TORI WAS alone and contemplating inside her room. She's seriously staring at the invitation letter that Lily reminded her about. The previous Victoria still decided to not attend this banquet, even after knowing where it came from. It was common knowledge that to refuse a royal invitation meant disobedience to the royal family. Luckily, Tori attended the banquet with her father and that wench.

Two days after the tea party, Sabina was still in her room. The meals were being delivered there. She barely even showed herself, and according to Lily, that wench looked quite haggard. Tori couldn't blame her, since her grand plan to earn the Marchioness' good side was all in naught after she interfered. Instead, Tori became the star of the party.

After getting involved just to show some action in front of the high society ladies, Tori knew words would spread about her benevolence that's comparable to the kindhearted Duchess Camila. Tori didn't need to do much for some time. She could focus on her priority without concerning about her terrible reputation anymore. And her priority was money. She needed to accumulate a vast wealth under her name alone. To do that, she needed to make use of the knowledge she had in her past life.

Being the person who knew what would happen in the future, Tori knew what business would become successful or who would become the future talents of the Empire. She also knew that there would be a great plague that would kill a lot of nobles and aristocrats.

With this information, it would be so easy to manipulate the Empire even from Tori's room. All she had to do was move the pieces at the right time.

And the banquet they would attend was the second prince's fifteenth birthday. Eckrett Empire's royal princes got divided into two. The first prince and the future crown prince were the male lead of this Netflix series. And the second prince was just a side character who later on died in Season 2 from the great plague. But there were many rumors among the avid fans of the Thorny Crown Series that the noble faction was behind the second prince's death. From what Tori saw from the Netflix Series, the second prince had very few appearances. It was like they made him a character to emphasize the first prince. Even his death emphasized the male lead. It was like how the original Victoria had to die just to let the half-blood Sabina be the heir apparent of Rozenreff Duchy.

Victoria Rozenreff and the second prince. In some ways, they were alike. Their role in the story was to simply exist and die for the protagonists of the story.

What a load of bullshit! Don't worry, my dear second prince. I will help you become king so in return, permit me to crush your older brother to pieces.

Even if it was only a distant memory for this body, as the new inhabitant of this said body, Tori could still feel the icy touch of the sharp blades of the guillotine on her neck. Subconsciously, she touched that certain part of her neck.

My head is still here, bitch. Watch out for your head, Sabina. In this game, the winner keeps her head, huh?

THE BANQUET was in full swing. Her father was with the noble faction and the king. Sabina was dancing with a count's son and was practically glowing up. Her charms were in full battery tonight, Tori guessed. Tori after being introduced by her father together with Sabina was sitting and eating comfortably.

There were a lot who tried to start a conversation with her, but she was not in a mood to invest in meaningless chat. If she would engage herself in a conversation, she would only choose one person. The birthday boy, but he was busy entertaining the imposing aristocratic faction. Although his backside looked uncomfortable, Tori couldn't be so sure since he was yet to be greeted by her. And she had no plans to greet him either.

Perhaps after she accumulated a sturdy amount of connection and wealth, then she could think of talking to the second prince. They would probably talk about how to dispose of the loyalists of the noble faction, but now an exchange of greetings would be enough if they crossed paths.

Feeling quite full already, instead of dancing, Tori headed towards the farthest terrace available at the banquet hall of the palace.

The moon was so big that Tori felt she could reach it, so she leaned towards the banister. Her silver evening dress glinted under the moonlight along with her golden hair, which was let loose.

A firefly passed by Tori. "Oh, wow." It landed on her nose.

So something is still pure in this world, huh?

"Don't go!" Tori exclaimed when the firefly flew away, bringing along with it the warmth she thought she felt. She accidentally leaned more towards the banister that her sandals slipped on the floor.

"Holy -!"

A warm yet pair of powerful arms encircled her waist. Her back was on that someone so she couldn't see who saved her, but she successfully pried that person's arms away from her. When finally she faced the person who saved her, Tori's body went rigid.

Sapphire eyes and raven hair. There's no other seventeen years old boy in this Empire who looked like that except the first prince of the Eckrett Empire.

Like a film from a movie, the memories of this body blacked out Tori's mind. She knew she looked like a dumb fish in front of him. She kept opening and closing her mouth like a fish starved of air.

Please self, snap out of it!

"Red eyes and golden hair. You're Lady Victoria Rozenreff."

He's friendly with me now because he's yet to meet Sabina. And those eyes, they glinted like the ocean when he sliced my neck off. I can't believe that I'm standing face to face with my killer right now.

"Blessings to the Empire's star, the first prince." Tori did a perfect curtsy to the prince who was silently observing him.

"Why are you here? You should dance like everyone else."

"I got tired of dancing, your highness. So I seek the comfort of the moonlight." Tori's awkward stance was clear enough for the prince, but he enjoyed making her squirm.

"That's funny because I haven't seen you dance since you entered the banquet hall."

So you're monitoring me, huh? So since the beginning, you have a particular interest in Victoria. An interest fueled by that wench caused Victoria's head to roll on the plaza's ground.

Tori refrained from answering the first prince. He was toying with her. She couldn't blame her body since his presence flustered her.

Just when Tori was about to answer him, she saw a certain someone from the window and that someone was going to pass the terrace she was staying with the first prince.

"Pardon my discourtesy your highness but I have to greet the celebrant." Tori dashed to the person who was walking alone. She clung to him rather impolitely, but she grabbed him away from the eyes of that sapphire-eyed boy.

"L-lady Rozenreff? Wait! Where are we going?"

She couldn't look up at him while dashing out towards God knows where, but the serene and calm voice almost stopped Tori from her tracks.

She didn't answer him either even when a royal knight tried to stop her, though the knight stopped with some signal from the second prince.

Wait, what's the second prince's name again? Ugh, I don't care anymore.

They only stopped when they reached the garden. Tori could tell that a royal knight followed them discreetly, but she didn't care anymore. She just wanted to get out of there.

The warm light from the lamps of the greenhouse and the fireflies that scattered everywhere when they abruptly disrupted the night were the things that Tori blamed for why her cheeks were flushed as he carefully stared at the celebrant before him.

Again, the actor of the second prince from the Thorny Crown Series did not do justice to the real deal. Even the novel's description didn't do justice either.

A wavy brunette hair that looked so soft to touch paired with unique golden eyes.

Gosh, is he an angel? He will be the death of my vagina.

Realizing that she's been staring at him for quite a while now, Tori finally did a curtsy. "Blessings to the Empire's star, the second prince."

He smiled at her that almost causing a major heart attack for Tori.

Jesus!

"I'm sorry for dragging you here, your highness. But I, uh, I have to go away from there."

What the fuck is wrong with my voice? Why do I sound like a dying lamb or something?

"Hmm. This is the first time that someone wants to walk away from my brother."

Yeah. I'll even run faster than the horse just to be away from my past killer. I mean, this body's past killer.

"But I'd rather chase you, you know." Tori blurted out of nowhere. When she realized what she spoke, it was already too late.

The unnamed second prince chuckled, "Wow. This is the first time I genuinely laugh since the banquet. You're funny, Lady Rozenreff."

What? No way!

Too shy to say a comeback, Tori for the second time today ran away from a prince.

"You're running away again!" The teasing remark of the prince echoed inside the greenhouse. And Tori and his knights heard him.