Chapter 2

The banquet hall was almost filled with people and I couldn't stop myself from glancing around repeatedly while more noblemen and noblewomen walked into it. Everyone, except the servants, was dressed in colorful, luxe attires, and adorned with jewelry, and the whole thing felt completely surreal as I watched them. I still couldn't believe that I was at the wedding party of the male and female lead and I wondered if Lander, my favorite character, was going to show up.

He was the female lead's best friend in the novel and since it ended with him and the main couple on good terms, so he might show up. But the villainess who had tried to kill the female lead multiple times was his cousin, Mirabelle Van Hyden, and even though he didn't have a relationship with her apart from being cousins and the Van Hydens disowned her after finding out what she had done, he might not come.

I would need to find another way to see him if he doesn't.

"Katherine," Henrik called out and it took me several moments to remember that was my name before I glanced at him. He raised his brows, silently asking if I was alright, and I pressed my lips together as I bobbed my head in response. It seemed like he was expecting me to break down because he had been doing that ever since we left the estate and it was starting to annoy me.

He was protective of his sister. Not as protective as my parents had been before I woke up in this body though, and in contrast to him, the duchess didn't fuss over me at all. I couldn't explain how glad that made me.

People began to clap and cheer, snapping me out of my thoughts, and after seeing that everyone's attention was focused on the same place, I followed their line of sight to the second entrance of the banquet hall.

A man and a woman were walking through the doorway with their arms linked, and smiling at everyone as they made their way through the crowd. The woman had lovely long black hair that shimmered and flowed with her every move, and brown eyes that made me think of chocolate, while the man had light blonde hair that reminded me of the color of a sunbeam as it passed through a window, and his eyes were hues of the forest, surrounded with dark moss.

The female lead and male lead.

They were just as the book described them and as they moved, it was as if the very air around them was glowing.

"Wow," I muttered under my breath, keeping my eyes fixed on them while people kept clapping and I couldn't stop myself from smiling.

Trumpets blared the moment they came to a stop in the center of the hall and everyone became quiet as a man announced, "Glory to the Kalegan Empire! I present to you the Crown Prince of the Empire, His Highness Mival Caldwell, and the Crown Princess Raven Bostel!"

People began to cheer and clap again, louder this time, and I happily joined them while the duchess walked over to my side.

"What a lovely couple. It's like they were made for each other," the duchess said and the corner of my mouth turned up as I replied absent-mindedly.

"I know right."

"... What?" she snapped, and I finally faced her to see her frowning at me.

'Huh?'

She gave me a once over while Henrik heaved a sigh, and her frown deepened before she walked away, leaving me confused. First, she had laughed when I apologized in the estate, and now she was upset because I agreed with her. I needed to learn more about this family as soon as possible because not knowing how or if I should respond to their questions wouldn't be good.

"What did I do?"

"She was trying to provoke you," Henrik said and I drew my brows together as I became even more confused. He then slightly shook his head sideways and downed the glass of wine in his hand before placing the empty glass on the tray a servant walking by was holding. "Never mind," he added when people became quiet again and the band began to play music.

The crown prince took the crown princess' hand and when they began to dance, I felt people staring at me. They had been doing it ever since I arrived, but I had tried not to think much of it because I knew why they were staring and I couldn't exactly blame them for doing so. Katherine had basically acted like she was going to die when the prince called off the competition.

"Why is she smiling like that?" a woman said, not even trying to hide the fact that she was staring. "Don't tell me she has something planned."

"She wouldn't dare. Unless she wants to join Mirabelle," the man next to her replied, making the people around them laugh, before I moved over to a round table that had desserts on it and Henrik followed me.

"Should we go for a walk?" he asked as I surveyed the items on the table and I shook my head sideways, even though I was a bit tempted to accept the offer because of the unwanted attention I was getting. "...There's black licorice," he said, pointing at a platter which the sweet was on, when I still hadn't picked anything and I frowned in disgust.

"I don't like that." It tasted like poison.

"What?" he blurted out, confusion evident in his voice. "But you… love it."

"I do?"

He tipped his head to the side, drawing his brows together, and I realized that I had to be careful. The last thing I needed was for him to start thinking something was wrong with my memory or that I'd completely lost it, because he would fuss over me even more.

'...But who loves black licorice? Seems like I'll have to learn more about Katherine too.'

"Exactly… I don't like it. I love it," I said, plastering a smile on my face, and I picked one of the sweets, popping it into my mouth. It tasted even worse than I remembered. "Hmm. Amazing."

"Henrik," a man several feet away from us called before waving him over and Henrik gave me a small smile.

"I'll be right back."

"Okay," I replied and when he walked away, I finally wrinkled my nose at the taste of the licorice. I couldn't spit it out though since people were still staring at me and even if I could, I had nowhere to toss it, so I just decided to swallow it. "Ugh."

"Gods, she looks so angry," a voice said as I frowned at the lingering taste in my mouth and I paused.

"Why did she come here if she still isn't happy about the way the competition ended?"

'Are they talking about me?' I thought just as I found the women that were talking. One of them turned and the moment our eyes met, she immediately faced forward before giggling and muttering with her friends.

'Dear Lord. You're the daughter of a duke, Katherine. Why did you have to react like that when the competition was called off?'

The women glanced at me again and when they began to approach me, I grabbed a couple of wrapped chocolate sweets from the table. I then headed towards the nearest door, deciding to go for a walk, because I knew they wouldn't have anything nice to say and I wanted to avoid confrontation.

This wouldn't do. I needed to fix Katherine's reputation seeing as it was now mine. 'How can I do that though?'

I let out a harsh breath as I stepped out of the banquet hall and into a yard, and after surveying my surroundings, I chose to head to the garden that was on the right. I doubted anyone would be there since the crown prince and princess already arrived and everyone would want to see them.

I walked into the pavillion in the large garden and leaned against the railing of the balcony close to the stairs as I glanced up to the night sky. "The sky is so clear here," I muttered, unwrapping one of the sweets I had taken, as a soft wind blew past me. I wouldn't have been able to wander off like that if I was still with my parents and the fact that I was truly free made me laugh.

For years, I had begged them to give me a little bit of freedom and now, they had no say in my life. I found it ironic.

"Are you okay, miss?" a voice came from behind, startling me, and my laughter died in my throat as I quickly turned my head to see a man sitting on a bench.

'What the- How did I not notice him when I came in?'

His lips were pinched into a disapproving hyphen, but his expression softened when he saw my face, while I took in his appearance. "Lady Katherine…"

I froze. 'No way.'

Sleek mint green hair that looked like it would feel as though one was touching some of the finest silken fabric ever woven if they were to run their fingers through it. Eyes that were like smoke: gray and full of heat, yet undeniably captivating. A face that was angular yet soft at the same time, and feautures were well spaced and set.

Everything looked like they had been carefully measured and put in place. He was graced with a look that could be that of royalty.

He was Lander Van Hyden, the second male lead.

'Am I dreaming?'

He looked even better than how I had pictured him while reading the novel! My mouth fell open and all the sweets in my hand fell to the floor. I couldn't believe my eyes.

'I- I'm not dreaming. It's really him.'

"Lady Katherine… Lady Katherine."

'Ah, yes! That's my name!' A flush crept up my face and my brows shot up. I still couldn't believe I was seeing him in person.

"Yes?!" My heart was racing and it felt like my soul was going to buzz right out of my body due to excitement. Somewhere in the chaos of my mind, I thought it was good that I was leaning against the balcony's railing. Otherwise, my legs would have buckled. "I mean, sir!"

'What the- Sir?'

I sucked in a breath to calm my nerves and cleared my throat. "Um- My lord." I quickly straightened myself and curtsied as best as I could before pausing when I remembered that children of nobility don't curtsy or bow to each other.

'Oh, no. He must think I'm weird now.'

Most of my thoughts ever since I woke up in this body was meeting him and what I'd say when I met him and now that I was in front of him, I didn't know how to act. I hadn't expected to meet him in a place that no one else was though.

I rose to my full height with an awkward laugh before lifting my eyes to his to see him glaring at me. '…Eh?'

He heaved a sigh as he got to his feet and headed towards the stairs while I wondered what I had done to upset him. 'Was it the curtsy? Was it me talking loudly? Was it the laugh? I'm sorry!'

"Wait," I blurted out just as he walked past me and he paused, glancing over his shoulder. He was so tall up close and I had to swallow to keep my throat from drying up because he looked kind of intimidating but still really cool. "Um…" I couldn't remember any of the things I wanted to say to him and the fact that I had already annoyed him within seconds of meeting him wasn't helping. But I needed to say something! "… I like your jacket."

I wanted to crawl into a hole and cry.

"…? Okay…"

'That's it. He definitely thinks I'm weird now. Weird and annoying.'

"I- I'll take my leave now," I said and curtsied again.

'Stop that!'

I felt like hitting myself on the head repeatedly as I walked past him. 'Is he still annoyed? Should I apologize?' I thought before turning around to see if he was still glaring at me… And I lost my balance. 'Shit.'

In that split second, I accepted the fact that I was about to tumble down the stairs. I just wished it didn't have to happen in front of my favorite character. 'This is mortifying!'

However, instead of feeling myself hit the ground, I felt arms wrapping around me and pulling me flush against a solid body.

'Huh? …What? …Wait.'

I glanced down at the arms around me and it took me a moment to register that only one person could have caught me. "!!" Heat rushed to my cheeks and I glanced over my shoulder to confirm that it was him who had caught me. It was.

'He's holding me… Lander is holding me.' My heart was going to give out. I was going to die.

"I-"

"Katherine!" a familiar voice called out just as Lander let go of me and I jerked my head in the direction it had come from to see Henrik and the women I had left the banquet hall to get away from, standing in the garden.

'Did they follow me out here? …Why?!' I could have stayed in Lander's arms a little while longer if they hadn't showed up!

Henrik stormed towards the pavilion, looking like he wanted to fight someone, while Lander backed away from me, muttering something under his breath.

"You piece of shit. What were you doing to my sister?"

'What?' I snapped my brows together in confusion before realizing that he must have misunderstood the situation when he saw Lander hugging me from behind. '… My favorite hugging me from behind,' I thought and my face grew hot again. 'I could have stayed in his arms all day.'

"I didn't do anything to her, Lord Henrik," Lander replied, sounding exhausted, and I found myself gushing over his voice too. "I don't want any problems."

'Yes, Henrik. Don't give him any problems.'

Henrik got to the top of the stairs and when he tried to walk past me, I grabbed his hand.

"That's right. He didn't. He only-"

"I'll take care of this, Katherine!" He cut me off, pulling his arm out of my grasp and gently pushing me to the side.

"Wait-"

"You bastard!" Henrik suddenly reared his arm back, his fist clenched, but before he could hit my favorite, I grabbed his short ponytail and yanked his head back. "Ah!" The anger in his eyes disappeared when he saw my face and I sneered at him.

"What were you trying to do now? Are you crazy?"

"K- Katherine?" He looked surprised and when I saw that Lander was too, I relaxed my grip on Henrik's head, so he could stand properly, but I didn't let go. I then flashed my favorite a smile.

"I'm sorry for the disturbance, my Lord. We'll take our leave now," I said and he gave me a curt nod before I began to head down the stairs, pulling Henrik with me.