[Steal the Prince's first kiss.]

  WHAT. THE. HECK. Do you mean to tell me that I—Isolde Valtara, the villainess who's supposed to die horribly—am now tasked with stealing the first kiss of Prince Lucian Eltharion?

  Is he, like, a mythical being who's never kissed anyone before? No way. He's handsome, he's elegant, and he's, like, the most sought-after guy in the kingdom. How can he not have kissed anyone yet? Oh wait, right. That frosty, cold personality of his. I guess he's too busy glaring at people to go out and make out with anyone. Mwehe. Imagining kissing him just... makes my nose bleed again. Oh gosh, not this again. What is it with me and this nosebleed?

  Anyway, let's focus. I need to breathe, take a break, and maybe—just maybe—explore this royal palace thingy. I stepped out of the room, and wow. The hallways are filled with servants and maids bustling around like ants. Everything is so fancy. The carpets? Rich, plush red. The walls? Covered in gold details that probably cost as much as my entire miserable apartment. A noble walks past, giving me a look like she just smelled a rotten fish.

  Ugh, great. That's probably my reputation here. The villainess.

  I roll my eyes. Whatever. What are they gonna do? I'm already doomed to a death sentence, right?

  I continue walking, turning down a hall and finally stepping outside into what can only be described as a garden straight out of a dream. The flowers? Gorgeous. The butterflies? Vibrant. I think I just felt something flutter in my stomach... Is that butterflies? Am I... falling in love with a garden?

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  But wait. My eyes flick down to the garden path, and there, right there, is none other than Prince Lucian himself.

  What the—why is he suddenly here?

  Hey, system-thingy! What the heck do I do now? Please help me!

  [Steal his first kiss. I'm not a survival guide, idiot. Go ahead and steal his kiss! GO!]

  Ugh! You useless thing. Fine. You know what? I'm going to call you Useless Talky from now on.

  Before I can argue further, Prince Lucian walks toward me, his sharp gaze scanning the area before landing on a butterfly in the air. He tilts his head slightly, as though lost in thought.

  "What a beautiful butterfly," he murmurs.

  Okay, okay, that's a bit romantic. But uh... I'm not here to swoon over butterflies. I'm here to steal a kiss from you!

  Oh no, wait. He's... getting closer. Closer! Ahh! How do I do this? What do I do? This is Lucian Eltharion we're talking about! He's going to kill me. I need to—!

  BAM!

  Then it happens. My nose erupts with blood. Again.

  "Hey lady, are you okay?" He says, his face contorted into an expression of utter distaste. "Tsk. It's Isolde."

  Oh. So, he hates me now, huh? Of course, he does. Why wouldn't he? I mean, look at me. I'm literally the walking, talking definition of "villainess." My reputation here is more messed up than my old apartment.

  I take a deep breath, blinking back tears that threaten to spill. Fine. I won't cry. I won't cry.

  Now, how am I supposed to kiss this prince? I start to take a step forward—an awkward, shaky step—and—

  Hold on.

  What's that... feeling? Why do I feel like someone is watching us? No. Stalking us?

  I turn around slowly. What is this? Is this one of my new powers? I can feel the presence of someone just behind me, like a heavy weight on my back. It's... it's too dangerous. I don't know what this means, but something tells me this isn't just a random coincidence.

  [Warning: Opponent ahead!]

  Oh great. I've got another threat to deal with, and here I am just trying to steal a kiss from a guy who would rather throw me off a cliff than even look at me. This is NOT how I planned my day.

  Now, how the heck am I supposed to get out of this?