Chapter 2

“Ugh, this is exhausting…”

Lilian flopped down onto the bed with a sigh. She had only been possessed by the prince from the otome game she was playing for a day, but already felt like she was on the verge of collapse.

“The villainess, huh? Just a villainess?”

Lilian Beon Portus, the eldest daughter of the most powerful House of Marquis of Portus in the empire. Her father, the busy Marquis of Portus, had no time for her, and her mother was off having a late-life romance. As a result, Lilian grew up in a rather skewed environment.

And contributing significantly to that skewed upbringing was Catherine, the girl she had just seen. Despite her beautiful name and looks, Catherine had always been jealous of Lilian and had become her maid, intentionally trying to ruin her.

“But there was something strange about her…”

Catherine, in person, gave off a vibe of being detached from it all. The glassy, emotionless gaze that looked at Lilian suited her unique red eyes perfectly and was beautiful to boot. Honestly, Lilian thought Catherine looked more like the villainess than she did.

“It’s hard to believe she’s just a maid. Sure, she had a significant role in the game, but…”

At best, she was a supporting character. It was a bit odd that someone with such leading-lady looks was relegated to a minor role, but in a class-based society, there were limitations that couldn’t be helped.

“I can’t remember much of Lilian’s memories, but at least the fundamental common sense stuff is still coming back to me, which is a relief.”

Particularly, she couldn’t recall much about Catherine. Mostly, she remembered breaking things, a time she slapped a noble lady who was mocking her mother’s affair, and kicking a proposal from some count who was all too happy to marry her when her ‘value’ dropped.

“Hmm, even if those reasons seem justified, a villain is still a villain, huh?”

Lilian awkwardly chuckled as she retraced her memories. With a shy grin, she lay back on the bed, slowly trying to recall her memories of the game.

“First thing to watch out for in the mansion is definitely Catherine…”

Catherine. The girl with ominous black hair and blood-red eyes whom Lilian had rescued. Lilian had found Catherine beaten up in the street and brought her home to wash and heal, making her her maid.

“Ugh, Lilian. What were you thinking?”

Lilian buried her face in her hands with a sigh.

Once she became her maid, Catherine, perhaps due to the violence she endured since childhood, grew into a cruel girl. She began to gaslight Lilian, spreading her own darkness around.

But Catherine’s misdeeds didn’t stop there. As Lilian continued her villainous antics at the Academy, Catherine collected evidence and handed it over to the protagonist and hero. Eventually, Lilian’s head was cut off, while Catherine laughed like a madwoman next to her, before dying from poison.

“If I think about it, did Catherine have feelings for Lilian as well?”

It wasn’t clearly depicted in the game, but perhaps the feelings Catherine harbored for Lilian were closer to love and hate. When she thought about it, it felt a little weird.

“Hmm, thinking more won’t change anything. Anyway, I’ll just be careful of Catherine in the mansion. I was really surprised when I ran into her just now…”

Just how shocked she was to meet those beautiful red eyes! Had Catherine not been her type, she would have fled without a word. Lilian rubbed her cheeks, feeling them burn with heat.

#

“Catherine. Catherine?”

“…Yes, Young Lady.”

Clatter—clatter—As Lilian traveled to the Academy, the only sound in the quiet forest was the rhythmic noise of the carriage wheels echoing through the stillness.

Lost in thought, she snapped back to reality at the sound of her name. Lilian had called for her after avoiding her since they met in the laundry room. Catherine stared at her, her expression still stiff.

“Is there something uncomfortable?”

“Uh, no. Just wondering if you’re nervous.”

“…You’re the one who’s enrolling, Young Lady. I have no reason to be nervous.”

“Right?”

Lilian smiled bashfully and scratched her cheek. It was a habit she had when feeling awkward. It was a face she had never shown to anyone else… or rather, no need to look for signs of the Young Lady in that woman.

For the next three days, whenever I wasn’t busy, I was holed up in the library trying to find a way to bring back the Young Lady. Initially, I searched for books on soul manipulation spells, but when that yielded no results, I started looking up the Demon King, whom Lilian had mentioned, as a lead.

The stories about the Demon King were, frankly, close to absurd legends. A tale about how, 500 years ago, a hero and his heroine defeated the threat of the Demon King who invaded the human realm, returning peace to the world—a story that was both clichéd and ridiculous.

The reason I called it ridiculous was simple. This world might flirt with fantasy, but it lacked mana and magic. There were knights, but they didn’t wield any supernatural powers. If the Demon King is as powerful as described in the books, he could just invade this world outright.

Yet, the world was nothing but peaceful—so peaceful that even reincarnators like me had no power. That was why losing my Young Lady felt so shocking.

Honestly, I feared others might see me as hypocritical for thinking that. How can I, who stole ‘Catherine’s’ body, not accept when my Young Lady has hers taken away, right? It felt like I could hear laughter mocking me.

But I simply wanted to act honestly on my feelings. I loved the face she only showed me. I appreciated how, while sharp towards others, she became a gentle lamb in front of me. I cherished the moments when she acted indifferent to her parents, only to quietly sob in the corner when she was dismissed by her mother.

I couldn’t like the woman who took my Young Lady away. I looked at Lilian with glassy eyes. As she caught my gaze, she tilted her head curiously.

Other maids hadn’t noticed the change in the Young Lady. Of course, they wouldn’t. The Young Lady never opened up to any maid except me. Even Susan, the head maid, hadn’t shown any real interest in her, providing only the bare minimum of care. In fact, it was I who had gained the most attention from her.

Lost in thought, I felt Lilian’s voice tickling my ears.

“Catherine. Do you know where we’re going?”

“…To Apatem Academy in Elbius Free City.”

“Right. A place where all the nobles from across the continent gather…”

I swallowed a sigh at the anxious look on Lilian’s face. I had to make this crude girl resemble my Young Lady. I was already feeling drained before we even started.

“Young Lady. Please maintain your dignity at the Academy.”

“Hmm? Oh, right. Is this how I do it?”

Lilian slowly adjusted her posture. It felt like the Young Lady had returned, with her usual mannerisms and expressions. But that was just for an instant; her eyes, filled with light unlike the Young Lady’s, made it seem like something wearing her face was sitting there.

No, to put it bluntly.

“Yes.”

If the Young Lady’s body remembered noble etiquette, then that was a relief. Unlike me, she had some perks, after all.

Clatter—clatter—the sound of the carriage wheels continued to tickle my ears. The sturdy oak carriage rolled steadily along, contrasting sharply with the icy atmosphere between the two passengers.

#

Apatem Academy was a massive school established in the Elbius Free City, a territory of the empire. Originally an imperial territory, Elbius Free City had gained its independence by agreeing to pay high taxes over several years, with the establishment of Apatem Academy as a condition.

Initially intended to be set up in the empire, the academy moved to Elbius Free City to ensure greater safety while holding royalty and nobility from other countries hostage, with its main goal being to take them as hostages.

Over time, it transformed into an academy where only the highest nobility could enroll, which naturally included the daughter of the Marquis of Portus.

“The dormitory is this way. As previously stated, you may only bring one maid, and during classes, she can access all premises except for the student dormitories.”

“Yes.”

“Right.”

“Do you have any questions?”

The cheerful receptionist at the academy alternated her gaze between me and Lilian as she smiled. Then, Lilian beamed and raised her hand high. Seeing that, I sighed.

“Yes! Where is the dining hall?”

“…Young Lady.”

“Ah, sorry.”

“Haha, you’re quite amusing. The dining hall is over here, near the dormitories.”

Fortunately, the receptionist dismissed Lilian’s unrefined demeanor as being entertaining. She pulled out a map and pointed to a spot on it while smiling at me.

“Maid, do you have any questions?”

“Where is the entrance ceremony held?”

“Your manner of speaking is a bit unique. The entrance ceremony will be held in the auditorium over there. It’s a bit far, isn’t it?”

“Thank you. That’s all.”

After ensuring Lilian was focused on the map, I quietly spoke up.

“Young Lady… Young Lady?”

“Yes, yes?”

Lilian, who had been staring blankly at her captured hand, looked up surprised. I swallowed a sigh and warned her.

“Once again, you must maintain your noble dignity in front of others.”

“Hmm? Ah, right.”

Seeing her casual response made me want to let out a sigh, but as her maid, I couldn’t afford to express that, so I held back and took a step closer to her. Then I grabbed her hand. Every time she didn’t listen, I would clutch her hand and look into her eyes.

“C-Catherine? We’re too close…”

“You absolutely must.”

“Ugh, I got it! So, can you let go of my hand?”

“What’s wrong with holding hands? We used to do it all the time.”

“R-right? Ahahaha.”

That was a lie. The Young Lady didn’t particularly enjoy holding hands. After all, whenever I held her hand, I would always end up reprimanding her. She was never the type to shyly ask someone to let go of her hand.

“Ah, Catherine. I want to check out the dining hall first.”

“But the entrance ceremony will start soon.”

“Still, I’m hungry. Don’t you feel hungry, Catherine?”

“I’m fine.”

Growl—

That sound wasn’t coming from my stomach. The evidence of that was Lilian’s face turning bright red. Sighing, I turned towards the dining hall, already memorizing the map.

“C-Catherine?”

“Let’s head to the dining hall.”

“Okay!”

With a bright smile, she followed me closely. Watching her made my head start to ache.