter rivals, unless someone else gets involved, and then we're allies. Whatever it takes to keep him oblivious."

Miss Mary frowns at that. "That seems cruel. I've already accepted that if Maria wins his heart, I'll back off, because I want him to be happy more than I want to be. The only reason I'm still standing in their way is because Maria doesn't seem to have made a choice, and Prince Alan deserves someone who will put him first. Don't you feel the same?"

Mary frowns, the words resonating in a place deep in her heart that she doesn't like poking too much.

"If...if someone manages to win her heart that isn't me, I'll accept it," she chokes out. "I won't like it, I'll probably never fully get over it, but I'll accept it, if just to keep her in my life."

Then she straightens.

"But just like you, I'm not backing off without a fight," she says. "Katarina's heart is still very much up for grabs."

Miss Mary smiles back. "Then maybe we should discuss battle tactics. Considering both our paramours are quite oblivious."

The grin she offers back is utterly devilish.

"Do tell…"

"Okay, I have to ask," Master Alan says, watching Miss Mary slip away to greet her other self. "How do you and your brother have such a good relationship?"

"I don't know, it just sort of...happened?" Alan explains. "One day I could barely stand being in the room with him, and the next, he's just my bratty older twin."

"...But it's still him," Master Alan argues. "Yeah he was definitely a better version, but there's no way he wasn't a brat as a kid."

Alan shrugs. "He's my brother. Sure, he's arrogant and a narcissist and you sometimes just want to punch him the face...but he's also kind of dim without realising and gets so damn flustered when he doesn't know how to handle Katarina, and he always has my back."

He glances over to where Gerald is standing next to Geord and the Keith's. "I don't need to beat him. There's no point to it. We both got screwed over as kids, and life's too short to try and be something you're not. Looking back...he's my best friend other than Katarina. I can't imagine not having him in my life, manipulative asshole or otherwise."

Master Alan shakes his head. "I can't imagine me and Geord ever getting to that point. Half my life I dreamed about him getting abducted and kidnapped to a faraway country so I never had to seem him again."

"Oh I've still done that a few times," Alan laughs back. "Think Sophia even wrote a story where 'Prince Gordo' did just that and his beloved fiance 'Kitty' found comfort in a librarian Faerie."

Master Alan blinks, and Alan blushes red.

"Look, Katarina read it out loud one day and I was bored. It's not like I was reading it or anything!"

"Riiiight…"

He looks irritated, but the blush quickly fades. "Look, if he's anything like mine, he's probably carrying as many issues about what happened when we were kids as you are. Only difference between you and me? Katarina gave us something to talk about. A middle ground. So, find your middle ground."

Master Alan doesn't look that confident, but nods all the same. Alan suspects this conversation has borne all the fruit it's going to, so...time to switch topics.

"By the way, good call on figuring out the song so quickly," he says. "I was on the way to figuring it out, but sending us the completed sheet on your end saved us hours."

The way Master Alan's shoulders relax, it's a good call. "Thanks. It was a pretty interesting composition – took quite a bit of work putting it together."

"Oh yeah, you'd have to have some skill, working with only half of the thing," Alan agrees. "I mean, if I'd realised earlier that the song in the rune was a Cress composition, I would have figured it out much sooner. I have copies of all their sheet music, you'd think I'd have spotted it."

"...All their sheet music?"

Alan frowns. Master Alan looks confused – surely anyone who'd studied music would know the name.

"Yeah. The Cress siblings composed a lot of songs. Some pretty significant."

...wait. If the Cress duo jumped to this world before they started composing...

Stars almost begin to shine in Master Alan's eyes.

"There's more?"

Alan lets himself grin wide.

"Oh my friend, I have so much to show you."

He tosses an arm over his shoulder and guides the other Prince towards the piano, where several books, namely those of the Cress siblings lie.

Hidden away in a corner, Sirius stares at Master Sirius, who stares right back.

"You've caused me some trouble, Raphael," Master Sirius says, and Sirius smirks back, somewhat relieved to learn that is him staring back.

"Yes, but in my defence, after so much sunshine, how could I not take the chance? Do you know how stressful it is dealing with them all full time?"

Master Sirius mulls it over, and nods. "True. Just having two of them short term was more than I could take. How do you manage a whole swarm?"

"With gritted teeth and a lot of tea," Sirius quips back. "But yours are far too volatile. You need to tread carefully."

"Oh unlike you, I have a Katarina I can throw under the cart without anyone batting too much of an eye," Master Sirius replies. "Or at least I did. There's no way of knowing how much this trip will affect her. But both of us will have to be much more careful. They know of you, and it won't take much to suspect once I make my move if Miss Claes doesn't perform the way I need."

"Then we'll both just have to be patient," Sirius replies. "We're good at that."

Master Sirius smiles back.

"Yes. We haven't made it this far to choke now."

Nicol and Master Nicol cock their heads. Then do the same to the other side. Next to them, Sophia and Miss Sophie are standing, clutching each other's hands.

"She introduced you to the Devilish Count?"

Miss Sophia blushes and nods. "Yes, it's so good!"

"What about 'An Immortal and the Dragon?'"

"Oh, that's wonderful. What about 'A Faraway Tale?'"

Sophia's eyes light up. "I've never heard of it."

Her doppelgänger. gasps. "It's wonderful. See, it's starts with this young farmhand who wants to become a knight-"

Both Nicol's watch as the two descend into a delighted chatter.

"She's so much more animated here," Master Nicol says, watching them fondly. "It's everything I've ever hoped for her."

"I'm sorry you didn't get to see this regularly," Nicol replies. "Every day I'm grateful Sophia got the chance to shine."

Master Nicol shakes his head. "It's frustrating. How can it be there's only one other person in two universes who sees what we see?"

"I don't know," Nicol admits. "It's a cruel twist of fate. But I hope Katarina was at least able to help her somewhat."

Master Nicol's lips twitch upwards. "I did ask for a dual custody arrangement, but Prince Gerald shut it down."

Nicol nods. He would. His Highness hates having to share Katarina with the group of them. Adding another full deck of dopplegangers would be a line in the sand even he couldn't tolerate.

He personally agrees. They get so little time together - he's not splitting it with another version of him either. Especially not with a version whose Sophia still desperately needs a heroine.

Even he's not that selfless.

"Hello."

"Hello to you."

Both Maria's watch each other, feeling far more awkward than they'd prefer.

"So, Prince Gerald and Keith…" Miss Maria starts, looking nervous. "They said you loved Katarina."

Maria stands just a little straighter, smiling automatically at the words.

"I do. With all my heart."

The answer coming so quickly seems to throw her other self, who stares in genuine surprise.

"And you?" Maria asks. "Do you have anyone?"

Slowly, Miss Maria shakes her head.

"I...I can't say I love anyone just yet," she admits. "But I do have suitors."

She glances up, eyes flitting up to watch the Council, all speaking with their other selves, before turning back to Maria – who has watched her silently.

"I did hear from Keith, and from the Princes, a little bit of what it's like for you," Maria says. "At least unlike Katarina, you're aware of it, but I don't envy you."

"How did you know?" Miss Maria eventually asks. "What made you so sure Katarina was the one? No matter how hard I think about it, I feel like if I choose to love anyone, I'll make a mistake."

Miss Maria looks at the floor. "I know Keith or Nicol don't have fiance's, so I'm hurting less people if I accept their feelings. But Prince Geord seems so miserable with his engagement, and Alan doesn't love Mary. He could, but he's never tried. And it seems wrong to pick someone just because it's convenient."

"I can't argue with that," Maria says. "I know Katarina comes with offending royalty and upsetting the only group of friends I've ever had. But I can't bring myself to back off – not if there's even a chance I can earn her heart."

She braces herself, wondering how to answer her question. "I knew it had to be Katarina...because my heart could no longer comprehend living life without her in it."

Miss Maria is nodding, though her face is still doubtful. "I don't feel that way about anyone, not really."

"I'm sure it happens to people differently," Maria assures her. "One day, you'll wake up and it'll seem so certain. Or maybe it won't – because even I'm the one Katarina chooses, my friends will be unhappy, but they'll still be there for us."

She takes hold of Miss Maria's hand and squeezes it.

"If you're not certain, but don't want to be alone, perhaps it's better to forge friendships first. A man and woman do not have to be lovers to spend time together. I love Katarina, but I love the bonds I've created with the Student Council too. Why tear yourself apart trying to force a romance and choosing just once when you could be friends with all of them."

Miss Maria blinks.

"That's an option?"

Maria laughs.

"Why don't you try getting to know Mary and Sophia? They're really nice once you get to know them."

"I...is that allowed?" Maria asks. "Even if I'm part of the council, my status is still an issue. The boys can choose to come to me, but I can't just approach anyone on my own time."

Maria smiles. "If Katarina has taught me anything, it's that status shouldn't matter when it comes to caring about people."

With one eye, Prince Geord watches the Student Council members speak to the others, while his other eye watches the portal, longing to run through and put this all behind him.

Next to him, the Keith's are glaring at each other, utterly uninterested in speaking to each other. He'd try to break the ice, but he's still fairly certain one of them is going to punch him once they remember he exists, so the ire can stay.

As for Prince Gerald, they've said all they need to about each other. At this point, they both have the same goal, and it's dependent on their fiance's returning.

Unfortunately, silence is not something a group of people can traditionally keep up for long, and Keith is the first to shatter it.

"Have you gone out with every available girl at school?" he asks Master Keith. "Call it morbid curiosity."

To Prince Geord's bemusement, Prince Gerald's eyebrows rise impressively high, while his own Keith rolls his eyes.

"Says the man in love with his own sister."

"We share no blood!" Keith hisses, face red, and Master Keith scoffs.

"And yet, I spent enough time with her to know, that unlike mine, she loves you as if you did. Creep."

Keith is only held back by Prince Gerald's hand clamping on his shoulder.

"Enough. Play nice. A few more minutes and you'll never have to deal with each other again."

Keith growls, but backs off. Master Keith however, keeps the fire in his eyes even as his face calms.

"Just saying. Glass houses."

"Not the same at all," Keith mutters. "I'm pretty sure my Mother would even approve, once we get the engagement annulled."

"Not happening," Prince Gerald mutters under his breath.

The words do seem to reach Master Keith though, as he runs a hand through his hair and scowls.

"Speaking of Mother…"

"What?" Keith asks, tone dry. Master Keith doesn't react.

"Look, just...when you see your parents again, tell them I'm sorry? And thanks."

"Thanks?" Keith questions. Master Keith shrugs.

"For letting me know what it's like to be wanted."

Keith's hands clench into fists. Part of him knows he shouldn't be angry, that he gets it. But the other...

"It wasn't yours to take," he snaps. "I want to be understanding, but you crossed a line when you destroyed that rune."

The smirk on Master Keith's face is vicious. "Says the one who didn't appreciate just how lucky he was."

"My wish was taken out of context," Keith hisses back. "Don't you dare judge."

"I won't if you don't, Creep."

"You da-"

The words die in his throat, as the sound of a door opening hits his ears.

'Oh thank the gods' Prince Gerald thinks to himself, as the doors to the lab open to admit the two Katarina's – one smiling, another looking introspective.

"Did you managed to convey what you needed to?" he asks outwardly, letting himself smile as Katarina grins and gives him a thumbs up. By her side, Miss Katarina huffs.

"I have been given some things to think about, yes," she admits, adjusting the parcel under her arm. "And now, I believe we should return home."

"Yes," Prince Geord agrees, a little too quickly. "Let's make haste before it shuts off."

The words jerk everyone to life, with Sirius quickly shaking hands with his other, Master Alan accepting several books and sheets of paper from Alan, Sophia hugging her twin, and the Mary's offering polite nods, before they step over to the portal, quickly stepping through.

Both sets of Katarina's and Maria's seem to hesitate, but Geord and Master Keith are escorted directly over, to face their doppelgängers one last time.

Gerald smiles, gesturing towards the portal. "Please take no offence, but I do hope we never meet again."

Prince Geord returns with a darker smile. "To be honest, the feeling is mutual. Farewell."

Master Keith nods, walking off with his hands in his pockets – only to hesitate when he hears Katarina call from where she stands.

"Ah! Keith! Just so you know, I had my Keith leave you something in your room, okay? I know it was short, but I was happy to have you as a brother, okay? You're a good guy!"

Master Keith feels a blush curl on his cheeks, before yanking his head to the side. To his surprises, Keith doesn't pay him another look, ignoring his sister and instead turning to Prince Geord.

"Oh wait, almost forgot-"

Prince Geord hesitates at the voice. A crucial mistake – before he can bolt for the portal, a fist is slamming into his cheek, stepping back from the blow.

"Ah! Keith! What are you doing?" Katarina wails, almost drowning out Miss Maria's gasp of shock.

"Prince Geord!"

Keith ignores them both, shaking his now numb hand, smiling at the Prince.

"Just fulfilling a life long dream, Sis," Keith says. "Oh that felt great."

Geord feels his own hand start to curl into a fist, but before it gets anywhere, Master Keith has stepped back and grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

"Come on, walk it off your Highness. Let's go."

The two quickly walk through, and Keith happily lets them go, walking to join Prince Gerald and head back to their own group, walking past the Maria's standing at the rune's edge. The two face each other, hands clasped, and Miss Maria smiles at Maria.

"Good luck, my other self."

Maria giggles. "And to you, however you choose."

They share a smile, and Miss Maria slips through. Finally, there's just the Katarina's, with Keith, Prince Gerald and Maria quickly coming to flank her.

"Please be careful," Katarina begs, face genuinely worried, and Miss Katarina frowns.

"I am a Claes," she says. "I am always careful."

Her eyes glance over to Maria. "Miss Campbell, that request I had. Did you manage to get it?"

Katarina frowns, but Maria offers a small smile, and hands over a small notebook.

"I copied as many of them as I could," she says. "I hope you enjoy them."

Miss Katarina gives a sharp nod, and while she feels like spitting nails to do it, thanks the girl.

"I appreciate it," she says, slipping the notebook between the twine of the package. "Farewell."

She starts to turn, but hesitates.

"Katarina," she says.

"Um, yes?" her other self asks.

"Don't ever take for granted how lucky you are," Miss Katarina says, and strides through the portal with as much poise as she can muster.

A minute later, the portal crackles, and fades into nothing, leaving nothing but a rune on the floor.

Chapter 18

Game World

What follows once the portal disintegrates is hours upon hours of questioning. The King, the guards and the researchers all wishing to interrogate the three of them on exactly what happened. The King is especially interested in Prince Geord's attack on the other version of his fiance, and immediately orders an investigation to see if the same dark magic can be found on their own school grounds. Thankfully, Sirius has already agreed to front it, allowing the rest of the Council to retreat and recover.

Personally, Keith just wants to head for his room, not even wishing to speak to Maria before he decompresses. Unfortunately, this universe has never been kind to his desires – and he finds himself being escorted to his parents along with Katarina, because they're on the grounds, as their doppelgängers couldn't leave well enough alone.

And it's clear said doppelgängers have given his parents the riot act, given that the two of them spend the meeting sitting on a sofa closer than they've ever been, hands intertwined. Katarina doesn't quite manage to stop her jaw from dropping at that – and it's probably the shock that gets her sitting down next to him without argument.

The conversation that follows probably doesn't help her mental state much either.

"We've caused both of you much pain," his mother says. "You most of all Keith. I don't know if our relationship has anything left to salvage, but we'd like to try."

And seven years ago, that would have meant something. But words are cheap considering he's spent nearly half his life the victim of their personal drama.

Katarina clearly agrees, considering she stands and leaves the room without a word. Keith watches her leave, before returning his gaze to his parents. Part of him dearly wants to follow suit, but he finds himself pinned where he sits, the neglected child in him rising up to fight .

"With all due respect, you will be the ones putting in the effort," he tells them. "Because I now know exactly what I should have had, if you'd tried back when it mattered. I'm not letting you in with just an apology."

His mother's lips purse, and he can practically see her mouth start to form the automatic insult – just to catch herself and bite it back. His father merely tightens his grip on her hand.

"That's your right," his father offers. "We brought you in, and treated you shamelessly. This is our fault to fix."

Keith blinks, the rage dispersing at the acceptance of his words.

Well, that's…

It's a start, he guesses.

To be honest, he doubts their words, even if he agrees to let them start repairing things before taking his leave. Not that they won't try, but there's a lot of damage to be undone, and that fact is his mother and sister have spent so long seeing him as an enemy, it won't be undone with a few pretty words. He'll watch how they act, but Keith is fairly certain his best chance at a future will still be by taking Prince Geord's offer.

It almost feels like his room should feel alien to him now, but he walks through to well known nostalgia. Empty shelves and a well made bed – fitting his life like a tailored suit. His other has left no trace – just as he left it.

...Well, not exactly. There's a small white box on his bed that he doesn't recognise, and Katarina's words echo in his head.

Huh, that must be what Katarina was talking about. She did say she'd left him something.

He walks over, sitting down on the bed as he lifts it to his lap, carefully untying the messy string to release the lid, showing the contents.

It's some kind of medallion, with an odd crest. Keith runs a finger over the engraving, before putting it to the side, and opens the letter, only to frown at the contents.

Inside, is a perfect copy of the rune inked out, and a letter written in a messy scrawl.

' Dear Keith

We spoke to your parents to try and help them understand how wrong they treated you. You would be an awesome heir and brother if they'd just give you a chance.'

Keith huffs. Yeah, he noticed – but that doesn't mean he wants to fill those shoes any more.

' But just in case they don't, this medallion is special. It's how Prince Gerald made it back even with the rune broken!'

Keith stills.

What?

' Sleep with it by your side and you can speak to a future you or maybe even another you. They can help you make another functioning rune portal, and you can jump to another world just by wishing to go there! Maybe even come back here – Mother loves Keith, so I know she'd love twins.

I don't want you to need it, but big sisters need to look out for their little brothers!

Love

Katarina'

And under it, written in far more familiar handwriting.

' Don't come back here. Go find a world that doesn't have a Keith.'

The 'other' Keith

Keith stops, reads the letter again. Then a third time for good measure.

Slowly, it slips from his fingers, and he starts to laugh, the sound becoming hysterical the longer he goes. Without looking, his hand grasps for the medallion on the bed, gripping it tight.

"Dammit Keith, you'd better appreciate her," he chokes out, lifting up the medallion and grinning. "Because if I ever use this and get in contact with you, I'm going to come back and steal every ounce of love she has to give."

The next morning, Sophia makes her way to the library with Nicol as her escort. As strange as the recent events have been, she sees no reason to change her schedule, and she wants to check out the next Devilish Count book. Even with all the extra work their recent arrivals caused, she'd ploughed through the first one and desperately needs to find the second.

She's sitting at her usual table while Nicol stands guard a distance away, debating on if she should just take the sequel or just grab the entire series, when she hears someone walking towards her - and her heart sinks when she realises just who it is.

"Maria?" she asks, forcing her face into a placid expression. "You don't normally come to the library this early."

Nobody does really, but it's one of her few reprieves – Maria is more likely to interact with Nicol in the afternoons. She can already feel Nicol watching both of them – and while she knows her brother will try to keep it private, Sophia is the one person who has always been able to read him like a book.

Still, Nicol deserves happiness. And from what her other self has told her, what brings him happiness is her getting along with the person he holds affection for. She can do this.

"Nicol is over there," she says, gesturing in his direction, face down as she busies herself with books.

"I'm not here to see Nicol," Maria answers. "I was hoping to talk to you, Sophia."

Over the books, Sophia's hands hesitate, before she draws back to stare at the other girl. Behind her, she can just about hear Nicol shuffle on his feet.

"Me?" she questions. "Why?"

Maria looks incredibly awkward, and starts fiddling with her hands.

"I was...well, I was wondering if you could perhaps...recommend a book I could read?" she says, cheeks slightly flushed in embarrassment.

"You...want me to recommend a book?" Sophia repeats, understanding the words but not the order. "I didn't think you liked reading fiction."

There's a pinkish hue to Maria's cheeks as she answers.

"I don't," she admits. "But then, I haven't read a lot of books. There's no library in my village, and what we have is quite bare, so I didn't have a lot of choice. But you enjoy it, and I want to get to know you better, Sophia."

Sophia stays silent, staring at the girl, and her cheeks grow even redder.

"I've never really been good at making friends," Maria admits. "If not for my magic, then my status. I don't really know how to approach people. But my other self really valued the friendships she had with the Student Council. Friends are what I've always wanted, I just...forgot about that, for a little while."

She gives a small shrug. "I don't know if I'll enjoy reading the books you recommend, but that's why I'm trying it. In that world, we were friends, you, me, Katarina and Mary. I doubt our Katarina will ever see me as a friend, but I don't see why we can't have that too."

She looks at the table, and picks up a book at random, before looking at Sophia with an eager expression.

"What about this one? Did you like it? What's it about?"

Her face looks so eager, Sophia has to look aside. Part of her wants to turn Maria away – positive this is just some ploy to get more hooks into her brother and leave her alone with no one.

But in the back of her mind, she remembers parties spent in the corner. Angry and disgusted faces whenever she approached. The desperate wish to find someone, anyone, who didn't judge her for things she can't change. Things she shouldn't have to change. She's so protective of Nicol because he's all she has. But what if it doesn't have to be?

Once upon a time, all she wanted was a friend too.

Slowly, Sophia smiles.

"This one...might be a bit much if you're not used to romance novels," she says, plucking the book from Maria's hands and lifting out an old favourite from her bag. "But you might enjoy this one."

Maria happily takes the book proffered, and smiles at the title.

"Sophia and the Emerald Princess?"

"It's the story of the friendship of a Princess and a commoner," Sophia explains. "Even if you don't like the genre, you might be able to appreciate the story."

Maria's shoulders relax, clearly relieved. "Maybe once I'm done, we can talk about it?"

Somewhere deep inside, Sophia feels something bloom.

"I'd like that."

Nicol spends the next thirty minutes watching his sister and Maria read, before coming over to usher them to the Student Council room for the morning duties. He'd rather expected Maria to come over to talk to him at some point, but finds her choice to remain near Sophia somewhat endearing.

As much as he's devoted to Sophia, it's clear from the other world that what his sister desperately needs is a friend to help her grow, and if Maria is willing to discard his fumbling attempts and focus on giving Sophia just that, he'll happily step aside. He graduates this year – Sophia will need the support when he can't protect her.

When they make it to their office, Sirius is missing, probably still organising the search, but Prince Alan and Mary are at their desks.

"Good morning Prince Alan, Mary," Nicol greets, holding the door for the girls. "No sign of Keith or Prince Geord?"

Mary shakes her head. "I think Keith requested some time away. I suspect his family might pull him and Katarina out for a bit, just to clear the air. Their parent's are still on the grounds. I'm not sure about Prince Geord."

"He won't be here for a while," Alan offers. "He invited Katarina to one of the meeting rooms first thing."

"Really?" Maria asks, sounding unsure how she should feel about it, and Alan nods.

"They're discussing the engagement."

Four words, but they cause every eye to widen.

"Really?"

"He's going to annul it?"

Alan shrugs. "I don't know. Geord seemed pretty adamant about cancelling it, but Katarina doesn't have to make it easy for him. I'm not sure how it's going to go – I'm actually surprised she agreed to show up."

"Do we really think Katarina will let him?" Sophia asks.

"Well, she did speak to her other self for some time," Maria offers. "It's possible she convinced her."

Mary however, frowns, deep in thought.

"If I know anything about Katarina, any Katarina, it's that she doesn't give up without a fight. If she's willing to talk, she must have a plan."

"Hopefully not one that will be affecting us," Alan mutters, and Nicol feels himself nodding, though he doubts they'll be that lucky. Annulment will change everything...

It's the first time in months that Prince Geord has allowed himself to be alone with Katarina. To be honest, he'd expected her to arrive with her family to protest, and yet-

"I'll admit, I expected more blowback from you," he says. "But you're willing to concede?"

Katarina stares at him as if he's an idiot – something he admittedly has felt quite a bit recently.

"You've made it clear that one way or another this is going to happen, so I want to broker a deal," Katarina explains. "I will agree to the annulment, providing you take full blame and offer a reasonable palimony amount. And most importantly, keep quiet about it until the end of the year."

Geord frowns. "You wish to keep it quiet? Why?"

Katarina's smirk is vicious. "Because I have plans. Plans which will be hindered if I am a woman with a broken engagement marring my reputation. I merely need a few months to get things off the ground. By the time the annulment becomes common knowledge, I'll be stable enough to weather it."

"These plans," Geord questions, already suspicious. "What do they entail?"

Katarina sighs. "Nothing that will hurt you, your precious Maria, or indeed any other student or person you care about. I suspect it will in fact be very beneficial to a lot of people."

Geord keeps his face passive while he mulls it over. It's not a bad offer – and if a few months of silence is what he needs to keep Katarina from starting war...there are worse prices to pay.

"I'll prepare a contract agreeing to this for us to sign in addition to the annulment papers," he warns. "If you want time, I want certainty that you're not using it to scheme something."

Katarina shrugs. "Fine by me. I'll have my father look it over before I sign though. The punishment if you break your word will be exceptional ."

Fair enough. "Accepted. I'll contact them once it's done."

He stands, and Katarina follows suit.

"Until this matter is fully resolved, we shall play the part to the bare minimum. Use your time well, Miss Claes."

She nods in agreement, and he makes to leave – only to hesitate when Katarina speaks up again.

"Oh, and Prince Geord? One more thing."

Geord turns – and immediately shrieks as a snake lunges at his face. He flails for a few seconds before it hits the ground, and he gapes, staring at the toy for a few moments, before looking up at Katarina, wide eyed.

The look on her face is beyond smug.

"Well what do you know, that is hilarious."

She turns for the door, ignoring decorum and throwing a half wave his way. "Have a good life Prince Geord."

Ooh, that was petty, but lord did it feel good…

Katarina keeps her head held high as she makes her way through the school building. She'd taken one of the toys from Katarina's room before she left after Anne's little titbit, and it was definitely worth it. And since her other self had given her plans for how to make them, she might make a hobby of it.

The smile fades slightly as she thinks about the package in her room. As ridiculous as her other self might have been, she can't deny that the information she provided is condemning. Along with toy snake schematics, the parcel had included a notebook full of 'death flags' and important events that had happened in the past she shouldn't have had knowledge of. Especially if she hadn't lived Katarina's life.

And with the possible risk of dark magic looming in the background, none of it is outwith the realm of possibility. Her other self is right – it's best to prepare for the worst case scenario.

Without the engagement, and the inevitable scandal that will follow – regardless of who takes blame, Katarina needs to prepare. Unless Keith chooses to give up his heir ship, she has no title to inherit, and it'll be difficult to find an advantageous match for marriage, so she either needs to make herself desirable regardless of the scandal, or become someone who does not need an advantageous marriage to succeed.

And that is where 'Saint Katarina' is going to lend an unintentional hand – though she doubts the woman would mind if she'd known.

She's pulled out of her musings when a voice calls out, sounding delighted.

"Lady Katarina!"

Katarina stills, eyes widening as she takes in the woman running towards her.

"Miss Sienna," she greets, a genuine smile finally gracing her face. "It's been a while."

The other girl sighs, a frown forming on her face. "I apologise, I tried to visit you when I heard you'd gone to the medical wing, but nobody would let me near you. Are you well?"

Katarina's heart lifts. Perhaps it's childish, but there is something lovely about having at least one person that is hers and hers alone. Saint Katarina wasn't in Sienna's orbit at all – in either world.

"Yes, thank you for your concern," she says. "It's been a trying few days, but I am back to my old self."

"I'm glad to hear it," Sienna replies, and Katarina is shocked at how much it affects her to hear someone say that and mean it. "Are you free to catch up? My maid has managed to procure some rare tea leaves."

"I'm afraid I will have to pass for now," Katarina regretfully declines. "I have some urgent business in town."

Her friend's smile falters, and Katarina elaborates.

"There's a cafe I need to visit," she explains. "I've decided I want to try my hand at business."

Sienna blinks. "Business, Lady Katarina? But why? You're going to be a Princess – why would you need to bother with that?"

Katarina hesitates, and looks at her friend.

"Because I suspect I will not be a Princess, Sienna," she says, and Sienna scowls.

"Is this about that commoner girl? I assure you Lady Claes, whatever she tries, Prince Geord-"

Katarina scoffs, cutting her off. "Please, Maria can have that fool. And I am going to choose my own ending, regardless of what royalty or commoners scheme."

Sienna looks genuinely shocked, but Katarina ignores it, hand slipping into her pocket, and pulls out the small notebook Maria had provided before she left that world.

"I've come into possession of some extremely unique and profitable recipes," she explains. "It would be remiss of me not to take advantage of it."

Because while her other self might not have been interested in making a profit on her recipes, this Katarina has no such compunction. She'd already mulled over the idea when she went to the cafe. Considering the owner had assumed she was 'his' Katarina, he'd been happy to hand over copies of the dessert recipes she'd provided, and Maria had given her the savoury ones.

Yes, she'll sell the rights to use the recipes to the cafe, and find a restaurant for the savoury dishes. If the other world is a good example, they'll be a roaring success, and the immediate profit she makes will be enough to convince her father to front the capital for her own restaurant – or maybe a few cafes. In a year, she'll have a solid reputation as a businesswoman, with her own independent income. Something not even exile – in a worst case scenario – can take from her.

"I don't understand," Sienna says, still looking confused. Katarina can't really blame her. She's still a little confused herself.

"Lets just say my engagement is less sturdy than it was a few days ago, and as such, I want to have more than my father's name to call my own when I graduate," Katarina explains. She starts walking, forcing Sienna to chase after her.

"But, it's Prince Geord," she argues. "Everyone envies you for being the one he chose."

Katarina shrugs. "To be honest, I'm starting to realise 'Prince Geord' isn't nearly as much a prize as I once thought. All he wants is a pretty toy to play with, not a wife. If he doesn't want me, his loss."

She lifts up the notebook with a smile.

"Life is short, so perhaps I should start enjoying the little things. Now, I want to find out what 'yakisoba' tastes like – it's such a strange recipe. Care to join me?'"

Sienna still looks somewhat shell shocked, but the small smile and nod is all Katarina needs for now.

Isekai World

After the incident was finally over, and the King ordered the rune's destruction, the Claes had insisted on taking their children home for a short break. Within a day, Prince Gerald had also joined them, arguing that almost losing his engagement should allow him some time with his fiance.

In reality, it gives the three of them time to talk about what happened, and more importantly, what Katarina had revealed. They speak about it while wandering through Katarina's field, the girl looking torn on the subject.

"You really think it's okay to keep quiet?" she asks, prodding at a stalk that looks a little limp.

Prince Gerald hands her the garden scissors, letting the girl prune the plant.

"I think it might be for the best, Katarina," he says. "I did not take the information well, and while I don't doubt our friends will accept the news, I don't see what good telling them will do."

"It is a lot to take in, Sis," Keith agrees.

And a little selfishly, they've both mutually agreed that being the only two people in the world Katarina can confide in regarding her former life is a very helpful advantage.

"Besides, now you know your expectations are completely wrong," Keith adds. "So it's not like anything you thought would happen will happen. You're completely safe now."

"Hmm, I guess that's true," she says, dusting her knees and standing up. "It's kind of a relief though, knowing I helped the other Katarina, and knowing I don't have to worry about doom flags any more."

She slips the scissors back into a basket she uses for her tools, and Keith quickly lifts it up to carry back to her personal shed.

"Yup. You are not going to be exiled. Or murdered," Prince Gerald insists. "By anyone. And knowing that, we'll all have our happy endings."

"Don't count your chickens yet, your Highness," Keith whispers, low enough to keep Katarina from hearing.

Oblivious, Katarina nods and laughs. "Yeah. So long as we avoid the secret ending."

Both Keith and Prince Gerald pause.

"Secret-"

"-Ending?"

Katarina just keeps skipping forward.

"Yeah. Never completed the game, but A-chan had and she told me all about it. Don't know who the hidden target was, but he's a dangerous dark magic user, and if you get the bad end, everyone dies."

The two of them pale, turning to look at each other before frantically darting forward, both grabbing an arm.

"Sis, this is important!"

"Katarina, we know there's a dark magic user in this school! Do you know anything about them?"

Katarina frowns.

"Not really. I told A-chan I didn't want spoilers, so I don't know anything. I don't even know their name."

Keith and Prince Gerald sag. So much for that.

"All she ever let slip about the dark magic user was that he had bright red hair and grey eyes-OW!"

Katarina yelps as the boys freeze yet again, hands clamped tight on her arms. When she looks up at them, their faces look grim.

"What? What is it?"

It takes a few moments, but slowly, Keith lifts his head, staring at her with a look of disbelief.

"Sis...you really don't have any clue who the dark magic user could be?"

Katarina blinks back. "Eh? Should I?"

Prince Gerald's grip tightens further, and he's muttering something under his breath.

"...ove you dearly but how are you this dense?'

Katarina pouts.

Honestly! It's not her fault she doesn't know. They don't need to make her feel stupid – how is she supposed to figure it out!

A day later, Sirius looks up from his desk when he hears a knock at his door.

"Yes?"

It opens, and his face pales when it reveals Prince Gerald and Keith, staring daggers at him.

"Hello Sirius," Prince Gerald says pleasantly with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "I do believe we need to have a talk… "

END

...At which point Sirius uses dark magic to erase all traces of that memory and really starts plotting to get Katarina out of the school to keep them very distracted and not on him.

And yes, Katarina has decided to go the time travel/isekai route of starting a business with modern inventions to save herself from her fate. I thought it was fitting.

I hope everyone enjoyed the ending. I had a lot of ideas, but things had to get cut and cropped and switched around to make a coherent story. I still can't believe this was only meant to be a short-maybe-five-chapter funny piece – it really got away from me.