50 - Mysterious Roommate

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(A/N: Sorry about the late update, again.)

Three weeks later...

I took a breath, marching forward. A few servants from the academy followed behind, holding my luggages. There were other students streaming in through the gate, and the front gardens of Alsar were bustling with life again. It was the start of the new school year.

The guide assigned to me led me to my dorm, which was located on the far east part of the campus. I stepped into the large elevator contraption, which was fueled by mana, and shot up to the fifth floor. I stared at the contraption in wonder, seeing the floors glowing a light blue from air magic.

The sliding doors opened and revealed a hallway. I marched out, momentarily taking a glance around the floor. The walls were an elegant beige, with a floor-to-ceiling window extended at the end of the hallway. A beautiful view out into the east garden was presented. I moved farther into the hallway until reaching one of the last doors. There were two name tags fixed to the wood entrance. One read Remis Xenith, but the other was strangely crossed out, the ink smudging on the card.

I raised my brows but brushed past it, no longer paying it any mind. I grabbed a smooth, flat stone that the school provided me. It looked unassuming. I brushed it past the door handle and heard a series of clicks. I grabbed the handle and twisted it, swinging the door open.

The school gave special treatment to highly ranked nobles, so the living space was almost like a condominium, with a small living room with a kitchen in the front and two doors leading to bedrooms positioned to the side. I sauntered in, waving the servants carrying the baggage away and naturally sliding onto the large couch.

I'm back to school. I thought, mindlessly fidgeting with the tips of my fingers as I drifted off into my thoughts. Today is the official start of all of the otome game's routes. I rested my head on a pillow and stared at the ceiling. Aileen is supposed to meet the tsundere today. But I already introduced him to her... I slapped my palm into my forehead and groaned. It's the very start, and I already set things off...

I shook my head and turned my mind to a different subject. I really wish I had some other element of magic right now so I can move the luggage without moving, I mused. Also, that name tag on the door was weird. The academy usually doesn't make these kinds of mistakes.

I grunted and stood up. Whatever, that's not important right now. I need to see what Aileen is doing and see if the plotline is going as planned.

----

The dorm was split between the women and men, with the women on the floors four and below. Aileen's room was directly beneath mine. I unlocked the large window pane and slid it open. Then, with a light leap, I jumped out of the room. Thick, vicious flames shot out from beneath me. I hovered absent-mindedly in the air, enjoying the light feeling, before fixing my eyes on the window below. Dropping farther down, I knocked on the glass. Aileen lifted her head from her book and instantly started laughing maniacally as soon as she saw me suspended outside.

I was let inside and quickly snuffed out the fire, landing jubilantly on the floor with a flourish. Aileen had fallen onto the sofa at that point, tears streaming out of her eyes.

"Sister, please quiet down. Your roommate will be here soon." I said, slipping next to her. Her eyes seemed to brighten as soon as I said that.

"Oh, yes, that's right!" She exclaimed, her fist hitting her palm.

Xenith was a great enough family name for us to easily have access to a private room. But, it seems that Aileen truly did inherit a lot of the family traits. My mother was enough of a capitalist to decide that having a roommate would help with connections, and stuck us with high-ranking young nobility.

I glanced around and didn't see the head of blonde hair in sight. My morale dropped down to my gut as I turned back to face Aileen. "Sister... was the prince here earlier?" I asked.

Aileen tilted her head. "Why would he be here? This is the girls' dormitory." She muttered, grabbing my hair and ruffling it violently. She stared at me as if I was stupid.

Well, this is really my fault this time. I have no excuse. I closed my eyes, sighing. "Well, was the duke's son here, at least?"

"What, you mean Theodore Audovár? No, why?"

"What about Cyrus?"

"He's your friend, not mine. Why are you asking these silly questions, brother. Don't be stupid."

My heart dropped to my chest. Not a single one... I thought. Not a single capture target talked to the heroine today?!

----

"Your respective magic classes will be separated. Different elements have corresponding..." The principal droned on. I sat quietly, with Cyrus sitting next to me with the familiar angelic beam. His eyes remained fixed on me, not leaving my face. I didn't notice. My mind felt like it was shrouded in thick fog. It was only when the students started stirring that I realized the speech was over.

I shot up, my mind still a mess, the stress eating away at me. Cyrus quietly watched me, trailing behind as I ambled back to my dormitory in a self-deprecating gloom. What will happen once the otome game goes off track? The butterfly effect, and I'll be the one killed by it. Remis was supposed to die a long time ago. There's too many dangers...

I followed the cobblestone pathways, into the dormitory building, up the elevator, through the hallway. I sighed for the umpteenth time as I rustled through my bag for the keycard.

"I got it for you, Remi~" An arm suddenly appeared in front of me, outstretched, holding the flat stone I was looking for.

"Gahh!" I yelped, jumping back and losing my footing. Cyrus grabbed my waist to stop me from falling. He chuckled. "How did you get in here?" I felt my heart pound out of my chest.

"You know, Remi, I live right next to you, too~ I'll see you so much more now, aren't you happy?" He smiled, brushing back a stray strand of hair away from my face. My eyes almost popped out of their sockets as soon as I heard what he said.

"Wh-wha..." I stuttered, my mind a mess as I tried to recall my memories. Right... the setting was that Aileen lived below all of the capture targets, so she could see any of them whenever she wanted... I want to cry in frustration, but at the same time, at least one part of this god-forsaken game is going as planned.

"Remi, you're so cute~" Cyrus laughed, his teeth twinkling. Then, like he lived in the room himself, he naturally unlocked the door and sauntered into the room with me pulled behind him. His eyes bent into large crescents as he observed me with amusement. He pushed me onto the sofa, sitting right next to me. I was wedged closer to the cushions, my body pressed comfortingly into the soft pillows.

As I let out a tired yawn and stretched, Cyrus's angelic smile reappeared. "By the way..." He lightly brushed the roots of my hair, and I found myself yielding to the soothing sensation. "Yes, I noticed there's another name on your door."

I blinked wearily, feeling the exhaustion from the overwhelming day setting in. Cyrus's gentle stroking easily lulled me into complacency. He carefully studied my expression. His eyes turned sharp, a snarl concealed beneath his seemingly innocent smile. "I should meet your roommate. Then, we can get acquainted! Won't that be nice?"

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