Mimi began to panic. She knew escaping was part of the original plot, so why had someone shown up to interrupt? Did she spend too long stalling? Were they really about to get caught so quickly?

  Glancing at Ant, he still seemed eerily calm, like the approaching threat posed no problem to him. His laid-back expression immediately pissed her off. She shot the snake spirit a glare that clearly said, "Do something!", and he shrugged before turning back into a snake. Only this time, the snake appeared to be a bit smaller in size.

  Hurriedly and without thinking, Mimi snatched up the snake, lifted her skirt, and slapped it onto her thigh like a slap bracelet. Reflexively, the snake wound around the limb and clung tight, and Mimi lowered the skirt, smoothing it out like nothing happened. At least she was wearing undergarments.

  Ant: "..."

  [ SYSTEM: +1 Villainess Point ]

  Mimi: !?

  The footsteps grew closer and closer until they finally stopped outside her cell. When Mimi saw who it was, her jaw nearly dropped in shock.

  "P-Prince Dimitri!?"

  The Crown Prince himself had come to see the villainess in jail? Mimi didn't remember any plot point like that. Though to be fair, anything outside the protagonist's perspective was never seen in the original game. At that moment, standing on the other side of the bars was a dashing young man with a regal face and attire. His dark brown hair had been swept back off his forehead and his blue eyes glistened like sapphires even in the bleak dungeon lighting.

  Dimitri was, what many fangirls on the forum would call, a 'heartthrob'.

  Seeing him in person was different than seeing him through a screen, and Mimi found herself agreeing with those fangirls. While none could hold a candle to her dear Sir Arius, Prince Dimitri was admittedly charming. To compare, Ant's beauty radiated a cold aloofness, making him appear unapproachable and distant. Prince Dimitri was a warm handsomeness that despite being elegant, made people feel comfortable and want to be closer to him.

  Mimi found herself gravitating towards the bars despite herself. She only snapped out of it when she felt a slight pinch on her thigh. Clearing her throat, she quickly regained her composure.

  "What are you doing here?" she asked him.

  Prince Dimitri appeared distressed. "How could I not come to see you? Winter is here. The temperature has been plummeting, and you must be freezing now."

  Looking down, Mimi belatedly realized Dimitri was holding something in his arms that looked like a bundle of cloth. She narrowed her eyes at it and did her best impression of a scorned lover. "Do you only care about me now that there's a chance that I might freeze to death?"

  The prince looked momentarily shocked. The Nemesis he knew would have never talked to him that way. She was always cloyingly sweet and her words dipped in honey. Never had such a venomous tone been directed at him before. "Nemesis, I know you're upset, but don't take it out on yourself."

  He pushed the cloth bag through the bars and Mimi begrudgingly caught it before it hit the dirty dungeon floor. "At least change into something warmer."

  As Mimi opened the bag and unfolded the clothes, she saw that it was a thicker, heavier gown and a winter cloak lined with fur. The clothes appeared new and were even the villainess's signature red color. The question was, why now? Why would the prince care about the well-being of a prisoner out of the blue? Unless the original Nemesis was closer to him than she thought...

  Ding!

  Just as the thought occurred to her, Dimitri's character window popped up for Mimi to read.

  How convenient.

  [ SYSTEM: New bond discovered.

  Character name: Dimitri Narcis

  Affection Lvl: 55%

  Character Attribute: Currently Unavailable ]

  Mimi nearly did a double-take. 55%!? Wasn't that quite high considering Nemesis tried to kill his future bride!? Maybe the prince was too forgiving for his own good. Or maybe he had a few screws loose.

  More importantly, when would she be able to see everyone's character attributes? It was odd that they were hidden.

  [ SYSTEM: The user can spend VP to unlock Character Attributes. It costs 1 VP per character to view their attribute, and attributes are subject to change along with character development. Would you like to spend 1 VP to view Prince Dimitri's current Character Attribute? Current VP Total: 1. ]

  Oh, so you can still talk when other characters are around after all, huh?

  [ SYSTEM: ... ]

  Stupid scam system! There isn't even a flat rate to unlock everyone's attributes, but I have to do it one at a time!? That's such a pain.

  [ SYSTEM: ... ]

  Fine! I'll spend a Villainess Point to see Dimitri's attribute!

  Mimi found herself spitefully relenting. It would be best to get it over with as soon as possible, that way she could at least know what to expect going forward. The system seemed to pick and choose when it wanted to explain something in detail. Otherwise, Mimi was left to figure out how things worked on her own.

  With another Ding!, the window in front of her changed, and the text at the bottom had been updated.

  [ SYSTEM:

  Character name: Dimitri Narcis

  Affection Lvl: 55%

  Character Attribute: Childhood Friend

  Current VP Total: 0 ]

  ...

  [ SYSTEM: ... ]

  Are you fucking kidding me!? I could have told you that!

  She wasted a Villainess Point on something that was basic information from the game!? With every passing second, she felt more and more sure in her heart that she was somehow being scammed.

  As Mimi was cursing out the system in her head, Dimitri was observing Nemesis's progressively worsening expression. By that point, she was glaring at the clothes like she could set them on fire if she tried hard enough. He swallowed nervously.

  "Are you alright? Don't you want to change?" he asked.

  Her icy gaze snapped up to look at him and the rest of his words died in his throat. The glare of a villainess was not to be underestimated. After conversing with the scammer system, Mimi was indeed in a very bad mood. Still, she willed herself to be calm. Dimitri's behavior confused her, but if she wanted to get out of the cold, damp dungeon, she needed to get rid of him.

  "Are you going to stand there and watch me?" She posed the question rather suggestively, and, as expected, the prince's face immediately grew two shades redder. He hurriedly looked away.

  "O-of course not! That would be inappropriate. I just wanted to make sure you were going to wear it," he quickly defended himself. "I'm merely concerned about your health."

  If he was so flustered with just a few words, Mimi wondered how he would react to the knowledge that another man was currently clinging to her thigh...

  As if he sensed that she was thinking about him, Mimi felt smooth scales gliding across her skin. She fought to keep her expression calm, unused to the sensation. The snake shifted position slightly before settling down again, and Mimi let out a faint sigh, puffing out a small cloud of frosty air in the process.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "I will wear it after you leave," Mimi finally told the Prince. The sooner the better, she added to herself.

  "Good, I'm glad." Dimitri finally faced her again, looking relieved. Still, he made no move to leave. In fact, it looked like he wanted to say something else, but just then, the pressure around Mimi's thigh increased drastically as the snake squeezed and she sucked in a harsh breath. It seemed that Ant was growing impatient.

  Dimitri looked concerned. "Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine, just cold," Mimi answered curtly. "I would love to change into my new clothes as soon as possible, so if you don't mind..." She trailed off, but her eyes were looking back and forth between Dimitri and the long dungeon hallway, as if to say, "Hurry up and get going already!".

  Luckily, this time, Dimitri took the hint. He seemed a bit disappointed as he turned to walk away. "Right. I will leave you then. Don't worry, I will be back to visit again soon."

  Actually, it would be better if you didn't.

  Mimi decided to keep that to herself, remaining quiet as the footsteps faded. However, as Dimitri departed, there was a quiet Ding! and the character window popped up again.

  [ SYSTEM:

  Character name: Dimitri Narcis

  Affection Lvl: 58%

  Character Attribute: Childhood Friend ]

  How the hell did it go up three percent from that interaction!? Is he a masochist?

  After the distant footsteps had faded completely, the snake slithered down her leg and out from under her dress. A moment later, Ant appeared once more.

  "Well, that was interesting. Maybe I was wrong about the Crown Prince being cold. You're the real ice queen." Despite his words, he seemed vaguely unimpressed by the situation, which caused Mimi's temper to rise again.

  "Didn't you also want him to leave as soon as possible? You were practically strangling my thigh!" She rubbed the sore spot over her gown. She just knew that if she looked, there would be a red mark.

  "You're the one who put me there, so don't complain. I've never met such an improper lady."

  "Where else were you planning to hide on such short notice? You certainly didn't seem to be in any hurry." Mimi huffed before deciding that she didn't want to talk about it anymore. "Whatever. What's your plan to get us out of here?"

  Ant gracefully reached into his pocket, his long and slender fingers producing a key. "I snatched it off one of the guards on my way in here. This dungeon doesn't have any defensive measures in place to guard against snakes."

  Why would it? Mimi thought to herself. Were snake-related jailbreaks common?

  Ant walked over and stuck his arm through the bars before finding the lock and twisting it open. "Why didn't you just transform, slither through the bars like before, and unlock it from the outside?" Mimi wondered.

  Ant shrugged. "I prefer being a human whenever possible." He pushed open the iron gate and gestured back at her. "Let's go."

  "We're just going to walk out?" Mimi was not impressed. Did this guy even plan out their escape at all?

  "Do you have any better ideas?" he countered.

  She didn't. It was easy for Ant to come and go, but for someone decidedly human a hundred percent of the time, it wasn't that simple. After a few beats of silence, Ant seemed to be considering something. He walked out and closed the cell door behind him before leaning his back against it.

  "What are you doing?" Mimi asked. Did he change his mind about working together already? Perhaps she sassed a little too close to the sun...

  Ant cast a quick glance over his shoulder before looking pointedly off into the distance. "Didn't you want to change?" he asked in a low voice. "Go ahead. I'll keep watch."

  Mimi found herself slightly moved by the gesture. At least, that was until she remembered a very important detail. "... I'm still chained to the wall."

  "...Right."

  No more than five minutes passed before Ant returned with another key. He unlocked the iron cuff, and Mimi had to grit her teeth at the blistering pink wound it left behind. Ant didn't seem to pay it any mind, returning to his position outside the cell while he waited for her to change.

  With her freezing limbs and chaffed ankle, it took a while for Mimi to fully change into the heavy dress. She found herself exuding an unusual amount of effort for what should have been a fairly easy task. As she unfolded the cloak to put it on, a pair of fur-lined boots tumbled out. She pulled them on and was immediately grateful for the warmth, though her ankle still stung from the friction. She decided she would just have to suck it up and turned to Ant to let him know she was ready.

  He nodded as he opened the cell door. Mimi had glanced at him now and then while she was changing, but he really seemed to have no interest in peeping. His gaze never strayed from the long hallway in front of him. Sincerely this time, she found herself a little impressed. Then she immediately scolded herself. That's just the bare fucking minimum, isn't it? She was too easy to please. As a villainess, it was time for that to change.

  Escaping from the palace dungeon was not as difficult as Mimi originally thought it would be. With Ant's ability to transform, it was easy for him to sneak up on people. They used that fact to knock out the guards one by one as they made their way to the exit.

  Back in the real world, Mimi would never be able to knock anyone unconscious. However, she was now in a fictional world and Nemesis Cain had learned some basic fighting techniques and weapons training in her youth. Her father at the time said it was for 'self-defense'. Since she was the daughter of a prominent and wealthy family, attempted kidnappings and other things of the sort weren't entirely out of the picture for her.

  Even though Mimi had just recently possessed Nemesis's body, it was like all those memories had been ingrained into her like they were her own. The muscle memory and training flowed into her brain with ease as she stealthily took down her opponents. At that moment, Mimi really felt like they had become one. Maybe that was what the system meant when it said she'd fully synchronized with the character.

  She wasn't just Mimi in Nemesis's body. She was now Nemesis herself. It made Mimi wonder if the real Nemesis's consciousness still existed, or if it had been erased entirely when their souls had merged. What am I saying? Mimi sighed internally. She's just a game character. Having shared memories had made her momentarily forget.

  Each time Mimi knocked out an unsuspecting guard, she would get a notification from the system that she had earned herself another Villainess Point. She would have to ask the system more about spending them later, there was no time to worry about it now. A few guards were not so unsuspecting, but Ant was quick to immobilize them before they could alert the others. He moved with a powerful swiftness that was different from Mimi's. He ended up taking out significantly more than her through speed alone.

  Part of Mimi wondered if the guards weren't a little too bad at their jobs, being beaten so easily. Then she once again remembered that she was in a video game, and palace guards were notoriously unreliable. Maybe those reviews that called the game a cliche were pretty spot on after all. But currently, Mimi could only feel grateful for the universal incompetence of palace guards.

  The normal dungeon exit would take them through the knight's hall, but Ant knew of a secret emergency exit that led directly outside, so they opted for the more discreet route. Mimi had to fight her disappointment that she might have gotten to see Arius today if they had gone through the knight's hall. Though, she acknowledged that running into a room full of knights was not for the best. They were a bit more competent than the palace guards. Probably.

  The pair made it out in no time at all, even though Mimi felt like she was only slowing Ant down with her injury. The emergency exit let them out towards the edge of the large palace garden, and luckily the palace was backed by a mountain range that made it easy to disappear into. It was so cold outside that the garden was practically empty, and they quietly slipped into the mountains. Mimi's ankle felt like it was on fire as they hiked through the foliage, but she knew it was only a matter of time until their escape was discovered.

  She risked one last glance at the palace, wanting to see it with her own eyes. It was as grand as one could imagine, even more splendid than in the video game. It was made entirely of lightly colored stones and white marble, blinding in its radiance. Towers were adorned with golden trim and large windows of stained glass. Overall, Mimi thought it resembled less of a typical fairytale castle and more of a heavenly cathedral. As though the royal family were not mere mortals, but gods themselves that had descended to govern humanity.

  After they had walked for close to twenty minutes, Mimi heard the sound of horns blaring in the distance. Ant, who was walking ahead of her, stiffened and subtly picked up the pace. However, Mimi couldn't keep up much longer. Despite the warmer clothes, the cold air still bit at her exposed skin. She didn't know how long Nemesis had been in the dungeon, but all of her limbs tingled from disuse and the pain in her ankle was reaching the point that she couldn't ignore it.

  Suddenly, Mimi's foot got caught on a tree branch and she stumbled. As she hit the ground, her head felt fuzzy and her vision blurred. With eyes full of tears, she tried to stand back up. Ant had already walked some distance away before he realized what had happened. He turned back with a look of irritation like he was going to scold her, but just then, the sound of thundering hooves could be heard fast approaching.

  Ant's eyes widened a fraction as he hurriedly yanked Mimi up by the arm and tugged her along. Mimi yelped in pain from the rough treatment and was forced to walk on her injured ankle. After a few steps, her legs buckled again. With a sigh, Ant scooped her up in his arms and began to run.

  Looking up with her head resting on his shoulder, Mimi realized that their faces were quite close. She was able to make out his features much more clearly from this distance. His straight brows were slightly narrowed in concentration and his perfect complexion was dusted with pink, not from exertion, but from the cold. The rosy color splashed across his cheeks, nose, and ears, and Mimi thought it made him appear less like a statue and more like a human. However, she wasn't able to appreciate it for long.

  It was not a smooth ride by any means. Ant was fast and agile, but Mimi felt like her insides were being jumbled around the more he ran and jumped, leaping across tree roots and weaving between branches. The world grew increasingly out of focus until she finally registered being put back on the ground.

  Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, she was yanked behind a boulder with a hand slapped over her mouth. Her back was pressed to a firm chest and she began to try and break free. However, she was only held tighter as a low voice sounded beside her, puffing warm breath along the shell of her ear, "Shhhhh".

  She finally realized the sound of approaching hooves had gotten louder, though it was like it had been filtered through cotton in her ears. Mimi tried to relax and took slow, deep breaths as several riders appeared in her peripheral. They were some distance away, but still too close for comfort. The group of guards slowed to a stop and Mimi realized the one in front that was leading them was Dimitri himself.

  After getting over her initial shock, she saw another familiar face beside him. The knight's attire that she would recognize anywhere nearly gave her whiplash from doing a double-take.

  Sir Arius!

  Even from this distance, his light chestnut hair and emerald green eyes were unmistakable as he sat tall on his favorite grey-spotted horse, Pebble. He had given her the name when she was still a small foal and the coloring of her fur reminded him of the tiny rocks of a riverbed.

  Arius's keen eyes scanned the horizon and Mimi nearly wanted to break free from Ant's hold and run out shouting, "It's me! I've been waiting for you, darling!". He was like an angel on horseback. Even the captivating art style of the original game didn't do justice to the real thing before her. It was enough to make her lightheaded.

  As if sensing her thoughts, Ant's hold on her tightened again. His other hand went to her forehead and after resting there a moment, he muttered somewhat begrudgingly, "You have a fever". Well, that explained a lot, like her jumbled thoughts and lack of better judgment. However, Mimi still couldn't help but shed a tear at the fact that her beloved was so close and yet so far.

  The sun had begun to set, and the boulder they were hiding behind had a piece that jutted out above them like a small cave, blanketing them entirely in shadow. Combined with the canopy of the forest, unless the person were right in front of them, it would be difficult for them to be seen. Ant had found a good hiding spot.

  They were still too far away to hear what the group pursuing them had stopped to talk about, but after a minute or two, they got back on their horses and continued riding. Only once the last knight had galloped away did Mimi finally let her guard down, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

  Ant had also relaxed, gradually letting go of his hold on her. "Where are we going anyway?" Mimi asked as she took a step forward to put some distance between them.

  "I'd also like to know," a teasing voice suddenly responded.

  At that moment, a familiar horse had rounded the other side of the boulder and stopped right in front of the little cave entrance. The rider looked down at the pair, raising an eyebrow at their close proximity. From this distance, they could no longer hide. Upon seeing who it was, Mimi practically shoved Ant away from her at lightning speed. His back hit the boulder behind them with an oof, but Mimi paid him no mind.

  There, directly in front of her, was the man of her dreams! Her eyes practically sparkled as she looked up at him.

  "Sir Arius!" she called out reflexively. He raised a surprised brow. Of course, Arius and Nemesis knew each other. She was the betrothed of his best friend and he had practically grown up alongside them. However, he never heard her call his name quite so... lovingly before. It left him a little stunned, but he quickly recomposed himself.

  They had been friends before, but Nemesis had practically made herself the enemy of the entire kingdom by repeatedly attacking Dimitri's new beloved. Arius reminded himself that he was here to apprehend her, just as he had before. He swiftly dismounted and took a step closer, getting a better look at her.

  Her long hair was a little windswept and her eyes were glossy and unfocused. Her face was washed with pink, either from the cold or something else. The usual harsh expression she always wore was replaced with something almost hopeful. Arius was reminded of the Nemesis from their childhood who was all smiles and sparkling admiration, and he hesitated.

  Mimi felt like she was hallucinating. She still couldn't believe it. How could Arius be here? Now!? Maybe she really was hallucinating. He was actually coming closer! It was too good to be true. The next moment, she swayed on her feet and felt herself falling. The last thing she registered was a pair of arms catching her as the world tilted backward, and that face she would go to war for staring down at her in shock.

  Ant caught the unconscious girl with an annoyed huff before turning to meet the eyes of the knight. "This complicates things."