Some Idiots Abandoned the Road of Being Clichés

Atrillia Genevivon Rosa Marie-Ferri Sariline

••+

A tender, genuine smile graced her lips as she admired the soft brown hair that ran between her fingers. It was a vibrant color, chestnut, and warm, even if it looked to be a common color. It brought shame to all noble ladies alike, its charm was undeniable. A purity that had no ease of discovery in the facade that was high society.

It was this head of mild brown hair that brought knights to their knees and princes to despair. A lovely beauty she was, but more lovely was the adoration she received.

A seed of bitterness welled in Atrillia's heart, but her eyes reflected natural happiness. Well, of course, she couldn't be woeful. This was her dear friend's wedding day, a day for celebration and a day to rekindle with a single weight hanging over her life.

Her envy, her jealousy, but what could she muster in front of the heroine? A mere villainess with no redeemable qualities.

But that wasn't so, was it? If it had been done by her hands, the atrocities committed by her own volition, would she so be in denial to this sort of punishment. Since she wasn't the soul, wasn't the villainess, and wasn't bestowed a fate worse than all others. Why was it that she must suffer in another's case, redeem another's life—just merely so that she could survive a few more fleeting moments?

Was it that there was no simple pity for a soul lost between worlds?

Against her own sorrow, she placed on a mask of contentment, getting here was enough for her. After her more than disastrous arrival—

"Trilly, are you distracted?" A pure voice filled with concern addressed her with a light nudge.

Atrillia met Emi's eyes in the vanity's mirror and responded to her words with a kind smile. She placed the jeweled clip, that was the finishing touch to her hair ornaments, into Emi's lightly curled hair. It was a clip that was passed down from the groom's family, generations of princesses donned the accessory with pride.

And now, it was Emi's turn.

•••

[Pure Love And True Adoration: Devoted To You, And Only You] was a popular otome game, it was released by a small indie studio. Though this wasn't able to hinder its success, the studio which produced it had amassed a dedicated fanbase from their previous title. Fans would keep track of the studio's updates and wait with bated breath at every announcement.

Atrillia was the same, or rather when she had been Keiko, it was the same. In her previous world, she had been an average university student, she worked part-time and spent the rest of her time focused on school work. It was a routine for her and the only time she could take a break was when she played otome games.

They were cheesy games, of course, not too much substance—merely to satisfy a desire. The capture targets were normally one note and the heroines would be annoying and weak at best. But that didn't matter to her, all that mattered was the hot guys and delicate female leads. As long as the art was pretty, all was forgiven.

That was until she chanced upon [Pure Love And True Adoration: Devoted To You, And Only You]. It was an eye-opening game for her, it provided her with all that she was missing. Beautiful capture targets, a complex storyline, and finally a strong heroine.

More than the pretty guys, the one character that Keiko admired the most was the heroine. The sweet, pure, and gentle Emi that, despite her circumstances, was able to defy her own status in the world. She had motivation, she had conviction and she was able to defend herself against the tides of the world. She was able to defend herself against the villainess.

On the other hand of the spectrum, the villainess was Keiko's least favorite character. She was too evil, too vicious with no motivation for any of her actions at all. She was the weak link in the game, whilst all the other characters were so well-developed. It was almost as if someone with a vendetta against Atrillia botched her character purposefully.

Though this flaw was easily overlooked by her, since she played the game to its entirety, reaching every single ending available. Even the hidden ones. In every ending there was a commonality, the heroine and a capture target were in love and the wicked villainess was stripped of her noble title and sent away. This was a light punishment in Keiko's mind.

•••

Lenient? It was laughable. The world that greeted her as the loathed villainess was a world dyed in the ugliness green. The jaded and cruel reality that one if faced would wish it was all a dream.

But her long nightmares weren't simply nightmares, they were authentic actuality.

Menial labor, sleepless nights, ruthless customers. What jobs did she not do, to grovel at fate's feet and beg for life?

All her pride was thrown away, virtue was a lie she did not buy. To survive there was only an instinct.

•••

"Trilly! There you are, why are you loitering about outside the chapel?" Emi quickened her pace to reach her and wrapped her arms around her. Atrillia was shorter in height than her, so was crushed into her embrace. A small awkward smile spread on her lips and she playfully sighed, as if it was a lot for her to put up with.

"Trilly, ah! Come in! The wedding will start soon." Emi released her when she was satisfied with her hug and fixed the lily in her hair.

Atrillia smiled again, but it did not reach her eyes. Trilly? It was a cute nickname, but she always wondered if there was hidden malice in Emi's words. Trilly? Did she not know that when said sounded so close to 'drill'.

Drillhead. Was it not a nickname that the previous Atrillia so vehemently hated? Emi, was she so oblivious? Did she truly not know, or had she chosen not to know?

But—where could she question Emi, she had admired her greatly? Even now they were friends, everything in the past was left in the past. It must be that her suffering had made her too suspicious.

•••

A harmless glare was sent her way and Atrillia hopelessly smiled, this prince—she had never noticed before, but he was too childish. The heroine had accepted her, but it was hard to say that the capture targets had as well.

They didn't hate her, at least not anymore, but that had no leverage on how fondly they viewed her. Which wasn't very.

She didn't mind this, as long as both roads never intersect. It was a fair ride.

Atrillia took another sip of her wine, as she made headway to exit the ballroom. It was a rather stuffy place, few interacted with her, or rather it was that few dared to. So for most of the hour, she would be left to her own devices, which wasn't something she hated since attention wasn't something she envied.

Love was.

Her steps were unhurried and deliberate, sidestepping guests and waiters. She weaved her way through the room. Her steps were light and her movement elegant, the body that she occupied was taught such precise etiquette. It was quite the wonder, and even more wondrous was the fact that she was able to use it with muscle memory. It immensely benefited her image. If an image was worth any penny to her name.

The nighttime was fresh and the moon high in the sky, it was a good night. Such a night accompanied by this perfect day, was all for the happiest day in the heroine's life.

The happiest day of the otome game.

And the—

The long set of stairs that she was descending caught her by surprise as she felt herself airborne for a split second.

This was going to be how she died, falling down this staircase of hell to her death.

This realization made her shameful.

To work so hard to survive and for all of it to end like this.

'Fate, you are a bitch.'