"Ehh?"

"That's right." He confirmed his words with a smirk that for an unknown reason, I feel my heart beat in triple speed and at the same time, no words would come out of my mouth as I found my eyes staring at my reflection in his.

"Whoa..."

"Too easy..." I heard him mumble that a tick grew in my forehead.

"Too easy? Too easy?!! What does that mean?!"

"It means you're too easy to entice, unlike someone I know." He replied nonchalantly. "But it's better knowing that owning you is very easy~"

"Own who now?!"

"You~"

"Y-You..!" I smacked his head. "Why do you have to be so annoying?!!"

"I'm only like this with you~~"

"I don't want to hear it!! Hmph!!"

For the whole duration of our seemingly 'fun' trip, Caedmon-sama always managed to find the right words to drive me further into insanity.

Just what did I do in my past life? Is being a god-level shipper a sin?

I was greeted directly by the King of Daemonorops himself, along with many beautiful draconic maids and handsome butlers and knights.

"Welcome Hestia Ceres Mantissa-ojou!!"

"Thanks for having me here!" I glared at the boy who-must-not-be-named. "You can put me down now, you're blemishing my reputation as a Lady of Coelacanth!!"

*gasps

*snickers

Are they that shocked that I scolded the son of their Prime Minister? But he clearly deserved it!

A maid just handed me a detailed map of the palace and left me at a corridor. I was just busy reading the paper while walking when I bumped into something and fell to the carpeted floor.

*yelp

What was that?

"... sorry." A cute yet quiet voice said and when I turned to my front, my jaw dropped in awe at the sight.

Beautiful silver hair akin to many streaks of the moonlight, puppy-like golden eyes comparable to a pair of bright suns, pale skin, modest nose, pink lips and long curved eyelashes. She wore a simple purple summer dress yet she still exuded the aura of an angel-- no, a goddess.

Her breathing could be clearly heard due to the quiet surroundings but her brows were slightly furrowed and her lips were pouted, expressing her pain.

"I'm so sorry, ojousan!!" I bowed respectfully.

But wait, I feel like I've seen her before...

"Me. Fine. You?" My mouth gaped at her speech.

And that manner of speaking!!

"Me. Sorry. Bump. You."

"Hehe, it's nothing." I scratched the back of my neck. "May I ask your name?" I sheepishly asked and her eyes kind of dilated.

Was she that shocked?

"Me. Name. Seraphine." I felt like the whole world collapsed on my shoulder when her angelic voice echoed in my mind.

Oh shit, isn't that the Heroine of the sequel?! Omg, omg, omg!! I didn't think she could be this beautiful in 3D, I mean I saw some ads about the game, but the live-action version is so much better!!

"Hello Seraphine-hime, I'm Hestia Ceres Mantissa of a Dukedom of Coelacanth. Nice to meet you." Her eyes slowly curved in crescent shape. I internally squealed as her 'heroine halo' further highlighted her cuteness.

"Hn. Likewise." She briefly replied and I suddenly felt a chill in my spine when I saw Maxentius-ouji heading to our direction with a displeased expression.

Why is he looking at me with such displeasure?!! Am I finally gonna die?!!

"Makkun." Seraphine-hime said with a toothy grin that I almost puke.

Makkun? How sweet of them~~ But wait, didn't the Heroine of the prequel called Maxentius-ouji that way? For some reason, it feels like what I knew from the game is very different from this. Just... what changed?

"Hello Sese-chan and... Hestia-ojou." She looked at us in curiosity.

"Are you two... dating?!"

"Ehh?!!"--me

"There's no such thing, I only need you Sese-chan~~"--Maxentius-ouji

It seems that the prince have been flirty since young. Just where did he learn it? Probably not from His Imperial Majesty, right?

"Right Hestia-ojou?" He looked at me with an 'I-will-kill-you-if-you-don't-agree' look. I swallowed air before answering.

"Of course~" She squinted her eyes in suspicion but she soon shrugged it off when Maxentius-ouji tucked a heap of hair behind her ear. I winced seeing a scene that could be compared to a painting, a heart-thumping event.

They're so sweet! They're definitely a match made in heaven! But what about the original Heroine?!

"Are you jealous of them? I can do that to you, if that's what you want~"

"No need, you pervert!!"

After all those, I hurried to find my room and met the draconic king and the human Crown Prince in a dark room with only a torch as its source of light.

"So befriending her is just a minor excuse for something much greater?"

"That is so." Nehemiah-ou spoke. "I read a report from one of my spies that they are planning to kidnap the Amalgam, in other words, Sese-chan."

"You already know the basics of Mantissa's special swordsmanship so you could probably protect her well." Maxentius added.

"And when will such a thing happen, the kidnapping I mean?"

"I'm planning to hold a banquet for my granddaughter's recovery. I only told a few selected members of the royal councils composed of high-ranking nobles and it seemed to reach the ears of 'those' people as well."

How could that be? As I thought, the--

"There's a traitor in your midst, Nehemiah-ou." Maxentius-ouji continued my thoughts.

"I know, but I don't know who..." As if on cue, a man clothed in black appeared and presented the prince with a stack of papers. "What is this..?"

Even I was dumbfounded by the recent development.

"I've been doing a research on my own. 75% of this is the result of my hardwork while the rest are done by my spies. You could say they're pretty capable."

"I see, it seems you've done more than I could. You care for my granddaugter, I can see it. But you still haven't got my approval yet. Prove your worth at the upcoming event held in the palace by making sure nothing dangerous could befall on her."

"I accept." Maxentius-ouji respectfully answered.

"Hestia-ojou, rest for now. You may leave."

"Yes, Nehemiah-ojou."