Episode Four

<System Message: < strong>

<Relationship Status: Eliza: 25% (Rival)< strong>

<System Message: Stats:< strong>

<Charisma: 1>

Engagement party. Easy. I can get through this. I've played this quest before!

Technically.

I mean, technically, I played it as Eliza, but, it should be the same basic concept, right?

Forums for the game said that Lord Corromoth had a secret route and he wasn't always the villain ready to break up your love. Supposedly, he was the secret canon character.

Let me back up.

For those of you who have never really played dating sims, an Otome is basically a visual novel with choices. Those choices affect various things in the game. They can affect the endings, your love interest, and, sometimes, even different items you have in the game. Queen's Life also had a resource management aspect with different stats. You had to utilize your time wisely to boost your stats for the various events in the game. 

For instance, in the game and in preparation for this ball, you had 3 in-game days to prepare and choose what stats you wanted to boost to impress your would-be husband, since you are just a lowly house servant.

I put my resources into upping my dancing stats. First and foremost because I assumed that Eliza would be doing some kind of dancing and, secondly, because I was using a guide and it said that, to land the hot red haired dude, I had to be maxed out on my dancing and my grace.

You see, I wanted the red head because he was the "canon" character, which meant he would have the most true storyline to the way the game writers wanted it. It would also be longer and, arguably, include more smut. He was the character that Eliza was a supposed to end up with.

But, when I started to read guides and Otome blogs, I started to see people talking about playing Lord Corromoth's route. He was the hardest route in the game to unlock and was, supposedly, the secret cannon character. To unlock him, first and foremost, you had to have all of other routes cleared with a perfect ending. If you achieved a "good" or a "bad" ending, you had to go back and reclear the route.

This was disheartening enough.

But, when you did unlock his route, death was almost certain anytime you made the wrong decision.

I did not make it far enough into the game to even risk his route. Without clearing the other routes, the game defaults you to a "bad" ending and a very gory death scene…

Some of the choices you wouldn't even get unless you cleared all of the other routes and had Corromoth's Relationship Status high enough.

I sigh, putting my hands on my hips as I mentally prepare myself to walk through the giant doors of the great hall of the castle. I don't really have to do anything during this ball. It can just stand in the corner and look pretty.

It's good to be a side character.

I hear a faint *bling* sound, indicating that the System Screen would be popping up.

<System Message: New Quest: Engagement Party< strong>

<Required Tasks:< strong>

< - Dance 0/3

< - Hold Conversations with Guests 0/2

< - Speak with Eliza 0/1

< WARNING: AVOID SPEAKING WITH LORD CORROMOTH. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN HEAVY CONSEQUENCES.>

The system screen pops up and makes me blanch. 

Well, this party just went from being something in which I could stand in the corner to something which I have to be an active participant. 

And, apparently, I had to hide. 

While being an active participant. 

Fuck.

"Seriously?" 

The System *bings* at me again and displays the screen.

I blink. It's voice-activated, I guess? "System Stats?" 

A white and pink screen pops up, displaying bubbles. One pink bubble out of ten is filled in next to the word "Charisma". 

I reach out to touch the screen and find that my finger doesn't completely pass through it, allowing me to scroll. 

< Orelei

< Charisma 1/10

< Grace 0/10

< Dancing 0/10

< Music 0/10

< Speaking 0/10

< Knowledge 0/10

< Alignment: Neutral>

I feel my eyebrows raise. "Interesting…" I murmur. Apparently, I am dumb and have zero aptitude for anything…except Charisma. I take a deep breath and shake my head. "Whelp…this is just the beginning of the game, right? Can't be too hard to master…right?" 

*bling*

<System Message: New Quest: Engagement Party>

I chew on my lip. "Thanks," I mutter. I guess that's all the help I'm going to get…

I take a deep breath, shake out my curls - that I did not restyle - and push the door.

The moment the door is open, orange, firelight floods everything. Everything shone with the opulence of the event. I can't help but to giggle like a schoolgirl. Beautiful dresses in silks and brocades and velvets spin around the room on graceful, heavily decorated figures of curvaceous women. Men are dressed in kilts, pants, and tunics, all different cultural aspects covered. Everyone giggled, happily chatting through the room.

I was not aware that I was late to this event…but, I am glad that I am. It isn't long before I realize that there is a group dance taking place on the floor and someone grabs my hand, dragging me into the dance, making me laugh even more.

My velvet slippers glide along the stone floor easily, my hair whipping around my face. It isn't hard to catch onto the moves of the dance. It's easy enough. Just like a line dance at a wedding. Though, I fumble a couple of times, no one seems to notice. Everyone happily dances, laughing and chatting as the pipes and lutes play a raucous song. 

I do not know how long the dance lasts. I only know that I am winded and sweating with the exertion. Even still, I am still laughing.

Nothing like this would have ever happened in my old life.

I clear my throat as I spin away from the dancers, smiling, looking around the room for a drink. A servant in a brown cotton dress stands with a tray filled with wine goblets. I prance toward her and grab one, greedily. 

<System 1 3 Message: Dance>

"Hmm…" I hum, dazedly as I drink deeply from the wine. The red liquid tastes like spices and honey all at once. I would argue it's the best alcohol I've ever had…

Anyway, back to the quest. I'd rather not fail, so, completing this quest as quickly as possible would be for the best. And, if group dances count, I suppose that means i can knock out quite a few of them without having to ever find a partner.

That only leads to the conversations. Again, this task seems simple enough. I could easily simply stop one of the other servants and chat. I was one of them. Surely, they would be comfortable speaking to me! And, I just had to avoid Lord Corromoth! Simple enough! There were so many people packed into this room, I doubted that I would even change a meeting with him!

My completion odds for this quest were pretty good! 

And, the easiest objective I could mark off would be to speak with Eliza.

I just had to find her first…

I cursorily search the room for blue and gold. The shade Eliza had been wearing stuck out so vibrantly against the other earthen tones of the people in the room, I had no doubt that I would be able to find her without any kind of trouble. I stand against the wall for a moment, sipping from the nectar in my goblet, looking for her. 

I was sure in the game that she was mingling with other guests…it shouldn't be a problem…

"Orelei," I hear a stern voice next to me intone my name. It almost sounds like he is disgusted. I blanch and glance up, seeing an older gentleman in black robes, adorned with jewels. His black hair has greying edges that had been pulled back from his face. He sports a hooked nose and skin that is blemished with various scars and pockmarks. He is heavily perfumed as if his scent is the only thing that may lure in potential alliances. His eyes are black and sunken. I'm sure most people find him intimidating. And, I can clearly see that his station is high or he wouldn't have the gems decorating his body… 

<System Message: Archbishop of Lestall, Keavan Phillips>

Oh! Well, that was a useful feature.

I bow low, hoping that is the appropriate response. "Uncle." He scoffs at me as I raise my head and stand straighter. "It is an honor to have you join us for the celebration."

If I play nice, perhaps I could make it out of this unscathed.

And, hopefully, it counted as a conversation…

He rolls his eyes at me. "Aren't we being a bit brash this evening, niece?" He looks me over, as if judging me. The way his eyes linger on my chest make me shudder. It's uncomfortable and grotesque. I want to gag. "The Archbishop's future bride should not so brazenly appear to flaunt her station."

I jump, taken aback. "I beg your pardon?"

<System 1 2 Message: Hold Conversations:>