Throughout my life, I've been labeled the villain. I'm the one who reminds the teacher about assignments, even when everyone else hopes they'll forget. I'm the person who repeatedly hits the elevator's "close" button when you're rushing to get in. And I'm the one who walks past you when you ask for help, putting my comfort above everything else.

People avoid me because of my attitude, but that's just who I am. They might call me the "B," but for me, it stands for beauty. I've never been the saintly type, and never will be.

Or so I thought?

***

I waited for two people to come in. One was Sir Gareth; someone I trusted a lot here. The other was the person I was supposed to marry.

I got this room ready with help from the palace staff. It smelled nice with romantic scents in the air. The musicians on standby at the corner of the room for added romantic vibe. There were roses on the floor, making a path from the door to where I was standing. The flowers he loves were picked from his garden to be part of this special event.

Should have I asked first if I can use these flowers?

Anyway, it’s not like it won’t grow back.

I am sure he won’t mind.

Beside why gaze at flowers when he can just take his time looking at a beauty like me?

I've got this path of roses, leading to a heart-shaped arrangement of candles. I stand in the middle, holding flowers with a box of ring and some important papers. If he agrees, he gets the flowers, the ring, papers and of course me. If not, well, I've got those papers to convince him to marry me. He has to agree.

It’s not called blackmailing; I call it ‘negotiation’.

I'm pretty confident this will work. This way, the story will end happily, and I'll be back in my own world.

The door opened, and in walked a man who outshone anyone I've ever seen in my company Dream Sync Entertainment known for discovering top talent and beauties. If he were from my world, I'd sign him up instantly.

His hair was the color of pink cotton candy, his body fit for any modeling gig, his sharp jawline, and those golden-brown eyes that sparkled in the low light. He outclassed every man here. Maybe it's because he's the main character, or maybe I'm just seeing it from a CEO's perspective, always seeking beauty for profit.

In que of his arrival, the musician hit the songs intro.

Insert: I Want Nobody but You by Mondergirls

You know I still love you baby…

And it will never change.

I want nobody, nobody but you..

I want nobody, nobody but you..

……….

I showcased a song and dance, putting my all into this performance, pouring my heart and soul into every step as if my life depends on it (which is actually true.). I even threw in winks and alluring expressions to captivate him.

After the performance, I smiled at him sexily as an ending fairy.

His face seemed intrigued, lighting my hope about my proposal’s success. His eyes wandered the room until they landed on me at the far end. I flashed my best smile, signaling for him to walk down the rose-covered path towards me, surrounded by candles forming a heart shape.

I kept waving and smiling, trying to encourage him closer. But after an awkward minute, he stayed put by the door, arms crossed, as if ignoring my invites to come closer.

Why this little-!

"You're meant to walk over here and step into this heart, Your Highness," I said, still smiling. But no matter how much I insisted, the prince refused to budge. It was starting to bother me.

"Okay, fine. I'll come to you," I said sweetly, masking my growing annoyance.

With the bouquet of flowers and documents in hand, I cat walked over to him, my gaze fixed on his eyes. When I reached his side by the door, I extended the flowers to him, which he accepted hesitantly.

"What are all these for?" he inquired; his expression puzzled.

I took a breath and started talking. "I am sure that you know now how impressive of a person I am.” I said seriously, looking right at him as he tried to figure me out.

"You know I can help you become the crown prince and rule the empire. So, here's an offer: marry me for our happy ever after together. Remember, I'm Roselle, and I don't make this offer lightly," I explained confidently, trying to persuade him.

"That's treason," he retorted firmly.

"Yes," I replied absentmindedly.

"Wait, what?" My surprise was evident. Out of all the responses, his accusation caught me off guard.

"The crown prince is destined for the throne, and our current emperor is very much alive. Your proposition is undoubtedly treasonous."

If I face charges of treason in this world, it's a guaranteed bad ending for me.

From all the data I have collected, it seems clear that he is aiming to become the future ruler of this empire. While you may not currently hold the position of the crown prince, it appears inevitable given your role as the male lead of this novel, the one whom Roselle is destined to wed. 

"I mean... Irrespective of your ambitions, wouldn't I make a suitable lifelong companion? You'll find no woman more suitable for you than me," I stammered, my words tinged with uncertainty as I realized my connection to my real world was slipping away.

"I may be an imperial prince, potentially bound by political marriages, but I yearn for a union founded on mutual affection," he expressed, his tone carrying an idealistic hope for a loving future.

I cringed inwardly at his words.

You are leaving me with one choice.

"I love you, Your Highness." I blurted out abruptly, my hand instinctively placed over my heart to convey my feelings.

"You do? Tell me more," he chuckled disbelievingly.

"Well, I felt drawn to you from our first encounter," I confessed, as I was reminded of the unconventional beginnings of our relationship. Falling for him at our initial meeting was far from ideal because he draw his sword at me.

Not a typical scenario to fall in love for someone.

His smile morphed into a knowing grin, signaling the waning chances of persuading him. The weight of the document in my hand reminded me of its significance.

"Do you see this paper?" I held it out, briefly flaunting it before him, and I sensed he caught a glimpse of its contents.

"That's right. You need this. I'll offer it to you, along with my assistance in achieving any goal you seek, in exchange for marriage," I proposed, attempting to strike a deal.

"Oh, that? I actually don't need it anymore," he shrugged, his sincerity evident in his expression.

A surge of anger flooded through me, my control slipping as my expression darkened. I stared up at him, trying to pierce his gaze with intensity. My demeanor must have turned threatening because in the depths of my mind, a plan emerged—to rid myself of this prince and cast him into the sea. Despite the great distance to the ocean, the idea persisted; I was resolute, even considering transporting him to shark-infested waters.

Beep.

A notification jolted me from my murderous reverie.

WARNING! APPROACHING BAD ENDING ROUTE!

Reality crashed back in, shattering my imagined passage back to my world. I reined in my emotions, conjuring an on-the-verge-of-tears expression, and turned to face him. He stood a few paces away, awkwardly scratching the back of his head, oblivious to my inner turmoil.

"I truly love you, Your Highness," I uttered, wiping away feigned tears that escaped from the corner of my eye.

He met my eyes again as I said those words.

"I'm ready to show my love. I'll wait for you. Just let me prove my love for you." I said, my voice wavering slightly, a hint of hurt slipping through.

"But I can't wait too long. So, make up your mind quickly, alright?" I added, injecting a hint of provocation into my tone.

I tentatively reached out towards his hand but hesitated, opting instead to grip his sleeves.

"Please, let me demonstrate my unwavering affection for you, Your Highness," I pleaded, my voice filled with desperation, as I tried to pull off a convincing puppy-dog-eyed look.

He recoiled slightly at the sight of my imploring gaze. For a fleeting moment, I thought I detected a flash of disgust on his face. Dismissing it as a trick of the light because, well, there's no way I'm unappealing, I brushed it off.

"Do whatever you wish, as long as it doesn't do any harm," he relented, shrugging my hand off his sleeve in defeat.

"Deal," I abruptly straightened myself, wiping away the faux tears, and briskly walked past him, trying to appear as though I hadn't been begging just moments ago.

As I reached for the door handle, ready to leave the room, I paused midway and turned back to face him.

"Get ready to fall for me, Your Highness. It's going to happen, and it'll hit you hard," I grinned mischievously, ending with a playful laugh as I left, leaving the bewildered 4th Prince, Lucian, utterly puzzled once more.

That is how the mission to make the 4th prince fall for me and fall hard started.

***

A few months ago, I was involved in an accident instigated by one individual among many holding a grudge against me. Driven by my will to survive and teach that perpetrator a lasting lesson, I struck a deal with an unexpected figure—a kid, who strangely holds god-like power in this novel world.

He cast me to play the protagonist, a role I initially rejected. Acting as Roselle, the kind, patient character, is leagues away from my true nature. Even the supposed villains in this world pale in comparison to my real-world persona.

I would have taken any measure, even resorting to assassinations of all the villains that hinders me toward my happy ever after and kidnapping the person I'm supposed to marry, if not for the persistent pop-up notification that disrupts my actions. This notification warns me whenever my deeds, thoughts, or words steer the story toward the ominous 'Bad Ending Route.'"

Avoiding the Bad Ending Route is crucial since my passage back to reality hinges solely on ensuring Roselle, portrayed by me, attains her happily-ever-after.

As I strolled toward my awaiting carriage, I suddenly halted, causing my escorting entourage to pause in confusion. Raising my gaze, I spotted the 4th prince peering down at us from a nearby window.

Gesturing for a momentary delay, I began rummaging around, prompting my escorts to join in the search. Pretending to retrieve something from behind me, I threw the prince a playful finger heart. Then, mimicking the action of shooting an arrow-heart, I couldn't contain my chuckle at the hilariously baffled expression on his face.

Glancing at the faces of my bewildered escorts, it was evident that they were left utterly perplexed by the unexpected exchange.

“Let us go Sir Gareth. I have a prince to court.” I said as he helped me mount on the carriage.