Viana pulled her hair in frustration.
"Why do you keep stealing my ideas and then even add more deadlines?!" she shouted angrily.
The screen in front of her seemed to be mocking her as well, refusing to disappear like it usually would.
She stared at the transparent screen in front of her, still visibly upset.
"You said there will be a reward if I succeed. But what happens if I fail?"
The screen disappeared, only to return with new text.
[You will end up marrying Count Lazarus Bloodworth.]
"No!"
[Yes.]
Viana stared at the screen in front of her and screamed, "Arrrgh! This is all so frustrating."
[Glad to hear it.]
"I'm not complimenting you!" she snapped, even angrier at the screen's behavior.
[Oh.]
'Damn it! If this goes on, I might lose my mind,' she thought to herself, but suddenly remembered something.
"What happens if I fail the mission?" she asked the screen.
The screen responded with the same answer as before.
[You will end up marrying Count Lazarus Bloodworth.]
Seeing the screen's response, she realized that her fate truly couldn't change unless she managed to gather all the men.
But to bring all of them under her control, despite having no power herself, the only option was to make those men her consorts.
Now, the problem was how she could persuade the King and Queen, who were also her father and mother.
Fortunately, she had no siblings, so she was automatically the only Princess in the family and also the Crown Princess.
Her father loved the Queen deeply, so he never took any concubines or mistresses.
In the past, she thought that being the Crown Princess and dearly loved by the royal family would mean she wouldn't have to face the fate of being arranged to marry a man she didn't love.
But fate had other plans. She remembered how her parents had begged her in her previous life.
"Viana, please, help your father. If you don't marry Count Bloodworth, he won't provide financial aid to the kingdom..." her mother, the Queen, pleaded while kneeling.
She turned to her father, who just sat there with one hand covering his face, saying nothing.
Viana wanted to scream angrily, questioning how the kingdom could have gone bankrupt. But she also remembered her own habit of throwing extravagant parties and wasting the kingdom's money on jewelry and dresses.
The King and Queen hadn't been able to control her, and as a result, she had become a very spoiled and wasteful Princess.
And Count Lazarus Bloodworth was immensely wealthy. His region was famous for its exquisite textiles and delicious wine. And he was an exceptionally skilled merchant, successfully exporting his goods to foreign countries in large quantities and with remarkable consistency.
They also owned several diamond and gold mines, making the Count the richest noble in the Kingdom of Elysia—perhaps even wealthier than anyone in the surrounding nations, including the Valendale Empire.
The Count, who had already been married several times, and already in his mid-thirties, set his sights on the Princess because of her beauty. When he heard that the royal family was facing a crisis, he immediately proposed this arrangement.
He offered a dowry equal to the deficit in the kingdom's finances and, additionally, pledged to provide 25% of that dowry annually.
The royal family had no choice but to accept his offer, otherwise, the Kingdom of Elysia would fall apart.
"I will try to persuade them to provide a place for the men I'll pretend to make my consorts," she resolved.
And now, the first thing she had to do before convincing her parents was to capture the attention of Prince Rayne Elwick, the Crown Prince of the Valendale Empire.
In her previous life, she had paid no attention to the handsome prince because she thought he was somewhat foolish.
"Alright," she said, clenching her small, delicate fists, "I will win him over first."
The second person attending her party would be Arden Daelis. He was the bookish type, quiet and introverted.
At her previous party, he had stayed silently in a corner, not engaging with anyone.
Viana hadn't paid him any attention back then and simply considered him odd. But now, she was determined to change how she interacted with Arden.
'This will be easy,' she thought, underestimating the task.
***
The day of Viana's birthday party was celebrated grandly at the Elysia Kingdom palace.
Soft hues of cream, pink, and blue adorned the entire ballroom, complemented by flowers and matching decorations.
Bouquets of pink, cream, and light blue roses decorated nearly every corner of the room, creating a distinctly feminine and elegant atmosphere.
The food and wine were elegantly arranged on the tables, while several servants moved among the guests, carrying trays of refreshments or glasses filled with wine for those too content to walk to the buffet.
The orchestra, exclusively employed by the palace, played cheerful and gentle melodies, occasionally weaving in romantic tunes.
Guests had already started arriving, showering compliments on the decorations and the overall ambiance of the party, which had been crafted specifically for the beautiful Princess.
All the guests had greeted the King and Queen, who were seated on their thrones, and had also extended their congratulations to Princess Viana, who sat beside her mother.
The various gifts brought by the guests were stacked to Princess Viana's right, giving the impression that she was deeply adored, judging by the number of presents she had received.
The current Viana truly disliked her own party, knowing just how much money had been spent to make it happen.
But, reminding herself that today marked the beginning of her plan to win over the two men she had set her sights on, she held herself back and managed to maintain a sweet, pleasant smile.
And, speaking of the devil, she spotted the Crown Prince of the Valendale Empire entering the party. His arrival was accompanied by the booming voice of the servant stationed at the door announcing him.
"Prince Rayne Elwick, The Crown Prince of the Valendale Kingdom, has entered the party."