After Aria played around with Marian for a while, the maid fled away in embarrassment.

Aria could only sigh at the fact, telling herself that she would have all the time in the world in the future to have even more fun. After all, it was not as if role-playing a bit was enough to satisfy her.

“Well, there is no need to worry.” She thought about Marian’s eyes from just a moment ago, “now that she has awakened, there is no going back anymore~”

If her mood had been bad after chatting with that prick of an Earl, now it was on cloud nine. However, Aria would never let that obscure her judgment and mess her agenda.

Stretching herself, Aria scribed a small note and left it on top of her drawer. She knew Marian would eventually return, and did not wish for her to be worried.

After doing that, she went out of the room.

The game's storyline started in the year 836, and that was when the game's main protagonist joined the Academy.

Right now, she barely had a year before the events of the game started to mess and change the whole realm.

That said, she had a lot to prepare, study and improve on if she wanted to live her life to the fullest - and, more important than that, get all touchy with beautiful girls.

‘Dango, dango, dango, daikazoku…’ She hummed while making her way toward the library.

Old-world animations were one of her favorites back on Earth. Many of them had been lost after the third world war and the enforcement of certain laws, so it had taken a lot of effort to watch them.

‘Not that it matters now.’ Shaking her head, she decided to not think about that.

The old and boring Earth, with all the asshole humans that lived on it, had nothing to do with her anymore.

She would miss a handful of people, but she couldn’t be more content with being in Chrysalis.

While she walked through the mansion’s hallways, she could still the servants whispering to each other while unceremoniously pointing at her.

It probably had gotten out that the Earl had called her to inform her of duties, and not because he grew soft-hearted out of nowhere.

Aria did not mind. Instead, she sent them a scornful glance, thinking about how pitiful they were.

To frivolously hate and feel disgusted toward someone just because of their employers' behavior… it was so pitiful that it was laughable.

However, a sudden exclamation of surprise brought her out of her thoughts.

“Oh my~” It was a bewitching and honey-like voice that had a nice ring to it.

Turning over to look, Aria froze on the spot.

It wasn’t out of surprise, though.

‘I really love this place!’ She bit her lower lip softly, staring with intensity at the woman nearby.

Dark locks of hair fell from her head to her hips, and onyx-like eyes gleamed with seductiveness and charm. However, those were the features Aria put the least amount of importance on.

‘E-Cup at least.’ She thought while admiring the woman.

The way the woman's dress pushed tightly against her bosom, revealing the milk-white ravine between them, and, also, how her shapely and long legs were revealed by a side-cut on the dress… Aria loved it.

Had this been on Earth, she'd invite the woman for a night affair.

“To think the little runt left her room, isn’t that a surprise?” The woman gave a half-smile after speaking.

"Stepmother," Aria smirked, her eyes becoming two crescents. "It's nice to see you too."

Admiring beauty was one thing, but Aria did not forget for a moment that this person was also an asshole. Well, she had slept with worse people before…

But that was then.

With so many amazing and wholesome girls in this world, she did not want to get dirty with stupid bitches.

Aria could hear the clapping sounds of the woman’s heels as she walked closer. Unlike the past Aria, she did not avert her eyes, and stared straight at the woman’s eyes - and she could see prejudice and malice swirling in them.

"Now, I heard my dear husband called you to talk about your coming of age and possible marriage." Her tone was easy-going as she reached out and grabbed Aria's chin. "I have to admit you do have quite a nice face, if only you were a bit more… experienced."

“Is that so?” Aria spoke lazily while allowing the woman to turn her face and admire her semblance. “Then why don’t stepmother teach me a few things?” As she said so—

"Hya!" The woman released a surprised yelp as a hand firmly clasped her breast.

“Hm? I thought you’d have a bit more resistance than that.” Shaking her head, Aria feigned ignorance while watching the woman blush.

“You!”

“He-he, that was quite nice, I must say~” Twitching her fingers, Aria sent the woman a devilish smile.

Grace stared at her as if seeing a stranger, her neck going red in shame and embarrassment. To think she allow a brat to take advantage of her!

“Well, if you have nothing else to say, bye-bye~”

The way the woman gritted her teeth while making an ugly face made Aria feel glad. Getting touchy with beautiful girls and annoying the hell out of people were two of her favorite hobbies.

Doing both at the same time was even better!

— - -

The floor of the library was made of wood, and the servants polished it enough to be sleek and glossy. The first time Aria came to this place, she was forced to admit that the place looked impeccable.

How, more impressive than the state of things was the number of books. The circular walls were all filled with shelves, and thousands of books had been acquired and stored by the Earl.

However, while she had always been a bit of a bookworm, Aria could not pay any attention to that right now.

‘Damned level cap!’ Aria scowled while throwing a book the book she was reading on the table.

She had hit the limit of most of her current jobs, and was being held back by a stupid, ironclad rule that also existed in the game - minors could not go past stage one.

“Having to wait for my coming of age ceremony sucks.” She mumbled while stretching against the chair.

Crystal Hearts was a complex game, despite what people could expect from an Otome Game.

It not only used state-of-the-art artificial intelligence to breathe life in the world, creating unique encounters and events for the players; it was also had a complicated system when it came to strengthening characters.

All jobs could be evolved, which would not only increase the attributes but also allow the use of certain skill-sets.

The player could build their character in many ways, developing their own play-style based on their chosen jobs, their evolutions, and combinations.

‘And there is also the damned decreased amount of experience that comes from being underage.’

She didn't know who the fuck implemented such a stupid rule but wanted to punch the person in the face.

That said, she could guess that it was some sort of mechanism used to allow the heroine to catch up with other characters, despite coming from a poor background.

Sighing heavily, she wrote a few words on a piece of paper.

‘Dancer.’

‘Duelist.’

‘Apprentice.’

Those were the three jobs she wanted to get as soon as possible. The latter two, however, would be quite hard to get as her current situation put her in a hard place.

“There is no one to fight with, nor books about any sort of professions….” Her frown became deeper.

Even her great mind could not bypass the system of the world, and, even though she had the knowledge, the lack of experience made it impossible to get what she wanted.

Sitting behind the desk, Aria sent the room another glance - procrastinating even if just slightly.

Suddenly, there was a creak.

Looking over, Aria saw the unnecessarily big doors of the library being pushed open, and a head full of dark locks poking its way through.

When their eyes met, there was a short moment of breathless silence and only then the newcomer entered the room.

‘Nephrite, was it?’ Aria went over her family tree in a split second.

Although Earl Edward loved his first wife, he wasn’t, exactly, a devote and loyal lover. Thanks to that, Aria had quite a few siblings, some almost as old as her - if not for a few weeks of difference.

Seeing the lemon-colored eyes of the girl peeping at her with curiosity, Aria smirked.

Everyone always seemed surprised to find her out of her room, which she found funny considering she had spent two years here already.

It just went to show how little interest they had in her.

‘What a stupid girl.’ Thinking about the ‘real’ Aria, she could not help but shake her head.

If there was one thing she had learned as Louise, was that cowering down and hiding away would never solve anything. There was only one absolute way to deal with oppressors.

‘…fighting back and forcing them on their knees.’

Feeling her mood getting unstable, Aria got up as soon as the other girl sat down by another desk.

With the initial surprise gone, the other girl did not spare Aria another glance - focusing on the book she had been carrying with her.

‘Well, let’s just play around and see if Smooth Talker gets to the next level while going at it.’

Smirking, Aria took another good glance at her half-sister.

Nephrite had black and glossy hair that fell to her knees, and her lemon-colored eyes were vibrant and captivating - enough to make one lose themselves in them. She had everything to grow into a great beauty.

‘Her facial features are soft and elegant, but her body a bit too thin and her temperament gloomy.’ Aria commented to herself.

She wasn’t really interested in Nephrite in a sexual way like she was in Marian - the girl was a child, after all. Nonetheless, it was easy to see that she would be a stunning beauty once she grew up.

‘But I will be even more beautiful~’ Aria smirked before walking toward her.