It seemed my foot got tangled in the fabric of my dress. I gave a yelp as I fell forward, throwing my arms in front of me. That did little to brace my fall, and I soon found myself with a close-up view of the lacquered tile floor.

There were a few gasps, then the room descended into complete silence. The atmosphere was so heavy that I felt oppressed by its weight.

I scrambled to get up. I had only been in this world for about an hour, and I had already managed to make a fool of myself. I glanced back at the maid for assistance, but she only observed me with an impassive look on her face.

I didn't know anything about Violet's family (her diary was full of entries about Elias, and not much else.) But considering the way Violet turned out, I imagined her parents weren't much better.

I heard the sound of chairs scraping against the floor, then a shout, "Vi!"

I glanced up and found three people rushing toward me.

One was an older man, with a full, graying beard and heavy eyebrows. He had a grisled look about him, as though he were a seasoned warrior. He had a pair of piercing blue eyes. I figured he must be Duke DeVries.

The next was a woman with raven hair. Compared to the outfit I wore, her manner of dress was comparatively simple. Still, she carried herself with grace. She was likely Duchess DeVries.

The third person was a young man in his mid-twenties. His appearance was similar to that of Violet, to the point where the two might have been mistaken for twins. As such, I deduced that he was Violet's older brother.

"What happened?" the brother asked, kneeling beside me. "Are you feeling okay?"

"What are you all standing around for? Someone call a physician!" Duchess DeVries commanded the servants. "Can you not see that our precious Violet has been injured?"

Meanwhile, Duke DeVries took the opportunity to berate the maid for endangering my life by dressing me in dangerous clothes.

I pressed a hand to my forehead, now understanding Violet's circumstances. She had not become a villainess because she lived in a cold household in which no one cared about her; she had become a villainess because she lived in a warm household where everyone cared about her.

In other words, she was spoiled! 

I felt a pang of jealousy. I had no family to speak of. My mother died shortly after I began college, and I had been estranged from my father since childhood. All of my grandparents had already passed away, and I had neither aunts or uncles. I had been all by myself.

Violet, on the other hand, had such a loving family. Yet instead of treasuring them, she had become obsessed with Elias and spent all her time tormenting Adelaide.

"I'm fine," I said. "I don't need a physician or anything."

Duke DeVries furrowed his brow, "Are you sure? You know how easily you bruise."

Duchess DeVries crossed her arms and glared at her husband, "This is all your fault. If you had not insisted that Violet dine with us, and had let her take her meal in her room as usual—"

"I only wanted to eat a meal with my precious daughter!"

"That is no reason to force her out of her room!"

All that noise was beginning to give me a headache.

The brother must have noticed, because he interjected, "Father, mother, I believe your bickering is disturbing Vi."

The two immediately ceased their argument.

"Kalyx, escort your sister back to her room," the duke ordered, resigned. "I will have to eat with her some other time."

I expected Kalyx to help me get back on my feet. Instead, he gathered me in his arms and lifted me up.

A princess carry!

Argh, why couldn't Adelaide fall in love with someone like him, instead of those scumbag capture targets? Not only was he handsome, but he was strong and gentle. If I had to cite one flaw, it was that he doted on his sister a bit too much.

He carried me through the halls as though I weighed nothing. It was really admirable, considering my weight must have been doubled by all the layers I was wearing.

Kalyx's lips quirked into a slight smile as I stared up at him.

"Father is upset that he won't be able to spend as much time with you once you depart for the academy," he said. "As if you won't be returning home for winter and summer holidays."

I gave a hum of acknowledgement. It was obvious how much they treasured Violet.

Suddenly, I was apprehensive. Would they notice the change in Violet's attitude? Would they somehow realize that I was not her?

I could try to act like Violet for the time being, but I had no interest in obsessing over Elias. And if I just abruptly changed my behavior with no warning, it would seem suspicious.

The only thing I could do was act as though I had a change of heart.

Soon, we reached my room. Kalyx took great care in setting me down, as though he were afraid I would shatter. I was relieved to be back on the ground. It was a nice gesture for him to carry me, but no matter how you looked at it, it was a little weird.

"Well, goodnight, Vi," he said. He turned to walk back down the corridor.

"Wait!" I reached out, grabbing the hem of his jacket. "I...want to spend as much time with everyone as I can before the term begins. I've been reflecting on myself lately, and I've been selfish. If it's okay, I want to try to eat a meal with you all tomorrow."

Kalyx was so stunned that he stopped in his tracks. He spun around and stared at me with wide eyes.

Once Kalyx recovered from his stupor, his face broke into a blinding grin.

Wow, pretty boys are really on another level, huh.

It was so dazzling that I had to avert my eyes.

Then, I felt something warm rest against the top of my head.

Kalyx gave my head two pats, then said, "Thank you, Vi. I'm glad to hear that, and I'm sure mother and father will feel the same."

With that, Kalyx stalked back down the hall. I flung open the door to my room and immediately kicked my shoes off.

The maid from earlier was nowhere to be seen, and I wondered if she was still being scolded by Duke DeVries.

I shrugged off the absurd layers of clothes and threw them onto the chaise.

When I glanced in the handheld mirror, I found that my face was caked with powders. I couldn't even see my skin beneath it all. I grabbed one of the skirts I'd been forced into earlier, and used it to wipe my face clean.

This absurd look couldn't be the style among noble ladies. The duchess had a completely different aesthetic. And, now that I thought about it, only Violet and her cronies had worn large, puffy dresses in the game. Everyone else had worn loose, patterned gowns that were easy to move in.

"Ah, don't tell me..."

Did Violet wear these ridiculous clothes of her own volition?! She truly was a crazy villainess!