Reincarnated As Both The Villainess And Heroine...?

Unscripted Encounter

You know, dear readers, have any of you experienced sitting on a train track watching a train barrel straight towards you? I mean, the sense of dread as you comprehend the sheer absurdity of what was about to ram the living daylights out of you, yet there was nothing that could be done.

So one just sat there, waiting for the ram of the life time, for there wouldn't be any more tragedies to compare with afterwards.

Well, that was currently me. Or us, depending on how insane I currently was. Doom was coming, but there sure ain't nothing I could do about it.

I flickered my gaze to Lily who was sitting opposite of me, before returning my vision back down to my palms.

"...Lily?"

"Yes, my lady?" Lily answered in deference, ready to do my bidding.

"I'm thirsty."

"Certainly," Lily retrieved a water skin from the traveling bag, before handing it to me.

With my shaky hands, I poured it down my already moistened throat from earlier. My desires forced me to swallow it, but the result was me leaning back on the seat weakly, all the liquid in my belly sloshing around in rhythm with the carriage.

Before long, the phantom sensation of water passed, before my throat returned to its state of being shriveled and coarse.

"Are you feeling unwell, my lady?" Lily furrowed her brows as she touched by forehead gently. "You've been drinking a lot of water...yet you still appear to be in pain."

I was fine, but I wasn't. I was in a perfect health, but I couldn't do much about my other physical body. No matter how much the central consciousness controlled both bodies, the physical issues disrupted me all the same.

Problems like thirst, hunger, and other physical needs often could only be solved by one side. In these close to six years, I have found that phantom measures did work, but only temporarily. The issue had to be eliminated from the source body, or it would soon affect the body which was in perfect condition.

I couldn't wait for the hell that awaited me several years down the road...

In the first place, who thought it was a good idea to send a five year old on a trek across countries alone!? I mean, Rin me was technically six now...but even so! It was unreasonable for me to travel to the Kingdom all by myself!

Damn parents of mine. They were good people, but they have a severe lack of common sense.

"Here are our family swords for your journey, you'll be fine"!? Don't screw with me! I had thought I was going on a carriage or something, but when they suddenly dropped me off in front of a forest, I started to doubt if they were truly the same parents that protected me!

How was a child supposed to make her way to another country on her own!? It wasn't as if I expected the treatment to be like Elizabeth me, who had a private carriage, but at least send a guardian with me or something!

Oh dear...it was getting dark. I couldn't quite see now...Was I about to die? What exactly did Rin from the story do to survive this? Did she hunt? I sure as hell couldn't, I wasn't taught how to!

"Why have we stopped?" I could hear a voice call out, but I was too distracted by my basic survival instincts to determine which side it came from.

"Someone collapsed on the road up ahead."

"So?" I could vaguely make out Lily being the owner of that voice. "Run it over. It's likely a trap. Or if isn't, an exile's life probably isn't worth much."

"But she's just a child..." the second voice, presumably the coachman, attempted to object.

"Do you really wish to be the one responsible for the duchess' late arrival at the esteemed academy?"

Since when did Lily became so ruthless? She was rather friendly when I conversed with her normally, so could it be just she was bad around people? Or worse, she was already changing to the Lily from the game...

No, wait a minute! I smell plot device! This coincidence was way too good to be one!

"Stop."

"My lady?" Lily was slightly surprised.

"Stop the carriage. Bring the girl to me," my sentence structure started to slowly fall apart.

"But—"

"Quickly," I ordered, getting slightly desperate.

Bowing in deference, Lily opened the carriage door and stepped outside. After some rough dragging later, a limp body was held up at the entrance of the carriage.

Ah...I knew it. It really was me. How did this happen, me? It was quite fortunate for me to meet you here, me. Surprising too. To think we would end up meeting on the way to the academy...

"Have her drink something," I said.

Lily frowned, but complied nevertheless. She popped open a water skin, before squeezing some of its contents pass my parched lips. The liquid poured down my throat, and before long, the sensation of my throat being slow cooked eased considerably, both the physical and illusion one.

With the immediate crisis over, I had to keep my act up despite the sheer panic that was taking place within both my minds, "Why are you out here alone? Where are you going?"

Lily had a very low chance of knowing Rin me's appearance, considering her standing. She could, however, know the name of the individual who "stole" Elizabeth me's treasure. Thus, it would be best if I avoided that issue...just as I was ignoring the most glaring problem as of right now.

"I...I'm travelling to the Kingdom's capital," I mustered whatever strength I had left to reply. "I'm heading towards the academy.

"The academy? You aren't a student, are you? You look like a citizen of the Sakura Empire," Lily observed.

"I was given a scholarship," that was true, although father had to use up several of his favors.

From my gradually recovering vision, I saw Elizabeth shrug slightly, "The gods smile on you, Sakura citizen. We share a common destination. I permit you to take my carriage."

"My lady—" Lily protested again.

You really distrusted strangers, didn't you, Lily? That was a good thing in normal circumstances, but this was a matter of life and death! Mine, in fact!

"I don't see the problem. If you really are suspicious of her, you can always take away her swords. Besides, you will protect me, won't you, Lily?" I pulled the young child sympathy card.

"But...but..." Lily sighed. "I suppose it's fine."

Always worked against Lily!

Well, now that the immediate danger was over...

"Say your thanks to the duchess!"

Just...

"T-thank you! Thank you very much! You saved my life back there!"

Just how in the world was this situation—that didn't exist in the script mind you—allowed to happen!?