Chapter 40

In a world where the line between reality and games is blurred, a problematic girl, born to cause chaos, has emerged.

The story of Renaria, chapters 3 to 5, will likely conclude... probably.

Renaria was born into a baron's family living in extreme poverty. On their meager estate, they lived a life close to self-sufficiency, mainly through agriculture and livestock. Though they were called nobles, it was disappointing, but Renaria was waiting for the day to come. She knew, from the memories of her previous life, that the girl named Renaria was a Cinderella girl who would be noticed by a noble. She was a lively and hardworking, adorable heroine, drawn straight from a fairy tale. There would be no such encounters in this rural area. To find a better match and a better life, her parents sent her to the royal capital's academy. There, she would meet her destiny. She would raise her intelligence, physical strength, magic, grace, charm, and social skills, complete various events, and aim for a luxurious life.

Renaria had played the game "Falling in Love with You" in her previous life. It was a romantic adventure game that was very popular, with many sequels and spin-offs. It was one of her favorite otome games. She collected both old and new versions, spent a lot of money on the app version, and even mastered the hidden characters.

The basic story is that the default heroine, Renaria Daches, falls in love with beautiful young men. Now, although she lives a simple life in an old, decaying mansion, she was determined to charm a handsome man at the academy and live a luxurious life.

Her family looked at her with a mix of exasperation and concern, but she wouldn't listen. They sent her to the academy for her happiness, hoping for a simple, peaceful life. A good match would mean a baron or, at best, a viscount. Or perhaps a wealthy merchant without noble status.

However, Renaria aimed much higher. Since there were handsome noble princes in the game, she thought it would be foolish not to aim for them. The princes' names she heard were Lucas and Leold, and the country was the Kingdom of Sandis. She was undoubtedly in the world she had dreamed of.

When she entered the academy, it was just as in the game. The characters from the game were real. Renaria was overjoyed. They were even more beautiful than she had imagined. There was no sense of discomfort or disappointment, like a poor cosplay. Having lived in this world for years, she had become accustomed to the different coloring of people compared to Japan. However, she still didn't like the animal-like qualities of beast people or the slightly peculiar faces and sharp aura of foreigners and sub-humans.

When she checked to see how many characters were there, she found Lucas and Leold, the princes, Findor, the teacher, Cain, the special student, Graham, the son of the prime minister, Kishtria, the son of the duke, and Mikaelis, the son of the earl. These were the main characters, so it was more of a confirmation. They had been in the game since the first edition, so their existence was almost certain.

"Of course, if I'm going to charm someone, it should be the crown prince Lucas."

After evaluating various options, the first prince, who would provide the most luxurious life, seemed the best choice. It would be a lie to say she wasn't afraid of the villainess Albertina, but the thought of her ultimate downfall and just punishment was satisfying. In the game, Renaria wasn't like that, but the current Renaria disliked beautiful girls. Specifically, she hated girls who were cuter, more powerful, and from better families than herself. Albertina fit all these criteria and had a bad personality, so she wouldn't feel bad about her misfortune.

Renaria had already made her debut in society, but as a poor baron's daughter, she could only wear a repaired, outdated dress. The upper-class noble girls, on the other hand, proudly displayed their luxurious, lustrous silk dresses. Renaria's debutante memory was quite miserable.

In the Lucas route, Albertina would always meet a tragic fate in Renaria's happy ending. At the graduation dance party event, her past misdeeds would be exposed, and even with the backing of the duke's family, she would have nowhere to run.

To meet Lucas, she immediately headed to the rose garden. He would be in the gazebo, escaping the noise.

The prince she had dreamed of was beautiful. With his shining golden hair and pale blue eyes, his handsome and refined appearance, slightly retaining a hint of youth, made him a true prince. Though slender, his flexible and well-trained body had good posture and exuded grace even when standing still.

His fingers gently caressed the roses. His melancholic profile was so captivating that it made her sigh. But she swallowed it and recalled the game's progression, digging up the memories she had repeated many times.

Renaria was supposed to enter the rose garden out of curiosity and get lost in the maze of hedges. Lucas, who had ordered his guards to stay a distance away because he was tired, would be alone. Renaria would approach him and ask for directions, which would be their first meeting.

(Then, Albertina, his fiancée, would immediately show up and be annoying.)

But she pushed that thought to the back of her mind and took a step forward.

Renaria successfully made contact with Lucas. For some reason, Albertina didn't appear afterward, which worried her internally as a flag miss. However, while trying to increase her affection with Lucas, she was scolded by an unknown mob, Vivian von Almandine.

She came at Renaria, jealous and telling her to stay away from Lucas. Despite being a mob, she claimed to be Lucas's fiancée.

This mob?

Lucas's?

Then, what about Albertina?

When she confirmed with Lucas's knight, Joshua, and Graham, it turned out that Albertina von Latitche, the noble girl, did exist. However, she had been kidnapped in the past, which led to mental and physical illness, making her face too hideous to look at. Since then, she hadn't left her territory, not even for tea parties. Even at the age when debutantes in the Kingdom of Sandis should appear in society, she never did.

Renaria was taken aback. The terrifying villainess wasn't at the academy. While Vivian seemed to have a harsh personality, she wasn't as wicked as Albertina.

After that, Vivian and her followers continued to be a nuisance, but Renaria smoothly progressed in her conquest. However, two characters didn't go as planned: Kishtria and Mikaelis.

Kishtria was supposed to be a wild and wicked flower in society, but with Albertina at home, he must have been troubled. Albertina had bullied and driven his biological mother to death. Kishtria, despite being her stepbrother, was treated like a servant. In the R18 version, his first experience was defiled by Albertina, simply because she found him attractive.

Despite his sweet and well-structured appearance, Kishtria von Latitche had a certain darkness. In his route, Albertina's fate was even more tragic, reflecting the deep resentment he harbored.

To conquer him, Renaria needed to face and support his trauma from his family and his step-sister Albertina. However, no matter how hard she tried, nothing worked. The events didn't even occur. Even when Kishtria was at the event location, he didn't say the key phrases. In the Kishtria route, Albertina was involved, but her absence was a problem.

Not only did the flags not rise, but Kishtria seemed to be distancing himself. It became harder to meet him, and when she did, he was cold. Eventually, he explicitly told her to stay away. Why, despite her efforts, didn't her affection increase?

She managed to get him to a tea party through Lucas, but he stopped coming after a few times.

If she failed to conquer the crown prince Lucas, she could aim for Leold, who would provide a similarly luxurious life. The Latitche family was one of the four major ducal families, so it would be even more luxurious. She wanted to keep the duchess as a backup, but it seemed difficult.

This was true for Kishtria and Mikaelis.

Mikaelis was a young earl who had lost both his parents at a young age. His father's illness led to his mother's overwork and subsequent death. His uncle's family tried to take over the earl's family, and Mikaelis, in a desperate struggle, managed to protect it. However, he lost both his parents in his teens and became distant from his only sister.

As a young knight and earl, Mikaelis worked hard to improve his sword skills. However, his serious nature made it difficult for him to connect with his sister, who avoided him due to her insecurities.

Renaria's task was to mend their relationship, a touching but subtle story. She liked Mikaelis's handsome appearance. Initially, he seemed boringly serious, but in the later stages, he became passionate and seductive. She was determined to charm the handsome knight.

By mending their relationship, the heroine would be accepted and thanked by both.

However, the Jibril von Domitrias, the earl's daughter, was completely different from the original. With her beautiful, fiery red hair and ruby-like eyes, she was a radiant and dignified debutante. Her dresses were not just the romantic princess line dresses popular in the Kingdom of Sandis but also bell-line, empire, and mermaid dresses. Each one was a popular new release from "Under the Rose," a brand that symbolized status among noble girls.

When she walked, many eyes followed her. In the game, Jibril had no real friends and was treated poorly by her followers. She was far from being an object of envy. In the Mikaelis route, she was supposed to finally get rid of her long bangs and pigtails.

When Renaria first saw Jibril, her eyes were full of confidence, making Renaria feel intimidated.

Who is this girl?

This isn't Jibril.

Jibril is supposed to be dark, damp, and hiding behind others.

Then, who is this Jibril?

—Could she be a reincarnated person?

Considering Albertina's absence, something strange must have happened. She must have done something behind the scenes. As a noble, she would have more freedom than Renaria, a poor baron's daughter. Indeed, she always wore beautiful dresses and jewelry, and even the annoying Vivian respected her.

Upon closer inspection, she was already on good terms with Mikaelis and, strangely, with Kishtria, despite having no real connection.

Renaria was certain.

She couldn't let this interference continue. This girl was the reason she couldn't conquer Kishtria and Mikaelis. Initially, she told Lucas to stay away, but if she was a reincarnated person, it was a different matter. She couldn't let her take away the harem Renaria had built.

"Hey, Jibril. You're a reincarnated