Reincarnated As Both The Villainess And Heroine...?

Great Friends

One of these days, I'll get around to dealing with that new instructor. Every time I thought of discussing her circumstances, she would be nowhere to be seen. I suppose, that was the kind of existence she held. Her very being was...fickle.

"Hey look...it's the girl who beat up the prince so bad he had to be sent to emergency care!"

The rumors have finally been blown out of proportion, huh...These guys have absolutely no idea what they were talking about.

They were conveniently ignoring the fact that I was half beaten to death as well. Alright, maybe to death was a bit of an exaggeration...Still! I will let you know even advanced healing magic couldn't quite cover up my wounds!

Look, all I'm saying was that the bandages on my face was rather annoying! They scare people off, they did!

"Do your wounds still hurt, my lady?" my loyal maid noticed by displeasure with the cloth on my face.

Since when have you started calling me "lady"? Wasn't it a bit too early for that? Or was I not paying attention?

"No...The bandages are just a bit obstructive."

"Are they interfering with your studies?"

"Fortunately not."

It would be difficult to study poorly even if I tried. The things they were teaching us were...well, the basics of basics. Of course, I was still rather young, so it didn't came as a surprise that I was dealing with alphabets and counting numbers and what not. Does feel a tad bit patronizing, though.

Seemingly notice my poor mood, Lily made small talk in an effort to cheer me up, "Are you adjusting well to the life at the academy, my lady?"

"That depends on who you ask," I chuckled bitterly, much to Lily's confusion.

Who you ask indeed.

I had first assumed that since we were literally the same individual, neither Rin me nor Elizabeth me would have any trouble making friends. I mean, I wasn't quite the most charismatic person in the world, but it wasn't as if I lived a life of loneliness in the past, either.

I mean, Rin me surely didn't have much problems with a school life. Must be nice to have others approach you easily, huh...

Was it the atmosphere, after all? Anyone who saw me and my bandaged figure would run for the hills.

"Miss Bathory, what a coincidence."

Well, except those who were required to greet me out of obligation to noble etiquette.

The terrifyingly muscular young boy for his age greeted me as he rounded the corner. While his actual position in nobility was somewhat vague, Isaac was nevertheless the child of a rather important figure in the Kingdom.

"It's a pleasure, Sir Isaac."

"Isaac is fine, my standing is lower, after all. Not to mention I'm barely of age," that smile was way too innocent for someone that was going to kill me in the future!

"I really feel as if I'm going to lose it," I murmured under my breath.

"Pardon?"

I sighed, "Just the musings of sanity, I suppose."

"Ah, by the way..."

Isaac took a slight step away from me, before lowering his head ever so slightly. I had no idea what his action was meant to symbolize, so I remained still in my position. However, judging from the numerous whispers emanating from around me, I feel as if this situation just spawned a dozen more rumors.

"Although our families may not have always seen eye to eye, I assure you it was not our intention to have not been at your honorable mother's funeral. There were...unavoidable circumstances."

While this life was still short, I had practiced the superficial etiquette of nobility often enough, "It's alright...There's no need for you to apologize to me. It is not in my place to be offended by such matters, either."

"Nevertheless, what had happened to Duchess Bathory was...unfortunate, to say the least. Not just your mother, either. You had lost a lot on that day. Too much for me to put into a mere sentence of condolence."

"It couldn't be helped," I smiled bitterly.

Really, it couldn't have. For the sake of this world, it was better to let things play out as it was. Was there a better way of handling things? There definitely was. But...I was not nearly smart enough to figure it out.

"Have they caught the culprit? Must be hard to miss an individual walking around the country with a stolen treasure."

Very logical point there Isaac, your common sense would have been an excellent addition to the developers' stupid script.

"Not that I know of."

But I did, of course.

"If anything, I pray that they wouldn't."

"Pardon?"

"Not at least until that designated scene..." I mumbled under my breath. "What an annoyance."

Isaac was left confused in the wake of my crazed ramblings. I probably should be more careful, but my fractured sanity wasn't exactly helping.

Isaac was confused, but he kept up the conversation, "Before I go...have you heard about the student from Sakura?"

"The Empire? Vaguely, nothing too in detail," I glanced at Lily slightly, but her expression immediately told me that she knew who Isaac was talking about.

Scary. Lily was too scary. She couldn't be suspecting Rin me already, could she?

"You should find her when you have the time. She may be a commoner, but...she is quite the peculiar individual," Isaac smiled mysteriously.

"I don't get your meaning."

I also don't like what you're implying, Isaac.

"A young girl who matches me in terms of wielding the sword...and that's only considering when she draws only a single blade. Does that mysterious strength not intrigue you?" Isaac winked.

"Not everyone is obsessed with strength as you are, Sir Isaac," I reverted to formality out of reflex.

Isaac chuckled, "You wound me, Miss Bathory. Then I again, I would be a fool to discuss martial prowess in a school dedicated to mostly magic training. No, that wasn't quite why I brought her up."

"To be honest, you remind me of her, Bathory," Isaac smiled harmlessly.

"I...do?"

Jeez, what an absolute shocker. Who would have thought the same person would remind you of the same person. Who could have known, eh?

"Not in a bad way, no. When I peer into your actions, there always seems to be someone else mirrored in the reflection. A intriguing oddity found in the both of you, I suppose."

Well...this ain't good. This ain't good at all. Perhaps I wasn't paying too much attention to this "act" after all.

"It wouldn't hurt to look into her when you have the time, of course," Isaac flashed his charming smile as he waved me goodbye. "I'm sure the two of you will be great friends."

Yeah...

...I'm sure we will.