It was a typical fantasy story, where the protagonist, the attractive crown prince, falls in love with a young commoner and together they must fight for the kings to accept their love. The protagonist, of course, possesses a unique charisma, her kindness and perseverance lead her to earn the affection and respect of everyone. She and the prince live their romance while dealing with the typical problems in aristocratic society.

Of course, as in every story, there is a villain, and in this case, it was the second prince Darrell, who not only craved the power of the throne but also desired the beautiful protagonist. So, in search of obtaining what he desires, he began his plan to weaken the forces of the crown prince, and that is where his greatest ally comes in, Aleksander Ronchembert, better known as "the beast," a ruthless general loyal to the crown prince, since both fought together during the war. He was the one the second prince feared the most and whom he most wanted to destroy. How would he achieve it? Well, he had found a way. Aleksander had requested an engagement with the young Avery Levallois, a beautiful, kind, and just young woman. So, the second prince began his plan, approached Avery, made her fall in love, spoke ill of Aleksander, making him look like a ruthless being who respected no one.

Avery, in her naivety, believed in the second prince, but although she refused the marriage, her parents forced her to marry. So, that same night, when she became the Duchess Ronchembert, her hatred towards Aleksander began for having forced her to marry him, so she always refused to see him, ignored his attempts to court her, no matter that he wanted to have a peaceful marriage. Avery only sought a way to meet with her beloved, and although Ciel, Avery's sister, warned her that everything she was doing was wrong, Avery was blind with love for the second prince.

Due to this, the second prince told her that there was only one way for them to be happy, which was to kill Aleksander. Avery doubted this, but Darrell made her believe that Aleksander was after him, in conspiracy with the crown prince, planning to assassinate him, as they were beginning to see him as a threat to his ascent to the throne. Avery, fearing losing her beloved, decided to follow his plan.

She had to earn Aleksander's trust, and she did, to the point where he was not cautious and drank the tea that Avery gave him, without knowing that it contained a very strong poison, which, while it did not kill him immediately, made him lose strength. Thus, Darrell managed to capture him, revealing that his beloved wife was the one who helped him and that thanks to her, now, he would be able to defeat his brother, take the throne, and have his beloved for himself. Darrell let Avery know that, thanks to her, he would have the woman he has always desired. Avery was stunned by this revelation, she refused to believe that Darrell was using her, she even told him that she was pregnant with his child and that she wanted them to marry, just as he promised.

But Avery only received mockery from Darrell, and he even presented before her the corpses of her family, her parents and sister, had been murdered by the second prince. Avery was horrified by that scene, but there was little she could do, since Darrell stabbed her in the abdomen with his sword, ensuring that the only children he would have would be those that his beloved gave him, as he was sure that his brother's betrothed would choose him when he took the throne.

Aleksander could only see everything, unable to do anything due to the poison, and after Avery's death, he was also murdered.

Of course, Darrell's plans did not go as planned, his crimes were discovered by the protagonist and the crown prince, and although Darrell wanted to kidnap the protagonist to take her far away upon seeing his plans fail, the crown prince managed to find him and save his beloved, executing Darrell for his crimes. And so, the protagonists managed to stop the villain and achieve their happy ending.

The story itself was not bad, since the protagonist was not a whiny and hateful one, on the contrary, she put effort into everything, the one who was stupid was Avery, that extra who allowed herself to be deceived and that because of her fault, her family also lost their lives, her sister, who tried to warn her, was the one who suffered the most, because when Darrell's subordinates entered the mansion to capture the family, these men wanted to abuse her before killing her, fortunately she managed to avoid it, from her hiding place she saw how her parents were hanged in the windows of the mansion and the servants were killed without compassion.

The young woman was captured again, and for fear of being abused, she took a dagger that one of Darrell's men had and took her own life, as she would not allow her body to be defiled by those cruel men.

And now, long before that horrible event, a different soul had been reborn in the body of that young woman named Ciel Levallois, Avery's younger sister, and unlike her, who possessed straight black hair and hazel eyes, Ciel had inherited a pair of precious blue eyes and black hair with curls, giving an exotic touch to her beauty.

Ciel looked at herself in the mirror with surprise, she still couldn't believe she had that appearance, she still couldn't believe that she had reincarnated into that unfortunate girl who had to take her own life to avoid a worse suffering, and all, because of the idiot she has as a sister.

She has been in that body for a week and when she woke up she was confused, the memories of both lives were confusing, the headache did not leave her alone until she finally understood her reality and now she only had one thing in mind, to avoid the terrible fate that awaits her.

Ciel hears the hooves of the horses, which means one thing, her parents and Avery have returned from their visit to the palace, today was the day that Avary met the second prince for the first time and after only a brief conversation, she was enchanted with him, but, that same night she would also learn that her parents were planning an engagement with Aleksander Ronchembert.

Ciel went down to greet her parents, welcoming them and they were surprised to see her already out of her room. Ciel lets them know that she was much better.

"Good afternoon, Father, Mother," she greets with courtesy.

"You should have told us, so you would have gone with us," her mother comments, observing her dress. "And where did you get that horrible dress?"

"Don't bother her, dear, she's just recovering," the count reprimands her.

Both parents continue on their way, talking about it, while shortly after through the door, enters a pretty young woman with black hair and hazel eyes, wearing light colors.

"Ciel? But what have you done? It looks like you're going to a funeral," she reproaches her because of the color of her clothes.

"At least I don't look like I'm wearing the dolls' dresses," she replies.

Avery is surprised by how Ciel responds to her, although they were not so close, Ciel was never severe with Avery.

"What's wrong with you? I didn't tell you that to make you angry," she pouts. "Come on, I have something to tell you."

Avery takes Ciel's hand to guide her to one of the many rooms in the mansion.

In the living room, Avery talks about how excited she was to visit the palace. It's not that she hasn't been there before, as she often attends the parties held there, but at the parties she doesn't have the opportunity to explore the place. This time, however, she has been able to see a large part of the palace and, thanks to that, she has been able to speak in person with the second prince, Darrell. Avery recounts how kind he was to her and that he even promised to send her an invitation to have tea with the queen. This, of course, excited the young woman, who will eagerly await said invitation.

"I'm going to study a lot, to impress the queen. Maybe I'll get her to want me to marry the second prince," she chatters on.

"The second? If you were going to try to impress the queen, at least it should be to become the crown princess," Ciel replies with annoyance.

"I didn't know you were ambitious, Ciel, but no, I'm not looking for status. I like the second prince, he's so cute and kind," she sighs.

"The crown prince is much cuter," she stands up. "Smarter and stronger too."

"You're so annoying, Ciel," Avery complains.

Ciel says nothing more and leaves, no longer wanting to hear about how supposedly wonderful Darrell is.

For the rest of the day, Ciel went to the library. She needs to study and learn a bit more about that world, especially its norms among society.

Later, during dinner, Avery also tells her parents about her encounter with the second prince and that he promised to invite her to have tea with the queen. This excites her greatly, to the point of asking her parents that she wants to marry the second prince.

"Avery dear, that's not possible, that's precisely what we wanted to talk to you about," the countess interrupts.

Avery's smile immediately vanished upon hearing her mother's words.

"But, why not? His Highness is not engaged, and we are a family of good prestige," Avery looked worried.

"I have already promised that you would marry someone else," the count informs.

"What?! No, I don't want to, I don't accept...I don't want you to choose my husband," she complains.

"Avery, don't make your father angry, he has already made a decision," the countess scolds her.

"But Mother, I already have someone I want to marry," she points to Ciel. "Why don't you use Ciel for that engagement?"

"Avery! It's not up for discussion. You're twenty, you're getting past the age to marry. Your sister barely..."

"It's okay, I'll marry that person if Avery doesn't want to," Ciel replies.

The count and countess and Avery are silent at Ciel's response. If Avery wants so much to marry the second prince, then let her be free to do so. Then she will see for herself the cruel reality. After all, if she marries Aleksander instead of Avery, the second prince will have no chance against him, because unlike Avery, she will not fall for Darrell's deception.

"If they haven't specifically asked for Avery, then I can take her place," she speaks calmly.

"You see? Ciel is willing to marry," Avery interjects.

"Silence, Avery. Are you sure, Ciel? You just turned eighteen and I have received other proposals for you," the count comments.

"Your father is right," he looks at Avery. "Ciel is younger and understands the situation better, you should learn and mature a bit, Avery," he scolds her.

Avery clenches her hands on the skirt of her dress, holding back her anger at the scolding she was receiving.

"We'll talk about this later. As for Avery, if the second prince's invitation arrives, you will not go," he warns.

"What? Father, it's not fair. I would be losing a great opportunity to be close to him," she complains.

"I don't care, and if I find out that you have gone out without my permission, I will send you to a convent for a year," he slams the table with his fist.

At the noise, Avery startles and lowers her gaze, holding back the urge to cry from powerlessness. She didn't understand why her parents wouldn't allow her to be close to the second prince. Surely he is a better option than the man they want her to marry.

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Ciel had gone up to her room after dinner. When she was alone, she couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.

"But what did I do?" She shouldn't have said too much.

Would it be a good idea to take Avery's place and marry Aleksander? It is true that his nickname on the battlefield was the Beast, because of his ferocity against his enemies, but off the battlefield, he was like any other nobleman, courteous and agile in his business. That's why his territory had managed to prosper and he was one of the richest dukes in the kingdom, being a fundamental pillar for the kings. Ciel looks out the window, raising her eyes to the moon. She will accept the marriage, and if Aleksander Ronchembert does not turn out to be a good ally, then she will simply seek a divorce and leave, because she doubts that her parents will accept her if she divorces.

The next day in the family room, the count reveals who is the person who has asked for one of his daughters in marriage and that the king had already approved said petition.

"The Beast? Father wants me to marry that bloodthirsty monster..." Avery screams in fright. "No, I don't care about the punishment, it's a resounding no!"

"You're too exaggerated, Avery. The Beast is just a battle nickname, that doesn't mean he's really a cruel person," he looks at her with a smile. "You'd be surprised to know who the real beasts are."

Poor and naive Avery, who is swayed only by rumors, without knowing that the one she considers generous and attractive is actually that beast who is hungry for power and capable of using anyone to get what he wants.

"You see, Avery? Your younger sister is more sensible and wise than you," the countess reproaches her. "What did I do to make my eldest daughter so foolish?"

The countess lets out a heavy sigh while Ciel comforts her, holding her hands in hers. Avery just purses her lips in annoyance.

"I'm not foolish, Mother, I just want to make my own decisions regarding a marriage. I don't plan to marry whoever is imposed on me," she assures.

"Your thinking is fine, sister, but falling in love is a double-edged sword, which if you don't know how to use it, you can get hurt," Ciel replies.

The counts were surprised by Ciel's words. After recovering, the young woman has changed and her manner is now more mature.

"Say what you want, I'm definitely not going to marry the Beast. Since you are so wise and mature, then you marry him," Avery shouts.

The honey-eyed girl ran out of the room, leaving angry parents, while Ciel just remains silent.

°°°

"Are you sure Ciel? Once the confirmation of who will be the bride is sent, there's no turning back." the Count warns.

The man had called his daughter to his study. Two days have passed since the argument with Avery, and although he wanted to change her mind, she didn't, locking herself in her room.

"I know Father, I am aware of what accepting marriage with Duke Ronchembert entails, and I will not change my decision." Ciel assures.

"Very well, then I will send my answer to the Duke. You may leave." he indicates.

Ciel gives a slight bow to her father and leaves the office. She walks towards the garden, advances until she gets lost among the trees, so she just sits under the shade of one, opening the book she was carrying in her hand. This was a book about magic, since according to what she has read so far, in that world every person possesses mana, so, by studying and practicing, they can learn some magic. Those who know the most about it are the mages, these serve the royal family, some specialize in attack magic and others, in healing, both are a fundamental part of the palace army. Reading about this, Ciel remembers that the protagonist, being a commoner, perfects her magic and becomes the first woman to be part of the coven, which is what the association of mages is called.

Ciel leaves the book on the ground and stands up, taking a branch she finds there, beginning to practice as if she had a sword in her hands. If she wants to survive, she will have to learn something more than just magic, for now the important thing was to strengthen her body.

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Later she returned to the house, where there was a small commotion because Avery received an invitation from Darrell inviting her to the palace to have tea in the company of the queen. Avery was excited, but just as she was about to leave, the Count found out and ordered the mansion gates to be closed and forbade the servants to take her. After her childish and capricious behavior, she was not allowed to go anywhere, even the Count asked the Countess to write a letter of apology in Avery's name, as she would not be able to attend the meeting.

"If Ciel is the one who will marry that beast, then I have every right to go with the second prince, if the queen likes me, I could get engaged to him." she assures.

"With that childish behavior, the only thing you will achieve is to embarrass yourself before Her Majesty." the Countess shouts at her.

"Why don't you trust me mother? If the second prince invited me, it's because he likes me." she insists.

"Enough, you're not going anywhere, it's your punishment for your lack of respect towards us." the Count scolds her.

He orders the maids to take Avery to her room and lock her up. She will only receive her meals in the room, so she is not allowed to leave for three days. The Countess, with the help of the maids, takes away a hysterical Avery, who begs to be let out, as she was losing a great opportunity to become close to the queen.

"At her age and she still behaves like a five-year-old girl." the Count lets out a sigh and looks at Ciel."I'm glad to know that at least you are more conscious."

"Don't worry Father, I won't be like Avery, I won't let a whim destroy our family." she nods.

The Count is surprised by Ciel's words, while she gives a bow and leaves. As she passes by Avery's room, she bangs on the door, begging to be let out, so Ciel kicks the door, causing Avery to get scared.

"Stop acting like a capricious child, you're twenty years old Avery, you should be ashamed of that behavior." Ciel shouts at her.

"I'm not capricious, I just want to choose what to do with my life, that's what nobody understands." she replies angrily.

"Just because you have permission to choose what to do with your life doesn't mean you're smart enough to choose something well."

"Shut up! I don't want to listen to you, I know what I'm doing." she shouts angrily.

Ciel smiles mockingly and continues on her way, there is no doubt that her sister is a fool, getting carried away by that absurd whim with the second prince, but soon she will see that Darrell is not interested in her. When it becomes public who the future wife of Aleksander really is, the second prince's interest in Avery will disappear. She will see that he approached the wrong sister.

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Avery had tried to leave through the window, but the balcony was very high and there was no way to get down from there, besides, the Count was clever enough to place guards near the area of her room. So she has only been on the balcony watching the palace from a distance and sighing, she had lost a great opportunity. Surely the second prince will think she is a child for not being able to go to the palace just because her parents have not allowed it.

Below, Avery observes how Ciel approaches the knights, with whom she seems to be having a conversation. Finally, one of them hands her his sword and gives her advice on how to hold it; Avery did not know that her sister was interested in practicing the sword.

The knight teaches her postures to maintain balance while attacking and Ciel tries to follow that advice.

"I advise you to get a lighter sword, the weight is important, especially for a beginner." the knight comments to Ciel.

"Good point, I thank you Captain Wales, your advice has been useful to me." she makes a slight bow.

"You're welcome Miss, if you need help, don't hesitate to tell me." he replies politely.

Ciel now has an idea of what she should do, the problem now is, if her father will allow her to get a sword.

°°°