(A/N: There will be a time skip soon.)

I sighed and hit my forehead on the table, causing the small pot of ink to jostle alongside the scattered papers.

"I can't stop thinking about it..." The scene of Lucius kissing me replayed in my mind, and my face instantly turned beet red. I groaned, my words muffled from my mouth pressed onto the table. "Jesus Christ..." Raising my head, I propped my chin on the papers and stared absently at the sky through the window above me, my gaze growing distant as I drifted off.

A knock echoed, followed by the creak of the door swinging open. My eyes snapped open, and I hastily jumped from my slouched posture. An unfamiliar blonde woman entered my room, fixing her eyes on my dazed figure. Her unique disposition and familiar color of hair, along with the ornately decorated dress trailing in her wake, was well-known and spoken by nobility. I swallowed hard, my back stiffening. The princess... I thought.

The princess's bright eyes jumped back and forth, surveying me. Her smirk grew wider. "You really are adorable." She muttered, nodding in approval. "No wonder you're my brother's fiancé."

I choked on my words, my response caught in my throat. "Cough, cough... excuse me?"

My mind raced as I tried to think of how she came to that conclusion. She walked toward the couch opposite the bed and sank into the soft cushions with a nonchalant expression, prodding the pillow next to her. "This room is for foreign royalty or unwed fiancés. So I just assumed that my brother was planning to–"

I forced out a nervous laugh and cut her off. "N-no, Princess, I think you're being misled. This is just a temporary arrangement, the prince said that it's simply because it's most convenient for him, that's all." I stammered. She stared at me silently, neither acknowledging nor rebutting my comment. I felt a sheen of cold sweat start to form on my forehead.

"Lucius said that, hm." She drawled. The urge to step back surged within me, but fear rooted me in place. "Well, if that's what you think, then so be it." Reaching out, she gently lifted my chin, forcing me to meet her gaze. I suddenly realized where the prince's sudden daringness yesterday came from.

She chuckled softly, her eyes inexplicably sliding to the closed corridor. "Well, I best get going. It turns out I'm not the only uninvited guest now, and I wouldn't want to ruin the scene by being here."

I grew anxious at her words, subconsciously getting a bad premonition. "Uninvited guest...?"

She laughed and walked towards the corridor. Then, as soon as she reached for the handle, the door swung open, revealing three men standing outside. I choked.

"Oh, my. Excuse me." She chuckled, unfazed, before pushing them aside. Her shadow disappeared behind the sparkling, eye-catching men as quickly as she came, and I was left standing in the middle of the room, frozen in disbelief and denial.

Cyrus was the first to step into the room, wearing a familiar angelic smile as he approached. "Remi... I've finally found you," he chimed, his friendly demeanor sending an unsettling shiver down my spine. He grabbed my shoulders and smiled, his gaze dark. "I was so worried, not knowing where you'd gone for so long. Why didn't you tell me?" He stepped closer, his face growing oddly close to mine. Theodore glowered at his gesture and strode closer, pulling him back and pushing his head away. Damn, he's here too. I thought, feeling a vein pop in annoyance. That lying puppy boy.

"Rem... why have you been ignoring me...? I–" Theodore approached, attempting to grab my arm, but I avoided his hold, taking a step back with guarded eyes. His hand was left dangling in the air, but his hurt expression remained unnoticed by me as I shifted my gaze to the doorway. Meanwhile, the prince stood there with a dissatisfied scowl as he watched the two men approach me, his eyes staring daggers through their backs.

I sighed inwardly. The only silver lining in palace life is that these idiots could focus their romantic endeavors on my sister. A throbbing vein pulsed in my forehead, and a seed of apprehension sprouted within me. Why are they here, when they should be vying for Aileen's attention?

The princess's earlier words echoed in my mind, and I winced. I should have realized that being assigned such a luxurious room was peculiar. I regretted not requesting more modest accommodations sooner. I'd grown complacent. Squaring my shoulders with resolve, I turned to face them, finding Cyrus gripping the prince's collar. His once-angelic smile was now strained as he struggled to contain his emotions. Theodore stood beside them, sporting an indifferent scowl. However, as soon as his gaze met mine and he saw me observing them, his expression morphed into a puppyish grin. I glared at him, frustrated by the presence of these imbeciles in the room.

"Excuse me," I interjected through gritted teeth. Both Cyrus and Theodore turned their attention toward me, promptly releasing each other's collars and feigning innocence. I observed their behaviour, my smile twitching. "May I inquire... why all of you... are in my room?"

The prince let out a huff and turned away with crossed arms. "Exactly."

"You too. Just because you're the crown prince doesn't mean you can march into my room without permission." I shot. I had long lost all formality with Lucius ever since the incident yesterday, and gave up on maintaining a normal relationship. I walked towards them and laughed incredulously, my eyes jumping from one shining ikemen to the other. "So, if you could explain to me why you all are here."

Theodore took the initiative and jumped forward. "You said we were going to meet at the library, like usual, but you were never there, I-I didn't know what else to do..." He grabbed both my hands and stared at me with an air of sincerity. "You were gone for so long, I knew that prince must have kidnapped you!" He shot a pointed glare to Lucius.

Cyrus narrowed his eyes, breaking free from Theodore's grip with visible irritation. "When did you start meeting that guy at the archives?" His face twisted in a struggle to contain his anger. "What happened there?" A flash of killing intent crossed Cyrus's gaze. "And why didn't you inform me?" His grip tightened, intense questions aimed not at me, but at the two men in an escalating standoff beside me, causing the tension to thicken.

Exasperation washed over me at the trio. Could this day get any worse? I inhaled deeply, a sinking feeling taking hold. I seemed to have stumbled into quite a predicament.

----

"It's none of your business." Theodore growled. His usual air-headed expression was nowhere to be found as he sneered, his provocation obvious.

Meanwhile, I grew more confused and disoriented. I didn't know why all three of them were here at once. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement between the three of them that I didn't know about. Why were they reacting this way? I turned my head and saw sparks fly between Cyrus and Theodore, and wanted to cry, either from desperation or annoyance.

Before I knew it, I was sandwiched between three chests. I felt tossed about like a ragdoll by toddlers, and irritation surged. "Get out, all of you! Now!"

I slammed the door before they could swarm me and slumped onto the floor, drained. Summer vacation was almost over, and the return to Alsar Academy loomed. The otome game's main plotline would kick in at school, shattering my peaceful daily life upon entering the gates. And then there was the matter of the childhood capture targets, those once disinterested in the heroine who now clung to me like glue...

If these bothersome jerks keep clinging to me, I'll be thrust into the spotlight at school and in noble circles... I sighed, the umpteenth time today. And if Aileen doesn't arrive with the original Otome game setup, who knows what lies ahead?

I paced, fixated on the floor, thoughts racing. The butterfly effect... perhaps it's already taken hold. I was never supposed to write to Sylvien. He turned out to be a prince, which makes it even worse... Cyrus was supposed to be sticking to Aileen by now, and Theodore wasn't even supposed to be introduced to anyone at this time...

As I groaned, my thoughts tumbled out in disjointed mutters. This wasn't where I was meant to be, and the lingering presence of Remis felt entirely out of place. Could I really find a way to escape this situation? The question echoed in my mind. But then, like a burst of sunlight breaking through clouds, an idea flashed into my head. A hopeful smile crept onto my face. Grabbing a blank sheet of paper from the desk drawer, I eagerly seized a pen and began to jot down a formal invitation. The plan formed effortlessly. I'd lead them to the manor and introduce them to Aileen. Surely, they'd be captivated by her charms. I could already see them vying for her attention, restless nights spent near her room, and mornings ripe with jealousy...

I felt a glimmer of hope inside me. Surely, this will work out!