Page 136 of The Villainess Chose Naps Over Death Flags

"She used Caroline as a pawn," Carol said, her voice shaking with rage. "For a decade. Just to test out manipulation tactics and keep Caroline isolated so she wouldn't be competition for Percival's attention."

"That's..." Lumi paused. "That's actually worse than I expected."

"And she used Caspian too," Carol continued, her anger building. "Guided him to that garden knowing exactly what would happen. Destroyed two people's lives just to clear her own path to Percival."

Carol stood abruptly, pacing across her chambers.

Mochi and Shadow watched her with concerned eyes, sensing her distress.

"Caroline wasn't a good person," Carol said. "I know that. She was spoiled and mean and made terrible choices. But Lucinda encouraged all of it. Made it worse. Made sure Caroline would fail."

She thought about the memory—Caroline's genuine excitement and nervousness before the spell. Her trust in Lucinda. Her devastation when everything went wrong.

And Caspian, who'd just wanted a quiet moment away from the ball, walking into a magical trap that would bind him to a woman who'd been crying for someone else.

"Oh no, dear cousin," Carol said aloud, staring at Lucinda's innocent-looking profile image. "That's a death flag waiting to happen."

Three active death flags, the interface had said. Related to interfering with Rosalie, the Chosen Heroine.

Lucinda was still scheming. Still trying to undermine Percival's engagement. Still destroying lives to get what she wanted.

And she had no idea that Caroline had changed. That Carol wasn't the same person anymore.

Good, Carol thought viciously. Let her keep thinking I'm the same. Let her stay focused on Percival. Let her ignore me completely.

Because Carol wanted nothing to do with her manipulative cousin.

And if Lucinda's schemes got her killed by interfering with the game's main plot? Well.

Carol had her own problems to worry about.

"Are you going to warn her?" Lumi asked quietly. "About the death flags?"

Carol looked at the profile again. At the list of Lucinda's crimes. At the note that she hadn't even bothered to contact Caroline since the forced marriage.

Three and a half months. Not a single letter. Not one inquiry about how Caroline was doing.

Because Lucinda didn't care. Had never cared.

"No," Carol said flatly. "She made her choices. She can live with the consequences."

"That's harsh," Missy said, though she sounded approving.

"She destroyed Caroline's life for her own benefit," Carol said. "Used her as a pawn. Used Caspian as a pawn. And now she's trying to destroy Rosalie too." She closed the interface. "I have enough problems without worrying about saving someone who's actively trying to ruin other people's lives."

Carol returned to her bed and sat down heavily.

The anger was still there, burning in her chest. But underneath it, the guilt remained.

Yes, Lucinda had sabotaged the spell.

Yes, Lucinda had guided Caspian to the garden deliberately.

But it had still been Caroline's spell. Caroline's trap. Caroline's choice to use love magic in the first place.

And now Carol was living with those consequences.

Married to a man who'd been accidentally caught in a spell meant for someone else. A man who knew he'd never been wanted. A man whose family had forced the marriage despite everyone's objections.