Seconds after my declaration, there was a knock at the door.

"Are you all right?" the maid asked. "Strange...I didn't think I hit you hard enough to induce mental damage..."

"I'm fine!" I shot back. "I just need a bit more time to wake up."

The last thing I needed was for people to start thinking I was crazy. I'd have no chance of protecting the heroine if I was committed to an asylum.  

"...if you say so," the maid answered, indifferent.

I gave a sigh of relief. It seemed that I had avoided suspicion, at least for the time being.

With that issue resolved, I returned my attention to the main problem at hand: how to save the heroine.

I scoured the room in search of paper and a writing utensil. Eventually, I stumbled upon a leatherbound book that must have served as Violet's diary, as well as a needlessly-bejeweled fountain pen. I flipped past looping pages of cursive (and thousands of mentions of Prince Elias) until I reached a blank page.

At the top, I wrote, "Plan to Save the Heroine!!!"

My penmanship was nowhere near as nice as that of the original Violet. While she had neat, curling handwriting, mine was angular and near illegible. I could only hope that no one would ever notice the difference.

I tapped my pen against the notebook, combing through my memories of the game. I had only played through it once, so most of the finer details were quite fuzzy. However, I felt confident that I could at least remember the main points.

The game took place in a fictional country called New Titania. It was a land governed by nobles, while the lower class was left to live in a constant state of poverty, famine, and illness.

The heroine's default name was Adelaide Leclair. She was a commoner who lacked formal education, but she was still rather intelligent. Her dream was to attend Lysander Academy, a school of higher education from which commoners were typically barred. However, after attracting the attention of the headmistress in a chance encounter, Adelaide received special permission to enroll.

Naturally, Adelaide had a difficult time at Lysander. She was an outcast amongst her peers, and was the subject of various humiliations. That all changed after she happened to make the acquaintance of several high-ranking and influential men: the capture targets.

The first was Elias, the aforementioned crown prince. He was cold and aloof, but Adelaide roused his passion.

Next was Fynn, Elias' younger half-brother. He was more easy going than Elias, but had a reputation for being a frivolous womanizer. Adelaide was the first woman he was ever serious about.

Then, Professor Reinhardt, one of the teachers at the academy. He appeared warm and amiable on the outside, but that was only a facade to hide his insecurities. Adelaide bolstered his self-esteem, and taught him to believe in himself.

The last one was Emil DiRossi, a foreign exchange student that was two years younger than Adelaide. Due to his upbringing, he had abandonment issues. He became fixated on the heroine, who was the first person to ever show him true kindness.

Each of the capture targets had one good end, one normal end, and at least ten bad ends.

Yes, ten! Playing the game was like trying to skip your way through a minefield. One wrong answer choice, and you could lose your head...literally. It didn't help that many of the correct answer choices were seemingly arbitrary. For example:

Prince Elias: "You are quite an interesting woman...would you like to be mine?"

> "Yes, I would love to."

> "Yes, I would like to."

It was only a one-word difference, but selecting the first option would result in Elias believing that the heroine was a money-hungry leech whose sole aim was to become the queen of the country. She ended up getting publicly beheaded.

How does that even make sense? And somehow, despite its flaws, the game went on to have several fan discs, a spin-off game, and even a light novel adaptation.

Shaking my head, I jotted down each of the capture target's names, a brief summary of their circumstances, and some of their character traits.

That was when it occurred to me that my status as a duke's daughter would only be beneficial against two of the love interests; Reinhardt and Emil were inferior to me, so a few threats would be enough to keep them at bay. But Elias and Fynn were princes, meaning they outranked me.

If I wanted to save Adelaide from their clutches, I would need something more than just money and nobility.

"Have you dawdled enough yet?" the maid called. "Supper is in half an hour. The duke expects you in the dining hall. I plan to abide by his orders, even if it means dragging you out of there myself."

And what was with this disrespectful lady-in-waiting? Did she have the same kind of cruel inclinations as the love interests?

I slammed the notebook shut and stashed it beneath one of the throw pillows on the chaise.

"You may enter," I called.

The maid reentered and, to my surprise, a group of women trailed in behind her. They were dressed in the same uniform, so I presumed that they were also servants of the house.

I gaped at them in confusion.

"Why do you appear so surprised?" the abusive maid asked. "You are obviously in no condition to present yourself to the duke and duchess. And because of your antics, we are short on time."

During the next half-hour, I became thoroughly acquainted with the definition of the word "torture."

I was stripped of my comfortable loungewear and stuffed into a corset. The servants laced it so tightly that I had to gasp for breath. Next, they piled petticoat after petticoat over my legs until I could no longer see the ground beneath my feet. Speaking of which, they jammed my feet into a pair of too-small heels that must have been at least eight inches high.

I was beginning to think that the goal of lady's fashion in this time period was to hinder their ability to walk as much as humanly possible.

Fingers played with my hair, yanking on it and manipulating it into some intricate style. Powders and other cosmetics were smeared across my face. The entire time, the head maid observed the process with a critical eye, occasionally demanding that an alteration be made.

Finally, they pulled an uncomfortable dress over my head. Its design was quite elegant, but it felt like a straightjacket. With their job done, the servants bowed, then filed out of the room.

"Well, then, hurry up," the head maid said, glowering at me.

The trip to the dining hall was long and arduous. I could only move a few inches at a time, and each step was painful. Not only were the clothes uncomfortable, but they were also heavy! I felt as though I had been asked to carry a pile of weighted blankets.

The maid accompanied me, chastising my posture the entire time.

"Quit slouching!" she commanded, slapping a palm against my back. "Smile more!"

I felt an urge to cry. Instead, I grit my teeth and willed my legs to move faster.

The game had offered little information about Violet outside of her role as Elias' fiancee and Adelaide's abuser. I knew nothing about her family dynamics or her interests. Thus, I was a bit apprehensive about dining with the duke. Though, this would be an opportunity to learn more about Violet's character.

At last, we reached our destination. The maid flung open a pair of wide double doors and announced my arrival, "Presenting Lady Violet DeVries."

I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for whatever trial I was about to face.

I stepped over the threshold and...promptly tripped and fell on my face.