Katerina had done everything she could to change this story. She cared for her brother, she loved her friends, supported them no matter what and yet…

"Katerina Claes, you are herby never allowed to set foot in the kingdom of Sorcié again for the crimes committed against Ms. Maria Campbell."

"B-But I didn't-!" She tried to say. I did everything in my power not to! It's the game! The moment I stepped on campus and it began, I found I had no control over myself!

Indeed, she'd changed the moment she'd entered the academy. It was like she was being controlled by the game's narrative, saying and doing things she didn't want to. She'd grown possessive over Geordo, ignored her friends, and worse of all: she'd bullied her darling brother Keith. All because of the arrival of that girl, Maria Campbell.

As was expected of a otome game's protagonist, Maria was absolutely beautiful, the most beautiful creature Katerina had ever laid eyes on. The light wielder was sweet and kind, even to a villainess like her.

"I am Maria Campbell. It is a pleasure to meet you, I hope we can get along…!" The flushed girl had mumbled when they'd first met. Katerina's heart had almost stop from cuteness overload, this girl really would be the death of her.

But as always, the game now controlled her and she found herself scoffing at the girl, "You dare speak to me? Do you even know who I am, commoner?"

From then on, she'd bullied the girl relentlessly and that had lead up to this moment.

She sat in court, her guilty sentence now delivered. She turned to her once friends and brother only to find them glaring at her with hatred. She couldn't take back what she'd done, even if it wasn't her in charge.

"Everyone, you have to believe me! I-I didn't do it, it was the game-!"

She found guards had suddenly grabbed her and were trying to pull her away from the stands.

"Let go of me! Geordo, tell them to let me go, please!" She sobbed.

Her once fiancé said nothing, merely holding Maria closer.

"Keith! You have to save your big sister!" Katerina insisted.

The man looked saddened, he couldn't even look her in the eyes.

"Someone, please!"

But noone answered her cries for help, not even the so-called hero who loved everyone. The little thing was too frightened of her to say a word.

"… You all see me as a villainess then…?" Katerina whispered. I'm the bad guy here… and they hate me… She felt her despair grow into anger. After all I did for them?! Did our friendships mean nothing?!

The judge was still pronouncing her statement. "You will be exiled to-!"

"No."

The crowd gasped when she refused.

"No! I'm not going anywhere!" Katerina yelled, wrangling herself free. The anger was overflowing, so were the tears as she glared at her once friends and the beautiful protagonist. She could feel her heart harden. "I spent 7 years preparing… No one's taking me away after everything I worked for! After everything I lost! You all want the villainess?! Then fine! Here she is! Sorry to keep you waiting…"

"Look out!" Maria gasped too late as the guards were flung back by a blast.

Katerina was shocked at what had happened but then let herself laugh a true villainess laugh. "Of course Katerina Claes has dark magic! Why wouldn't she?!"

"Katerina, stop this at once!"

She looked back to the others to see Geordo had taken out his sword and an earth golem stood beside Keith.

"What's this? Huh? What is this?" Katerina asked in genuine surprise. "You're attacking me?"

"Please, don't make this difficult, big sister…" Keith begged, tears coming to his eyes. It nearly made Katerina's heart break hearing him call her sister again. But it was too late now. "I don't want to hurt you…!"

"Well, I do."

She looked over to see the prince shaking in anger. "Geordo…?"

"You hurt my Maria when she was nothing but kind to you…!" He whispered. "You treated her with nothing but malice! You should be treated the very same!"

"Geordo, no!" Maria gasped but he had already started running.

Katerina grimaced before throwing something out of her pocket. A toy snake she'd made just for this very moment. With her magic, it transformed into a real serpent, hissing at the prince.

The man paled, just as she knew he would and stopped dead in his tracks.

"What's wrong, Prince Geordo? Scared of a little snake?" She teased. "Alan, look! Look! He looks just like he did!"

Alan, Geordo's twin, didn't laugh like she was expecting him to, he just glared at her coldly for using such a trick against his brother.

She could see the other members of the group getting ready to fight, summoning their magic. Maria looked especially radiant with her light magic surrounding her hands.

"Why won't anyone have fun with me anymore?!" Katerina whined. "We should all be friends, like before! …If you won't… guess I'm going to have to come up with something, hm? Yes, there's no more doom flags to stop me! This is my route now! Either you'll all bow down… or my villainess face will be the last thing you see."

Maria winced when she was pointed to.

"Even such a pretty and clever miss like you won't be able to stop me, Miss Campbell. But please, do try! We all love a good heroine's journey, don't we?"

With that, she disappeared into a black mist that flew out of the room.

It seemed the villainess had finally taken the stage.

The kingdom of Sorcié feared Katerina's wrath for many years but nothing awful came to pass. Soon enough, the people forgot the threat entirely.

But Maria hadn't. She and the other members of Geordo's council that consisted of her, the prince, and the other five who knew Katerina often gathered to discuss what they would do if Katerina did ever arrive. That had gone on for 2 years in which Maria had started work at the Ministry of Magic.

There was something even more frightening to Maria then Katerina coming up though, her wedding.

She'd always liked Geordo, sure. He was charming and could be kind if you looked deep enough. He'd become a dear friend of hers. But that was all he was to her, a friend.

He'd insisted since Maria had chosen him since the moment they met, they'd be together forever. He was hers, and she was his.

Maria hated the idea of that. She hadn't even meant for the prince to fall in love with her, she was just being nice. But before she knew it, he was hugging her, kissing her, whispering scandalous things that he wished to do to her. She'd tried again and again to keep him away but he'd keep being persistent until he finally popped the question.

"Marry you…?" Maria repeated softly.

The prince gave a genuine smile. "My darling Maria, you brought color into my world, and I wish you to bring it to the rest of my people as well. You never confessed to me, I know, but then again, you've never confessed to anyone, have you? Such a cute little tease…"

"N-No, that wasn't…" Maria backed away, shaking her head. "I just wanted everyone to be friends! I wanted us to be friends!"

"How could you say something so cruel?" Geordo whispered, placing a hand to his chest as if wounded. "… You really don't wish to be my Queen?"

"I'm sorry, Geordo." She answered. "But my answer is no."

The cold smile never left his face. Maria recognized that smile as the fake one he often used when they were first getting to know each other. Even though the prince didn't have dark magic, darkness almost seemed to radiate from him as he got up from his one knee. "No…? You won't? How unfortunate."

"You're not upset with me?" Maria asked in slight surprise.

"But, of course not. You are my most precious treasure, I could never be upset with you, nor allow you to come to any harm. It's just… I can't guarantee the same safety for your dear mother…"

"M-My mother…?" She repeated, feeling her blood run cold. "What do you mean?"

"I have set up a room for her in the castle for her, of course, seeing as I believed her to be my future mother-in-law. But now… I'll have to find a new place for her. The dungeon will do nicely!"

"Geordo, please, don't threaten her…! Do you even hear what you're saying?!"

"Ah, I am acting just like I used to, how horrible to let you see this side of me yet again." Geordo sighed. "You swayed my heart once before, I believe only you can do so again…!"

Maria realized what he meant and felt her heart sink. She'd have to give up her whole life at the Ministry, all she'd worked for…

"Now, let's try this again, shall we?" He lifted her chin to make her look at him. His icy blue eyes seemed to bore into her soul. "Maria Campbell, will you marry me?"

And so, Maria found herself preparing to walk down the aisle despite not loving her groom more than a platonic sense. She felt uncomfortable with all the palace assistants getting her ready and was relieved when they allowed only a couple of close friends to help her with the finishing touches.

"You look like a princess straight out of a story, Maria!" Sofia gushed. She helped her adjust her veil and tiara before pouring slightly, muttering under her breath. "Though I wish it was for big brother instead…"

Maria felt quite guilty about that. Apparently, she had managed to capture not only Geordo's heart but also the hearts of Keith Claes, Allan Stuart, and Sofia's aforementioned brother, Nicol Ascart. She hadn't meant to lead them on any more than Geordo but found herself surrounded by the handsome men. It was flattering, of course, but she still would rather have them all be friends.

"I suppose we'll be sisters now…" Mary smiled sadly. Right, she was Prince Alan's Princess now. It must've been quite awkward to go right back to him and announce they might as well stay engaged seeing as Maria had denied her blessing to have Alan. They figured keeping the engagement would just be easier for them despite Alan merely liking Mary like a little sister and Mary knowing this fact. It had been a bittersweet ceremony to attend.

I'm sorry. Maria wished she could say. I never meant to harm you two or any of our friends… I don't understand why they'd all love someone as ordinary and plain as me… And I don't know why I can't just… love them back just as much…

It was as if there was a romantic option missing, one Maria had always felt should be there but just wasn't. If she had that person, perhaps it would've all worked out. It wasn't Raphael, someone she'd also unknowingly charmed, nor any of her coworkers at the ministry.

She glanced at the grandfather clock at the corner of her chambers and sighed softly. "It's almost time… Can I have a few moments alone before… before it happens?"

Sofia and Mary nodded knowingly, slipping out of the room quiet as mice.

Maria looked at herself in the mirror, all dressed in white with a tiara on her head, veil waiting to cover her face. Why had it come to this?

"You have to do this, Maria. There's no getting out of it…" She reminded herself softly. "But I wish there was…"

Suddenly, the cold feeling of fear and guilt grew sharper as she recognized a familiar aura starting to fill the room. She gave a gasp before turning around to see her. The villainess of her life, "Katerina Claes…!"

"Hello, Maria!" Katerina smiled warmly despite her chilling appearance. She was now dressed in a full black gown with only a few specks of blue in the form of flowers and jewels that acted as her accessories. "It's been so long! I missed you! Did you miss me?"

"W-What?" Maria blurted out in surprise. Katerina had missed her? When she'd bullied her relentlessly? It was like a whole new person had been unleashed the day of the trial.

"You look so beautiful in a wedding dress…!" The villainess continued, taking a step forward. "Of course you do! You look beautiful in anything! Hm…It's a shame such a pretty thing like you is wasted on a sadistic prince like Geordo…"

"What do you want?" Maria finally found the courage to ask as the darkness seemed to close in around her, her light kept her strong though. "The kingdom?"

"No, not yet, anyway." Katerina purred. "That's for later..! I've been really, really lonely these past few years, you know? I tried being alone but just yesterday I had a meeting and realized I couldn't do it anymore! Nope, I want my friends and my dear little brother back! But that's going to take some time."

Maria found herself frozen in place. She didn't know whether it was from her own fear or a spell placed on her. All she knew was she wasn't able to pull away from Katerina's gentle caress of her face.

"I thought and thought about who I wanted to stay with me while I planned my takeover, but it always came back to you, Miss Campbell. Yes, what better support could I have then you in all your goodness? You don't have a cruel bone in your body… Look and act like an angel… And when I learned you were to be married, well, I couldn't let that happen! Not when I want you all to myself…!"

Maria's heart began to race as Katerina suddenly pulled her close. What was happening?!

"Poor, poor Maria… You're so used to saving everyone but yourself from this cruel world… Would you allow the villainess to play hero, just this once?"

With that, the two vanished from the royal chambers.

A secret route had been unlocked.