“Tch! I get it. You don’t like me. Do you have to make it so obvious?” I questioned her frustratedly, hauling myself up from the cold marble floor.

My words only disturbed her. She averted her gaze and pondered for a moment. Then, she turned back to face me with a devious smirk. It seemed whether or not I was speaking nonsense didn't matter as long as she watches me suffer from afar. Her blonde bob bounced a little when she locked her eyes onto me. She observed as I straightened my overly voluminous evergreen gown.

“Hmph, you deserved that slap. I’m simply waiting for Lord Carabell to come home and finally put this estate at rest. Your existence alone is enough of a trouble.” Jillian scoffed. She turned her heel and walked away from me. “Don’t be stupid and think that you’ll redeem yourself in any way. The duke won’t fire me simply because we have a little tension. He doesn’t trust you. No one does.”

I sighed as I watched the small figure sashay away as if she had not a single care in the world but my demise. It was as if the slap that left this bright red mark on my face was all that was needed to improve her mood. I briefly remembered the bruises and scratches that decorated her arms. That young girl has more matters to be concerned about than whether or not the daughter of the noble house she’s serving in is going to suffer.

I’m worried about how she obtained all those markings. I would like to think that her arrogant facade is just a self-defense mechanism. After all, she doesn’t hate me, she hates Elisabeth. On the positive side of things, I think I’m developing a “nice” idea of the personality of the original owner of this body.

The thought that I was different from Elisabeth was the only thing that kept me confident that our relationship could be somehow repaired. However, another thought haunted me in the back of my mind.

Elisabeth has a brother. I have a brother now. Surely, he wouldn’t hate me as much as Elisabeth’s parents do. He’s Elisabeth’s brother. Or maybe...maybe not. Perhaps he won’t like seeing Elisabeth. Surely, there’s tension between the two. Especially if the duke is going as far as rubbing in the fact that Allen, who I suppose is the name of Elisabeth’s brother, is the heir to the Carabell family.

I ruffled the black curls on my head as I churned these theories in my mind. One of the curls rudely jumped back into my face.

“Ah! I just want my straight hair back!” I exclaimed to myself angrily.

These annoying curls! I want to get rid of them! I want hair that's easy to tame, not hair that could attack its bearer!

- Elisabeth’s perspective at the end of her first week at the academy -

Yes...I will practice inner peace. Inner peace... I am a human being of serenity...

“Disregard?!” Teresa shouted. My finger twitched abnormally. “They’ve drawn on your seat and destroyed your belongings. How am I supposed to be okay with this, my lady?”

Teresa was beginning to look more and more concerned as the week went on.

“I’m not bothered by it. They’ve been doing this all week. I’m used to it,” I explained, trying to calm the overly stressed maid.

She sighed in defeat. Then, her face brightened up after remembering something. As soon as Teresa turned away after excusing herself to bring me tea, I started internally cursing.

Fuck serenity! Ahaha! I think I’m going insane! What is this? Is this the one-hundredth time this week that someone has tried to sabotage everything I do in my classes? Isn’t that rude? Where have “noble” manners gone? How can anyone call this high society when everyone treats each other like they are lower than dirt?! More specifically, treat me lower than dirt!

I was about to slam my hand on the desk when Teresa arrived at the door of the room, holding a polished tea set on a rectangular metal tray. My hand hovered for a moment before it gave out and landed on my thigh. The aroma of sweet tea teased at my nose. Wisps of steam breezed about when she carefully set the tea down by the side of the English book I was studying for an assignment. I pushed away a few stacks of papers to make space for the tray.

Teresa curtsied. “My Lady, here is the tea you’ve requested. It was recently shipped in from Leonard yesterday.”

The tea, regular black dried leaves, and for some reason, only found in the nearby kingdom, Leonard. Whitensen is a coastal kingdom, making up the majority of the eastern coast of the continent, Ager. From what I’ve learned in history class at the academy, Whitensen mostly deals with seafood trade and the harvest of pearls for jewelry. That’s why you often see ladies of the Whitensen kingdom depicted with pearl earrings and necklaces.

From requesting tea, I’ve also learned that Elisabeth has had a history of splashing tea in other ladies’ faces. She mostly aims the tea at the face of other nobles, but her previous maids were also a common target for practice. She also favors bitter coffee over all other drinks. It’s no wonder she’s so rude to everyone. She always has a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. This was also evident in the way Teresa nearly bawled her eyes out when I told her I’d rather have tea with sugar and milk a few days ago. She sputtered and blabbered about how much I adored coffee over tea.

Ha! Me? Liking dark coffee? I was always a tea person on Earth, and on the rare occasions where I did drink coffee, it was always filled with sugar and milk.

“Thank you,” I finally said, and her eyes seemed to glaze over with tears.

“Of course, my lady. I will allow you to work silently on your own, so I will excuse myself,” Teresa told me.

I nodded in response, remembering the last time I tried to convince Teresa I could do the work on my own.

It was after I was slapped by Duke Carabell and pitifully rejected by Jillian. Teresa kept insisting on letting her do my work for me, saying that if I wanted good grades, I should let her handle the load. Then, that situation followed with me adamantly refusing her help. We exchanged arguments for a while until she finally gave up. At last, Teresa let me go do my work in peace. It was only after she realized I was actually capable that she left me alone without any questioning. It really goes to show how incompetent Elisabeth made herself seem to others. There most definitely has to be something that’s keeping her from being expelled from the academy previously, so I’m going to hope that she had something of a brain before.

I’m going to hope.

Before leaving, Teresa added, “Don’t forget about the academy’s debutante ball tomorrow, my lady. It’s important that you make a good impression on the newly debuted students.”

I stretched my arms a bit before replying with, “I know, Teresa. Don’t worry.”

She left shortly after my response, only being partially satisfied with my enthusiasm.

She’s been going on and on about how crucial it is for me to attend this ball. Students of the high society attend this ball as their debutante and to celebrate their eighth year of education at the academy. The younger students, years seven and below, are not admitted. This will mainly be a way for debutantes to meet senior nobles from the academy and establish strong connections. I don’t know bullshit about things like that, so I’m going to just pray that no one bothers me while I’m trying to steal food. All I’d have to do is be civil and restrain myself from attacking anyone when they say something to me.

I jotted down a few answers to practice questions with my fountain pen and closed the English book.

“Finally!” I exclaimed in triumph.

I slumped in my cushioned seat, feeling my back aching from sitting there for so long. I rolled my shoulders, hearing the cartilage in my body cracking with the movement.

Agh. That did not make me feel any better. My back still hurts so much. This heavy and tight bun that Teresa did my hair into is giving me a headache.

After massaging my temples, I reached my hand out towards the tea, scooping a bit of sugar and pouring some milk into the small cup. The details on the teacup were beautiful. It was golden around the rim and bottom with painted blue floral designs around the middle, between the golden stripes. The color of the tea was a dark brown shade, smelling oddly bitter. I was dousing the concoction with the sugar and milk, hoping that the scent would be masked and the flavor, wonderfully sweet.

Tea! I was beginning to get sick and tired of drinking the same old milk and water. Not that I’m ungrateful. I’m actually pretty glad I awoke as a noble. How different would life be if I were a normal citizen of Whitensen?

I set the tea down with a clack.

Actually, I could’ve been free! I wouldn’t have to deal with these insulting nobles, and I wouldn’t have to deal with everyone constantly reminding me about how much they love Viktoria and how much they would much rather have her as Prince Caydel’s fiancée. Speaking of Caydel⎯that asshole, I think he’s been avoiding me. Ever since our first encounter, he’s simply kept his distance. Honestly, I don’t really mind. I don’t like him either. What kind of stuck-up person thinks they can simply walk up to me and act like they’re superior? His handsomeness does not make up for his trashy attitude towards me.

“Hm! Prince Caydel should get down on his knees and apologize if I’m ever going to marry that asshole! Forget marrying him, let alone even considering him!”

The remark made me feel just a little bit better. This week’s troubles have been eating away at my mind. I refrained from spouting any more nonsense in case Teresa was walking by and somehow miraculously heard me. I reached out for the tea and stirred it a bit with the little spoon Teresa provided for me.

I’m still concerned about the recurring food poisonings at the academy’s lunches. I can very much leave this world as fast as I got here.

I straightened my lips and pressed them together firmly.

I can’t die so quickly. I have to fix Elisabeth’s reputation, so people will stop targeting her. I only just arrived in this world, I can’t just die straight away. That’s pitiful!

I stood up abruptly and brought the teacup with me as I stared out the windows that the red tapestries only covered a portion of. The thought of death was suddenly so much less appealing than when I was sobbing in my room alone.

Ahhh, it would be so much better if technology had been invented in this world. So much for trying to be a computer science major. The knowledge is positively useless! I could try to be some technology Einstein, but do I really want to suddenly pull out random information in front of a bunch of people who couldn’t care less for what I have to say?

I lifted the porcelain teacup to my lips. The cup was still warm in my hands. I took a big sip and exhaled softly.

Hm? The taste is strange. It has a bit of a metallic flavor. I even put in plenty of sugar and milk. Was it not enough? I wonder if I should...If I should...

The handle slipped from my hand, and I felt my head growing lighter and lighter.

Thud!

“Your Highness!” a voice called out.

The golden embellished walls of Elisabeth’s bedroom grew hazy and dull in color. A figure clad in armor appeared before me almost instantly. The last thing I saw before the darkness was the piercing ruby eyes of...of a beautiful demon? The glow from his vermilion eyes burned with its intense luminosity. His arms stretched out to me, calling to me. The darkness enveloped me, drowning me in its loneliness.

I can't be alone. I don't want...I don't want to be alone...