New Friend

In the garden, a young lady tried to evade a nobleman's advances, clearly uncomfortable. He persisted, following her closely as she attempted to escape his attention.

"Ugh, would you stop following me!" she exclaimed, frustration evident in her voice.

"Now, now, don't be like that. I've seen how you were looking at me," he slurred, his words barely coherent.

She scoffed in disbelief. "Excuse me? Look at yourself. Why would I even entertain the thought?"

"Oh, you've got some attitude. Don't worry, I'll make you a good girl," he said, reaching for her wrist.

"Unhand me!" she demanded, her tone sharp. With a forceful tug, her bracelet snapped off, and she gasped in dismay. "Look what you've done!"

"You freaking bi–" he began, but before he could finish his sentence, a heavy thud echoed through the garden.

"Are you alright?" I asked. My book having made a loud impact as I swung it down on the man's head, I quickly glanced around, relieved to find no one else nearby. If father knew about this, I would be reeled back to the county.

The girl looked at me, blinking. "You're…"

I slipped off my mask, feeling the weight of it lifting. Stupid masquerade ball for the crown prince's birthday. Such a hassle.

"You're the bookworm princess!" she exclaimed, recognizing me. She straightened herself, smoothing out her red-rose dress. "Pardon, I didn't mean that… It's just… You're quite popular."

"I am?" I blinked, surprised by her comment. How was someone who spent most of their days alone popular?

She slipped off her mask, and I felt my entire body stiffen. "I'm sorry, my name is Rosina. I apologize you had to do that." Despite her humility, her voice remained unwavering, her demeanor poised.

"R-Rosina… I know you!"

She seemed to flinch. I had to apologize for raising my voice like that. I should be more tactful, of course people knew her... She was publicly humiliated not too long ago by her ex-fiancé.

I bowed deeply. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…"

She sighed. "It's fine. I know how infamous my name is." She looked down at the drunk man slumped over some shrubs. I inwardly spat at him. "Thank you for saving me."

"It's no problem. It's what we should do, right?" I said. Thank goodness I was in the garden reading. Thank goodness I brought the nice, thick Vol. 11 of Gemstones and Magical Innovation.

"Right…" She said, her fan covering half her face, obscuring her expression. But everyone was right about Rosina. She exuded poise and elegance. I bent down to pick up her broken bracelet and handed it to her. "We should go find somewhere to rest."

Rosina settled down on a garden bench, far from my would-be crime scene. "Are you doing better? Do you want me to get you something?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "Ever since... That happened with the second prince... People have thought it easy to disrespect me like that."

I crossed my arms. "I hate that."

She finally lowered her fan. "What?"

"I hate that for you," I said. "That stupid Bernand doesn't know what he's doing."

"You're saying treasonous things, you know that?" She giggled. "Lady Bastien Ala Mode, I hope you don't speak of this to anyone… I don't want to worry my family."

For a moment, I didn't understand. But then I remembered that her family was shunned by the second prince's faction in favor of Leila's family. However, they didn't transfer over to the crown prince's faction, which shows how loyal they really are to Bernard's mother.

"I'll respect your decision, Lady Durand."

My gaze wandered to the white half-closed flowers by the fountain. It had been a while since I remembered my past life and realized I was in a web novel. The days had been getting better, but research had turned stagnant. Thanks to me, my brother's friend had been sending letters to Mira. What a ridiculous instance of mistaken identity.

I could still remember how his magic smelled, for some reason. It smelled like white lilies. Maybe it reminded me of my mother's wake when she passed away, but I've been avoiding him ever since. He keeps sending those letters, though. He's one persistent guy... I wonder what he might be doing now?

People are going through different types of difficult things in their lives.

"Please, call me Rosina." She twiddled her thumbs together, not worried about how it might affect the beautiful lace gloves she wore. "If you would be amenable to it… I would like to be friends with you."

I blinked. Me? Friends? With the villainess? Hold on, why isn't she acting like a snooty villainess in the first place?

"I…" I began, but was interrupted by the hairs standing on end on the nape of my neck. I looked up to see a tall man, his aura menacing. "Uh…."

"You are?" He raised a blonde eyebrow at me, his gaze unwavering and piercing.

I stammered. "I… uh…"

"Raphael," Rosina said, breaking the tension. I turned to her, and the expression on her face told me everything. She was relieved to see this man. "Why are you here?"

"I saw you dash out of the hall and I followed you," he explained sheepishly. His menacing aura faded away, and he appeared more approachable now.

"Ah, this is Lady Bastien Ala Mode," Rosina introduced me. "She saved me from the man who was pursuing me earlier. That's why I left suddenly."

"I see," Raphael nodded, his gaze turning towards me. He greeted me with a polite peck on the back of my hand. He was undeniably handsome, though he reminded me of someone…

"Greetings, Lady Ala Mode." He said. "I am Raphael Archambault. You have my thanks."

He's the crown prince.