Fiona left the hall before the applause could fade.
No one stopped her. No one even noticed.
Perfect.
The night air outside was cool, a sharp contrast to the suffocating atmosphere inside. She exhaled slowly, as if shedding the weight of the scene she had just walked out of.
"Right on track," she muttered.
The villainess and the two heroines had been selected—just like in the novel. The unfairness, the silent agreements, the predetermined outcome… nothing had changed.
Which meant the future events wouldn't change either.
Fiona's eyes darkened slightly.
"And that means… the downfall begins soon."
She remembered it clearly.
The chosen candidates would enter the palace, compete, form alliances—and eventually, everything would spiral into jealousy, schemes, and ruin. Especially for the villainess.
A tragic end, written from the start.
Fiona turned away from the palace, her steps light.
"I don't need to be here for that."
Her goal was simple—stay out of the story.
No involvement. No attention. No unnecessary connections.
Just live quietly.
As she reached the palace gates, she paused for a brief moment, glancing back.
The grand palace still shone brightly, untouched by the darkness of what was to come.
"…Good luck," she said faintly, though there was no real emotion behind it.
Then she walked away.
Not knowing—
That the moment she stepped out…
she had already caught someone's attention.
From the second floor balcony, a pair of sharp eyes followed her retreating figure.
She left the palace —
The carriage stopped quietly in front of the mansion.
Fiona stepped down and headed straight inside without attracting attention.
As expected, no one noticed her return.
Everyone assumed the palace event would last until late at night, and no one cared enough to check on her. For Fiona, that was a blessing.
The moment she entered her room, she let out a small sigh and dropped onto the chair near her desk.
Finally.
Peace.
She changed into something comfortable and spread several books across the table—academy schedules, subject lists, and student records she had secretly gathered.
Next week, the academy would begin.
And that was where the real trouble started.
Because all the main characters—
would all be there.
Fiona rested her chin on her hand, staring at the list like it was her greatest enemy.
"I need a perfect survival plan."
First—avoid the Crown Prince.
Second—stay far away from the villainess.
Third—never get involved with the heroine.
She grabbed a pen and started writing.
"Routes to avoid: Library in the morning. Garden near the east wing. Main courtyard during lunch. Training grounds after class…"
Those were the places where most important events happened in the novel.
If she avoided those, she could avoid the flags.
Fiona leaned back and stared at the ceiling.
"…Why does surviving feel harder than the actual plot?"
Still, she was determined.
she won't dragged into chaos.
She would protect her peace—
even if she had to fight fate itself.
Fiona flipped through the pages of her memory, and one face immediately came to mind.
The heroine.
She would not appear for another year.
A commoner girl, abandoned by fate and forced to survive alone for most of her life, with no family and no one to rely on.
Then, one day, everything changed.
She was adopted by a Marquis and brought into noble society.
For the first time, she began to see that the world was full of colors instead of just survival.
It was the kind of background that made readers sympathize with her.
Fiona, however, only sighed.
"…Honestly, I never liked her."
She remembered countless scenes from the novel—misunderstandings, impulsive decisions, and endless trouble caused by the heroine's stubborn trust in her own feelings.
She made mistakes.
Big ones.
And whenever she was proven wrong, she would cry, apologize, and promise she would do better—
only to repeat the exact same thing again.
As if tears could fix poor judgment.
"She always says she's just following what her heart tells her," Fiona muttered, rubbing her forehead.
"That's not instinct. That's recklessness."
What made it worse was the male leads.
They always defended her.
No matter how unreasonable she was, they would excuse it, protect her, and somehow turn everyone else into the villain.
Especially the villainess.
Fiona clicked her tongue.
"That part was the most irritating."
It was one of the reasons she had never fully enjoyed the story.
The heroine wasn't evil—
just exhausting.
And unfortunately, exhausting people were often the most dangerous.
Because they dragged everyone else into their chaos.
Fiona closed the book with a soft thud.
"Good thing she won't appear for another year."
That meant she still had time.
One year of peace.
One year to stay far away from the madness.
And she fully intended to use every single day of it.
Days passed quickly, and before she knew it, the opening day of the academy had arrived.
Fiona packed her things by herself, refusing help from the maids.
The plan was simple—
avoid the main characters, stay out of the plot, graduate peacefully, and leave this house forever.
She had no intention of staying tied to a family that barely noticed her existence.
"If I want to get out of this shitty place, I better become independent," she muttered while folding her clothes.
"I seriously need money."
And money meant one thing—
a business.
After thinking for days, she had finally decided.
A bakery.
Fiona crossed her arms proudly.
"Wherever people are, food will always be successful."
A grin spread across her face as she imagined warm bread, soft cakes, sweet pastries, and customers lining up.
Honestly, it sounded more reliable than dealing with nobles and romance flags.
Maybe she was born for this.
Maybe her true destiny was not surviving the plot—
but becoming a rich bakery owner.
"…That actually sounds amazing."
She almost got lost in thoughts of fresh strawberry tarts and cream-filled buns before suddenly freezing.
"Oh."
A long silence.
"…This is not the time for that."
She looked at the clock and nearly jumped.
"I'm going to be late!"
In a rush, she grabbed her bag and hurried out of the room, nearly tripping over her own shoes.
The academy.
The beginning of all future disasters.
And unfortunately—
she was heading straight toward it.
WILL FIONA BE ABLE TO AVOID THE MC's?