What does a girl do when her first kiss is unexpectedly stolen? She bitches to friends.

Like your average noblewoman I held a small tea party and gathered my like-minded ladies to talk about this horrifying event. I wore my most comfortable sundress, which was still annoyingly heavy. But ignoring the trivial problems in life like stuffy Victorian dresses, I poured the tea. Ready to start the debate.

Three ladies joined me: Marie Blanche, Princess Juliette Avalore, and my brother’s fiancee, Victoria Winther. 

Juliette wore a deep red dress with a mermaid silhouette. The red brought out the gold in her sharp eyes. Since her entrance into high society she quickly became a fashion icon, introducing new styles to nobility. 

Victoria wore a damper blue dress that covered her shoulders conservatively. Despite being the odd one out of the group that had all gone to school together she held her head high. Her jet-black hair slid down to her thin waist. People might mistake her for dainty if they didn’t know how high her intelligence was.

Marie, wore a flowy yellow dress nothing too fancy, but no one would think of her to be the commoner she really was because of her golden curls and big golden eyes. As the strongest user of light magic in the country, she held a higher position than most nobility and would likely receive the title of saint soon. 

Can you guess who was supposed to be the main character?

I watched with the will of a warrior as they sipped their tea. They waited patiently for me to gather my thoughts on today's dire topic. I groaned in misery. “What am I going to do with Leo,” I asked.

“Marry him,” Juilliette said simply, as she sipped her tea.

“I’m a little confused,” Victoria admitted. “You two are engaged right?”

“Yes,” I said. That was a part of the problem. If he had actual feelings for me, he likely wouldn’t be willing to break off what for me was a loveless engagement.

“Do you not like him,” Marie asked. “I thought you two were friends.”

“I do…” I said. “But… I don’t want to marry him.”

It was hard to explain. The ladies saw her as a person who was friendly and affectionate with her fiance. This was the first hint of trouble in paradise really. But throughout the years her and Leon were merely friends. If he had shown a hint of romantic affection for her before, maybe things would have been different. But as far as she could tell his care for her was no different from care towards other ladies, nobility or not. He gifted them things that were appropriate for his standing. He treated them with courtesy and kindness. She was more familiar with him than others as a friend from childhood. What she didn’t guess is he’d be so clueless about showing affection to the point she didn’t even know he felt that way about her.

Juilette burst out laughing at the development. “I can’t wait to tell Leo that you don’t find him attractive.”

“I didn’t say that,” I admitted. It was hard not to find such a perfectly sculpted character as attractive. If I hadn’t become immune to them over the years my heart would skip along like any other lady’s. Even their little tea party was filled with such beauty that if you weren’t used to it the sparkle could make you faint.

“So what’s the problem?” Marie asked.

I groaned again and laid my head on the table next to the pastry display. Luckily these ladies didn’t expect me to hold up my dignity as a noble here. “I just didn’t plan on marrying him,” I tried feebly to explain. I didn’t plan for anything beyond this point actually. I just didn’t want to die so I befriended him. Or I guess I made him fall in love with me.

“But, you're engaged to him,” Victoria reminded her. 

I slammed my head against the table again. The little bit of pain was enough to assure me that this was reality. “Don’t remind me.”

If I’d known it’d end this way I would have never agreed to get engaged to him. We were five years old but even I could have pitched a fit against it if I wanted. Instead I stupidly made a deal with the king. I approached him with kindness in my heart and said, “If his highness falls in love with someone else, please don’t let me stop his happiness.” 

I GAVE MYSELF A WAY OUT!

But he didn’t fall in love with the protagonist like he was supposed to. Did I maybe change the plot too much? Probably. But everyone else was much more happy for the changes so i was worth it. I’m not such a cruel person that I’d let someone suffer if I had the power to stop it. I don’t even think Victoria was a character in the original.

I lifted my head off the table and stared at Victoria. Her being here was proof that the entire plot was thrown out the window. In the book my brother never considered engagement. It was only in this world that they’d become close, because of my encouragement. I told him that I didn’t want him to be alone once I was gone.

Victoria stared back for a while before looking away with an anxious look. “Sorry,” I said.

“The kiss just took me by surprise,” I explained. “I didn’t know he even felt that way about me.”

Juliette laughed relentlessly. “It’s not that funny,” I said. “I really didn’t.”

“I alway thought his highness cared about you a lot,” Marie said. She gazed at me with concern and confusion. Her hand stretched out to my head. “May I?” She asked.

I nodded. A warm light glowed from her hand and the little bit of pain on my forehead vanished. Light magic was just so convenient, but she doubted it’d be able to help her even in her past life. It wasn’t that useful for chronic illnesses.

“Okay maybe you all can tell me, when you noticed he liked me?” I said.

“He always gives you gifts,” Marie said.

“And escorts you to dances,” Victoria chimed in.

“And visited our classroom just to see you,” Marie said.

“He visits your mansion so frequently he has room,” Victoria reminded me.

“Oh and he never stops talking about you,” Juillete said, annoyance showing in her voice from the memory. “I mean even I had to meet the amazing Aurora in his stories.”

All of these reasons may be convincing if it wasn’t the crown prince we were talking about. “He gives gifts to lots of girls, and escorting me to balls is the bare minimum of his duties as my fiance.” I reflected. “Not to mention he visits Gene’s class frequently as well. You don’t think they’re in love do you?”

Eugene was the only other one in their group in a different class; it only made sense that Leon would visit his friends' classes. 

“I wish,” Juillette said. “It sure would make my life easier if he was.”

“Right,” I agreed. Juliette never tried to hide her desire for the throne. It was the impossible dream she strived for, to prove herself more worthy that her younger brother who inherited it naturally. Personally I always thought she’d be the better fit. Leon was smart and kind, but didn’t have the same skill for politics and bending opinions like Juliette did. So not only did she thrive in her studies, but also in controlling the nobles. I’m lucky to be her friend, not her enemy. Once Marquis Noules dared to oppose a fabrics trade bill she supported, so naturally Juliette’s solution was to monopolize the jewelry craftsmanship industry so he’d need to go through her to make anything of value through his mines. She was merciful and didn’t drive him into bankruptcy. 

It was far better to agree with her. “Even if he talked about me a lot when he was a child it likely wasn’t anymore than he would brag about a new hobby. That’s how kids are,” I said.

“Please, when he was a child. Try yesterday and continuously for his entire life.” Juliette rolled her eyes. “At least hearing about your antics growing up led to our friendship, but he needs a new hobby.”

“Oh…” I didn’t know he talked about me so much with his family. That would have been nice to know. Julette likely waited until this exact moment to tell me so she could tease us both to the fullest. I couldn’t argue though it wasn’t her job to clear up our misunderstandings.

“I sure do wish someone clever and kind could have hinted that sooner,” I said.

“If only you knew someone that clever and kind,” she teased.

I slammed my tea cup down. “None that even matters,” I exclaimed. “A relationship shouldn’t come out of nowhere.”

The three ladies stared at me startled by the outburst. I groaned again. This was so hard to explain to them. I know these thoughts could seem weird to people from here. For most women the goal was marriage, especially nobility. Juliette was the outlier who sought different, but for her romance itself was silly. Marriage was for politics. It wasn’t how this world worked.