“Can you stop humming already?” my roommate complained. Her name is Rena, the porcupine beastkin from before. She is somewhat tsundere? She says mean things a lot but I can tell she actually cares. I think we are very good friends. I am pretty sure she would yell at me if I said it out loud, though.

“How can I stop humming?” I asked, “Today is a field trip. Aren’t you excited?”

Rena grimaced. “No matter how you look at it, this is a test. I bet it is a test on everyone’s part.”

“Cool. I am good with tests.”

“Practical tests?” Rena asked in disbelief.

“I am here,” I pointed out.

She was forced to agree with that one, but her face was still wary. “Just make sure not to drag me down. They have been cutting students left and right and I don’t want to be one of them no matter what.”

“Neither do I,” I agreed and opened the door to the room, “I am ready. See you at breakfast.”

“Hey! Wait a minute!” Rena shouted.

I sped down the hallway, elegantly of course, and hid around a corner to watch as Rena stormed after me.

“Sandra, again?” May asked. She was a year older than me and a more serious type, “What are you going to do if Rena is seen and eliminated?”

I flinched. “Sorry,” I muttered, “but I think even future Queen candidates should be allowed to play, right? We are kids.”

“Some more than others,” May sighed, “Just think a little about time and place.”

As I nodded I felt someone grab me from behind. “Cassandra,” a demonic voice hissed.

“R-rena! I didn’t mean it, I swear!”

I was dragged off and surrounded by a deadly aura during all of breakfast. I somehow managed to calm my roommate down by the time we were heading out.

“Why do you keep doing that?” Rena complained.

“Didn’t you want me to stop bothering you?” I asked, feigning innocence. The castle loomed ahead. It was so beautiful…

“I wanted you to stop humming, not to ditch me… And you aren’t even paying attention.”

“Sorry. I just got too excited. I hope we meet someone cool.”

“We met royalty before. Weren’t they cool?”

“There is cool and there is cool,” I told her, “The queen is like an idol, but I want to meet a cool friend, see?”

“...I feel sorry for the other students already.”

In the courtyard of the castle, a large crowd of students around our age had gathered. A large sign was posted. It read:

“Feel free to mingle”

“Mingle, hm? I wonder why. I suppose it is probably important for us to get along,” I mused.

Suddenly an adorable girl popped out of the crowd. She was a cat beastkin with caramel fur. “It’s you!” she shouted, pointing at me, “Queen candidate, Cassandra! You have to save me!”

What?

“Save… you?” I asked hesitantly.

The cute cat girl slipped over to my side and looked on the verge of tears. “Can we talk in private? I promise to explain everything. You are the only one who can help me.”

“I don’t think we should leave right now,” I said, “Maybe later? Hey, Rena, are we allowed to meet outside of field trips?”

Rena shrugged. “Ask a teacher. How would I know.”

I sighed and turned to the teary catgirl. “So… who are you?”

“Um… my name is Autumn,” she said.

I nodded. “And which course are you in?”

“Magic Division.”

A teacher came over and we were allowed to talk alone. Autumn kept fidgeting. “So what do you need my help with.”

“Do you believe in reincarnation?” Autumn asked.

I stiffened at that question coming out of nowhere. “Reincarnation?”

“Yes. Going to the next life with your memories to be exact.”

“Let’s say I do for now so you can continue.” I replied, trying to keep cool.

Autumn flinched. “Well, it gets weirder after that. You see, I remember my past life, and in my past life this world was a game…”

“A game?” I prompted when Autumn fell into silence.

“Right, an otome game. And… this is going to sound weird, but I am the heroine. You are the villainess.”

“Why would you approach me then?” I asked, getting more and more confused.

“Because I don’t want to be the heroine,” Autumn explained, “I absolutely don’t want anything to do with those capture targets. Especially the prince. Since the villainess was an amazing person I thought maybe you could charm them instead? Besides, if you get the prince you will become que-”

I slammed my hand down on the table. What an obnoxious sounding game. “First of all that is not how things work,” I corrected, “Marrying the future king will only hurt my chances of becoming queen. In this country it is frowned upon for leading politicians to be in love. In the first place, lineage has nothing to do with anything. So, why don’t you want to have anything to do with the capture targets, Miss Autumn?”

Autumn trembled and clenched her fists. “You see? It is that right there.”

I was confused, but I could tell I said something wrong.

“I guess the game misled me about this world, but this world is always misunderstanding me.”

“Calm down,” I said and held out a hand, “What did I say?”

“Miss Autumn… Miss… Lady Cassandra, I am a boy!”

There was a charged silence as I stared with my mouth open. “Oh… So the capture targets… I see… but I can’t charm them for you.”

Autumn looked like he was about to cry. “Please. You have to save me!”

“I never said I wouldn’t help,” I interjected, “I just can’t charm them. I am sure there are other ways to stop them from falling for you.”

That was how I met the unfortunate ‘heroine’ and learned that I was the villainess in the world of an otome game. Solving a problem like this will certainly give me excellent experience as queen. I grinned to myself as I thought.