Why Did I Become the Villainess?

 When I open my eyes, I see a beautiful two story house in front of me. 

 Aaline beamed at me and pointed her arm to the two story house. "Ysa, welcome to the House of Seniors." 

 House of Seniors? I chuckled by its name. Aside from its name, the house looks homey and cozy. It looks luxurious and elegant, but it has this homey mood. It feels like a place where you can call it home.

 Soiartze taps my shoulders and walks towards the entrance of the house. "Come on inside. I'm sure the Seniors are all waiting for us."

 Aaline and I follow Soiartze inside. Upon entering, my mouth couldn't stop from opening. Everywhere I look is full of arts. There are paintings hanging on the wall. There are sculptures on the post. Everything seems magical. 

 "Ysa!" I look at the overly excited Aaline, who is now pointing at something. I follow what she is pointing to, and my eyes immediately widen. "It's one of my favorite paintings in here. Isn't she lovely?"

 I look at the painting of a beautiful girl in front of me. The girl looks familiar to me, but I just don't know where I saw her. And there's something inside of me saying that I know her. But who is she?

 "Ysa? Are you okay? Why do you look shocked?" Aaline asked me worriedly. 

 I snap out of my trance and look at her. With a shaky voice, I ask her, "Who is the lady in the picture?"

 Aaline looks at the painting and shakes her head. "I really don't know who she is, but I do know who paints that."

 I stare at the painting again. I could feel my heartbeat beating fast for an unknown reason. All I know now is I need to know who is the lady in the picture.

 "It's Ancelm's painting," Soiartze stands beside us and looks at the painting too. "When Ancelm first came here, everyone got shocked. Even the Seniors are bewildered on what happened to him."

 Ancelm? Who is this Ancelm? And what did he do that make everybody in here shock at his existence?

 Aaline becomes excited when she heard the name of Ancelm. "Oh, oh. I know the story! Ancelm is a painter and a writer. As far as I remember, he used to work as a comic illustrator back in the real world. When he first came here, everyone is shocked at what happened to his task. Unlike us, who failed to do our task because we got too attached to a fictional character. Ancelm is the opposite. He didn't follow his character and distance himself from every character. Even the elders are shocked because Ancelm can fully control his character's body. Ancelm is supposed to fall in love with the female lead of the story, but in the end, he didn't even catch feelings for the female lead. This causes the fictional world he is staying to collapse."

 Ancelm can fully control his body? And he didn't fell in love with the female lead even though that's what written in the story? Who is he?

 "When the Seniors asked him how come he could control his body and why didn't he follow the story? He said, 'I'm Ancelm, and I don't let anyone control me, not even you. To why I didn't follow the story? It's simple, I would only love one person, and that is Gracen. Nothing more.' You don't know how many women fall in love with him instantly," Aaline shriek. I look at her and saw her face is already red.

 "But even if many women adore him and confess their feelings to him, he just ignored them. Because for him, he could only love one person, and it won't ever change. It's the reason why he painted this portrait. The Seniors said this is how Gracen looks like. Even up until now, one year has passed, but he still loves her. Even if he couldn't get out of here, he promised not to love anyone but Gracen. How lucky Gracen could be to have someone who'll love her so dearly," Soiartze said with envy.

 I nod my head as an agreement. Who wouldn't want someone who is loyal to you for the rest of your life? That even if he couldn't be with her, he would rather be single all his life than to spend his life with another person.

 "Then just stay with me always. I promise I will always protect you."

 I suddenly remember the dream I have about the young Prince Fraser and Csille. The words the young Prince Fraser said in my dreams keep repeating in my mind. 

 He will always protect me? I smiled bitterly. Prince Fraser is different than Ancelm. Ancelm wouldn't betray Gracen and will always choose Gracen no matter what. But Prince Fraser? He would break off his engagement with Csille and would choose Princess Paislee over Csille. How can I even think of him? 

 I shake my head and sigh. I thought the saying, 'out of sight, out of mind' works, but why do I always remember him now that I don't see him? This is really bad.

 I woke up from my trance when I heard Aaline asked Soiartze a question. "Soiartze, do you think I could find someone like that in the future?"

 Soiartze looks at me to ask for some help, but even I don't know how to answer it. Ancelm is one out of a million guys. Finding a guy like that in the real world is already difficult. How about in here? It would probably take some years before another Ancelm enters Kosmo. And even if there comes a day that another Ancelm would be here. I'm sure that guy would remain faithful to his beloved. 

 "I'm sure you'll find someone like that in the future. You probably just need to look around and open your eyes. Who knows, maybe he is just around the corner." Soiartze winks at me.

 I smile at her. She knows! I thought I'm the only one who knows. Then it means, Aaline and Earl really have a thing for each other. The only bad thing is, when will these two realize it?

 Aaline is about to answer when suddenly Earl pops out of nowhere. "Hey! You three are also here. What brings you here?"

 Aaline rolled her eyes at Earl and ignored him. Soiartze and I look at each other and laugh. Destiny is funny sometimes. The moment Soiartze said that maybe Aaline's man could be in the corner, Earl pops out of nowhere. Is that a sign?

 Both Earl and Aaline look at us. They look confused. Aaline pouted at us and shouted. "Why are you two laughing? Are you talking behind my back?"

 Soiartze raised her hand and shook her head. "Why would I dare? Also, I am laughing because of Earl."

 Earl immediately checks himself. He frowns when he finds nothing wrong. "What's with me?"

 Aaline looks at Earl. Looking for the reason why we suddenly laugh but after staring at him for a good one minute, she didn't find anything. Aaline pouts and crosses her arms at us. "Are you two making fun of us?"

 I shake my head and try to suppress my laughter. These two are definitely cuties. I really hope they would end up together. 

 "Why would we make fun of you? We were just laughing because of how Earl looks like. His pants and his polo doesn't look good together. He looks like he just grabs whatever clothes he sees in his closet and wears it." I look at Earl with a sorry smile. 

 Sorry, it's not that Earl's fashion is bad, but his clothing doesn't really match each other. Plus, the way he wears it makes it look awkward.

 Earl's face immediately hits up, and he looks at his clothes shyly. Aaline frowns and glares at us. "What's wrong with his clothes? I think it looks good to him. It suits his quirky personality. What right have the two of you have to make fun of someone's fashion?" Aaline stands in front of Earl and uses her body to cover Earl. She also spread her two arms, making it clear to us that she is protecting Earl. She looks like a lion protecting her shy cub. 

 Soiartze and I immediately straighten our faces and look at the both of them with a sorry face. "I'm sorry. We don't mean to offend Earl, and yeah, I agree with you. His fashion suits his personality. Sorry, Earl, we don't mean to be rude," Soiartze said, which I immediately follow.

 I don't really mean to pinpoint his fashion, but I don't see any other excuse to use other than that. I couldn't tell them that Soiartze and I are laughing because of the coincidence.

 Earl just shrugged it off. "Don't worry about that. I know that my fashion could look awkward at some and I'm already used to it." He then looks at Aaline, who is still protecting him from us. "Thank you, Aaline. I really appreciate it."

 Aaline immediately steps aside and moves far away from Earl. "Don't thank me. I didn't do it for you. I just couldn't bear when someone makes fun of other people."

 Earl smiled at Aaline's answer. He then looks at the portrait of Gracen. "You're also mesmerized at her? She probably looks better in person."

 Aaline scoffs at Earl's remarks. "Everyone looks beautiful to you."

 Earl stares at Aaline for a couple of seconds before he nods his head and stares at the portrait again. "You're right, everyone looks beautiful to me, but only one person looks cute to my eyes," he then glances at Aaline. "And you should know what I like the most are cute things... and person." 

 Aaline face immediately hits up, and she turns her back at Earl and walks in a certain direction.

 Soiartze and I immediately followed Aaline. While Earl just smiles at us. This two definitely have a thing. I must do something for them before I go back to the fictional world.

_______________________________________________

 "Please wait in here while the Seniors are still having a meeting," the secretary said.

 After strolling to the House of the Seniors, we decided to meet them, but the secretary told us that the Seniors are having a closed-door meeting and it would take up some time before they could finish it. 

 I look at the secretary and smile. "Thank you." The secretary just nods at us and informs us that if we need something, we could just talk to her outside the receiving room where we are waiting.

 I look at Aaline and Soiartze, who are currently busy reading magazines. "Why is there secretary in here? Also, outside the House of the Seniors, I have also seen people working. I don't understand. Are they real person or are they also part of the illusionary space?"

 Aaline shakes her head at me. "Nope, they are real spirits and not part of the illusion Ysa. As I told you, we cannot explain things as we like. You need to wait for the Seniors to explain it to you. Also, I know you got an idea now who and what are they, right?"

 Soiartze shakes her head and looks around before she inches closer to me and whispered. "It's also like Earth in here, Ysa. We also need to work to live."

 I look at Soiartze with a shocked face. Do they also need to work to live here? I thought they don't need to work. I thought the Seniors and Virtouse are responsible for the spirits in here? 

 Soiartze shakes her head as if she had read what I'm thinking. "The Seniors and the Virtouse are only responsible for guiding us but living in here isn't free. The residents are free, and they also give free meals. The thing is, most spirits aren't satisfied with what they have. They long for excitement and fun things and food. That's where the Tahanan exists. It exists to entertain spirits, and spirits used the money to entertain themselves."

 I now understand. It's really boring to live life routinely. So, the spirits long for some excitement. Some difference. "But don't they feel bad to do arts after what they have experienced?"

 Aaline nods her head. "Some spirits hate the idea of the arts they used to love and the reason why they are stuck in here. Those spirits decline the job offer that the Seniors gave to them instantly. They just rely on free things the Seniors and the Virtouse are giving to them."

 Soiartze is about to say something when the door suddenly opens.