Gorian refused to spend another second in the maze. He marched us down the stairs, and we camped at the bottom, right before the entrance. He wasn’t willing to risk going any further either.

  Justin started a fire, and Serina put a pot of water on the flames for tea. I wanted to get ingredients out to prep for cooking, but Zadina and Kamuel forced me to sit still for healing.

  Zadina worked on my face while Kamuel hovered his glowing hand over the ruin of my shoulder.

  Zadina’s hand cupped my battered face. Her healing felt different from Kamuel’s or our house healer’s. Where Kamuel’s glow radiated a soothing warmth over my open wound, Zadina’s was a cool, numbing sensation spreading from where her skin touched mine, pushing back the throbbing heat. The swelling receded, and vision returned to my right eye.

  The flesh beneath, however, was still tender. Pain erupted at the points where her fingers pressed against me.

  “Zadina?”

  She shook her head, jerking her eyes away from the deep, bloody gulch running down my arm. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have let you face it alone. You’re just a child.”

  “I asked for it,” I reminded her. “I got hurt because I was overconfident. It’s a good lesson to learn. And… do you actually think of me as a child?”

  “Of course, I can sense the child in you peeking out at times.” She focused her eyes upon her hand, and I felt more of the cool, numbing sensation spread over my cheek.

  I narrowed my gaze.

  Did she mean that child? How much could she actually sense?

  It was a little troubling that she could see through me sometimes.

  “This is as much as I can do for this wound. Are there any other?” Kamuel eyed me with a mixture of concern and suspicion.

  “That’s it this time.” I rotated my arm. The gash had closed considerably, though lines of open, angry flesh remained exposed. “And… are you still hurt?”

  Kamuel shook his head, his face wrinkled. “I’m fine, My Lady… Thank you for rescuing us, and…” He paused, his jawline tightening. “I apologize for what I did before.”

  I nodded. “Thank you for the healing.”

  Once Kamuel stepped away, I reached up and touched Zadina’s hand. She had been healing me for so long that the entire right side of my face was numb. Lines strained her face.

  The sweet taste of despair tinged her bright aura, but there was something else: a light sprinkle of salt that teased the tip of my tongue. A strange mixture of sugar and salt.

  “It’s okay. You did all you can. This will fade soon enough.” I unbuttoned the top of my dress, pulling the fabric aside to reveal the areas where deep slashes had been only days back. Now it was just pale smooth skin. “See, all gone now.”

  She pulled her hand away, her eyes lingering on my exposed skin. “I won’t allow this to happen again.”

  “We’re in a dungeon.” I pulled the cutting board and some pre-cut poultry out.

  A simple soup would be good for everyone now.

  Kamuel healed Gorian while I worked with Zadina hovering at my side. Justin tended to the fire while Serina raised her head from the steaming hot water, staring off into the opaque darkness that lined the entrance to the level.

  I stopped chopping, my knife floating over the celery, and followed her gaze. “Are the dungeon floor and monsters out past that?”

  Serina shrugged. “No one is sure how everything connects. But we should be safe here as long as we don’t go in.”

  “Yeah, we usually get a half a day before the dungeon forces it open.” Gorian grunted. He sucked air sharply through his teeth as Kamuel stitched his wound together and then hovered his hand over it.

  I stared at the darkness. This is all just so very artificial. It definitely is a game.

  Pain spasmed through my numbed cheek. It feels real enough though.

  Tomas’s image popped up in front of me, the cherub-like face and his bright yellow eyes contrasted sharply with the grey, granite walls of the staircase.

  He was calling and I wouldn’t mind accepting. It’d be a nice break from the action and the pain. I raised the [Mind Messenger] and was about to mentally select “Accept” when another spasm blurred my right vision, giving me pause.

  I turned to Zadina. “Do you think I look presentable enough?”

  She froze, and for a moment, she was stuck staring. The salt of her aura spiked. Then her eyes dropped to the raised ring, and the realization hit her. Her head shot up, eyes wild. “No, don’t! The way you look right now would upset the Prince.”

  I buried the left side of my face in my palm, shaking my head.

  Guess one can’t really expect a Paladin to be discreet.

  Serina’s head shot toward us like a bird zeroing in on prey, her pointed ears twitching. “Prince? What do you mean Prince?”

  Her eyes focused on my ring, her eyebrows climbing. “That’s a messenger ring. Are you in communications with some foreign Prince? Which kingdom… or region?”

  “She’d never!” Zadina snapped back indignantly. “My Lady is having proper talks with her rightful betrothed, the Second Prince of this Kingdom.”

  She blinked, the color draining from her face as she realized what she had just revealed. “I’m sorry!”

  I shrugged and resumed chopping. It wasn’t a big deal. I assumed everyone would find out in time anyway. Haven’t they already announced it?

  Gorian’s pipe hit the ground, scattering embers. “You… are betrothed to a royal prince… And you’ve been talking to him all this time…” he muttered, his trembling hand grasping at the pipe rolling away from him. “Please for the love of Isolde, don’t show him your face right now. You’ll doom us all!”

  “Great… so not only are the townspeople and our guildmates going to lynch us, but now we have to worry about our heads being on the chopping block.” Justin groaned, glancing at me and shaking his head. “Royalty… yes, please don’t let him see you like that, or anyone else actually… but, you’re betrothed… already?"

  Using the blade of the knife, I scraped the chopped meat, celery, and herbs into the [Magic Stove]. Then I pressed the red magic stone to start it, feeling the familiar tug of mana being drained.

  “I didn’t have a say in the matter.”

  —

  Everyone seemed satisfied with dinner. They drank up the soup, but not many words were exchanged, just a lot of worried looks cast my way.

  This will settle down in time. It was like this with the men as well. At the beginning they always looked at me like some exotic, fragile creature.

  Tomas didn’t ping me again, giving me hope that whatever he wanted wasn’t urgent.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Most likely, it’s just more minor drama at court.

  While the others relaxed, I sat on my bedroll by the wall, and pulled out Aaron’s Diary. Light from the flickering camp fire danced over his words.

  He had settled into village life, much like I had, contributing more to the family farm and becoming a reliable shepherd. He had gotten to level two by fending off the wolves attacking his sheep.

  He and Lune had gotten closer, and from what I could gather perusing the entries…

  They’re going steady.

  A deep embrace, and a kiss of passion—things I could never do.

  The entries had grown further apart in time. The complaints lessened as well. Signs that he was busy with life, and perhaps… more content.

  I smiled, turning the page.

  — Aaron’s Diary: Entry 39, a year in —

  Worst. Birthday. Ever! Even though I was already sixteen back home, I celebrated my sixteenth birthday as Lark a few days ago, and everyone came down with the plague!

  Well, the medicine man called it the plague, but it was more like a bad flu.

  I caught Lune fainting as she was trying to bake me a cake. She had made it based on the tales I had told her of the world I came from, and she kept trying to finish it. But she was burning up.

  “You idiot!” I shouted at her with tears in my eyes and dragged her to bed. All the while, she kept saying sorry, and all I could do was kiss her hand and wipe the sweat on her forehead with a towel.

  Please, don’t let her die!

  I didn’t remember much about how to deal with the flu back home. There’s no aspirin here, and the medicine man had nothing for reducing fevers, even when I shook him!

  All I knew was that you got to drink plenty of water, clean water. So I boiled a huge pot for Lune, and sat by her side giving her water. Her fever didn’t break, but it wasn’t getting worse.

  Mom came down with the sickness as well. Pops and I had our hands full keeping them hydrated, and wiping off their sweat. They won’t hold down any food!

  The medicine man came and told me he heard there’s some medicine at the main town which could cure the current bout of this ‘plague’.

  So I left the care of Lune and Mom to Pops and made for town as fast as I could.

  It was on the way there that I recalled the first quest for the game was getting medicine for the hero’s village!

  I found the medicine quickly enough, but just one small packet cost one large gold! That’s an entire year’s harvest! The herbalist kicked me out when I told him I only had 100 copper.

  I was gearing up to charge back into the shop, when a passerby caught my eye. Waves of golden-brown hair with shining highlights, bright blue eyes, and a perfect face, more beautiful than even in game. “Priscilla?”

  Her eyes sparkled when she turned to me. “Yes? Do I know you?” Even her voice was dazzling.

  “Please, I know we don’t know each other yet, but we will! You got to help me! My Village! Everyone is sick!” I pleaded desperately.

  She’s the main heroine of the game, and I’m the hero. She has a kind heart. She’s the ‘Hidden Princess’. She’s got to help me!

  But another figure stepped in between us, warding Priscilla back. His distinctive blue spike hair immediately drew my eyes. “Leopold Bloomcrest?!”

  I knew the fucker well. He was always my main striker! But what’s he doing here?! He shouldn’t appear until mid-game!

  “I don’t know who you are. But how dare you address the lady with such familiarity, commoner!” His hand reached for the rapier at his side.

  I knew exactly how good he was with that damn thing. I threw up my hands. “Woa man! Calm down, we’re friends. Or erm… we will be. I know you’re a good dude, just a little stiff.”

  “Watch. Your. Mouth!” Leopold hissed at me, looking really steamed.

  But then Priscilla tapped his arm, a little too affectionately for my taste. He’s just a side character! “Leo, I think he’s just desperate. Please, he says his entire village is sick.”

  “I’m afraid the current plague is sweeping through all the villages right now. We can’t help them all.” When I turned to the voice, my blood ran cold. It was another beauty from the game. There was no mistaking the bright green hair and those amber-brown eyes.

  This was the main Villainess of the game, Sarsee Warwick.

  What the hell are the three of them doing together?!

  — … —

  I lowered the diary and had to double-check the words to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. But this threw everything upside down.

  My mother was the heroine of the previous game? But wait, if she’s the heroine and my father was just a side character, were they not supposed to end up together?

  If she wasn’t my mother, then she wouldn’t have died by my hands.

  And the Queen, if she was the Villainess of the previous game, did the game have a bad ending?

  “Everything alright, My Lady? You look frantic,” Zadina asked from her spot by the fire. She had first watch.

  “I’m fine… this story’s just strange.”

  “Please don’t read for too much longer. You need rest.”

  I nodded and turned back to the diary.

  — … —

  In the end I couldn’t convince any of them to help me, they left me there, standing in the middle of the road as the sun sank in the horizon.

  There was only one glimmer of hope, Sarsee, when she looked at me, her eyes widened in recognition. I was sure of it.

  It didn’t lift my mood any, though. I stumbled through the alleyway, haunted by the image of Lune begging to finish my cake as she burned up in my arms. I can’t lose her.

  I turned the corner and found Sarsee standing there. She had a cloak and hood on, but I could tell from the strands of green hair sticking out.

  “You a reincarnator?” was the first thing she asked.

  I nodded. “You too, right?”

  Of course she had to be, why else would she ask the question, and she’s probably the reason why everything is so messed up. “Please, you got to help me. I just need the medicine for my village.”

  “Wait… you really just want the quest item?”

  “I want real medicine! People are really dying back at the village. They’re real!” I pleaded.

  She lifted her chin, looking me over. “I can give that to you. But is that all you want?”

  “Well, alright, if you can intro me to Priscilla or the local Lord, that’d be good. Please, you don’t know how bad it’s been for me. You’re from the States, right?”

  She just kept staring, so I assumed that’s a yes.

  “I’ve been through hell, man. Compared to back home, this place is the pits. So you gotta fast track me onto the main story line. I can save the world before things go to shit!”

  Her voice was suddenly cold as ice. “You… think you’ve been through hell?”

  She clutched at her chest. Her body shook as she took a step toward me, forcing me back. “You’ve no idea what I had to endure. I’m not even sure if this world can be saved.”

  “‘Course it can be. I can do Priscilla’s route with my eyes closed. Just get me to her, I’ll stop the civil war, make her queen and we can stop the demons, and get the full set of happy endings,” I assured her.

  She burst out laughing, like a full on villainess laugh, cackling and all. But when she stopped, she surprised me with her words. “Fine, I will get you medicine. And your ‘fast track’. Tell me where you are and I will have someone fetch you in a few days.”

  “So that I can see the Lord?” I asked hopefully.

  “Did you forget? Lark has to finish a dungeon to impress the local Lord. So get yourself ready.” She took a second look at me just as she was about to leave, I could feel a sneer beneath that hood. “I will provide the sword.”

  It was only after she left that I remembered the set of happy endings for the true golden route doesn’t include a happy ending for the villainess. Just the opposite, actually.

  I will be sure to change that.

  Come to think of it... I never did ask her what her real name was.

  Oh well, gotta get back to Lune and Mom.

  — … —

  I wanted to scream at the lines scrawling over the yellowed paper.

  You imbecile! How could you be so dense?! She was obviously hurting!

  She practically screamed it at him, and he just steamrolled over her with his "happy ending" talk.

  But wait...

  My rage faltered, replaced by a cold, sinking feeling.

  Would Steve have missed it as well? If I had arrived here first, would I have known her pain?

  In any case, the Queen is a reincarnator. She’s from Earth, Steve’s time.

  I pictured the woman, and those angry, caramel eyes glared hard at me, along with the sharp snap of her fan.

  Did she forbid Anthony from being with me because she suspected I would be the next Villainess?

  Even more important: does she know I’m a reincarnator as well?

  I glanced over at Zadina by the fire.

  Is that why she sent her to watch over me? If she knew my demonic nature, the choice is even more obvious.

  As if summoned, Zadina pushed herself off the ground and walked over to me. “Please, My Lady. Sleep. Healing can only get you so far. Your body needs to do the rest.”

  She refused to leave until I had changed and slipped into my bedroll. I was conscious of her icy eyes watching me the whole time.

  As I drifted toward sleep, a thought flared up.

  If Priscilla isn’t queen, doesn’t that mean Aaron failed? Had Sarsee manipulated things to make herself the queen instead?

  My mother. Aaron had called her the Hidden Princess.

  Mama’s words came back to me. The previous king—the one that my mother was the illegitimate daughter of—his line had been “had been wiped to the roots.”

  The civil war did happen, and Sarsee had come out on top.

  She had altered the game itself.

  She’s me, with agency.